Connect with us

Business

Appraising The Gains Of SURE-P

Published

on

To some observers, the
introduction of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) is yielding the desired results, as evident in its success story in efforts to provide critical infrastructure across the country.
Such observers claim that the programme is also striving to address some of the nation’s critical deficit in social safety nets and human development challenges within the last two years.
SURE-P was introduced in 2012 following the adjustment in the pump price of petrol from N65 to N97 because of the partial removal of the subsidy on petrol by the current administration.
Under the arrangement, N32 is being deducted from the proceeds from every litre of petrol dispensed, with the Federal Government taking 41 per cent, while 51 per cent is set aside for states and local governments and 5 per cent devoted to ecological matters.
In simple arithmetic, the Federal Government is, therefore, getting over N180 billion as its share of the subsidy funds on an annual basis.
Less than two years down the line, the Chairman of SURE-P, Gen. Martins Luther Agwai, said that the programme had spent more than N280 billion on various intervention projects since its inception in 2012.
He said that SURE-P had also rolled over about N88 billion for more projects.
“In 2013, we had over N88 billion which we rolled over into 2014.
“Our policy this year is that we would have zero budget rollover. We have already set up the machinery; we are working hard and we have restructured our operations into sub-committees.
“We have worked on the lessons we learnt in the past two years and we are primed to deliver. I want to assure Nigerians that this year, they will see remarkable changes and we will deliver our services with integrity and credibility.
“Sure-P has achieved a lot in this country. You just have to go out there and see the facts, including nearby projects such as the Abuja-Lokoja road.
“You will appreciate our input better if you know the state of the Abuja-Lokoja road before we came onboard in 2012; we hope that by the end of this year, we will know how much work has been done.
“If you go to the area of maternal health, we have also been able to upgrade 500 health centres and we are currently working on another set of 700 health centres.
“We have sunk over 620 boreholes across the country to expand the people’s access to potable water and we are also providing medications and `Mama Kits’ for expectant mothers.
“In a nutshell, we have been able to reduce maternal deaths by almost 60 per cent.
“Now, we have over half a million women giving birth under the care of trained midwives, which was not the case in the past.
“We have also asked Nigerians if there are areas where SURE-P is facing challenges or areas requiring our intervention.
“We are very open to advices since our objective is to serve Nigeria,’’ Agwai said while briefing President Goodluck Jonathan on SURE-P’s achievements recently.
He said that SURE-P was also investing over N6.3 billion on polio eradication, while spending over N450 million on the construction of a stroke centre in Abuja this year.
Similarly, Agwai said that SURE-P would spend over N13 billion on infrastructural projects in the satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) this year alone, in addition to over N10 billion being invested on the construction of the second Niger Bridge.
Agwai, who disclosed this at a recent Forum in Abuja, explained that the programme would execute road, electricity and water supply projects in the satellite towns.
He said that SURE-P’s intervention was geared toward improving the living conditions of the residents of the satellite towns.
“Abuja is a city that most people will like to visit and reside in but most of its satellite towns are not in a good shape.
“Our plan is to make the satellite towns to meet international standard so that the disparity between the satellite towns and the city of Abuja will not be too wide,” he said.
Besides, Agwai said that this year, SURE-P would also provide N10 billion to support the ongoing Abuja light rail project.
He said that when completed, the intra-city rail transportation project would help to reduce the transportation challenges facing FCT residents.
He said that SURE-P’s intervention in the rail project was based on the fact rail transportation constituted the priority focus of the Federal Government, adding that work had also begun on the construction of the standard gauge rail track from Abuja to Kaduna.
“We hope that by the end of this year, the rail line will be completed and we will have trains running from Kaduna to Abuja in less than two hours.
“Then, people can live in Kaduna and work in Abuja. After all, how long does it take people to come from Mararaba (Nasarawa State) to come and work in Abuja,’’ he said.
Agwai said that part of the duties of SURE-P involved the provision of critical infrastructure across the country.
“It did not stop there; government also wants SURE-P to be an instrument for development, which will have some capacity on the ground after the expiration of the administration’s tenure.
“In line with this, SURE-P works with the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) in various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). These PIUs are the link between us, the project and the MDAs,” he said.
To add value to SURE-P’s huge investments in roads’ construction, Agwai said that the programme was also financing the construction of the Loko-Oweto Bridge in Kogi State.
He said that the SURE-P committee was satisfied with the work so far done by the contractor.
“We have been providing billions of naira for this project and I decided to visit the site and personally see what some of the SURE-P committee members have been monitoring.
“I must say that I am satisfied with what I have seen so far; the contractor has done well and I think he has justified the funds we have so far released for the project,’’ he added.
He said that the bridge project could be completed by mid-2015 if the contraction company sustained its current pace of work on the project.
Echoing similar sentiments, Mr Anietie Effiong, the Director of Bridges in the Federal Ministry of Works, said that the project had reached 57-per-cent completion.
He said that to date, SURE-P had released N17 billion, out of the N36 billion total contract sum, to the contractor.
However, Agwai said that SURE-P would soon commence the payment of six months’ arrears of the stipends, which it owed 2,000 youths in its employ.
He conceded that the programme’s initial plan was to engage 5,000 youths, adding that it, however, ended up engaging 2,000 youths because of the challenges it encountered with regard to the 2013 budget.
Agwai said that the arrears of the youths’ stipends got accumulated because of some challenges emanating from the passage of the budget by the National Assembly.
“There was a misunderstanding of prioritising issues at the National Assembly because the money voted to take care of this category was not approved.
“Instead of a budget of over N20 billion, we ended up with our budget being merged with that of FERMA.
“In doing that, the National Assembly merged the two appropriations and gave us only N9 billion and because of that development; the N9 billion which was appropriated could not even pay the 2,000 youths who were already engaged under the Federal Government’s public works scheme.
“Government then felt that instead of progressing to the targeted 5,000 youths, we should stop and manage the 2,000 youths who were already engaged until the situation is resolved.
“There is no way we could vire money because one could be tempted to ask why we returned N88 billion in 2013 when we could not pay the youths’ stipends,’’ he added.
Besides, Agwai said that no fewer than 3,000 graduates across the country had been engaged by SURE-P under its Graduate Internship Scheme.
He said that the graduates were recruited from more than 150,000 graduates who applied for placements under the scheme from 2013 to date.
He said that the graduates were undergoing internship in different public and private organisations where they were posted to acquire on-the-job experience.
According to him, the scheme is to help Nigerian graduates to acquire skills that would make them more suitable for full employment in any sector of the economy.
Agwai said that each intern received a stipend of N30,000 per month, adding that the allowance was meant to encourage the graduates to be committed to the training.
He said that some state governments had indicated interest in the scheme, adding that Borno, Plateau, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna,  Kogi  and  Enugu states were already collaborating with SURE-P in the programme.
Moreover, Agwai said that SURE-P had inaugurated a specific scheme on technical and vocational training, adding that 5,075 persons were undergoing training under the scheme across the country.
Agwai said that eight government institutions, which were renovated by SURE-P in some parts of the country, were currently being used for the scheme.
In the area of public transportation, the SURE-P had also distributed about 874 buses to about 22 transport companies in Abuja under a revolving loan arrangement, its chairman said.
It is, perhaps, against this backdrop that some Nigerians commended SURE-P, while lauding the rationale behind its establishment by the Jonathan- administration.
For instance, Mr Ima Niboro, the Managing Director of NAN, said that SURE-P had succeeded in bridging the human development deficit in the country.
Niboro, who made this observation when he received Agwai in his office recently, however, noted that many Nigerians had yet to appreciate the programme’s objectives due to inadequate public enlightenment on its activities nationwide.
“It is a massive project and only people who do not understand the economics of the subsidy quarrel about it.
“We know how the president holds SURE-P very close to his chest; we know how determined he is to ensure that the programme succeeds.
“SURE-P is not all about showing pictures; it is about how the project will impact on the citizens,” he said.
Niboro pledged NAN’s readiness to assist SURE-P in efforts to enlighten the public about its specific projects and how individuals could participate in them.
“We must let Nigerians know about the programme and its projects; we must tell them what this administration is also doing.
“The current administration is the best because the projects are there for everyone to see; Nigeria has been reformed and transformed in so many areas,’’ he stressed.
Niboro commended the management of SURE-P for choosing NAN as a starting point in its efforts to enlighten the citizenry, saying that the programme had been trying its best to tackle its challenges.
All in all, observers insist that SURE-P, in spite of its success story, should intensify efforts to educate Nigerians on the relevance of the programme in nation-building efforts, even beyond its terminal date in 2015.

Adamu writes for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Sani Adamu

Continue Reading

Business

NCDMB, Dangote Refinery Unveil JTC On Deepening Local Content

Published

on

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company have inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee (JrefineryTC) aimed at advancing local content implementation during the operational phase of the 650,000 barrels per day  plant.
A statement from the Directorate of Corporate Communications of the Board noted that the inauguration ceremony took place at the Dangote Free Trade Zone, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
The statement also said the inauguration marks a pivotal moment in fostering strategic collaboration between the both institutions, and was a significant move to reinforce local content development in the oil and gas sector.
Presided over by the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and the Group Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Group, Chief Edwin Devakumar, the event featured the formal sign-off of the Committee’s Terms of Reference (ToR), a guided tour of the refinery, other critical facilities, and the official commencement of the JTC’s responsibilities.
According to the Board, the visit also featured the presentation of the certificate of the Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year Award won by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company at the inaugural ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ held recently in May.
The NCDMB’s boss made the presentation to the President of the Dangote Group, Alhalji Aliko Dangote, who expressed delight at the recognition, noting that he would display the certificate proudly at his office.
Ogbe congratulated the Dangote Group on the successful development and commissioning of the largest single train refinery in the world, as well as petrochemical and fertiliser plants, describing the projects as a historic milestone not for Nigeria alone, but for the entire continent.
He emphasized that the Dangote Refinery stands as a testament to the success of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 and the transformative potential of Nigerian-led industrial projects.
“At an optimal daily production capacity of 650,000 barrels, this refinery will significantly enhance Nigeria’s energy security and contribute to the supply of refined petroleum products across West Africa.
“Nigerians, have to own the plant, we have to make sure that the plant works well. We have to secure it, we have to maintain it. The NCDMB would continue to collaborate with Dangote Petroleum Refinery”, Engr  Ogbe said.
Highlighting the need to ensure more value retention in the sector, as mandated by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) 2010, the Board’s helmsman demanded compliance with Sections 32 and 33 of the NOGICD Act, with particular reference to local manpower utilization and requirements for NCDMB’s approval prior to the engagement of expatriates.
“The NOGICD Act stipulates that no expatriate can be employed in any organization in the oil and gas industry without the prior approval of the NCDMB. We will work with you, We’ve to protect jobs for Nigerians. It’s critical to job creation, skills development, and national capacity building in line with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, he said.
He commended the firm for training and employing Nigerian engineers, saying the collaboration will ensure that qualified Nigerians were given opportunities across all operational roles, while also urging the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals to support the Board’s initiative which aims at developing oil and gas industrial parks across the country to foster local content and manufacturing in the sector.
He noted that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) seeks to create an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises in the sector.
“NOGaPS was conceived by the Board to develop facilities close to oil fields where manufacturing of oil and gas components, as well as research and development, can be carried out.
“We would like Dangote to support one of our major activities, which is the oil and gas industrial parks scheme. The parks are aimed at creating an enabling environment for SMEs in the industry to do fabrications and create more jobs for Nigerians”, the NCDMB’S boss stated.
In his welcome address, the Dangote Group Vice President, Devakumar, highlighted that the refinery project and NCDMB have been working together, promoting local content development during the construction stages of the project.
“We can’t say we have achieved everything, because there is opportunity to do more. We’re grateful to the NCDMB for all their support and advice.  As entrepreneurs, we’re trying to optimise costs. It’s a Nigerian company, it’s also an entrepreneur-driven company. As a Nigerian company, the focus will be on Nigerian content. As an entrepreneur-driven company, it will be cost-focused”, he noted.
Devakumar underscored the long-standing commitment of the Dangote Group to national development and capacity building, saying that the Group’s vision is to grow Nigeria’s industrial landscape.
High points of the visit, according to the Corporate Communications Directorate of the NCDMB, was the inauguration of the Committee members.
The statement from the NCDMB further added that the committee is to ensure the implementation of local content in the refinery’s operations, while its core objectives include promoting the use of Nigerian skilled manpower, services, and locally sourced materials in compliance with Section 3 of the NOGICD Act.
The Tide learnt that the committee will also support Dangote Refinery in aligning its operational procedures with the Act’s requirements.
In his acceptance remarks, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB and Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, expressed gratitude to the leadership of both organizations, reiterating the Committee’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of local content enforcement and fostering measurable outcomes that will benefit the nation’s economy.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Continue Reading

Business

Food Security: NDDC Pays Counterpart Fund  For LIFE-ND Project

Published

on

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, says the commission has paid its counterpart fund for the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Project to ensure food security in the region.
The LIFE-ND project is an agriculture intervention project sponsored by the Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the NDDC to boost food security in the region.
Mr. Ogbuku disclosed this while fielding questions at the commission’s 25th anniversary world press briefing  in Asaba, Delta State.
He stated that the commission has equipped and trained farmers in the region on best practices, adding that it has also established Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce with a commitment of N30 billion, but has released N5 billion to encourage commerce and entrepreneurship in the area.
According to him, agriculture is among the next phase of the commission’s programmes aimed at addressing food security in the region.
“Our target is to use agriculture to fight criminalities in the Niger Delta region”, he said.
The NDDC boss said the commission would hold a retreat to marshal plans to enhance the cultivation of rice, oil palm, cassava, and maize for industrialisation.
He also disclosed that its fund allocation from the Federal Government has improved, adding that funding from International Oil Companies has also increased, with greater compliance.
Ogbuku revealed that although its revenue has improved, the commission had thought it wise not to borrow but to deploy the surplus to execute more projects.
According to him, the commission has gone digital in its documentation and data generation to address its human capital development projects, ensuring the even deployment of resources, which allows people to take turns being trained in their chosen profession.
He stated that the NDDC was committed to addressing environmental challenges in erosion-prone areas in Edo, Delta, and other states, contingent upon the availability of funds.
Continue Reading

Business

Replace Nipa Palms With Mangroove In Ogoni, Group Urges FG, HYPREP

Published

on

A concerned group of stakeholders under the auspices of Khana Coastal Communities has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Hydrocarbon Remediation Restoration Project (HYPREP) to include the removal of Nipa palms which has taken over the positions of mangroves in the area as part of the ongoing Ogoni Clean Up Exercise.
The group, which decried the invasive and destructive effects of Nypa fructicans, commonly known as Nipa palms, on the ecosystem of the affected communities, made their appeal in a Press Statement issued shortly after the  inspection and survey of the creeks and coastlines of  affected communities.
The communities are Kwiri, Kereken, Kaa, Gwara, Sii, Kpean, Tehnnama, Bane, Kalaoku, and Opuoku, all in Khana Local Government Area of Ogoni, Rivers State.
Signed on behalf of the affected communities by comrades Emmanuel Goteh Bie, Raymond Nwibani, and Chief Barineka Tonwe, the statement emphasized the need for urgent intervention to clear the Nypa fructicans and replace them with mangroves which provided sustainable habitat for aquatic species in the affected communities.
The group commended the Federal Ministry of Environment and HYPREP for their commitment to the Ogoni cleanup process and urged all stakeholders involved in the process not to renege on their complementary roles.
The statement read in part: “As you have seen, the Nypa fructicans has taken over our creeks, displacing native mangroves and aquatic life. The impact on our communities has been severe, with many of our people struggling to make a living due to the depletion of fish and other aquatic resources.
“We commend the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for its efforts in restoring native mangroves in Ogoni, particularly in the Bomu Community. However, we are alarmed by the unintended consequences of removing invasive Nypa fructicans, which has led to the disappearance of fish and aquatic life, threatening the livelihoods of our coastal communities.
“We believe that the removal of Nypa fructicans and replanting of native mangroves will help revive our aquatic life and sustain the livelihoods of our people.”
The group passed a vote of confidence on the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, and HYPREP Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, for what it described as their unwavering efforts in ensuring the success of the Ogoni cleanup exercise.
They  called on the Federal Government to release their counterpart funding to HYPREP without delay to sustain the pace of progress recorded in the clean up process.
“The cleanup exercise is commendable, and any delay in funding could stall the progress and undermine the efforts of all stakeholders. We urge the government to prioritize the Ogoni cleanup exercise and provide the necessary support to ensure its success”, they stated.
They also used the opportunity to caution against the antics of self-inflicted activists or bodies that might attempt to hijack the cleanup agenda and create unnecessary agitation, and assured the total support of the affected  communities to HYPREP’s activities to enhance the holistic success of the Ogoni clean up exercise.
Bemene Taneh
Continue Reading

Trending