Senate: FG to pay N81bn backlog owed N-Power beneficiaries

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau has assured Nigerians that the federal government will pay the outstanding N81 billion allowances owed to N-Power beneficiaries from 2022 and 2023.

Barau said the assurance followed the intervention of the Senate, which facilitated talks between the federal government, the aggrieved beneficiaries, and their lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima.

N-Power is a federal initiative designed to enhance employability and personal development among young Nigerians aged 18 to 35.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after a two-hour meeting in his office, Barau said the parties had reached a mutual understanding, and the beneficiaries have now agreed to suspend their planned legal action against the government.

“The beneficiaries came here to the Senate to seek for my intervention. And then I called the Minister, and the Minister was very responsive,” he said.

“He came on board, and there was a fruitful discussion that led for 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.

“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.”

FG admits liability, pledges resolution before end of 2025

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, who was part of the meeting, admitted the government’s liability and pledged that payments would be made once the 2025 budget is implemented.

“I want to first thank the Deputy Senate President for convening this meeting for us to treat the case that has been for years now, the issue of payment of the backlog of our N-Power beneficiaries, which we are owing, or owing them,” he said.

“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 passes 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.

Backing the assurances, the beneficiaries’ lawyer, Abba Hikima, confirmed that the legal team has put its case on hold in good faith.

“As explained by the Honorable Minister, the government is owing my clients about N81 billion, 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.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of the N-Power Beneficiaries in Nigeria, Kehinde James, thanked Barau and the ministers for their intervention and commitment to resolving the matter.