Beneficiaries allege irregularities in NEDC’s youth empowerment programme
Some beneficiaries of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) empowerment programme have called out to the federal government and relevant institutions to investigate some irregularities concerning welfare and grants execution in the empowerment scheme.
This was disclosed in a letter jointly signed by Muhammed Adamu (President), Sunday Joel (Vice President), Babangida Muhammad Abubakar Musa, Kabiru Abubakar, Iban Abbas, and Ali Mohammed Abubakar as members.
The letter reads, “The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) was formed to facilitate and handle the affairs of the entire rehabilitation of the the North East due to destabilization and destruction by insurgents.
“At about last quarter of 2020, North East Development Commission advertised an empowerment program to help ease Coronavirus economic hardship. The commission later open an application site on its portal for young Nigerian youths to apply.
“It was stated that successful applicant will be trained and be given tools/equipment and a start up grant at the end of their program.
“It was published that 170 (one hundred and seventy) youths will be trained as technicians in Automotive/Mechatronics at PAN LEARNING CENTER, PAN Nigerian Limited, Kakuri, Kaduna State.
“About 1st quarter of last year 2021, First Batch (Batch A) were entrolled and they were set for a three months technicians certificate in Automotive/Mechatronics at PAN LEARNING CENTER, Kakuri, Kaduna State.
“Their training lasted three months and they are yet to be given their tools/equipments and start ups since last year which was captured in the commission’s budget.
“The first week of January, 2022 we were sent text to report at PAN LEARNING CENTER, Kakuri, Kaduna on the 9th of January 2022 as Batch B of the program, we were told that accommodation and two square meals will be provided for everyone for the three months training including monthly allowance, we were about 73 of us in our batch (Batch B).
“Things started getting suspicious during the training, despite everything that was provided by the government we were fed once instead of twice.
“The the first batch were given 25,000 each for coming transportation few days after they reported for training and same 25,000 few days after they’ve concluded the training, we were not given any of those benefits.
“We concluded the programme on the 1st of April, 2022 and yet nothing about the final settling of the tools/equipments and start ups for neither batch A nor batch B (us).
“We were told of sufficient accommodation but we were bunched in a room, about 4 people in a room and that caused lots of problems after we were assured of sufficient accommodation which we were told money was budgeted for each accommodation.
“We believe in one way or the other we should make the government to hear our voices and come to our aid and we are also calling on the EFCC, ICPC, DSS and the relevant authorities to look into the matter and investigate as well,” the beneficiaries said.
