Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development drew the ire of N-Power beneficiaries few days ago when she claimed that they had been paid their April Allowance and that of May is being processed, after a long delay from GIFMIS platform,
“Last week I promised that the stipends would be paid this week. We encountered some delays on the GIFMIS platform but I can now announce that all N-Power beneficiaries from Batch A and B have been paid their April stipends”, says the minister
Soon after the news came out, outcry, complaints, outright denial and even name calling took over. Beneficiary Aminu Jafaar said “I’m batch A N-Power beneficiary from Katsina and I have not seen my April stipend as claimed by the minister”. This set the tone for barrage of messages coming from people who felt the minister was either misinformed or clever by half. Below are the reactions of some of those who sent their comments and contributions directly to my inbox.
It is disheartening to hear from the Minister that she has paid all the
beneficiary their March and April stipends when more than 90% are yet to be paid. I guess
the delay occurred because they used our money for their selfish
reason. The humanitarian service has brought more misery to Nigerian youth than what its name
suggest.
Another beneficiary from Kaduna state. Safiya Suleiman said, although she believes the stipends as soon as possible, the minister should not have been categorical that everyone has been paid. “I learned that beneficiaries from Kogi and Benue have been paid. How does that translate to comprehensive payment?”
Others who wrote to Verity News have these to say:
He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it easier to do it a second time again, and again and again. There are reports that Npower Bayelsa chapter has received their May/April stipends. This news should be disregarded as we are yet to receive any stipends. We call on the Federal Government and the agency in charge to wade into the matter and to ensure that the needful is done even as we battle the Covid-19 pandemic which has ravaged the world.
I hope the ministry of disaster management will not become disastrous. How can the minister go to social media and claim she fulfilled her promise and every beneficiary of the Npower scheme batch A and B has received their stipend.? 95% of us haven’t received our stipend. This is disastrous.
I want to notify you that the minister is yet to pay the beneficiaries their stipend since april,while some have not even recieved their march stipend but the minister has been broadcasting online and on television that she has paid all beneficiaries their allowances. this is wrong.
I wish to bring to your notice of constant delay in the payment of N-Power stipend every month. Since this new minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management took over the affair of N-Power, our payment has always been delayed. The delay takes from 15 days to 3 months. This minister has been a torn in the flesh of N-Power volunteers. We the N-Power volunteers need the help of the media to make the woman do the right thing.
When the Buhari administration took over the reigns of power in 2015, it promised to create thousands of job for the teaming jobless youths. He matched words with action by initially employing 200,000 graduates into its social intervention scheme, N-Power; the government later added 200,000. The scheme operated smoothly and effectively under the office of the Vice president until it was moved to the ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management. Ever since we have not been happy, as monthly stipends are delayed or traded with until the end of the next month. This has continued till date. Last week, the media that April stipend had been paid. Please that story is totally false. I call on President Buhari to come to our aid.
I, one of the Batch B Npower volunteers write to tell the world that none of the N-Power volunteers have received their April/May 2020 stipend.
I’d like to bring it to your attention that the news that went viral on Saturday by the HM Sadiya Farouq that our stipends have been paid is quite false. No one in my state or any other state that I’m privy to has come out to acknowledge that they’ve been paid. This is really getting out of hands. Before now, even when stipends are being paid, no one hears about it, and these delays were never experienced. Now that our stipends are being delayed, the minister quickly ran to the press claiming we have been paid when we haven’t. Please help us, these are trying times and we need our stipends.
I must state categorically that no stipend has been paid to any Npower beneficiaries for the month of April 2020. I write to you to assist us the Npower beneficiaries to make this known to the general public. Thank you.
MANY BENEFICIARIES HAVEN’T RECEIVED BOTH MARCH AND APRIL STIPENDs, at least.NOBODY FROM BAYELSA STATE. It’s A FOUL PLAY. N-POWER HAd NEVER ANNOUNCEd THEIR PAYMENT iN MEDIA BEFORE. Why now?
To say N-Power beneficiaries have been paid for April is FRAUDULENT FRAUD of THE HIGHEST ORDER. LET’S RISE UP, FELLOW COMRADES, ENOUGH!
N-Power has refused to pay us our monthly stipend for the month of March and Apriland yet the minister keep is claiming that she has paid. It is all lies.
Stipend not Paid: Good morning fellow Nigerians! I am an N- power volunteer serving in Rivers State. I read online as of yesterday the 24th May that the Minister of Humanitarian Affair and Disaster Management – Madam Sadiya Umar Farouq has paid ALL N-Power beneficiaries. I want to state it very clearly that I have neither received my March nor April stipend. As a matter of fact, end of the month of May will make it 3 months that I have not been paid.
I am an enrolled beneficiary and still very much in the program but Madam Farouq has made it a thing of joy to punish innocent Nigerian youths every month.
I have written severally to the provided email address asking for my stipend; all they keep saying is “payment is on-going”.
The presidency should intervene as N-power (the noble project of our President) is gradually dying in the hand of the woman.
We, the N-Power beneficiaries are now suffering, our families are suffering, we could not even buy food for the sallah celebration talk less of Ramadan fasting. Government should come to our aid.
The fake news going making the rounds concerning payment of stipend to N-Power beneficiaries is wicked.
It is with great recourse on the saying that “the pen is mightier than the sword” that I and other N-Power beneficiaries write to debunk the claims by the minister in charge of Npower affairs.. Hon Farouk that she has paid us. –
We have not been paid a dime. The media is the last hope of the common man in this fight against injustice. Please add your voice to ours and get the minister to do the needful.
When the N-Power programme started in December 2016, Nigerians mostly graduates were elated. For the first time since Nigeria’s independent, we saw a Government that is determined to massively invest in the Nigerian youth through lifting 500,000 unemployed graduates and engaging them with work at a monthly stipend of N30,000.
The office of the Vice President was expanded to accommodate the running and managing of the affairs of this programme. A lot of innovation was introduced for volunteers to effectively discharge their duty and one of which is to give all N-Power volunteers tablet with lot of innovative materials/apps that cut across all the three arms of the program (Nteach, Nhealth, and Nagro). This attracted world leaders to come to Nigeria to learn and also implement same in their country.
The programme recorded some huge success and accolades followed. Volunteers were grateful to our amiable President for this kind gesture even when it became evident that “FG isn’t doing us any favour but it is our right” (quote from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo).
In August 2019, the President further expanded the program by creating a Ministry to fully take charge of NSIP (National Social investment program) from which Npower emanated from. The Ministry of Humanitarian affairs and disaster Management officially took over the program in August 2019.
However, since then, it has been one calamity or another. N-Power beneficiaries have suffered a great deal. Since she took over, all forms of delay arising from payment of Npower to home grown school feeding program. For the First time since inception of this program, we were owed three months, (October, November and December 2019) though Honorable Minister claimed she was still studying to understand the program and from all calculation, she started studying the program from August to December thereby causing a delay but was later paid in December 2019.
Communication gap is another factor working against this program. When this program was under the Vice President, beneficiaries were close to the Government because the communication between both parties was awesome and highly commended. Beneficiaries felt a sense of belonging , but the reverse is the case now, the minister appears to care less about the wellbeing of volunteers, N-Power is now a political charade, the Ministry now lies.