News: FG Creates 130,000 New Jobs Under SURE-P

SURE-P - The Federal Government has created 130, 000 new jobs under the SURE-P since its inauguration in February 2012. Deputy Chairman, SURE-P Fund, Gen. Martin Agwai (Rtd), stated this in Kaduna today in a message to the opening of a workshop organised by the National Planning Commisssion (NPC).

The workshop has as its theme "Developing Performance Management Plan for SURE-P Project Implementation Units."

Agwai, represented by the Fund's Operations coordinartor, Alhaji Ali Fatoma explained that 111, 000 jobs were created under the community service scheme and another 6, 000 under the maternal and child healthcare programme.

He added that 10,000 unskilled workers and 2,400 skilled workers were employed under the Public Works/FERMA programme, while 700 primary healthcare centres were rehabilitated across the country.

Agwai disclosed that the Sure-P fund was used to rehabilitate the western railway line linking Lagos-Kano route, and the 87 kilometre East-West road connecting Warri-Kaiama.

"Others that are ongoing include the 338 km Ahoada - Port Harcourt - Eket, terminating at Oron in Akwa Ibom, 296 km Benin-Shagamu road, 204 km Onitsha - Enugu, the 200 km Abuja - Lokoja and the 510 km Kano-Maiduguri road."

He said the workshop was aimed at ensuring better performance in the utilisation of the SURE-P fund by the beneficiaries.

"Today's gathering is just to monitor and evaluate what has been done so far.

"And with all this, a target has been set and deliverables are been identified and without monitoring and evaluation that cannot be achieved."

He said no new road project had been awarded, stressing that the emphasis was on the completion of existing ongoing road projects.

"The money is constant, everybody knows, the contractor knows and the public knows what comes to SURE-P, money is now waiting for contractors, unlike before, when contractors will work and wait for money.

"So the challenge is for the contractors to perform and increase their capacity to really access the funds in order to deliver the roads."

Agwai also spoke on the funds allegedly missing in running the programme.

"The 41 per cent, which comes to the federal government is managed by SURE-P committee.

"Our system is that every month, N15 billion comes to SURE-P, and in 12 months if you multiply that by N15 billion, is N180 billion.

"So since inception to date that is what we have been managing, we appropriate this, and manage the funds and also give out to the stakeholders and we have four or five ministries that we are dealing with."

Also, the Secretary to the NPC, Dr. Ntufam Ugbo, represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Zakari Lawal said the workshop came at a time when the call for transparency in the SURE-P had gained momentum.

Ugbo said the workshop would provide a platform for discussing the SURE-P progress report, reviewing logical framework for each of the project units to ascertain level of support required.

He added that it would also enhance the capacity of key actors in the delivery of the SURE-P, by deepening their understanding on effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation frameworks for maximum result.

Source: Vanguard