President Muhamamdu Buhari has approved an additional N4500/monthly to all the 200,000 N-Power beneficiaries to purchase a computer tablet or i-Pad which would be loaded with different applications that would further enhance their skills.

The payment for the device would be stretched for 20 months, with the subsidy by government covering the repayment in some months.

Bank of Industry, BoI is financing the acquisition of the tablets.

According the Mr. Laolu Akande, the SSA media in the Vice President’s office, each N-Power graduate, after being verified would select his choice of device amongst nine different BOI pre-approved vendors.

Akande made known this new dimension of the N-Power programme while giving an update today.

Repayment ranges between N3,000 to N6,700 monthly.

“Therefore, in some cases the N4500 device grant would cover the full monthly deduction cost while in other cases the graduate authorises BOI to deduct the additional differential cost from their monthly stipends depending on the device chosen.”

The Vice President’s spokesman also noted that 6 of the 9 BOI pre-approved vendors are indigenous local brands in pursuit of the Buhari administration’s push for Local Content.

He said almost 100,000 graduate N-Power beneficiaries have completed their orders for the devices, adding that the Bank of Industry is in charge of effecting the orders made.

“The plan is to conduct the order of the devices in two batches of 100,000 each, one after the other.”

According to Akande, at the last count 149, 669 Nigerian graduates of the 200,000 engaged by the Federal Government under the N-Power Volunteer Corps are now collecting their monthly stipends of N30,000 monthly having been physically verified and deployed across the 36 states and FCT.

He said the beneficiaries on government pay roll have been physically verified and deployed, while their bank accounts have also been matched with the Bank Verification Number.

The SSA said that, in December, about 112,475 of the N-Power graduate beneficiaries received the N30,000 monthly stipends, and the number came close to 150,000, both in January and February meaning about that number are now receiving their up-to-date stipends from the N-Power Volunteer Corps.

Akande also noted that now beneficiaries across the 36 States of the Federation, and the FCT have been verified, totaling the 150,000 figure. He said the balance 50,000 of the 200,000 beneficiaries engaged by the FG are those who so far could not be paid for various reasons.

This includes those who were disqualified during verification on the basis of age-over 35, and inadequate academic qualification. The N-Power is for university, polytechnics and College of Education graduates only. There were also some of the selected 200,000 who were ‘no shows’ meaning they simply did not report for verification at all.

Others who could not be paid were those whose personal information details were faulty, including those whose marital status had changed. There are also those who used different names and differing personal information. And lastly there are also those whose banking information simply do not match with their BVN banking records.

In the case of those whose marital status have changed, Akande explained that their information is now being updated through the various States and FCT Focal Persons and then they would be represented for payment. He also disclosed that those who have sought redeployment to other states are among the 50,000 and in such cases, they will be considered alongside those to be replaced from the N-Power waiting list where necessary.

The process for the replacement of those who did not show up and those disqualified would also resume shortly to bring the number back to 200,000 for the first batch of the 500,000 promised by the Buhari administration. (NAN)

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