Humanitarian Ministry Probe: FG Lifts Restriction On N-Power Staff’s Accounts
Reprieve has come the way of contract staff of N-Power Situation Room, as the Federal Government has lifted the restriction placed on their bank accounts, New Telegraph reports authoritatively. This newspaper had reported in late February that a post-no-debit order was placed on bank accounts of the workers, following investigation of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu as well as interdicted Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Hajiya Halima Shehu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While the staff had accused the anti-graft agency of taking the action, the latter debunked the claim, saying: “All these contract staff of NPower; we have no business with them.
“Only those that were indicted in the investigation that we are conducting, those are the people that we have their accounts suspended.” One of the situation room staff, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, had said: “We are all aggrieved over the ongoing investigation that has made innocent persons victims by freezing the accounts of mere contract staff that worked all through the year from May 2023 – December 2023, without any form of payment of salaries.
“The last payment that was made was in April 2023 till a few days after Christmas when they managed to pay the backlogs of eight months (May to December) to the tune of N640, 000 at N80, 000 per month. “We were all excited to receive our long awaited salaries after suffering all through the year only for the salary to be paid, and immediately our accounts frozen till date by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“We are appealing that our accounts be unfrozen so we can have access to it, as the situation is unbearable for each and every one of us.” Providing update on the matter, the source, obviously excited, disclosed the “unfreezing of our accounts that were (allegedly) frozen since December last years.” His words: “I will like to give you update on the over 55 bank accounts of NPower Situation Room staff that were restricted in the aftermath of the ongoing investigation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the NSIPA.
“I am pleased to inform you that we now have access to our respective bank accounts, and this happened a few days ago. “However, a few of my colleagues have not been able to withdraw and that is strictly their banks’ problem.
