The Muslim Media Watch Group has advised the federal government not only to retain existing N-Power beneficiaries but to further absorb additional number to reduce alarming rate of Unemployment in the Country.
In a statement signed by it National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the group noted that “Unemployment of youths is one of the critical problems facing Nigeria adding that is also factors among others responsible for poverty, insecurity, instability and criminality being witnessed in the Country today.
The statement reads in part:
” The Report that beneficiaries of N-POWER scheme would be disengaged and fresh recruitment of new beneficiaries began over last weekend is not cheering news at all.
With the Nation battling with unemployment whereby 80% of the Nation’s Youths are involved in this dangerous pandemic call “unemployment,” it is unreasonable and odd for government to think of disengaging at this critical time when other Nations are empowering their citizens due to effect of Covid-19.
Perhaps, it does not make sense to engage educated and skilled youths for 2 to 3 years in N-POWER only to disengage them instead of absorbing them into the Public Service including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) is to say the least worrisome!
One wonders what is happening to our annual budgetary provisions as Public officers retire annually with vacancies here and there yet employment facilities remain inaccessible.
The Muslim Media Watch Group therefore calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and prevent the disengagement of current N-Power beneficiaries of batches A & A instead, those who acquired skills and are ready to disengage on their own should be allowed to do so, while those still serving should be allowed to continue.
The President should also order for screening exercise to verify genuine volunteers who have not secured jobs to prevent fraud, whereby beneficiaries who have secured permanent jobs should be removed from the payroll and fresh volunteers engaged in the Scheme.
Dropping old beneficiaries will create more problems for the Nation.
Nigerians had expected that with 500, 000 beneficiaries, the Federal Government would increase participants to 2 million before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2023 as such promise was even made in one of his campaign issues for his second-coming as President.”
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