For the 103 days that President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical vacation lasted, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo held the fort. The Nation kept a diary of major events in his absence. The diary is presented below.
President Muhammadu Buhari is back at work. His trip to the United Kingdom (UK) ended on Saturday, after 103 days. He was in London between May 7 and August 2017 on follow-up appointments with his doctors.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was in the saddle to steer the ship of State.
Buhari had written to the two chambers of the National Assembly notifying them of his trip and transferring power to his deputy as Acting President in line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Osinbajo had, at the beginning of the year, functioned in an acting capacity when the President spent about 50 days (between January 19 and March 10) on medical vacation in the UK.
It was therefore a familiar terrain for the vice president, who, many have commended of being a competent and loyal lieutenant.
The 36 state governors have nick-named Osinbajo as a ‘System Stabilizer’.
As soon as Buhari took off on May 7 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe in Abuja, the vice president settled down to business.
Before Buhari’s trips, Osinbajo WAS running tight schedules on a daily basis, but his itinerary became tighter with the President’s trip.
Some of the functions he carried out for the period Buhari was away included presiding over the third edition of the Presidential quarterly Business Forum at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on May 8.
The acting president also received Borno elders, led by Governor Kassim Shetima, who had come to express their gratitude to the presidency for the safe return of 82 of Chibok schoolgirls, abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.
On May 9, Osinbajo chaired the Niger Delta Inter-Ministerial meeting at the State House in Abuja. Another meeting involving the management team of Agip oil was also hosted same day.
The vice president Osinbajo chaired the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on May 10, before hosting his immediate predecessor Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa.
On May 11, the Acting President launched the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) clinic in Katsina State on Thursday.
On May 12, Osinbajo inaugurated a nine-member board for the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and on May 15, he chaired the Economic Management Team (EMT) meeting. He also met with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gabriel Olonisakin at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He attended the 10th anniversary of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on May 16, before meeting with Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and Monguno at the Presidential Villa.
Also on May 16, Osinbajo met with a delegation comprising of the Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Hakeem Bello-Osagie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Waheed Al-Muhari and Mubadala Development Company (Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Government of Dubai) Director Kahled Al-Qubaisi.
On May 17, Osinbajo chaired the weekly FEC meeting before engaging in telephone discussions with the Ivorien and Liberians presidents Alassane Ouattara and Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who was the then Economic Community West Africa Community (ECOWAS) chairperson. The parley was to find a peaceful resolution of crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, where a fraction of the West Africa’s Armed Forces had mutinied against the Ouattara-led government.
The Acting President also met with SCB Group Chief Executive Officer Mr. Bill Winters at the State House in Abuja.
On May 18, Osinbajo signed three Executive Orders on the Ease of Business, fast track budget submission and promote Made in Nigeria products.
He also met with Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima after a meeting with the Boundary Commission at the State House, Abuja on May 19
On May 20, the Acting President was in Ekiti State to attend the funeral service of late Maj-Gen Robert Adeyinka Adebayo at Iyin Ekiti.
He chaired the EMT meeting at the State House in Abuja on May 22.
The Acting President attended a sensitisation meeting with civil servants on the Executive Order – Ease of Doing Business at the International Conference Center (ICC) on May 24. Straight from the meeting, he headed straight to the Council Chamber to chair the FEC.
The following day, the Acting President attended a forum on “Biafra, 50 years after” at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. He also presided over the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and reveived a delegation of the African Union (AU) Directors-General of Customs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Osinbajo later reveived the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli at the State House.
On May 26, the vice president kick-started the May 27 Children’s Day activities when he received pupils from many schools who were on a tour of the Presidential Villa.
Ahead of the May 29 Democracy Day, the Acting President was at Garki Market, Abuja, on May 26 to have firsthand information on the prices of food items.
In the night, the Acting President left Nigeria for a day trip to Italy to attend the G7 Summit Special Outreach Forum on Africa with selected African nations and leaders, including Nigeria, Guinea, Tunisia, Niger, Ethiopia and Kenya.
On Sunday May 28, Osinbajo attended an interdenominational church service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja as part of the Democracy Day celebration, marking President Muhammadu Buhari’s second year administration.
On May 29, Osinbajo attended the National Social Investment Program Commemorative event marking President Buhari’s administration, at the old Banquet Hall of the State House.
The First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Managing Director (Commercial Banking), Mr. Adam Nuru, handed over the Portal for Home Grown School Feeding Programme to the Acting President at the State House in Abuja on May 30. He also inaugurated the Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council and signed two new laws to ease access to credit for MSMEs.
Also on May 30, the Acting President received Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and he presided over the FEC meeting on May 31.
On June 1, Osinbajo paid a day trip to Cross River State and proceeded to Ogun State the following day to inaugurate a $23 million Feminine Care Line (Always Ultra) of Procter & Gamble (P&G) in Agbara.
The vice president on June 5 attended the Conference on Promoting International Co-operation in Combating Illicit Financial Flow and Enhancing Asset Recovery to foster sustainable development at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
He also chaired the EMT meeting on a day he received the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mrs. Retno Marsudi.
The acting president met with representatives of Brass Fertiliser Company on June 6. Bayelsa State Governor Sariake Dickson was the meeting.
Osinbajo, the same day, also received a delegation from the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN), led by its President Mr. Richard Olafare, and the Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council, Dr. P.O. Ojo.
On June 7, the Acting President chaired the weekly FEC meeting and later received a message from Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou, through Foumakoye Gado, Minister of Petroleum of the Republic of Niger.
The Acting President also received the President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo in his office the same day.
Osinbajo was in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on June 8 to inaugurate the Special Relief Intervention Plan, involving New Food Distribution Plan for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.
On June 9, the Acting President received the Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru Olagbegi, at the State House, Abuja.
He also received a Special Envoy from the Egyptian President Abd El-Fattah El-Sisi, Ms. Moushira Khattab, who is vying for the position of Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Members of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers also visited him the same day at the Presidential Villa to discuss the Federal Government’s policy on Modular Refineries in the Niger Delta.
Osinbajo attended the wedding of Chief Bisi Akande’s daughter in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday June 10, and on June 12, the Acting President declared open the Golden Jubilee Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers that had its theme as “Law, Security and National Development” at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Akwa, Anambra State.
The acting president also signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill into Law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on June 12 and the following day, he opened the National Mining Summit in Abuja.
Later that day, he held a consultative session with leaders of thought from the Northern region at the old Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.
On June 14, Osinbajo chaired the weekly FEC and in the evening, he held a consultative session with leaders of thought from the Southeast region of the country at the State House.
On June 15, the Acting President met with airline stakeholders at the State House, including Azman Air President Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, IATA Southwest Africa Area Manager Samson Fatokun, SkyJet Chairman Kashim Shettima, AON Chairman Nogie Meggison, and Dana Air Chief Executive Officer Jacky Hathiramani.
He later later met behind closed doors with the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II at the Presidential Villa.
The Acting President declared opened the 18th Assembly of ECOWAS’ Health Ministers at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja on June 16.
He also met with members of theNational Assembly members from the Northeast) on the New Grain Distribution System for IDPs.
The acting president met with royal fathers from the Southeast at the Presidential Villa on June 18 and on June 19, Osinbajo chaired the EMT in his office.
He also met with Global Leader Chartered Financial Analysts, Mr. Paul Smith, at the State House same day.
In the evening, he hosted traditional rulers from the North to Iftar dinner at the Presidential Villa.
On June 21, Osinbajo presided over the weekly FEC and in the evening, he held consultative & Iftar meeting with governors at the State House to discuss rising ethnic agitations between northern and southeastern groups towards finding lasting solution.
The following day, the Acting President held an interactive session with media executives at the old Banquet Hall of the State House on ethnic agitations in the country.
Osinbajo attended the Graduation Ceremony of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Senior Course 39 in Jaji, Kaduna State, on June 23 and on June 25, he hosted Muslim faithful and religious leaders, who paid him the 2017 Eid-el-Fitr (Sallah) homage at his Aguda House official residence at the Presidential Villa.
Osinbajo later in the day received Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Presidential Villa and on June 28, the Acting President chaired the FEC at the State House.
He launched the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) at the old Banquet Hall of the State House on June 29 and also chaired the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa.
The Acting President was at the Summit of the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU in Ethiopia on July 3.
On July, 26, he chaired the weekly FEC where he inaugurated two new ministers. On August 2, he attended the Institute for Security Studies Seminar Themed: Unity in Diversity, in Abuja as well as chaired the weekly FEC.
He later met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) party chairmen from 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the State House in Abuja.
The Acting President met with Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF) at the State House in Abuja on the August 3.
He inaugurated a judicial committee to review human rights abuse on August 5.
On August 6, the Acting President received Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, a Houston, United State (U.S.)-based Nigerian doctor, who successfully led a medical team that operated on a foetus and won the U.S. and global acclaim for the feat.
The acting president met with Nigeria Initiative for Economic Development (NIED) at the Banquet Hall of the President Villa on May 7.
He attended the Eighth Day Fidau for Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s mother, Alhaja Saratu Aregbesola on August 8 and on August 9, Osinbajo chaired the weekly FEC.
On August 11, the acting president inaugurated the Presidential Panel to review Compliance of Armed Forces to human rights.
He attended the Niger State Investment Summit 2017 in Minna on August 14 and on August 16, he chaired the FEC and assigned portfolios to the two newly sworn-in ministers.
On the same day, he met with the International Press Institute (IPI) board at the State House and on August 17, Osinbajo chaired the NEC Retreat at the old Banquet Hall of the State House.
The acting president attended the inauguration of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, in Kigali on August 18.
