The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has cautioned  the Presidency against plans to replace the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-
P) Implementation Committee members in the state.

The party said it got wind of plans by the Presidency to replace members of the SURE-P committee with people “whose only qualities are membership of PDP.”

It warned 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.”

The APC in a statement by its state’s publicity secretary, Alh Sulyman Buhari said the Presidency has short-listed names of people whose only qualifications are membership of the Peoples Democratic Party as possible replacement for members of SURE-P Implementation Committee as presently constituted.”

The party described the plan as highly political, warning 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.

It added: “Primarily, the objectives of SURE-P as inaugurated by Federal Government on February 13, 2012 are to provide palliatives to ease the pains of the 2012 fuel price increase, to improve the living conditions of the people and restore people’s confidence in the government.

As presently constituted, the palliatives from SURE-P are grossly insufficient to ease the hardship suffered by the good people of Kwara state from the hike of fuel price to N97 per litre from N65 per litre.

“The planned politicisation of SURE-P in Kwara State must, therefore, be halted in the interests of the good people of Kwara state. And President Goodluck Jonathan should not be seen as using his good office to trade the interventionist scheme on the altar of political patronage.

“On the security situation of Nigeria, despite the vigorous efforts of the security operatives, it is crystal clear that our country is still faced with huge challenges. The leadership and members of our party empathise with families of the abducted girls at Chibok, Borno state as they are perpetually despondent and destabilised as regards the whereabouts of their wards.

“We  appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently seek full cooperation of the international community – especially those that share our borders to end terrorism, especially, in the rescue mission of the over 200 abducted girls,” the party said.