FG warns N-power beneficiaries against truancy

The federal government yesterday warned the beneficiaries of its poverty alleviation programme ‘ N–power’  against truancy.

It urged them to take the scheme more seriously so that at the end of the two- year scheme they can start their own businesses.

The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Job Creation, Mr Muhammed Brimah gave this advice during a programme organised by an Islamic association know  as ‘The Companions’ in Ilorin, Kwara state.

The programme which had ‘Unemployment and National Insecurity, The Nexus and Panacea’ as its theme featured Dr. Bashir Kurfi as the guest lecturer.

Brimah said “the initiative of N–power was not to create permanent job of N30,000 monthly salary for the beneficiaries but to train them on employability skills and how they can as well be independent and employer of labour after they must have passed through the two years training. But unfortunately, many of the beneficiaries are not taking it serious with the report that most of them do not always report at their place of training instead they prefer sharing the stipend with the head of those organizations”

He, however, appealed to the beneficiaries to take the initiative serious by being punctual at their places of training and always make use of devices given to them for knowledge enhancement before their exit from the programme because “N–power is not a permanent job for anybody.”

Earlier, the national amir of The Companions, Alh Thabit Sonaike, had said the association as part of its biennial elective national conference decided to talked about unemployment because it is the root causes of all social vices bedevilling the country.

“Without doubt, unemployment and insecurity are two of the major problems facing our country today to the extent that president Muhammadu Buhari, used them as major campaign issues during the last two general elections. But just unfortunate that the crisis of unemployment in present Nigeria has assumed a frightening dimension bedevilling the lives of Nigerians , especially the youths, causing increased militancy, violent crimes, kidnapping and other insecurity one could think of”.

The guest lecturer, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, called on government at all level to be more creative in initiating policies and programmes that could lead to the creation of  employment opportunities for the teeming youths across the country.

He noted that idleness of the youths was what is causing various insecurity the country facing the country.

Bashir, also called on wealthy individuals to  invest in Nigeria by establishing  companies capable of employing reasonable numbers of youths like Nigeria used to have in the past.

In his contributions, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mallam Yusuf Ola-Olu Alli Challenge the government at all level to always come out clear and visionary in whatever programmes they are rolling out to eradicate poverty, because ambiguity of ideas and programmes could cause more problems than solving the menace of unemployment.