₦airaland Forum

The United States of America Pastor, Joel Rainey, has joined the long list of the admirers of Nigeria's Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN.


Rainey who attended the opening session of the Sixth Assembly of the Forum for Promoting Peace organized by the Government of the United Arab Emirates, couldn't hide his expression over the speech delivered by Nigeria's Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo.


Pastor Joel Rainey wrote via his twitter handle, @joelrainey: "The best, most profound and moving speech in Abu Dhabi last week was delivered by this man--Vice President Osinbajo of Nigeria. Powerful!"


In response to the lead pastor of the Covenant Church, another twitter user, @eniola_opeyemi replied; "Brilliancy, intellectual sagacity can't be restricted, just like the sun, it shines everywhere. That is the case of our VP, Nigeria's own Professor, he is so energetic and never relenting.


I am not surprised @joelrainey distinguished his speech out of many others.


Thank you Sir"


The U.S pastor who couldn't obnubilate his enthusiasm about the VP responded,"Can we borrow him for about 4 years—starting in 2020? Our nation needs leaders like him!"


Other Nigerians took to their handles to express why the Vice President couldn't be released even beyond 2023.


@eniola_opeyemi: So kind a word, but unfortunately, Nigeria and Nigerians still need him beyond then.


I am sure he is open for consultation, mind you, he is still our property and we cherish him more.


@ibmonotu99: We would have love to lend him to you guys but we need him much more beyond 2023


@wadayahayawada:

Very hilarious, we need him in Nigeria more than you do sir. May God bless Professor Yemi Osinbajo

Extract from Audacity On The Bound: A Diplomatic Odyssey by [Baba Ambassador] Olusola Sanu, pp. 102-103.

"My stay in Ile-Ife coincided with the early crisis in the Action Group. Chief Remi Fani-Kayode was in charge at Ife and he was ready to take on all comers. I remember that on one occasion, I was in a building at Ayetoro, Fani-Kayode was campaigning around the neighbourhood and his group suddenly ran into an opposition group that had found their way to the same area. A hot exchange ensued and Fani-Kayode gave his opponent three slaps and went on to hold him tightly by the throat, at which point some of his followers who sighted me on the balcony went to whisper to him that the District Officer was on the balcony, watching. On hearing this, Fani-Kayode instantly removed his “buba” and tore it to pieces while shouting and proceeding towards the balcony.

“Did you see what the opposition leader did to me? You certainly saw it,” pointing to his torn buba at which point I simply burst into laughter and told him that I saw everything. I told him that I didn’t know he was so strong that he could tear his own buba into pieces.

“So, you saw it all?” He incredulously asked again.

“Yes, I did.”

“Well, we are in a political season; you have to expect such rascality,” was Fani-Kayode’s response.

More than half a century later, his son, Femi Fani-Kayode has taken on his political opponents with the same creative licence. The young man is literally a replica of his father - a fighter, brilliant and also ready to take on all comers for good or bad."

There is a growing effort to deodorize the consistent, recurring and habitual attitude of Dr. Kperogi to peddle fake news and share concocted stories and lies. The truth is: Kperogi is a purveyor and enabler of fake news, no amount of revisionism and whitewashing can change this fact. A cursory look into his both Twitter and Facebook posts can attest to it. Herein are seven (by no means exhaustive) professorial lies:

1. September 2016, Dr. Kperogi had it from an impeccable source that the Aso Villa Clinic 2017 budget was more than the combined budget of all the 16 Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria. When his attention was drawn to the factual error of his statement, it earned Garba Shehu the tag of an illiterate spokesman. The sad thing is Garba Shehu was Kperogi’s teacher during his undergrad. Dr. Salisu Shehu, I vividly recalled, tried to make him see reason why it was inappropriate to talk that way to his teacher…well, he was also tagged a glorified quota-system professor.

2. Dr. Kperogi concocted a well-spiced lie that President Buhari spent 6million pounds to treat ear infection in London. It was a barefaced lie. Dr. Mustapha and Dr. Ibrahim Gumel tried in vain to make him recant his position or confirmed it (beyond reasonable doubt) as the case may be, he did neither of the two, despite Garba Shehu’s clarification.

3. Dr. Kperogi had it also from an authoritative sauce, sorry, source, that the botched Nigeria Air Logo was designed at the cost of 183 million Naira. He cited a none-existing firm in Bahrain as one of the ‘Transaction Advisers’ as his source. When his attention was drawn to the inaccuracy of the information, and the fact that the said firm was not even among the listed and certified ‘Transaction Advisers’, Dr. Kperogi adopted a deaf and dumb posture. He neither apologised nor recant his position, despite impeccable evidences brought to his attention.

4. In his self-appointed position as the Chief Executive Officer of holding President Buhari’s administration to its feet (a worthy course I must admit), he shared a Kannywood movie scene where one actor, wearing Nigeria’s Army camouflage uniform, were shown crying over the death of his colleague, as Nigeria’s Army fighting Boko Haram in the Northeast. Again, when he was accused of peddling false information, his defense was: he was busy and could not run a reverse search of the picture on Google. So much for due diligence by a journalism professor.

5. Few months after President Buhari was declared winner of the 2019 general elections, Dr. Kperogi wrote a WhatsApp message and sent it to himself. In the said message, he concocted a lie only a person of his moral and intellectual standing can believe. He said and I quote: a friend in the security sector expressed concern over your safety as a result of possibility of a plot by the Buhari regime/cabal to assassinate you in the state. Curiously enough, as a US citizen/resident, Dr. Kperogi didn’t report that threat to the FBI.

6. At the heat of the 2019 elections, Dr. Kperogi yet again concocted another fat lie to heat the polity. He was so certain of his lie. He declared with all sense of certitude that President Buhari has FINALLY murdered Col. Sambo Dasuki. Again, when he was accused of sharing fake news he mentioned a Whatsapp audio as his source.

7. In its investigative report, fact-checking social media influencers who shared fake news during Nigerian general elections, International Centre For Investigative Reporting, Dr. Kperogi’s name appeared twice, sharing unverified, fake videos as an authoritative evidence of rigging by INEC during the 2019 elections. Against all overwhelming pieces of evidence, Dr. Kperogi instead of being remorseful and apologise for sharing fake videos, tagged the report as “….a tendentious, poorly written, inaccurate screed”, having “crying factual poverty and malicious ignorance”. Incredible! If Dr. Kperogi isn’t a purveyor of fake news I don’t know who is.

You see, you don’t need to like Buhari for you to uphold facts. All you need is to be a decent human being who is principled and capable of carrying out due diligence before making pronouncements. And the fact that Dr. Kperogi is today being ridiculed, villified and laughed at has nothing to do with his unending but never rewarding tirades and tantrums against President Buhari but everything to do with his approach and mode of engagement. We expect some level of decorum, honesty and sincerity from a person of Dr. Kperogi’s standing. This, I think, isn’t too much to ask.

https://dailyconcordnews.com/2019/12/27/7-professorial-lies-from-farouq-kperogi/

The audacity of Garba Shehu!
Let it be known to him that Nigerians voted Buhari not some worthless cabals that dictates to the president.
To be fair to all, these cabals are not doing the country any good.

imiski:
let me say something intelligent: you don't sense.

Is that the best you can do?

imiski:
Like you said he was paid to make those statements why not leave him alone, is it not the same way you are paid to post what you are posting? All this BMC people sef.

Say something intelligent if you can

More

"One of the Leading Nigerian Merchants of Fake News in 2019 also happens to be a “Professor” of “Journalism” at an American University. Has at his beck and call an unlimited number of anonymous “reliable” “sources” who can be made to tell him anything he wants to hear and share." Read what he said a while ago about President Buhari and Sambo Dasuki in next image... Unfortunately, he's not alone, as we have thousands of other paid agents like him, all over the Nigerian social media space.

Star Boy

obi4eze:

Trash

lazy youth ��

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

*WHY WE PUT SOCIAL INVESTMENTS IN APC MANIFESTO IN 2014 – OSINBAJO*

_SIP is the first phase of our plan to fight poverty_

*REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE SECOND ANNUAL ABIOLA AJIMOBI ROUNDTABLE SYMPOSIUM IN HONOUR OF THE 70TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF FORMER GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE, SENATOR ABIOLA AJIMOBI, IN IBADAN ON THE 16TH OF DECEMBER, 2019.*

PROTOCOLS

It is a special pleasure and privilege to be here to celebrate my egbon’s 70th birthday. I am pleased that an important part of the celebrations is this second annual Abiola Ajimobi round table. An annual conversation on issues of governance and development in Nigeria. This is as it should be.

At a book launch in honour of Baba Bisi Akande, I noted that a tradition of our political tendency is that of introspection or reflection. By our tendency, I refer to that established by Papa Obafemi Awolowo, which in spite of its various iterations and versions, we all agree to describe as progressive politics. The progressive tendency must be the thought leaders and the do leaders for our nation.

This particular conversation on “Managing the Dynamics of Nigeria’s Advancement” is an important one.

There are two issues I believe stand out: one is the environment for encouraging local and foreign investment and the second is eradicating poverty. We are behind in the race against poverty because there was no systematic and focused approach. So, this is why in 2014 into 2015, the APC decided as a matter of policy to write the social investment programmes into our party manifesto.

And we set it up as a first phase in our efforts to tackle poverty. It is a comprehensive programme and we have heard already from Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, it is a detailed programme. It is the first of its kind anywhere in Africa, it has been well scrutinized by the World Bank, a collaborator in the programmes, and several other independent agencies have scrutinized it.

Today, one of the programmes, the National Home-Grown School Feeding, accounts for feeding 9.5million children on a daily basis in 33 States of the Federation. With N-Power, we are employing 540,000 young people and many of them are in different local governments. I believe Oyo State has over 11,000 beneficiaries, and there are several aspects of the programmes. It is not perfect and there are issues here and there, but it is the first comprehensive approach to dealing with the issue of poverty in Nigeria.

It is important to bear in mind that India which used to have the largest number of poor people in the world, did exactly what we are doing now; a systematic and pragmatic approach to solving the problems of poverty. India increased it year by year and today, the country has taken a large majority of her people out of poverty although there are still large numbers in absolute terms.

The second point is on encouraging entrepreneurship and infrastructure development. Already, it is very obvious that we are doing a lot in infrastructure development. Today, we have completed the Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan end of the Lagos – Kano railway. Already we are launching the free service between Lagos and Ibadan this Christmas. We intend to continue to invest in infrastructure because that’s the first step, in my view, to developing our investment environment to the standard that we want.

We also expect that we would lower taxes as times go on because there is a need to create an environment for business to thrive. Of course, measures have been made already on enabling the business environment.

There is no part of the work of developing a nation that is easy, it is always going to be a difficult task. But this administration intends to remain focused, we have shown that a focused approach, step by step, fighting through the difficulties on a daily basis, will eventually get us to where we are going.

To my dear egbon, Senator Ajimobi, I must say that your sense of humour, youthfulness, and sheer energy, make it difficult to believe that you are actually 70!

We thank God for the way He has enabled you to do so well in this State and for the unique and indelible landmarks you have laid.

God has also enabled you to do a lot in governance, but also in guiding so many and ensuring that your fidelity to the party (APC), friends and associates, shows that it is possible to do politics with honour and integrity, and be a gentleman that you have always been.

We congratulate you on this day and I pray that all will be well with you, in the next ten years, you will be even stronger than now. When we come for the 80th and 90th birthday celebrations, you’d still be smiling as brightly as you are smiling today and looking well.

I also congratulate our dear aunty, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, for taking such good care of you and it’s very obvious that but for her dexterity in taking care of you, you might not look this good.

God bless you and happy birthday Sir!

Released by:
*Laolu Akande*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,*
Office of the Vice President
16th December 2019

Racoon:
Pls direct this your long grammer to presidential cabals led by Abba Kyari that made the enquiry for FIRS under Fowler's leadership to explain the discrepancies in revenue turnout by the agency under him.

Common to read, you can’t read.

YET AGAIN, ANOTHER REITERATION OF A TISSUE OF LIES

*So-called Unexplained FIRS N40B Campaign Fund



First it was N90B, but now N40B. Which is which? It took a disgruntled politician to convey the fake news of N90B, now it is the services of an unquestioning PR newswire that is passing on the unsupported, baseless N40B bogus allegation. Whichever way whoever is behind this, a lie is a lie is a lie!


In any case FIRS statement bears repeating. Please read it closely and decide for yourself who is lying.

The attention of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has been drawn to publication in some online and daily newspapers by a certain Comrade Timi Frank, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who claimed that the FIRS supported the`APC, through the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with a phantom N90 billion.



The FIRS wishes to state as follows:



1. That the entire allegation being spread by one Frank Timi that the Federal Inland Revenue Service spent N90billion to fund the last election is mendacious, wicked, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Service and that of his Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. This campaign of calumny and villifying false claims are entirely, libellous, unfounded in fact, irresponsible and a brazen assault on the integrity of the Service as a responsible and accountable organisation and demonstrates an abysmal ignorance of the budgetary and expenditure process of the FIRS.



2. That in the last four years since Mr. Tunde Fowler has supervised operations at the FIRS, the agency had not received up to N100 billion, per annum, as Cost of Collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. FAAC is a public institution, whose records are open to the public.



3. That it is from the remittances from FAAC—which had never grossed up to N100 billion, PER ANNUM, that FIRS pays the salary and emoluments and trains it’s over 8000 staff, runs over 150 offices and provides for other needs of the Service.



4. That given the above, IT IS NOT PLAUSIBLE nor DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE that FIRS will commit its resources to a phantom campaign of N90 billion as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank and FIRS does not fund political associations.



5. That FIRS is a creation of statute and its activities are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and financials regulations and thus, IT IS NOT PLAUSIBLE, that its funds could be expended in such a cavalier manner as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank.



6. That FIRS Budget and expenditure approval processes pass through the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance, before such are presented to the National Assembly for Appropriation into Law. The National Assembly committees, consisting of all parties and inclinations exercise oversight function on all agencies of the Federal Government to ensure agencies keep to the letters of the Appropriation Act. Thus FIRS’ operations are subjected to Scrutiny and close monitoring by the National Assembly, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee and the Ministry of Finance.



7. It is therefore unthinkable, malicious and irresponsible for the said Frank to insinuate or infer that N90 billion or any part thereof could be spent illegally and without budgetary approval.



8. It is equally alarming to note that this injurious falsehood and blackmail could find space in our mass media without proper scrutiny particularly with the availability of the Freedom of Information Act, which broadly allows Nigerians access to information on expenditure of public funds by government agencies. This all goes to show an orchestrated and invidious decision by paid agents to discredit the Service in order to achieve their diabolical ends, which is at variance from the interest of Nigerians.



9. We ask members of the public to ignore the claims of Mr. Timi Frank, with the ignominy it deserves as the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC is seeking for cheap popularity and relevance.



10. It is in the light of the foregoing observations, the FIRS demands an unequivocal apology from the said Mr. Timi Frank and a well publicised public apology in three major and leading newspapers within the next 24 hours. The FIRS shall pursue claims for aggravated damages in libel and injurious falsehood against the said Mr. Frank if he fails to meet these conditions in the next 24 hours.



11. This invidious publication is targeted as derailing the revenue generation efforts for the three tiers of government in the nation. This is calculated economic sabotage and hereby referred to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation officially.



12. We finally wish to assure all Nigerians that the FIRS did not spend and could not have spent taxpayers money for political ends. For the avoidance of doubt, every kobo paid by taxpayers goes straight to the Federation Account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria and that the FIRS does not possess the constitutional right to touch the said account or appropriate any kobo there from to itself.



The FIRS wishes to reassure members of the public that the FIRS is a PUBLIC TRUST, which the agency operates on behalf of Nigerians. Taxpayers money-including the operational funds of the Service- are sacred. FIRS remains committed to public accountability and transparency in the sacred mandate of tax collection and public expenditure.



Signed:

Wahab Gbadamosi
Head Communications & Servicom Department
FIRS

cedricksly:
Bull crap. You are a sentimental idiot. I'm glad non would see this yeye post of urs, Coz it would never hit FP.... So all these 20 rubbish happened in this country yet only you knew about it.

But you have just posted a comment. What stops you from saying they are FALSE. Calling you an idiot will be a grave injustice to all stupid people

20 QUESTIONS FOR THE MORONS AT THE PUNCH NEWSPAPERS:

By Sharon Faliya Cham

1. What would you have called Buhari if it was under him that armed soldiers and armed DSS personnel invaded and sealed off The PUNCH, DAILY TRUST and LEADERSHIP newspapers for over a week in June 2014?

2. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one using 5 or 7 members of any State House of Assembly to impeach their governors unconstitutionally, as we saw happen several times during your ''democracy'' in 2001 to 2014?

3. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one impeaching Senate Presidents and House Speakers anyhow he liked, using every force and money available during your preferred ''democracy''i between 1999 and 2014?

4. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one that ordered armed DSS personnel and armed policemen to seal off the headquarters of the New (nPDP) at Maitama, Abuja in 2014? Under him, a faction called rAPC emerged but he never molested them nor tamper with their offices.

5. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one that ordered a police DPO to go and disrupt the meeting of five nPDP Governors at the residence of one of them at Abuja, in flagrant violation of their immunity and constitutional rights to freedom of association...

6. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who ordered that aircrafts carrying opposition governors and other opposition politicians should not be permitted to fly or land, as it happened in 2013 to 2014 in this country?

7. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who ordered a Captain of the Army to unlawfully block the road and prevent a Governor from entering Ekiti State for an election in 2014 with an express order to allow only PDP governors to enter the state for the same election.

8. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one ordering the withdrawal of security details from any elected politician that defected from his party to the opposition, as has been happening from 2002 to 2014 in this country?

9. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one that broke the Nigerian Governors Forum into two factions by recognizing the loser of their election with 16 votes over the winner with 19 votes as it happened in 2013?

10. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who posted a police commissioner to Rivers State with the single instruction of harassing, intimidating the Governor, to the point that police armoured tanks and trucks will be used to block his official and private house?

11. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one that used every unlawful methods to unlawfully and forcefully impeach Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State in 2013 because the Governor called the President as the sponsor of ''Boko Haram'', waging a clandestine war against the north? Is there any insult that President Buhari didn't receive from Governor Ayo Fayose, yet he simply ignored him?

12. What would you have called Buhari if he rounded up members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, move them to a hotel in Abuja, and coerce them to begin impeachment proceedings against the Governor like it was attempted against Governor Almakura of Nassarawa State in 2013?

13. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one under whom key opposition politicians and leaders were being assassinated anyhow, like it happened between 2001 to 2014?

14. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who ordered armed DSS personnel to invade and cart away documents from the logistics office of the main opposition party, and even seal off the office for a number of days after unlawfully arresting some staff of the office?

15. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who ordered armed soldiers to go and disrupt a peaceful street protest led by Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, and other notable elders like it happened in January 2012 in Lagos, so much that these old citizens were teargassed ?

16. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who shutdown the Maiduguri international airport, and ordered that not even the Borno State Governor could use it except only Ali Modu Shariff, as we saw happen between 2012 to early 2015?

17. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who simply points a pistol at his party's national chairman and force him to resign or outrightly send people with an order demanding resignation whenever he gets tired of any of them, as we saw happen from 2001 to 2014?

18. What would you have called Buhari if he was the President who withheld the entire federal monthly allocations of all the Local Government Areas of Lagos State for years, and flagrantly disobeyed a Supreme Court ruling directing you to release the funds, as we saw happen 2004?

19. What would you have called Buhari if he was the one who kept cantankerous buffoons like Asari Dokubo and Tompolo in expensive hotel suites in Abuja to be insulting, threatening and denigrating all persons and ethnic groups they suspect as not favourably disposed to the President everyday on radio, television, newspapers and social media as we saw happen from 2010 to early 2015?

20. And what would you have called Buhari if he was the one who ordered armed DSS personnel and armed policemen to lock up the National Assembly and throw teargas at federal lawmakers in a bid to arrest the Honourable Speaker with no consequence on those involved?

If it is not love for corruption and bigotry that have blinded The PUNCH newspapers and turned them into morons, they would have not forgotten too quickly that not even the military practiced the kind of dictatorship we saw unleashed on this country between 1999 and 2015 by ''democrats'', and they would have seen that the kind of nonsense tolerated by Major General Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria's corrupt opposition and corrupt, hate mongering media would have been met with a death sentence if it were the 1999 - 2015 era!

Here Is Why Everyone Loves Nigeria's Vice President

We all love Nigeria's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. Yes, we do.

Maybe it's the suave look and swagger he has? Or maybe it's his distinguished diction and speech? It could as well be his ability to laugh at himself and the memes many have created about him on the internet.

It definitely cannot be because he holds the office of the Vice President; after all, he is not the first Vice President of the nation.

Whatever it is, there is no denying that Osinbajo is very much beloved. How else can one explain the outpouring of support when it was rumoured that his job security was threatened?

No sooner had these rumours started spreading that there was a swelling of support and advice from all manner of well wishers in every direction.

Most of the comments usually revolved around sympathy for Osinbajo, for finding himself in a position where he is only the number two man in the country. Poor him.

Some others went straight ahead to give knocks to President Buhari and his kitchen cabinet, castigating them for putting Osinbajo in a position where he has to take orders from the President. Can you imagine that?

Some even went as far as blaming the Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor himself, for even taking up a job that would place him a heartbeat away from the actual presidency. What a terrible job.

These well-wishers ran the entire gamut of the political spectrum, with the most vociferous of them being those who support opposition parties. So much is the love for the VP that it can even transcend political rivalry.

It doesn't matter how many times the presidency tries to deny that there is any rift between Buhari and his deputy, the people are so concerned about Osinbajo that they would ignore all prevailing evidence.

Recently, when a rumour spread that over 30 aides of Osinbajo were fired, there was such an outpouring of love and concern for the VP, with some wondering if we as Nigerians were going to allow this happen.

It did not even matter that the Presidency clarified that these aides were not fired to spite Osinbajo but rather their employment was revoked or not renewed as part of cost cutting measures and to streamline operations at the Aso Rock Villa.

What was more paramount to the VP's well wishers was that this was an attempt to belittle and whittle down his powers in the Presidential Villa. What boundless love.

A cynical person might suggest that this outpouring of love and concern is actually false and is rather an escape mechanism for those who are dissatisfied with this government.

The thinking being that if we all believe hard enough in the rumours of a rift between the president and his deputy, it might just come true.

But me, I am not cynical at all. I truly believe that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is simply the most loved man in Nigeria.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

FOR THE RECORDS:
VP OSINBAJO'S LETTER YESTERDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2019 TO ORGANISERS OF THE 2019 ANTI-CORRUPTION DEFENDER AWARD

"I am extremely grateful for the recognition and award of the “Integrity Specialty of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism’s Anti-corruption Defender Award of 2019” to me.

“The award, I note, is for our Justice reform efforts in Lagos State. I had accepted the award with pride on behalf of the excellent Justice Sector team we had.

“However, two reasons explain my absence. First is that I am currently in Abu Dhabi for an international meeting under the auspices of the government of the UAE where I am the keynote speaker.

“Second, in view of the developments on Friday in the Sowore case, I think it would be insensitive and inappropriate to attend the ceremony.

“Please accept my heartfelt apologies and extend the same to the other members of the organizing team. God bless you."

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
9th December, 2019
Copyright © 2019, Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, All rights reserved.

Brandstudio01:
Please someone should tell our politicians that the office of the Vice-President is not for public functions. For goodness sake this man is by no means a motivational speaker

Say something intelligent next time

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will today, Sunday, 8th December, 2019, depart Abuja for the City of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to speak on "The Role of Religions in Promoting Tolerance: From Possibility to Necessity."

The topic of the Vice President's speech is the theme of the Sixth Assembly of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies opening tomorrow in Abu Dhabi.

Prof. Osinbajo's speech is scheduled as the forum's keynote address.

Also, tomorrow, at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, the Vice President will meet with Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nayan, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Both leaders will discuss bilateral issues on how to continue to expand diplomatic and economic relationships between Nigeria and the UAE.

The Assembly of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies is an annual event organized by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

According to the UAE government, “the Sixth Assembly will build upon the discussions and outputs of previous assemblies, as well as appreciation of the UAE’s decision to proclaim 2019 as the year of ‘tolerance’.

“The Sixth Assembly envisages an opportunity to initiate a civilized dialogue on the formulation of a new concept of tolerance, one that is humane and generous, and to transform a perspective that makes tolerance a religious imperative.”

The Vice President is expected back later on Monday, 9th December, 2019.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
8th December, 2019

*RICHARD AKINOLA, GROUP TO FALANA: BLAMING OSINBAJO, OTHER LAWYERS IN BUHARI'S CABINET OVER DSS MISCONDUCT IS MISCHIEVOUS*

*Both recall how VP as Ag. President acted in similar case when DSS invaded National Assembly

*Buck stops squarely on Mr. President's desk, not lawyers in FEC

Veteran journalist and lawyer, Richard Akinola and a political group have faulted Femi Falana, SAN over comments that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should discipline all lawyers in the Buhari administration because of the desecration of the law courts by officers of the DSS yesterday at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his reaction on Saturday, Mr Akinola said, “With the greatest respect to my good friend, Femi Falana, SAN, l beg to disagree with him in respect of his statement in respect of the Vice president on the Sowore saga.

Falana was indicting the Vice President and other Learned Silks in the cabinet for not speaking up on the saga. “It's necessary to put things in proper perspective. There is only ONE presidency. By my understanding, the VP cannot be issuing statements on an issue when there is a sitting president.

He added that, “Recall that when Osinbajo was acting as president and similar incident happened at the National Assembly, he took action. The invasion of NASS started at about 7am and by 10.30 am, Lawal Daura had been fired as the DG of DSS.

“So, it would be unfair to attack the VP on this matter because he is just the VP. The buck stops at the president's table. If in the president's wisdom, he refused to take action, he must have his reason. Ours is to speak out for him to take action,” he said.

Similarly, a political group in Nigeria has described as mischievous the comments credited to Mr. Falana.


Falana reportedly made the statement following the re-arrest of Omoyele Sowore, convener, #RevolutionNow protest, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare by the Department of State Services (DSS).


In a press statement signed by Peter Oladele, Publicity Secretary of the Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) the group said the lawyers in the Buhari administration have not acted in any unprofessional capacity to warrant any disciplinary action.


Besides, the group noted that regarding the Vice President in particular it is an unrealistic expectation to require him to respond officially on the misconduct of the DSS agents because the executive powers of the Federal Government are vested only in the person of the President not the Vice President or the lawyers in the Cabinet.


"Besides the President who has the Executive powers in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as Amended, the only person who has responsibility on this matter is the Attorney-General of the Federation," the group explained, adding "this facts are well known to Mr. Falana."


The Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) also recalled that while the VP was acting for President Buhari and the DSS invaded the National Assembly, Prof Osinbajo acted in defense of rule of law and democracy in the country by removing the head of the organization and condemning the invasion. ISD then asked "why does Mr. Falana now think the VP or the lawyers in the cabinet could not advise the President to act in a similar way, afterall it is the same Buhari Presidency?



“Mr Falana is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and he should know that Section 11 of the NBA’s Legal Practitioners Act has specific penalties for unprofessional conduct and there is no provision for disciplining lawyers for the actions of other people,” the group said.


“So how do you call for disciplinary actions against colleagues who have not acted in any unprofessional capacity or have not breached the rules of professional conduct,” the group quizzed.



The group then advised Mr Falana to rid himself of any emotional outbursts that could overshadow what is otherwise a noble work he is doing on the Sowore matter, stressing that, as a senior lawyer he should know who has what powers and where the buck stops in a Presidential system of government such as Nigeria is currently practising.


“As a group we have condemned the actions of the DSS and have called for the immediate release of Mr Sowore because the court has ordered his release. We also condemn the re-arrest of Mr Sowore by the DSS it only puts Nigeria in bad light. And we should not use this unfortunate incidents to dent the image of lawyers in the Buhari cabinet."

What has Osinbajo got to do with the matter in discussion?
What constitutional power does a VP have under the 1999 southern bondage document?

Did You Know?

As Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo directed service chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri, Borno state. The next day Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai & Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar relocated to Borno to restore normalcy to the area.

The last time Prof Osinbajo was an acting president, a certain DSS Boss was forming Spartacus, we all know how the rug was immediately pulled underneath his feet!

Dear aggrieved Sowore Paraclete, kindly channel the vibe to the appropriate quarters!

Falana has increasingly become a joke of a lawyer. He is acting like MURIC that his son called out in his song.

Saying NBA should discipline lawyers in Buhari's govt is not only childish but stupid.

What have they done in their professional capacity to deserve a discipline?

Nigerians are largely uneducated, walahi...

DSS rearrests Sowore and you are insulting Osinbajo, for what?

Is he DSS DG? Is he DSS spokesman?

Have you heard Mike Pence speak against the actions or inactions of FBI or CIA?

Why are we so ignorant? Does DSS answer to him?��‍♂️��‍♂️��‍♂️

When some ignorant people are calling Osinbajo to act on the shameful act from DSS yesterday, I have no choice but to remind them of what he did as Acting President when Lawal Daura was misbehaving

DSS made one gaffe under Osinbajo as acting President and immediately Lawal Daura was sacked.

Now, VP is VP. Not President, not acting President.

Don't be unfortunate to insult him because it shows your level of ignorance and stupidity.

VP Osinbajo Inaugurates The National Steering Committee On The Planning & Implementation Of GRID3 Nigeria On 04/12/2019

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says private sector investors and chief executives to copy the can-do spirit of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.

Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged private sector investors and chief executives to copy the can-do spirit of young Nigerian entrepreneurs who have recently been acclaimed in different sectors.
Speaking at the CEO Forum organised by Businessday in Lagos today, the Vice President said the exploits of Nigerian entrepreneurs such as Temi Giwa-Tubosun, Silas Adekunle, Kenneth Obiajulu-Okonkwo and Jelani Aliyu, epitomised the desire of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to inspire and enable local talents.
Osinbajo, who was represented at the event by the Senior Special Assistant (technical) to the President, Mr. Louis Odion, said the Buhari administration was committed to providing the enabling environment for businesses.
He said, “Some of the investments in infrastructure are already yielding tangible results. For instance, the Lagos-Ibadan railway is now complete and available for public use.
By conceiving and executing this strategic railway project, we hope to decongest the heavy vehicular traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway which is also under reconstruction as I speak.”
The Vice President said investments in renewing the country’s infrastructure were countrywide, adding that the administration had invested over N3.5trn in infrastructure across the country in the last three years, the highest in the country’s history.
He urged CEOs to see temporary challenges as opportunities to challenge existing mode of thinking, saying that he was confident that the country’s future was bright.
The Vice President said though some criticised the decision of the government foreign loans, the loans were for investment in infrastructure, and not for consumption as was the case in the past.

https://theinterview.ng/2019/12/03/osinbajo-urges-investors-to-copy-startup-can-do-spirit/

What is reasonable about FFK?
He wail and moan every minute on Osinbajo but Star boy will never stoop so low dignifying FFK with a comment.
He lied, lied and lied that Osinbajo will be removed, sacked and so on but nothing of such is happening.
FFK's mental disorder is second to none

More pix

Today, Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo chaired a meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), at the State House, Abuja.