Former chairman of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, Christopher Kolade, on Monday, said he resigned his position in 2013 because its operations were becoming tainted with corruption and politics, thereby losing its credibility.
He said some officials of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan were practicing “something that was lower than the transparency”, different from what the interventionist agency initiated for.
He said he met resistance when he raised the issues as he was overruled by some powerful forces within the administration.
He spoke on Channels Television Programme, “Views from the top” anchored by Modele Sarafa-Yusuf.
Mr. Kolade, 83, quit his position as chairman of SURE-P in November 2013, citing advanced age at the time.
He said having attained 80 years; he wanted to slow on energy-demanding activities.
“I explained in the letter (to the president) that having done this SURE-P programme for two years and because within the next month I would be clocking 81, I am giving up some activities that take my energy,” he said.
The former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom was appointed head of the SURE-P in February 2012 by Mr. Jonathan, after nationwide protests following the hike in the prices of petroleum products.
The SURE-P was mandated to convert saved fuel subsidy money into jobs, roads and other people-oriented programmes.
The media had speculated in 2013 that Mr. Kolade resigned due to corruption at the SURE-P.
Speaking on the TV programme, Mr. Kolade said he left his position because “he realized that some of the values and standards agreed on in the beginning had become diluted”.
He said he found out that some of the decisions the agency was making did not meet up with the standard they had set it up for.
“The government realized people would not believe what they were saying,” Mr. Kolade said.
“And the President said ‘we need to gain credibility with the people in this programme. So we believe that if you and your committee can manage this thing transparently in accordance with what we agreed, then that credibility will be there’.
“Now that’s fine. But when I discovered that there were individuals in the system that were practicing something that was lower than the transparency that we went in with, I raised the issues. And I discovered that political affiliations and things made this difficult.”
The former SURE-P boss cited an instance when the agency decided to employ 5000 youth from every state of the federation.
According to him, when it commenced the process it was told the arrangement it adopted was not acceptable.
He said, “We started by saying that we would offer employment to 5000 youths from every state. Of course if you are sitting in Abuja, and you want to identify 5000 youths in all the states, it is difficult unless you involve people who are on the spot.
“Now, it was the feeling of our committee, led by me, that to identify people in the states, we needed people who were politically neutral. In other words, get civil servants to go in there and say according to the criteria you‘ve agreed, these are the 5000 youths from this state. But we were told that would not be acceptable.
“So something was set up called State Implementation Committees made up mainly of people with political affiliations with one party or the other. When that was brought into play, I pointed out that I feared this would politicize what we were trying to do. And that therefore I felt we should take politicians out of this. But I was overruled by those who had the power to overrule me.
“And then, it started happening. I got complaints from Abia state, from Ekiti state that many of the youths being recruited into the programme were supporters of party A or party B and I went back, and said what I suspected is beginning to happen.
“So we need to kill this thing right away and go back to what we agreed. Now, somehow, we couldn’t do that. And for me, if you destroy the foundation on which you are setting up something like that, if you feel that credibility is the key to success in this thing, and then you undermine credibility by politicizing the issues, you are shooting yourself on the foot. And I’m not very good at shooting in the foot because I find out I can’t walk very well after that.”


www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/189652-real-reason-i-resigned-from-jonathans-govt-as-sure-p-chairman-christopher-kolade.html

Pa Kolade,why do U bother to resigned @ 80/81ys old?U for continue till U reach 95 yrs old sir cos there's No youth that can do it in perfect way.How come jona isn't aware of the monumental corruption going on in his govt ?saTANist,I weak oo .Jona won't escape Kirikiri

It is common knowledge that corruption was the norm while decency, integrity and accountability became the exception under Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan always frowned at the good guys while empowering the worst and morally bankrupt in the land.

WAILING WAILERS OVER TO YOU !

Interesting and revealing

the man left when SURE-P started transforming into a scam in line with Gej's transformation agenda...

wise move...

Wailers association food as come as usual come and eat. Pa kolade has finished your dunce demmy god the clueless one! !!!!

Why is kolade tainting his integrity for a pot of portage from APC and Buhari? This is a man who opened his mouth publicly to say that pressure from families made him to quit. Stating that his family considered his old age which needed not to be stressed up. Why now misinforming Nigerians? Does kolade think we have forgotten?

Naija

Christopher Kolade should zip it . He was warned not to roll with those lot.

Its only in this our dear country, that you will see an old man want to finish eating the pot of soup with you, even down to licking what's left in the innermost part of the pot, which is a ritual for children. And if you there refuse him this selfish request, he will wash his hands and with his teeth stained with the colour of the soup, he will tell your relatives that he only took one spoonful, because the soup was bitter.
Mr Kolade, what makes someone a whistleblower, is if he informs the media and people of the nefarious activities of the organization he is a part of, when he is still a part of the organization, not after. Also, it won't have been too much of a task to show DOCUMENTATIVE evidence of all the corrupt practices that drove you to resign from the commission.
The most likely thing that happened is that you were forced to resign when the government noticed you were developing KLEPTOMANIAC tendencies with your position, but out of respect for your position in the society, kept it quiet. A privilege which you have now chosen to abuse.