PRESS RELEASE: PDP officials are paid with SURE-P funds, says APC

The All Progressives Party (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of diverting monies meant for the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) for funding its party activities.

Speaking, Tuesday, in Abuja during the inauguration of the Interim Ward Executives in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the Interim FCT Publicity Secretary, Yakubu Mohammed Adamu, said the people of Abuja have not been feeling the impact of the SURE-P projects because the PDP in Abuja has hijacked the programme and turned the monies allocated for it to party slush fund.

Adamu said, “Every government has its own policy on how to alleviate poverty. When the Federal Government introduced SURE-P we all embraced it, thinking that the funds would be channelled to the masses who are supposed to be the major beneficiaries.

“But in the FCT, what we are seeing is a totally different thing, because the PDP using the SURE-P fund as a political slush fund. They are using it to pay their Executives; their 18-member ward exco in every ward are paid with these funds. They pay their ward chairmen and their local govt ward exco, and even their state executives. They are using it to pay salaries.

“So because of this, none of the people who are supposed to benefit from this fund are benefiting. The situation is that you cannot benefit from SURE-P if you are not a card-carrying member of PDP, or ward official, local govt official or state official in the FCT, which is not supposed to be so. That is why we are against it, and we will continue to be against it, and we will expose them to the people.

“Many people are not aware of what is happening in FCT Government, so we have to make sure people are aware of the ills of this present FCT administration and all the dubious ways they divert public funds. We want every resident of the FCT, every voter to know the money that is meant for them is being diverted for political purposes.”

The Publicity Secretary, who was the representative of the FCT Interim Executive at the AMAC swearing –in ceremony, used the opportunity to charge the new ward executive members to carry the message of change and hope to the people in their different wards because APC is poised to bring change to Nigerians who are frustrated with the current government.   

 “We are now educating our people on the procedure and the process on how a member should be registered. And how the interim executives shall handle their offices to ensure every member should be registered. We will make sure in every nook and cranny of the FCT, party supporters shall be registered and have their party cards and that will help them in constituting the main executive of the party during the party congresses,” the Publicity Secretary said.

Also speaking at the event, the interim AMAC Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu Kandido, said that the nation-wide membership registration of the APC should be utilised to make the new party a household party because in every nook and cranny of Nigeria people want to identify with the change that APC is bringing.

Kandido reminded the newly sworn in ward officials that they have a short time to work before the party congress which would elect substantive Executive members, and so should ensure that peace and cooperation reign in their different wards.

The APC nationwide membership registration drive was flagged off last weekend in Lagos by the party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and starts today, Wednesday, 5^th February, and is scheduled to last for five days.