• N Power Program: exit plan controversy rages on

– Steve Ovirih.

The Social Investment Program of the Federal Government, N Power, which the President Muhammadu Buhari administration started in 2016 to provide adhoc employment for graduates who are to be paid a monthly stipend of thirty thousand naira, seems to have been stymied in controversy over the fate of the 2016 batch of the social intervention program.

A pall of doubt has been cast over the continuation of the exercise owing to the non payment of the October/November stipends of the members of the scheme. In fact, in some quarters , report has it that Federal Government has automatically discontinued the N Power scheme and was only waiting till December ending of 2019 to communicate the stoppage of the scheme to the affected members of the scheme. This unclarified information has affected the zeal and commitment of N power staff, majority of who are in the N Teaching sub sector of the intervention program.

However, the fear of the discontinuation of the scheme was made real in the chat of Mrs . Mariam Uwais , Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, who, while chatting with reporters I Abuja, said the 2016 batch of the N Power Program ought to have graduated from the scheme, considering the fact that it is a two year program projected to prepare them for a higher calling outside the scheme. Uwais said the non exit of the 2016 batch has made it impossible to recruit new members into the scheme, noting that efforts are in top gear to ensure that the first batch of the scheme exit and assisted to move on into a more challenging enterprise with the experience they have gathered in the scheme.

However, the Minister of Humanitarian affairs , disaster management and social development differed on the position of the SA on social investment . The Minister of Humanitarian affairs, Mrs .Sadiya Umar Farouq said Federal Government is not disposed to terminating the scheme either now or anytime soon, stressing that the non payment of both the October and November stipends of the members of the scheme was due to transition challenges and the Government is on top of the situation. Mrs. Farouq whose ministry directly oversees the affairs of the N Power scheme assured that the N Power Program is a prized project of this administration which focus is to help reduce unemployment among youths and by this social investment agenda curb youth restiveness thereby exposing members of the scheme to skill acquisition which will stand them in a good stead later when Government provides them empowerment fund in preparation for their release from the scheme at a more auspicious time.