Date: 2017-03-31

The Kwara State House of Assembly will today, grill some aides of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over discrepancies in the payment of beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme.

According to a top source in the House who is conversant with the matter, "the lawmakers will grill the aides in the State Youth Empowerment Office and other relevant government agencies, today."

They are to appear before the Houses relevant committees to brief the legislature on the status and progress of N-Power scheme in the state. The N-Power scheme is a Federal Government initiative as part of the Social Investment Programme (SIP) of the ruling All Progressives Congress administration under President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, complaints of selective payments among others have trailed the programme in Kwara State since it commenced. According to the source, the House wants to get to the root of the matter to ascertain what is actually happening.

"We want to get to the root of the matter. There have been several complains from the beneficiaries of the scheme here in the state. "The situation is so worrisome, especially because what is happening here seems to be peculiar and unique.

"Why are other states not experiencing the same situation we have here? We want to know what was paid and when, who got what and why is the Kwara scenario different? Why have other states witnessed near seamless payments?

"Why has the beneficiaries here being paid about one month when more than that amount has allegedly been released. The issue of selective payments to some and yet others have not collected at all. So these are the issues and we want to get to the root of the matter", the source submitted.

Recall that the House, last Thursday, summoned the affected stakeholders following a motion on "Re Assessing the Status of N-Power in Kwara State" raised by a member representing Ilorin North West Constituency Hon. Abdul Rafiu Abdul Rahman.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon Matthew Okedare who presided over the plenary, said the invitation would enable the House to have first-hand information on the status and progress of the scheme and to advice appropriately.

Abdul Rahman had while moving the motion, enumerated the benefits of the scheme, but observed that about 1,500 beneficiaries from the 16 local government areas of the state were unable to access their monthly stipends since inception of the first batch of the scheme.

He therefore urged the House to find enduring solutions to the problems bedevilling the scheme in the state.