Recently, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state donated thousands of bags of rice, maize and spaghetti to 150, 000 poor and vulnerable people in the state ahead of the farming season to sustain them as they till the land to produce more food for the people. Beneficiaries of the largesse includes widows, orphanages, destitute homes, school for disable, JNI, CAN, FOMWAN Christian women, old people and people living with HIV.The gesture is in addition to plans to recruit over 2000 unemployed graduates. In this report, ABDULRAHEEM AODU and OJOSOLA OLUSEGUN, review the performance of the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in Kaduna state
While introducing the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) in the 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan explained that the monies to be domiciled under the portfolio would come from the partial removal of the fuel subsidy by the federal government.
The programme, he stated, was aimed at conserving and maximizing the oil wealth of Nigeria. This in specific terms saw the emergence of a fiscal formula for the sharing of the accrued subsidy savings. Under the agreed sharing formula, the federal government receives 41% of the savings while the states and local governments sharethe remaining 59%.
While having done same, the federal government mandates each state to set up SURE-P Committees that would carry out the mandate of identifying few critical infrastructure and social Safety nets that will ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians following the partial discontinuation of the petroleum products subsidy.In overseeing and ensuring the effective and timely implementation of the projects to be funded with the savings accruing to the states and local governments from the subsidy, some programmes and projects and services are supposed to be identified and addressed.
The programmes and projects, according to the authors of the SURE-P programme, through an established diverse functional structure, is to ensure that the second and third tier legs of the subsidy allocations are applied on critical infrastructure projects and social safety net programmes that will directly ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians and mitigate the impact of subsidy removal.
Unemployment: 2,000 graduates to be recruited under SURE-P
As part of plans to create employment for the youths and reduce restiveness among youths in Kaduna state, Governor Yero said he is recruiting 2000 graduates from across the 23 local government areas into the state civil service under the Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).
Representing the Governor at news conference in Kaduna a fortnight ago, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Committee on SURE-P, Mr Nuhu Bajoga, said that the graduates would be sent to various ministries within the state to work for a year and would be paid N10, 000 monthly in addition to the Federal Government N30, and 000 stipends.
He assured that at the end of their intensive training, none of the graduates would be sent back to labour market, as all would be employed.
He said that the need to recruit more graduates emanated because there were civil servants that have reached retirement age while some others have died, hence the need for more hands to be employed in the state civil service.
On the mechanism to check the performance of the SURE-P beneficiaries, Bajoga said that the state government had provided appropriate measures to monitor those that were given starter packs recently in the state.
Bags of grains to farmers and the poor
At a well-attended ceremony last week, the state government donated bags of grains; mainly rice, maize andspaghetti to resident of the state in the 255 wards across the 23 localgovernment areas as palliatives to encourage them to produce more food in the2014 farming season.
With morethan 70% residents of Kaduna state involved in farming activities andother agricultural practices, the onset of the farming season is vital for theagrarian state, as it heralds commencement of the production of various foodsand crops.
The 2014 farming season would be different in Kaduna state, as the state government provides the poor people with food to sustain them and help improve their farming activities for better and improved food and crop production.
The Kaduna state government 150, 000 bags of assorted grains palliative include rice, maize and spaghetti worth N406 million, and the items went to the poor and vulnerable persons across the 255 wardsin the state.
Flagged off the distribution of assorted grains to the people at the Kaduna state grains store at Dankande, Igabi local government area of the state, Governor Yerosaid the distribution of 60, 000 bags of rice,60, 000 bags of maize and 30, 000 cartons of spaghetti is the commencement ofthe state’s 2013 Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (Sure-P) is to alleviate the suffering of the people ahead of the 2014 farming season.
According to the Governor, the poverty alleviation beneficiaries also include religious organisationssuch as Jama’atuNasril Islam (JNI), ChristianAssociation of Nigeria (CAN), Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria(FOMWAN), Christian women, old people and people living with HIV/AIDS.
“Thed istribution of 150, 000 bags of grains to the poor, the vulnerable, widows,orphanages, and people living with disability in the state is to providesuccour to those in need. The items to be shared are procured by the stategovernment in partnership with the 23 local government areas.
“The150, 000 bags of grains will be shared to people in the 255 wards in the statewith each of the wards getting 540 bags of assorted grains,” Yero said, whiletasking the local government chairmen in the state to monitor the distributionof the grains to ensure that it is distributed to only those that deserved it.
The Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation Kaduna state, Alhaji C Abdulrahman Ibrahim Jere reiterated the state government’s intention to bring succour to the peoplethrough the distribution of grains, adding that the distribution of assortedgrains is a welfare scheme aimed at making the people of the state moreproductive.
“The food will be taken to each of the 255 wards in the 23 local government areas toget to the right people at the grassroots level to alleviate their poverty. Youare farming without food to eat especially at the start of the rainy seasonwhen people are expected to start farming activities.
“The Executive Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero deemed it fit to set-up a sevenmember committee chaired by the Chief of Staff, Government House that proposedthe quantity of grains purchased under the 2013 Sure P and those jointlypurchased by the ministry of agriculture and the 23 local government councilsfor distribution to the poor and vulnerable groups in the state.”
Explaining how the grains were procured and shared he said, “eight thousand bags of rice,8, 000 bags of maize and 10, 000 cartons of spaghetti were purchased by thestate government under the 2013 SURE-P programme, another 7, 000 bags of rice,7, 000 bags of maize and 5, 000 cartons of spaghetti were also jointlypurchased by the ministry of agriculture and the 23 local government councilsmaking a total of 15, 000 bags of rice, 15, 000 bags of maize and 15, 000cartons of spaghetti.
“Boththe 15, 000 bags of rice and the 15, 000 bags of maize were branded andpackaged into 12.5kg making a total of 600 sacks each while the 15, 000 cartonsof spaghetti were packaged into 10 pieces per sack making a total of 30, 000sacks of spaghetti.
“Thecommittee recommended that 215 sacks of rice, 215 sacks of maize and 110 sacksof spaghetti be allocated to each of the 255 wards in the 23 local governmentareas of the state making a total of 137, 700 sacks of all the commodities. Ofthe balance of 12, 300 sacks, 9, 000 sacks would be distributed orphanages,destitute homes and associations while the balance of 3, 300 sacks would takecare of damages and eventualities,” the commissioner said.
Chairman of the distribution committee, who is also chief of staff Kaduna state, Alhaji Yahaya Aminu, said, “N241 million was removed from the state’s 2013 Sure-P fund,Kaduna state ministry of agriculture gave N50 million, while the 23 localgovernment councils gave out N115 million (N5 million each) to make a total ofN406 million that was used in purchasing the grains.
“There are 150, 000 bags of grains for 150, 000 people, 540 people in each of the 23local government area would benefit from the grains with 215 bags of maize, 215bags of rice and 110 cartons of spaghetti for each local government area.”
The Deputy Speaker Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon Peter Adamu, who representedthe Speaker Kaduna state House of Assembly Hon Shehu UsmanTahir, congratulatedthe state government and the beneficiaries, adding that the programme islive-touching. He implored the beneficiaries to support the programmes of thestate government and live in peace and harmony.
Chairman ALGON, who doubles as the Chairman Kagarko Local Government Area, Hon DanjumaAkuso thanked Governor Yero for the initiative saying that those to benefitfrom the programme are from their local government councils.
The Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Jibrin Zubairu Maigwari congratulated andcommended Governor Yero for the effort to improve the poverty and welfare ofthe people. “In over 35 years that I have been in this position, I have notseen where government purchases foods to distribute to the people. This showsthe Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero’s welfare to the people.”
Tackling youth unemployment through SURE-P
Also recently, Governor MukhtarRamalanYero, inaugurated the distribution of starter packs to 7,600 beneficiaries under the 2012 SURE-P Youth and Women Empowerment Programme in the state, to reduce youth unemployment.
He called on beneficiaries to set up small scale business ventures and sustain them and use them th actualize their full potentials. Yero said that government’s support to graduates of the various training schemes will contribute to the rapid economic development of the state and reduce unemployment.
He warned beneficiaries not to sale the starter packs given to them, saying that doing so will defeat the purpose of the programme.
“The government will put in place a monitoring and supervisory mechanism for regular and sustained visits to all the places of business to ensure that you are effectively utilising the resources at your disposal.’
The starter packs were meant to be seed capital for beneficiaries who had trained in various training schemes to enable them to set up viable businesses that will contribute to the rapid economic development of the state and reduce unemployment.
“At outset, we were unequivocal in emphasising that only training institution and firms with demonstrable competences will be engaged in youth trainings. Our insistence was to ensure effective transfer of technology to trainees for maximum benefits,” he said
Over 7,600 trainees and their families were presented with the starter packs. Each received starter packs relevant to his or her trade, in addition to take- off grant of N10, 000. Specifically, under youth empowerment, each of the 192 youths trained in aluminum works, received starter packs and take-off grant of N123, 400. In addition, 191 youths have been given the needed orientation and training to engage in printing business. Each of the beneficiaries received starter packs worth N293, 500.
Items distributed include, exposure machine for making plates, Light table for laying films, Washing tray and generator set. Under women empowerment, 1,500 women in the 23 local governments who participated in the exercise received starter packs in the eight different trades which they learnt under the programme.
“With agriculture being the largest employer of labour in the state, coupled with our determination to revive the sector to ensure food security, as well as employment, we have trained youths in 12 trades under the Agricultural Enterprise and Rain-fed Agriculture (AERA),” the governor said
The distribution of the starter packs were as follows: 477 youths who trained in rice production, got starter worth N53, 050. Items distributed to each of them include;25Kg of improved seeds, two litres of Pendiline, four bags of NPK fertilizer, a bag of Urea and take-off grant of N10, 000.
The governor said the objectives of the training are to stimulate the economy through creation of massive employment opportunities and poverty reduction. According to him, the state is engaging 2,550 youths using the 2013 SURE-P funds. Theyouths will be drawn from the 255 wards across the state with 40% women.
The beneficiaries will provide community development (CD), services within their respective wards in the areas of sanitation of major roads and public institutions, provide security, control of human and vehicular traffic, especially at public functions, sensitisation and enlightenment and advocacy on peace. They will be paid an allowance of N10,000 monthly with effect from April, 2014.
Kaduna state is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Finance, to enable 2,000 unemployed graduates participate in the SURE-P community services, women and youth programme on Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).
Participating graduates under the GIS each receives N30,000.00 allowance from the federal government and stipend of N10,000 from the state bringing a total of N40,000.00 monthly
