Today Latest NPower News - Permanency, Strike, January Stipend Payment

We bring you Five things we noted and the full transcription of HM Sadiya Umar Farouq interview with TVC News regarding NPower permanency, Strike and January Payment.

1. Payment will be made very soon right from next week said by the Minister.

 

2. Delay in payment not her fault but technical issue.

 

3. N-Power volunteers shouldn't embark on strike action as they plan to on Monday 24th February 2020, instead they should think of what govt has done to them throughout the program.

 

4. No permanency but other options will be exploited to give volunteers glorious exit.

 

5. The N-power program continues for now and more people will be added to the existing volunteers soon May God Help Npower Beneficiaries.

 

Here is a transcribed version of last night tvc chat with HM Sadia Umar Farouq.

TVC ANCHOR : Honorable Minister, Just two days ago beneficiaries of the npower scheme threatened to embark on strike and that's a repetition of what happened last year October after claims that they have not been paid for 3 months. Help us better understand clearly the status of payment for Npower volunteers.

 

HM SADIYA : Well, you know,there are process and procedures,administrative process. When we came on board the Npower program was moved to the ministry in October and that was exactly the month we had this problem of delayed payment. We have to understand the Npower program before we decide to sign for the money. Now we are also going through another process of administrative procedures." there are delays, its not intentional, very soon this money will be paid and I want to ensure them that this program is going to continue, we are going to expand it and we will enroll more beneficiaries into the program.

 

TVC ANCHOR: Are their plans to employ those currently involved in the Npower program?

 

HM SADIYA: To the best of my understanding, there is no agreement towards that, and these are issues we are looking at, the futuristic exit for our volunteers you may recall, then Npower volunteers were on boarded in 2016 where the batch 1 is suppose to exit after two years and batch 2 is suppose to exit in July. So we are looking at different exit options for our Npower volunteers, this is what the ministry is focused on now. 

TVC ANCHOR: What will you say to those agitating for a nationwide strike, we are told they have not been paid for January and today is the 21st of February. What will you say to them?

 

HM SADIYA: Well, I have said their delays is not intentional, we are going through administrative procedures and they should please look at the benefits of this program. They should be appreciative of what the government has done, rather than embarking on a strike.