Osinbajo praises N-Power beneficiary who refunded stipend paid in error

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (2)

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has commended an N-Power beneficiary who refunded money erroneously paid to him after he had disengaged from the Federal Government job creation scheme.

In a message he posted on Twitter, Osinbajo said Daniel Joshua from Taraba State got a new job in April but was still paid N-Power stipend for May and June.

The young man was said to have gotten in touch with N-Power and paid back N60,000 into the project’s account.

Unlike Joshua, some N-Power volunteers have been accused of receiving monthly stipends without appearing at their primary places of assignment.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation (N-Power Scheme), Afolabi Imoukhuede, disclosed this at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in May.

He said the government had discovered 17 N-power volunteers who had been receiving salary since December but who had refused to go to their primary places of assignment.

“This issue of them not going to work is exception that we are not going to take chances.

“We are going to really blow that exception so that it becomes a deterrent.

“Because in the school where I identified them, their dutiful colleagues, the volunteers who are the true ambassadors of N-power, are there and they know these people.

“So now if we don’t investigate and prosecute them they now get de-motivated.

“They must remain motivated to continue to work regardless of what season it is; rainy season, dry seasons or what have you.”

President Muhammadu Buhari launched N-Power in 2016 to help young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become solution providers in their communities and to become players in the domestic and global markets.

It is designed to provide employment opportunities for graduates as teachers, agriculture extension advisers, healthcare assistants, and civic and adult education instructors in communities across Nigeria.

The programme also provides a pool of software developers, hardware service professionals, animators, graphic artists, building services professionals, artisans and others.