Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said the Commission has not started the payment of the N50,000 monthly stipend to the beneficiaries of its Internship Programme.
The Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, Seledi Thompson-Wakama in a statement of disclaimer issued and made available to journalists, warned Nigerian youths against the activities of fraudsters.
The statement said that the commission has not completed the process of shortlisting applicants, urging the public to disregard the purported publications of stipend payments by the Commission.
According to the statement “NDDC Youth Internship Scheme: N50,000 Monthly Stipend Payment
“The attention of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been drawn to misleading information circulating in the social media, requesting “all Nigerian youths” to submit their account numbers for the payment of N50,000 monthly stipend promised by the Commission for beneficiaries of its Youth Internship Scheme.
“The fraudsters behind this mischievous information are luring the youths to submit their account details and other personal information in order to receive the payment.
“Please, note that the NDDC has not released the final list of beneficiaries, which will be drawn from the Commission’s official database of those registered between August 5, 2024, when the registration was formally launched and August 31, 2024, when it closed.
“We wish to appeal to those who registered for the scheme to exercise patience, as we are almost through with the selection process.
“We advise members of the public, especially our youths who are eagerly waiting for the completion of the selection process, to beware of the antics of scammers and seek information only from the NDDC official channels.
“We are being very meticulous with the selection process because we remain committed to transparency and fairness in all our activities, including our youth empowerment programmes.
“It is indeed disturbing that some mischievous individuals are trying to take advantage of our youths who are genuinely eager to be gainfully engaged in legitimate activities.
“All inquiries about our Youth Internship Scheme and other empowerment programmes, should be channeled through our official information platforms. We also encourage beneficiaries of our programmes to verify facts on the NDDC’s official website”