There was mild drama at the All Progressives Congress National secretariat on Monday as multitudes of beneficiaries of Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin) programme stormed the building to protest over the dearth of fund to run the scheme.

The protesters, with placards, accused the Presidency and the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun of paying lip-service to the yearnings of beneficiaries and appealed to the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole to save the laudable scheme of imminent death.

Tribune Online checks revealed that the YouWin empowerment programme, an initiative of the past administration of former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was a $50 million Venture Capital Fund launched to assist Small and Medium Enterprise, (SME),-Growth Fund and help unemployed graduates.

The Federal Government which adopted the scheme with a new name, YOUWIN-Connect had earlier this year announced the disbursement of over N9 billion to the beneficiaries of the third edition of the programme which was unveiled in 2015.

The Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Salisu Dambatta, in a statement made available to journalists in January had explained that out of the amount, N8.52 billion was disbursed by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

According to Dambatta, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, disclosed this while releasing the last payment of N125.64 million for disbursement to the final 61 beneficiaries of the third edition.

But speaking with journalists, one of the protesters, Mathew Osaruyi said their mission was to bring their predicament to the notice of leadership of the ruling party.

He said: “We came all the way from Benin city, Edo state. This is a programme that was rolled out by the Federal Ministry of finance, and this is a programme that was established even by the past administration. It has only been rebranded in this administration by carrying another name “YOUWIN-Connect.

“Everybody knows YouWin to be a brand-based finance programme for young entrepreneurs. We are out here to protest against the lingering paucity of funding.

“We have been to the Federal Ministry of Finance but we came here because his excellency, Adams Oshiomole has the power and the numbers to tap into and intercede on our behalf, that’s the reason we are here. We just came from the Ministry of Finance.”

Chief of Staff to Comrade Oshiomhole, Abass Buraimoh who met the protesters appealed to them to be patient and further assured them that their grievances would be addressed

•Culled from a Tribune report

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