Exited batch A and B NPower beneficiaries have today said they will embark on a one-week nationwide protest to press home their demands of the non-payment of their five-month stipends of N14,000 by the Nigerian government among other grievances.
We learnt that the aggrieved beneficiaries would also be protesting against the office of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouk, for also withholding the promised loans for 500,000 applicants.
According to them, the peaceful protest will commence next week Monday across the country to also demand for the sack of Buhari’s minister, Farouk for being “callous and insensitive in handling their case.”
This was contained in a statement issued by the National President of the 500,000 Disengaged Exited NPower volunteers, Comrade Bashir, Gobir obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
Recall that the sacked volunteers cried out over the matter in August and also demanded the sack of Farouk after President Muhammadu Buhari sacked Saleh Mamman and Sabo Nanono, Power and Agricultural ministers respectively on September 1.
Gobir in the statement said, “It is reality that batches A and B of 2016 and 2017 respectively were disengaged since the appointment of Sadiya Farouk, and more than 14,000 exited beneficiaries have been denied five month stipends.
“And there is no development of any policy to address the Youth Empowerment in Nigeria since Sadiya Farouk was appointed to manage NPower. She keeps deceiving us about the package.
“We want Sadiya Farouk to be queried as a matter of urgency, and that is why we are mobilising for the protest across the nation, since she and other officials in her ministry have refused to honour our demands.”
One of the victims, Patrick Mayor, who lent his voice to the protest, said, “Sadiya must go should be the slogan of all the disengaged NPower beneficiaries. We are ready for the protest and our future lies in our hands. We served our Fatherland diligently and actively two times. Why should our future be toyed with?”