Chairman, Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Dr. Christoper Kolade,
yesterday said that his committee spent over N70bn within six months last year
on projects. Kolade, who spoke with State House correspondents after the
presentation of the 2012 report on the activities of the committee to President
Goodluck Jonathan, noted that though the committee was inaugurated in February
2012, its activities started in July when funds were released.
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Dr. Christoper Kolade,
yesterday said that his committee spent over N70bn within six months last year
on projects. Kolade, who spoke with State House correspondents after the
presentation of the 2012 report on the activities of the committee to President
Goodluck Jonathan, noted that though the committee was inaugurated in February
2012, its activities started in July when funds were released.
He explained that out of the N180bn released by the government
last July for the activities of the committee, it could only spend N70bn.
last July for the activities of the committee, it could only spend N70bn.
The former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom also
said that the focus of the committee for this year would be the provision of
social safety nets for the people and other projects that would make meaningful
impact on the lives of Nigerians, particularly on the health of women and
children and employment for the youth.
said that the focus of the committee for this year would be the provision of
social safety nets for the people and other projects that would make meaningful
impact on the lives of Nigerians, particularly on the health of women and
children and employment for the youth.
Kolade added that the committee would also focus on provision of
infrastructure, including construction of roads and rail lines to boost
economic activities in the country.
infrastructure, including construction of roads and rail lines to boost
economic activities in the country.
He, however, explained that the activities of SUREP were not a
duplication of the work of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, adding
that SUREP was set up by President Jonathan to ensure that the funds saved from
the removal of fuel subsidy were used in the provision of infrastructure and projects
that would have impact on the lives of Nigerians.
duplication of the work of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, adding
that SUREP was set up by President Jonathan to ensure that the funds saved from
the removal of fuel subsidy were used in the provision of infrastructure and projects
that would have impact on the lives of Nigerians.
The chairman said the opinion expressed by the National Assembly
that the work of the committee was a duplication of the activities of MDAs was
not well placed.
that the work of the committee was a duplication of the activities of MDAs was
not well placed.
Kolade said: “Any Nigerian can have opinion about this, what
people need to do is to study what is going on and see in what ways SURE-P is
adding value to what is already on ground.
people need to do is to study what is going on and see in what ways SURE-P is
adding value to what is already on ground.
“Nobody is denying that MDAs are working, that is what
government is there for, but the President when he saw that there were going to
be special funds from the subsidy withdrawal then decided that he would use
these funds in a special way to intervene.
government is there for, but the President when he saw that there were going to
be special funds from the subsidy withdrawal then decided that he would use
these funds in a special way to intervene.
“If, for instance, road contract was awarded say in 2006 and it
is still not completed, but by putting some funds from SURE-P, you can
accelerate the finishing of that road; these are special funds and they are
special intervention funds.
is still not completed, but by putting some funds from SURE-P, you can
accelerate the finishing of that road; these are special funds and they are
special intervention funds.
They cannot be compared with what is ongoing in the ministries
because ministries are doing their normal work. “For example, the railway
system, for years now, it has not been possible to move from Lagos to Kano by
rail because there were gaps on the way, places where bridges were broken down.
because ministries are doing their normal work. “For example, the railway
system, for years now, it has not been possible to move from Lagos to Kano by
rail because there were gaps on the way, places where bridges were broken down.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has been doing its best
to get those things repaired but with these special intervention funds in 2012,
SURE-P constructed the bridges where they were broken down, repaired the roads
where they should be repaired and now since end of November, it is possible to
ride on a train from Lagos to Kano; that was not happening before.”
to get those things repaired but with these special intervention funds in 2012,
SURE-P constructed the bridges where they were broken down, repaired the roads
where they should be repaired and now since end of November, it is possible to
ride on a train from Lagos to Kano; that was not happening before.”
On the allegation by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, that
the SURE-P funds to states are being distributed to members of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, and their cronies, Kolade stated that such allegations
had nothing to do with his committee, stressing that “what the political party
said is not something that we know anything about, the money that we are using
for our projects, the funds that we are putting to the activities that this
committee is overseeing are going specifically to contractors that are working
on these projects, to people that are getting employed on these projects.
the SURE-P funds to states are being distributed to members of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, and their cronies, Kolade stated that such allegations
had nothing to do with his committee, stressing that “what the political party
said is not something that we know anything about, the money that we are using
for our projects, the funds that we are putting to the activities that this
committee is overseeing are going specifically to contractors that are working
on these projects, to people that are getting employed on these projects.
“If there is a situation between political parties where they
are alleging that money is going from one place to another, they are not seeing
it. Well, that is politics; it has nothing to do with our committee.”
are alleging that money is going from one place to another, they are not seeing
it. Well, that is politics; it has nothing to do with our committee.”
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of his committee
since it was inaugurated by the President last year, saying that SURE-P hopes
to initiate more projects and improve on existing infrastructure this year.
since it was inaugurated by the President last year, saying that SURE-P hopes
to initiate more projects and improve on existing infrastructure this year.
Kolade, however, noted that according to the provision of the
constitution, his committee or the Federal Government does not have authority
to dictate how to disburse SURE-P funds allocated to states.
constitution, his committee or the Federal Government does not have authority
to dictate how to disburse SURE-P funds allocated to states.
Source: National Mirror
