The federal government has sacked
over 2,500 beneficiaries of N-Power, a component of the National Social
Investment Programme (NSIP).
The scheme is targeted at
addressing the challenge of youth unemployment in the country.
Justice Bibiye, communications
manager of NSIP, said the beneficiaries were dismissed following reports that
some of them had not gone to their respective places of primary assignment
(PPA) in a long time.
“Instances have compelled the
need for continued action against those who are seen to be undermining the
smooth implementation of a well-thought-out federal government social
intervention initiative,” he said in a statement.
“N-Power is not a charity
programme and, therefore, everyone captured under the scheme is expected to
justify his/her engagement by demonstrating diligence, hard work and commitment
to duty at their PPAs.
“Acts of dereliction of duty,
indolence, absenteeism and indiscipline on the part of volunteers shall
continue to be dealt with decisively and in line with the rules of engagement.
“To ensure seamless execution of
the programme in order to achieve the set goals, the NSIO has increased the
number of monitoring partners, with fresh discussions having commenced in
earnest to seek enhanced supervision and the strengthening of monitoring, for
effective and efficient service delivery of all components of the NSIPs.”
He urged both the media and the
public to report cases of absenteeism, adding that strict measures would ensure
“fewer cases of misconduct” do not compromise the success of the entire
programme.
“Field reports reaching us from
our independent monitors, the states, the schools and other places of assignment
confirm that the vast majority of the volunteers have been of good conduct,” he
said.
“The public and the media would
only be supporting the efforts of the administration to reduce unemployment, by
reporting the relatively few indolent, erring volunteers who were lucky to have
been selected to serve under such a programme.”
In January, TheCable reported about massive fraud in the scheme, detailing how beneficiaries connive with officials
to abscond from duty.
Posing as an unemployed graduate,
an undercover reporter interacted with different officials who were
willing to capitalise on the loopholes in the scheme.
N-Power was introduced in 2016 by
the Buhari administration “to imbibe the entrepreneurship culture in the
Nigerian youth aged between 18 and 35 — both graduates and non-graduates”.
An estimated 500,000 youth across
the country are currently enrolled, providing services in establishments
spanning schools; primary healthcare centres; agricultural sector; local
government offices, among others. Their take-home pay is N30,000 monthly.
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