N-Power beneficiaries threaten to embark on strike over non-payment of 3 months stipends

Beneficiaries of the N-Power Batch C2 have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over the non-payment of their allowances for three months.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to SaharaReporters urged the Nigerian government to pay their stipends to enable them to buy food for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“It is shameful and extremely painful our government has held on to our three months stipends without any explanation whatsoever.

“First of all, the N-Power batch C2 beneficiaries were deployed in September but we were asked to resume at our place of primary assignment (PPA) on the 4th of October which we did, and since then, nothing has been done about our stipends. Meanwhile, we applied for the empowerment programme in 2020. After so much delay, we were deployed two years after and still no payment.

“We are suffering and there are speculations that the minister said she has paid all the beneficiaries and does not owe anyone,” one of them told SaharaReporters.

Since its creation by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2016 to address youth unemployment and help increase social development in the country, the N-Power scheme has been dogged by many scandals and failed to live up to its billing.