Several graduate trainees under the federal government employment scheme, Npower have condemned the owing of their monthly stipends from October to December.
The youths who took to social media to air their frustrations have said that resuming work this January has been difficult since payment of allowances has not been guaranteed.
A Npower worker, TemmyT002 on Friday said, “The PPA people were surprised not to see me and they called. I told them I haven’t been paid so I can’t come. They were shocked.
“I won’t go until all the three months allowance is paid. We need to learn how to put the right people in sensitive positions.”
It was further revealed that some volunteers had received their three months pay, while others were yet to get theirs.
However, a statement by the body in charge of overseeing the Npower programme, the National Social Investment Management System (NASIMS) revealed that the bulk payment approach did not pay some Batch C beneficiaries, due to network problems.
NASIMS stressed that the ‘network instability’, is the major challenge causing the trainees’ October-December stipends to be paused.
Addressing the Batch C trainees still awaiting their stipends, Npower wrote, “In our quest to ensure beneficiaries are paid at once, we adopted the Bulk payment approach which was PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL resulting in some accounts getting credited and some not, due to network instability.
“As a result, October payments were paused to get the challenge sorted out.
Payments for the said months (October, November and December) to all concerned “shall RECOMMENCE at the shortest possible time,” NASIMS promised.
Asking the aggrieved trainees to be patient, the body further vowed to keep them posted on updates.
Some trainees have however said they have lost faith in the scheme put in place to reduce unemployment in Nigeria.
A trainee on social media who accused the body of paying only those who were absent, “I visited my PPA throughout September to December and I was almost classified as part of the teachers there.
“Meanwhile, people who never stepped foot in the school since they got their acceptance signature have been paid. Me wey never miss a day have not been paid. Now they are pausing.”
Countering the notion in a reply, another Batch C beneficiary, Henry said, “I’ve never been to my ppa too but got paid in full.”