The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday confirmed that the Federal Government is preparing to pay the ₦81 billion owed to N-Power beneficiaries as backlog of allowances from 2022 and 2023.
This follows a closed-door meeting facilitated by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, involving government officials, aggrieved N-Power beneficiaries, and their legal representative, Abba Hikima.
Speaking after the meeting, Senator Barau described the dialogue as productive, stating that the Federal Government has begun arrangements to clear the debt.
“The beneficiaries came to seek our intervention. I contacted the Minister, and he responded swiftly. After our discussion, they were assured that the payment is being processed,” Barau said.
“In light of the government’s commitment, they have agreed to suspend legal action.”
He emphasized that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, no citizen would be denied their rightful entitlements.
Also addressing the issue, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, clarified that the arrears stemmed from allowances captured in the 2022 and 2023 budgets but not funded, and were excluded from the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
“We secured an approval through the service-wide vote late last year, and now we’re working to activate payment within the current fiscal year.
“We are committed to resolving this matter before the end of the year,” the Minister said.
Legal counsel for the N-Power beneficiaries, Abba Hikima, confirmed the suspension of planned litigation, stating that assurances were given that payments would commence once the 2025 budget implementation begins.
Chairman of the N-Power beneficiaries, Kehinde James, thanked the Senate and relevant ministries for their intervention, expressing hope that the long-awaited funds would soon be disbursed.
The N-Power scheme, part of Nigeria’s broader social investment programme, has faced repeated funding challenges leading to protests and legal threats from affected participants in recent years.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
