Protest: Don’t allow yourself to be used for politics, Humanitarian Ministry advices outgoing N-Power beneficiaries

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has advised outgoing N-Power beneficiaries not to allow themselves to be used for “political and negative purposes”.

The interventionist ministry made this known in a statement on Monday in response to a protest by some supposed beneficiaries of the scheme.

Some persons who claimed to be part of the stream A and B last week Thursday stormed the National Assembly demanding for N600,000 grant each.

In response, the ministry said such was never part of the “agreement of engagement they signed with the Federal Government, which clearly stipulated that they will be exited after 2 years”.

The statement further added that the FG “cannot afford the N300 billion they are asking for as grant”.

While promising that it would establish contact with other MDAs over potential empowerment programs, the ministry warned the exiting beneficiaries to avoid being manipulated politically.

” The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has observed that in the early hours of Thursday 23rd of July 2020, there was a rally at the national assembly which later proceeded to the federal secretariat complex,” the statement reads.

” The protesters claimed to be representatives of Federal Government N-Power beneficiaries that are about to be exited.

” They requested the federal government to employ all the 500,000 beneficiaries as well as pay them a grant of N600, 000 each. This demand is not part of the agreement of engagement they signed with the Federal Government, which clearly stipulated that they will be exited after 2 years. Furthermore, the government cannot afford the N300 billion they are asking for as grant. It is noteworthy to state that the FGN has expended hundreds of billions to NPOWER beneficiaries during the last 4 years.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian affairs is liaising with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, which is responsible for the payment of their stipends, to ensure that any outstanding legitimate claim is settled.

“The FG cannot afford to continue to pay them stipends indefinitely more so that the process of engagement of new beneficiaries has already gone far

“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, even though it is not a lending agency, is in contact with other MDAs such as CBN and NALDA, to see if the exited beneficiaries can key into their empowerment programs.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian affairs strongly advises the NPOWER beneficiaries not to allow themselves to be used by some individuals for political or other negative purposes.”