ABUJA – The Chairman, Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, said the Programme would support the Nigeria Police in the provision of healthcare facilities.
Agwai made the disclosure when he received the Inspector-General of Police, Sulaiman Abba, in his office in Abuja.
He said the dearth of health facilities in the past had reduced the health status of members of the police force.
He added that the laudable programmes carried out by SURE-P had attracted the attention of many government organisations.
According to him, the intervention fund by government through SURE-P contributed to infrastructure development in the country.
Agawi noted that the SURE-P Maternal and Child health programme had led to reduction of maternal mortality and other health challenges.
He said SURE-P had also contributed to the reduction in HIV/AIDS mother to child transmission through its numerous sensitisation and provision of drugs.
The SURE-P boss said although the Programme did not determine the type of projects to be executed, it would support the force in identified areas of health care.
He noted that at inception, SURE-P had its activities in eight programmes, adding that the agency now runs 14 different programmes aimed at delivering dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
Agwai said the Federal Government, through SURE-P, contributed to the reduction of polio by sponsoring various immunisation programmes in the country.
SURE-P would identify areas where it could assist the Nigerian police in its subsequent health programmes, he added.
He, however, expressed concern on the declining nature continue of SURE-P’S annual budget based on the fall of price of crude oil in the international market.
He said the decline was affecting the budget allocation of SURE-P, especially in carrying out its projects.
The chairman said the management of the subsidy-reinvestment programme would ensure prudent use of funds in spite of the cut in budget allocation.
Earlier, the Inspector -General of Police had told Luther-Agwai that SURE-P played an important role in the lives of Nigerians through its numerous programmes.
Represented by AIG Grace Okudo, Abba said the Programme had delivered dividends of democracy to many Nigerians and assisted in reducing poor health indices in the country.
Abba said the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) of SURE-P had impacted greatly on the nation, noting that the visit was to seek the organisation’s support in improving the healthcare of more than 350,000 police officers in the country.
He said the partnership with SURE-P would greatly impact on the police officers and their immediate family members in the area of provision of health facilities.
He said the management of the Nigerian police had identified strategic health plan geared toward providing robust health care for members of the force.
The IGP listed the areas that the force needed the support of SURE-P as health care centres, mobile clinics and provision of ambulances.
He said the force was in need of medical laboratory equipment, quality assurance training for laboratory scientists, general surgical equipment, among others.