Osun N-Power Beneficiaries Lament Unpaid Stipend, Seek Govts Intervention

By Segun Ojo

Barely three months after the kick-off of the social intervention programme tagged N-Power Scheme initiated by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government, some of the beneficiaries have been grumbling over the poor financial management of the scheme.

The story was not different in Osun as the affected beneficiaries of the scheme expressed displeasure over the inability of the scheme’s authority to pay their stipends since the flag-off of the programme.

The affected youths decried over what they described as man-made maltreatment deliberately meted out to frustrate the vulnerable that according to them constitute largest population of the initiative.

However, in the fulfilment of the Federal Government’s promises of empowering 500,000 unemployed youths throughout Nigeria, 200,000 youths were engaged across all the states of the federation last year through the popular N-Power programme.

It was revealed that since the commencement of the programme in 2016 virtually all beneficiaries of the scheme in Osun have not been paid.

According to the release made available to journalists by concerned N-Power Volunteers, six percent, constituting 600 Volunteers out of the 10,054 engaged volunteers have been paid December 2016 stipends.

The affected youths added, “We are bringing to the notice of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the general public of our displeasure and unhappiness towards the non-payment of our stipends since the kick-off of the N-power Initiative.

“We are most puzzled because other states of the federation are not suffering the same fate as we do. We are confounded on why our situation is different in the state.

“This has really hit us to large extent as most of us who were managing somewhere before resigned purposely to take up our volunteers assignment.

“But it is unfortunate that we have become laughing stock to our former employers and family members as we are now sapped of financial strength and capabilities of going to our various places of primary assignment (PPA).

“To receive reports that yet-to-be-posted volunteers in other states are nonetheless receiving their stipends had deeply left us sad and deflated.

“From our standpoint, it appears some people with sinister motive have hijacked our money on selfish grounds.

“Our repeated efforts to have audience with our Focal Person in Osun State, Hon. Idiat Babalola have proved abortive.

Appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari, the concerned youths called on the Federal Government, Osun state government and other relevant authorities to expedite action by beaming their search lights into the matter for quick solution.