Beneficiaries of a World Bank Funded project, Youth Employment and Social Support Operation Yesso in Bauchi have on Monday blocked the premises of POLARIS Bank in protest over what they called allegations of racketeering, none payments of stipends and illegal replacement of beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries blocked the entrance of the bank demanding explanations as to why they could not access their stipends since December, 2019.
The Yesso programme whose major objectives is to increase access for the poor to youth employment opportunities, social services, and strengthened safety net systems in participating states is funded by World Bank and implemented by the Bauchi State Commission for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development Agency, BACYWARD.
Shehu Abubakar, a beneficiary of the Yesso program says “on several occasions, anytime our leaders tell us that our stipends were paid into POLARIS bank, our transactions are always marred by network problem, and we have limited number of days to withdraw the money or it disappears”, he said.
Abubakar said in December 2019, many beneficiaries could not get their stipends, saying, “that is why we are here to tell the whole world that there are problems with this program, because this program is meant for the poor, but we kept on having issues with the stipends every month”.
WikkiTimes authoritatively reports that some of the beneficiaries owed four months stipends and there was no convincing explanation as to why BACYWARD could not pay them the money.
Abubakar added that “in my community alone, there are over 30 of us that did not get our stipends since December 2019.
“Anytime we complain to the Bank manager, he will tell us, ‘it’s network problem’, but if you slug a separate ATM card on the machine, other than the customized Yesso ATM, the machine will authorize your transactions, then why is our issues so unique”, he queries.
Another protester, Hadiza Yakubu, a widow says “for over three months now, I could not get my yesso stipends, in December when I came to withdraw my money, the machine retained my card, after lodging a complain and following up with the issue, the bank told me they will drop my ATM card with BACYWARD, when I collected it at BACYWARD, I found out that my money has been withdrawn.
“When I lodge a complaint to our leader Tanko Dutse, he told me to leave the issue for God, and I have orphans to take care of, as I’m talking to you now, I’m indebted to many people, in fact they don’t even lend me money anymore and I don’t have foodstuff for the orphans”.
The protesters also accused the agency of replacing some beneficiaries without following due process.
Responding, the executive Chairman Bauchi State Commission for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development, BACYWARD, Tanko Dutse who addressed the protesters faulted them for protesting at the bank premises.
“You have not treated us justly, why are you protesting here, why can’t you come to BACYWARD and protests at our premises so that we will listen to you”, he queried the protesters.
Dutse told this medium that since his assumption of office as the Cairman of the agency, he has taken measures to ensure accountability; “when I came as Chairman, I have transferred their team lead who was heading the Yesso program just to mitigate the complaints I inherited at the agency”.
He urged the protesters to channel their grievances through the appropriate quarters, assuring that beneficiaries with genuine complaints will be listened to and their issues will be resolved.
