When we were called upon to come down to Benin in July 2019 for an N-Power programme by the Federal Government of Nigeria, we were all filled with great joy that the government has finally remembered to empower us. Some of us literally went through ‘hell’ before the registration was fully completed.
We attended the classes religiously and committed our hearts to that which we were taught. We envisioned a greater Nigeria with our input as creative minds as we were often motivated by our facilitators to take the creative path seriously.
Script writers, Voice actors, illustrators, Animators and postproducers were birthed but how does a mother give birth and abandon her child? That’s a very cruel and heartless mother. the authorities of Npower programme have left us in the cold to fend for ourselves. So many have been working on creative works that will be of great benefits to this nation but the little stipend that is supposed to keep us going has been seized. “Haba na”.
The Npower graduate scheme gets N30,000 and non-graduate scheme gets N10,000 and we have only received for 6months with the last received in December 2019.
Since the beginning of 2020, we have only heard about the alerts of our fellow Npower graduate brothers while we only hope and pray that we are remembered for good.
This is why we will like to draw the attention of the management of the scheme to the discriminating actions meted to the non-graduate arm of the scheme especially the N-creative beneficiaries.
It would be of great help if the beneficiaries can be officially addressed on the rationale behind the non-payment of their stipend for three months now (January -March).
We are also beneficiaries of the Npower programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria and shouldn’t be treated like trash. Just because we fall under the non-graduate scheme doesn’t mean we lack sense or emotions.
It will gladden our hearts to either get our payments or be officially addressed on what the Federal Government hopes to do with N-CREATIVE.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Npower Creative Beneficiaries
