N- Power beneficiaries embark on protest, demand Federal Government permanent employments

Hundreds of beneficiaries of the Federal Government Social Investment Scheme known as N-Power, ,on Monday embarked on a peaceful protest, to request for absorption into the civil service after spending over three years.

Penpushing reports that, the protesters who stormed the Iwe-Iroyin Press Centre in Abeokuta, were seen with banners and placards of various inscriptions which reads, ’Permanency is what we are pleading for’, Permanency is our Concern’, among others.

The protesters some who came with their babies called on the Ogun State Government, which is supervising authority for those working in the State, to consider them for permanent appointments, having garner enough experiences in their various working places after three years.

Penpushing further reports that, they argued that, it would be unfair to them for Ogun State Government to employ new staff and offer them permanent job, at the expense of the N-Power beneficiaries, who have been working round the clock with stipends  of N30,000 monthly in the last three years

The protesters said, it is amazing to them that, when Ogun State Government invited some new candidates for written examination for employment as Teachers, those under the N-power scheme were left out.

The Coordinator of the peaceful protest, Mutairu Abiodun  they regretted that despite their immense contributions toward the rapid development of the education, agricultural and health sectors in the state, the state government had not considered them for employment.

Penpushing also reports that Abiodun recalled that 90 percent of the volunteers applied for teaching job through the Job portal when the portal was opened for the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), lamenting that less than two percent were shortlisted for test.

The Coordinator said on offering them the temporary jobs, the Federal Government assured them of absorption by the State Governments but to no effect, stressing that since the scheme was introduced in 2016, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State state has improved, stating that this was due to the hard working youths on the scheme.

“We have improved teaching in the state and the health sector has been enhanced through our services. We are appealing to the Ogun state Government to look into our matter and consider us for permanent employment. We N-power volunteers have been in the system since 2016 when the programme was introduced.

“Some have been in the system for three years, some two years and all of these have contributed to the education, health and agricultural sector even to the state IGR. The federal government said it’s a temporary appointment for two years but after the two years they gave us enhance programme which they called enhance N-power that was what led to the end of 2019 but 2020 we know that no matter what, we will be disengaged and for us not to be disengaged and go back to the street that is why we are clamoring.”

“We have the experience; we were properly trained before the programme started. With the training we went through, we are qualified to be staffed. It’s so unfortunate that last month, the state opened a recruitment portal for SUBEB where there was no preference for N- power volunteers that have been on ground for two or three years.”

“We are appealing to the state government to kindly absorb us, consider us and give us employment, that’s what we want. We don’t what to go back to the street.Most of us have family, we have responsibility to cater for. We have N-power volunteers that have two to three children.”