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Tag: Osinbajo

  • Osinbajo, Ambode for Lead Big Innovation Festival

    Come Saturday, September 22, 2018, the 10th Lead Big Innovation Festival will hold at the Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Dignitaries expected at the event include -Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, African richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija amongst others.

    According to the Executive Coordinator for LEAD, Paul Jide Peter, the event is designed to ignite the spirit of enterprise, innovation, creativity and service excellence, and also stimulate economic growth in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

    Jide revealed that the event would bring together over 5,000 participants made up of highly innovative individuals, bright minds, young business owners, SMEs, career professionals, amongst others.

    Jide added that the participants of the event would be expected to leverage on the opportunity to meet with leading idea geniuses, thought leaders, global innovators that would help them expand their creative quotients, as well as explore new ideas, emerging technologies, innovations and creative solutions that will support Africa’s long-term economic advancement

  • Power sector ‘lost N324.3b’ in eight months

    New data from the advisory power team in the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has shown that the power sector has lost N324.3bilion this year, due to gas constraints and poor distribution network.

    According to the latest power generation report, 3,700megawatts (Mw) of electricity could not be generated on August 20 due to unavailability of gas, poor transmission and distribution network, and high frequency.

    As a result, the sector lost N1.786billion same day.

    A report by the advisory power team in June showed that the sector lost N201billion revenue in 6 months — from January 1 and June 5.

    The data indicated that a total of N201,298,000,000 loss was recorded due to repeated shortfalls in gas supply to power generation companies (GenCos), the inability of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to effectively transport electricity from GenCos and operational limitations of power distribution companies (DisCos).

    The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Joy Ogaji, warned of likely nationwide blackout over the inability of the TCN to transmit available volume of electricity generated into the national grid.

    She complained that load shedding and power fluctuations in the country had resulted in low efficiency in the power system, adding that TCN could only transmit an average of 3985.15Mw, 53 per cent of the available capacity of 7484.88Mw produced daily by the GenCos.

  • Why we focus on common man, by Osinbajo

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said the Buhari administration will focus on the common man and take the masses out of poverty.

    He added that the government would do this through its social investment programmes.

    Osinbajo called for unity among Nigerians.

    He spoke at a town hall meeting in Lagos State to felicitate with Muslims on Eid-el-Kabir.

    The vice-president, who addressed a gathering comprising All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, youth groups, government officials and local council development area (LCDA) chairmen of Somolu and Bariga, noted that the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) were geared towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.

    In a statement yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said: “The President’s focus has always been on the common man. So, when we came, we decided on a few things to tackle youth unemployment. First, the N-Power programme to engage as many young people who are graduates as possible.

    “We started with 200,000, and just this month, we have employed another 300,000. So, in our N-Power programme, we have 500,000 young graduates who are employed in the programme. Now every local government in Nigeria has N-Power graduate.”

    He added that the Buhari administration had embarked on the completion of more infrastructural projects and achieved more with less funds because of President Buhari’s honesty and the seriousness of the administration to improve the country’s fortunes.

    Prof. Osinbajo said: “In the four years of the previous administration, over US$393 billion was earned in oil proceeds alone. In the last three years, we have earned US$94 billion, look at the difference. The reasons are very straightforward. The price of oil was about half of what it used to be. But with the same $94 billion, we have done far more.

    “When we assumed power, 24 states had not paid salaries for over six months. We ensured that these salaries were paid. President Buhari said then: “Look, I have been a salary earner all my life. I have never done any business; the only thing I’ve ever done is government work, either as a soldier or in government. I cannot imagine how anybody can go to sleep as a governor without paying the salaries of his workers.” So, we made sure that we paid salaries. We have done many other things.

    “In investments, look at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. For almost 12 years, with all that money, it was never done. Now we have set about and we are doing it. We will complete it. Also, the Lagos-Kano railway project, many of us know that we are moving towards Ibadan now. We are going to complete it.”

    He said the Buhari administration would support petty traders and small businesses to ensure more Nigerians were taken out of poverty.

    The vice-president said: “The other thing we have done is GEEP (Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme), a micro-credit scheme for market women and others. We are doing one now for petty traders called TraderMoni.  We have done it in Lagos. We are going to do at least 100,000 in Lagos and 2 million across the country. The traders here in Bariga must benefit from it. We also have the one for people far bigger than that which is called GEEP.

    “I want to emphasise that everything we are doing, our focus, first of all, is to ensure that people are taken out of poverty. Our country is very big; over 200 million people, many young people coming out of school everyday.  Besides, we want to ensure that anybody doing anything at all, who is trading, artisans, mechanics; we are able to support them.

    “The reason is that when you look at the way the government operated in the past; when you look at the government budget, it focuses on the middle class, those who have industries and manufacturing plants, and those kinds of people. But the majority are at a very low level, doing little things. Those are the people we must first of all focus on, so that the poorest are able to do better. If the poorest do better, it will be better for all of us.”

  • Why we focus on common man – Osinbajo

    *Says Buhari administration will continue to develop more infrastructure, support Nigerians

     

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the Buhari administration will continue to focus on the common man and taking Nigerians out of poverty through its social investment programmes.

    He however called for unity among all Nigerians.

    Prof. Osinbajo said this during a townhall meeting on Tuesday in Bariga/Somolu LCDA in Lagos State to felicitate with Lagosians on the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

    The Vice President, who addressed a gathering comprising APC chieftains in the state, youth groups, state government officials and the LCDA Chairmen of Somolu and Bariga, noted that the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) were geared towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said “The President focus has always been on the common man. So, when we came, we decided on a few things to tackle youth unemployment. First, the N-Power programme to engage as many young people who are graduates as possible.

    “We started with 200,000, and just this month, we have employed another 300,000. So, in our N-Power programme, we have 500,000 young graduates who are employed in the programme. Now every local government in Nigeria has N-Power graduate.”

    He added that the Buhari administration has been able to embark on the completion of more infrastructure projects and achieve more with less funds because of President’s Buhari’s honesty and the seriousness of the administration to improve the country’s fortunes.

    He said, “In the past four years of the previous administration, over US$393 billion was earned in oil proceeds alone. In the past three years, we have earned US$94 billion, look at the difference. And the reasons are very straightforward. The price of oil was about half of what it used to be. But with the same $94 billion, we have been able to do far more.

    “When we got into office, 24 states had not paid salaries for over six months and we ensured that these salaries were paid. And President Buhari said then, “Look, I have been a salary earner all my life, I have never done any business; the only thing I ever done is government work, either as a soldier or in government. I cannot imagine how anybody can go to sleep as a governor without paying the salaries of his workers.” So, we made sure that we paid salaries and we have done so many other things.

    “In investments, look at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; for almost 12 years, with all that money, it was never done. Now we have set about and we are doing it, we will complete it. Also, the Lagos-Kano railway project, so many of us know that we are moving towards Ibadan now. And we are going to complete it.”

    The Vice President further said the Buhari administration will continue to support petty traders and small businesses to ensure that more Nigerians are taken out of poverty.

    He said, “The other thing we have done is GEEP (Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme), a micro-credit scheme for market women and others. We are doing one now for petty traders that is called TraderMoni. We have done it in Lagos we are going to do at least 100,000 in Lagos and 2 million across the country. The traders here in Bariga must benefit from it. We also have the one for people far bigger than that which is called GEEP.

    Read Also: We’ll deliver credible elections in 2019 – Osinbajo

    “I want to emphasize that everything we are doing, our focus, first of all, is to ensure that people are taken out of poverty. Our country is a very big; over 200 million people, many young people coming out everyday. Aside from that, we also want to ensure that anybody who is doing anything at all, who is trading, artisans, mechanics; we are able to support them.

    “The reason is that when you look at the way government operates in the past; when you look at the government budget, it focuses on the middle-class, those who have industries and manufacturing plants, and those kinds of people. But the majority are at a very low level, doing little things. Those are the people that we must first of all (focus on), so that the poorest are able to do better. If the poorest do better, it would be better for all of us.” he said.

  • Osinbajo, ex-Enugu senator meet in Aso Rock

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met the former Chairman of Works Committee in the 7th Senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Eze arrived the Villa about 2pm.

    He was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

    Eze, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) senator, who represented Enugu North from 2007 to 2015, aspired for the party’s ticket to run for governor in Enugu State in 2015.

    He lost to the eventual winner and present governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Last week, Eze defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    His visit to the Villa yesterday followed his defection to the APC.

  • Osinbajo, Senator Ayogu Eze meet in Aso Rock

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday held a private meeting with former Chairman of Works Committee in the 7th Senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Senator Ayogu Eze arrived the Villa at about 2pm.

    He was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

    Read Also: Osinbajo signs three bills into law

    Ayogu Eze, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator representing Enugu North from 2007 to 2015, aspired for the ticket of the PDP to run for the governorship position in Enugu State in 2015.

    He lost to the eventual winner and present Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    Last week, Ayogu Eze had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    His visit to the Villa on Monday followed his defection to the APC.

  • How Buhari, Osinbajo plan to sack Daura was nearly aborted

    •No cracks in Aso Rock Villa, say sources
    •President to decide ex-DG DSS boss’ fate

    President Muhamnadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo agreed to review the appointment of Mr. Lawal Daura as Director-General, Department of State Security Service (DSS), barely two weeks to the commencement of the president’s 10-day vacation, according to fresh information yesterday.

    But the plan was nearly aborted by some influential backers until the two leaders stood their ground, The Nation gathered authoritatively yesterday.

    Besides, presidential villa sources said that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, there are no cracks in the relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo.

    It is understood that the duo took “big decisions together in the past two weeks.”

    Osinbajo fired Daura on August 7 following the blockade of the National Assembly by DSS operatives.

    The Vice President said Daura took the action without authority from the Presidency.

    That happened three days after the President left for London on vacation.

    Buhari returned to Abuja yesterday at the expiration of his vacation and sources told The Nation that he will decide the fate of the former DSS DG.

    Giving a rare insight yesterday into how the President and the Vice President function, a Presidential Villa source said: “Less than two weeks before the president departed for the UK on vacation there was a decision already reached to replace the former Director-General of the DSS who was later fired by the Acting President.

    “The decision however did not see the light of day when some influential backers of the sacked DG rallied together to frustrate the plan.

    “But unknown to many of the backers both the President and his deputy have always discussed the need to review the appointments of some of the security chiefs including the sacked DG.”

    Another source said there has been no crack in the presidency contrary to insinuations in some quarters.

    “The President and VP have closely been aligned all along including in the past two weeks that the Vice President governed in acting capacity,” the source said.

    “Although the President was on vacation he and the VP were in contact by phone to discuss important state issues and compare notes.

    “In all their interactions, the President always encouraged the VP to do the needful and take charge effectively.

    “It is really pointless to try to attribute some of these decisions in a manner that suggests that may be the President would not have taken them or that it was just one arm of the presidency responsible for them.

    “The President and his deputy are far much closer than any other set of leaders the country has produced at least since 1999, if not even beyond.”

    “It is therefore mischievous for some people to be comparing the two leaders. Truth is that the President and his VP act in concert and credit ought to be given to the President who has ensured over and again that the VP is certainly a major power broker in the presidency.

    “There is hardly a move the VP would make without first securing the blessing of the President and both of these gentlemen have developed mutual trust and confidence in each other and this is beneficial for the country.”

    On the overhaul of the SARS, a third source said the Vice President did not act unilaterally either.

    The source added: “the matter had featured prominently in regular interactions of both the President and the VP and also interactions by both of them with the Inspector-General of Police.

    “In a similar vein, the decision of the National Economic Council to set up a committee to work with the Inspector-General of Police and find ways to decentralize police operations is a reflection of discussions and plans that both the President and the Vice President have gone over a number of times previously.”

     

  • Osinbajo signs three bills into law

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has signed three Bills transmitted by the National Assembly into law.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the new Acts are the Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2018; the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018; and the Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Science) Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018.

    “The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2018 provides the framework, as envisaged by Section 303 of the Constitution, for the administration of the Civil Service of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “The Commission established under the Act will, without prejudice to the powers of the President, be responsible for the appointment and disciplinary control of staff in the Civil Service of the FCT.

    “The Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018 establishes the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria for forestry research, education and training. The Institute, with its Headquarters in Ibadan, will have outstations and colleges in each of the six geo-political zones of the Federation.

    “The institute will, among others, conduct research into the development of agro-forestry systems for the integration of forest trees of economic importance into farming systems; ecology of pests and diseases and their control; and the control of desertification, soil erosion and deforestation.

    “The Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Science) Jos (Establishment) Act, 2018 establishes the School of Medical Laboratory Technology (Science) Jos, a diploma and certificate-awarding Institute, for training and research in Medical Laboratory Science and other related fields.” he stated

     

  • Osinbajo urged to end govts’ disobedience of court orders

    Lawyer-activist Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has urged Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to end disobedience of court order by the governments and people.

    He accused the Federal Government of being the chief culprit in the disregard of court orders and advised it to redeem itself.

    The lawyer, in an August 14 letter titled: ‘Request to end disobedience of court orders by all authorities and persons’, made available to The Nation yesterday, said the court orders included the Federal Government’s refusal to implement the 2009 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) order that every Nigerian child be given quality education, the 2012 Federal High Court order that the scrapped Peoples Bank be re-established to give loans to the underprivileged and a 2016 Federal High Court order directing the Federal Government to account for the stolen funds recovered since 1999.

    Others, according to him, are the alleged refusal to release former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, his wife, Hajia Zenab El-Zakzaky and other “common people” languishing in jail.

    He said: “On July 17, President Muhammadu Buhari had the rare privilege of participating in the activities marking the 20th anniversary of the International Criminal Court. On that auspicious occasion, the Nigerian leader assured the international community that ‘our cooperation with the court is borne out of our strong belief in the respect for the rule of law and human rights…’”

    Falana noted that on the basis of such assurance from the President, he was compelled to review the “disturbing culture of disobeying court orders by officials of the federal and state governments under the present democratic dispensation.”

    According to him, since 1999, contempt of court orders has become worse than ever before, due to lack of understanding of the essence of the rule of law in a liberal democratic dispensation

    He recalled that although scores of other politicians and activists were detained during the military era, there was “not a  case where the order of a court for the release of any detainee was ignored.

    “In fact, the defendants, who were granted bail by special military tribunals and criminal courts, were released once they met the bail conditions.”

    Falana, however, admitted that besides the area of civil liberties, successive military regimes treated court orders in many other matters with disdain.

    “Fortunately for the country, the courts took up the challenge of defending the rule of law,” he said.

    Falana regretted that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has since become “so comfortable with the subversion of the rule of law that it now blows muted trumpets, as several court orders are disobeyed by highly placed public officers under the current political dispensation.”

     

     

  • We’ll deliver credible elections in 2019 – Osinbajo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday assured Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration would deliver free, fair and credible elections next year.

    Osinbajo, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the President, Babafemi Ojodu, at the Annual Nigeria Political Parties Summit organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre of the National Institute for a Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), said no individual interest would be allowed to override the nation’s interest.

    He said all activities ahead of the 2019 elections must be approached with the highest level of decorum and strict adherence to rules of the game as enshrined in the constitution, the electoral act and indeed the code of conduct which the political parties freely put in place.

    He said: “The interest of Nigeria is higher than the individual interest of any person or group of persons no matter how highly placed. It is our duty to protect and defend the life of every Nigerian while exercising his right to vote.

    “We must never allow anyone or anything to derail our match to progress. We must refrain from actions that are capable of threatening the security of this country, particularly hate speeches and attitude to intolerance and division. Let us stand together on the common action of love, unity and stability to salvage Nigeria.

    “This political summit offers an opportunity for the political parties to dialogue and take stock of our activities. The absence of dialogue among political parties in the past led to conflict and polarization among political leaders and consequently bitter developments.

    “Trust and cooperation between political parties is imperative between political parties for democracy and development. In this respect, I want to commend the political parties for strengthening the Interparty Advisory Council to have a common platform for all political parties to articulate their common problems and deepen democracy. Inter party cooperation in these days is essential for democratic consolidation and national stability.

    “Today, I pledge to Nigeria, my country to promote free, fair and credible election devoid of any form of interference in the activities of INEC, to ensure security and promote a violence free election devoid of animosity and hate speeches, to abide by the extant laws governing political parties and adhere strictly to the code of conduct of political parties in Nigeria.”