INTERESTING NPOWER SITUATION ROOM FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE - Visitor Recants

Being amongst the 35 selected to visit the npowerSituation Room on 6th September, 2017, it presented an opportunity of meeting the brains behind the much-hailed initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria; table for review the cases of some frustrated unpaid beneficiaries, and more importantly, share my input as to where coordinators need improving on.
Eighteen beneficiaries were there to honour the invitation. For most, locating the venue was challenging as most of the cab drivers struggled to interpret the address as it showed no landmark and the building was entirely new to the area.
The reception was very warm and we were ushered up (through lift) into the floor 4 that had in it, a spacious office equipped with high class human and material resources, coupled with a call centre of 12 computerized lines, manned by well-composed young men and women, with calls booming in at the shortest interval you can think of. The head of the unit, Miss Ibilola, led an engagement that featured introductions and challenges of invitees at their various places of primary assignment. During this session, we had the opportunity of welcoming on board, the special adviser to the President on Social Investment Programmes (SIP) Mrs Maryam Uwais, who after the routine exchange of pleasantries and introductions, was welcoming comments ranging from questions, Places of Primary Assignments (PPA) experiences, and host of others.
Below is the breakdown of some of her responses on pertinent npower issues and my general report:

PERMANENCY:
Mrs Uwais was very clear that there is zero chance of npower beneficiaries being brought into the civil service at the Federal level at this time. She cited the struggles of governments in paying the civil servants regularly as why taking-in is extremely difficult at this period. She enjoined all beneficiaries to make judicious use of their stipends by investing in profitable and progressive ventures that are capable of making one an employer of labour and not job seeker. Furthermore, she opined that aside the stipends, npower basically aims at providing the platform for development of your employability and acquisition of lifelong skills that would increase your productivity. The program has an underlying aim of making you an independent, right thinking and enterprising individual who can proffer solutions to immediate societal problems and needs. So if anything comes up along the way, fine! but nobody should have the mindset of government incorporated them into the civil service. She further said that a state has indicated interest in staffing her Nteach beneficiaries but at the federal level, nothing is guaranteed.

BACKLOGS:
It was reiterated that stipend backlogs are paid in batches, and the moment you have been paid the first stipend, it means you are qualified to be paid from the month of your verification. All you needs do is to exercise patience as it would soon reach your turn. Right there at the situation room, we witnessed a testimony of a beneficiary who got 6 months backlogs on a single day(#180,000). So patience is the key.

TRUANCY:
The Special Adviser to the presidency showed her dismay at the truancy reports she regularly got from states; a situation where beneficiaries partially or even (in some cases) fail to report to their Places of Primary Assignments. Some have imbibed the habit of going to work whenever they like, and shunning their responsibilities. Volunteering as she said, does not indicate permissibility of truancy but rather means being passionate for what you are engaged for and ready to do it well. In other words, npower does not pay free money, you must work for your pay!
To put truancy to check, an attendance register has been incorporated into the npower app on your device; whereby you take your daily attendance at your various PPAs with the aid of GPS. To be eligible for payment after this, you must have up to 80% of attendance in a month, beginning from the month you collected your device.

DEVICE:
The npower Device is designed to provide equal learning opportunity for all beneficiaries irrespective of background. It has in it, three major domains; Prepare, Deliver and Learn. 'Prepare' as the name implies, will expose you to resources that would enable you prepare for your role in the npower program; These resources include videos and books categorized into modules and units. As for 'Deliver' domain, it will expose you to resources that would enable you effectively deliver your day-to-day work in the npower Program; resources that includes videos, books, audiobooks and more that have been specifically curated based on your needs to fulfil your roles. The last major domain titled 'Learn' is meant to expose you to materials and resources that would help you develop skills and build competencies that would enable you excel in the labour market; these resources include contents from technological giants like Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Nathan Leadgate and Eclat. Besides the ultra-super nature of the device, I can assure you it so rich of valuable and educating contents (especially for those who are ready to learn). Additionally, it is important I reiterate that your device would monitor your punctuality at your places of work, and your attendance history would determine whether you get your subsequent stipend or not beginning from the month you got and activated your device. I have the honour of informing you that yours sincerely was one of the few batch A beneficiaries who got their devices last Wednesday. My Afrione device as earlier reported is up there with the very best in market. A big kudos to the Buhari/Osinbajo administration for this wondrous initiative, it surely inhibit a legacy that would last long. 'what about the other beneficiaries' this is the typically expected question from a reader of this piece;
For those in batch A, we were authoritatively told that distribution would start across most states between this month (September) and next month (October) -this is for all brands, with the exception of Brian and Speedstar who are yet to deliver. It was further added that the Nhealth category may experience a little delay in collecting their device as its materials was still going through digitalization due to administrative hitches. Everyone were implored to exercise a little more patience as in due time, every beneficiary would surely get his/her device. Just stay glued to those npower official communication channels (particularly Facebook & Twitter handles) and don't pay anybody a dime to get your device, It is free of charge!

COMPLAINTS OF EXCESSIVE WORKLOADS:
Some invitees (mostly Nteach) complained of huge workloads at their PPAs where five (5) lessons a week was perceived as too much for an npower beneficiary while the permanent teachers does less. Eyebrow was also raised at the practices of some teachers who flee their roles and delegate all the works to an npowervolunteer. Responding to the complaint, Mrs Uwais downplayed the perceived excessiveness and she urged every beneficiary to take lead to responsibilities, consider them a national service and a training avenue for future endeavours. She further pointed that many are looking for this opportunity, so those lucky enough to be part of it should comply diligently with the rules.

UNPAID 2016 BENEFICIARIES:
By now, if you were selected last year and still yet to get paid at all, this may mean you have been 'disqualified'. This might have occurred as a result of an or combination of issues ranging from; BVN defects, non-confirmation of physical verification, age defects, bank account defects, names mismatch etc. But mind you, disqualification may not indicate that there is no way out, there may be! All you need to do is to scan your following documents after which you would be replied of your final status;

1. Birth Certificate/Proof of Age (you must not be above 35 as at December, 2016 )
2. Degree/NCE Certificate
3. NYSC Certificate (If applicable)
4. Proof of Deployment/Posting Letter

Scan the documents listed above, then attach in an email with the heading 'Unpaid 2016 Beneficiary' and send to: support@npower.gov.ng

With this process, I was duly informed that your case would be looked into, and I can assure you that these are people who are bent on seeing you claim your money. So, goodluck!


GOOD NEWS FOR 2017 APPLICANTS FROM RURAL AREAS:
For the applicants from the rural and understaffed areas, Mrs Uwais indicated that they have more chances of being selected this time around, than the people within the municipals. She pointed out that there are gaps to be filled in the rural areas, therefore, the bulk of beneficiaries for 2017 would be positioned to fill those gaps. The next stage of 2017 application process will possibly begin at end of this month; just endeavour to always follow verified npower social media handles and go by instructions.

We just hope to see the transparency of last year repeat itself during the selection process, but you and I know it is not an easy task when you have more than two million people jostling for only three hundred thousand slots, and the political heavyweights are there looking to have their way and dictate the pace. The strictest criteria would still likely give you more than the needed figure. And this is an initiative that is having huge impacts on Nigeria and Nigerians as it reaches the common man without a middleman. The program is having this immense impact because it is devoid of political influence; to touch more lives, the status quo must be maintained!

GOD BLESS NIGERIA

OYEGBOLA BASIRU AJANI
12/09/2017










Click Here to Shop for Cheap Items and Win Awoof Now!

Don't Miss This Awoof Just Click Here to Shop for Cheap Stuffs Now!










Special Promo You Cannot Miss, Just Click Here to Shop for Cheap Phones Now!




Click Here To Follow Us On Twitter




Click Now To Like Our Page On Facebook









Click Here for more News and Gist