Why 774,000 Jobs Participants Haven’t Been Paid — Fed Govt

The Federal Government on Thursday gave reasons for the delay in
the payment of N20,000 stipends to some itinerant workers of the
774,000 jobs.

It said designated banks for the programme discovered massive
irregularities in the personal data submitted by some of the
participants.

The government, in a statement by the Head of Information and
Public Relations of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE),
Edmund Onwuliri, said it was working hard to ensure that all
registered and duly verified participants under the Extended
Special Public Works (SPW) programme get their pay.

The SPW is Federal Government’s ad hoc programme to provide a
stop-gap three-month jobs for artisans to earn N20,000 monthly
stipend for doing public works.

One thousand youths were hired from each of the 774 local
government areas in the country as beneficiaries, bringing the
figure to 774,000 participants.

The programme was kick-started in January this year by the
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo.

The statement reads: “Available statistics indicates that much
of the delay in payment of stipends to the participants has been
occasioned by massive irregularities discovered by the banks in the
personal data submitted by participants.

“For instance, many participants across the country had provided
personal data that are at variance with their Bank Verification
Numbers (BVN), among other irregularities. This development, if
unchecked, would have resulted in the payment of persons other than
the actual participants.

“The designated banks have spent a lot of time and efforts at
rectifying such anomalies which consequently has slowed down the
pace of payment.”

“However, following recent and ongoing consultations between the
Federal Government and the designated banks across the country, the
pace of payment has significantly improved in the last two weeks
thereby bringing the percentage rate of payment to more than 93.22
per cent of the verified participants.

“It is pertinent to state that the backlog of payment will be
cleared within the shortest possible time as participants will
continue to be paid their stipends as they are cleared by the
banks.

“Therefore, the Federal Government wishes to advise all
participants in the programme, who are yet to receive payment, to
approach the branch of the bank where their accounts were opened
for further actions.”

The Federal Government on Thursday gave reasons for the delay in
the payment of N20,000 stipends to some itinerant workers of the
774,000 jobs.

It said designated banks for the programme discovered massive
irregularities in the personal data submitted by some of the
participants.

The government, in a statement by the Head of Information and
Public Relations of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE),
Edmund Onwuliri, said it was working hard to ensure that all
registered and duly verified participants under the Extended
Special Public Works (SPW) programme get their pay.

The SPW is Federal Government’s ad hoc programme to provide a
stop-gap three-month jobs for artisans to earn N20,000 monthly
stipend for doing public works.

One thousand youths were hired from each of the 774 local
government areas in the country as beneficiaries, bringing the
figure to 774,000 participants.

The programme was kick-started in January this year by the
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo.

The statement reads: “Available statistics indicates that much
of the delay in payment of stipends to the participants has been
occasioned by massive irregularities discovered by the banks in the
personal data submitted by participants.

“For instance, many participants across the country had provided
personal data that are at variance with their Bank Verification
Numbers (BVN), among other irregularities. This development, if
unchecked, would have resulted in the payment of persons other than
the actual participants.

“The designated banks have spent a lot of time and efforts at
rectifying such anomalies which consequently has slowed down the
pace of payment.”

“However, following recent and ongoing consultations between the
Federal Government and the designated banks across the country, the
pace of payment has significantly improved in the last two weeks
thereby bringing the percentage rate of payment to more than 93.22
per cent of the verified participants.

“It is pertinent to state that the backlog of payment will be
cleared within the shortest possible time as participants will
continue to be paid their stipends as they are cleared by the
banks.

“Therefore, the Federal Government wishes to advise all
participants in the programme, who are yet to receive payment, to
approach the branch of the bank where their accounts were opened
for further actions.”