The 500,000 beneficiaries of the Federal Government N-power Program will on Thursday 12th November, 2020 once again throng the streets of Abuja on a mega National Protest.
What are they protesting?
- A sudden and punitive disengagement from the N-power Program without prio notification or an already established exit strategy amidst COVID-19 Pandemic, to the peril of their families at a time of economic downturn and scarce job opportunities.
- Unpaid Stipends and Backlogs.
- Unfulfil Promises during the 2019 General Election.
- Unfulfilled Promises of Exit plan at the end of the Program which stated that none of the beneficiaries would be thrown back to the streets.
- No Device for some of the Batch A and all the Batch B N-power Beneficiaries.
- Among others
What are they Demanding?
The demands are simple:
- A permanent employment or a substabtial exit package of N500billion for all the 500,000 N-power Beneficiaries as law abiding citizens who have dedicated a minimum of two years active services in the Education, Health and Agricultural Sectors across the 774 LGAs of Federaration.
- Payment of all Backlog Stipends.
- Procurement of Devices for all that have not obtained their devices as it was a necessary working tool for the Program.
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Why the Timing for the protest is right:
The #EndSARS Protest is a big blow to the Federal Government that has signalled a wave of danger on the shores of National Development as unemployment continues to throw Nigerian youths into frustration and social vices.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan on Monday warned that Nigeria as a country, may not escape another citizens’ restiveness in the mode of #EndSARS protest if it failed to effectively address the issue of youth unemployment.
Lawan advised the government to make provision in its national budget to meaningfully engage the youths noting that there was the need to be more practical with budgetary allocations for the [ Ministry of Agriculture] to create jobs for youths.
Lawan, recounting the events of #EndSARS protests said the youths genuinely expressed their anger and successfully gained the government’s attention.
Check: ChannelsTv News
Also, the United Nations has called on the Nigerian government to engage the youths in the country following the recent #EndSARS protests that led to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.
UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, made the call on Monday during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The UN’s response to this is that we must make sure that what happened in this protest, we are able to address those gaps, issues and to begin the reforms needed to address many of these outstanding issues,” she said.
“We need an engaged youth and an engaged government. I think what has been put in place are those building blocks and the support that the UN has been asked to make sure that those conveniences can happen.”
Check: ChannelsTv News
There is a need to address the issue of these large number youths in the N-power Program whom the government at first, won their trust and made them loyal and law abiding, but all of a sudden, took a swipe of pushing them to the street of hopelessness again.
Daily Info Update gathered that many Beneficiaries of the N-power Program have already arrived in Abuja from different States for the protest while others are on their way to Abuja.
In the words of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, "if our youths get angry, it will be like an avalanche of accumulated indignation and no amount of money that you have hoarded from this country can protect you from their wrath," the Federal Government should not only address the plight of the N-power Beneficiaries alongside the causes of the #EndSARS Protest but also position the youths of Nigeria as the leaders of today for a better tomorrow.
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