Senate yet to receive official briefing on N-Power suspension

Sen. Kaka Shehu, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, says that the senate has yet to receive any briefing from the Federal Government on the suspension of the N-Power Programme.

Kaka, who represented Borno South at the National Assembly, said this at the inaugural meeting of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja.

On October 8, the federal government temporarily suspended the N-Power Programme of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to ensure a proper audit of the programme.

“For now, I’m yet to receive the official briefing on the suspension and the substitution of a new programme.

“I don’t want to comment on that, but as a lawmaker saddled with the responsibility of this committee, I will study the enabling law that brought N-power as well as the bill that is before us that scaled second reading.

“If there is no overlap and it is out, and the suspension was in the best interest of Nigerians, I will allow it to go. But where the suspension is in the best interest of Nigerians, you will see me shouting on the floor that we should bring it back.

“I will not comment on whether we are going to investigate or not until after receiving briefs from the relevant MDAs,” he said.

The federal government launched the N-Power scheme on June 8, 2016 to address youth unemployment and help increase social development.

The scheme was created as a component of the government’s National Social Investment Programme.

It will be recalled that the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) Amendment Bill, 2023, scaled through second reading at the Senate on Tuesday.

The bill sought to amend the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act for proper and effective management and implementation of the National Social Investment Programmes under the Presidency.

It also sought to transfer the agency from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the Presidency under the direct supervision of the President.