Our Reporter
The UK Guardian on Tuesday commended the noble works of Nigeria’s Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, saying the VP has been phenomenal in the last six years since he mounted the saddle in May 2015 as the deputy of Nigeria’s incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
In an article dated March 30, 2021 and authored by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, the UK Guardian said, “In the past few years, Nigeria’s current deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, has defied the normal expectations by spearheading a number of projects aimed at making life a bit easier for people in a country where daily existence is hard.”
In the piece titled, ‘Osinbajo defies expectations as Nigeria’s vice-president’, the respected UK media group lauded Osinbajo for spearheading many impactful projects such as the Ease of Doing Business, Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, National Social Register, amongst others.
Aside the UK Guardian, another British news group, the BBC, in an article stated how as a “former law professor, the vice-president comes across as quiet, unassuming and hardworking”.
Many Nigerians have since described Osinbajo as the best Vice President Nigeria ever had, especially since the return to democracy in 1999.
Many analysts have also applauded Buhari for creating the space for such a reliable deputy like Osinbajo.
Responding to the story by the UK Guardian, a Twitter user, Prince Momoh, wrote, “I actually read the analysis, I have nothing to say, a fantastic analysis at that, I just want to say, Osinbajo: Continue to do your great work.”
Momoh is one of the many amazing responses that greeted the UK paper’s commendation of the vice-president and one cannot but agree that the professor of law should continue with his great work.
In fact, many Nigerians have described Osinbajo as the best Vice President Nigeria ever had. Not only has he brought vigour and vitality to the Office of Nigeria’s Vice Presidency, Osinbajo has redefined the role with his foresight and far reaching impact in improving governance as President’s Buhari’s deputy.
Analysts will concede that the President himself deserves commendation for creating the space for such a reliable deputy like Osinbajo.
Responding to the story by the UK Guardian, a Twitter user, Prince Momoh, wrote, “I actually read the analysis, I have nothing to say, a fantastic analysis at that, I just want to say, Osinbajo: Continue to do your great work.”
Momoh is one of the many amazing responses that greeted the UK paper’s commendation of the vice-president and one cannot but agree that the professor of law should continue with his great work.
In fact, some analysts have also described Osinbajo as the engine room of the Buhari government. With the impact of socio-economic programmes and initiatives driven by the VP, only a few of the harshest critics would argue with this description.
Of recent is the Economic Sustainability Plan, which was conceptualised and drafted by the Osinbajo-led Economic Sustainability Committee, as mandated by President Buhari.
In March 2020, the President approved the N2.3 trillion ESP, a stimulus plan (as recommended by the VP Osinbajo-led Committee) to mitigate the socio-economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to safeguard jobs.
Since then the ESP, through different components like the Survival Fund, Social Housing, Agriculture schemes, etc, has helped Nigeria to exit recession and effectively respond to the fallout of the global pandemic.
A top Nigerian journalist, who writes frequently for international publications pleaded anonymity, but concluded like this after reading the London Guardian article: “this positive article is exactly what VP deserves. Many of us wanted to report similarly but feared that it would attract negative attention from jealous political competitors.”
A top official in Abuja however observed that, “what is clear then is that the profile of a top achieving deputy may no longer be something to be concealed in a continent where people-oriented leadership is sometimes hard to come by.”
