The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has come under heavy criticism following the commencement of job placement and payment of monthly stipends to successful beneficiaries of its youth internship scheme.
In a statement titled “Youth Internship Scheme: Placement, Payment of Beneficiaries Begin,” the commission said 10,000 youths across the region were selected for the internship programme.
The Director, Corporate Affairs of the commission, Seledi Thompson-Wakama who issued the statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday said the beneficiaries are being deployed to various organisations for practical experience while payment of their monthly stipends which will run for one year has also commenced.
The statement read in part: “The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced the placement and payment of 10,000 beneficiaries of the Youth Internship Scheme for one-year practical skills training in various organisations for sustainable youth empowerment in the Niger Delta region.
“With the successful completion of the selection of beneficiaries and their ongoing placement in organisations for practical experience, the payment of the monthly stipends has also taken effect.
“The selection process was conducted with the utmost transparency, diligence, and fairness after over 3.2 million young people registered in the database at the close of the application period.
“This unprecedented response highlights our youth’s immense potential and aspirations. The Commission remains steadfast in ensuring this life-changing opportunity reaches the most deserving candidates, creating a lasting impact and paving the way for a brighter future.”
But reacting to the development, some youths who applied for the scheme accused the management of allegedly allocating slots to their cronies and loyalists at the expense of those who went through the rigorous registration and application process.
Taking to different social media platforms, the youths wondered why the authorities did not publish a list of those they claimed were the selected beneficiaries and called for a review of the process or an outright cancellation.
They urged the management of the commission to be concerned about the reputational damage its action will cause if it fails to take steps to correct the anomaly in the overall interest of the youths.
The NDDC had on August 5, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, launched the youth internship scheme, which attracted applications from over three million youths across the nine states of the Niger Delta.