FG begins payment of N-Power batch A & B outstanding allowances

The Federal Government has begun paying the outstanding allowances of Batch A and B N-Power volunteers from 2016 and 2018 across the country.

This was contained in a statement signed on behalf of the Honourable Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, by Bashir Nura Alkali, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development on Friday, September 17, 2021, the delay in payment was due to some minor challenges faced by the Ministry.

According to the statement, the Federal Government payment system, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), flagged the accounts of 14,021 volunteers in March 2020 for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

Beneficiaries with multiple accounts, and beneficiaries with other payments from multiple Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on permanent employment or for participation in other schemes. “These actions violate the N-Power volunteer program’s regulations and may amount to gross misconduct and corruption.”

“The Ministry conducted a thorough investigation in collaboration with relevant government MDAs, and the accounts of 9,066 volunteers have been cleared for final payment,” the statement continued. Based on this reality, these volunteers’ five-month allowance arrears, totalling N150,000.00 each, are currently being paid.

The remaining 4,955 allowances will be withheld pending the outcome of the investigation. When clear violations of the agreements are discovered, the violators will be subjected to the appropriate legal sanctions.

“Contrary to some public perceptions, this process demonstrates the Ministry’s commitment to dealing with this unfortunate incident transparently to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences.

The Ministry’s investigation, as it has consistently stated, is in the best interests of the country, with the main goal of institutionalising the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and ensuring its efficient management, in line with Mr. President’s commitment to ensure transparency and accountability in its implementation at all times.

“The Ministry regrets the delays in completing this process, but assures the public that in all of its activities, transparency and accountability will not be compromised.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.