Beneficiaries of YouWin 3 programme numbering about 1,500 in Nigeria have threatened to paralyze government activities at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja should the Ministry fail to pay them the second tranche of funds within 14 days .The members said they intend to occupy the ministry and embark on hunger strike afterwards.
YouWin was introduced by the Nigeria Federal Government as a youth enterprise programme to tackle unemployment.The programmed was supervised by the Ministry of Finance.
In a press statement distributed to media practitioners Tuesday, the awardees as observed by Newsdiaryonline, have issued a fourteen-day ultimatum to the Ministry to act fast or be forced to face the anger of the awardees from the entire states of the country as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The release which was signed by  Adindueme Hans, also pleaded with the relevant authorities to call to order the persons assigned with the mandate of paying the awardees the remaining parts of their second and third tranches.
Should the Ministry continue to drag its feet, the awardees said, they would be left with no any other alternative than to embark on massive protest to the ministry, the situation, which they believe would further batter the image of Nigeria before the International community.
According to the press statement ?if within 14 days of these press release and the government fails to effect payments, we will have no choice but to call all 1,500 Youwin 3 awardees and the wider Youths of Nigeria for a Public Protest during which we shall Occupy Federal Ministry of Finance and engage in a hunger strike until we get results, because we will never allow our businesses to fail and we have chosen to fight for over 4,500 workers and their families currently working with us.
The third edition of the said program, as observed by Newsdiaryonline, commenced in 2013, and more than 1,500 youths were selected for the program after engaging in a very long and rigrious business plan competition and coming out as the best business palnners from over 200,000 competitors across Nigeria.The Federal government subsequently commenced disbursements in January 2015 after signing legal agreements with awardees at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja.
The awardees have called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Finance and the Central Bank {CBN} Governor to intervene by directing those assigned with the responsibility of paying them to as a matter of urgency commence the disbursement of the funds to savetheir businesses from collapsing.
Part of the statement reads ; we fervently call on President Muhammadu Buhari, The Minister of Finance and the Central Bank Governor to urgently intervene in this matter and get the TSA issues urgently resolved to save over 1,500 businesses from imminent collapse. Government must not allow our businesses to fail as we are partners in efforts to reduce youth unemployment.
We call on the World Bank and the Department for International Development (DFID) who are partners and funders of the Youwin Program to urgently intervene in this matter and save our businesses from collapsing.
They also went ahead to call on labour and the organized private sector to urgently intervene including civil society organization to also intervene to save our future and the protection of jobs in the local economy by prevailing on the Government to act to save our businesses. Should the Ministry fail to fulfill its obligation, the awardees in their statements said they would as well be forced to push into the unemployed markets the teeming youths that have been engaged by them.
The most painful aspect of this prolong delay is that most of the YouWiN! 3 awardees left their jobs, some even relocated in order to concentrate on YouWiN!project and create jobs which is the major problems facing the country, but only to be abandoned and left frustrated by the Nigerian government. This is not healthy for peoples' lives and businesses.
They stated that “if the remaining second and third tranches are not released without delay, Youwin awardees under the third edition of the program will have no option but to sack all or downsize their employees or close down their businesses entirely due to lack of funds.”
Admin, please forward this to front page ASAP in order to save thousands of lives and businesses across Nigeria. Thanks and God bless Nigeria .

This is a scheduled payment that was supposed to be made within the first 6months after the awardees were announce winners in the face of the whole world, yet its almost 3yrs now and the payment has not been completed. Pls, all stakeholders should as a matter of urgency release the fund for these young entrepreneurs do that their businesses will not collapse....

O boy!
No frustration is more that this!!!

FGN, FMF and all stakeholders should try and make sure these businesses don't die! A whole 1,500 businesses employing from the pool of unemployed Nigerian youths with some of the awardees employing up to 10. @MBuhari , @ProfOsinbajo , @Mrskemiadeosun should consider the importance of 1,500 new businesses! Increase in GDP, increase in exportation and reduction in importation which would help our naira, taxes bn paid/ to be paid (as the case may be) by these firms, etc, etc. Pls do something!

Buhari's government should look into this Joe,it's not about your predecessor, this is about helping grow businesses that will employ more people. Money that has been disbursed will be wasted if this program doesn't continue.... This is also an amazing program, the new government should continue with it

I support this move. I thought this award was supposed to be a blessing to the awardees but frankly speaking, it has been a nightmare!

#CompleteYouWin3PaymentWithoutDelay!

Admin, pls forward this topic to front page ASAP in order to save lives and businesses. Topics like this one are what we should be having in Nairaland front page. Thanks

where lalasticlala and oga Seun o!

I am fully in support of this. If government really want to fight the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, it means that a programme like Youwin need to be encourage and not neglected. Youwin advantages out weighs its disadvantages. Nigeria must go forward.

Join The moving train now "support for NIGERIAN MADEs". Paying YOU WIN awardees goes a long way to putting those words into action. .

Aleona:
Join The moving train now "support for NIGERIAN MADEs". Paying YOU WIN awardees goes a long way to putting those words into action. .

. I really don understand this govt, they say they want to support made in naija. But one of the best programmes proven to foster entrepreneurship they neglect. Later u go see Osibanjo for TEEP praising elumelu. For godsake doesnt he know TEEP is modelled on youwin that his govt is allowing to languish.

xdream:
O boy!

No frustration is more that this!!!

. To worsen the matter the govt is talking about 500 billion welfare package, a fraction of that money will expand youwin. Cos we know the total budget for the programme is about 15 billion and over half of the money is provided by world bank and DFID. So I dont understand there beef with this scheme. Is it politics, bad belle, blackman syndrome. Why allow a confirmed job creation programme to wither away.

Nigeria is in great trouble!
50% of Awardee businesses has already closed down as there is no money to renew rents and to pay staff salary!

BUHARI BUHARI OO BUHARI WHY?

Adulphus:
Nigeria is in great trouble!
50% of Awardee businesses has already closed down as there is no money to renew rents and to pay staff salary!
BUHARI BUHARI OO BUHARI WHY?

This is very sad. I feel for people paying rent in places like Abuja, Lagos, P/H etc.