Weekends in Dallas are always packed with activities. Last week was not an exception. With Saturday and Sun-day meetings already planned, I attended three events on Friday night after a daylong 2014 Re-search in Mathematics Education (RME) Conference with a captivating theme of Transitioning to the New TEKS: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment at Southern Methodist University. The night began with my attendance at the planning committee for the roasting event in my honor scheduled on July 12, 2014. Soon after that, I made appearances at two wake-keeping events. At one of them, I was privileged to encounter Hon. Chief Longers Anyanwu, Chairman, Imo State Subsidy Reinvestment & Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), who invited me, to his hotel the following day where we had candid conversation. During our discussion and his subsequent address to the members of the Privilege International Club (PIC), a club that refects Nigeria at its best with member-ship that comprised of all tribal groups, Chief Anyanwu heralded the government’s transformation agenda.
Chief Anyanwu, said that his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan was one of the steps towards the reorganization of SURE-P to ensure that the objectives of the federal government reached the targeted grassroots to further drive the trans-formation agenda of the president. He emphasized the urgent need to increase job creation and infrastructural development throughout the federation. He said, since his appointment, the SURE-P in Imo State now has -employed youths and women, who engage in sanitary and security activities with a monthly stipend of N10,000. Anyanwu said that to help him ensure ery household in the state and the jobs are actually done, he employed LGA Coordinators and Ward Supervisors (community-based model) who receive N20,000 and N18,000, respectively, per month. Anyanwu said SURE-P will put the administration of President Jonathan in a palliative light. He said, “I believe strongly that SURE-P is one sustainable legacy President Jonathan will be remembered for.”
“The program is targeted to solving the social problems associated with unemployment and poverty,” he said, citing that poverty alleviation and targeting the poorest of the poor, especially women and youth are the hallmark of the program. “Before now the oil-rich Nigeria has been carrying on as if the rich are the only people who are born to from the oil resources and the poor will just bear the brunt of the tax and the cost of the subsidy,” “President Jonathan’, he added, has shown in his wisdom and vision as a reformer and game-changer to change the direction so that the downtrodden will now ben- subsidy.” Continuing, Anyanwu further said, “After 100 years as a country, this is the only sustainable welfare package that comes directly from the government to the grassroots; conceived to touch every household in Nigeria, irrespective of religious or political leaning.”
“I am commit-ted to the translation of the pro-gram as a result we are seeing evidential testimony—people feeling the impact of President’s transformation agenda,” Anyanwu excited told the crowd. “President in his wisdom realized that oil revenue has not reached the common man,” he emphasized pointing that President Jonathan was “courageous to remove the subsidy” in phases. “The savings from the subsidy, which was going to the rich, but now is reinvested in building railroads and road networks, as well as empowering youth and women through employment,” Longers said. He indicated that funds from SURE-P will be used to fund the construction of the second Niger Bridge. He further stated that the government has funds have been approved by the National Assembly.
While addressing the Privilege Club, he stressed that Nigeria is strategically positioned with recognizable abundance of resource. He reminded the audience that it’s only morning in Nigeria and every Nigerian, no matter his or her geographic location should participate in building the nation. “The only thing that binds us together is we are from Nigeria,” Anyanwu told the crowd. “You are stakeholders of project Nigeria,” he continued assuring that “all hope is not lost in Nigeria.” against it?” he asked. “I want to see your group as not against Nigeria,” he stated scanning the audience with his eyes. “You have to stand up for our country irrespective of the image being portrayed by others,” he advised.
He indicated that many people have been trying to destabilize the country since President Jonathan be-came president. These people have utilized all kinds of tactics A case in point is “Boko Haram,” he expressed. He said, “Boko Haram is another language for we are born to rule and no one can rule us.” In a strong voice, Anyanwu said, Goodluck Jonathan should be given a chance to contest and not be intimidated or muscled out.” “If Nigeria could not succumb to the 1804 Jihad, it can’t succumb this time to the current actions and carnage of Boko Haram,” he concluded.
Reacting to Anyanwu’s address, Mr. Everest Okolo, a member of PIC said, “He was informative on how the politics of Nigeria works.” “We got a great insight; he opened the doors of communication and investment oppor-tunities for us as he encouraged members to work with Nigeria,” “Anyanwu opened my eyes on Boko Haram and its emergence as a terrorist group in Nigeria,” Okolo concluded.
Well, there is no doubt that Boko Haram’s carnage has reached an alarming level and every effort and assistance, particularly from the United States is urgently needed to wage a winning war against the terrorist group. Nigeria and the U.S. have a shared interest in terrorism. In order to completely subdue and eventually eradicate Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group, Nigeria needs the assistance of the United States, who has enormous experience and matter where they are.
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