The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yemi Osinbajo

  • We’re not in business of deceiving Nigerians – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is not in the business of deceiving Nigerians.
    He spoke as a guest on Brekete Family Programme, Human Rights Radio, that airs on FM 101.1MHz, where he  interacted with the Anchor, Ahmad Isah, aka ‘Ordinary President’.
    Brekete Family Programme is a reality radio programme that that prides itself as the voice of the voiceless.
    The Vice President also said that the administration was for the common man with the focus to take Nigerians out of poverty.
    According to him, government programmes and projects were geared towards achieving that objective.
    Responding to Ahmed Isah, who asked what the Buhari’s administration had for the common man that voted them to power, Osinbajo said, ”We are not in the business of deceiving Nigerians, whatever the President, and I say is the truth.”
    He also described himself as “ordinary Vice President” and explained that the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes was geared towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
    He said, “The President’s focus has always been on the common man. This government is government of the masses. Our concentration is how things will be better for the masses. 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 have employed 500,000 so far. Many are teachers, health workers and project assistants in farms.
    “The major thing is for us is how to employ more than 500,000. There is also N-Built where we have trained 25,000 who want to be technicians, mechanics etc.” he said
    Osinbajo also talked about the Trader Moni where petty traders get a loan of N10,000 with six months grace period to pay back, stressing that the target was to reach two million petty traders with such loans.
    He said once a trader paid back the loan, he or she would be entitled to another N15,000 loan and it would continue like that until one was qualified for a loan of N350,000.
    He said at the inception of the administration in 2015, they met 23 states owing salaries and despite the fact that oil prices were above $100 per barrel, states were owing salaries.
    He said the states were bailed out three times to enable them pay salaries and pension.
    Osinbajo, again narrated how Buhari’s administration unlike the previous government that had a lot of resources as a result of oil price of over $100 per barrel, had to battle with little resources occasioned by oil price of between $28 and $35, disruptions by Niger Delta militants boosting pipes and forcing oil production to drop from 2.1 million to less than one million per barrel.
    He noted that President Buhari stopped the looting of the treasury which was common under previous administration, adding that once corruption was stopped, the federal government would be able to provide infrastructure which includes power, railroads and among others.
    But Ahmed Isah told Osinbajo that Buhari’s government was perceived not to be friendly with the common man.
    He presented the case of a widow whose merchandise was unnecessarily confiscated by Customs officers after taking N200,000 bribe from her.
    He narrated how some Customs officers were in the habit of illegally confiscating citizens vehicles and goods hiding under duty fees.
    The presenter said that by conduct, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) portrays itself as the most corrupt agency in Nigeria and beyond.
    Responding to complaint, Osinbajo promised to step into the case involving the Customs and the widow.
    He said, “I will look into this Customs matter. We must resolve it. We will make sure those people mentioned will be held to account.”
    The presenter also reported to Osinbajo that Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company was over billing customers and was one of the institutions giving the government a bad name.
    He said documents which took him six months to gather proved the corrupt practices going on in the company.
    He said the money that has been stolen from the company which has 47 staff since inception was more than 11 states budget combined.
    Isah while challenging the Vice President to investigate the allegations, said he was ready to go to prison if his climes are proven to be lies
    Osinbajo also responded to the complaints about the school feeding programme in some parts of Ogun state by a caller from abroad, Osinbajo promised to look into the complaints and revealed that 9.2 million children enjoy the benefits in school feeding programme daily.
    He also said all the produce is from local farmers with at least 6.8m eggs used daily to improve the economy.
    He also promised to appoint two aides from his office as liaison officers to the programme to gather first hand complains that will enable the government intervened.

  • No sensible politician can ignore entertainers – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has reassured stakeholders in the entertainment industry of the Federal Government’s commitment to support them to enhance national growth and development.

    Osinbajo gave the assurance at an event organised for entertainers and tagged “An Evening with the Vice President” in Lagos .

    Hundreds of entertainers including actors, comedians and musicians, among others, were among creative artistes present at the event.

    Osinbajo said: “No sensible politician can ignore entertainers; if you do, you do so at your own risk. Entertainers also cannot ignore politicians; it is impossible. If you do, you do so at your own peril.”

    He noted that some entertainers were already in politics and urged others to participate, in order to make a difference.

    The Vice President said he had met frequently with entertainers with a view to developing policies around the industry for economic growth.

    He said that the government decided to create Technology and Creativity Advisory Council to see how the government could move the industry forward through proper policies.

    Osinbajo said that one of the policies raised was how to address the issue of piracy.

    Read Also: Osinbajo visits New Afrika Shrine

    “Already, there is a lot going on. Your industry has to respond to what is going on. This industry is important and crucial to our economy.

    “We must set up the environment that will make it happen. No environment is completely ready; whatever it is that we have at the moment, we have to make the maximum use of it to grow this industry.

    “Your support is actually important. What we need to do is to sit together and solve the problem. The country is what it is today because some people stole the treasure.”

    According to him, if the government ignores the industry, it does that at its own risk.

    NAN

  • Death of professions

    Last week, this column was about saving journalism as a profession based on the threat of technology and corruption highlighted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his speech at the annual conference of the Nigeria Guild of Editors in Asaba, Delta State.

    His message for journalists was clear: wake up to the reality of new media and get rid of the bad eggs giving the profession a bad name or get swept aside by non-professionals.

    “When a threat is existential, the response must be radical, otherwise we really may not have a profession, we may just be presiding over what we think exists when it has simply disappeared,” Osinbajo stated.

    However, the VP’s admonition was not only for journalists, but other professionals like lawyers, accountants and others whose jobs are being redefined by technology.

    He quoted a friend who teaches law and technology at a British university. Osinbajo noted that there are now applications and more sophisticated ones being made that would offer legal advice accurately, comprehensively, and objectively, and with Artificial Intelligence, they can even analyse data and make predictions about the outcomes of legal proceedings perhaps more accurately and definitely more objectively than humans.

    Just like law, the friend added that the job of financial advisors would be done electronically, as financial models could be developed digitally; the best advice could be given with the benefit of artificial intelligence. Even for complicated health issues, there are new devices for automated diagnosis.

    While the technological developments in various professions may not necessarily mean that professionals will not be needed to do what they have been doing for ages, the message is that every professional must be alive to the changes and acquire the needed knowledge to remain relevant.

    I am compelled to stress this issue about being technologically knowledgeable due to the dismissive attitude of many to the changes technology has brought to how many things are now supposed to be done to maximum impact and efficiency.

    Those who claim to be too old to learn about technological changes need to know that their days are limited in whatever profession or trade they are engaged in now. Not only have professional practices changed, the way to get customers for any endeavour is now much more than using personal and traditional channels.

    A tailor who used to sow clothe for a young boy is trying hard to understand how the boy, now a fashion designer,  have more customers than him, far beyond the shores of the country from a room in the outskirt of Lagos. The answer is the ability of the young man to utilise new sewing equipment and access global platforms to get customers. In a technology-driven world, it is no longer enough to hire a shop for any business; one can now sell worldwide, thanks to the Internet.

    In view of these developments, there is need for computer literacy awareness and education for all. Curriculums in educational institutions need to be updated in line with new technology.

    The kinds of graduates needed now are not those who know how things used to be done, but those who can improve on them and utilise new tools.

  • Osinbajo visits Bayelsa flood victims, says disaster is monumental

    The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday described the flood that ravaged some communities in Bayelsa as a “monumental disaster.”

    Osinbajo who spoke at the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp, Igbogene, on the outskirt of Yenagoa, said his visit was to assess the extent of damage caused by the flood.

    He said that he undertook an over-fly on a helicopter from the Port Harcourt International Airport through the flooded communities in Rivers and those within Yenagoa metropolis.

    The vice president observed that the exercise had made him realise the degree of suffering the flood had thrown many of the victims into.

    Osinbajo commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its state counterpart, (SEMA) for their efforts in assisting the flood victims.

    He pledged the assistance of the Federal Government to resettle the victims and provide them means of livelihood to start life anew as soon as the flood was over.

    Read Also: Minimum Wage: FG urges organised labour to accept offer

    He said his visit along with with the Director-General of NEMA and the Minister of Environment was to demonstrate the seriousness the federal government attached to the welfare of flood victims.

    The vice president also assured the people that as soon as he returned to Abuja the federal government would “restrategise” and get back to the state.

    Osinbajo further said that government was working on how to ensure that such emergency did not occur in future, by embarking on dredging of water channels and constructing canals.

    He urged the people to avoid dumping solid wastes into water channels to aviod flooding.

    The vice president pledged government would ensure that the babies delivered in the IDP camps were “perfectly and well cared for.”

    Also speaking, Gov. Seriake Dickson, described Bayelsa as the most impacted state across the federation, saying the state is situated below sea level.

    “You saw personally the extent of the devastation. This is the state mostly affected whenever there is flooding. This state is below sea level,” he said.

    The governor said the state government was doing all it could to care for the displaced people.

    According to him, apart from the 13 IDP camps already set up, additional three would be established to contain the increasing number of people displaced by flood.

    He expressed readiness of the state government to collaborate with the federal government for long term solution to the problem of flooding in the state.

    The governor lamented the insufficient quantity of relief materials supplied by NEMA.

  • Governors to declare state of emergency on education

    Towards reviving the educational sector across the country, the National Economic Council (NEC) is putting finishing touches to declare state of emergency in education in all the states of the federation.
    The NEC, which comprises of the 36 state governors, will take a final decision on the proposed state of emergency in its next meeting.
    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said that the Council received interim report from its Ad-hoc committee on the revival of education in Nigeria.
    According to him, the committee recommended that all state governors should declare a state of emergency on education.
    The areas to be focused on, he said, included technical education, basic education, promoting adult literacy,  and out of school children.

    Read Also: Girl-child education brings long term prosperity

    He said “It will be implemented so that we have a systematic growth in the education sector.
    “It is not going to be one of those documents that will be kept aside. It will be implemented to the letter.
    “The state of emergency should go beyond lip service.” he added

  • Fayemi attends NEC meeting

    The new Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was among state governors that attended the National Economic Council ( NEC ) meeting.

    The meeting was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

    Fayemi was sworn in as Executive Governor of Ekiti State on Tuesday.

    He arrived the Council Chamber venue of the meeting around 10.54a.m

    Fayemi was the centre of attractions as he stepped into the hall being the first time he was attending the NEC meeting under the current dispensation.

    Read Also: N900m money laundering: Shekarau back in Court

    He went round the hall to have hand shake with his colleagues.

    Cameramen and photographers had a field day taking his shots at he moved from one point to the other.

    The meeting started around 11.05a.m when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo called for rendition of the National anthem.

    The opening Muslims prayer was offered by the Niger State Governor, Sani Bello.

  • Osinbajo, African business leaders for CIPM 50th anniversary

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will lead other African Business leaders and captains of industries to the 50th anniversary celebration of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) in Abuja.

    With Osinbajo as the Keynote speaker, the Director, ILO Country Office, Nigeria, Ghana Sierra Leone, Dennis Zulu; COO, Corporate Services, NNPC, Isa Inuwa; Justice of the National Industrial Court, Justice Kenneth Amadi; a Price Waterhouse Coopers Uyi Akpata; the National President NNEW, Modupe Oyekunle are the speakers.

    Other speakers for the annual national conference holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja are HR Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Tope Philips Aikhuemelo; Mercer Consulting, Kate Bravery and a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Reforms, Joe Abah.

    The Vice President of CIPM, Mr. Olawale Adediran who represented the President of the body during the visit of the CIPM management to some stakeholders in Oyo state including the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan yesterday said the conference is open to all business leaders, Human Resource Practitioners, University students and the general public.

    Adediran who was flanked by Dr. Charles Ugwu; and the Registrar/CEO of the CIPM, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle told Varsity’s management, students and the Chairman, Oyo State Civil Service Commission, Chief Joseph Oladele that the body has continued to regulate the practice of Human Resource Management in Nigeria over the past five decades.

    The Vice president stated that the Institute contributes to sustainable National development through constant promotion of excellence in the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills by practitioners through continuous innovation.

    Read Also: Osibanjo vows to make it difficult for ghost workers

    Also, the Registrar stressed that “in the last fifty years, we have contributed to the development of the Nigerian nation through our members who are key decision makers spread across diverse sectors”.

    Both the University of Ibadan management represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Management, Prof Olanike Adeyemi and Civil Service Commission Chairman, Chief Oladele assured CIPM of their readiness to partner with the body at 50th anniversary and beyond.

  • ‘Economic Recovery and Growth Plan means investing in Nigerians’

    Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo says investing in Nigerians is a major pillar of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President Laolu Akande said that Osinbajo spoke on Friday in a lecture at Oxford University, UK.

    In the lecture entitled: “The Challenges of Human Development in 21st Century Africa’’ the vice-president said that Human Capital Development must be a priority of public policy of governments across Africa.

    According to him, this will effectively tackle multidimensional poverty and improve long-term development on the continent.

    He highlighted ongoing investments, efforts and plans of the Nigerian government and the progress it had made in improving the country’s Human Capital Development indices and investment climate.

    He said that the National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) had also made huge impact, calling on African governments to unlock other opportunities to significantly achieve improved standards of living.

    “All over Africa, the political will to better the lot of our restive populations is evident, innovative ideas are also in abundance.

    “If we keep our focus, especially on good governance, the next two decades may truly be the African decades.

    “Governments are also best placed to deploy the public policy tools required to bring about synergy between growth objectives and social needs,’’ Osinbajo said.

    The vice-president also said that the administration’s N-SIP would continue to make policies and initiatives to improve Human Capital Development in Nigeria.

    “The major plank of the Federal Government’s approach to empowerment is to improve financial inclusion.

    “Our Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) is an important tool for financially empowering small businesses, artisans, market women, petty traders and table top traders.

    “Over the past two years, through the N-Power Programme, the largest post tertiary employment programme in Africa, we have been able to offer skills development programmes digitally to more than 500,000 young citizens between the ages of 18 years and 35 years.

    “We have set a target of skilling 10 million Nigerians by 2023’’, he said.

    Osinbajo said that by the end of the year, two million petty traders nationwide were expected to benefit from the TraderMoni, which provided them collateral and interest-free N10, 000 loans.

    He added that a total of N55 billion had been disbursed to 250,000 farmers on the platform of  the administration’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme scheme, which provided subsidized credit to small holder farmers.

    At the event, Osinbajo also inaugurated the International Advisory Board of Oxford University’s African Studies Centre in the School of Global and Area Studies.

    NAN

  • ABU students in U.S. for Enactus World Cup challenge

    Osinbajo, el-Rufa’i meet team confident of victory

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Nasir el-Rufa’i met with the Enactus team of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, just before the team members travelled to the United States to represent Nigeria at the ongoing Enactus World Cup Challenge holding in Silicon Valley in California.

    The ABU team won the national championship of Enactus held in Lagos last July, earning the ticket to represent Nigeria in the global entrepreneurship contest.

    As the students prepared to depart for the U.S., they were invited to the Kaduna Information and Communication Technology (KADICT) Hub in Kaduna State to meet with the Vice President and the governor as part of the move to rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit of the team members.

    At an interactive session with Prof Osinbajo and el-Rufa’i, the students were tipped to bring the Enactus World Cup trophy, while also urging them to continue to use their innovative skills to improve livelihoods.

    Prof Osinbajo said he was pleased with the impact the team made with its entrepreneurial project which addressed the challenges that followed Lead poisoning in Zamfara State. The students developed an innovative solution to the challenges faced by the people affected in the Lead poisoning by creating sustainable economic growth through an aqua-ponic device.

    To effectively prepare the team for the World Cup Challenge, the ABU team participated in the eight-day boot camp organised by the Enactus Country Office in Lagos, where team members’ presentation skills were assessed.

    When briefed about the aqua-ponic project designed by the ABU team, the Vice President described the students’ efforts as “brilliant”, expressing optimism the team would win the global contest, given the impact of the project.

    The team arrived U.S. on Tuesday to contest for $50,000 prize. Enactus World Cup is a world-class entrepreneurial social innovation contest, hosting students, academic and business leaders from 36 countries from around the world.

  • Nigeria’s energy infrastructure needs $1trillion investments – Osinbajo

    The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that Nigeria needs about one trillion US dollars investment to modernize her energy infrastructure.
    He made the remark while declaring open the National Energy and Climate Change summit at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
    According to him, the government was doing a lot to attract both domestic and foreign-direct investment into the energy sector.
    The nation’s energy and energy-related policies, he noted, were not only geared towards energy supply security but to also mitigate global warming.
    He commended the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, for organizing the summit.
    Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the government has increased transparency and openness in governance to support private investment.
    He said “This important event will provide a high-level forum to discuss energy and climate change as they relate to economic development and environmental protection. 
    “I am happy that this Summit is taking place at a time that FMST is working hard to help move our economy away from being resource based to an economy that is knowledge based and innovation driven. 
    “I am hopeful that at the end of your deliberations, you will be able to provide solutions towards improving sustainable energy supply and access in the country. I am happy that the International Energy Charter (IECh), a reputable inter-governmental energy organization that has the main objective of promoting multi-lateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the field of energy development is here with us. 
    “I recall, the ceremony last year in this same hall, when the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology signed on behalf of Nigeria, the International Energy Charter political declaration after obtaining the approval of the President. 
    “Nigeria then joined the International Energy Charter IECh) as an Observer Member State. I also recall that the Energy Commission of Nigeria immediately signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IECh Secretariat in order to promote such activities that will be beneficial to our dear country. 
    “Following this, a study of the Energy Investment Risk Assessment (EIRA) for Nigeria has been completed; the report, which has just been presented to us. I am happy that the assessment, which featured four (4) performance indicators, has scored our energy investment risks as moderate. 

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Bindow meet in Aso Villa

    “This is challenging in view of the huge investment of about one trillion US dollars required to modernize our energy infrastructure in twenty-nine years between 2014 and 2043. 
    “The government is doing a lot to attract both domestic and foreign-direct investment into the energy sector.” he said 
    He went on “Our energy and energy-related policies are not only geared towards energy supply security but to also mitigate global warming. Our nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Climate Protocol are robust. 
    “To further support private investment, we have increased transparency and openness in governance, instituted several executive orders to remove bottlenecks in business registration and permits, etc. 
    “We are convinced that this will help us create more jobs, create additional wealth and reduce poverty in our country. We will like foreign investors to work with local investors and professionals in line with the Presidential Executive Order No. 5. 
    “We sincerely appreciate the effort and expertise put in by the lECh to get the report presented today. We look forward to greater areas of cooperation as we gear up towards accession to the Energy Treaty. 
    “It is my hope that stakeholders would study the report, and come up with recommendations that will enhance the investment climate in our energy sector. 
    “I am confident that this would guarantee adequate, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally acceptable energy supply for a diversified economy as  articulated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, (ERGP).” he said 
    The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of Energy Commission of Nigeria, ECN Prof. Eli Jidere Bala said that ECN instituted the summit to serve as a forum where national issues on energy in all its ramifications will be discussed with the view to facilitating the monitoring and assessment of performance of the energy sector in the execution of government policies on energy.

    Also at the event, the European union head of Cooperation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Kurt Cornelis said the EU has so for committed 150 euros to support Nigeria through several projects cutting across the electricity value chain of the Nigeria electricity sector as well as the off-grid sector.

    He said, “Just to mention a few, the EU from this envelope is co-financing the phase 2 of NESP with 20million euros as well as a support to TCN with 25miliion euros grant to construct the Kura-Jogana-Gwiwa-Daura-Katsina double circuit 330KVA transmission line and substations which will also help evacuate the 1000MW Jigawa solar city project.”

    He also said that the focus of the EU is to increase support to Nigeria’s Climate Change initiatives by working hand in hand with the Federal Ministry of Environment on a new change action to start next year and continue to sensitise and raise awareness at the highest levels about the need to take concrete measures to fight climate change.

    He commended the Federal Government for having the political will to promote the use of renewable energy technology in the overall energy mix of the country.

    He also promised the continued support of the EU and ECOWAS to the country towards ensuring that those without energy access get connected in the shortest possible time.