IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja
The Senate on Tuesday rekindled hope of beneficiaries of N-Power programme across the country on payment of outstanding N81billion monthly allowance by the Federal Government.
Intervention of the Senate came through its Deputy President, Senator Barau Jibrin who brokered understanding between the Federal Government, aggrieved beneficiaries of the scheme who are still being owed 2022, 2023 monthly allowances totalling N81billion and their counsel, Barrister Abba Hikima.
After about a two-hour tripartite meeting in his office, the Deputy President of the Senate told journalists that the beneficiaries who are owed months of unpaid allowances that were inherited by the current administration have agreed to stop their intended litigation against the federal government.
He said: ” The beneficiaries came here to the Senate to seek my intervention. And then I called the Minister, and the Minister was very responsive.
“He came on board, and there was a fruitful discussion that led them to understand that the Minister had already gone very far in making preparation for the money to be paid.
“So having gotten convinced that there is a clear intention on the part of government to get the money paid they now decided to back down and stay action on the legal route to get the money paid and I showed them that this is a government that is responsive and really up and doing in terms of making sure that nobody suffers in terms of getting what is due to them in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“Though the problem is inherited but the present government, as clearly stated and assured by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, is doing everything possible to solve it with payment of allowances owed the beneficiaries.”
Also explaining the outcome of the meeting, the Minister said intervention made by the Deputy President of the Senate yielded positive results for parties concerned, which are the federal government and the beneficiaries of the N – Power programme .
” I want to first thank the Deputy Senate President for convening this meeting for us to treat the case that has been in court for years now, the issue of payment of the backlog of our N-power beneficiaries, which we are owing.
“We acknowledge the fact that we are owing them, and we know we are owing them, but it was actually part of the 2022 and 2023 budget that was not paid to them, and because it was recurrent, it passed along with the year’s budget.
“There was no provision for it in 2024 and 2025, so we sought for it at the service-wide vote. We got approval, but it was late for last year, so we are working on the approval for this year to ensure that once we get the budget implementation for this year ,2025, we have to find a way of making those payments to the beneficiaries.
“I think being a responsive government, we’re not denying the fact that we have that as part of the issue we need to resolve and it will surely be resolved before the year runs out “, he said
Confirming the stay of litigation due to the intervention, the counsel of the beneficiaries, Barrister Abba Hikima said : ” As explained by the Honorable Minister, the government is owing my clients about N81billion and he has given us his words that they are working on it and they are waiting for this year’s budget to begin to be implemented, and that as soon as the budget is being implemented, they can get access to their money.
“Although I’m their lawyer, but I really appreciate the effort of the Deputy Senate President who, despite the fact that he is not directly affected by this, took it upon himself to convene this meeting, as well as the Honorable Minister of State and as well as the Humanitarian Minister.
“They are all here and they have all given us their words, and we have taken them for it, and we are confident and hopeful that in the nearest future, within the year, definitely, this money is expected to be paid”.
The Chairman of the N- Power beneficiaries in Nigeria, Kehinde James thanked the Deputy President of the Senate for his intervention and the two ministers for their assurances.
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