By Akinwale Kasali
The Federal Government has suspended the NPower Program indefinitely.
It took the step over allegations of irregularities and raised concerns over the utilization of the funds.
Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation made the disclosure of the suspension of the NPower Program on TVC News.
The NPower Program was initiated by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and designed to tackle youth unemployment and promote social development.
The program’s effectiveness and transparency has, however, been queried.
Highlighting several issues that necessitated its suspension, Edu said one major concern is the presence of beneficiaries who should have exited the program in 2022 but are still receiving monthly stipends.
This discrepancy has raised doubts about the accuracy of the program’s payroll and the legitimacy of some beneficiaries.
According to her, “ We must go back to look into Npower and understand what the problems are, so we will basically suspend the program for now until we are done with a proper investigation into the utilization of funds”.
The Minister further explained that government aims to determine the exact number of beneficiaries, the outstanding amounts owed to them, and whether they are actively contributing to the program’s objectives.
She emphasized that there was need for a comprehensive restructuring of the Npower program and its expansion.
She stated, “There are lots going on. We met people who are supposed to have exited the program since last year, and they are still claiming that they are still teaching.” It was discovered that some beneficiaries are listed as teachers even though they are not actively working at their assigned locations. According to Minister Edu, approximately 80 percent of these beneficiaries are not engaged in their designated roles, yet they continue to receive salaries, causing a significant drain on the program’s resources.
The suspension of the Npower program is targeted at bringing about a significant development that underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the issues that have plagued the initiative.
Some section of Nigerian has however applauded the suspension, saying that investigation into fund utilization and beneficiary legitimacy is expected to shed light on the program’s challenges and pave the way for meaningful reforms.
