The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, has revealed ongoing plan to ensure that exited and eligible N-Power beneficiaries are absorbed into government programmes.
Farouq has insisted that the ministry would withhold the March to June payment of about 14,000 beneficiaries that were omitted by the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office by the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIPMIS) payment platform arising from discrepancies identified in their accounts.
The minister noted that their payment will be withheld, adding that any beneficiary receiving payment from other government will be rejected by the GIPMIS.
She also announced approval of the payment of stipends to the exiting N-Power beneficiaries under one of its National Social Investment Programmes.
Farouq in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Nneka Anibeze, said exited beneficiaries should exercise more patience and await the result of her efforts.
“We have directed Focal Persons of National Social Investment Programmes in the states to submit an updated list of the exited N-Power beneficiaries that are interested in participating in the transition plans of the ministry.
“Meanwhile, approval has been given for the payment of the outstanding stipends for the exited N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries.
“The approval for payments for up to the month of June, 2020 for the two Batches has already been forwarded to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) for final checks and payments.
“The only outstanding approval waiting to be forwarded to AGF’s Office is for the payment of July Stipends for batch B beneficiaries,” she said. The ministry said it had requested for the details of those affected and the reasons for their rejection from the AGFʼs office and promised to communicate that to the affected beneficiaries.
“However, if the rejection was done in error, those affected should rest assured that they will be paid all that is due to them as soon as the error is rectified by the AGFʼs office,” the statement added.
Umar-Farouq also explained that the Batches A and B N-Power beneficiaries knew from the beginning as they were informed that the programme was for 24 months.
She said the non-disengagement of Batch A beneficiaries after 24 months was done out of exigencies of the time.
