N-Power payment extension: Kudos to PMB
President Buhari’s government’s decision to extend payment of N-power stipends beyond expiry date of Dec. 2018 was indeed timely and welcome development. Indeed, this gladdening news will no doubt reinforce the spirits of N-Power beneficiaries. While we hailed Buhari for this unusual move, we must not forget to give three hearty cheers to Professor Yemi […]
President Buhari’s government’s decision to extend payment of N-power stipends beyond expiry date of Dec. 2018 was indeed timely and welcome development. Indeed, this gladdening news will no doubt reinforce the spirits of N-Power beneficiaries. While we hailed Buhari for this unusual move, we must not forget to give three hearty cheers to Professor Yemi Osinbajo for his adequate supervision of the programme.
Thankfully, this harmonious relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo is yielding positive benefits to Nigerians. In spite of all efforts to demean Npower, it’s important to at this juncture note that, when oppositions are busy running haphazardly to discredit this gesture worthy of commendation, President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo are working round the clock to further add brightness to the scheme. Based on testimonies from different angles of this country, N-Power volunteers are tirelessly contributing their quota to their various communities.
Truth be told, we never witnessed this kind of huge public investment in this country. Most importantly, as we daily move closer to the 2019 elections, people need to be extra vigilant with most politicians promises. Most of their pledges might not be coming from their heart, but rather as bait to woo unsuspected people with gullible minds to their side.
Recently, I heard and noticed with rapt attention how PDP with their presidential candidate remained stubbornly strong-willed in downgrading the N-Power programme. One must wonder about the motive behind this. Is it because of huge impacts of social investment program of this government? It quiets amazed me that Atiku Abubakar with all his mouthful entrepreneurial credentials is yet to come with a clear-cut plan on ways and techniques he will apply to achieve his entrepreneurial initiative.
Oddly enough, they are just hell-bent on cheapening this initiative, but not coming with a specific long-term program to outclass N-Power. It must surprises you that PDP, despite their vigorous chase for presidency, yet, they failed to come with a constant and sustainable plan that will beat Buhari’s programmes. Tell us what you will offer before you disparage someone’s initiative. To paraphrase Professor Jega’s statement, if politicians are showing sincere commitments to governance, same way they persistently exhibited during campaigns, Nigerians will definitely reap a lot of dividends. No doubt, this statement has resonated well with the PDP. But since they need it this way, let us take a gimlet look into the PDP’s program, with the intent purpose of making comparison with their erstwhile Sure- P programme. From there we can establish that PDP doesn’t have moral ground to discredit N-Power scheme. PDP’s Sure-P was a program which was deeply operated with partialities and high secrecy.
If we take into account the way things are done in N-Power, you can’t compare PDP’s one year Sure-P with Buhari’s N-Power scheme. Even recruitment into the scheme was highly clandestine – far from the normal procedure of sending application online. To succinctly say it in a concise manner, in Sure-P, no regard for ideals of probity and fairness. Although N-Power programme was initiated to make the beneficiaries employers of labour, in the absence of creating any viable future for the beneficiaries, many raised security concerns about discontinuity of the payment. Consequently, President Buhari with his steely commitment to better the lives of young people, coupled with immense contributions N-Power volunteers gave to their respective people, he felt it deemed to extend N-Power payment beyond the end of the program. Unknown to many volunteers, the fund for continuous payment has already been captured in 2018 budget. Doing this was a clear indication to us that Buhari cared much about young educated people. With this single move, President Muhammadu Buhari earned further kudos, especially from 2016 N-Power beneficiaries.
Abbas Datti, Kano.