Sa’adiya Farouq And N-Power Beneficiaries

Since the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sa’adiya Umar Farouq, announced the federal government’s decision to exclusively absorb batches A and B of Npower beneficiaries into the federal government’s ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals, Sadiya Umar Farooq, she has been getting kudos for this quite impressive resolution. This move has definitely raised hope, ambition, and spirit of the affected beneficiaries. 

On a daily basis, we have been hearing recruitment exercises in various ministries and government agencies, as a consequence, if the government can inject fresh hands into the so-called bloated federal bureaucracy, why can’t it employ Npower beneficiaries? Besides, they have spent almost three years receiving N30,000 as monthly stipends, without sufficient provision of transition programmes as promised by government. Recall that we all displayed our displeasure and great dissatisfaction towards government’s earlier intention to disengage Npower volunteers from the scheme. 

Regrettably, in as much as the nation’s wealth continues to give undue favours to elected officials, while leaving the majority to languish in abject poverty, I see no reason why the affected beneficiaries will not demand for either permanent employment or valuable package to establish their own businesses. Therefore, if the government officials take time to evaluate, or more so, determine the implications of their actions or inactions, they will hardly contemplate their disengagement from the initial stage. 

In view of the prevailing high unemployment and inflation rates; with most graduates desperately seeking to grab any available opportunity to get employed, to lay off those volunteers after they’ve been on monthly pay might possibly pose a serious threat to the nation’s well-being. I can bet to say there exist a hundred thousand graduates who have graduated after the engagement of batches A and B into the program, but yet, they don’t have even a smidgen of hope of finding a job. Recent revelation about the huge number of Npower applicants will reinforce this assertion. 

That’s why if the Muhammadu Buhari government failed to fulfill its pledge for permanent employment for batches A and B, respectively, the affected beneficiaries will continue to show their disappointment. Whilst I commend those who start-up their businesses from N30,000 Npower monthly allowances, however, with no intention to cheapen the importance of the program, but I can wager to say, it would be very difficult to use that N30,000 to attend your place of work, and at the same time save something to start-up your own business from this paltry amount. 

Although the exact details of that absorption are still sketchy, but yet, the beneficiaries still believe the mode of expression in Sa’adiya Farouq’s press statement was full of hope and unwavering determination. It’s left to be seen when the process of absorbing them into the MDAs will commence. Sooner or later, we expected the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social  Investment program to roll out procedures and arrangements for this absorption. This is because, when this information was given by the media aide of Sa’adiya Farouq, it was greeted with deluge of reactions from fear, despair, uncertainty to sudden enthusiastic commendations and jubilations. 

Unbelievable scenes of cheerful commentaries in various Npower social media blogs were the motive that prompted me to add credit to the federal government’s move for Npower beneficiaries to be absorbed into the MDAs. It has been awesome seeing great admiration through Npower social media platforms among the exiting beneficiaries who have desperately clamoured for this need. 

Sa’adiya Umar Farouq should ensure that their expression of genuine compliments to this gladdening news shouldn’t end with disappointment. No doubt, some beneficiaries have begun to despair of ever finding themselves being gainfully employed into the government agencies. But with the minister’s announcement, the exited Npower beneficiaries received a beam light about their future.

Abbas Datti
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