The N-power Volunteers under the auspices of "N-power Lagos" have condemned the current structuring of the N-power Programme by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, as beneficiaries were deployed far away from their places of Residence while synergy was distorted within the tiers of government.
In a letter titled "An open letter to Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk", N-power Lagos pointed out that the N-power Programme led by VP Osibanjo/Afolabi Imoukuede which began in 2016 " was a huge success because most of the challenges the beneficiaries faced then was adequately attended to and subsequently resolved as a result of the synergy between the Federal Government and the State Institution like Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture".
It furthered that with the recent strategy in implementing the programme, the participating Ministries have been cut off, which has intensified anomalies in the N-power Batch C Programme and causing unease to the beneficiaries.
Speaking on the deployment of the N-power Beneficiaries, the N-power Lagos lamented that the beneficiaries were posted far way from their places of residence which has defeated the initial plan of the programme - that the Stipend of N30,000 is not enough to be spent on long distance transportation, hence, the beneficiaries are posted very close to their places of Residence.
The comments by the N-power Beneficiaries indicated that some of the beneficiaries were obviously posted far away from their places of residence.
While the focus was on Lagos State, John Ilufemiloye, an N-power Beneficiary in Ondo State stated that many of the N-power Beneficiaries posted in his area in Ondo, the Stipend will not be enough for their transports alone.
The N-power group however pleaded that:
1. Beneficiaries who couldn't print out their posting letter from the Npower website should be look into.
2. States should be involved in the posting of these beneficiaries. Posting from Abuja isn't the right way to go because they don't live in these states.
3. Beneficiaries are rejected by the head of their various PPA because state government aren't involved. Lagos is a case study.
The N-power Lagos condemned the plan of using NYSC Local Government Inspectors in the Physical Verification instead of allowing it in the hands of the N-SIP Offices and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
It argued that it is the major cause of the delay experienced in the N-power Physical Verification which has resulted in the N-power Beneficiaries being extorted by unidentified entities who present themselves as verification officers.
The group added that low manpower has largely affected the Physical Verification while insisting that the State Government and Local Government should be involved in the Physical Verification to ensure coherence in the process, and limit time wastage.
The exited Batch A and B N-power Beneficiaries who showed concern on the comment section however advised the N-power Batch C beneficiaries to take the N-power Programme serious at their own peril.
According to the exited beneficiaries, they stated that N-power as it is currently has no direction, no plan for gainful employment or gainful empowerment.
The exited beneficiaries who described their dedication to the programme as futile, lamented that their N30,000 Stipends were mainly spent on transportation when they hoped on NEXIT Plan - a loan programme developed by the Federal Government in collaboration with CBN for the exited N-power Beneficiaries- which has been unimplemented till date.
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