CHRISTOPHER KOLADE RESIGNS AS SURE-P CHAIR

A new chairman of the Subsidy Re- investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) may be named any time from now as Dr. Christopher Kolade is set to step down from the position this week, THISDAY can reveal today.
The newspaper learnt that already Kolade has communicated his decision to resign to President Goodluck Jonathan, who is said to be hunting for another credible Nigerian to lead the intervention committee.
A source told THISDAY that the challenge before the presidency at present is getting an immediate successor for Kolade, given the fact that his former deputy, Major- General Mammam Kontagora (rtd), who could have naturally stepped into his shoes, had died in May this year, a development which was said to have delayed the retirement of the committee chairman till this month.

4 ROAD PROJECTS GULP N178BN SURE-P FUNDS

A probe by the Senate ad hoc Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), has revealed that the SURE-P Board has spent over N178 billion on four roads and two bridges across the country between 2012 and 2013.
According to a presentation made to the Senate ad hoc committee by the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, the four major roads include the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road and the Kano-Maiduguri road.
Others are the Enugu-Onitsha road, and Benin-Shagamu-Ore road, while the two bridges are Second Niger Bridge and the Oweto Bridge, linking Benue and Nasarawa states, all of which are being constructed majorly with SURE-P funds.
According to the minister, N85.5 billion was spent on the roads in 2012 from SURE-P, while the ministry paid N61billion. Also, in 2013, N93.4 billion was expended on the roads, out of which over N67 billion was paid from SURE-P.

SENATE THREATENS TO STOP SURE-P ALLOCATION

The Senate, on Wednesday, threatened to henceforth stop appropriating fund to the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).
Senate Ad hoc Committee on SURE-P issued the threat, saying some ministers have persistently refused to honour invitations to them to render accounts of their stewardship in their various ministries.

Addressing newsmen, chairman of the committee, Senate Leader Abdul Ningi, particularly took exception to the failure of the Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, to appear before the committee on Wednesday.

He said what the minister and his team did amounted to crass lawlessness, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan had appointed wrong people into public offices.

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.

ACN ALLEGES DIVERSION OF SURE-P FUND FOR PDP CAMPAIGN

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the Jonathan administration of willfully converting the money accruing from SURE-P to campaign funds.

The party said the crisis that is now tearing apart the Lagos chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the sharing of SURE-P funds among  its members in the state, has vindicated its (ACN) stand that the funds meant to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal have now become a-2015-campaign war chest for President Jonathan.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said when it alerted the nation to the abuse of the SURE-P funds in a statement on February 3, 2013, the federal government as well as SURE-P managers rushed to deny any abuse of the funds and called the party (ACN) unprintable names.

2015: JONATHAN MEN TAKE OVER SURE-P

The takeover of the Social Safety Net Programmes of SURE-P by the coordinators of Jonathan 2011 Presidential campaign across the states and the empowerment of youths loyal to the party, sell the impression that the president has set up a structure for his 2015 presidential dream.
Among unemployed school leavers in many rural communities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), there is renewed excitement at the prospect of becoming gainfully employed – thanks to SURE-P.  However, mixed feelings are being expressed about the scheme because the facilitators of the project are the same persons who coordinated the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisations in the states in 2011. Again, there are indications that youths from opposition blocs in the states are glaringly excluded from benefitting from the project – unless they are converted to the PDP. Thirdly, even within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there is the suspicion that the campaign coordinators intend to set up grassroots structure for the 2015 campaign for Jonathan presidency. Angry PDP chieftains, local government chairmen and elements close to some state governors have begun to ask why the employment scheme is not channelled through them. Under this atmosphere, the programme is received with suspicion.

SURE-P SPENDS N70BN IN SIX MONTHS –KOLADE

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.

He explained that out of the N180bn released by the government last July for the activities of the committee, it could only spend N70bn.