Nigeria, Feb. 7 -- Beneficiaries of a federal government monthly "survival" grant, who work in a hotel in Akwa Ibom State, have been forced to surrender the money for three months to the hotel management.

Ten employees of the hotel, Duran Hotels, Uyo, including the hotel CEO, in October, enrolled in the Survival Fund scheme, an initiative of the Nigerian government to support small businesses and help protect jobs during the outbreak of COVID-19.

The hotel employees received N30,000 each as a monthly grant from the programme.

But as soon as the money hit their bank account, they were instructed by the CEO of the hotel, Anthony Achanya, to withdraw and hand it over to a senior official of the hotel, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The hotel woul...