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Tag: Osinbajo

  • Compulsory Health Insurance Scheme coming – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed plans for establishment of a compulsory Health Insurance Scheme as part of the Buhari presidency’s Next Level agenda.

    According to the plan, he said that the government will pay the premium for the poor.

    Osinbajo spoke on Tuesday night, as Guest of Honour, at the Invest Africa forum hosted by the publishers of Africa Report magazine at London’s Royal Society hall.

    Osinbajo, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said: “On healthcare, to cut the long story short, where we are going is the National Health Insurance.  At the moment, we have National Health Insurance, which is not compulsory.

    “So we are looking at compulsory National Health Insurance and we are also looking at how to pay the premium, especially for the poorest.”

    Continuing, the Vice President who took questions from the publishers of Africa Report and members of the audience, explained the plan was to “have a co-payment arrangement; government will provide payments of premium or free medical care for 40 percent, which is the poorest segment, and the other 60 percent will be compulsory co-payments for formal and informal workers.”

    He added: “The resources, the money from the National Health Insurance are the way to fund medical care. At the moment, most people who seek medical help pay out of pockets, obviously that’s one of the reasons why we have the poor health indices at the moment.

    “So we think that health scheme will resource healthcare and help greatly, in not just rewarding our healthcare practitioners, but also in resourcing the hospitals and helping most of our people to get the kind of health care that they may need.”

    Responding to a question from a member of the audience on the prospects of the Petroleum Industry Bill, the Vice President said it could still be signed into law, after all the necessary amendments have been made, possibly before the end of the 8th Assembly.

    “We hope that the bill will become law before the end of the 8th Assembly,” Osinbajo said.

    Answering another question from the moderator of the forum, Mr. Patrick Smith, who is the Editor-in-Chief of The Africa Report, on the chances of the APC winning the forthcoming 2019 elections, Osinbajo said in the 16 years of the PDP rule, the party had nothing tangible to show Nigerians despite earning over $382 billion in oil revenue between 2010- 2014.

    “The PDP has not cured itself of corruption,” he said

     

    He also urged Nigerians to ignore the party in the coming elections.

     

     

  • Osinbajo for UNILAG Law alumnae re-union dinner

    On Friday, December 14, all roads will lead to the Radisson Hotel, Isaac John Street GRA Ikeja Lagos where Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will deliver a keynote address. The occasion is the “Lagos 2018 Re-union” of the 1986 set of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG). That day, members of the set will be celebrating their first annual re-union after 32 years of graduation from the school.

    A release issued and signed  by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the 2018 Reunion Committee, Mr. Bayo Alabidun, indicates that several rewarding activities have been lined up for the evening of fun. Some of the activities are dinner slated for 7:00 p.m., which will be preceded by a red carpet event and cocktail that will begin at 5:00 p.m.

    The keynote address is expected to be delivered by the legal luminary and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) at an occasion to be presided at by Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Chairman Juli Pharmacy and President, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi is also a member of the set.

    Mr. Alabidun indicated that a Lifetime Award will be bestowed on the Vice-President who was one of the lecturers who moulded members of the set who are equally responsible legal practitioners and leaders of reputable organisations within and outside Nigeria.

    Although the set graduated 32 years ago, Alabidun said this year’s re-union will provide a unique opportunity for their colleagues, lecturers and spouses to celebrate and rub minds.

    The event will also be a showcase for members to network and seek ways to improve their alma mater as well as legal education in Nigeria.

     

  • Osinbajo’s humility excites Lagos family

    Oluwole in Ogba, Lagos is a vast government estate populated mainly by middle class families. There is nothing special about it – in environment, in aesthetics and in the type of buildings housing its huge population.

    Not anymore. The estate hosted at the weekend its most popular visitor ever.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo got a rousing welcome as the door-to-door campaign train of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation hit the estate.

    Prof. Osinbajo inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) door-to-door campaign organised by the Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (PYO) Support Group.

    At the estate, which is in the heart of Ikeja, the state capital, Osinbajo met with the chairman of the Community Development Area (CDA), Mr. Lukman Ashiru, who praised his humility.

    The CDA chief was excited. He said it was the first time the community has hosted such a high-profile personality. He received the vice president in the company of his mother Alhaja Muyibat Ashiru and wife, Sukurat right in his modest sitting room.

    The vice president’s message to the community was what it will gain by supporting the reelection of the APC government.  He got a good reply.

    Ashiru said: “We will mobilise the people in the community to vote for the APC because the party has demonstrated that it cares for the masses.”

    But Ashiru had a request. He would like the vice president to help in tackling the regular power failure in the estate, “which you have seen yourself”.

    There was power outage during the visit. The Ashirus’ sitting room was lit up by a torchlight.

    “We know of other leaders who only criticise, but in the case of the vice president, what the people have seen is a display of humility in him and we are really happy in view of what we are seeing. We will deliver our votes to the APC in the coming election”, Ashiru said.

    Osinbajo sat on the same chair as his host and hostesses. The sofa is obviously a three-seater.

    Speaking earlier, Osinbajo said President Muhammadu Buhari will neither steal nor allow others to steal public funds.

    He said the difference between the President and those jostling to unseat him is that he sought political office to better the lot of Nigerians; others seek the office to plunder the nation’s wealth.

    Addressing a crowd of supporters, the vice president spoke of two categories of leaders – those who want to steal and those who want to use the country’s money for the common good. According to him, President Buhari belongs to the first category.

    He said: “We should not allow those who have stolen our money in the past to come back. They stole all the money and they want to come back. People are saying enough is enough.

    “In four years, PDP spent $383 billion. And they want to come back. Sixteen years is enough. After 16 years of ensuring that the country did not make progress, they want to come back. They will never come back.”

    Osinbajo noted that Nigeria’s greatest problem is corruption and the inability to plan “because without money, you cannot execute any plan; hence the need to stop those who have stolen in the past from returning.”

    The vice president said the door-to-door campaign had proven to be more effective in reaching out to the people about the government’s plans for them.

    PYO Support Group Director-General Pastor Yomi Kasali said the organisation had raised 900,000 canvassers for Lagos State. Each canvasser has a mandate to meet with 50 people.

    The vice president later visited some parts of Ogba and Ikeja, where he was received by cheering residents.

  • FG to float People’s Money Bank next year, says Osinbajo

    The Federal Government yesterday said it would float People’s Money Bank in the country next year.

    It added that the bank, when established, will have branches in all the states of the federation for traders and artisans to have access to credit facilities.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this in Ilorin, Kwara State capital at the launch of ‘Tradermoni’ micro-credit scheme.

    Prof Osinbajo made the disclosure during a talk in a private radio station, Sobi FM Ilorin, after launching the programme at Ipata and some other markets in the town.

    He said that there is no politics involved in the administration’s ‘Tradermoni’ micro-credit scheme.

    The Vice President said the government considered petty traders for the programme because it is always difficult for them to access bank loan because of the belief that they would hardly refund.

    He said though there was no collateral for the loan, refund may not be difficult with the design that a beneficiary who refunds will receive bigger one.

    He explained that beneficiaries at the start are given N10,000 while after refund they receive N15,000 with the progression to continue up till N50,000.

    He said that the government targeted a total of two million petty traders across the states of the federation for the programme with minimum of 30,000 beneficiaries per state.

    He added that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it was neither buying vote with the programme nor favouring members of the All Progressives Congress with the programme.

    He said contrary to the criticism that the government launched the programme at election time, the programme started in 2016 and fully took off after the National Assembly approved money for it about seven months ago.

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    Osinbajo said the programme was for the benefit of the masses, petty traders, saying that once the people enjoy the benefit, it is out of place to be complaining about the timing, asking: “Is there any time wrong to do the right thing?”

    He denied that the micro credit was being given to only members of the APC, saying that beneficiaries are not considered on account of party affiliations but on merit.

    “It is false that only members of the APC are being considered for the money. Nobody even asks anybody about his or her party or trying to know whether you are APC or PDP. Even those who belong to no party are part of the beneficiaries,” he stated

    He said that the Marketmoni version of the micro credit programme meant for artisans and marketers of higher status would commence with N50,000 for the beneficiaries and explained that the people could receive up to N300, 000 when they do not derail in refunding.

  • Osinbajo hails Air Peace, FEHN over fight against gender-based violence

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has commended Air Peace and its sister organisation, The Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), for their commitment to efforts to stamp out gender-based violence in the country.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Conference on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response in Nigeria held at the State House, Abuja on Thursday, Osinbajo said he was pleased that Air Peace was on board the campaign to protect women, children and other vulnerable members of the society from violence.

    The vice president presented a joint award to FEHN and Air Peace for their partnership with the “government and people of Nigeria on gender based violence.”

    The award was received by the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide. She pledged that the airline and its not-for-profit organisation, FEHN, would continue to seek ways to support the Federal Government in its projects aimed at protecting vulnerable members of the society.

    Delivering a goodwill message at the conference, the Assistant Procurement Manager of FEHN, Mrs. Motunrayo Boladale, commended Osinbajo and his team for rising in protection of women, children and other vulnerable members of the society through the National Conference on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response in Nigeria.

    She urged strategic action against gender-based violence, saying FEHN and AIr Peace were battling the scourge through training, empowerment of women by tasking them with sensitive positions and creation of job opportunities to take the focus of members of the society from violence and other crimes.

    “The reality of gender-based violence in this age is one that continues to wear frail not only the societal fabric of the African continent, but also the entire world. Unfortunately, in recent years the trajectory of cases of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, early marriage and rape of minors in Nigeria has become rather alarming. Sadly, majority of the victims operate in such vulnerable state that there is the possibility of a recurrence.

    “As conflict reconciliation experts, The Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) understands that one of the most effective ways to curb this growing menace is basically the activation of practical proactive measures. Thus, our efforts in the institutionalisation of Nonviolence.  FEHN’s training initiatives are designed to empower individuals at every level. We understand that an empowered individual is less likely to indulge in the act of violence or operate in the position of acceptance. We have the training platforms that educate women and children from the grassroots level. One of our training initiatives is  ‘Message to Schools ‘. This programme has had us train several children in primary and secondary schools.

    “One of the main reasons our sister company, Air Peace Ltd was floated is to create employment. It is heartwarming to know that we have several women gainfully employed by Air Peace. In fact, most of our managers are women, a mark of the dedication of our chairman, Dr. (Barr.) Allen Onyema to the empowerment of women. We strongly believe that as we all join hands individually and collectively to combat gender-based violence, the lasting success we seek will be ours,” Boladale said.

  • Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu in Presidential Campaign Council

    Determined to secure a second term ticket, President Muhammadu Buhari may head his party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to drive his electioneering.

    The list of PCC members is being scrutinised by the President  – to give the campaign of the All Progressives Congress(APC) “a bite”.

    But  the party leadership is seeking a central role from the President  in the re-election campaign instead of allowing only the PCC to take over the process.

    He said Atiku is no match for Buhari by any yardstick.

    Some of those on the PCC list are: Buhari (chairman); Vice President Yemi Osinbajo(Deputy Chairman); Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (Co-chairman); the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole;  all APC governors; the Director-General of the council, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha;  some ministers, including Hadi Sirika (Aviation); Adamu Adamu (Education);  Abdulrahman Dambazzau; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and so on.

    A source said: “APC is set for the battle ahead. The President is taking a direct control of the PCC but we are hopeful that in the next one week, the list will be released. What he is doing is to make sure that it is all-inclusive and representational.

    “The last segment of consultations on the list will be with the leadership of the party which wants to play a central role in the campaign. Within the next few days, there will be discussion at that level.

    “The party’s position is that it has the candidate belongs to it and it has the responsibility to market President Buhari.

    “The leaders of APC are saying that the PCC should reflect the desire of the party.”

     

  • Osinbajo cautions lecturers, varsities officials over unethical roles

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has said the present state of Nigeria’s and Africa’s education cannot be divorced from the unethical and criminal roles being played by lecturers and university administrators.

    He said many times, people blame the government, the parents and even the students for the decay in the system but often ignore the contributions of lecturers, workers and administrators of the institutions as important stakeholders in the educational sector.

    Osinbajo spoke at the opening ceremony of the 13th Regional Conference of Higher Education Research and Policy Network (HERPNET).

    The event, which was organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, with the theme, “Managing corruption in African higher education systems”, was held at NISER’s conference hall, Ibadan.

    The vice president, who was represented by a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Sadiq Radda, said corruption starts with basic things such as not doing the right thing at the right time to condoning unethical and criminal behaviour within the institutions.

    He said: “Perhaps the discussion here today may start with everyone accepting the fact that the responsibility of killing corruption from our institutions rest on us.

    “Many times, we pass the buck. We blame government for underfunding higher institutions and the students for not being diligent enough. We blame parents for the rot in our higher institutions while we ignore the fact that as lecturers and administrators, we contribute to the state of education in our countries.

    “Corruption starts with basic things such as not doing the right thing at the right time to condoning unethical and criminal behaviour within our institutions. Worst still, when we allow such to become the order of the day.

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    “If we must address the issue of corruption and find an enduring solution to it, we ought to pay particular attention to basic things such as the admission process, our commitment to students wellbeing; how we adhere to lecture timetable, examine scripts marked and when results are released, when students get their certificate after graduation, the employment process, promotion, training opportunities for academic and non-academic staff.

    “Relationship between students and the lecturers, effective complaint mechanism and the protection of the complainant, due process in the award of contract and so many other things.

    “These may appear basic, but are strong indicators of a functional educational system, which places any institution at an advantage to compete at the global level.”

    HERPNET President Prof. Olukolade Odekunle said the group is so sensitive to government laudable policies and programmes gear towards sustainable growth and how corruption can be effectively managed through the instrumentality of higher education.

    Director-General, NISER Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, who opened the conference, noted that although he was initially reluctant in hosting the conference because of paucity of funds, he was persuaded by the conference theme and his passion to ensure the development of research and educational sector and the continent at large.

  • 2019 poll is battle between common good and self-seekers, says Osinbajo

    NEXT year’s presidential poll is between public interest and selfish interest, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

    He said that the election will be a battle between those who want the nation’s resources for personal use and those who want the resources applied for the general good.

    Speaking at a consultative forum organised by the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups (BSG) in Abuja, Prof Osinbajo said that those who are wishing the President dead do so because they see him blocking them from plundering the nation’s wealth.

    Osinbajo also launched a doo-to-door campaign in Nyanya and Kara areas of the FCT for President Buhari’s re-election.

    He visited the Alhaji S. K. Ahmed family home in Nyanya and the Jimoko compound in Kara.

    Osinbajo, who described the President as a honest and truthful man, said the fear of the President has made some people not only desperate, but mad, pointing out that “their style is to sustain their cycle of lies so that people will begin to believe it”.

    He went on: “Come February 2019, the APC will, by the grace of God, win the general elections. We will return President Buhari to office for a second term. The election will be a historic one.

    “It is a battle between those who want our country’s resources to be used for our country and her people, and those who want to privatise the commonwealth.

    “The man who stands against the forces of retrogression, but with the future of our children is the man called Muhammadu Buhari.

    “He is not a perfect man, but he is a honest and truthful man; a man who wants to use the resources of this country for the common man. Between 2010 and 2014, our nation earned the highest amount ever in the history from oil – $383 billion. Just to compare in the same period we have earned less than $112 billion. But where are the roads, the rail and the power?

    “When we came into office, over 22 states were owing between three to six months of salaries. The President insisted we must support the states to pay.  Yet, when we came into office, oil was down to $30 a barrel and we were earning 60 per cent less than the previous government.”

    The vice president said the government “in the past three years, spent N2.7 trillion on infrastructure, the highest in the history of the country. How? “We are not stealing the money. We are using it for the people. So, today, we are doing major roads in 36 states, Lagos-Kano railway; Warri, Aladja, Mambilla and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.”

    “We are feeding 9.2 million children every day; we are giving two million petty traders a better deal in life with Tradermoni. We have now employed 50, 000 graduate under the NPower Programme; we are giving at least 400,000 of the poorest Nigerians 5, 000 a month because Buhari is the gate-keeper and has stopped grand corruption.

    “So, despite the fact that we are earning 60 per cent less, we are doing five times more. This is why there is a gang up by the discredited elite against him.  They prayed for him to die, he didn’t die. When he came back hale and hearty by the grace of the almighty God, they mourned while Nigerians rejoiced.

    “The fear of Buhari makes people desperate, even crazy. So, now they say he is Jubrin from Sudan. If you can’t discredit him, say he doesn’t exist! They were all alive and well when Pastor Adeboye went to London and prayed for him the day before he returned to Nigeria. How will one Jubrin sit in FEC and conduct meetings, consults with his ministers, speaks to me daily.

    “Their strategy is simple: if you tell often enough, some will believe you. Buhari is not only alive and well, he will, by God’s grace, live long and well after his second term in office.

    “Let me commend all of us members of the National Committee on Buhari Support Groups. You are the vanguard of the battle for the soul of our nation. We are going forward; we are going higher; we are going to the ‘Next Level’. God bless Nigeria God bless the APC.”

    Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Committee of Nigerians Support Groups, Senator Abu Ibrahim, said “the group is expected to serve as the base for the operations of a planned Strategic Communication Platform for Advocacy and Social Engineering (SCOPASE) that will seek to actively engage the society, especially the youth, and draw them firmly into the governance process as key stakeholders.”

    He said that members of the groups share President Buhari’s unwavering commitment to put Nigeria back on the path of cohesive national growth and development hinged on the huge human and natural assets.

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    The Katsina State-born politician said the President “has tirelessly and selflessly worked to put the economy back on track in the last 36 months and the indicators testify to the progress we have made thus far.”

    “Inflation has been on the downward trend generally for more than a year, the manufacturing sector has seen consistent growth in output through friendly policies, the agricultural sector has not only put millions back to rewarding work, it has inched Nigeria closer to self-sufficiency in food production, and the deliberate ease of doing business drive has seen a boom in micro, small and medium-scale enterprises and engineered renewed foreign investment interest in the economy.

    “High-impact social investment programmes have engaged hundreds of thousands of youths, small scale businesses are receiving some token to boost their businesses, millions of school children are being fed with nutritious meals daily and tens of thousands of indigent citizens are being provided succour through a Conditional Cash Transfer scheme.

    “A prudent management style has seen our foreign reserves approach $50 billion for the first time in many years(relatively lower average foreign earnings notwithstanding) even while pursuing some investments and aggressively executing infrastructure development projects in the maritime, power, railways and roads sub-sectors.

    “That projects abandoned in the years of surplus earnings are now being successfully executed with much less income is testimony to Mr. President’s love and dedication to Nigeria. He has shown exemplary aversion to the plundering of our collective patrimony and has given pertinent organs of government the free hand with which to rein-in the monster of corruption that had blighted our national psyche for decades.

    “Though it is not yet Uhuru, and we still have challenges to confront as a determined multi-cultural developing nation, Nigeria has made real progress under President Buhari. Those who have feasted fat on her fortunes in the past (and who, now painfully have to part with their illegitimate earnings) may see things differently. But we join the millions of Nigerians, especially young ones, now taking advantage of new opportunities in the economy, to state without fear of contradiction that our years of desolate wandering are over.

    “In President Buhari we have a leader we can be sure, will never use his office and use our collective sacrifices to feed his personal financial empire.

    “We can go to sleep knowing very well that Mr. President will not be entertaining nocturnal meetings at which our common destinies are packaged and shared amongst a kleptomaniac few. He is true to his promises and will do everything humanly possible to fulfil them.”

  • Osinbajo, Yari meet in Aso Rock 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met behind closed doors with the Zamfara State Governor, Abdullaziz Yari.

    The meeting started around 2.04pm when Yari arrived the Vice President’s office.

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    Apart from controversies that trailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Zamfara State, the state has also been saddled with security challenges.

    After one hour, two other APC governors joined the meeting.

    Those who joined the meeting around 3.05pm included Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima.

    The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed also attended the meeting.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Osinbajo, Gowon see brighter future for Nigeria

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon yesterday predict a brighter future for Nigerian. It was the State House Chapel in Abuja during the annual End of Year Thanksgiving.

    They thanked God for his goodness to the country and also prayed for a more prosperous nation.

    Speaking with reporters after the service, Prof. Osinbajo said that Nigerians had every reason to be extremely thankful to God.

    “It has been a year where God has shown his faithfulness in some many ways; I think what God is also telling is that the coming months and the coming years will be even better.

    “Our country is going forward; our country is getting better and better; our country will prosper; our country will be a place of abundance; all of us will enjoy the fruit of this land.

    “So my message is that we should continually thank God because God has helped us a great deal and he is set to help us even more.’’

    The vice president had earlier during the service offered a special thanksgiving prayer to God for His mercy, grace and kindness to Nigeria.

    Gen. Gowon said that his message for Nigeria was to pray ceaselessly.

    He prayed God to accept the genuine prayers offered by Nigerians.

    He said: “Let God answer all the good prayers for Nigeria; what he thinks is best for Nigeria. That is my message and prayer; so that we contribute to the peace of Nigeria.’’

    In his sermon, Assistant General Overseer with The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Ezekiel Odeyemi said that Nigeria has a good reason to thank God for still remaining one.

    He said that the country had passed through quite a lot as there were lots of signs and signals pointing towards disintegration but Nigerians still remained together.

    “That one is more than enough to thank God for,’’ he said.

    State House Chapel Chaplain Pastor Seyi Malomo recommended thanksgiving as something Nigerians should do continuously.

    The cleric said: “Thanksgiving is something that is expected on a continuous basis; in fact, that is one of the requirements of God from us.

    “We thank God; God will make us whole; in every relationship, you do not see perfection; even in your life but when you thank God, that imperfection will be perfected.

    “So, I see a perfection for Nigeria; I see a wholeness for every one of us.’’

    Nasarawa State Deputy Governor Silas Agara thanked God for guiding President Muhammadu Buhari and Osinbajo in the last three years.

    He said that Nigerians should be thankful to God for giving the nation God-fearing leaders, unlike other nations, Nigeria was not at war.

    At the service were Head of Federal Civil Service (HoFCS) Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, Niger-Delta Affairs Minister Sani Uguru, representatives of the Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Army Staff.