AMID simmering controversy, the nation's cost economists ' the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) ' has called on the Federal Government to apply appropriate costing methodologies, value engineering and reporting to ensure transparency in the reinvestment of the subsidy savings.The surveyors argued that the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) Programme could potentially contribute to closing Nigeria's crippling infrastructure gap and lay the foundation of strong economic growth and diversification, if properly utilised.NIQS President, Mr. Agele Alufohai in its submission tagged, 'The Imperative Of Incorporating Costing Capacity In Subsidy Reinvestment Programme As An Objective Tool For Ensuring Transparency' stressed that positive outcome depends both on government sincerity and more importantly, the vigilance of civil society groups such as professional associations, labour unions, the media, and student unions.'As a body of professional cost economists, the NIQS enjoins both the government and these society groups to embrace the discipline of costing that utilises appropriate costing methodologies and planning, value studies, value management, value engineering and reporting, to ensure rigour and transparency in the reinvestment of the subsidy savings,' Alufohai said.He further added that it is imperative that costing practices and standards, which are routine and mandatory requirements in public construction works in all well-governed countries, are incorporated into the monitoring and evaluation of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme.'The Subsidy Reinvestment funds should not be spent 'before' the design of appropriate costing methodologies, value studies, value management, value engineering and value reporting which represents an objective tool to secure transparency and accountability, which is far superior to guarantees provided by the reputations of individuals, no matter how distinguished.'The Institute (NIQS) and its regulatory Board Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) will stand and enter into professional indemnity with the SURE Programme Board to guarantee the quality, diligence and professional integrity of the registered quantity surveyors that will be appointed to render professional consultancy technical services in the area of financial and project management in the SURE Programme; while we encourage Nigerian professional and regulatory bodies to also join us in this as a means of fostering the local content agenda'This will ensure a high degree of public confidence, and guarantee that the economic and social goals of the programme are delivered.We call on President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Christopher Kolade, Chairman of the Board of the SURE Programme, to make sure that subsidy reinvestment funds are not spent before rigorous costing procedures and capacities are fully in place.'As part its recommendation NIQS wants the design and governance of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme to include the reduction of the subsidy on fuel and the investment of the associated savings in social and physical infrastructure that could make our economy more productive, assist the creation of jobs and improve the incomes and livelihoods of poor Nigerians.NIQS explained that this to a significant extent, reverses the severe neglect of infrastructure that is inherent in budgets that allocate up to 74 per cent of expenditure to consumption and involve borrowing almost 25 per cent of all government expenditure to fund the waste and corruption the fuel subsidy promotes.Alufohai, while making the position of NIQS clear said, 'While the benefits of the fuel subsidy is concentrated in a few cities and amongst more privileged socio-economic classes, the benefits of investing in roads, bridges, railways and other modern mass transit systems, agricultural infrastructure, etc will greatly ease the transportation of goods and people all over the country, thus making the economy much more productive.'These infrastructure investments, if closely monitored and transparently implemented, will enhance access to the products of rural areas and boost incomes, we call on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Board of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme to go further and specifically design and fund social interventions in health and education for rural dwellers and the urban poor.'Since the success of reinvestment of the fuel subsidy (which has promoted waste and corruption) depends on absolute transparency, we call on all civil society and professional groups to demand iron-cast transparent mechanisms to ensure that subsidy reinvestment funds are used to transform Nigeria's infrastructure rather than the fortunes of people who are close to the government.'We believe that the SURE Programme Design and Governance Structure offers a realistic opportunity for civil society and professional groups to engage the board, which has the mandate of monitoring and evaluation, and ensure that the subsidy reinvestment is used to impact the lives of our long suffering citizens.'This is particularly critical for core civil engineering projects such as roads, ports, and railway construction, if Nigerians are to regard the promise of insulating SURE funds from corruption as a sincere one, which symbolises a total departure from business as usual.
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