THE Senate on Tuesday said the Federal Government was preparing to clear the outstanding N81bn owed as backlog of N-Power allowances in 2022 and 2023.
This development followed a meeting convened by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who brokered dialogue between the Federal Government, representatives of the aggrieved N-Power beneficiaries, and their counsel, Abba Hikima.
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Barau disclosed that the discussions were fruitful and had led to an understanding that payment arrangements were already underway.
“The beneficiaries came here to the Senate to seek my intervention. I called the minister, and he responded positively.
“We held a very fruitful discussion that assured the beneficiaries that the government is actively making preparations to settle the backlog,” he said.
“Having seen the clear commitment of the government, they have agreed to suspend legal action.
“This is a responsive government under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and no one will be denied what is rightfully theirs,” Barau added.
Echoing the Senate’s position, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, explained that the debt arose from unpaid allowances captured in the 2022 and 2023 budgets but rolled over without being funded.
“We acknowledge that we owe them. These arrears were part of the 2022 and 2023 recurrent budgets, but there was no provision for them in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
“We approached the service-wide vote and got an approval late last year. Now, we’re working to activate the payment in the current fiscal year. As a responsible government, we will resolve this before the year ends,” he assured.
Hikima, who represented the N-Power beneficiaries, confirmed that litigation was being suspended due to the assurances given during the Senate-brokered meeting.
“The government owes my clients about N81 billion. The minister has assured us that once the 2025 budget implementation kicks off, payments will commence.
“We appreciate the Senate Deputy President and other government officials for stepping in,” Hikima said.
Chairman of the N-Power beneficiaries, Kehinde James, thanked Barau and the ministers involved for their intervention and commitment to settling the long-standing arrears.
The N-Power programme, a flagship social intervention initiative, has faced delays and funding gaps in recent years, sparking protests and legal threats from unpaid participants.