SURE-P spent N104b on roads, bridges in 2014

The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) has disclosed that it spent N104.4billion on roads and bridges constructions under the Ministry of Works.

The Chairman of SURE-P, Martin Luther Agwai, however, said in Abuja that the programme would have much smaller amount of N102 billion to spend in 2015.
Agwai noted that the prevailing economic situation occasioned by the sliding price oil has meant that the amount coming from the subsidy has drastically reduced.
While inviting Nigerians to feel free to inspect the books of the programme, he explained that the SURE-P keeps an open book.
According to him, “There is no secret on how much is SURE-P budget and how much it has spent. The budget of 2014 is N268.37 billion. It is an open book thing and there is no secret.
“If you want to know details, please come. If you want a breakdown, project by project and programme by programme, we will give to you. If you want us to tell you how much has been spent for example, in 2013 out of our budget, N88.67 billion was not accessed by the beneficiaries of that programme, the rail, roads and others.
“And people will ask why did you roll over N88 billion? It is because SURE-P has a standard. We are an organization based on integrity and credibility. There are rules to every game and if do not meet all the criteria that will warrant you to access SURE-P money you will not get it.
“The beauty about it is what is rolled over is still going to be part of SURE-P money. That is why our budget is N180 billion and when you add N88.67 billion it gives the N267 billion.”
He said works, roads and bridges got N104.2b this year.
Agwai noted that SURE-P only manages 41 percent of the subsidy money which is about N15b monthly, while the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and their local governments get 54 percent monthly.
He said Nigerians also need to ask the other tiers of governments what they did with their own shares of the money.