pullyacap: Christopher Kolade Resigns As SURE-P Chair

A new chairman of the Subsidy Re- investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) may be named any time from now as Dr. Christopher Kolade is set to step down from the position this week, THISDAY can reveal today.

The newspaper learnt that already Kolade has communicated his decision to resign to President Goodluck Jonathan, who is said to be hunting for another credible Nigerian to lead the intervention committee.

A source told THISDAY that the challenge before the presidency at present is getting an immediate successor for Kolade, given the fact that his former deputy, Major- General Mammam Kontagora (rtd), who could have naturally stepped into his shoes, had died in May this year, a development which was said to have delayed the retirement of the committee chairman till this month.

According to the source, the presidency was still shopping for a replacement for Kontagora when Dr. Kolade moved to formalise his resignation in a letter.

In the letter (a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY), Kolade informed the President of his wish to step down as chairman of SURE-P latest by the end of November before his 81st birthday, which comes up in December.
The letter dated September 25 and entitled “Withdrawal from Chairmanship of the SURE-P Committee” reads: “I wish to inform you, respectfully, of my decision to resign from the position of Chairman of the SURE-P Committee.

“My desire is that the resignation should take effect as soon as Mr. President names a new chairman, but not later than the end of November, 2013.

“Mr. President, it has been a worthwhile experience for me to serve as chairman since the inauguration of the committee in February 2012. However, as I approach my 81st birthday, I wish to retire from the more time and energy consuming parts of my responsibilities and activities, one of which is the SURE-P Committee chairmanship.

“Mr. President, please accept my sincere thanks and appreciation for the opportunity to serve in the position of chairman, as well as my prayers for good progress and success for Nigeria in the years ahead.”

Kolade confirmed his resignation in an exclusive interview with THISDAY.

He stated that it was his desire to step aside before his 81st birthday, saying although he is still mentally and physically fit, time has come for him to attend to his private life and his family.

Although, the outgoing chairman cited old age and the attendant rigours of his schedule as reasons for stepping aside, a source said he may have been frustrated by the spate of rumours trailing his tenure as chairman of SURE-P despite his efforts to educate Nigerians on the true position of things.

According to a source, Kolade, who is a former chairman of Cadbury and former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, feels he has been ‘messed up’ and should take his leave.

He was said to have wept profusely last week at a review meeting of the committee and at one stage left the meeting before he was persuaded back.

Speaking on his resignation, he told THISDAY: “As at the time I was asked to come and take charge of the SURE-P, on the day that the President spoke to me, I was a few days away from my 79th birthday. So at the end of last year, I was 80 years old. I thank God that I’m strong, and in good health and my simple mind is still ticking over simply, but there comes a time when you are at my age that you ask yourself, is this what you should be doing now? Should you be spending your time at this moment fighting rumours and try to explain the same information many times?
“So, middle of this year, I went to the President and said to him, I want to leave but if you remember my deputy chairman then, Mamman Kontagora had just died.

So the President now agreed that he would appoint another deputy chairman and that I would work with this deputy chairman for a while so that the place is not suddenly empty. The deputy chairman dies, the chairman goes but that is what we have been working on and I have actually written a letter to the President to let him know that latest at the end of this month, I’m out of SURE-P. So, he has that letter.”

Kolade explained he decided to make his planned exit public in order to prevent another round of rumour.

“We feed on rumours and both in my family and in my religion they don’t like rumours. The letter was dated September 25, 2013. So if you hear or if rumour begins to indicate that I’m leaving, I want you to know that members of my committee already know that I’m going. So, it’s not a secret,” he stated.

When asked if his resignation was subject to the approval of the President, he explained that there is no going back on his decision to quit at the end of this month.


SOURCE: Thisdayonline

Sincere 9gerian:
The vultures and devils have chased yet another good and credible Nigerian out of govt with their relentless attacks, propaganda and rumours. And all these Just because some people dont like the face of the president or where he comes from?

Anyway, I wish Dr Christopher Kolade many more years of good and sound health

1025: before his resignation, was he able to tell nigerians the where about of the missing N500B? God bless him if he did otherwise, se him, see dying twice like that his brother ooo.
nigerians are paying from their nose to but fuel for their cars and generators both at work and at home then one responsible irresponsible elder comes in and walk out with some billions. God, u dey heaven ooo. U self know how much me and my family don contribute for this sure p that was projected to make nigeria a new japan. chai, if these ppl no bring back my money, agugu's case will be a child's play for wetin them go see.
resignation my foot. why won't he resign if he has gathered enough within this short period of time.
on the other hand, this man is just a smart thief. very brief stealing and he is ok. at least he has stolen enough to take care of his second generation but there others who started stealing over 40 years counting. why are they not resigning for others thieves to take over. u did two years acting pres... and 4 years full term, why not go home and enjoy ur loots make others come steal too? nigeria na ur own?

aieromon: Where are the missing funds? Who do we hold responsible?

pullyacap:

I agree with your summation. If one seeks to place the motive behind establishing the interventionist agency side by side with present realities/scorecard of its performance,one needs to herbalist to tell one that the agency hasn't fared well at all on its mandate

And the fact the 2015 is in the horizon,SURE-P is no doubt one of the agencies through which humongous and unverifiable contracts would be channelled with a view to building a warchest to prosecute the election. Baba Kolade must have seen through all these shenanigans and decided to call it quits now that the Ovation is still salvageable citing old-age of course as a DECOY!

theoctopus:

We will hold you responsible! Please go and find the missing funds or you will be blocked from NL till 2019!

pullyacap: The SURE-P job is an albatross no one wants around his/her neck now. Owing to the fact that the intervention the money accruing from excess petroleum product pump price can hardly be felt! A man of Integrity will think twice before taking up that job as the government might not give you the free hand to deploy the resources so generated to the core areas of need.

Why I Resigned As SURE-P Chairman - Christopher Kolade

November 25, 2013



The Chairman of Subsidy Re- investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Chief Christopher Kolade, has resigned his appointment following issues of financial and performance credibility surrounding the programme.

Kolade, whose resignation has been accepted by the Presidency, in a monitored programme on AIT said he had to ask himself if he was really discharging his duties as SURE-P chairman given the many controversies that have beset the programme.

The former Cadbury Plc boss said that he agreed to chair SURE-P because he saw it as an avenue to serve the people and his profile would give credibility to the programme given the historic mistrust of people towards government projects.

The Senate ad-hoc committee on SURE-P had accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of mismanaging N500 billion that ought to have accrued to the programme.

But the Federal Government has denied the report saying the N500 billion went to states and local governments for implementing smaller versions of the SURE-P.

sako28: I know baba too well. We are family friends and discuss with him on national issues every time i visit him. GEJ woke him up with phone to inform him he was the only person he can trust with SURE-P project. Baba is prudent in his ways. He is a Senior Pastor. And one thing i learn from him is no matter how high u are honor God. Baba never miss mid week and Sunday services. And He preaches at least one Sunday in a month at any branch his church ask him to go. When i saw him and his wife some Sundays back in church i almost shield tears of joy. He came in his E-class and enter church like a normal pastor. Happy Birthday in advance baba. God Bless u. And thank You for your word of truth and advise to the youth,