The Campaign for Democracy (CD) has raised the alarm over what it termed poor handling, leading to poor results in the coordination of the Federal Government’s N-Power scheme in Niger State by the state
Coordinator, Affiniki Dauda.
The scheme is expected to provide sustainable socio-economic development for unemployed youths in Niger State.
But the CD said that the co-ordinator’s poor coordination in the state had resulted in over 5, 000 youths being unable to register for the programme.
“It is surprising that only about 600 were successful of those the numerous applicants. This is largely due to the poor handling and coordination of the scheme”, the CD said in a statement by its Vice President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Adeniran.
Abdulwaheed said that Niger was already losing its share of the federal government’s programme as a result of the poor planning and execution for the targeted people hence their resolve to voice out so that adjustments could be corrected.
“We in Campaign for Democracy condemn in strong terms the poor coordination largely caused by lack of awareness campaign for the benefits of target audience and the haphazard handling of N-Power scheme in Niger State”.
Abdulwaheed said CD made a case for better representations to the “appropriate authorities” in the state but nothing has been done to make adjustments where necessary hence the group’s resolve to draw the attention of the federal government.
Efforts to see the Niger State Coordinator of the N-Power, Affiniki Dauda, on the issue proved abortive. On several visits to the office along Bosso Estate, Minna our correspondent was always informed that she travelled outside the state or gone to Abuja.
However an official of the N-Power scheme in the state who refused his name be made public blamed those who did not benefit for their inability to secure the employment.
According to the official, “Some did not succeed because their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) showed that they had been earning salary but the N-Power scheme is for graduates who are not in any form of employment”, a claim the CD also declared as false.
