YOUWIN: Awardees protest non-payment at Ministry of Finance

      

Awardees of YOUWIN programme in the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday protested at the the Federal Ministry of Finance, demanding that they should be paid their grant having trained and engaged some youths in their various businesses as well as fulfilled all processes.
The awardees, in their numbers, claimed that the inability of the last administration to pay them was due to an alleged missing N5.05 billion counterpart funding which the World Bank released to the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Spokesperson of the group, Engr. Jonathan Ango, who spoke to DAILY POST at the Ministry of Finance, stated that the payment to beneficiaries was split in three ranches, but few beneficiaries were selected in first and second tranches and payed peanuts as if to suggest that the programme was successful.

“You see the World Bank did released over N5.05billion as part of its counterpart funds, but the Secretariat would call few beneficiaries and less than 10% in the first and second ranges, and we later got to discovered that the money has been embezzled and that was why we were no longer comfortable,” Angola alleged.
“The programme was captured in 2012 up to 2015 budget of the Federal Ministry of Finance, so where were those funds?” he asked.

A World Bank Consultant attached to YOUWIN Secretariat, who identified himself as Femi, told the protesters that the delay was caused by BVN, assuring them that the authorities were on top of the situation.
He declined comment on the missing World Bank Counterpart Fund and asked journalists to wait for the appropriate person to come and clarify issues.

Meanwhile, all efforts by our correspondent to speak with the Permanent Secretary or Director in charge of YOUWIN programme as at press time proved abortive even after waiting for two hours.