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Tag: Professor Yemi Osinbajo

  • Osinbajo leads Dangote, others to Alaghodaro Investment Summit

    Osinbajo leads Dangote, others to Alaghodaro Investment Summit

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is to lead industry titans including Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, to the maiden edition of Alaghodaro Investment Summit, to be hosted by the Edo State Government, in Benin City, beginning on November 10.

    The three-day summit with the theme: “Envisioning the Future,” will explore opportunities for local and foreign direct investments in Edo State by highlighting the state’s competitive advantage across various sectors.

    Also expected at the investment summit are local and international business leaders and investors, bankers, financiers, industry experts, policymakers, the diplomatic community and the academia.

    The summit will showcase the reform that the Obaseki-led government has carried out in critical sectors of the economy such as the Private Property Protection Law that has sanitised land acquisition and use, the planned development of 58 tourist sites across the state that will unlock the tourism potential of the state and the incentives for investment in the agricultural sector through public private partnership, amongst other sectors.

    According to the Chairman of Alaghodaro 2017 organising committee,  Asue Ighodalo: “The world over, governments are looking beyond oil to alternative revenue sources in order to ensure sustainable development, and we must also get creative and take action today for our future and the future of our children.”

    Ighodalo said that the key areas of focus at the three-day event would include Law and Order, Civil Service Reform, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Transportation, Forest Regeneration and Conservation, Education, Healthcare and Arts and Culture.

    He further said that Alaghodaro Summit, is part of the response of the Edo State Government, under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to the imminent threat of an oil-dependent economy.

  • FG seeks FRA amendment to off-set N2.7 trillion obligations

    FG seeks FRA amendment to off-set N2.7 trillion obligations

    The Federal Government (FG) is seeking a legal framework for the issuance of promissory note and bond to settle some financial obligations amounting to N2.7 trillion.

    This is contained in a letter to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki written by Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

    The letter dated August 4, 2017 and addressed to the Senate President was written when Osinbajo was Acting President.

    Saraki read the letter on the floor of the upper chamber on Tuesday a copy of which was obtained by our reporter yesterday.

    Entitled “Request for the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act by the National Assembly to give effect to the proposed promissory note and bond issuance programme,” Osinbajo sought expedited treatment of the request by the Senate.

    The letter read in part: “I forward herewith, for your kind consideration and passage into law, the Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

    “The proposed amendment is necessitated by the need to commence the programme of promissory note and bond issuance to provide a final solution to the long standing issue of outstanding obligations of the Government that have been quantified at a gross amount of N2.7 trillion.

    “This programme has become imperative in view of the seriousness of the accumulation of these obligations, which are inimical to Government plans to revive the economy through the provision of improved and modernised infrastructure; and, at a human capital level, the issue of pension and promotional arrears, which go back as far as 2012, is causing untold hardship among those who have served. It also adversely affects the morale of those currently in service, and on whom we depend to implement Government programmes.

    “However, as you are no doubt aware, pension and salary arrears are recurrent expenditure and the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 (FRA) clearly stipulate in section 41(1)(a) and 44(2)(b) that the proceeds of borrowing by Government shall be applied solely towards capital expenditure.

    “In this regard, I request that the National Assembly approves the proposed amendment to FRA to provide legal backing for the use of the use of the mentioned instrument in the satisfaction of the accumulated obligations.”

  • Edo Local Govt pensioners get over N212 million for August

    Edo Local Govt pensioners get over N212 million for August

    The commitment made by the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to continue to cater to the needs of pensioners who are the state’s senior citizens, has again been demonstrated, with the payment of N212,879,888 million naira to local government pensioners.

    According to Obaseki, the state will continue to accord its pensioners the respect they have earned and deserve, in the scheme of things in the state.

    He explained that the over N212 million naira was for the month of August and urged Edo pensioners and workers to support the ongoing reform embarked upon by his administration in key areas such as education, primary healthcare, infrastructure, security, job creation and industrialisation amongst others.

    The governor tasked heads of local government areas to creatively harness the huge human and natural resources that abound in all parts of the state for the good of all Edo people.

    He assured that the newly commissioned BUA Cement company and the Edo Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited have started impacting positively on the economy of the state through the creation of jobs, access to affordable fertilizer by farmers and the emergence of several allied businesses.

    Edo State exited the committee of civil service states last week, when the  Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo commissioned the 60,000 metric tonnes fertilizer plant in Auchi and the two million metric tonnes BUA Cement plant in Okpella in the state, setting the stage for huge industrial activities in the two key sectors of the state.

  • New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    The federal government has released a State by State breakdown of another tranche of Paris Club refund of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments from 1995-2002.

    A statement from the federal ministry of finance said these payments which totalled N243, 795,465,195.20 “were made to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory upon the approval of the President on May 4, 2017.”

    Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers states received the largest disbursements of N10 billion each.

    This second tranche of Paris Club refunds is a “partial settlement of long-standing claims by State Governments relating to over-deductions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002.”

    The statement added that Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun explained that these debt service deductions were in respect of the Paris Club, London Club and Multilateral debts of the federal and State governments.

    Adeosun noted that “while Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in October 2005, some States had already been overcharged.”

    The funds were released to State Governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.

    The releases the ministry said “were conditional upon a minimum of 75 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for States that owe salaries and pension.”

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said it “is reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by State Governments.”

    A detailed report is being compiled for presentation to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the process for approval for the release of any subsequent tranches.
    The disbursements are contained in the table below:

     

    S/N STATE AMOUNT PAYABLE (NGN)
    1 ABIA 5,715,765,871.48
    2 ADAMAWA 6,114,300,352.68
    3 AKWA-IBOM 10,000,000,000.00
    4 ANAMBRA 6,121,656,702.34
    5 BAUCHI 6,877,776,561.25
    6 BAYELSA 10,000,000,000.00
    7 BENUE 6,854,671,749.25
    8 BORNO 7,340,934,865.32
    9 CROSS RIVER 6,075,343,946.93
    10 DELTA 10,000,000,000.00
    11 EBONYI 4,508,083,379.98
    12 EDO 6,091,126,592.49
    13 EKITI 4,772,836,647.08
    14 ENUGU 5,361,789,409.66
    15 GOMBE 4,472,877,698.19
    16 IMO 7,000,805,182.97
    17 JIGAWA 7,107,666,706.76
    18 KADUNA 7,721,729,227.55
    19 KANO 10,000,000,000.00
    20 KATSINA 8,202,130,909.85
    21 KEBBI 5,977,499,491.45
    22 KOGI 6,027,727,595.80
    23 KWARA 5,120,644,326.57
    24 LAGOS 8,371,938,133.11
    25 NASARAWA 4,551,049,171.12
    26 NIGER 7,210,793,154.95
    27 OGUN 5,739,374,694.46
    28 ONDO 7,003,648,314.28
    29 OSUN 6,314,106,340.62
    30 OYO 7,901,609,864.25
    31 PLATEAU 5,644,079,055.41
    32 RIVERS 10,000,000,000.00
    33 SOKOTO 6,441,128,546.76
    34 TARABA 5,612,014,491.52
    35 YOBE 5,413,103,116.59
    36 ZAMFARA 5,442,385,594.49
    37 FCT 684,867,500.04
    TOTAL 243,795,465,195.20

     

  • Industrial Court gets 19 new judges

    Industrial Court gets 19 new judges

    • Inauguration at Supreme Court, Friday at 3:00 pm

    The number of judges of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has been raised by 19 with the approval of the number by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

    National Judicial Council’s (NJC’s) Director of Information, Soji Oye said in a statement that Prof Osinbajo’s approval of 19 new judges for the NICN followed a recommendation to that effect by the NJC.

    Oye said the new judges will “be sworn-in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and NJC’s Chairman, Justice Walter Onnoghen on Friday, 14th July 2017, by 3:00 pm at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”

    The new judges are: Targema John Iorngee (Benue State); Namtari Mahmood Abba (Adamawa State); Nweneka Gerald Ikechi (Rivers State); Kado Sanusi (Katsina State); Adeniyi Sinmisola Oluyinka (Ogun State) and Abiola Adunola Adewemimo (Osun State).

    Also on the list are: Opeloye Ogunbowale A. (Lagos State); Essien Isaac Jeremiah (Akwa-Ibom State); Elizabeth Ama Oji (Ebonyi State); Arowosegbe Olukayode Ojo  (Ondo State); Ogbuanya Nelson S. Chukwudi (Enugu State) and Bashir Zaynab Mohammed (Niger State).

    Others are: Galadima Ibrahim Suleiman (Nasarawa State); Bassi Paul Ahmed (Borno State); Danjidda Salisu Hamisu (Kano State): Hamman Idi Polycarp (Taraba State); Damulak Kiyersohot Dashe   (Plateau State); Alkali Bashar Attahiru (Sokoto State) and Mustapha Tijjani (Jigawa State).

  • Security chiefs debunk reports of 150 deaths in C/River communal clash

    Security chiefs debunk reports of 150 deaths in C/River communal clash

    The Cross River State Commissioner of Police Monday said reports that 150 persons were killed in the clash between Wanikade and Wanihem communities in Yala local government area recently, were untrue.

    Speaking when he received the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who was on a fact finding visit following the reports, in the company of all the security commanders in the state, Inuwa said going by details of their findings in the aftermath of the communal clash, the alarming figure of 150 persons reported killed were false as nobody in both communities could give names of those killed nor show graves of those that were claimed to be killed and buried.

    “What they told us is that their cultural practice is to bury immediately anybody that is killed at battle fronts but when we insisted to see the graves of some, only one grave was shown to us. And as for the number of houses destroyed, the figure was also false because the totality of the houses in the communities can be sum up to only about five hundred and not all the houses were destroyed, so we wonder where they figure of over 1200 houses being destroyed were gotten,” he said.

    The Brigade Commander of the 13th Brigade Army in Calabar, Brigadier-General Ismaila Isa, corroborated the briefing by the Commissioner of Police saying that incidentally he was around the area when the news broke.

    State Director of the Department of State Security Services DSS, Mr. Fubara Duke, also speaking along the same lines said, “if the number of death is to be put going by the single grave shown us, then it’s only one. Though houses were destroyed but certainly not the figures given because the total number of houses in the two communities are far less than what is said to have been destroyed.”

    The Minister was also briefed by heads of Immigrations, Customs and Civil Defense in the state before he proceeded to pay a courtesy visit on the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade.

    At the governor’s office, Lt. Gen. Dambazau told Ayade that the Federal Government heard news of the communal clash and the alarming number of deaths which prompted his coming to the state.

    He said that though reports he had gotten showed that the figures were not true, every life was important, hence he will visit the communities himself to see how both short and long term measures would prevent a reoccurrence of such clash.

    Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade thanked the Federal Government for the prompt response.

    He said the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, have shown love and concern for Cross River State.

    He said the state was grateful and was praying that President Muhammadu Buhari will recover soon.

  • Lagos remains home to all tribes, nationalities – Ambode, Akiolu

    Lagos remains home to all tribes, nationalities – Ambode, Akiolu

    …Back Osinbajo’s Reconciliatory Moves on National Unity

     

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday commended the measures taken so far by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and by extension the Federal Government to quell tensions generated by agitation from some ethnic nationalities seeking to break away from Nigeria, saying that the unity of the country should be of paramount importance to all.

    Governor Ambode, who spoke at Lagos House in Ikeja when he received on courtesy visit members of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs led by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, said as a State, Lagos would continue to support every effort made to keep the unity of the country especially by maintaining peace and accommodating all.

    Speaking against the backdrop of earlier comments by Akiolu to the effect that the Council of Obas and Chiefs in the State were solidly in support of the peaceful co-existence of people in the country, Governor Ambode said the oneness of the country was of the essence, and that it was important for every segment of the country to promote the unity of the nation.

    He said: “I also want to join the Chairman of Council of Obas and Chiefs in Lagos State to reiterate our support for the Federal Government to keep the unity of Nigeria and also uphold the tenets of the Constitution. We are very happy that all our traditional rulers in Lagos believe in oneness of Nigeria.

    “We are happy also that we are very accommodating. We are also happy that we allow people from other tribes to live with us and we are ready to do everything to support the Acting President and the Federal Government in general that every effort they make, we will ensure that Lagos remains peaceful and then Nigeria remains peaceful,” Governor Ambode assured.

    While reiterating the commitment of his administration to frontally address security issues in the State, Governor Ambode thanked the traditional rulers for supporting his efforts to ensure safety of lives and property in the State.

    “I want to thank you for your support in terms of security. You are part of the security architecture of Lagos State because without you, we will not get the information we are using to reach out to the police and I also want to thank you for supporting our Neighborhood Safety Corps initiative.

    “Like I said, it is about neighborhood safety and we have seen the hands of all our monarchs in the operation of the corps. We believe strongly that we need to put more efforts in the Neighborhood Safety Corps to make sure that this issue of kidnapping and other criminal activities become a thing of the past within the shortest possible time,” the Governor said.

    Speaking specifically on the children that were kidnapped at the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla-Epe, Governor Ambode said at the moment, he would not want to divulge details of efforts being made by government to end kidnapping and other crimes in the State, but expressed optimism that the efforts would yield positive results.

    “Like I said somewhere yesterday, I don’t like running government on the pages of newspapers because sometimes when we do it, it will jeopardize what we are doing on security which is why we have been very tactical about doing media trial in things like this.

    “But just to let our monarchs know what we are doing, I feel very bad each time I hear about this but again life and safety first thereafter we will deal with other things. But to let you know truly that sometimes, some of these kidnapping issues are actually from enemies within but I just pray that when the children comes back, we will be able to talk about those things and so I just ask people to give us some time as we gather intelligence,” he said.

    Earlier, Akiolu commended Governor Ambode for his efforts so far, and prayed for him to have a successful tenure of office, saying that the giant strides of the present government were appreciated.

    He also said that monarchs in the State were very much in support of the peaceful co-existence of the country, adding that every tribe is welcome in Lagos.

    “The peaceful co-existence of everybody is what we are after in Lagos and I have to say that Lagos is home to all,” Akiolu said.

    Besides, the monarch reiterated the call for Lagos to be granted Special Status, saying that doing so would be to the overall benefit of the country.

     

  • NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    NDDC MD escapes death in Calabar-Itu road accident

    The Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere has escaped death following a ghastly motor accident on his convoy Thursday.

    The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday along the Calabar-Itu high way when a trailer rammed into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director.

    Mr. Ekere and others were on their way to Calabar, Cross River capital to receive Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who is on a working visit to the state.

    During the accident, a policeman in the pilot vehicle, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report died while several others sustained different degrees of injuries.

    It was learnt that the body of the deceased police officer has been deposited in the hospital morgue while those that sustained injuries were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Uyo, the state capital.

    A statement which was released shortly after the road accident by the NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Toye Abosede said: “the convoy of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima.Ekere, has been involved in a road mishap.

    “The incident, along the Calabar-Itu Road, occurred when a trailer ran into the pilot vehicle carrying policemen attached to the NDDC Managing Director who was on his way to Calabar to receive the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

    “The victims were immediately taken to a nearby hospital where they are receiving urgent medical attention for injuries. Unfortunately, one of the policemen could not be saved. Members of the entourage in other vehicles were unhurt in the unfortunate incident.”

     

  • Lagos gets nod to reconstruct Int’l Airport road

    Lagos gets nod to reconstruct Int’l Airport road

    The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has granted permission to the Lagos State Government to embark upon a total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.

    In a Press Statement signed on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode who made the disclosure, commended the Acting President for his statesman like approach to issues and for fast tracking the process.

    “We are very appreciative of the good gesture of His Excellency, the Acting President for acceding to our request which is not only very timely but a very heartwarming one. Posterity will never forget this genuine developmental action”, Governor Ambode said.

    He also described the approval as a 50th birthday to the people of Lagos State, describing it a further demonstration of the determination of the present administration to ensure the effectiveness of the Executive Order on improving the Ease of Doing Business recently signed by the Acting President.

    Governor Ambode also gave kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investment into the nation, adding that with the upgrading of the International Airport Road which is the gateway to the nation’s commercial nerve centre, the country will attract new investments.

    The Governor had in early March this year, raised an alarm about the present state of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport Road, describing it as a national disgrace that required immediate attention to salvage the nation’s image.

    He stated then that the State presently has a design for the reconstruction of the road as well as the funds to embark on the project but was yet to get the go ahead from the Federal Government.

    In his words: “The road linking Oshodi to the International Airport, you would all agree with me is a national embarrassment. In the spirit of the regeneration and urbanisation that this administration has set out to achieve, we believe strongly that the image that is exhumed by the decadence of that road must be repaired and we took it upon ourselves to appropriate the 2017 budget that the House of Assembly should approve the total reconstruction of the Airport Road from Oshodi to the International Airport.

    “The State currently has a design of 10 lanes to come from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop you towards the Local Airport. The contractor is already set to go and everything as I said has been completed and we already have the cash, but alas we are having challenges with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This is a Federal and not a State road. The Federal Ministry of Works believes that they should do the road, but they have not been able to do it all these years past.”

    Governor Ambode had said if given the approval, his administration was ready to hit the ground running and begin construction of the Airport Road within two weeks and finish same within a period of six months.

    Besides, the Governor also implored the Federal Government to avail the State of the N2billion appropriated for the Airport Road in the 2017 National Budget to carry out the project.

    “I just want to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Works, to let go or reimburse us with whatever it is that they are owing us and even if they are not willing to pay us now, we have the money to do it. It is a national disgrace and we would not be part of it. We would like to do it as part of the celebration of Lagos at 50,” Governor Ambode had said then.

    It would be recalled that the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in its reaction said the delay in granting the request the of Lagos State was because the Memorandum conveying the request of Lagos State which was already before the Federal Executive Council has not reached completion stage.

    “The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing Ministry has presented the Memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State Government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016”.

    “Due to the fact that TWO of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other State Government affected”, the federal ministry explained.

     

  • Osinbajo to Nigerians:Let’s stop blame game, make sacrifice

    Osinbajo to Nigerians:Let’s stop blame game, make sacrifice

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday charged Nigerians to be ready to sacrifice for Nigeria towards achieving greatness.

     

    Osinbajo specifically urged them to stop the present blame game.

    The Acting President spoke at the Interdenominational church service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja as part of activities marking the 2017 Democracy Day.
    The theme of the service was: ‘The Dry Bones Shall Live Again’ Ezekiel 37:11.
    Recalling the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37, the Osinbajo said Nigerians must not be like the politician and cleric in the story that looked the other way when they saw the man that was attacked by thieves.
    He urged them to emulate the Good Samaritan, a nobody that took compassion on him, poured oil on his wounds, bandage him and took him to the hospital.
    He said “When we look on our country it is not the state that fell that is the story but the story is how the people reacted when you see the nation that needs to be helped.
    “While the politician and cleric look the other way when they saw the man that was half dead, the Good Samaritan had compassion on him, bandage him and took him to the hospital.
    “Who truly loves the nation, is it the priest that said a prayer walked past, or the politician that looked and walked past or the Samaritan that took the wounded to the hospital, paid some money and said treat him, on my return I will upset the bill.
    “The nation requires those that can make the sacrifices to make it great, they are those whom Jesus spoke about, people that may not be of note but prepared to make the nation great again. Some are doctors, teachers, young graduates.
    “There is sacrifice of integrity against corruption, when you speak against corruption it fights back so you must be ready to make sacrifice no matter how highly placed or small you are. Teachers who are prepared to teach, doctors who are prepared to provide health services no matter what.
    “Make the sacrifices required to make our nation great whether you are a leader or a follower,”he stated
    Before concluding his speech, the Acting President prayed to God to speedily heal President Muhammadu Buhari and bring him back safely.
    He also prayed for grace on those willing to make sacrifices to make the nation great again.