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Tag: Yemi Osibanjo

  • We will empower millions of Nigerians – Osinbajo

    4,200 get loan in Edo

    Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration efforts to deal with unemployment was already paying off.

    Prof. Osinbajo said employments have been created through the N-Power programme and granting of soft loans to people operating very small businesses across the country.

    Osinbajo who spoke in Benin City at the State’s edition of Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprise (MSME) Clinic.

    He disclosed that the federal government is set to roll out another Social Investment Programme‎ targeted at empowering petty traders across the country with interest -free loans,

    The Vice President stated that he was in Benin City to ensure the small business owners in the state meet with regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC, Bank of Industry and others.

    He said another batch of 300,000 beneficiaries would soon engaged by the Federal Government to increase the beneficiaries to 500,000.

    “The policy of the Federal Government is to support businesses, not just big business but particularly small, medium-sized businesses and micro businesses. The whole idea is that we want to ensure that we give whatever support whether it is cash, advice or even registration to all of our small and medium enterprises.

    Read Also: Osinbajo urges investments outside OPEC

    “Apart from the existing GEEP MarketMoni scheme, which targets market women, traders, artisans and enterprising youths, Osinbajo also revealed that the Federal Government is rolling out TraderMoni, a new micro-credit scheme to cater for ultra-micro enterprises.

    “It is a different thing from MarketMoni because TraderMoni is for the smaller traders. These are the hawkers; those who are doing little things where in many cases their inventory, the whole thing they are selling is sometimes not even more than N5,000- N10,000. We want to give those kinds of people some credit as well and once they pay back, we will give them some more money,”

    Executive Director of Financial Inclusion of the Bank of Industry, Toyin Adeniji, said Edo State has recorded over 4,000 beneficiaries of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

    On his part, Governor Godwin Obaski said the state government would commence the school feeding programme in four local government areas.

    He listed the local government areas to include Uhunmwode, Orhionmwon, Ovia North East and Ovia South West.

    Governor Obaseki solicited for increased in Social Investment Programme to the state to stem illegal migration.

  • Osibanjo urges attraction of investments from non-OPEC

    …seeks planning for zero oil world

    …as Kachikwu emerges APPO president

     

     

    Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo on Monday called for a re-twinkling of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) Fund in the same manner of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) fund in order to attract investments from non-member countries. 

    This was even as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, emerged the President of APPO.

    Speaking a the Extra-Ordinary session of the organization in Abuja, he noted that the APPO Fund is already undergoing recapitalization to fulfill its role. 

    He however advised that: “The financial model of the fund, for example, may need some re-tweaking. It could be remodeled after similar institutions that had succeeded, like the OPEC Fund, where of course as you knowm non-OPEC members can begin to invest.”

    Extra-ordinary session of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organizations (APPO)

    I would also want to talk about the APPO Fund For Technical Cooperation, which I am told is also undergoing recapitalization to enable it better fulfill the role for which it was established. The financial model of the fund, for example, may need some re-tweaking. It could be remodeled after similar institutions that had succeeded, like the OPEC Fund, where of course as you knowm non-OPEC members can begin to invest.

    According to him, it is now time to liberalize the APPO for non member countries and private institutions to be able to invest in Africa. 

    He insisted that the APPO fund ought to operate as an autonomous entity, independent perhaps, from the APPO secretariat, in the same way that the OPEC fund operates independently of OPEC itself. 

    The Vice President pointed out that “If institutions similar to APPO and the APPO Fund have succeeded and are continuing to succeed in other parts of the world, then we have no reason, no excuse to fail as a continent.”

    The reminded the organization that oil and gas that are the global economies driver of today might not sustain their relevance in future.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Ajimobi in close door meeting in Ibadan

    He noted that consequent upon this realization, all serious economies all over the we have started planning for the world after oil.

    His words: “We must keep in mind that oil and gas are only guaranteed as only today’s resources and not necessarily tomorrow’s. We cannot bet on the fact that even a few decades ago from now, these natural resources would not be as central or as relevant to the global economy as they are today. 

    “All serious economies around the world has realized this and are making determined plans for a world beyond oil or as they say a zero oil world. As African countries, we cannot afford to act differently.”

    Osibanjo noted that that the oil and gas is capital intensive but as different countries they do not have the needed resources for investments in the industry.

    He added that  investments are competing with infrastructure and social services for the limited resources available to government. 

    He submitted that “By serving as a platform for increased collaboration and cooperation among member countries, APPO would go a long way towards helping overcome these financial challenges. 

    “Increased synergy would no doubt help mobilize the investment needed to facilitate and to deliver the major infrastructure required by the continent, such as trans-border gas and oil pipeline, joint refineries, gas plants and so on.”

    Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resource, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu noted that there are new oil discoveries in the continent while finding oil finance has become difficult owing to tumbling oil prices. 

    He said that most countries now find it difficult to invest in oil activities in Africa. 

    The second aspect of the deliberation, he said, is to also approve the 2018/2019 budget which would be presented before the Council of Ministers.

    Kachikwu said that “the realities that all over Africa, there are new finds of oil; massive exploration is going on. Everybody is enthused by the possibility of further harnessing new natural resources that we are going to use to develop the continent. “The reality also is that finding the necessary finance for this is very difficult. Increasingly, with what had happened, especially with the tumbling of oil prices, over the last few years, nice that is has begin to come up — a lot of investors found it difficult to invest, not just in oil exploration activities, but in fact, even worst still, oil exploration activities in Africa.”

  • Osibanjo inaugurates 1,000 Youths Empowerment Program in Kano

    Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo  has flag-off empowerment scheme of 1,000 youths in Kano, an initiative of Kano state  government.which would defined the future of youths in the country.

    The empowerment initiative includes modern day training of 560 vulcanizer and 440 tricycles mechanics.

    Osibanjo who was on a working visit to Kano applauded what he described as 21st century training capacity, which he said would transform and enhance the efficiency of the beneficiaries.

    The Vice president reminded that  ” this is a unique initiative by Governor Ganduje’s administration,  I have no doubt that this would help to further build the capacity of the youths not only in Kano but across the country. We hope training of this nature will motivate other state governments to emulate to further engage their teeming youths”.

    Osibanjo charged the beneficiaries to see the capacity building as a great opportunity for them to also impact knowledge they acquired to others.

    Read Also: Fed Govt invests $10b in infrastructure, says Osinbajo

    Governor Ganduje said that the Kano state government embarked on such trainings across the 44 local government designed to make the youths self relient.

    He said, the modern day technology would build their capacity in tone with technological advancements.

    Ganduje assured the trainees that at the end of their empowerment training, the state government would support them with takeoff fund and technical tools needed for a startup.

    The commissioner of information Muhammad Garba who also is the chairman of the empowerment scheme said that 560 vulcanizers and 440 tricycle mechanics were trained by the Simba an Indian tricycle manufacturing firm.

    Osibanjo earlier inspected the Federal government enterprises empowerment program (GEEP) in Kano.

  • Appeals panel upholds Imo APC congress

    …dismiss Okorocha’s Petition

     

    The Appeals Committee into the ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state has over ruled the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and members of the state House of Assembly that ward congresses did not take place in the state.

    However, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said the party was yet to consider reports from any of the states.

    In a report submitted to the National Working Committee signed by the chairman of the three man committee, Senator Abubakar Tature and one other member, Ikenna Uzoka, the committee none of those statutorily qualified t9 petition the committee to complain against the conduct of the exercise did so.

    But the Speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly, Hon. Acho Ihim who led other members of the legislature in the state to the national secretariat of the party told newsmen that no congress held anywhere in the state, pointing out that since there was no congress, there was nothing for them to petition against.

    The state governor, Rochas Okorocha had earlier met President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo to protest alleged malfeasance during the last two congresses in his state and to demand its cancellation.

    The Appeal committee however rectified the ward and local government Congresses held in Imo state and dismissed the petition by aggrieved stakeholders on grounds saying the petitions submitted by them and the state governor lacked merit.

    Part of the report reads: “that the congress committee whose duty was to conduct the congress election affirmed that the election took place. That the state party chairman and his deputy affirmed that the elections were duel held in All the 305 wards of the state.
    “That the person’s who would have the right to petition over the conduct over the ward congress election are those qualified to contest the congress having purchased the forms.

    “That the petitions were written by unqualified persons and therefore would be construed as lacking the locus standing/basis to bring in any petition and that the video evidence by the petitioner was an incidence that took place in a private residence which was not which was not a ward congress voting venue.

    “Based on the evidence and careful consideration carried out by us as the appeals committee, we hereby hold that the ward congress of 5th May 2018were duely conducted and held in the 305 wards of Imo and APC ward officers were duely elected.”

    However, Speaker of the Imo state Assembly who led some members of the House of Representatives and 24 members of the Imo state House of Assembly to a meeting with the APC National Chairman, said they had come to the national headquarters of the party to protest the conduct of congress in Imo state.

    He said that they mobilized the 24 members of the State Assembly in order to show how serious the matter is to the party stakeholders in Imo state, adding that the lawmakers and governor still has implicit confidence in ability of the NWC to resolve the issues at stake.
    He said: “We are here to reaffirm that there was no Congresses in the 305 wards in Imo and we demand that a categorical statement be made by the party for a new date that fresh Congresses of the party will be held.

    “As for the discussions we had with the national chairman, that was an in-house thing but we have affirmed our stand with our governor, we are still standing with our governor.

    He is the face of the APC in the South East. Of course the young man has done so well that without him, there would have been no APC in the South East in the first place. Imo state in particular is the fulcrum of APC and it cannot be toyed with.

    “We demand that the constituted statement and announcement be made about the congresses that did not hold. The new date should be announced and the whole things should be ratified and there will be peace in the state.

    “The shenanigans that we saw can never be taken for congresses. We are taking this very seriously, and that is why honourable members of APC extractions combined with the house of representatives are here to affirm same, that there was no congress and we never take to have been held and we here are saying that we support his excellency, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, ” he said.

    On the governor endorsing his son-in-law as the basis for the crisis within the APC in the state, he said: “You will agree with me that Uche Nwosu is qualified to hold Imo state.

    “One, he’s a bonafide citizen of Imo state of Nigeria and he’s of age, academically sound and the governor as a person endorsing his son-in-law, he has his preferences as a person, I have mine too and we all do. You too do. And as such, whoever you want to endorse, you too can endorse.

    “For us, for me and for the governor, we have endorsed the son, Nwosu as a person, aiming when the primaries come, people of Imo state will decide. If it goes to other candidate, so be it. It doesn’t imply that at the moment, you can’t do your own. Endorsement is not a special thing. That is it.”

     

  • Buhari approves N10B for Benue, others

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a total of N10 billion for rebuilding villages and communities including farmlands that were attacked in Benue and other affected States.

    Vice President Yemi Osibanjo disclosed this at Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) in Abagena, near Makurdi Benue state .

    The Vice president is on two day officer visit to Makurdi.

    He said the President Muhammadu Buhari is much concerned that those displace should go back to camp immediately.

    He stated further that the government of Nigeria has a duty to protect the people and assured that Buhari’s led federal government will protect every Nigeria .

    ” I want you to have hope and confidence and most importantly to also know that we are not doing you a favour by promising to provide you with security, a place to live and school for our children, it is your right as citizens of this country.” Osibanjo said.

    In his brief remark Governor Samuel Ortom commended President Buhari and Osibanjo for their concern over the plight of the displaced .

  • ‘Why we temporary stopped fertilizer production’

    ‘Why we temporary stopped fertilizer production’

    Management of the Edo Fertilizer Plant and Chemical Company Limited in Auchi, Estako West local government area, has explained why it temporary stopped production of fertilizer.

    It said its production plant stopped because its stores were filled with over 30,000 bags of fertilizers.

    The plant was commissioned in August last year by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and being the only fertilizer blending plant in the region, it is expected to produce 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer for Edo and other neighboring states

    After 17 years of being moribund, the fertilizer plant was revitalized last year under the Presidential Initiative on Fertilizer (PIF) with a view to selling fertilizers to farmers in the country at N5,500 per bag.

    State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Dan Orbih, had last week challenged the state government to bags of fertilizers produced from the plant.

    However, the fertilizer plant management who took journalists on a fact finding visit tour of the plant said the plant was still operational.

    Factory manager of the plant, Mr. Iyere Okhun, who spoke on behalf of the management said it was wrong for people to say the plant has stopped working when produced products have not been sold.

    According to him, “For the few days, we were able to produce more than 30,000 bags that is about 51 trucks of a 600 bags truck. As at yesterday, we have loaded out six trucks.

    “We are expecting order for 11 trucks so that we can start production again. We stopped production because of space constraint. Our stores are filled.

    “Now that, we are getting orders for supply, we are getting the space back and the plant will start again. What is stopping us is not lack of raw materials but space for storage. We can do 60,000 metric tons per annum.

    “We are getting power 15 hours daily but we want them to give us more. As the farming season has started, we are receiving orders from farmers. We are set to load out 18 truckswithin two weeks. Our plant is running but we reduced the two shifts to one interchanging them because of space.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Agriculture, Prince Joe Okojie, said there are abundance of fertilizers for farmers in the state.

    His words, “I came to see what they have in stock. We are getting our farmers ready to go to the farms. They have been are producing and storing fertilizers. I came to make sure fertilizers are available for our farmers. You can see that there is abundance of fertilizers. They will be made available as we need them. There is no doubt about the plant’s working ability.”

  • Akeredolu expresses commitment to South West integration

    Akeredolu expresses commitment to South West integration

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State  says his administration is committed to the integration and  socioeconomic growth of the South West Zone.

    Akeredolu made this known at a  Youth Regional Integration Summit  in Osogbo on Wednesday.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi, said  one of the cardinal programmes  of his administration was  job creation for the youths and women through sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship.

    He also said his administration was committed to achieving the vision by creating an enabling environment that would  attract investors to the state and  across other south west states.

    Read also: Akeredolu approves committee on first year anniversary

    The governor revealed that his administration  had taken practical steps to make the dream a reality by signing an MoU with the NDDC for the construction of the road linking the southern senatorial district to Epe-Ibeju Lekki in Lagos State.

    “Other roads connecting our states to our neighbours in Ogun, Lagos and Edo States are receiving considerable attention,” he said.

    Akeredolu stressed that he had also put in place measures to  ensure  that the state  did not become a haven for miscreants and other deviants.

    He noted that the fresh amnesty programme had yielded positive result by reducing  the rate of crime in the coastal areas of Ogun, Lagos and Ondo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, which  began on Tuesday,  ends  on Wednesday.

    Dignitaries at the event  organised by the Osun government included  Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State as well as  representatives of Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti governors.

    NAN

  • Osibanjo vows to make it difficult for ghost workers

    Osibanjo vows to make it difficult for ghost workers

    Vice President Yemi Osibanjo on Monday said that the President Buhari led administration will make it difficult for ghost workers to return to the public service payroll.

    Speaking at the Inter Agency Task Team (IATT) International Anti-Corruption Day 2017 in Abuja, he said that the ghost workers, whose names had been removed from the payroll had always found their ways back into the system.

    But his Special Adviser, Adegbolahan Adeniran, who represented him in the occasion, said that government has now put measures in place to making their return impossible.

    He said that the “Federal Government has used its anti-corruption war to weed out 50,000 ghost workers from the payroll. We are going to make it difficult for ghost workers to return.”

    According to him, owing to the operation of the Treasury Single account (TSA) government has blocked so many financial leakages in different government agencies.

    He cited examples with the Joint Administration and Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB) and the Nigerian Maritime administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    He recalled that JAMB never remitted more than N3million into the federation account but only this year it has remitted N5billion and still has another N3billion to remit for the year.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the chairman, National Stakeholders Working Group (NWSG) of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) , Dr. Kayode Fayemi said that the government on July 5, adopted the National Anti Corruption Strategy (NACS).

    He said that Nigeria has upon return to civil rule, had a strong ant-corruption policy embedded in both the constitution and several organic laws.

    But the policy, according to him,” has now resulted in the creation of the several anti-corruption initiatives to recover and apply proceeds of corruption.

    “We have the Whistle-Blower policy which has yielded significant dividends. At the international level, Nigeria has been at the forefront of proposing resolutions on the recovery and return of stolen assets kept in foreign jurisdictions.

    “We have also proposed resolutions to combat illicit financial flows most of which are from developing counties.”

    The policy, said Fayemi, has instituted several initiatives to recover and apply proceeds of corruption .

    H said that “we are not relenting in our effects to deal with the issues. We continue to see quickening of efforts in enforcement and sanctions as well as innovative methods to prevent corruption.”

  • FG orders NAFDAC to cut down registration period

    FG orders NAFDAC to cut down registration period

    As part of the efforts to improve the ease of doing business in the country, the federal government Tuesday ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) to reduce products registration period by 30 days.

    Currently, it takes 90 days to register products with NAFDAC.

    With the new directive, henceforth registration of should not be more than 60 days.

    Speaking in Abuja Tuesday at the NAFDAC stakeholders’ consultative forum on the ease of doing business in Nigeria, the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, said that this will encourage business owners.

    The Vice-President, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Fola Johnson, said a shorter period of sixty days is possible.

    He therefore charged NAFDAC to speed up its process of registration as this was one of the best ways to encourage small businesses.

    He said, “Sixty days is possible. Collectively let us put our house in order. Let MSMEs, NAFDAC and the Federal Government, target 60 days. The shorter the time for registration, the better for MSMEs, because just to collect a registration numbers should not take months, when will you start the business? When will you start making profits?

    “Any MSME that employs a person today is doing the Federal Government a huge favour. What the Federal Government is supposed to do is create an enabling environment.

    “It is the private sector that drives the economy, so we must encourage every activity that drives that space,” he said.

    In his reaction, the acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuri, said the agency had reduced its registration period from a maximum of one year to a minimum of 90 days.

    He however assured that efforts would be made to ensure that it is brought down to between a month and 60 days especially for small businesses.

    On other measures taken to encourage small businesses, Mogbojuri, who was represented by Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director, Strategy said the agency had recently slashed by 50 per cent the cost of registration for companies with less than five employees.

    He said:  “In order to encourage MSMEs, NAFDAC has guaranteed a 50 per cent reduction in cost of registration of products for companies with five or less than five employees “We’ve also reduced the registration time to 90 days and established a small business support desk to guide small business through the registration process and serve as enquiry point for small businesses on regulatory issues.

    “NAFDAC has set up a system for the electronic submission of documents to line directorates to reduce the time taken for hard copies to get to such directorates in Lagos,” he noted.

    Magbojuri also hinted that NAFDAC would ensure that bread registration is done within 30 days while the fees charged for registration of locally manufactured products are lower than those charged for imported products.

  • Expectations for the Week

    Expectations for the Week

    Senator Danjuma Goje of Gombe state claimed last week that men of The Nigerian Police Force took away documents containing the 2017 budget last week and this sent down cold down the spines of many concerned Nigerians.

    Quickly, the Nigerian police came out to clear the air, they said they found some millions (although, this is no longer news to many Nigerians) and some incriminating materials too. The masses were happy, they leaped for joy, and they wanted to see where the investigation will lead to.

    Alas, their expectations were cut short when all materials and monies gotten from the former Gombe governor were given back to him. Now, why were the monies and materials returned? We may never know the full truth but many suspect that it was settled “politically”. Is this good for our democracy?

    Well, some may argue that we can’t separate politics from governance and such settlements are bound to happen.

    On the other hand, Nigerians are hopeful that the budget will be thoroughly worked upon by the National Assembly and approved soon. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina has said that the budget for this year isn’t behind schedule yet because last year’s budget is to expire on the fifth of this month, therefore, we still have four days before we are due for a new budget.

    For the second time, the suspended boss of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke will be interrogated by the Vice President Yemi Osibanjo-led panel to listen to his side of the story concerning the cash found in an Ikoyi private home recently.

    Hopefully, the truth behind the found billions will be exposed to the world and it will serve as a deterrent to other public office holders.

    In the last few weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari has not been seen at public functions, in fact, he didn’t go for the usual Jumaat service last Friday which further fueled speculation that the President is not in a good shape.

    He also wasn’t available for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting last week which has gotten many people worried. Many people including Wole Soyinka have asked the number one man in Nigeria to release the detailed medical record of his health to the public.

    Will he proceed to release that? Time will tell but we can all continue to hope for the betterment of his health for the benefit of the country.

    By @Segun_Odunayo