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Tag: Acting President Yemi Osinbajo

  • Buhari treats me like his son, says Osinbajo

    Buhari treats me like his son, says Osinbajo

    …Says Buhari believes Nigeria has limitless capacity to boost Small, Medium Enterprises

     

     

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that that President Muhammadu Buhari has been treating him like his son in the last two years.

    He made the remark at the launch of the Katsina State’s MSMES Clinic in Katsina.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the gathering included small scale businesses, industry and stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

    Reflecting on the personal and official relationships between him and the President in last two years, Osinbajo said “The President has been treating me as a brother. In fact the President has taken me as a son in the way he treats me.

    “Going by the amount of responsibilities President Buhari has given me, it shows that he seriously believes that we can live as brothers in this country.

    “He seriously believes in the unity of Nigeria. I pray the Lord will preserve our President to continue to lead us just as the nation has voted him to do.” he stated

    Osinbajo said that President Buhari believed that Nigeria’s capacity is limitless in terms of what it can produce.

    He said “When he gave the 2017 budget speech in December 2016, the President said the central vision of our government is to grow everything that we would eat and to make everything we would use.”

    Prof. Osinbajo averred that the Federal Government’s newly launched Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (EGRP) places high premium on the nation’s capacity to grow it’s export potentials rather than continue on the unsustainable path of total dependence on import.

    He said the focus of the Plan that is to develop “the capacity of Nigerians to do everything that we need internally; to become a net exporter of the various things that we are importing today.”

    Explaining Federal Government’s reason for the inauguration of the MSMEs Clinics that is now going round major cities of the country, Prof Osinbajo said that it was designed to give small businesses the opportunity “to meet with the industry regulators, to talk to them and to hear their problems”

    He added that he was so excited to see not only business men but women who are focussed and serious about their businesses.

    He explained that the idea of the MSMES clinics which he has personally attended for the fourth time now is the Buhari administration’s effort to close the gap between MSMES and relevant FG regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, CAC, SON, BOI, FIRS and others and ensure that those agencies become facilitators of businesses and not obstacles to business development.

    The Acting President in Katsina had earlier paid a visit to the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, also spoke about his close relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari at the palace reception saying “one of the reasons why I feel very much at home in Katsina State is because this is the State of our President, President Muhammadu Buhari, who has taken me more like a brother; in fact sometimes more like a son than a Vice President.”

    He commended the Government and people of Katsina State for being a role model in terms of peaceful co-existence of all ethnic tribes and religions in the State.

    Prof Osinbajo who declared the MSMEs Clinic open, was accompanied to Katsina by the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler and Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

    He also spoke about the imperative of a one indivisible and united Nigeria, emphasizing that the nation’s diversity is its strength and noted that “Katsina State is the home of a United Nigeria.”

     

  • Osinbajo congratulates France President – Elect

    Osinbajo congratulates France President – Elect

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his election as the next President of France.

    In a congratulatory letter to the President-elect, Prof. Osinbajo said he received the news of the election of the 39-year old Macron with satisfaction, noting that under successive governments, the relations between Nigeria and France had blossomed.

    The Acting President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, expressed the optimism that the incoming government will further strengthen the bond of friendship between both countries.

    Under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo said that there has been a very close collaboration between Nigeria and France in the war against terror as he commended the role played by France in the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the regional initiative against terrorism.

    He observed that Macron’s election is a source of inspiration especially for the French people and portends a greater future in which the French Republic will continue to play its active role boosting relations with Europe, Africa and the rest of the world.

    The Acting President noted that the Buhari administration is looking forward to working closely with President-elect Macron to promote international cooperation, advance peace and security, consolidate mutual trade relations and strengthen economic partnership for the benefit of citizens of both countries.

  • Presidency, Reps parley to end recession

    Presidency, Reps parley to end recession

    The Presidency on Thursday met with members of the House of Representatives on how to get Nigeria out of recession.

    The closed- door meeting was held in the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the State House, Abuja.

    The lawmakers, who are members of the Tactical Committee on Recession, were led by Committee Chairman, Dr. Bode Ayorinde.

    The meeting aimed at promoting cordiality and progressive synergy between the National Assembly and the Presidency, had in attendance the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma.

    The vice president, during the meeting called on political leaders in the country to commit themselves to doing something collectively and individually that can alter the ways things are done in Nigeria for good.

    A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said Osinbajo also urged the leaders to use their positions to effect changes that would benefit the citizenry.

    He stressed that leadership was a call to service.

    He said: “How many people will get this kind of opportunity we have to lead? The opportunity to serve is one that must be taken seriously and used for the common good.’’

    On corruption, and its attendant abnormality in matters of development, the vice president said “it is in our interest to deal with corruption, this is not moralising, it is an existential threat, it a survival issue.”

    “`We need to address the fundamentals of that abnormality. If we do not address it, no matter what we say, things won’t work.

    “I think it is very important, especially for us who are in government today either as legislature or executive. We have to address this issue, it is a fundamental issue; everywhere in the world, even where they do not have the problems we have, they are addressing the issue.”

     

  • Aishat Buhari greets Osinbajo’s at 60th

    Aishat Buhari greets Osinbajo’s at 60th

    Members of cabinet on Wednesday wished Acting President Yemi Osinbajo happy 60th birthday anniversary.

    They sang a birthday song for him after the rendition of the National anthem and opening prayers by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and Head of Service, Mrs. Ekanem Oyo-Ita.

    As the Acting President was about to take his seat for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to begin, the cabinet members remained standing and sang the birthday song.

    After the songs and good wishes, Osinbajo replied with a prayer for the cabinet members.

    He said: “For the young men and women who are below 60, I pray that you will soon be 60. For those who are 60, I pray that you be 120 and above in Jesus name, Amen.”

    Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, in her Twitter handle, also wished Osinbajo happy Birthday.

    She said: “On the occasion of the birthday of Your Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Ag. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to extend my congratulations to you and to state that the years you have spent building your reputation in multiple capacities have today resulted in your ability to carry out your duties in line with the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that a better Nigeria is realized. Congratulations and Happy Birthday”

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  • Buhari working for Niger Delta interest, says IYC

    Buhari working for Niger Delta interest, says IYC

    The new leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, Tuesday, said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was genuinely committed and willing to work for the interests of the Niger Delta region.

    The council led by Eric Omare said the youths in the region were elated at the recent directive by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that International Oil Companies (IOCs) should relocate their headquarters to Niger Delta.

    The IYC in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Mr. Henry Iyalla, commended the Acting President for the directive and said it was one of the demands it presented to the Presidency in 2016.

    Iyalla said: “We hail the acting President for conceding to our demand. This move shows that the Muhamadu Buhari-led Federal Government is responsive, dedicated, and willing to work in the interest of the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria as a whole.

    “Furthermore, we wish to assure the IOC’s of the cooperation of host communities and our commitment to ensure a safe, secure, and conducive atmosphere for a smooth running of their operations.

    “Moving forward, we enjoin the Federal Government and the IOC’s to as a matter of necessity involve the IYC in its plans and arrangements towards the implementation of this exercise to enable us render our valued  contribution in decisions been made to ensure all parties are satisfied during the exercise.

    “We are committed to seeing the realization of this in the shortest possible time and enjoin the IOC’s to work within a time frame acceptable to the IYC”.

  • We won’t relax vigilance against Boko Haram, says Osinbajo 

    We won’t relax vigilance against Boko Haram, says Osinbajo 

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday said that the Nigerian security agencies will keep up vigilance against Boko Haram terrorists.

    Noting that the terrorists have been degraded, he said that they still carry out suicide bomb attacks against soft targets.

    Fielding questions from journalists after receiving briefings from Service Chiefs, Osinbajo said “‎As you know the Boko Haram as a military force has been degraded, they are not holding territory at the moment; our armed forces have been able to dislodge them from practically all territories they were holding in the past.

    “What is happening now is just once in a while attacks by suicide bombers. By the nature of asymmetric warfare we are not able to say it has ended now. But I think that militarily they have been contained, there is no question at all that Boko Haram as a fighting force has been degraded.

    “We are still vigilant because of their capacity to do damage with suicide bombers. I am very satisfied with what the military has done so far.‎ And the briefing has shown graphically that they are really on top of their game and that they are doing excellently well in the north east.” he added

    He explained that the fact that he received the security briefing did not mean that President Muhammadu Buhari will not return soon.

    According to him, the security briefings are routine.

    He said; “No no no! Almost every month these briefings are held, it is routine and it is the president who puts in place this whole idea of regular briefing. It is even more important that we do so because of some of the issues arising like the cases of kidnappings and I wanted the IG to inform us fully.

    “Besides, the President is a process person and certainly I am going to speak with him here on developments here. So it is not an indication of anything. It is only an indication that we are committed ‎to the security of the nation.  The primary duty of government is to ensure lives and properties and that is why we have to be regularly briefed.

    “‎The good thing is that our men are going extraordinarily well in the north east and that Southern Kaduna has also been contained. The peace building process is also going on very well.” he added

    Minister of Defence said “We have trashed most of the security issues that concerns the country at the meeting including the Southern Kaduna and the North East and other parts of the country.

    On whether Nigeria is now safe, he said “Nigeria is very safe and I believe with the concept of the security agencies, all the security challenges have been surmounted.”

  • Osinbajo inaugurates Private Sector Advisory Group for SDGs

    Osinbajo inaugurates Private Sector Advisory Group for SDGs

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday inaugurated the Private Sector Advisory Group for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the event marks the beginning of the unique partnership between the public and private sector.

    He said that he believed that Nigerian elite, including political, business and religious, have a responsibility to ensure that things are done fundamental for the Nigerian society.

    He said: “Everywhere in the world, it is that elite that have always make a difference in the societies. Those are the ones responsible for transformation.

    “Many of the societies that have been truly transformed have done so when their elite decided that it was necessary to do so.

    “Sometimes, when you look at our situation, you think that it is necessary to force the political and private sector elite together to do something. But the truth is that whether or not we recognize it formally, they are doing things together whether it is for good or ill. The important thing is to recognize that we have an important role to play.

    “We have decided as an elite in this country that wealth is a measure of worth. It is a decision we made consciously or unconsciously.

    “The political elite have decided that wealth is a measure of worth and that is why you find so much corruption among the political elite. Even the religious elite believe that it is a blessing of God.

    “There are some societies that have decided that the value of human beings is in their contribution to the society. Those societies, of course, have done better than those who have decided that wealth, no matter how it was obtained, is a measure of worth.

    “I think is important if our elite decide that dealing with poverty is worth the while and that it will measure whether or not we are serious about our society.” he said

    He said that there is an enormous responsibility placed upon elite to do something about the millions of the extremely poor Nigerians.

    “This is how we are going to be measured. At the end of our lives, the question that will be asked is what is the impact that we made on people’s lives. Nobody will be measured by how much money we made or the positions we held.

    “A lot of our people in this country hand their hopes on us. They look up to us and believe we can do it and despite all the failures and the false starts, our people especially the poor and the vulnerable still believe that these elite will and can deliver.

    “Let us therefore take this as a personal responsibility to our people to do something profound that will make a huge difference in the lives of our people.

    “This is why I am so excited about this coming together of the public and private sector to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are realized in our time and that nobody is left behind.” he added

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, described the inauguration of the PSAG as a landmark event.

    She noted that Nigeria was the first United Nations member state to do so.

    According to her, it was a renewed partnership between business and government at the highest levels to build the consensus needed for the successful implementation of the SDGs.

    The SDGs, she said, acknowledged the connection among prosperity of business, a flourishing society and the health of the environment.

    She said that very few businesses can only thrive unless the countries in which they operate are thriving.

    She said, “No country has significantly improved people’s lives without the driving force of a vibrant economy.

    “In the face of a prevailing fiscal crunch, it has become urgent to leverage multi-stakeholder engagement to mobilize non-government resources for SDGs implementation.

    “It is in this recognition that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-Fund established the global Private Sector Advisory Group as a powerful platform for business leaders from across the world to interact, leverage comparative advantages, exchange lessons learned, promote South-South, North South and Triangular Cooperation and in the process, accelerate the attainment of the SDGs,” she added.

    She said that the duties of PSAG included engaging with and coordinating the Nigerian Private Sector to partner with the SDGs Office to implement an agreed roadmap; ensuring public-private alliances to provide large scale solutions towards achieving the SDGs; as well as working within a set of SDGs impact areas and focus on driving a specific targets that will be tracked, monitored, reported and reviewed periodically.

    Other duties, she said, are to partner with the SDGs Office to hold periodic Public-Private Dialogues to expand engagement for sustainable development; to promote and coordinate broad-based actions to deliver results while mobilising the entire private sector around SDGs priority areas; to galvanise business to deploy the UN global compact for durable development; as well as contributing and helping to mobilize resources for the successful implementation of the SDGs in line with the guidelines contained in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

  • No Osinbajo without Buhari, says Presidency

    No Osinbajo without Buhari, says Presidency

    …Says Osinbajo still consults Buhari

    …Says enemies plotting to cause division

     

    The Presidency on Monday faulted the ongoing comparison between President Muhammadu Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Since Osinbajo became Acting President on the 19th of last month and the subsequent improvement of the naira against the dollar, and the new peace in the Niger Delta region among other achievements, many reports have claimed that Osinbajo was doing better as Acting President than Buhari.

    But speaking with State House correspondents, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Femi Ojudu, said that it is one government and that what Nigerians are seeing now are results of the policies introduced by the government.

    Noting that Osinbajo still consults with President Buhari even while on vacation, he said that they have a joint ticket and all achievement should go to the government.

    According to him, without Buhari, Osinbajo would not have been Acting President at this time.

    He said that enemies are at work plotting to cause division in the Presidency with the stories giving Osinbajo credit for the recent achievements, rather than the Federal Government.

    He said: “I think it is thoughtless. I also see it as a ploy by the opposition to cause an unnecessary ‎division. It is joint ticket, the president and the vice president were elected based on the manifesto of the party and since they were sworn-in they have been committed to implementing that manifesto.

    “The same people who said we never had economic team, no policy, nothing are the ones saying this. It is now that the policies we are implementing are maturing and they are seeing the result. It is not a question of one person being better than the other person.

    “I will give you an example; there is nothing that has been done since the vice president started acting that is not something that started far back in the past. A good example is the Niger Delta initiative. The President called the Vice President and said I am giving you the mandate, go into the Niger Delta meet with everyone who is a stakeholder, all the communities, talk to the militants and make sure you solve this problem for the benefits of Nigerians.

    “We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day; all the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up. And the President has said unless and until we resolve this problem we will not get out of recession. The Vice President took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta, it is the initiative of Mr. President not that of Vice President.

    “This is mischief makers, those who do not wish this country well, who are always promoting crisis, who will not allow the people to benefit from this democracy, are the ones promoting this kind‎ of divisive tendencies.” he added

    Stressing that the Acting President has been consulting the President in London, he said: “Almost on a daily basis, yes.‎ Well, there are things he still needs to consult the President, I mean it’s not a regular thing but major decisions he still has to consult Mr. President. The president is still the president.”

    He insisted that Buhari is still in charge even on medical vacation.

    “‎He is in charge but like I said earlier on, this is a joint ticket the president of Nigeria remains the president of Nigeria. He is acting because it is one government and the same. He is more experienced, he has been in the game longer than the vice president and if there are major issues that he needs to take decision on, he could call on him and say Sir, what do you think about this we are about to take decision on it, do you have opinion? That does not mean he is not in charge.” he said

    He went on: “‎Again, one other thing you have to see is that if you give someone a responsibility, he must be able to show to Mr. President that despite that he is not around, it is not going to create any vacuum. He can then decide not to sleep at all, all through the time the president is away just to show him that he is capable of ensuring that Nigeria goes on well while he is away.

    “And the President could also have given the mandate let nothing go wrong; I believe in you, I appointed you as my Vice President you must make sure that you do this. If you have a boss who gives you an assignment you will want to impress him and Nigerians as well and that for me is what has happened. ‎It is not that one person is better than the other, certainly not.”

    According to him, those reports were aimed at causing division in the Presidency.

    He stressed that the Presidency will not allow those behind the reports to succeed.

    “I’m telling you that I have seen some things sent out intentionally to cause some kind of division within the presidency. Some people who have been condemning everybody in the past, I see them on twitter and on Facebook and generally on social media. Some people are trying to promote division and we are not going to allow that.

    “This president and vice president worked together in tandem and I know they both have confidence in this nation,” he said.

    He also called on the media to be vigilant and watch what it picks as news from the social media.

    Reacting to some clerics in Katsina State claiming that the president was poisoned, he said: “The way I will react to that is that those of you in the media should be careful what you pick from the social media now, it is becoming factory for fake news in the Nigeria.

    “A lot of things you see on social media can never be true. I saw that, I read it and I assessed it using the prison of these factors, those indicies we use to analysis stories in the media and found out that, that it cannot be true. For example they said somebody kept N77 trillion somewhere, imagine that. What is the total value of Nigeria’s economy that because of somebody keeping N77 trillion therefore some people want to poison him so that they can inherit the money.

    “I mean we have a president that nobody in this country can question his integrity. As a young officer, a middle officer, a senior officer and as a head of state till now, nobody has been able to tarnish his image or come up with anything.

    “For me it is not even worth responding to, as soon as I read it I dismissed it, it is so ridiculous. Again it is the handiwork of our enemies, the problem is fakeness has almost become global and universal, other countries are experiencing it. Those who want to distabilise the country they come up with all kinds of stupid stories, some kind of unimaginable stories so we should just discountenance those things,” he stated.

     

  • Oparadike: Osinbajo pays tribute, condoles with family

    Oparadike: Osinbajo pays tribute, condoles with family

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has condoled with the Oparadike family, the government and people of Imo on the death of Chief Innocent Oparadike.

    Mr Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President (Office of the Vice-President) said this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday.

    He said that Osinbajo also commiserated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on the demise of their colleague.

    The acting president described Oparadike “one of Nigeria’s brightest journalists and thinkers’’.

    Osinbajo noted that Oparadike, who had a very distinguished career as a journalist and administrator, would be long remembered by his colleagues and admirers for his “profound decency, boldness and uprightness’’.

    In 2014, Gov Okorocha presented a souvenir to Chief Innocent Oparadike during the NMMA conference in Owerri.
    In 2014, Gov Okorocha presented a souvenir to Chief Innocent Oparadike during the NMMA conference in Owerri.

    He saluted Oparadike’s sterling leadership qualities, dedication and brilliance during very challenging times in the nation’s history, particularly as the Editor of the Federal Government-owned New Nigerian Newspaper and later, Managing Director, Daily Times.

     

    He urged the associates of the deceased in the media and the Anglican Communion, where he served dutifully as Knight of Saint Christopher, to honour his memory by upholding the virtues of hard work, discipline, philanthropy and justice to which Oparadike devoted his life until his death.

    Acting President Osinbajo prayed that the Lord would grant Oparadike’s family the fortitude to bear the loss and comfort all who mourned him.

    NUJ
    NUJ

    The late Chief Oparadike, Mpidike Mbaitolu, was also a former Commissioner for Information and Culture in Imo.

    The renowned journalist and newspaper manager has been described as one of the earliest Mass Communication students to graduate with a First Class degree from the University of Nigeria, died in Lagos on Monday.

    He also obtained M.Sc degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.

  • Ondo: Osinbajo’s absence stalls inauguration of the Dome

    Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, on Friday in Akure, postponed until Monday, the inauguration of the International Event Centre due to the absence of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Osinbajo was expected to inaugurate another of Mimiko’s project, the International Event Centre, also known as the Dome.

    NAN reports that a large number of people had converged at the event centre as early as 9 a.m to witness the event.

    People from all walks of life, including traditional rulers, political stakeholders and lawmakers, were present at the venue

    After waiting for almost five hours, and it became obvious that Osinbajo would not be coming, the crowd thinned out.

    At about 2:30 p.m, Mimiko mounted the podium and announced the postponement.

    He explained that Osinbajo had actually been airborne and he had to return to Abuja due to bad weather.

    According to Mimiko, Osinbajo further waited at Abuja Airport between 10 a.m and 2 p.m for the clouds to clear.

    The governor described the gesture of the acting president as an act of humility for someone in a very high position.

    “He is the vice president and acting president for now, and we can all imagine how tight his schedule will be.

    “Therefore, on behalf of your government, I apologise and give you greetings from him.

    “He is very touched that he kept people waiting for so long due to no fault of his, but he said it would be unthinkable for him not to find time and come.

    “He has, therefore, asked me to postpone the inauguration of this project till 1p.m on Monday,” Mimiko said.

    Speaking on behalf of Osinbajo, Mrs Janet Olisa, his Chief Protocol Officer, also apologised on behalf of her principal.

    She said the visit would serve a double purpose; a fact-finding mission on issues in the Niger Delta, and to also honour Governor Mimiko for a job well done.

    To assure people of the state that Osinbajo would be on ground on Monday for the inauguration, Olisa said that her team would remain in Akure till Monday