We Are Starving’: Thousands Of N-Power Beneficiaries Lament 9 Months Of Unpaid Stipends, Seek Gov Uzodimma’s Intervention
‘We Are Starving’: Thousands Of N-Power Beneficiaries Lament 9 Months Of Unpaid Stipends, Seek Gov Uzodimma’s Intervention
The appeal was contained in a letter dated July 22, 2026, signed by the South-East Coordinator of N-Power Batch C1 and C2 Beneficiaries, Emmanuel O. Ujowundu, and addressed to Governor Uzodimma.
Thousands of beneficiaries of the Nigerian government’s N-Power Batch C1 and C2 programme have cried out over months of abandonment by the authorities, saying they have been left starving and trapped in hardship after waiting eight to nine months for their unpaid stipends despite faithfully serving Nigeria under the scheme.
In a desperate appeal, the beneficiaries called on the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Senator Hope Uzodimma, to intervene and prevail on the Nigerian government to immediately release their outstanding allowances.
The appeal was contained in a letter dated July 22, 2026, signed by the South-East Coordinator of N-Power Batch C1 and C2 Beneficiaries, Emmanuel O. Ujowundu, and addressed to Governor Uzodimma.
The N-Power beneficiaries urged Governor Uzodimma to use his position as the Chairman of the PGF to press the Nigerian government to settle the outstanding payments.
According to the letter, the beneficiaries, drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country, completed all requirements of the programme, including biometric verification and deployment to their places of primary assignment, where they served diligently.
They lamented that despite fulfilling their obligations under the scheme, many beneficiaries remain owed approximately eight to nine months’ stipends.
The beneficiaries recalled that during the tenure of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, they received three months of outstanding stipends, while her successor, Betta Edu, paid one additional month and assured them that the remaining arrears would be cleared alongside the reopening of the N-Power portal for another intake.
However, the beneficiaries said those assurances were never fulfilled following Edu’s suspension and exit from office.
They further noted that another minister, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, also assured them that the outstanding stipends would be paid before he later left office after emerging as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The beneficiaries said they have exhausted peaceful and lawful channels in pursuit of the payments, including writing petitions to relevant government agencies, engaging public officials, organising consultations, travelling repeatedly to Abuja and instituting legal proceedings before the National Industrial Court.
“Despite all these efforts, we have remained peaceful, patient and law-abiding citizens, trusting that justice will ultimately prevail,” the letter stated.
The beneficiaries lamented that the prolonged delay has plunged many beneficiaries into economic distress.
According to the beneficiaries, many of them can no longer meet basic family responsibilities, while others have accumulated debts, abandoned businesses, educational pursuits and personal development plans because of the prolonged non-payment of their legitimate entitlements.
Appealing directly to Governor Uzodimma, the beneficiaries described him as a leader with influence within the ruling party and the country, expressing confidence that his intervention could draw the attention of the appropriate federal authorities to their plight.
They also noted that resolving the lingering issue would restore hope to over 1.5 million young Nigerians across the federation, strengthen public confidence in government promises and reinforce the administration’s commitment to justice, fairness and youth empowerment.
The beneficiaries added that settling the outstanding stipends would also boost confidence among young Nigerians in the country’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
