By Godfery Gogo
The Coordinator of the Social Responsibility Program (SIP) in Cross River State, Hon. Nkoyo Toyo has urged volunteers of the Federal Government Empowerment Scheme, also known as N-Power to grab and utilize every single opportunity been given.
She made the admonition at the town hall meeting of the N-Power Volunteers Scheme, Thursday in Calabar.
The town hall meeting which drew many volunteers within the city of Calabar was aimed at orienting, sensitizing and briefing N-Power volunteers on the setbacks, achievements and development of the Scheme during its four months inception into the State.
The State Coordinator disclosed that the Federal Government has set up NGO monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ascertain the level of compliance on the part of the volunteers; stating clearly that there will be weekly and monthly report which will form the basis for which volunteers will be retained.
She however stated it that the Government will not tolerate any form of lackluster performance from the volunteers, as the Scheme was meant only for serious persons, reiterating that “anyone found not adhering to the regulations will be cut off from the program.”
The program which also comprises of GEEP – Government Enterprises and Empowerment Program, Cash Transfer, Home Grown, are all interrelated and aimed at curbing unemployment.
However, the volunteers during interactive session did not reserve their numerous complaints arising from the use of the on-line portal created for the scheme, most of which were ranging from mixed identity, disqualification of N-Power volunteers after four to five months of work, BVN issues, verified logo and lots more.
The State Coordinator, Nkoyo Toyo in response decried that most of the problems experienced by the volunteers is as a result of their illiteracy towards the internet which has ended up causing them more issues citing that “Some of you go to the café and just give your details there for it to be keyed into the system for you and the person not knowing the order of your details fills anything and issues arise meanwhile you are suppose to be doing this on your own because your details and portal access is supposed to be secret to you. However I will take your problems to Abuja for appropriate action.”
Concluding, Hon. Nkoyo thanked all the volunteers and urged them to be steadfast as this may be their part to higher heights.
One of the volunteers, Emmanuel Ashi, Coordinating Calabar Municipality Council expressed his delight to the President, Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government for the well thought out initiative, which he described as having the capacity to create jobs for the youths thereby making them employers of labour.
Another volunteer, Mrs. Abigail praised the efforts of the Federal Government on the initiative, noting that the scheme will keep youths busy, productive and empowered for life.
N-Power is an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria which was designed to usher jobless Nigerians into different phases of life opportunities and empowerment through volunteering method geared towards job creation. The program which will run for about Eighteen Months cuts across the 774 LGA’s, the Thirty Six States of the Federation, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
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