Beneficiaries of the federal government program ‘Special Public Work’ from Vandeiya local government area of Benue State on Thursday protested non-payment of their three months stipends.
The Vandeikya protesters stormed Makurdi, the state capital with placards and various inscriptions.
Leaders of the protesters, Daniel Iorlumun and Bebatso Emmanuel explained that two of the 23 local government areas in the state; Kwande and Vandekiya that have a particular first generation bank as their payment agent were yet to be paid.
Emmanuel noted that beneficiaries of the program in Vandekya council area are languishing in penury because of non-payment of their stipends.
Also, Iorlumun explained that they have made complaints with NDE and the bank but were given flimsy excuses.
According to Iorlumun, “We are tired. Anytime we complain, NDE and Zenith Bank will say very soon our money is going to be paid since May 2021. We are 1,000 in our local government using Zenith Bank the money is N20,000 per month and for three months, it is N60,000 for each beneficiary.
“When we visited NDE they told us they had no hand in the program. They said if we should contact Festus Keyamo and Zenith Bank that are responsible for our stipends.
“We got to the Zenith Bank we were told that Keyamo has not reached out to the bank and that immediately that is done they will release the money to us and we have visited the branch of Zenith Bank in Makurdi several times, they only show us our list and said they were yet to access the fund.
“All local governments that used different banks have received their stipends.”
Both Iorlumun and Emmanuel appealed to the federal government to release their stipends.
When contacted, an official of the Makurdi branch of the bank who did not want his name mentioned said: “We are not the one holding their payment. No money has been released, everybody’s name and account details have been forwarded to the headquarters of our bank. The moment the money is released, it would be paid directly into their accounts.”
Benue State Coordinator of NDE, Musa Saduaki, said the issue of the non-payment of the stipends was not with NDE.
“The problem is not with NDE, they have a payment agent, a designated bank that pays. We have written an official letter to the head office notifying them that Kwande and Vandeiya LGAs are yet to be paid,” Saduaki said.
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