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Tag: Laolu Akande

  • Osinbajo condemns takeover of the National Assembly

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, has described the unauthorized takeover of the National Assembly complex on Tuesday as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said that the unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency is condemnable and completely unacceptable.

    Read Also: Osinbajo sacks DSS boss

    “By this statement, Professor Osinbajo is consequently assuring Nigerians that all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action,” he stated.

  • Osinbajo: Local technologies to deal with climate change issues

    The development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate technologies remain the best solution to climate change challenges, the Acting President , Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

    The Office of the Vice-President said Osinbajo made the statement on Friday at the inauguration of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) situated at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Lagos Business School.

    Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, made Osinbajo’s view known in a statement on Saturday.

    The Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre is a public-private partnership involving the Federal Government, the World Bank Group and the Pan-Atlantic University.

    The Centre provides holistic, country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate and clean energy technologies.

    Osinbajo said the task of advancing climate action was crucial, especially for Nigeria, in the view of the challenge of climate change and the need for the adoption of an innovative approach.

    “The pressure for livelihoods and food for a huge population will put tremendous pressure on natural resources and the implications for climate change will be dire indeed.

    “The creation of an enabling environment for climate-smart businesses to thrive is simply the only way to go,’’ he said.

    Osinbajo said he had visited several start-ups, technology hubs and innovation spaces around the country and seen innovativeness, creativity and drive of Nigerians.

    He said Nigerians were “constantly developing and deploying solutions in many sectors’’, including “agriculture, health, transport, security, climate action and many more locally relevant climate technologies’’.

    According to him, one of the key sectors where there is potential for high impact interventions by green technologies is the off-grid solar sector.

    Osinbajo said the Solar Home Project and  Energising Economies Initiative were some of the private-sector-driven efforts targeted at providing off-grid power to homes, markets and economic clusters across the country.

    He said that so far, 13,000 shops at Sabon-Gari Market in Kano were currently being powered through high-capacity stand-alone solar systems.

    He said more were expected to come on stream soon at the Ariaria Market in Aba, Sura Market in Lagos, and other markets in Oyo, Edo and Ondo states.

    The acting president challenged the new climate Centre to develop and deploy technology and expertise required to deliver clean energy in areas prone to oil pollution and other related hazards.

    According to him, the innovation Centre must seek to develop the technology and expertise required to deal with the oil spill challenge in the Niger Delta region.

    He said the Federal Government was investing considerably in Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to help overcome challenges and risks brought about by the use of kerosene and firewood in homes.

    Osinbajo tasked the NCIC team to come up with innovation in smart cooking equipment that could utilise LPG in the most efficient manner.

    The acting president urged stakeholders in the off-grid power sector to take advantage of the Green bond issued by the Federal Government and the opportunities provided at the newly inaugurated climate Centre to fund their projects.

    “It provides a platform to attracting or unlocking venture financing and private equity funds for climate-smart businesses and Nigerians providing climate-smart solutions,’’ Osinbajo said.

  • Osinbajo didn’t meet political groups in Kano – Presidency

    Osinbajo didn’t meet political groups in Kano – Presidency

     

    The Presidency on Monday denied reports claiming that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with some political groups when he visited Kano State at the weekend.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the Vice President only attended a wedding ceremony in the state.

    The statement reads “The attention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has been drawn to a TV news report suggesting that he was in Kano State on Saturday, 3rd of February, 2018 to meet with some political groups. This is completely false and misleading.

    “On the contrary, the Vice President was in Kano to attend the wedding ceremony of his Personal Assistant, Hafiz Ibrahim Kawu, which was well publicized over the weekend.

    Read Also: Osinbajo panel to meet Miyetti Allah

    “On arrival, he was met by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje at the airport, and went straight to the mosque, venue of the Wedding Nikhai. After that, he paid the traditional courtesy call on the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and proceeded back to the airport.

    “At no time during the visit did he meet with any political group or groups. Any attempt to give the impression that he was in Kano for a political purpose is mischievous and should be disregarded.

    “Indeed, the Vice President has in the past few weeks met in Abuja with the Kano APC leadership to ensure unity and full cooperation among party leaders, and this has also been well reported in the media.” it stated

     

  • Pupils get 246 million Buhari’s meals, says Presidency

    Pupils get 246 million Buhari’s meals, says Presidency

    *Says more than 6m pupils in 20 states being fed daily

    *8 more states expected to be added in 2018

    *300,000 interest-free loans disbursed to artisans, traders

    *280,000 Nigerians benefit from Conditional Cash Transfer in 21 states

     

    The Presidency on Saturday disclosed that over 246 million (246,355,190) meals have been served to date to primary pupils across 20 states in the country.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the first meal under the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) was served in December 2016.

    According to him, the total figure is expected to reach 313,928,420 meals by the last week of February 2018.

    He said “Also, the School Feeding Programme now feeds 6,044,625 pupils in 33,981 public primary schools across 20 states.

    “More states are expected to be added to the programme this year. The NHGSFP plans to implement feeding in a total of 28 States, while it aims to link farmers to school feeding markets.

    “In the same vein, several milestones were recorded by the Buhari administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) in 2017, in line with its inclusive growth plan, which includes tackling poverty and hunger, and creating jobs for Nigerians.

    “About 40,000 direct jobs have since been created from the School Feeding Programme across the participating states. The 20 states that have so far been covered by the NHGSFP include Anambra, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Kaduna, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Jigawa, Niger, and Kano.

    “Also, in 2017, the school feeding programme collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health to deliver an integrated deworming programme for pupils in all public primary schools classes 1 to 6 across 17 states nationwide.

    “Meanwhile, the School Feeding programme now has a social media-based quality assurance tracking system, #TrackWithUs, ensuring that required standards for menu for pupils and meal distribution are adhered to across the states in a transparent manner.

    Read Also: Buhari not a murderer, says Presidency

    “Similarly, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) has so far recorded over 280,000 beneficiaries in 21 states, while about 300,000 Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP) micro-credit, interest-free loans have been disbursed nationwide.

    “In the same vein, in 2017, the N-power scheme, which is targeted at providing jobs for unemployed young graduates, started its physical verification process for the 2017 applicants. In 2018, more beneficiaries are expected to be added to about 200,000 young graduates currently employed under the scheme.” he said

    Noting that a total of N900 billion was appropriated for the SIPs in 2016 and 2017; he said that N500 billion was appropriated in 2016 and N400 billion appropriated in 2017.

    He however, said that the total amount released was N110 billion for 2016 and 2017, while the total expenditure was N109 billion.

    He added “Below is a breakdown of the N109 billion released between October 2016 and November 2017 for the SIPs, namely: GEEP, CCT, NHGSFP, N-power, and general expenditure.

    “The GEEP expenditure was N11,700,200,466, while the CCT gulped N5,235,401,087.

    “In the same vein, between October 2016 and November 2017, N22,370,719,017 was expended for the Home-grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP); while N69,731,256,122 was expended on N-power, which is the Job Creation component of the SIP, during the same period.” he said

     

     

     

  • Herdsmen /farmers violence: NEC to visit affected states for consultations

    Herdsmen /farmers violence: NEC to visit affected states for consultations

    The National Economic Council, NEC, on the Herdsmen /Farmers violence  has constituted a Sub-Committee to visit frontline States involved  in the conflict.

    They are to hold consultations with stakeholders and interested parties on how to end the conflicts.

    At the meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday,  a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that it was resolved that the Sub-Committee which has Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State as Chairman would visit Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and Adamawa States in order to understand the different dynamics of the conflict and develop long term workable solutions.

    Other members of the Sub-Committee are the Governors of Plateau, Benue, Taraba, and Adamawa States, while the committee would co-opt relevant experts and technical groups in the discharge of its assignment.

    The meeting at the Presidential Villa was attended by the Governors of Zamfara; Abdul’aziz Yari, Ebonyi; David Umahi, Kaduna; Nasir El-Rufai; Plateau, Simon Lalong, Adamawa; Bindo Umaru Jubrilla and the Deputy Governors of Oyo, and Benue States; Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo & Engr. Benson Abuonu. 

    The Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the Interior Minister, General Abdulrahman Dambazau were also in attendance. 

    At its meeting last month, the National Economic Council decided to constitute a Working Group that will work in accordance with the President’s commitment to ensuring that all perpetrators of violence in the clashes between the herdsmen and farmers are brought to book and bring an end to the conflicts.

  • We’ll see end of herdsmen-farmers clashes – Osinbajo

    We’ll see end of herdsmen-farmers clashes – Osinbajo

    *Bachama, Batta leaders commend Buhari administration’s efforts in resolving crisis

    The Presidency on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Buhari administration will end the herdsmen-farmers clashes and the violence associated with it, which predate the administration.

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, gave the assurance while receiving a delegation led by the traditional rulers of Batta and Bachamma communities in Adamawa State: HRM Hama Batta, Homun Alhamdu Teneke (JP); and HRM Hama Bachamma, Homun Honest Irmiya Stephen (JP) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said “President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to resolve the herdsmen-farmers clashes in Adamawa State and return peace and order to the affected communities.

    “Much damage has been done, not just security-wise, but to the psyche of the people; due to the series of attacks, people are afraid. We are also looking at repairing the damage that has been done to the infrastructure of the communities and rehabilitate the people.” he said 

    It would be recalled that following his visit to affected communities in Adamawa State on the 5th of December, 2017, the Vice President had commenced a series of national consultations with all relevant groups designed to find a lasting solution to the farmers-herders conflict in parts of the country.

    In the first of the series, Prof. Osinbajo had a meeting on the 11thof December, 2017, with the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa; elder statesman, Mallam Ahmed Joda; and other leaders of the Fulani communities.

    On the issue of proffering permanent solution to the crisis, Prof. Osinbajo further said the report provided by the National Animal Production Research Institute ( NAPRI ), Zaria, would be considered.

    Speaking further, Prof. Osinbajo admonished the people of the affected communities to embrace peace and not to seek revenge. He emphasized that it was important to disarm anyone caught with arms and weapons as it was, by law, an offence for anyone to carry unlicensed firearms.

    In his remarks, the Hama Batta thanked the Vice President for the invitation and his visit to the affected communities late last year. 

    He said, “We came to thank you for your visit (to Numan communities). You made promises of relief materials when you visited, and the relief materials were brought. Also, the Special Forces that you promised responded on time. There is also now a police command with a Commissioner of Police.”

    Also speaking, the Hama Bachamma echoed the words of the Hama Batta, and thanked the Presidency for its efforts so far in tackling the issue.

  • Protest won’t stop Osinbajo panel on herdsmen/farmers clashes

    Protest won’t stop Osinbajo panel on herdsmen/farmers clashes

    The Yemi Osinbajo Committee on herdsmen / farmers clashes is pressing ahead with its assignment regardless of the recent objection of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to the membership of Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) of the panel.

    The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association’s rejection of  Ortom and Ishaku stemmed from their introduction of the anti-open grazing laws in their states.

    However, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the vice president, Mr. Laolu Akande, said that the job of the committee was in  the interest of all Nigerians, especially all the communities and parties  affected by  the crises. 

    He said panel would ,therefore,leave no stone unturned to ensure peace and security of life and property in the affected communities.

    “Our job is to all Nigerians and in this case all affected parties and communities. The interest of the administration is peace and the first duty of government is to provide peace and security of life and property,”Akande said.

    “We note the views of all and welcome their right to their own positions. Government would also do its job to secure the wellbeing of all Nigerians including those who have expressed their opinions.

    “The Working Group has met once already and would continue to meet to ensure that all Nigerians live in peace and security.

    “The Group is made up of elected governors including those whose communities are affected. And we should not forget that all those serving in States as Governors and FG have sworn to protect the constitution. That is the guarantee by law that their actions would be fair and without fear or favour.

    “This crisis and the misunderstanding that attends it would be over under the Buhari administration by the special Grace of God.”

    The Osinbajo committee was set up by the last meeting of the National Economic Council towards finding solution to the killings in the affected communities.

  • Osinbajo raises hope for textiles, garments industry in SEZ

    Osinbajo raises hope for textiles, garments industry in SEZ

    The local textiles and garment industry will be revamped at the Special Economic Zones to be created, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said.

    According to Osinbajo the Federal Government and private sector will collaborate in creating SEZs, starting first with the textile and garments industry, to spur the nation’s economic development.

    He made the promise during an interaction with selected investors in Davos during the World Economic Forum, according to a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Laolu Akande, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.

    Osinbajo said that “having the right mind-set and understanding where we want to go” would affect the implementation process, whilst ensuring things got done in the nation’s business environment.

    He said that the private sector-government collaboration had ensured consistency in the implementation of economic policies.

    The Vice President said he was optimistic about the forthcoming SEZ for garment manufacturing “because it is specific and is something we can measure very quickly’’.

    Osinbajo said that working with investors and allowing them to determine what should be achieved would enable the government to attain set objectives.

    He suggested having labs, where issues around effective implementation plans would be intensely discussed with expert participants drawn from the private sector and public sector.

    The Vice President said such mechanism would also help ensure the realization of objectives as those labs would set up the implementation agenda and see it through to the end.

    Speaking earlier, Sen. Udoma Udoma, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, stressed the advantages for Nigeria to create the SEZ for textile manufacturing.

    He cited the country’s lingua franca, political stability and the provision of enabling environment for the private sector as advantage to investors.

    Udoma remarked that confidence was being restored in the heart of the people regarding economic policies.

    Mr Okey Enelamah, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, described 2018 as a year of implementation.

    Enelamah stressed the need for a continuous active implementation of the ERGP hinged on investment, trade and industrialisation with enabling environment across the spheres.

    A former World Bank Chief Economist, Prof. Justin Lin, said that the garment and textile industry in Nigeria had huge potential.

    He said this was because Nigeria produced cotton, as well as the availability of good locations around the country, including the large domestic and global markets.

    NAN

  • Ten modular refineries reach advanced stage – Presidency

    Ten modular refineries reach advanced stage – Presidency

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is committed to promoting the establishment of privately financed modular refineries in the country.

    This, he said, will increase local refining capacity, create jobs, ensure peace and stability in the Niger delta region.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the initiative which featured prominently in recent talks between the Federal Government and the oil-producing areas, as represented by PANDEF, will also reposition the petroleum industry and ensure self-sufficiency of petroleum products, while serving as a disincentive for illegal refineries and oil pollution.

    According to the statement released on Saturday, he said “At an end-of-the-year review meeting of the Niger Delta Inter-Ministerial Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, before the holidays, Prof. Osinbajo noted that the Federal Government, in line with its Niger Delta New Vision, is targeting measurable objectives in its efforts towards implementing development projects in the region.

    “The December 22 meeting received a report that 38 licensed privately financed greenfield and mini-modular refineries investors have so far indicated interests in the establishment of refineries in the region, and at least ten (10) of the licensed refineries investors are at an advanced stage of development.

    “The advanced stage of development means that these projects have passed the Licence to Establish (LTE) stage, while some have the Authority to Construct (ATC) licence or close to having it because they have met some critical requirements in the Licensed stage.

    “There are three stages in the process of refinery establishment; Licence to Establish (LTE), Authority to Construct (ATC) and Licence to Operate (LTO).

    “So far, 10 modular refineries are located in five out of the nine states in the Niger Delta region; namely Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Imo states.

    “Also, two out of these 10 – Amakpe Refinery meant to be located in Akwa Ibom, and OPAC Refinery to be based in Delta State – have their mini-refineries modules already fabricated, assembled and containerized overseas, ready for shipment to Nigeria for installation. The total proposed refining capacities of the 10 licensed refineries stands at 300,000 barrels.” it added

    Noting the issue of funding as a major challenge to most of the investors, and the primary reason holding further progress of the refinery projects, the Vice President directed that the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources keep providing the necessary support and creating the enabling environment for positive investments in modular refineries by engaging key government agencies

    The agencies include the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and financial institutions, including the International Finance Corporation, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Bank of Industry, amongst others.

    The Vice President stressed the importance of ensuring that the oil communities have a stake in the modular refineries and directed that an appropriate model be developed to achieve that.

    Other issues addressed at the end of the year meeting include the Maritime University, Ogoni Clean-up, and other related issues such as increasing support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the region.

    On the Maritime University take-off, the Vice President noted that further support would be given by the Federal Government to ensure the training of staff to give the best to the incoming students of the institution.

    On the Ogoni clean-up, the Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, (HYPREP), Dr. Marvin Dekil briefed the meeting that progress has been made in several areas of the clean-up.

    He listed the evaluation of existing water facilities in the four local government areas in Ogoni land in the process of providing clean drinking water, demonstration of remediation technologies at sites in some of the impacted communities; hiring of and the technical training of Ogoni scientists. The Coordinator added that health impact assessment would be conducted in some communities in the coming weeks.

    At the meeting were the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Unguru Usani; Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jubril.

    Others include the Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Corporation, Mr. Nsima Ekere; and the Special Adviser to the President on the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-General Paul Boroh (rtd).

     Also read  Private refinery vows to end fuel scarcity

  • FG generates 18,597 jobs through labour-intensive public works in two years

    FG generates 18,597 jobs through labour-intensive public works in two years

    The Federal Government ( FG ) says it has generated 18,597 jobs through labour-intensive public works.

    It has also trained 3,392 people in technical and vocational agricultural skills in the last two years.

    It said this in excerpts of a book entitled “Making steady, sustainable progress for Nigeria’s peace and prosperity: a midterm scorecard on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’’.

    The book is to be presented to the public on Nov. 16 in Abuja.

    Authored by the Presidential Media Team, it is a documentation of the notable achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration since its inauguration on May 29, 2015.

    According to the book, the Federal Government also trained 16,587 people in life planning and entrepreneurial skills and implemented 182 community/local government development projects.

    It said efforts were also made to reduce unacceptable level of poverty and socio-economic vulnerability in the nation.

    In this direction, the Federal Government formulated the Social Investment Programmes ( SIP ) for which N500 billion was appropriated in the 2016 Budget.

    The programme features Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, N-Power Job Creation Programme and Government Economic Empowerment Programme (GEEP), among others.

    “The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is aimed at providing a free nutritional meal for public primary pupils across Nigeria to improve school enrolment and completion as well as child nutrition and health.

    “So far, 2,000 youths have been empowered through the N-Power programme.

    “The National Cash Transfer has also given out loans to farmers, traders and business people to enable them to secure gainful employment.’’

    Buhari wrote the foreword of the 348-page book, which contains milestones of all the federal ministries and some select departments and agencies of government.

    The publication was edited by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity; Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity and Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, (Office of the Vice President).

    The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) also contributed to the publication.

    The book will be reviewed by Prince Tony Momoh while APC National leader  Bola Tinubu is the Keynote Speaker/Presenter.

    NAN