FG Suspends N-Power, Orders Investigation

Angered by several flaws within the N-Power programme, the Federal on Saturday ordered indefinite suspension of the programme.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu announced the suspension during aninterview with TVC News.

According to Edu, the decision to suspend the programme was birthed by several flaws within the scheme.

The Minister added that a government  probe into how the money has been used since the program’s inception has already kick-started.

She said that some of the beneficiaries are not found in their place of assignments yet they expect monthly stipends.

Some of the beneficiaries, according to the Minister, should have left the programme since 2022 but are still on the payroll.

According  to her, “We must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are so we will basically suspend the programe for now until we are done with proper investigation into the utilization of fund into the N-Power program.

“We want to know how many persons are basically on the program right now, how many persons are owed, amount they are owed. We are totally restructuring the N-Power and expanding it.

“There are lots going on. We met people who are supposed to have exited the program since last year and they are still on claiming that they are still teaching.

“Sometimes we contact the school or the places where they are working and they are not there. They are not working yet they keep claiming that they are being owed eight or nine months stipends.

“About 80 percent of them are not working yet they are claiming salaries.”

It would be recalled that N-Power Program was introduced by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to combat youth unemployment and promote social development.