We Are Owed 2 Months Salaries- Osun N.power Volunteers Cry Out

Beneficiaries of an empowerment programme by Nigerian government,  for unemployed graduates, coined N-power in Osun State have cried out to the Federal Government to come to their rescue, as they are yet to get the promised N30,000 stipends since December.

The volunteer corps members, under the  aegis of the Concerned N-power Volunteers Group expressed concern  over the way federal government is handling the scheme.

This was contained in a letter written and signed by the leader of the group, Comrade Idowu Oguntuyi, stressing that majority of the volunteers are finding it difficult to eat and  transport themselves to their place of primary assignment.

The integral worry of the group, is the trauma those who have quit their employment in the private  schools for the scheme are going through, and the ordeal of working  without   remuneration.

They however  called on the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and other key stakeholders to help them plead with the government at the centre to pay them for the service they have  rendered.

” We have been seriously frustrated by the non-payment  of our stipends, only about 10% out of the beneficiaries in Osun  were paid for the Month of December, just as none have received a dime for the month of January.

“Some of us resigned from our previous employment in the  private schools just to face with the trauma of unpaid salaries,” the letter reads.

The N-Power Volunteers added  that all their efforts to meet with the state focal person of the programme,  Hon. Idiat Babalola,has been proved abortive, as she continued to make herself unavailable.

According to them, it has been observed that the focal person is deliberately avoiding them, thus  making it impossible for them to officially table their demands.

“We don’t  think this woman is capable of handling this scheme, she has become so elusive since the commencement of this programme.”

The volunteer corps members in the letter threatened to shut down the state if appropriate authorities fails to quickly respond to their plights.

“We have tried all we can do to ensure that we meet with the state focal person and get it resolved but at this point we have no choice than to come out and protest.

“On several occasions, protests have been averted in order not to heat up the polity, but that is no more the case, it seems government is taking us for granted, and there is need for us to move fast and call them to order, ” the statement concludes.

CityMirrorNews reports that the Special Adviser on media  to the Vice-president, Mr Olaolu Akande had on December 30, 2016 announced the commencement of N30,000 stipend to N.power Volunteer corps members.

Akande, while speaking to journalist on that day said, the payment of stipends to the 200,000 volunteers would be in batches, while some would get alerts on that day and Decembers 31, the rest would be paid staring from January 3, 2017.