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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq has said the delay of two stipends of N-Power beneficiaries is due to the handing and taking over the process.
UPDATE: Beneficiaries have started getting October stipends a few minutes ago. The second batch are been paid first.
The National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) was domiciled in the Office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo until President Muhammadu Buhari on October 1, 2019, moved it to the new ministry under the supervision of Ms Farouq.
There are at least six agencies under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, at the time of compiling this report.
The minister also explained that the delay is connected to lack of proper exit plan for beneficiaries that enrolled in 2016 despite expiration of their contract.
In one of our reports, she said N-Power, school feeding programme and other N-SIP Programmes remain her priority.
She however assured that the money owed would be paid to beneficiaries upon conclusion of the handing over and taking over process, adding that government will continue to fund its Social Investment Programmes and ensure that it touches lives positively.
“With regards to recent agitations and outcry against the non – approval of payments of October and November, 2019 stipends to N-Power beneficiaries, the Ministry wishes to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that beneficiaries of all the Social Investment Programmes access interventions designed for them within the stipulated guidelines.
“There are information gaps with regards the monitoring and evaluation mechanism and framework of the N – Power and the GEEP programmes. Some officials of NSIP are of the view that the programmes should be completely restructured.
“The Ministry is currently engaging the NSIP Cluster heads for clarifications; in essence, the handover and taking process is still ongoing.”
When will beneficiaries be paid?
She promised that beneficiaries will receive their outstanding allowances on December 20, 2019.
“Handing over process still ongoing”
Giving details into the delay, the minister was quoted as saying, “I have received initial briefings from heads of Agencies and Programmes reporting to the Ministry from October 2019, however on account of the technicalities involved, the handing over process is still on-going.
Working on how to properly disengage N-Power 2016 batch
She said plans are underway to properly disengage the 2016 batch of the programme, “The N-Power beneficiaries enrolled in 2016 are yet to be exited 16 months after the elapse of their contract.
“They are supposed to have been graduated to a more productive venture and the Ministry is currently making efforts to develop an exit strategy, which is non-existent.
“I wish to seize this opportunity to assure all N- Power beneficiaries and indeed all Nigerians of the Ministry’s commitment to Mr. President’s promise to stem poverty in the country as well as lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“The Ministry also wishes to assure all beneficiaries that all arrears will be paid as soon as the handing and taking processes are concluded and the grey areas are addressed.”
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