Mr Afolabi Imoukhuede, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, has said that the N-power scheme will collaborate with anti-graft agencies to come after beneficiaries who abscond from duty.
Imoukhuede spoke with journalists on Thursday in Abuja while expressing displeasure over increasing reports of beneficiaries who fail to go to their Places of Primary Assignment (PPA).
He expressed worry that the scheme had received more reports about people absconding without getting approval and stated that appropriate sanctions awaited them.
“The calls and the claims are growing but let me assure you that we have multi-layer integrated monitoring team within the NSIP framework.
“I have said to you that the head of your PPA is your principal monitor and they have been empowered to send us reports of those of you who fail to show up at work without necessary approvals.
“For there will sure be the penalty for any and every one of you who just believe that you can abscond at any time you like,’’ Imoukhuede said.
He added that the scheme would also come after beneficiaries who conspired with their supervisors to stay away from their place of primary assignment.
Imoukhuede said that beneficiaries could voluntarily resign as an option rather than absconding.
According to him, 5,781 beneficiaries were forcefully disengaged because of disciplinary issues.
Imoukhuede said that the scheme had so far received 11,238 requests for resignation across the two batches.
“8,709 have been approved because they have gone through the process and confirmed to us; 2,529 are still pending because we couldn’t reach them on their mobile phone numbers on the portal.
“In the N-power programme, you learn, work and earn and when you do not work you are not earning the stipend, you are stealing the commonwealth of the country of which you are a beneficiary,” he said.
Imoukhuede said that resigning voluntarily meant that the person was truthful to himself and his country as well as creating the opportunity for other Nigerians to benefit from the scheme.
He urged beneficiaries of the scheme to always explore appropriate mechanisms to seek redress whenever they were aggrieved. (NAN)
