N-Power application: Why some Batch A and B beneficiaries dey vex with di programme
Graduates wey dey under di first two batch of di N-Power programme dey wonder wia Federal Goment of Nigeria wan put di 500,000 graduates wey don benefit from di programme as dem wan roll dem out to take in new ones.
N-POWER Beneficiaries Some of dem enta social media to para say di goment still dey owe dem salary for March, April, May and June and dem wan make goment pay dem before e comot dem from di programme. Dis tok dey come afta di Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq tweet say from 30 June 2020 to di end of July, Nigeria goment go begin comot di Batch A and B beneficiaries of di National Social Investment Programme to give room for pipo wey go dey Batch C to also benefit from di programme. She explain say di coronavirus pandemic don really affect di kontri economy which na why goment reason to enrol Batch C for di N-power programme, to build dia employability and entrepreneurial skills and to provide workers wey go fit rebuild di economy afta coronavirus. Di Kwara State Coordinator for N-power, wey also be beneficiary, Bello Mubaraq Salau wey follow BBC tok say na true say some pipo neva collect money since dey enta di programme and about 18,000 of dia members neva collect di stipends wey goment dey pay from March till now. Oga Salau say e no dey okay if goment just free dem like dat wit no alternative means of income. He say for di period wey dem dey do dis goment work, some of dem don lose plenty job opportunities and goment claim say dey suppose don save from di stipends wey dem dey collect no dey realistic as di money no even reach dem feed dia family and take care of oda tins. Goodluck Agbam na one of di beneficiary of di Npower scheme Goodluck Agbam wey study Biochemistry for University of Port Harcourt, but dey work for di Public Health department for di Rivers State Minstry of Health, say di N-Power programme don really improve im knowledge as im don learn new skills andgain experience from di State Tuberculosis programme, Monkey Pox monitoring unit and now im dey di Emergency Services unit for over three years im dey di programme. Agbam say im follow for pipo wey dem dey owe backlog of di monthly stipend as dem never pay am for di past four months. "Since after dem transfer di N-Power programme from di office of di Vice President come put am for di new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, we begin get problem. Me di last time I receive my stipend na February, now dis June wey just end make am four months wey dem dey owe me, though dem say dem dey check am but I never receive anything since." Agbam observe say vacancies plenti for di civil service so e go good if goment fit absorb dem. "All dis knowledge and experience wey we gada so, wetin dem want make we do with am as dem wan disengage us so? If you check most offices here, many pipo don retire, some don do so vacancy dey. I for like make Federal Goment work with di State to absorb us as permanent staff as na we dey do di work. Vacancy dey plenti instead dem go just disengage us like dat for dis kain time." N-POWER beneficiaries Madam Sadiya say out of di 500,000 pipo wey don already benefit from N-power, more dan 109, 000 don get dia own businesses and dem dey do well for dia community. Dis tok no sweet some beneficiaries belle as dem enta twitter say goment still dey owe dem four months salary and how goment feel say dem go survive if dem remove dem from di scheme. But oda beneficiaries bin praise di goment say from di stipends wey dem receive for four years dem don start small business. Mary Alete na one of di N-Power beneficiaries for Rivers State, south south Nigeria. She tell BBC Pidgin say she follow for di first batch of di N-Power programme wey start for December 2016 and she don enjoy di programme for di past three and half years. Mary Alete na one of di N-Power beneficiaries for Rivers State She add say her major concern na di one dem wan end dis first batch wey enrol for di programme. " I no say make Goment no take new pipo for di Batch C o, but di question be say wia Federal Goment wan put di 500,000 graduates wey don enrol for di programme since 2016, dem go just throw us back to go begin find work for dis Covid-19 period wen tins hard? I go like make dem chook eye again for dat matter again." Alete say wen dem first enrol dem, di understanding na say dem go dey for two years but di two years pass, dem tell dem to continue, so dat one come give dem hope. Later dem say dem go give dem option for dia profile for di N-Power platform say dem go give dem small loan to take start small business but none of dis one don happen. "Now we dey hear say as June end so, dem don disengage di batch A and by July ending dem go disengage Batch B, e dey put fear for our mind and e worry us all round, wia we wan go find work for dis period?" Na so she ask. N-Power scheme wey Nigeria goment get for graduates Federal goment bin start di N-power programme for 2016 as part of im social investment programme to empower plenty young Nigerians wey no get work and di scheme na to support beneficiaries for two years. Di scheme na to address dis unemployment, give youths skill and drive di kontri socio-economic sector. Nigeria get very high rate of unemployment and pipo dey fear say if goment disengage dis youths, e go dey bad for dem.