N-Power: An Open Letter To The President Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Your Excellency,

Disengaging N-power beneficiaries will not solve the issue of unemployment in the country, absorb us in batches.

I have written considerably within my very own conscience on this piece, a judgment from the policy of what should be and how it oath to be in fairness and equity for the justice towards these frustrated Npower beneficiaries.

In 2013 during the 7th Assembly if I am not mistaken, that should approximately be during the former president Jonathan Ebele administration, when there was a casualty which hit hard on human conscience as a result of mass stampeding during the Nigeria Immigration Services Examination exercise Nationwide where innocent Nigeria take the lives of Nigerian Youths.

That very day I begin to respect the Nigerian government as a government of human administration conscience, having called on the relatives of the victims as they were given replacement slot and affected families were compensated as well.

That single act was not achieved by just the president then but was a collective effort of that administration.

During the last former president Yar-Adua, a committee was set up on the fight towards ending insurgency and militancy in Niger Delta precisely, on a good number of time chiefs, youth, and grassroots leaders were all consulted to borrow ideas on solving the issue of insecurity and that achievement was very fast in realizing its goals through sincere dedication and commitment by both the president and the members of the National Assembly which was what led to what we now have in the country as the National Amnesty Program which has been so far successful in terms of realizing its aims and purpose in the country. The act was an excellent idea of some political technocrats in the National Assembly who deemed it right as a means to reduced militancy and kidnapping to its barest minimum level.

This amnesty program and initiatives took many militants abroad for studies and training and that cost the government billions of Naira to train these militant groups abroad and today the program or perhaps should I say the initiative is progressing as we are still using it on today’s Boko Haram repentant.

Here we are N-power beneficiaries, law abiding citizens, of the country, who manned all the public schools in all the 774 Local Government Area of this country, all the health facilities and Agric Extension Services being treated as an outcast. What is the future of youths in this country?

The Nigeria Civil Defense Corps, NDLEA, NAFDAC, EFCC, NDDC etc all gained approval by administrations just for job creation in order to end unemployment in the country.

In fact, let me say every ministry, agencies and bodies are the creation of one administration or the other in the past which was created to tackle one problem or the other but its being enjoyed by everyone in the country.

If we keep rejecting bills that will ordinarily solve Nigerians problems, then we are just nothing but the makers of these rising problems.

The previous administration also mapped out plans to eradicate poverty and reduce the high level of unemployment in the nation, through its own style to youth empowerment program known as SURE-P.

The said SURE-P did not see the light of the day to realize it’s objectives as it was immediately beaten down and scrabbed by the new leadership since it was considered a consuming hippopotamus and a waste of Nation resources.

This led to a new born programme, conceived and perceived to be a world class Job Creation Program (JCP) adopted by the 8th Assembly in the fight against unemployment in the country and was tagged N-power.

This leadership gained its first phase of praise from these programme within the globe as to how the Nigeria Government employed 500,000 Nigerians from the streets that Nigeria’s unemployment level became much more relaxed.

At first, the program came to Nigerians with bigger hope for these innocent unemployed youth, as many homes were brought out of poverty in a mass number as it gained international administrative appraisal. 

Even through the pay was less but at least it was able to keep one’s mind out of crime and can enable one to pay his bills so that the issue of unemployment was half solved. 

Just like corona, we are in the fight on eradicating poverty and empowering youth through a life changing means which is one of Nigeria’s problems.

If we put interest in ending corruption, poverty and unemployment the way we are putting in the fight to end Covid-19, I believe we will be better than the way we are today.

Fine, we were initially told the job duration was a 24-month contract which made many applied hoping to get something better.

But if I may ask, where is the N-power device that was part of the agreement? About 70% of N-power beneficiaries have not received their devices. Where is the community police you promised in 2018 at the verge of 2016 batch completion of the 24months contract? Are we not supposed to be transition into the said new entrepreneur program before announcing our disengagement? Why are we being treated as 2nd class citizens in our father land? 

In a time when this innocent youth have made up their minds to leave in 2018 which marks the end of the programme, there was a promise which came to us through the country adviser to the vice president on social media and job creation (Mr. Afolabi).

According to Mr. Afolabi in a statement and I quote “Your permanency, is in your hand as you vote wisely” “Your permanency is your voters card”.

This brought new hope to N-power beneficiaries as we dumped other opportunities to grab a government job as promised by the APC led administration.

The subsequent year wasn’t a blanked one too as almost all Nation’s popular Newspapers carried it as headlines that N-power beneficiaries were to be transitioned into new national community police and this again made so much beneficiaries lost interest on other jobs, hoping that government will keep their part of the promise made during the campaign.

Why I am bringing up these topics, I am deeply disappointed having read through national papers that the Federal government disengaged 2016 and 2017 beneficiaries who have contributed so much on our education, health sector and agricultural extension into mere entrepreneurs’ scheme.

I mean I know there are still good leaders there, some of you were a onetime Governor so you know better.

This is about National building and Economy so I want you all as the leader we have to consider the plight of the youth.

I want the National Assembly and other well meaning Nigerians to know that if N-power beneficiaries are sent back, then they have been denied a better future after graduation as many of us have grown beyond employability age in the civil service commission.

How can we boldly say we have reduced unemployment when we have just offloaded 500,000 youths in the selection of another 400,00 youths which will be given the same dumping treatment in the short-term of 12 months?

I mean it’s a simple mathematics we have only successfully destroyed live of some 500,00 innocent Nigerian Youths the moment we send N-power beneficiary back to the street, therefore adding more to our problems.

Most of these beneficiary became dependants on their N30,000 stipends and now having families and homes they take care of.

 I am appealing with the National Assembly and other well meaning Nigerians to intervene on this issue to demonstrate their representative status for their respective constituencies.

As the people representative that you are, I urge you all to defend these beneficiaries into absorption in or #1million grant to set up a business that can employ two or more Nigerian youth.

Let us solve a problem before creating another by engaging another set of youth without gainfully engaging the 2016 and 2017 beneficiaries as it will be another NYSC program and a total waste time and resources.

We need your help!

On behalf of N-power youth congress 

Cc

The Vice President.

The National Assembly.

Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

Federal Civil Service Commission.

Humanitarian and Disaster Management.

Ministry of Justice..

Ministry of Empowerment, labor & productivity.

Ministry of work.

Ministry of power.

Ministry of transport.

Ministry of youth and Empowerment.

National Human right commission

HON. JOSEPH ENAN MAIGARI

NYC NATIONAL COORDINATOR.