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Tag: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

  • 2019 budget: Special FEC session to hold Friday 

    Another Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting was on Wednesday fixed for Friday to deliberate on the 2019 Budget proposal.

    This was disclosed by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Read Also:NASS joint committee meets again over INEC 2019 budget

    He was with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung.

    According to him, the meeting was necessary to quickly look at the proposal before forwarding it to the National Assembly for consideration.

     

    Details Later…

     

  • Osinbajo launches door-to-door campaign in Nyanya, Karu

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday launched door-to-door campaign for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari and himself in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.
    Osinbajo, who took the campaign to Nyanya and Karu areas of the FCT, declared that President Buhari’s honesty, integrity and performance in the past three years in office as evidenced in the ability of the administration to do more even when the country is earning less, set him apart from all other contenders for the exalted office.
    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice President visited two homes: Alhaji S.K Ahmed’s family in Nyanya and the Jimiko compound in Karu.
    “No sooner the VP’s Coaster bus arrived in the communities than the people thronged out en-masse in both places, chanting praises of the President and singing party songs.” Akande said
    After meeting both families, he said that Prof. Osinbajo addressed the mammoth crowd and spent time interacting with the excited people who thronged out in their numbers, often fascinated to see him unannounced in their neighborhoods.
    According to the Vice President “for the honest, decent and hardworking Nigerians, Mr President has devoted his life to ensuring that their lives are made better even when it is sometimes not easy to do so.
    “All of us are going higher. I want you to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is going to do even better. We have to create more jobs for all these young people. We have to give our market women credit so that they can do more business; our young people money so that they can do more business.”
    Speaking on the President’s concern for the common man, Prof. Osinbajo said, “when he ask us to start the Trader Moni, he said, this is one way by which we can help people to start doing their own business.”

    Read also: High fertility rate a problem for Nigeria – Osinbajo

    He said Nigeria’s future was brighter with President Buhari on the saddle, noting that no public funds would be stolen under his watch.
    “So, I am here to say to you that the future of our country is great. All of you that are here, you are going to see a better Nigeria and that greater Nigeria can only come if the government is honest; If the government is not stealing our money.
    “If the government is honest, it will build all the roads in Nigeria, for instance, like we are doing the Lagos-Kano rail and others, now.  You can see that with little money we are doing much more because we will not agree to the stealing of our resources.
    “We will go forward and we will move forward. It is a bit difficult now because we are building the foundation. When we came into office; We found no savings. Oil which was our biggest earnings, we had earned so much in four years but there was little to show for it.  They didn’t build the railway, no roads. So, when we came we decided to first of all do the right thing,” he added.

  • 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.

    Read Also:Osinbajo, Gowon see brighter future for Nigeria

    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.

  • South-East has right to develop along other regions – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says it is the right of the South-East to develop along with other parts of the country.

    Osinbajo made this known during the opening of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign office on Friday in Enugu.

    He noted that the posture in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari had a disdain for the South-East was not true and a misplaced statement.

    The V-P added that it was the right of the South-East to get good governance and develop evenly with other parts of the country, adding that citing infrastructure in the zone was not a favour.

    He reinstates the Federal Government’s commitment to completing all ongoing projects in the zone, particularly the Second Niger Bridge.

    He expressed dismay at the successive administration in the country for not completing various contracts which they awarded.

    “Our commitment is that we will not steal the resources of the state. Previous administrations awarded contracts but nothing happened,” he said.

    Osibanjo explained that the present administration was led by a group of people who could deliver on its mandates, adding that such would ensure the party’s victory in 2019 general elections.

    The vice president said their administration would deliver on its entire mandate, adding that “your support for the APC must increase day by day”.

    The governorship candidate of the party in the state, Sen. Ayogu Eze, said the people of the South-East would give the necessary support to the president for his re-election in 2019.

    Eze urged the president to discountenance the antics of some people in the zone who claimed to have endorsed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He added that such people spoke for themselves and not for the region, adding “our people have not met to endorse anybody.

    “These are people speaking for themselves,” he said.

    Eze said the South-East was poised to give the Party over 90 per cent of their mandate, adding that the president had done so well for the people.

    Also, the Enugu West Senatorial candidate of the party, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, described the reception accorded to the Osinbajo as unprecedented.

    Ibekaku-Nwagwu described the reception as an honour for the APC led administration and an acceptance of the president.

    She said for members of the PDP and the APC to have come out en mass to receive the vice president spoke volume.

    Ibekaku-Nwagwu added that the people of the region would reward the gesture of the president during the presidential election. (NAN)

  • Osinbajo won’t be distracted, says Presidency

    THE Presidency yesterday said recent attempts to smear the person of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will not distract him from empowering and protecting Nigerians in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    This was contained in a statement issued by the presidential aide on political matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

    The statement reads: “Recent desperate attempts to smear the person and reputation of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will not deter or distract him or the Buhari administration from the work of protecting and empowering every Nigerian.”

    He said the  National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) probe report, which social media account said might have been outlined at a meeting in a foreign country, was one of such efforts plotted to attack the Buhari administration by tarnishing the vice president’s image.

    Ojudu said: “We have read reports in the media that the meeting of the major opposition party in a foreign country was centered on trying to attack the Buhari administration by targeting the vice president, using different tactics.

    “It is now evident through the NEMA report that the opposition is indeed making frantic efforts to tarnish the image of the Vice President,” he said.

    He explained that even after Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Ali Isa had publicly admitted that the vice president was not mentioned in the report, the opposition still found it expedient to continue, attacking the reputation of Prof. Osinbajo by claiming without proof or evidence that fraud was committed in the N5.8 billion Emergency Food Intervention Fund for Northeast.

    Giving more insights on the issue, Ojudu said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, there were no violations in approval of N5.8 billion Emergency Food Intervention Fund and the then Acting President did no wrong in approving fund for the emergency intervention.

    He said the presidential approvals were well within the clear constitutional authority of the then Acting President.

    “First of all, the action was in response to the threat of hunger and starvation based on strong warning received from the United Nation World Food Programme in April, 2017. The organisation had issued a warning that it would be reducing its vital support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85 per cent, due to the corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries. Around the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas.

    “Secondly, it is also important to note that the procurement process was not ignored in the release of funds, as alleged. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act makes provision for emergency procurement, in which case the procuring entity is allowed to engage in direct contracting for goods and file a report thereafter with the Bureau of Public Procurement.

    “Also, the BPP issued a ‘certificate of no objection’ to NEMA on the emergency procurement and this addresses all issues relating to the alleged breach of due process,” Ojudu said.

  • Osinbajo won’t be distracted, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Wednesday said that recent attempts to smear the person of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will not distract him from empowering and protecting Nigerians in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
    This was contained in a statement issued by the Presidential Aide on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
    The statement reads “Recent desperate attempts to smear the person and reputation of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will not deter or distract him or the Buhari administration from the work of protecting and empowering every Nigerian.”
    He said the recent NEMA probe report which social media account say may have been outlined at that meeting in a foreign country, was one of such efforts plotted to attack the Buhari administration by tarnishing the image of the Vice President.
    He said “We have read reports in the media that the meeting in a foreign country of the major opposition party was centered on trying to attack the Buhari administration by targeting the Vice President using different tactics.
    “It is now evident through the NEMA report, that the opposition is indeed making frantic efforts to tarnish the image of the Vice President,” he said.
    He explained that even after Hon. Ali Isa, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness had publicly admitted that the Vice President was not mentioned in the report, the opposition still found it expedient to continue, baselessly, to attack the reputation of Prof. Osinbajo by claiming without proof or evidence that fraud was committed in the N5.8b Emergency Food Intervention Fund for North-East.
    Giving more insights on the issue, Sen. Ojudu said, contrary to insinuations in some quarters, there were no violations in approval of N5.8b Emergency Food Intervention Fund for North-East and the then Acting President did no wrong in approving fund for the emergency intervention.
    He said that the presidential approvals were well within the clear constitutional authority of the then Acting President.
    “First of all, the action was in response to the threat of hunger and starvation based on strong warning received from the United Nation World Food Programme in April, 2017. The organization had issued a warning that it would be reducing its vital support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85%, due to the corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries. Around the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas.
    “Secondly, it is also important to note that the procurement process was not ignored in the release of funds, as alleged. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act makes provision for emergency procurement, in which case the procuring entity is allowed to engage in direct contracting for goods and file a report thereafter with the Bureau of Public Procurement.
    “Also, the BPP issued a ‘certificate of no objection’ to NEMA on the emergency procurement, and this addresses all issues relating to the alleged breach of due process,” Sen. Ojudu said.
    The presidential aide said the action of the opposition in the ensuing political drama indicates that the NEMA probe report is being politicized and only a lame attempt at ruining the good works of the Buhari administration.
    He said the Vice President will however not be distracted by the naysayers’ actions to discourage the Buhari administration from providing for the common man or to abandon the Social Investment Programme which it has budgeted half a trillion for in the past two years.
    He said that the administration will continue to cater for Nigerians especially those at the bottom of the ladder, regardless of the antics of the opposition party.
    “We know what is happening, but the administration will not be distracted. Our goals and objectives to put Nigeria on the solid path of greatness is now unstoppable and Prof. Osinbajo will not relent in that effort,” he said

  • Osinbajo, governors meet over minimum wage 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday led the Economic Management Team (EMT) to a closed-doors meeting with representatives of state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    At the meeting were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Ministers of Labour, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Boss Mustapha, Senator Chris Ngige, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and Udoma Udo Udoma, respectively.

    Read Also:Minimum Wage: Minister updates Buhari, Osinbajo as FG, Governors meet on Monday

    Also at the meeting were the Head of Service to the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Director General, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule and Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

    The Governors at the meeting included the Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, Osun State, Rauf Aragbesola and Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige had briefed State House correspondents on Friday last week after meeting behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu Buhari had announced that the Economic Management Team would meet on Monday with the Governors to take position on the new minimum wage.

    The Federal Government has insisted on N24, 000 as new minimum wage, the organised labour had on their own maintained that in the last Minimum Wage Negotiation Tripartite Committee, the sum of N30, 000 which the government objected to, claiming that there was no consensus on that.

    Ngige maintained that in fixing the minimum wage, the paramount thing was the ability to pay and that government cannot force employers to pay what they cannot afford.

    But the organised labour has accused the government of playing games with the minimum wage and threatened to embark on strike November 6.

     

    Details Later….

  • Risk-allocation is central to PPP contracts, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday stressed on the centrality of risk-allocation principles in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructural contracts.

    According to him, neglecting them would be at Nigeria’s peril.

    He spoke at the opening of a two-day Public-Private Partnership Workshop, organised by the Global Infrastructure Hub, in collaboration with the Infrastructure Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Norton Rose Fulbright and Olaniwun Ajayi LP, in Abuja.

    Read Also:Nigeria’s energy infrastructure needs $1trillion investments – Osinbajo

    The workshop was organised to equip stakeholders with the Global Infrastructures Hub’s PPP Risk-Allocation Tools with discussions revolving around some of the risks that are key to bankability and how they could be addressed.

    Osinbajo said PPPs were imperative in government’s quest to finance, build and manage infrastructures because government does not have the resources to accomplish its desire to provide critical infrastructure for the people.

    He noted, however, that “managing these PPPs through stakeholder management, performance monitoring, refinancing, re-negotiation, and disputes were probably as crucial for governments as the PPPs themselves.

    “Similarly, we discount the centrality of risk allocation in PPP contracts at our peril.

    “Indeed the correct application of risk allocation principles in infrastructure projects is fundamental to bankability and long-term viability of those projects.”

    He commended the Global Infrastructure Hub for developing the PPP Risk Allocation and PPP Contract Management Tools and for dedicating the workshop to the dissemination of the tools for the West African region.

    “And this is important because the public sector in most developing economies, especially in our sub-region, simply lack the necessary skills and tools to effectively manage PPP contracts.

    “Drawing up this contract management tools and the annotated set of risk matrices demonstrating the successful allocation of risks between public and private parties in PPP transactions, is a great service to public sector parties in all of our countries.”

    Vice President Osinbajo said the participation of top international law, and finance practitioners, the multilateral development banks with the hub in this endeavor, greatly enhanced its usefulness and worth.

    “It also demonstrates the new approach to doing business in a globalized environment, the key being collaboration.

    “Time was when the better resourced private sector looked to game the public sector in PPPs. Usually such victories, if they could be so described are pyrrhic, one more failed PPP, one more failed project.”

    Senior Manager of the Global Infrastructure Hub, Morag Baird, said the investment gap to meet the infrastructure needs in Nigeria as in other countries of Africa and elsewhere in the world was huge.

    “Global infrastructure outlook has forecast that the infrastructure needs on the African continent between now and 2040 is $7.6 trillion.

    “The difference between what is forecast and current trends about what needs is about $3.3trillion, of which about $400billion is Nigeria alone.

    She said the role of the Global Infrastructure Hub is to work with both the public and private sectors to help close the infrastructure gap with quality infrastructure.

    On his part, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties, Sani Zango Daura, said the committee has submitted its report on the Bill for an Act to repeal the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Establishment Act 2005 and to enact the Public Private Partnership Regulatory Commission Act 2016.

    “This bill when passed into law will definitely enhance the regulatory functions of the ICRC,” he said.

    Welcoming the participants, the Acting Director-General of the ICRC, Mr. Chidi Izuwa, said the workshop was the first of its kind in any part of the world.

    A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, and the Global Infrastructure, Hub, GIH, to advance the delivery of infrastructure in Nigeria and Africa.

  • Interest-free loans gulp N15 billion – Osinbajo 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday disclosed that the Federal Government has so far spent N15 billion on interest-free loans across the country.

    He spoke during the 9th Presidential Quarterly Business Forum at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    Read Also:Don’t drag Osinbajo into Ogun politics, group tells Anisulowo

    According to him, the Federal Government is working with eight banks that are very committed to the Tradamoney scheme.

    “If we spend N1 trillion to bail out the poor in this country every year, we will make a massive difference,” he said

    Stressing that job creation has always been a top priority of the current administration, he said that the surest was to create jobs is by enabling the private sector.

    He said that NAFDAC and CAC are among government agencies that are improving on the ease of doing business in the country.

  • Nigeria developing Africa’s biggest ID database -Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigeria’s ongoing digital identification of all citizens and legal residents on a harmonised platform will be the largest database in Africa and only second in the world to the Aadhaar of India.

    Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Indian government to every individual resident of India.

    Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said Osinbajo made the disclosure in Lagos.

    Osinbajo delivered  the keynote address on the “Technology As A Catalyst Conference (TAAC)’’, held in Lagos.

    The vice president said the project would open a lot of opportunities in different sectors in Nigeria.

    “From the enhanced ability to provide accurate analytic data for FinTech services, to content delivery services to individuals directly on the assurance of credible credentials, but perhaps more importantly, planning on human development education healthcare, and jobs for a population that will be the third largest in the world by 2050.

    “A key deliverable of the Digital Identity Project is to develop updated international standard cybersecurity, data privacy and confidentiality policies to prepare us for the expected challenges that will come as part of a digital economy.”

    Osinbajo said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari understood the importance of a data-driven economy and had directed huge investments and focus to digitising government data.

    According to  Osinbajo, the Federal Executive Council has approved the  “E-government Master Plan”.

    He said that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with Galaxy Backbone, had commenced implementation of the interoperability framework that would provide a shared platform for the use of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    “I have no doubt the many proponents of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be excited about the immense data that will be available.”

    The vice president said the fundamental pillar of the Buhari administration’s economic plan was the lead role the private sector must play in business and commerce and the need to involve the sector in policy formulation.

    “We realised that only real players in the technology space would be useful in policy formulation given the complexities of the sector, hence the establishment of the Technology and Creativity Advisory Group, which has the relevant regulatory agencies and industry players.

    “While the public sector has been able to score points over the last two years through the implementation of technology-driven solutions, the award for the  “Most Valuable Player” must go to our private industry leaders.”

    He said the technology industry had been Nigeria’s highest increasing employer and the most improved economy contributor.

    “Nigerian corporations have been willing to dream big, to lead Nigeria’s technological revolution.

    “The fact is that platforms needed to power the initiatives of the public sector have originated from our private sector partners.

    “Thanks to Nigeria’s private sector innovators, living in Nigeria is increasingly becoming tech-based.

    “On our smartphones, we can search for apartments, perform bank transactions, book a taxi, order food, buy clothes, invest in a joint farming venture, monitor traffic, book a flight, while learning an indigenous language,” he said.

    Vice President Osinbajo noted that the focus of this year’s TAAC Conference on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria could not be more appropriate because both the public and private sectors have a role to play in driving economic development.

    In his remark, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, said the private sector in Nigeria was willing to work with government, adding that the conference would be an avenue to cement the relationship between government and businesses.

    Also speaking, the Secretary of Presidential Enabling Business Environment (PEBEC), Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said government at all levels would collaborate more with the private sector to work harder and faster to increase productivity.

    She said leveraging on the power of innovation and creativity would get Nigeria to that desired place.

    Earlier, Mr Osaro Eghobamien, who spoke on behalf of the organisers, said they would take the deliberations at the conference, monitor them and hold government accountable for what it said.(NAN)