This article contains Possible Reasons for NPower Stipends Payment Delay.
The recent delay in NPower payments has sparked rumors of possible mismanagement of funds by the NPower Boss, Edu Betta. Here are the details:
President Bola Tinubu took swift action on Monday by suspending Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The suspension came amid controversies surrounding financial transactions authorized by Edu in her ministry.
One major scandal involved the approval of payment of hundreds of millions of naira into private accounts of civil servants, leading to public criticism and questions about the transparency of financial operations.
The controversy centers on Edu’s directive to transfer N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant responsible for grants for Vulnerable Nigerians. The leaked memo revealed that this payment request was made in December 2023, breaching Nigeria’s Financial Regulations meant to prevent fraud and corruption in government business.
In response to the allegations, President Tinubu suspended Edu with immediate effect and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the financial transactions of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Edu was instructed to hand over her duties to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, and a panel, led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, was tasked with conducting a comprehensive diagnostic of the financial framework of social investment programs. The goal is to reform relevant institutions and programs to eliminate institutional frailties and regain public confidence in the initiatives.
Despite Edu’s defense that the payment was legal within the country’s civil service, financial regulations clearly state that personal money should not be paid into a government bank account, nor should public money be paid into a private account. Such actions are considered to have fraudulent intent.
The Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, distanced herself from the controversy, stating that her agency had advised the ministry on the proper mode of such transfers. She emphasized that bulk payments should not be made to an individual’s account in the name of the Project Accountant.
As the investigation unfolds and public scrutiny intensifies, the NPower payment delay may be linked to the broader financial irregularities and mismanagement alleged within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.