N-Power laments over ghost teachers

Maryam Abeeb, Abuja

The Assistant Director, N-Power Job Creation Unit, Mr Nsikak Okon, has said it is unfortunate that some of the beneficiaries of the scheme are conniving with their school principals to be absent from their duty posts.
Okon said this in a statement while reacting to a story published in the December 17, 2019 issue of the Business Day newspaper, titled, Sokoto’s Ghost Teachers, Corrupt School Principals are Stealing FG N-Power Funds.
The statement reads in part, “Our attention has been drawn to a recent investigative piece written by Ibrahim Adeyemi, and published in the December 17, 2019 issue of Business Day Nigeria newspaper and on its online platform, businessday.ng.
The piece titled, ‘Sokoto’s Ghost Teachers, Corrupt School Principals are Stealing FG N-Power Funds,’ is an illuminating piece that attempts to uncover the activities of truant beneficiaries of the N-Power programme in Sokoto state, and the supervising heads that enable this duplicitous act.
“Adeyemi’s investigative piece, which focuses on one of the four components of the programme, the N-Power Programme, with a direct emphasis on the N-Teach aspect of the programme, makes several claims. While the writer highlights the endemic problem of the ghost worker syndrome in Nigeria and successful efforts made by the Federal Government to curb it, he explained that the N-Teach programme—Sokoto state specifically—currently suffers from a widespread case of ghost workers.
“These revelations are shocking and disheartening to us over here at the N-Power team. The actions of these rogue beneficiaries do not in any way reflect the ideals of the social contract we signed with the people of Nigeria or this government’s dedication to addressing the educational needs of the country.”
Okon, however, appreciated the N-Power beneficiaries for their remarkable contributions to fill the gap in the education, health and agricultural sectors.
“Your work has left an indelible impact on national development. We also wish to commend Mr. Adeyemi for his unwavering dedication to objective journalism. The government will continue to keep to its promises by responding to the needs of everyone, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid,” he said.