…We want to totally, completely restructure the N-Power – Edu
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Federal Government has said the N-Power programme would be suspended due to observed irregularities and concern over fund utilization.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu who revealed this during a TVC program on Saturday, lamented that a lot of irregularities have been discovered in the N-Power program.
Edu therefore said that the programme would be suspended pending after investigations on the utilization of funds in the N-Power Programme to know exactly how many persons are on the programme, how many persons are owed, and what they are owed.
The Minister also stressed that going forward the N-Power programme would be totally restructured and expanded.
She assured that millions of Nigerian youths would be accommodated in the programme as part of President Tinubu’s
renewed hope job creation opportunity.
She said,”Now coming to N-Power, the National Programme Manager for N-Power will soon give a press release. I have in several fora tried to discuss the issue of N-Power, and what I want to speak very clearly today to this medium is that we must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are.
“So, we will basically suspend the programme for now, until we are done with proper investigation of the N-Power programme and the utilization of funds in the N-,Power Programme to know exactly how many persons are on the program right now, how many persons are owed, what they are owed and going forward we are totally restructuring the N-Power and expanding it.
“There is a whole lot going on. First we met people who are supposed have exited the programme since last year, and they are still on, they tell you they are still teaching, we are still doing this and we are still doing that. And then when you contact the schools or the places where they claim they are teaching or doing whatever they are doing, they are not there. They are not working, they are not teaching yet they continue to count that they are being owed 8months, 9months, as a new months comes they say is ten, the next month eleven, the next is twelve.
“We have asked for reports from the schools, from the field and over 80% of them are not there, they are not working yet they are counting salaries. That is one, secondly most people are supposed to have exited since last year September. They say they are supposed to be paid an exit package, they refuse to leave the program.
“Other persons who were brought on the program of course have even moved on to getting jobs and other things which they do for a living and they are not really working under the N-Power. Very little few, very very little, less than 10% enrolled on the N-Power.
“Remember the N-Power has just enrolled so far 910,000 persons under the skilled aspect, and about 60,000 persons under the non-skilled aspect, so in a nutshell about one million persons have been enrolled under the N-Power so far from its inception up until this point.
“Now this persons who have been enrolled within them you have batch one who have finished since 2 years ago and should be off to table but are still shouting N-Power. You have the batch two which should have finished since September last year but are still on the table still shouting N-Power.
“When you came on the programme, there was clear a signature that stated that this is the number of months that you are going to be on the programme before they exit you from the program. Once that month has expired , you should know that your between you and the government that you signed has expired. Your continued stay on and counting months and.counting days doesn’t help.
“Then those who were brought in as the last batch which have not been fully enrolled, some of them have been enrolled, some of them enrolled and they have not been paid some are among those who were saying they are owed for 8months and 9months.”
The Minister assured that those who have truly put in their effort to do the work would be paid.
“Some persons have truly put in their effort to do the work and deserved to be paid by all intent and purpose, and those people we will pay but please we want to make very clear that you stop counting months.
“We want to totally, completely restructure the N-Power, as you go in every single day to wherever your point of primary assignment is, we will enroll Nigerian youths in their millions across the country. This is now the renewed hope job creation opportunity.
“We will enrol Nigerian youths in their millions, as you go in to teach, or N-health or which ever one it is, we must have verified ways of knowing whether you are there or not.
“We sent Independent monitors two weeks ago into the field and they are where to be found yet they said they are being owed. You are being owed for sitting in your house and counting the months, all these are challenges which we have to work with.
“And of course at the back end, looking at those who are managing it the consultants that were brought on board, why was money kept and not being paid to people who should be paid as at when due,” she asked.
