Ekiti State NEXIT training officials have raked over N3.5 million from exited N-power Batch A and B volunteers, Newsflash Nigeria learnt.
On March 24, 2022, the Federal Government had flagged off the NEXIT/CBN Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme for exited N-Power beneficiaries Batches A and B.
About 75,600 out of 467,183 volunteers had participated in training in the first phase of the orientation programme and expected to lead up to a collection of loans of up to three million Naira from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if they qualify.
Newsflash Nigeria gathered that all the 36 States and FCT are participating in the 5-day NEXIT training programme and a total of 75,600 participants are in this first batch of the training.
After the 5 days of training, the Federal government asked the volunteers to submit a business proposal to each state’s NEXIT portal.
During the NEXIT course of training, Newsflash Nigeria learnt that the N-power NEXIT was told not to pay any money to anyone irrespective of any conditions.
But in Ekiti State, two weeks after the volunteers submitted their business plan on the Ekiti NEXIT EDI to the website https://nexitekiti.com. The coordinator led by Isaac Adekunle Ojo asked the volunteers to pay N2,000 in order to resubmit the business proposal plan to CBN NEXIT Portal.
Mr Adekunle said the first business proposal plan that volunteers submitted to the NEXIT Ekiti website would be rejected if he uploaded it to the federal CBN NEXIT Portal.
He further explained that the volunteers should pay N2,000 in order to download a business plan template and the certificate of training.
Mr Adekunle asked exited N-power Batch A and B volunteers in Ekiti to visit https://easyplan.com.ng/ to prepare the business plan template and pay N2,000 to download the business plan.
“I was the one who publicly informed you during the training that you should not pay anymore a dime for your business plan writing.
“I said this then, a knowing that a lot of people would love to take the advantage of what the monitor said during the training that the quality of your business plan will determine whether you will get the loan, to exploit you and give you less quality business plan for big amount.
“Now that I have observed that the loan would not be given to everyone but to the shortlisted ones with good business plans and I have observed the trend of things in other States, I think I should not deny the right-thinking ones the opportunity of getting quality business plans for themselves for a very good amount.
“Let’s be realistic, ₦2k should not be difficult for any right-thinking person for a business plan towards accessing a loan.
“This is all due to orientation.
“Once you can be sure of submitting a good business plan that will contain all the necessary information needed by CBN for the processing of your loan, you may not worry”.
Mr Adekunle also created a Telegram group to communicate with the Exited N-power Batch A and B volunteers.
Newsflash Nigeria learnt that about 1,786 out of the 2,750 Exited N-power Batch A and B volunteers have successfully paid N2,000 each, which is approximately N3,572,000.
Mr Adekunle said: “I want to use this medium to humbly tender my unreserved apology on behalf of the EasyPlan Team for one technical issue or the other that you encountered while downloading your business plans.
“The website was built with a capacity of between 1 and 10 users per time. Now that about 500 users were trying to use the site at the same time, one of the major plugins was shutting down due to congestion, thereby leading to technical itches on the website.
“Nevertheless, the record from the server revealed that about 2,423 of the NEXIT Ekiti batch-1 beneficiaries have already successfully signed up on the website while only about 1,786 have successfully paid, submitted, and downloaded their business plans before the set (deadline) date.
“As a result of this, I have pleaded with the FMHADMSD for the last grace of a few additional days for our final submission which was granted to Ekiti and a few other States. Hence, those that are yet to download their business plans can still go-ahead to the website (www.EasyPlan.com.ng) and complete the process between now and 11.59 pm on Wednesday, 11th May 2022.
“However, to avoid another possible congestion on the EasyPlan website, I want to inform you about this schedule; the dates and the set of our EDI Trainees that are expected on the website:
“1. Between now and Sunday 8th (11.59 pm)- All Trainees from Center 1 (Arowolo Event Hall, Ado-Ekiti)
“2. Monday 9th (till 11.59 pm)- All Trainees from Center 2 (Hassanat Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti)
“3. Tuesday 10th (till 11.59 pm)- All Trainees from Center 3 (Ikere City Hall)
“4. Wednesday 11th (till 11.59 pm)- All Trainees from Centre 4 (Oye L.G. Civic Centre)
“Please, let’s adhere strictly to this schedule and manage the website for these few days to avoid any possible congestion since we cannot afford to wait for the total overhauling of the website which would take days.
“Moreover, I have instructed the Management of the Company (EasyPlan) to increase the number of Customer Care Representatives and also increase the speed of their response to issues in the next 5 days. So, any of your pending issues would be resolved immediately, especially from 9.00 am on Monday 9th of May, 2022.
“However, despite the obvious about the 8 importance of using EasyPlan (at this time) that can be viewed on www.NEXITEkiti.com/EasyPlan and our NEXITEkiti Telegram Group Page (https://t.me/+bQtHY3xFOx8wMWQ0) and despite the fact that over 80% of those that came for the Training have already subscribed, I still want to stress it and make it clear here and now that your subscription to EasyPlan, although advantageous, it’s very voluntary. (i.e. it’s not compulsory).
“Everyone that attended the training (with up to 80% attendance) would definitely get their business plans submitted to the FMHADMSD by next week unfailingly either through the EasyPlan or through the earlier submitted Google Form.
“Once again, bear all the inconveniences with me as I appreciate you for your understanding and love.
“See you at the Top.
“Your EDI Team Lead”, Isaac Adekunle Ojo said this on the Telegram group platform created for Ekiti NEXIT Npower Batch A and B volunteers.
Meanwhile, one of the N-Power volunteers said the information that Mr Adekunle gave to them did not come from the N-Power NEXIT website handle.
The volunteer wrote on the Telegram group
“Good day to you all,
“This information is not official from the Npower NEXIT website handle
” During the course of training, we were told we should not be paid any penny to anyone irrespective of any conditions.
“Why Ekiti state is different from other states? If there is a need for another business plan it will communicate official not from you people.
“Ekiti state was not the only state that did NPOWER
“We have been selected automatic from Nexit which guarantees for everyone will be a beneficiary of this loan. Nobody will be screened out sir.
“We have our certificate already with us we don’t need that of your download again. No official handle stipulates such.
“ I will visit the office in Abuja to make an enquiry if they have handed it over to a company as you stipulated above.
“N2,000 per person is a scam, sir. And we are not ready to pay. Just live our previous forms that have been filled.
“ Mind you this is a loan that is automatic for all beneficiaries. You also, don’t know anything about it, you’re just trying to make a way of scamming people with 2k each. Calculate it how much will u realize, sir.
“Please we don’t have interest in this company. If there’s any amendment on anything pertaining to the form it will come directly from CBN, sir. Not from Ekiti here”, one of the volunteers wrote on the Telegram platform.
Newsflash Nigeria also learnt that the website used for uploading business plan template to pay N2,000 each was not nether Ekiti State government website nor Federal Government parastatals website.
When Newsflash Nigeria contacted the Special Assistant to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on Media and Publicity, Nneka Ikem Anibeze to know the truth of the Ekiti NEXIT matter.
Ms Ikem did not respond to the message sent to her on Twitter at the time of filing this report.
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