Stop Playing Politics With Us, If You Want Us Out Tell Us - NPower Volunteers Lament

The Constant delays of NPower monthly stipends payment is hitting the volunteers hard, many of them depends on the stipend to feed their family. At this pandemic period, Npower volunteers are at home now not engaged like every other person at this time except the N-Health. What is worrying the volunteers is that their stipends are not paid when the needed it the most.

 

They think the new ministry is playing politics with their stipend and their permanency agitation. They are asking for answers that the politics should stop. If they want us out of the program, let them speak up instead of putting us in the dark, NPower volunteers says.

Are we still up to 500,000 beneficiaries across the federation considering those that have resigned and those removed from this program for various offences? Why is the federal Government staff and NYSC get paid before Npower volunteers? If they claim our stipend has to go through some rigorous process, why can't they start the process the moment they pay the previous month? Why is it so easy to release fund for other arms of this program easily (HGSF and conditional cash transfer) are ongoing and stipends for Npower has not been paid up till now. These are some of the questions the Npower volunteers are asking.

A question was raise by a reporter at the Presidential Task Force COVID 19 press briefing on the 15th May 2020 as regards delayed payment. The reporter asked: Are Npower not vulnerable? Why is she neglecting the scheme? However, the minister of Humanitarian affairs was not present to answer the question.

Nevertheless, the Minister was at the PTF Covid-19 press briefing on the 16th May 2020 and she said the stipend of NPower volunteers is in the final process and they will be paid early next week.