Beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme yet to be paid, will receive their deserved salaries.
The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday by Akindele Egbuwalo, national programme manager of N-Power.
Edu earlier announced the indefinite suspension of the N-Power programme due to irregularities, saying that the action became imperative to give room for a detailed investigation into the operations of the scheme in the last twelve months.
“There is a need to audit the number of people in the programme, those who have exited the programme, those who are being owed, whether they reported to work or not and how funds have been utilised over this period of time,” the statement reads.
“These instances have made the need for a thorough audit imperative, as we also look into claims of those being owed for up to eight to nine months’ stipends to ascertain the veracity of their claims.
“We appeal to Nigerians to understand the rationale behind the temporary suspension and investigation of the programme as we work to restore the nation’s confidence in the programme and for the new N-Power to serve Nigerians better.
Things have to be properly done for us to move forward.”
The minister said after revamping the N-Power scheme, an expanded programme to reach beneficiaries aged 18-40, as against the previous 35 years age limit, would be introduced.
She said 5 million beneficiaries are being targeted in 5 years at a pace of 1 million per year under the graduate and non-graduate stream.
“In addition, the restructuring will accommodate some new programmes, in education, health, works, agriculture, technology, fashion, entertainment and other relevant areas of skill acquisition and employability.
“To earn the confidence of Nigerians in the expanded programme, transparency and accountability will be the benchmark.”