FG suspends N-Power programme, begins probe

The Federal Government has announced the indefinite suspension of the N-Power programme and vowed to investigate the funds spent on the scheme.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu, made the announcement in an interview with TVC on Saturday, October 6, 2023.

Edu said the suspension of the N-Power programme was caused by some irregularities within the scheme, adding that the government had launched an investigation into the utilisation of the funds since the programme commenced.

The minister stated some of the beneficiaries were not found in their places of assignment and were receiving monthly stipends, saying some of the beneficiaries ought to have exited the programme in 2022 but are still on the payroll.

READ ALSO: ICPC confirms D’banj arrest over empowerment funds fraud

Edu said: “We must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are; so we will basically suspend the programme for now until we are done with proper investigation into the utilisation of funds by the N-Power programme.

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

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

“Sometimes, we contact the schools 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 per cent of them are not working, yet they are claiming salaries.”

The Star