The Minister Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, has said the federal government is putting plans in place to ensure that “exited N-Power beneficiaries are engaged or absorbed into other programmes”.
She stated this Thursday in Abuja during an interaction with National Social Investment Program (NSIP) Focal Persons, Program Managers and State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) officers from all states of the country.
Farouq said she has given approval for the payment of stipends for the exited beneficiaries of batches A and B, up to the month of June 2020, including that of the independent monitors, adding that the final payment of stipend for Batch B is almost ready for transmission to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for final checks and payment.
She said: “This event put together to appreciate the efforts of all the focal persons, program managers and others in different states across the federation. I am aware of the sacrifices and commitment you put in to ensure the smooth implementation of the different programmes and I commend your efforts.
“There is no doubt that the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) are critical components of the present Administration’s activities and are vehicles through which His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari‘s vision of lifting 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years will be achieved.
“Since my assumption of office, I have remained focused on ensuring the sustainability and improvement of the programmes bearing in mind the high impact value they have to teeming Nigerians, whose lives have been significantly disrupted as a result of the present humanitarian and economic situation in the country.
“It is against this background that I urge everyone of you to continue to give in your best to ensure the lives of those we are called to serve are made better. We must not lose sight of the fact that each one of the vulnerable persons are not mere numbers or statistics but real people with dreams, hopes, aspirations and a desire to live decent lives in peace and safety.”
She added: “As we renew our commitment to the service of humanity, I will like to seize this opportunity to, once again, state that we have successfully exited Batch A and B of the N-Power beneficiaries in June and July, respectively, and we are still working towards ensuring a transition plan that will further engage or absorb them into other programmes.
“We have also received over 5 million applications from proposed N-Power Batch C and we are currently in the process of selecting the qualified beneficiaries coming into the programme. I assure all the applicants and Nigerians that the selection process will be transparent.
“Furthermore, I wish to reiterate that I have given approval for the payment of stipends for the exited beneficiaries of batches A and B up to the month of June 2020, including that of the independent monitors. Also, the final payment of stipend for Batch B is almost ready for transmission to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for final checks and payment.
“I therefore appeal for patience and understanding from beneficiaries omitted for payment in previous months and those in batch B who are to get their final payment.”
