The Federal Government said on Friday that it could not afford a grant of N300bn being demanded by N-Power beneficiaries.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development said it observed that there was a rally at the National Assembly on Thursday by some N-Power beneficiaries.
It said the rally later proceeded to the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, as the protesters claimed to be representatives of the Federal Government’s N-Power beneficiaries who were about to be exited.
The ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Rhoda Iliya, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday that the protesters requested the Federal Government to employ all the 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries as well as pay them a grant of N600,000 each.
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She said, “The ministry wishes to state that this demand was not part of the agreement of engagement they signed with the Federal Government, which clearly stipulated that they will be exited after two years.
“Furthermore, the government cannot afford the N300bn they were asking for as grant.”
The ministry said it was noteworthy to state that the Federal Government had expended hundreds of billions on N-Power beneficiaries during the last four years.
According to the statement, the ministry is currently liaising with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the agency responsible for the payment of N-Power beneficiaries’ stipends, to ensure that any outstanding legitimate claim is settled.
