SURE-P: Senate divided over call to probe Jonathan

The Senate was yesterday divided, over a motion to probe the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on funds expended on the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and other poverty alleviation programmes.
The call to probe Jonathan was sequel to an additional prayer moved by Senator Babajide Christopher Omoworare to a Senator Bassey Albert Akpan-sponsored motion, entitled: “Urgent need to curb the soaring rate of unemployment in Nigeria,” which he presented for consideration during yesterday’s plenary.
When the additional prayer was put to voice vote by Senate President Bukola Saraki, the ayes response came from the APC senators, but the PDP senators kept mute to the nay call.
Moving for the additional prayer earlier, Omoworare said, “I want to move that the immediate past government be made to account for every penny spent on SURE-P and other poverty alleviation programmes, and I so move, Mr. President,”.
Saraki hit his gravel in favour of the ayes, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to begin immediate probe of his predecessor, Dr Jonathan, in his handling of the SURE-P.
The red chamber said it was imperative that President Buhari ask his predecessor to account for every penny spent during the latter‘s administration on the programmes.
This came just as it ruled against the implementation of the N5,000 monthly stipend to unemployed Nigerian youths as the President promised during his campaign.
After the initial recommendations of the motion, Senator Philip Aduda raised an additional prayer, urging the Federal Government to fulfill one of its numerous campaign promises.
“The Federal Government should immediately commence the payment of the N5,000 monthly stipend it promised during the pre-election campaign,” Aduda moved.

In his motion, Akpan observed that “The latest statistics as released by the bureau reveals that economically active population, or working age comprising Nigerians within the age range of 15 to 64, is now 103.5 million, increasing from 102.8 million in the last quarter of 2015, while the unemployed labour force now stands at 74 million Nigerian youths. This is truly a calamity,” he noted.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, rose and seconded the additional prayer. But Omoworare raised the Senate Standing Order 53(6) to oppose the additional prayer.

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This led to bickering between senators of the ruling APC and opposition PDP.
The Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, however, intervened, after about 22 minutes to bring the bickering to an end.
Saraki asked Aduda to repeat his additional prayer, which he later did.
When Saraki put the additional prayer to voice vote, the shout of ‘ayes’ from the opposition senators signifying their call for strict implementation of the President’s campaign promise was overwhelming but the Senate President, however, hit his gavel for the ‘nay’ shout from the ruling party senators, who were against the implementation of the policy.
The Senate President, thereafter, gave Omoworare the privilege of raising another additional prayer.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has ordered the scrapping of the SURE-P programme, by directing the Presidential Committee of the agency to close shop.

He directed the panel charged with the task to complete winding down the operations of SURE-P by November 30 and submit a comprehensive report of its activities to The Presidency

It was gathered, that Buhari also ordered a probe into their activities, funding and expenditure.

These were contained in a letter delivered to the SURE-P Committee by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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