Jos – Eight thousand and five hundred unemployed youths have been registered in Taraba and Kogi States by the Federal Government under the N-power employment programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) reports that the youths were recruited in the N-Health, N-Agro, N-Community Education and N-Teach categories.
In Taraba State, 4,000 youths were registered, while 4,500 were registered in Kogi State.
Some of the beneficiaries told NAN in Jalingo that the scheme would raise the income level of youths and improve their living conditions.
One of them, Alliyu Nasiru, who registered under N-Teach, said he had since commenced teaching at Wuro-sembe Primary School in Jalingo after his documentation in Jalingo Local Government Council.
Nasiru said the State Universal Basic Education Board later posted him to the primary school.
He appealed to the Federal Government to redeem its pledge of paying each of the volunteers N30,000 monthly.
Ibrahim Mohammed, a beneficiary in N-Health category, said he and 79 others in the category were ready to be posted to various health centres in the state by the state Primary Health Care Development Agency.
He said that their recruitment would augment the manpower in the sector for improved service delivery.
Priscila James, a beneficiary in N-Agro, said that she was posted to the state College of Agriculture to teach students crop cultivation.
NAN also reports that the successful candidates from the northern senatorial zone did their documentation in Jalingo
Those from the central zone were screened in Bali, while those from the southern zone were screened in Wukari.
NAN gathered that immediately after the verification, appointment letters were issued to the recruits to present same at their places of assignments.
In Kogi State, government said it had concluded verification, authentication and deployments of 4,500 beneficiaries of N-Power project across the 21 local governments areas of the State.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Multilateral, Donor Agencies and Special Projects/Focal Person on Social Investment Programme, Mr Adoga Ibrahim, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lokoja
Ibrahim told NAN that the physical verification, which began on Dec. 1, had been concluded and deployment of beneficiaries to their various places of assignment had been done.
He said that the verification exercise was carried out by their staff in collaboration with the NYSC members, while the authentication was done by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
He said the exercise was inaugurated by Gov. Yahaya Bello in Lokoja for both Koton-Karfe and Lokoja local governments, while the subsequent ones were done in each senatorial zone of Kabba for Kogi West, Anyigba for East and Okene for Central.
“As we speak, Kogi State has finished all the verification and deployments; we have contacted the beneficiaries through SMS for their various places of assignment.
“Those who are yet to receive SMS for their deployments are as a result of some issues that we need to correct in Abuja.
“Those of them whose names appeared on the list and are not residents of Kogi and those who do not show up for verification would not be deployed.
“We have carried out a transparent exercise in terms of verification, authentication and deployment in Kogi and that is why we did not have any issue,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim explained that the deployment for N-Teach was done by Kogi SUBEB/Kogi Ministry of Education, while that of N-Agro was done by Kogi ADP/Kogi Ministry of Agriculture.
He said that that of N-Health was done by Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with Kogi Ministry of Health.
NAN reports that a total number of 4,521 beneficiaries were selected from Kogi State for first phase of the Federal Government N-Power programme.
In separate interviews with NAN, some of the beneficiaries in Kogi, applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts to fulfill his electioneering campaign promises to the people.
Cecilia Eleojo, told NAN that she was happy that the N-Power programme by the FG to assist the unemployed youths had finally come into reality.
“I am grateful for being part of the beneficiaries; I have been verified and deployed to my place of assignment,” Eleojo said.
Loveth Adeleye, a beneficiary of N-Power Teach, told NAN that she was overwhelmed when she finally received SMS for her deployment.
“I am grateful to God for this opportunity because I have finished my youth service since 2015 without a job,” Adeleye said.
Matthew Ogwu, another beneficiary, said: “I thank God Almighty for giving me a job, in the past seven years that I have been without a job; may God bless our president.
“I promise to put in my best so that I can be retained by the state government as our governor has promised us during the flag-off.”
Another beneficiary, John Obadara, expressed joy for the privilege given him to be part of the first set of youths to benefit from the N-Power programme in Kogi.
“This will go a long way in cushioning the adverse effects of the present economic recession and improve the well being of all of us who are beneficiaries,” he said.
Mrs Oyiza Saka, a mother of two, commended the government for the reality of the programme, saying she would be able to support her husband in the upkeep of their family.
“We thank our President for his fight against corruption, insurgency and for his integrity in living to his word,” she said