By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
NPower Job initiative beneficiaries in Oyo state on Wednesday asked the Federal Government to probe non payment of their December (2016) and January this year monthly stipends.
The NPower Job initiative beneficiaries made the call during a protest held at the Oyo state Ministry of Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Social Development Secretariat in Ibadan
During the protest,the beneficiaries blamed the non payment of their stipends on the alleged “wicked” attitude of some of those in charge of the scheme in Oyo state, adding that despite been cleared,they are yet to be receiving their monthly stipends while their colleagues in other states were been paid regularly.
Addressing journalists, spokesperson for the protesting beneficiaries, Miss Kehinde Omolola declared that all efforts by the beneficiaries from across the state at ascertaining the true situation on the scheme failed as there was no one to inform them of what was really happening.
She pointed out that while at the National Orientation Agency, State Universal Basic Education Board, Ministry of Education and the Women Affairs, all the officials met were just pushing them to each other since the commencement of the payment of December 2016 allowance in January this year.
“I am one of the beneficiaries of NPower, we that are here have not been paid, they did not tell us anything, they have been pushing us to each other, we have gone to the secretariat to complain, we have been to NOA, SUBEB, Ministry of Education and Women Affairs, they did not tell us anyone that is in charge” she said.
Another spokesperson for the beneficiaries Folarin Dipo said “we are here to tell the management of NPower that we have not collect our allowance since December, we have gone to various agencies but they don’t have any information for us, they have been dragging us from one place to another.”
“We are saying enough is enough. We have been selected and verified but I am wondering why our counterparts in other state have been paid and we are yet to receive any penny”.
The protesters were later
chased out by the officials of the Poverty Alleviation department in the Ministry on the ground that the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Atinuke Osunkoya who is in charge of the program was not in the office, saying,”some of them have changed their names due to marriage, if the information is different from the account details supply, will you pay. There documents are not complete, so tell them. Please everybody should leave here. Vacate this premises”.
