₦airaland Forum

maybanks:
ON January 8, 2018, Vanguard published a story titled, “Fuel Scarcity: Nigerians commend Osinbajo for selfless leadership”. It was one of many headlines that commended the number two citizen of Nigeria for his service to the people as a politician. Osinbajo is a man who has a track record for his dedication, perseverance, courage and for achieving excellence in his work as a public servant, in the church as a pastor or at home as a husband and father. He is a man who knows how to find a balance despite the responsibilities on his shoulders. Not many believe that you can succeed as a pastor and public servant at the same time, but Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo is re-defining the thought of many Nigerians. Despite his busy schedule as Vice President, he has never forsaken the gathering of the brethren even while helping to attract successes to efforts by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to re-invent Nigeria on many fronts. In addition to assisting in putting the national economy on track for fast recovery as head of the Economic Team, Osinbajo has won the heart of the Nigerian youths for the government through a well-designed Social Intervention Programme, SIP, comprising the N-Power, GEEP Market Moni, Home Grown School Feeding initiative and the Conditional Cash Transfer for the unemployed in the country. He has been the bridge through which the South-South zone of the federation re-connected with the Buhari government, a development, which assisted in mitigating tension in the zone. The latest exploits by the Vice President in bringing the good agenda of the Buhari government to fulfillment came through his unrelenting efforts to expose corruption perpetrated under the past government of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Osinbajo has been doing that because the war against corruption is one of the major planks of the policy thrust by the present government to re-invent Nigeria. His background as an established Pastor in the Redeemed Christians Church of God, RCCG, offers an insight on why he seems to be neck-deep in the task by the Cabinet to fight corruption. As a pastor, he is ordained to stay off any acts of corruption, set examples on how not to be corrupt, speak against corruption and its incubus as well as expose corruption even when in an embryonic stage. Vice President Osinbajo, when honking on acts of corruption, dwells on facts and figures available to the Cabinet. He is committed to assisting Nigeria stave off the possible return of the menace with every successive government. For effectively bridging the role of a pastor and a politician, Osinbajo deserves applause. A week ago, the Vice President stepped on toes when he featured in the latest episode of the The Platform, organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, alleging that three persons stole $3 billion (N1 trillion) in the Jonathan administration. Not too long ago, he had alleged that the Jonathan administration shared the sum of N150 billion just two weeks to the 2015 elections, whereas, the same government spent just a paltry N14 billion on agriculture in 2014; N15 billion on transportation and only N153 billion on infrastructure in three years. Osinbajo, perhaps, has more privileged information on monumental kind of mindless corruption which the Jonathan government allowed in its six years tenure. Although Nigerians are aware that the government ran by Jonathan knew nothing about frugality and parsimony on financial matters, with evidence of alleged infamies against his government on corruption still in the public domain, Jonathan, who had before now remained taciturn and reclusive, swallowing all guilt about his failure, is now finding the courage to make feeble kicks. Last week, Jonathan, likely prodded by jobless aides who still leech on him, resolved to take his brittle grievance to the RCCG Shepard, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, asking him to call the Vice President to order for “lying” against him. Incredible! The question is: will Jonathan, whose government still has questions to answer on financial matters ever accuse anyone of lying against him? From observation, Jonathan who had long owned up to some grave mistakes while his regime lasted, would never have dreamt of approaching Pastor Adeboye to call the Vice President to order for telling the truth against him. The truth is; Jonathan’s former Social Media aide, Reno Omokri, prodded his latest move to approach the RCCG for succour. The tweets by Omokri on the issue are enough evidence to show that he, indeed, prodded the reaction by Jonathan. Before now, Reno Omokri has been crying more than the bereaved since Jonathan conceded victory to President Buhari in the 2015 Presidential election. Reno Omokri since then has never seen anything good in the succeeding administration of President Buhari. He had whipped sentiments sufficient to rebrand and remold Jonathan out of power and had consistently failed. Remo Omokri acts as if a grand plan was afoot for Jonathan to return to power in 2019. Jonathan and members of that administration are lucky that they are Nigerians. In other climes, Presidents and Prime Ministers who merely accepted bribes and kickbacks are either in the dock today or behind bars. This year alone, the world has witnessed how Presidents and Prime Ministers of different countries were arraigned in court on allegation of corruption; not borderring on looting the Nigerian style, but on account of carelessness in handling bribery cases. Former South-African President, Jacob Zuma and Mauritius President, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, are classic examples of how matured democracies abhor corruption. South-Africa and Mauritius never allowed the leaders breathing spaces until they eased them out of power, parading them in courts, all the same. The same scenario is playing out in Brazil where two successive leaders, Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor, Luiz Lula da Silva are currently in court answering charges on corruption over alleged 400 million euro bribe. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing charges filed against him by the Police, which recommended his prosecution on two count charges of corruption and breach of trust. Nigeria too can fall in line with countries that present great abhorrence for corruption, showing sincerity of purpose and the will-power to just fight the menace at all levels.

http://concordnews.com.ng/2018/05/08/the-osinbajo-example-bridging-the-gap-as-a-pastor-and-politician/

God really send This amiable VP to this country having him as VP is also giving all His best for the people of this country and it a great privilege and something do scared me a lot about His bin active whenever Mr president is not around He cover many things before Mr president arrived.. Great job Sir

maybanks:
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS STATEMENT

THE FACTS OUT ON GRAND CORRUPTION OF PAST PRESIDENCY ONLY A TIP OF THE ICEBERG

*(Statement attributable to the Vice Presidential Spokesperson)

WE have read reports attributed to “a media office of former President Goodluck Jonathan”. It is clear from the foul language of the authors that the statement could not have come from the former President, but from the motley group of loud and rude characters whose brief seems to be to deny all and anything said against the former PDP government and to do so in the crassest possible language.

The alleged spokespersons of the former President say that facts long in the public domain, some even being used to prosecute several corruption cases are lies and that those of us in government restating these well known facts are liars.

They accuse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, of lying against the former President or his government citing their involvement in the stealing of three billion dollars, while speaking recently at The Platform event on the 1st of May.

Just for clarity, I quote the Vice President “Grand corruption remains the most enduring threat to our economy. Three Billion US dollars was stolen in what was called the strategic alliance contacts in 2013, three Nigerians were responsible, today three billion dollars is one trillion Naira and our budget is 7trillion! ….” ..( link)

Two issues emerge. First, no mention is made of the former President.

Second, the story is not only true, it has been in the public domain for almost three years and it is the subject of criminal investigation and trials both here and in the UK.

The spokespersons also say that the allegations of corruption against the PDP government are mere lies. For clarity, the facts are laid out as follows:

As the Vice President said, $3B was stolen in the so- called NNPC Strategic Alliance Contracts. The three persons involved are Jide Omokore, Kola Aluko and the former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison- Maduekwe. The companies of both Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko lifted Nigerian crude oil and kept the proceeds. The total sums converted is in excess of three billion dollars including royalties, taxes and fees unpaid for the asset from which the crude was taken. The case is the subject of a trial in Nigeria, and criminal investigation in the US and UK, and the assets of all three individuals have been forfeited in Nigeria, the US and the UK.
The criminal diversion and theft of sums in excess of $2.5 billion meant for purchase of arms to prosecute the war against Boko Haram: The first phase of the investigations revealed several sordid details, many of the assets of culprits have been seized from them and they are facing trial.
The release of the sum of $289m in cash on February 25, 2015: Documents including cash vouchers indicate that the the sum of $289,202,382 was taken from the Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call Account No. 000-0000-11658-366 of the NNPC/NAPIMS with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA.
N70 billion was released in parts from the national treasury between January 8 and February 25, 2015.
In another illegal disbursement, 25th August 2014, N60B in cash in tranches of N40billion and N20billion: The sum was not tied to any project or procurement and was then shared between two security agencies under the supervision of the then NSA. Most of these sums ended up in the hands of senior PDP members some of whom have returned parts of the loot. Some are standing trial for these offenses. These facts are in the public domain.
There was yet another set of illegal fund withdrawals under one week between January 8and 16, 2015, where the sum of N1.5 billion was released in three tranches of N300m, N400m and N800m respectively. This money was released from the MEA Research Library Account .
Another document showed that N10 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on September 15, 2014. The money was released in tranches of foreign exchange of $47 million, $5 million, 4 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros. A letter from the Office of the NSA in November 2014 further showed that the monies were released as ‘funds for special services’. This particular release of N10B was sourced in November 2014 from a N40 Billion CBN released funds meant for Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. Investigators showed that this money was released for the PDP Presidential Primaries.
Lamido Sanusi, then CBN Governor was sacked for speaking up about the over $20billion missing from oil proceeds.
These cases of grand corruption and open looting of public resources pauperized Nigeria and left us with little or no savings in the years when oil was selling at 100 to 114 dollars a barrel and we were producing 2.1 million barrels a day. When in 2015 oil prices went even as low as between 28 and 35 dollars a barrel and oil production fell to less than one million barrels a day we had no buffer, no savings, to tide us through.

The amount released from CBN in cash on a single day, ie the US$289M ( N88.1Bn) is enough to fund 244,000 N-Power graduates for a year, or pay for 1.2Billion school meals or complete half of Lagos -Ibadan or half of Abuja -Kaduna -Kano roads.

The Vice President also made the point that in 2014 with oil prices as high as 120 dollars per barrel, the total capital released for Power, Works, Housing, Defence, Transport, Agriculture and Defence were just N152Billion for the whole year.

By contrast, the Buhari administration committed N578Bn to the same Ministries in 2016 with oil prices as low as US$28 per barrel as part of the strategy to end the recession. The government was able to do more with less by stopping grand corruption and impunity.

Recently, the Minister Coordinating the economy in that administration has written a revealing book : Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines. Who knows, perhaps her stories too are all lies!

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President

7 May 2018

http://concordnews.com.ng/2018/05/07/rejoinder-osinbajo-beneficiary-of-corruption/

Only blind and deaf people will be saying this country is not no changing for better and we cant deceive ourselves any more God hath chosen the right leader

Joylove2324:
all of you behind all this killings will surely see the wrath of God soon........woe unto you all

Buh you need to be mindful of what to say to leader

Sodiquinone:
anybody supporting killing of Christians or Muslims in Nigeria will not know peace,even if he hides in a corner in his room

Many things happen in the regime of past administration buh I see that those things happening to each adm they are doing it against each regime so what we need to do is to pray so that all this can be banish in this administration

Sodiquinone:
anybody supporting killing of Christians or Muslims in Nigeria will not know peace,even if he hides in a corner in his room

And as many that can see deep we will all know that this is not natural

DChosenmtaster:
We just need to realize that they real not an Angel they are only trying their best according to how God directed them

And to be kindid no leader will pray for such in His regime we just have to pray for the our great nation

maybanks:
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

ADAMAWA SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS ON A MOSQUE TRAGIC

*FG ORDERS SECURITY BEEFED UP AROUND MARKETS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP

The Federal Government is shocked and outraged by the suicide bomb attacks on a Mosque and a Market in Mubi, Adamawa State, today, May 1, 2018. This desecration of a place of worship by criminals is tragic and condemnable.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, expresses condolences to the victims and their families, and to the Government and people of Adamawa State.

The Vice President has been in touch with the State Governor Bindow Umaru Jibrilla, and has also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to ensure the speedy and adequate provision of medical supplies and relief materials to the victims.

He also expresses the gratitude of the Federal Government to the rescue workers and medical personnel who attended to the victims.

Security agencies have been directed to immediately take steps to beef up security in Mubi and environs, especially markets and places of worship. The agencies are also working to apprehend the criminals behind this act and bring them to justice.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
1st May, 2018

http://concordnews.com.ng/2018/05/02/adamawa-bombings-osinbajo-releases-statement/

We just need to realize that they real not an Angel they are only trying their best according to how God directed them

This a great project that will propergage God's Kingdom so rideon God us your strength Sir

slimghost:
When people try to speak up for Nigerians, I laugh at them seriously because Nigerians do not deserve anything good in life.

Aisha Yesufu might have been a bit harsh in most of her criticisms but most things she said or complained about are facts.

Nigerians are really pathetic people. Both Buhari and Osibanjo are horrible disappointments and so no need attacking the lady for stating the obvious.

You are there acting like goat saying negative word to your country do you fink u have anywhere to go in this life else you run out of this country

Thormiwah:
whats the obvious she stated, that osinbajo should act and stop giving nice speeches abi? if u are a leader and your vice is over shadowing how will u react, just smile abi, so u wanna support the division of this Nation abi? weldone sir, but please try use your church mind next time nah

Seriously your generation are not worth to be where human being are cus youre Slim goat by name and Double color goat by surname

You can't continue propergating nonsense because of what you want to achieve I mean for your own personal interest... It means you wanna soffer your Generation

Aisha yesufu of all you came to this world to do is to criticise and you fink thats how you can be getting ur own income.. Hmm your life is in danger you knw not.