Anger and frustration are once again boiling over as Npower beneficiaries return to court against the Federal Government over the non-payment of stipends owed for more than two years.
The renewed legal battle was confirmed on Thursday by the Npower legal team, led by human rights activist Dan Bello, who revealed that after months of unfulfilled promises, beneficiaries had no choice but to seek justice through the courts.
Bello, in a post on his Facebook page, assured beneficiaries that their plight had not been forgotten. “Npower beneficiaries, we have not abandoned you. We have resumed legal action as you requested, and the judge handling the case is working diligently to ensure the government pays what is owed. I will share more information soon,” he wrote.
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This development comes three months after a high-level meeting in July involving Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Professor Nantawe Yelwatda, Npower beneficiaries, and their counsel, Barrister Abba Hikima. At the time, government officials gave assurances that the long-awaited stipends would be paid without further delay.
However, with those promises yet to materialize, the Batch C Stream 2 beneficiaries say they have been pushed to the edge, accusing the government of failing to uphold its word and neglecting the welfare of Nigerian youths who were recruited under the Npower scheme.
The case has once again thrown the spotlight on the government’s handling of social intervention programs and the mounting tension among thousands of young Nigerians who depended on the stipends for survival. As the legal process resumes, beneficiaries are demanding nothing less than full payment of their entitlements, insisting that justice must prevail.
