A human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has petitioned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, for the nonpayment of N-Power beneficiaries’ one-year stipends by the Nigerian government.
The N-Power beneficiaries led by Adeshina Adex have lamented that they were not paid their stipends between October 2022 and September 2023.
They noted that though the programme had been suspended by the Nigerian government, they were engaged and their services were utilized before the suspension of the programme.
The beneficiaries noted that they registered for the N-Power programme and were deployed to their places of primary assignment for a period of 12 months, from October 2022 to September 2023.
Adeyanju in the petition said, “Having fulfilled all obligations and upheld their commitments to the N-power programme and investing time and effort in good faith with the expectation of timely remuneration as agreed, our clients are yet to receive their monthly stipends from October 2022 to September 2023.
“Our clients are currently experiencing significant financial difficulty due to the non-payment of their stipends.
“As participants in the N-Power programme, they relied on the monthly stipends to provide much needed financial relief and stability.”
The lawyer stressed, “The programme was expressly designed to support individuals by offering a reliable income to ease financial burdens, foster skill development, and encourage sustainable livelihoods.”
“In light of the forgoing, we demand the immediate payment of all outstanding salaries accrued over the duration of their employment,” he added.
Adeyanju was quoted to have told SaharaReporters on the phone that the government’s failure to pay the N-Power beneficiaries’ stipends amounted to a breach of their agreement.
