Date: 2014-11-21

Kwara state coordinator of Sure-P, Barrister Moses Ibiyemi, escaped being lynched on Wednesday when over 2000 beneficiaries of the project stormed his Federal Secretariat Fate office, Ilorin protesting non-payment of six months salaries.

The aggrieved beneficiaries who started their protest from Oja-Oba, where they attempted to see the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari,  marched through Post Office, Maraba to the NDE office of the state coordinator, Fate road at 11.37 am but had bolted away.

The beneficiaries who took their protest to the seat of government, Government House, Ilorin accused the state coordinator of politicizing the project as those identified to be supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were being victimized on payment of their N10,000 monthly salaries.

They complained that eight of the local government coordinators who did not defect to the APC but remained with the PDP were being paid their regular allowances.

The placard carrying protesters said the project which was not conceived on the basis of politics, religion or ethnic consideration was now infected with politics by the coordinator.

Their placards read among others “stop Ibiyemi from embezzlement”, “Sure-P job not for PDP” members only” “Ibiyemi don’t cause trouble, pay sure-P money” “Sure-P is for Nigerian masses, stop using politics”.

Sure-P coordinator for Irepodun Local Government Area, and secretary of the coordinators’ forum, Mr. David Abifarin lamented that Ibiyemi was playing politics with the stipends of the beneficiaries.

He said Ibiyemi at a secret meeting with 16 local government coordinators lured eight of them to join

the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) while eight declined, hence their predicament since late last year.

Among those who declined and led Wednesday’s protest, were Alhaji Abubakar Sikiru, Alhaji Dikko, Alhaji Mumeen Issa, Alhaja Risikat Atoyebi, Mr. David Abifarin, Alhaji Muhammed Umar Bapa, Mr. Iyanda Abdulraheem and Alhaji Abdulateef Ahmed.

Alhaji Sikiru informed The Herald that they had earlier lodged their grievances with the state police command and the state head office of the state security service intimating them of their action.

At about 12 noon two police patrol vans stormed the Fate area to restore normalcy even though the protest was peaceful, the beneficiaries refused to listen to the police officer DSP Kehinde Oluwole who said he was from the state police commissioner.

He attempted to calm the protesters and advised them not to allow hoodlums hijack the peaceful protest, even as the police agreed to follow them to their next port of call, Government House.

However reacting to the development, Ibiyemi who spoke on phone to The Herald denied owing any beneficiary because “we pay in arrears”.

Addressing the protesters after one of their leaders, Alhaji Dikko had presented their grievances to the government at the Government House, the Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kisira who commended them for their peaceful conduct, promised to relay their feelings to the governor.

Addressing the protesters at the Government House, Ilorin, the state Deputy Governor, Elder Peter Kisira thanked the SURE-P beneficiaries for the peaceful demonstration and advised them to remain calm, promising that their issue will be addressed by the concerned authority.

Elder Kisira called on the state co-ordinator of SURE-P to utilIse whatever was allocated to the state for the benefit of entire members of the state irrespective of political consideration.

He assured that the government would look into their grievances and summon the state coordinator with a view to resolving the problem.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State chapter has described the Subsidy Re-Investment & Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the Presidency as a ‘failed scheme’ in the State.

The party was reacting to the protest rally held in Ilorin on Wednesday by SURE-P beneficiaries against the management of SURE-P in the State.

A statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, said, “the hitherto struggling SURE-P scheme in Kwara State has snowballed to a failed scheme”.

“With the issues raised by SURE-P beneficiaries on non-payment of stipends, mismanagement of SURE-P funds and politicisation of SURE-P. It is convincingly clear that the Kwara State Coordinator of SURE-P, Mr. Moses Ibiyemi has irresponsibly defied our earlier warning in August, 2014 that “any attempt to reduce SURE-P to a PDP affair, in an environment where 25 political parties exist, will perfectly mess up the struggling scheme”.

“Now, the hitherto struggling SURE-P scheme in Kwara State has snowballed to a failed scheme.

“Or how better can anyone describe a situation whereby PDP membership card is now a clearance to receive monthly stipends of SURE-P in Kwara State?

This is the same scheme whose first objective is, “To mitigate the immediate impact of the partial petroleum subsidy removal on the population by laying a foundation for the successful development of a national safety net programme that targets the poor and vulnerable on a continuous basis”.

“What in this world would be Mr Moses Ibiyemi’s justification for non-payment of stipends to thousands SURE-P beneficiaries, for 6 months, when all Kwarans still purchase Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the rate of N97/litre or more?

“The issues raised on the management of SURE-P in Kwara State by the victimised beneficiaries are genuine and veritable. Obviously, these are issues that can’t be swept under the carpet by the boastful rantings and mere denial of Mr Moses Ibiyemi. He will certainly face the consequences of his actions and divisive policies.

“Mr Ibiyemi’s divisive actions in the management of SURE-P in Kwara State has climaxed to a disturbing and dangerous level that fuels communal anger and crises within Kwara State.

“It is imperative at this point for President Goodluck Jonathan and the Presidency to call Mr Moses Ibiyemi to order. This is necessary to forestall a situation whereby Kwara State is thrown into inter-communal crises in the guise of SURE-P.”, the statement read.