N-Power beneficiaries have backed human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) in his call for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the management of the N-Power programme and alleged discrepancies surrounding billions of naira earmarked for vulnerable Nigerians.
Key Highlights
- N-Power beneficiaries support Falana’s call for an EFCC investigation.
- Beneficiaries raise concerns over alleged unpaid stipends running into several months.
- Association leaders cite an alleged ₦81bn approval for outstanding Batch C payments.
- Beneficiaries demand evidence showing the status and movement of approved funds.
- Falana called for an investigation into ₦33.75bn earmarked for cash transfers.
- Auditor-General’s report reportedly questioned evidence that the funds reached intended beneficiaries.
- Falana wants officials found culpable to face prosecution and any mismanaged funds recovered.
The beneficiaries, who said they had endured years of unpaid stipends and uncertainty over their outstanding payments, described Falana’s demand as an opportunity to establish what happened to funds allocated to government social investment programmes.
One of the leaders of the N-Power Beneficiaries Association, Kehinde James, said beneficiaries were particularly concerned about an alleged ₦81 billion approved for the payment of outstanding stipends owed to about 500,000 Batch C beneficiaries.
According to James, President Bola Tinubu approved the funds, as communicated to N-Power representatives, with the money expected to cover between eight and 12 months of outstanding stipends. He said while some beneficiaries were owed between eight months and one year, others had received payments covering only one, two or three months.
James alleged that repeated assurances from officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs had failed to result in payment, with beneficiaries repeatedly told that the Ministry of Finance was yet to release the funds. He said he had met the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro, twice and was informed that the ministry was pursuing the release of the funds from the Ministry of Finance. However, James questioned the explanation, insisting that beneficiaries deserved greater transparency regarding the status of the funds reportedly approved for their outstanding payments.
N-Power Beneficiaries Demand Transparency
Reacting to Falana’s call for an EFCC investigation, James described the move as a welcome development.
“It is a welcome idea. It is a very good idea because that ministry has become a centre of corruption from the onset up till now,” he said.
James urged relevant authorities to publish evidence of transfers and account for the funds.
“They should publish the evidence of the transfers and let Nigerians know what happened to the money,” he added.
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Another association leader, Muhammad Abubakar, also welcomed Falana’s intervention, saying an investigation could help resolve lingering questions surrounding the N-Power programme and other social investment schemes. Abubakar called for proper scrutiny of accounts linked to the National Cash Transfer Programme and other intervention schemes, particularly where beneficiaries remained unpaid. He described Falana’s call as a “wonderful development and achievement,” arguing that greater accountability could help pave the way for the settlement of outstanding entitlements.
Another beneficiary, Khalid Hassan, also commended Falana for demanding an investigation into government social intervention programmes. Hassan said N-Power beneficiaries had endured prolonged hardship as a result of unpaid stipends, with many still owed several months of payments.
Falana Calls For EFCC Investigation
Falana had earlier called on the EFCC to investigate the management of the N-Power programme and the alleged failure to account for ₦33.75 billion earmarked for cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians. The lawyer made the demand in a statement following revelations contained in the 2024 annual report of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
According to the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, the Federal Government failed to provide adequate evidence showing that ₦33.75 billion allocated for cash transfers to more than 3.29 million vulnerable households actually reached the intended beneficiaries.
Falana urged the EFCC to work with the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation to trace the funds, establish what happened to the money and recover any amount found to have been diverted or mismanaged. He also called for the arrest and prosecution of any public officials found culpable after investigation.
The allegations and concerns raised by the beneficiaries and Falana remain subject to investigation and verification by the relevant authorities. For more updates on this developing story, follow us on X.
