Governor Theodore Orji

EmmanuelUgwu

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, Tuesday inaugurated the board for the implementation of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), saying it “must be implemented with human face for the benefit of the needy and the entire state.”

He said the state’s share of the N411.036 billion accruing to states and N203.23 billion for the local government areas would be directed to the SURE programme for the execution of “carefully designed” projects in “carefully selected areas”.

Based on this, he explained that the state would wait for a directive from the Federal Government before the board would commence utilisation of the SURE-P fund, which he confirmed, had been kept in a dedicated account.

According to him, the board would supervise the way the subsidy money is utilised “to ensure accountability in the implementation of identified projects.

The governor also commended the Federal Government for partially removing the subsidy on petroleum products because of the burden it imposed on government and more “especially as the subsidy, disproportionately benefited the wealthy and the oil cabals” at the expense of the masses.

“Subsidy removal therefore becomes reasonable if resources saved from subsidy are re-directed to serve the entire Nigerians in her areas of need, which can be made through the SURE-P,” Orji said.

He said the 11-member board of SURE-P was carefully selected among eminent men and women that “will in line with our government’s tenets of transparency, integrity and accountability, ensure that Sure-P is implemented with a human face.”