NSIP: A sober reflection on the Npower Program

From Onaiwu Jacob

The Npower program was expected to "lift" Nigerians out of poverty. The president Muhammadu Buhari's government set up the Npower program to train and equip Nigerian graduates. But the exit of the batches A and B volunteers of the npower program without a start-up grant has defeated the original purpose for setting up the scheme.

You went to work from 7am to 2pm daily as a Nigerian graduate and by month end your government pays you $71(30,000) and you say, "The government is trying"....

Your uneducated neighbor traveled to Europe and he's earning $72 in 6hrs, yet, you are not bothered. 

Npower was introduced to keep graduates "within" the poverty line, it was never meant to lift anyone from poverty...what the Nigerian government pays you for 132 hours is what your mates get for 6hrs in human inhabited countries, yet, you are not bothered.

If they ask you to be bothered, you always say, "complaining will not change anything".... You fail to realize that multiple and coordinated complaints from knowledge of oppression is the only basis for true societal reformation.

Once again I say(though you may not agree), the Nigerian governments (all tiers and structures) as constituted today, see the ordinary Nigerians as refugees who should be grateful for receiving 30k monthly with hard labour.

Civil servants who earn 500,000 naira monthly for 35 years are retired with special bulk payment known as "gratuities" but innocent graduates were paid 30,000 naira monthly for three years and disengaged without start up funds and the government calls it empowerment.

When we go to the markets, sellers don't reduce the prices of commodities for us because we are npower volunteers: they sell at the same price they sell to ministers and Directors...

How do you train people for two to three years and send them off without a start-up fund?

Psychometric Test is a ploy to console and silence npower volunteers.

A reasonable government will not disengage poor people during socioeconomic crisis.

There is nothing wrong for the government to enrol one million volunteers with 30bn naira monthly till 2023.

You can never lift people from poverty with 30,000 naira monthly coupled with hard labour.

Npower volunteers are treated worse than refugees in Italy...

To my potential batch C volunteers, you may see 30,000 as millions today because you have not been enrolled. Don't worry, after enrolment, you will feel the pains of being oppressed by your principals, Focal persons and minister...you will feel the pains of working at a primary health care from 7:30am to 5pm with delayed 30,000 naira monthly. 

30,000 naira will NEVER improve the life of an average Nigerian in 12 months.....the whip that was used on the first wife is reserved for the second wife.

Nigerian graduates deserve better empowerment but we are oppressed, used and misused by the government we joyfully voted into power.

Buhari promised us 3 million jobs yearly when elected, but what we got was upgraded NYSC for a limited period.

Npower batches A&B volunteers are now sent back to the labour market.

Training without empowerment funds is a sham and mere political display.

You cannot train 500,000 graduates with 30,000 naira shoe allowances and in the end, drive them away with nothing to hold on.....

Stay strong Nigerian graduates.... we shall meet in the land where there's no darkness....

The end of an age ushers a new era....

Stay strong Nigerian graduates.

Fare ye well!