BBC Pidgin of Wednesday, 7 December 2022

Source: BBC

Wetin be di N-power project wey land D'banj inside fraud allegation wahala?

D'banj D'banj

Di detention of popular Nigerian artiste, D'banj by di Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) ova fraud allegation don raise plenti question.

ICPC confam give BBC Pidgin say dem detain di musician wey im real name na Daniel Oyebanjo ontop investigation of fraud wey dey associated wit one N-Power Programme.

Wetin to know about n-power and di link to D'banj

N-power na one scheme Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari set up for June 2016.

Di aim na to take address di issue of youth unemployment wey dey worry di kontri.

Di scheme na part of im administration National Social Investment Programme.

Dem create am for unemployed graduates and non-graduates wey dey di ages of 18 and 35 and di programme na for only two years.

During dis time, goment go attach di beneficiaries to any goment job for di state dem dey stay and dem go pay dem 30,000 thousand naira every month.  

Goment for 2019 say dem don spend about N279bn and about 800,000 young Nigerians don benefit from di scheme.

For 2018, goment engage 300,000 beneficiaries for Batch B and wen e reach time for dem to comot for 2020, small drama bin play out as some of di beneficiaries claim say goment still dey owe dem money.

Plenty hailing and condemnation bin don follow dis programme since e start for 2016.

Some pipo see am as better employment and development strategy, odas say di process no pure and e dey stressful plus di money wey e dey gulp too much as dem fit take am build industries for dis youth to dey permanently employed.

So how Dbanj take land inside di project?

I be NSIP ambassador, D'Banj claim

For one Instagram post wey  D’Banj share on August 24, 2021, e claim say im be Brand Ambassador for National Social Investment Program (NSIP) and N-power na one of di projects under NSIP.

“I unveil N-POWER BATCH C1, one of di many products of NSIP”, e tok as im share fotos from di event.

“Dem go carefully select one million youths and give dem N30,000 each month for di period of one year while dem sharpen dia proficiency in dia chosen field of choice.” E tok for di post

“We no fit do enough to eradicate poverty as clearly stated by The Hon. Minister Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hon. Sadiya Umar Farouq, but as ambassador I dey dedicated to dis vision and open for creative ideas and strategies to bring down di walls of poverty for Nigeria.”, D’Banj tok .

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daniel Banjo (@iambangalee)

Di artiste only attend di launch, FG claim

Meanwhile di Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs wey dey in charge of di running of n-power programme don wash dia hand comot any engagement wit Dbanj.

Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to di Hon Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Nneka Ikem tok for inside tweet say dia ministry no get any official engagement wit di Dbanj

“Di artiste only attend di launch of di n-poer Batch C launch wia im take foto wit di Hon Minister.

“Make una kindly disregard any official link to Minister, Sadiya Farouq”, she tok.


Wetin come lead to D'banj detention?

For statement di Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission tok-tok pesin, Azuka Ogugua, explain wetin lead to di detention of D'banj.

E say "In line with our mandate, di commission don receive plenti petitions on di diversion of N-Power funds running into billions of naira afta di approval and release of such funds to the beneficiaries by di federal goment." 

"Many N-Power beneficiaries don complain over di non-receipt of di monthly funds in spite of payment by di Goment." 

"About 10 pesin na im ICPC don invite over di last few months in connection with di N-Power fraud, and don grant administrative bail afta dia detention." 

"Several invitations to Mr. Oladipo Daniel Oyebanjo bin ignore and no honour plenti invitations to appear before a team of investigators," di commission tok. 

ICPC add say later Oyebanjo turn in imsef and dem take am into custody for dia Headquarters on Tuesday, 6th December, 2022.

Dem say Oyebanjo currently dey assist di investigators to find out di circumstances of di fraud allegations by di petitioners. 

Di commission say di investigation go dey "all-encompassing" and also dey extended to oda collaborators of di fraud and di banks wia di beneficiaries’ accounts dey.

So far D'Banj team neva comment on di mata.