N-Power: Ex-Beneficiary Pays Tribute To Afolabi Imoukhuede

A social media user, @Abushua00895680, has praised the impact of Afolabi Imoukhuede, the former N-Power Cluster Lead of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

Imoukhuede who conceptualised the N-Power scheme handed off it around June 2020, with the programme now overseen by Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria.

Farouq had been criticised for her handling of the scheme, with some furious batches A and B beneficiaries rechristening her 'the disaster Minister'.

"When federal government was federal government, when n power was n power, those days nigerian youth are very important. no lies no story we really miss you sir @AsImoukhuede @nnekaikem1 @Sadiya_farouq @FMHDSD," the erstwhile N-Power beneficiary wrote on her Twitter handle on Tuesday.

When federal government was federal government, when n power was n power, those days nigerian youth are very important. no lies no story we really miss you sir @AsImoukhuede @nnekaikem1 @Sadiya_farouq @FMHDSD pic.twitter.com/siHFO87ck4

— Astasawa (@Abushua00895680) May 18, 2021

It would be recalled that the 36 States & FCT N-Power Representatives' Forum had on March 16 in a statement signed by Kabiru Aliyu Pelemi, its National President, vowed to mobilise 500, 000 Nigerian youths to occupy the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. The ministry is saddled with National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs), which the N-Power scheme is part of.

Many months after the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development asked Batches A and B beneficiaries who are owed multiple months stipends to see their State Focal Person, Farouq, who heads the ministry has continued to ignore their cries.

More than 14,000 bonafide N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries, who were disengaged from the scheme since July 2020 have not been paid their entitled stipends (many of them owed March to July, and Wema Bank users didn't get paid for June 2020). This, despite the revalidation exercise that happened in October 2020 across major Nigerian states.

Also, since releasing the NEXIT Portal on November 30 2020 - four months after exiting N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria which is saddled with N-Power duties have not effected the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Empowerment Programme.

This is despite the fact that hundreds of ex-N-Power beneficiaries have logged on to the NEXIT portal and provided the required additional information for possible placements into the various CBN intervention options.

Established in 2016, the N-Power scheme is one of the national social investment programmes of the federal government targeted at unemployed graduates who are engaged by the government and paid a N30,000 monthly stipend.