N-Power beneficiaries under the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme (SIP) on Thursday, February 20, have threatened to Ms Hajia Farouq on a nationwide strike over the non-payment of January stipend.
Beneficiaries of the N-Power teaching scheme who made the statement on Thursday, saying the stipend delayed during the present Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the minister, Sadiya Farouq and commended the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
The issue of non-payment of allowances was once again a matter of national discourse after a similar incident occurred in October 2019 when beneficiaries were not paid for three months.
It was gathered that since the social investment programme of the Federal government was moved from Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the minister, Sadiya Farouq, had been making attempts to stop some of the programmes under the scheme.
Aside from announcing that beneficiaries would be laid off, she has also refused to release funds for the school feeding programme in some states.
The beneficiaries under National Association Of N-power Volunteers said that they would no longer hesitate to embark on a strike action if their allowances were not paid.
The beneficiaries are also asking for the immediate resignation of Farouq over the delay in salary payment since she took over the scheme.
“We believe that Hajia Farouq has a selfish agenda to sabotage the effort of the Federal Government to eliminate unemployment as she had continually held on to public money without reasons.
“We are hereby calling on the minister to as a matter of urgency give us reasons why she has deliberately refused to pay volunteers who have exhausted their time, energy and resources offering voluntary service to the Federal Government.
“She should also give volunteers a reason why she was still holding to that position she currently occupies knowing fully well that she is incapacitated in running this all important office as the lives of many Nigerian youth solely depends on this stipend that she had continued to deny them promptly.
“To this end, we shall embark on a peaceful protest both physical and online to demand her resignation, prompt payment of stipend.”
