SURE-P CASH-STRAPPED - KOLADE •SAYS PROGRAMME MAY BE TERMINATED

CHAIRMAN of Subsidy Re-investment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Dr Christopher Kolade, on Thursday, said the programme was cash strapped, following adjustments to the 2013 budget by the National Assembly.
Kolade, who led the SURE-P team to appear before the Senate ad hoc committee heade by Senator Abdul Ningi, said the programme may be unable to pay its bills from next month.
According to him, the programme was schedule to employ 5,000 youths from each state, but had to make do with 3,000 due to paucity of funds.
He said the programme had been paying N10,000 monthly to its beneficiaries, but it might be terminated if funds continued to hamper its operations.
The SURE-P boss also said the agency had initially estimated the sum of N27 billion for its operations but got N9 billion from the National Assembly.
Senate ad hoc committee chairman, Senator Ningi, told the SURE-P boss that the National Assembly had regularised the budget of the agency, following the amendment budget sent to it by President Jonathan.
He asked the chairman to check appropriate quarters for the approved funds meant for its operations.
Dr Kolade also told the Senate committee that his agency got a total sum of N180 billion last year.
Source: Tribune