N-Power Volunteers Demand Absorption Into Ogun Civil Service

By Raymond Osho

ABEOKUTA: Youths under the N-Power Social Investment Scheme in Ogun state have appealed to the state government for their absorption into the state’s Civil service.

The group made the appeal through their Coordinator, Mutairu Olalekan Abiodun in Abeokuta, the state capital on Monday, February 24, 2020, when they staged a peaceful demonstration at the NUJ Secretariat, Oke-Ikewo, Abeokuta.

Carrying placards with various inscription such as; “Permanence is all we want, we ask for absorption, recruit us” among others. The group regretted that despite their immense contributions toward the rapid development of the education, agricultural and health sectors in the state, the state government had not considered them for employment.

Abiodun recalled that 90 percent of the volunteers applied for teaching job through the Job portal when the portal was opened for the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), lamenting that less than two percent were shortlisted for test.

The Coordinator equally recalled that the Federal government assured them of absorption by the state governments, but to no effect.

He stressed that since the scheme was introduced in 2016, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state state has improved, this he said was as a result of the hard-working youths on the scheme.

Abiodun boasted, “We have improved teaching in the state and the health sector has been enhanced through our services”.

His words; “We are appealing to the Ogun state government to look into our matter and consider us for permanent employment. We N-Power Volunteers have been in the system since 2016 when the programme was introduced”.

He added; “Some have been in the system for three years, some two years and all of these have contributed to the education, health and agricultural sector, even to the state IGR”.

Abiodun, who expressed fear that the youths  might end up in the street if their demand was not met, quizzed, “having worked for three years, what is our fate?

“The federal government said it’s a temporary appointment for two years, but after the two years they gave us enhance programme which they called enhance N-Power that was what led to the end of 2019, but 2020 we know that no matter what, we will be disengaged and for us not to be disengaged and go back to the street that is why we are clamoring for absorption.

“We have the experience, we were properly trained before the programme started. With the training we went through, we are qualify to be staffed. It’s so unfortunate that last month, the state opened a recruitment portal for SUBEB where there was no preference for N-Power Volunteers that have been on ground for two or three years”.

“We are appealing to the state government to kindly absorb us, consider us and give us employment, that’s what we want. We don’t want to go back to the street”.

“Most of us have family, we have responsibility to cater for. We have N-Power Volunteers that have two to three children”, he concluded.