₦airaland Forum

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

NEC HIGHLIGHTS: NIGERIA’S ECONOMY STABILISING WITH 8 SUCCESSIVE QUARTERS OF GROWTH

· Non-oil sector reports on the rise, as Finance Minister presents MTEF to Council

The macroeconomic environment of the country has shown significant growth and stability since after the recession, according to a report presented today to the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who made the presentation, there have been eight successive quarters of economic growth since the country emerged from recession.

While affirming the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), as the basis for the Medium Term fiscal strategy, she highlighted that Macro-economic stability has been achieved with growth in end Q3, 2019 at 3.01 per cent; continued increase in Real GDP from 1.89 per cent in Q2, 2018 to 2.01 per cent in 2019; there has been significant growth in non-oil sector.

Other significant economic growth records include the fact that inflation has continually declined since 2017 from 18.72% to 11.08% in July 2019; contribution of the non-oil sector to GDP has also increased 90.4% in Q1 2018 to 90.9% in Q1 2019.



BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEC DELIBRATIONS:

A. UPDATES ON NEC COMMITTEE ON EXPORT PROMOTION, PRESENTED BY ALHAJI MOHAMMED BADARU ABUBAKAR, GOVERNOR OF JIGAWA STATE



· The Governor of Jiagawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, presented an update on the activities of the Committee.

· The report is sequel to the Zero Oil Plan, envisioned in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) which is developed by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

· The implementation of the plan is expected to yield results in 3 key areas:

o Add an extra UDS150 billion (minimum) to Nigeria’s foreign reserves cumulatively from non-oil exports over the next 10 years;

o Create 500, 000 jobs annually,

o lift 20 million Nigerians out of poverty, contributing towards SDG-‘’ No Poverty’’.

He reported that the committee has recorded the following achievements:

· Designed an implementation Plan for Project implementation

· Harmonized Export Development Plan Submitted by states

· Identified Projects based on the Implementation Plan and States Submissions.

· Set- up Templates and Schematics for Domestic Export Warehouse and Anchor Programme for Exporters.

· Provide processing equipment and conducted Capacity Building Programme on Strategic Products in the Zero Oil Plan in Kaduna, Benue, Ondo, Edo and Imo States. The products are Palm oil, Soya Beans and Ginger.

· Identify Companies for the Domestic Export Warehouse and Aggregation Centre for exportable products.

· He further revealed that the other achievements of the Zero Oil Plan to date includes:

o Non- oil exports (excluding natural gas) have risen from U$1.17 billion in 2016 to US$3.16 billion in 2018 meaning that Strategic sectors identified in the Zero Oil Plan have seen growth. For instance, cocoa exports have risen by $79.4 million since 2017, while sesame exports have also increased by $153 million since 2016 – an increase of more than 100% (source: International Trade Centre).

· The plan has identified the creation of five million jobs to date directly supported by no-oil exports, with efforts underway to increase this by 500,000 new jobs annually in line with SDG 8 – “Decent Work and Economic Growth”

· A state Export Development Fund has also been created through N50bn debenture to be disbursed by NEXIM, in which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has invested. The Fund offers long –term loan at single-digit interest rate to qualifying export-oriented projects under the State Export Development Programme and the Anchor exporter scheme.

Council Decision

After the presentation and discussion, Council agreed to

· Include the Minister of Foreign Affairs as a member of the Committee.

· Follow-up on the obligation of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Agency NIMASA regarding the financing of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).



B. UPDATE ON POLIO ERADICATION IN NIGERIA PRESENTED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH



The update was presented by the Honourable Minister of Health and other health officials. He noted that 21st August 2019 marks exactly 3 years milestone without a case of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in Nigeria.

There is need to improve the quality of the campaigns in order to stop the outbreak of the CVDPV2 (polio)

· Need for increased routine immunization.

He, however, identified some challenges as follows:

· Lack of release of counterpart funds by the Local Government Chairman as one of the key problems in achieving successful routine immunization.

· Insecurity concerns in parts of the country.

· The Minister requested the Council to:

o Convey the meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Immunization quarterly

o Ensure the sustainability of political oversight by the political class.

o Establish and re-activate of State Task Force on immunizations.

o Ensure quarterly release of appropriated funds for Routine Immunization and other Primary Health Care Activities.

o Ensure timely release of funds by the States and LGAs for immunization campaigns.

UPDATE ON NEC AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND POLICING

A brief update was presented by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum. He noted that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has initiated the commencement of Community Policing and there is a plan to consider using N-Power beneficiaries and Youth Corpers as Police Officers in their Local Government Areas.

· Full report to be given at the next NEC meeting



C. PRESENTATION ON THE NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE – BY MR OSCAR N. ONYEMA TITLED: “FINANCING THE NEXT LEVEL” ALTERNATIVE AND INNOVATIVE LONG-TERM FINANCING FOR NIGERIA CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

Council received a presentation from the Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange- Mr. Oscar Onyema.

The CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange noted that the Nigeria Stock Exchange has actively supported Nigeria’s growth since 1960.

· That Capital market is highly connected and therefore crucial to the country’s economic development.

· The NSE is today one of Africa’s foremost Exchanges servicing the No 1, Economy in Africa with a Market Capitalization of N25.7trillion ($70.7bn)

· Over the last 5 years, N10.3tn in long term capital has been raised by federal and state governments in the form of Government Bonds.

· The Capital market offers innovative financing solutions for Nigeria’s $100bn infrastructural challenge.

· That solving Nigerian’s infrastructure challenges remain the panacea for actualizing the country’s full economic potential.

· There are untapped state investment opportunities in $1 trillion global privatization market and N9 trillion local pension sector.

· Unlocking the value will require:

o Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)

o Infrastructure, Sukuk and Green Bonds; Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs);

o Refinancing bank debt through capital market instruments.

o Partnerships with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) – onshore/Local currency bonds.

Council Decision

Council welcomed the presentation and noted the proposal

HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FINANCE, BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING

C. UPDATES

REPORT SPECIAL ACCOUNTS

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning reported to council that balances in the under listed accounts as 20th August 2019 is $95,329,245.24.

REPORT ON STABILIZATION FUND ACCOUNT.

The balance as at 20th August 2019 is =N21, 729,976,810.66.

UPDATE ON THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT FUND

The balance as at 20th August 2019 is =N95,896,886,829.69

UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL BUDGET SUPPORT LOAN FACILITY.

The Honourable Minister of Finance briefed NEC on the progress of the facilitate detailing how the FG has made a total of over N614 billion available to 35 States being N175 billion each

· Council agreed to constitute a team from the Nigerian Governors Forum to meet with the CBN and Ministry of Finance to finalize modalities for commencement of payment.

UPDATE FROM AD-HOC COMMITTEE AND OTHER SPECIAL ACCOUNTS OF THE FEDERATION



The Committee requested for extension of time to finalise and present its report next meeting.



PRESENTATION ON THE MEDIUM-TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORK AND MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY PAPER

The Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning informed NEC that the purpose of the presentation is to get inputs and recommendation from the Council for further presentation to Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval and implementation. She underscores the importance of the presentation as follows:

· Nigeria macroeconomic environment has stabilized in recovering gradually.

· There has been eight ( successive month of economic growth since emerging from recession.

· The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), remains the basis for the Medium Term fiscal strategy.

The Honourable Minister also highlighted successes recorded as follows:

· Macro-economic stability has been achieved with growth in end Q3 2019 at 3.01%

· Continued increased in Real GDP from 1.89% in Q2018 to 2.01% in 2019

· There has been significant growth in non-oil sector.

· Contribution of the non-oil sector to GDP has increased by 90.4% in Q1 2018 to 90.9% in Q1 2019.

· Unemployment rate at 20.1% at Q3 2018

· Need for more diversification to boost inclusive growth.

· Mr. President is strongly committed to employment generation in this second term

She also noted that

· Considerable success has been recorded in containing insurgency is parts of the North East, with economic activities recovering.

· Recurring conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, as well as incidences of flooding, has affected agricultural products.

· Breaches in NNPC pipelines still regular, partly accounting for low oil production volume in the first half of the year.

· Inflation has continually declined since 2017 from 18.72% to 11.08% in July 2019

· The draft 2020 – 2022 Medium Term Fiscal framework indicates that Nigeria faces significant medium-term fiscal challenges especially with respect to revenue generation. Therefore there is need to improve revenue collections and expenditure management.

· Need to take a bold decision and urgent action to achieve fiscal sustainability and macro-fiscal objectives.

COUNCIL DECISION:

Council welcomed the MTEF and offered suggestions.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Council welcomed new Ministers in their midst namely Finance, Budget and National Planning, State, Budget and National Planning Health, State: Health, Agriculture and State: Petroleum.



‘Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

Office of the Vice President

22nd August 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES RE-APPOINTMENT OF ADE IPAYE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, OTHERS

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Mr. Ade Ipaye as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President. Mr Ipaye who was former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State works from the Office of the Vice President.

The President has also approved the re-appointment of Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu, Special Adviser to President on Economic Matters; Mrs Maryam Uwais who retains her position as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme as well as Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters.

Also, re-appointed is Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who will now serve as the Special Adviser to the President on Ease Of Doing Business.

Equally, President Buhari has also appointed Mr. Ahmad Rufai Zakari as Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions, Mr. Louis Odion as Senior Technical Assistant on Print Media, and Mr. Ajuri Ngelale as Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Presidency.

All appointees are to serve in the Office of the Vice President.

Except for Zakari, Bank-Olemoh, Odion and Ngelale, all the other appointments take retrospective effect from May 29, 2019.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
21st of August, 2019

PEBEC Secretary appointed Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business

On Wednesday, August 21st, 2019, it was announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reappointment and promotion of the Secretary to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Dr Jumoke Oduwole as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business.

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment in the Office of the Vice President from October 2015 to May 2019. She was Secretary to the PEBEC chaired by Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN GCON, and coordinated the activities of its secretariat with a vision to make Nigeria a progressively easier place to do business. Her team was responsible for Nigeria moving up an unprecedented 24 places in the World Bank’s flagship Doing Business Report over the last three years, among other notable achievements.

Prior to 2015, she was a senior lecturer in International Trade Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and an elected member of the University’s Senate, after a career in the Nigerian banking sector. Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.M. degree from Cambridge University, England, where she was a DFID Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar, as well as a second masters and a doctorate degree in international trade and development from Stanford Law School, USA.

The PEBEC was established in 2016 to oversee Nigeria’s business climate reform agenda, and is chaired by His Excellency the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, with the primary mandate to remove critical bottlenecks and bureaucratic constraints as well as to drive reforms for economic impact. The Council comprises 10 Honourable Ministers, representatives of State Governments, the National Assembly and the Judiciary, as well as the private sector. PEBEC’s model aligns with global best practice and includes a strong performance tracking element for stakeholders through the implementation of Executive Order 001 and reportgov.ng, as well as externally empirical measurement by the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index (DBI), which is reported annually.


Signed
Enabling Business Environment Secretariat
Office of the Vice President
August 21, 2019

kapelvej:
Guy stop fooling yourself. The guy is worse. Hiding under the toga of pastor.

Say what is not true here and slip into coma for life

Meet Prof. YEMI OSINBAJO, a man driven by Passion, Honesty, Integrity and commitment to the masses

Ever since 1992 gave us a good idea of what true leadership and politicking was, I have never met a leader more committed to the entity Nigeria than Professor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO), a man with so much commitment, dedication, Confidence, Passion and such a good Communicator he almost rivals Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO) and Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Professor Yemi Osinabjo is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a Professor of Law and the current Vice President of Nigeria since 29 May 2015.
As vice president, his roles and constitutional powers include; participation in all cabinet meetings and, by statute, vice chairmanship of the National Security Council, the National Defence Council, Federal Executive Council, and the Chairman of National Economic Council.
Although the vice president may take an active role in establishing policies in the Executive Branch by serving on such committees and councils, the relative power of the Nigerian vice president's office depends much upon the duties delegated by the president.
With the above limited executive functions accorded a vice president of Nigeria, Osinbajo has established policies that are more masses oriented and beneficial to the general public.
Unlike past vice presidents, Prof. Osinbajo has won the trust of the President and the masses alike with his integrity and passion for a better nation.
Osinbajo's poverty and hunger fighting policy (NSIPs) have earned him accolades from far and near including President Muhammadu Buhari, who on the 8th march, 2019, described Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as a “very dependable deputy” with whom he had established a special bond.
The president further said that professor Osinbajo has in the past four years diligently championed the values of setting the foundation for peace, progress, and stability of Nigeria, by working very hard to build a resilient economy while promoting transparency and accountability.
Prof. Osinbajo has shown he is not only a VP for Christians, APC or Yoruba's alone but also, a VP for all religions, political parties, tribes and all geo-political zones in Nigeria.
When you think he is most popular in the south south, a video of him visiting States in the south east will appear, then the argument immediately becomes that he is more popular in that region. In the north and south west, it's the same level of euphoria.
This earned the VP respect of all past governors of the last administration, given that, he is the chairman of the National Economic Council, NEC.
The Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed (a PDP governor), noted that, Chairman (VP Osinbajo) led a strong team through various areas requiring attention in the economy. He made robust efforts in security giving direction, confidence and comfort.
In the same vein, the Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, said "Osinbajo provided leadership and in the past 4 years, exhibited humility, giving everyone a sense of belonging."
The 36 governors said the vice president treated everybody equally regardless of their political parties.
Professor Osinbajo has been nicknamed the Star Boy by the public especially by those on social media yet his popularity has not come without its negative sides.
Some people have sponsored lots of hate and false news campaigns against a man committed to fighting poverty and hunger in Nigeria with his National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs).
Ask me or any other non-partisan Nigerian of a hardworking and committed political leader and we would all point to Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
It gives me great joy that he is a Nigerian and one that has stood out in all his ways.

Oladele Peter, a psychologist and social commentator

Former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke mischaracterizes the facts in his book; Burden of Service. Sadly, his account is not a misapprehension, because, as a senior lawyer, and indeed former Attorney General, he knows how to gather real facts, not falsehood. Even more, he was defence counsel in the Pfizer case he sought to describe. As such, if anyone should, or even must know the truth and real facts, that person should be him.

Indeed, SimmonsCooper Partners acting with other law firms represented the Federal and Kano State governments in conduct that violated Nigerian and international laws. Specifically, in 1996, Pfizer, a large pharmaceutical company conducted clinical trials in Kano at a most inauspicious time- during the worst meningitis epidemic outbreak in Nigerian history. Most of Northern Nigeria was affected and well over 100,000 people, mostly children were infected, became critically ill, many with lifelong injuries that rendered them disabled, while many also died. Kano was the epic center of this catastrophic tragedy.

Pfizer portrayed its intervention at the time as altruistic charitable national support to prevent death and injury working along side the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and other charitable organizations. In actual fact, Pfizer only came to Kano to use the opportunity of large scale disease to conduct an indiscriminate, secret and unapproved clinical trial for an antibiotic medicine, Trovan that it was hoping to secure approval from the Food & Drug Administration of the United States for sale in the United States, not Nigeria.

Pfizer broke every law or norm associated with conducting clinical experiments, most importantly by proceeding without an Ethical Committee Review of its then proposed clinical experiment, and most exploitatively, by not securing informed consent from victims or their parents that, what they were about to experience was not charitable urgent medical intervention, but trials of an experimental medical therapy. Essentially, children were used in a drug trial without their parents’ knowledge, much less consent. The unfortunate outcome of this clinical trial was that some of the victims died, while others suffered debilitating injuries that made them disabled for life.

Adoke who was one of the retained lawyers by Pfizer failed to disclose his role in preventing Pfizer from being held accountable, or the more important facts about the entire chain of events. He failed to mention that the Federal Government four years later in year 2000 empaneled a broad investigative committee to determine what went wrong, or that the committee over a period of several months, significant testimony and documentary evidence found that Pfizer violated law and ethics, deceived victims’ families, and procured a forged approval to conduct the trial after the trial was conducted in an attempt to comply with USFDA requirements. Adoke did not disclose that Trovan was never approved as a new drug in the United States or anywhere in the world, in significant part because of the material irregularities associated with the dubious clinical trial conducted in Kano, Nigeria.

Adoke did not mention that, for almost one decade, victims were in court in Nigeria and the United States fighting unsuccessfully against Pfizer, and that he was counsel defending, and paid significant fees by Pfizer.

In 2007, SimmonsCooper Partners working with other firms (which firms he identifies specific lawyers working in) represented the Federal and Kano State Governments to hold Pfizer accountable for its past and continuing conduct. The team of lawyers carefully, and deliberately assembled was based on special qualifications and expertise in criminal prosecution, civil litigation, child rights, and cross-border litigation and case management between the United States and Nigeria.

Over the course of almost three years, four cases were filed. There were two civil cases, and 2 criminal cases, which cases were either dismissed or withdrawn depending on the stages they were in court at the time a mutual settlement after a protracted and wide media covered open and transparent negotiation occurred.

Nigeria and Kano’s case against Pfizer was not a template. These were serious actions in different courts in Kano and Abuja involving and including multiple court hearings, arrest and arraignment of former Pfizer executives in criminal trials, and multiple motions and counter motions, including interlocutory appeals in superior courts. These cases were about children who had either died or become handicapped on account of Pfizer’s conduct, and Pfizer’s decade long intransigence, denial of, and failure to take responsibility for the injury and loss of the victims.

Adoke’s Halliburton case was nothing like the cases against Pfizer. The Halliburton case, its existence and conduct only became known in the context of criminal investigations. Adoke presents no evidence of a civil case filed in court against Halliburton. There is no record of any court proceedings; criminal or civil. There is no evidence of retribution by the companies involved to the Federal Government or victims of their conduct. The allegations against Halliburton and their operatives were corruption and economic/financial crimes for which many were prosecuted abroad, and served, or are currently serving jail terms. There was no allegation of corruption, bribes or otherwise against Pfizer or their employees, yet there were cases filed, contested and settled. The settlements and or fees of counsels never became subject of any investigation or inquiry and they were widely covered in the news globally.

The judicial process in Nigeria takes time, the Pfizer cases were on, including multiple news coverage over a period of almost 3 years, with negotiations protracted for almost one year. Adoke’s Halliburton case provides no information of hearings or any negotiations. There is no record or disclosure of who Halliburton’s lawyers were. That is as historic as it is unprecedented! Resolution of criminal or civil liability without lawyers representing any defendant. That has all the elements of a ‘shakedown” at worst, or another corrupt enrichment arising from, and riding on economic and financial crimes.

Contrary to Adoke’s rendition, attorney fees in the Pfizer case were not factors of the damages to the victims or Kano State Government. The fees were agreed with Kano State Government which also constituted part reimbursement for the Government’s cost in prosecuting the cases over the years, and the significant costs associated with protracted negotiations which included multiple international travels by the team of lawyers. The lawyers were not paid from the fund created for the victims, and were not paid $16 Million, and Adoke should know because he defended Pfizer and even tried to procure a different type of settlement on Pfizer’s behalf.

Attorney fees in the Pfizer cases were not paid through any individual as Adoke represents. They were paid directly to named firm account in an open and transparent manner, unlike in the Halliburton case.

The retribution Pfizer was held responsible for is clear and apparent. A victims’ fund of over $35 Million was established for monetary compensation of the victim families. An infectious disease hospital was constructed and equipped in Kano as part of the negotiated outcome for the misconduct. Adoke knows, or should know as Pfizer’s lawyer.

However, as former Attorney General and author of a book that includes the Halliburton case:

1. Why was Halliburton case shrouded in secrecy?
2. Why has he not provided details of what the Federal Government benefitted?
3. Why would he not provide the identities of the lawyers he claims were involved as he has individually identified lawyers in the Pfizer case?
4. Why has Adoke not provided the amount of the lawyers fees in the Halliburton case and which lawyer it was paid to?
5. Why has he not provided the identities of the negotiators and lawyers involved in the defense or negotiations on behalf of Halliburton?
6. What kind of case was Halliburton’s case that it could be settled in the manner it was?
7. Was it a tort?
8. Is it the type of cases for which an injured party can receive damages?
9. Is it not the same conduct for which people were prosecuted and jailed in the United Kingdom and United States?

For a senior lawyer, a former Attorney General, and one who is under investigation for corrupt practices, Adoke’s painstaking book which took four years to come does little to discharge the burden required to establish the clarity required in support of himself, and does even less to portray hi service as meritorious. He not only leaves many, and the most important questions about his transparency and the record of his stewardship unanswered, the book actually raises far more pertinent questions about his forthrightness, character and conduct in service.

The real Burden of his Service is what Nigeria is bearing for what he and his acolytes did with, and while in public service.

Nigeria’s population swells at an annual increase rate of 3.75%, indicating a doubling of the population every 22 years. The World Poverty Index estimates that 46.7% of 197 million Nigerians live in acute poverty and the numbers are still on the rise. Improving quality of life for those under the extreme poverty line, while at the same time caring for peculiar problems of vulnerable groups, particularly children, women, the elderly and youths are challenges which require effective policies as well as focus on sectors that drive development such as health, education, agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Led by Maryam Uwais and Ismaeel Ahmed, the National Social Investment Office (NSIO), which is strategically hosted within the Office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo provides a sustainable, long-term foundation and responsive national social security system for at-risk population with the purpose of delivering inclusive, pro-poor growth across the country. Since it’s establishment in 2015, the initiative has made significant investments for children, seniors, lower-wage workers and other resistless Nigerians. The rationale is that if families invest money they receive from the government, they will gradually build the capacity to fund petty businesses, farming and attend to other basic needs.
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) released a report in 2016 that showed direct transfer payments of money to eligible people, can show direct growth in the economy, school attendance, health care and dietary diversity. The ODI concluded that cash transfers, when invested correctly, can lead to an increased amount of income in the future and achieve both social welfare and livelihood promotion objectives. There is also a sense of loss of an opportunity to prove something bigger: the radical notion that poverty, long viewed as an intractable policy problem, can be solved by putting money in the pockets of those who have the least. This is what the Conditional Cash Transfer seeks to do.
For some, N5,000 may not seem too exciting but to many Nigerians under the poverty line, it is a great sum of money to keep things moving. The National Cash Transfer Programme is designed to deliver timely and accessible cash transfers to beneficiary households and build their capacities for sustainable livelihood. This scheme is predicated on the idea that poor people, not governments or nonprofits, know what they need best. Rather than enrolling them in complicated social assistance programs that presume the kind of help they need, basic income trusts people to make their own financial decisions.
To ensure beneficiaries establish a sustainable means of livelihood before graduating the programmes, they are continuously supported and mentored to form savings groups and cooperatives by trained Cash Transfer Facilitators in every local government ward, who pay them weekly visits to provide capacity building on life skills and basic financial knowledge. Since January 2016, 394,430 vulnerable households have been paid in 25 states, including households in Internally Displaced Camps in Borno. 
The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) is a government-led school feeding programme that aims to improve the health and educational outcomes of public primary school pupils. It uses farm produce locally grown by smallholder farmers to provide children nutritious mid-day meals on every school day. The program aims to improve the enrollments in primary schools and reduce the current dropout rates estimated at 30% and also address the poor nutrition and health status of many children who have been affected as a result of poverty; it has also affected the learning outcomes of the children. At the start, the federal government set out to feed 5.5 million pupils but its successful implementation has broadened the vision and the numbers are currently at 9,817,568 pupils. As part of the value chain, NHGSFP also empowers 106,074 cooks and provides sustainable income for small holder farmers, thereby stimulating growth and productivity around the communities in 32 states. 

Of all the initiatives under the NSIO umbrella, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) is the most fascinating because of the role it plays in stimulating the economy from the grassroots. Under the Bank of Industry (BOI) supervision, the Programme aims to provide micro-lending to 2.5 million small traders including farmers, women cooperatives, market women, agricultural workers and entrepreneurs. MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni loans range between N10,000 and N350,000 with a 6 month loan tenor and a moratorium of two weeks. In many cases, the tenor can be extended depending on the nature of the business. What makes it more captivating is that no collaterals are involved but BOI charges a 2.5% and 5% administrative fee which is used to finance recruited agents and aggregators who make sure that all loans are recovered when due. MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni has funded 330,568 women, 1,712 farmers and 1,805,171 traders respectively, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 2,136,911 Nigerians.

The overall success of the government’s social investment scheme is still very much dependent on the collection and use of data to improve the target structure and effectiveness. The National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) uses ‘Poverty mapping’, ‘Community based Targeting’ and ‘Proxy Means Test’ as methods of validating payment basis for grantees. These techniques provide authentic data that helps the government identify the poorest in  local governments and rank households according to their means, thereby eliminating the more affluent in the actual payment exercise. As of now, 1,132,675 households comprising of 4,531,118 individuals from 32 states have been documented and paid, with women leading the curve at 50.8% engagement. 
When poverty strikes, it must be met with an equal strike at the very least. At the very best a counter-strike must double the dose. The strength of its blow is when it is left unmatched. India bragged once as the world’s poorest country. That status is no more today. Why? Because the Indian government put in place, structures, programmes and targeted policies that were aimed at tackling the menace of extreme poverty facing its population. They worked. Now Nigeria stands atop the list – not because it did anything, but largely because it did nothing. Now an ambitious Buhari administration seeks a reversal of this shameful status through its Social Investment Programmes.

With over 40 Million Nigerians who have benefitted in one way or the other, and two million Nigerians who have ben lifted from the claws of extreme poverty, Buhari’s social investment programmes have taken on the fight to poverty’s doorstep. Victory is in the offing.

KIKI OSINBAJO: THE SINS OF HAVING INFLUENTIAL PARENTS
...by Opeyemi Eniola

Life itself is a continuous process, why the essence of having children if not to train them to be useful to themselves, the family and the nation. One would quickly come to the conclusion that life is not run of the mill. Meanwhile, in this part of the world, especially in this era of ours, the political atmosphere has taken another dimension; the players and actors of politics have successfully built hatred across ethnic divides, religion and even lasting segregation between all social classes.

We have different parents who have different beliefs about the modalities of training their children to be successful. In 2019, while contesting for Nigeria's vice-presidential seat, the Peoples’ Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi said his two graduate children did not own cars.

Obi said he had trained his children to be self-reliant, adding that he had chosen not to join people who crave primitive acquisition.

According to a publication on Punch newspaper on January 3rd 2019, Obi said “I have two graduates who are working, a boy and a girl, and the two of them don’t own any car because they haven’t made enough money to buy a car.”

“They were here for the Christmas, and I was talking to some people about them and the person said he saw my son and that he always jumps on buses and tricycles.

“Some people don’t like it that way. They believe I am rich and that my children should not be trekking, and that they should be provided cars.

“But I believe they do not have the money, so they have to trek.

“Who will give them cars — is it me? My money is my own; so, they should work for theirs.”

The famous business man turn politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, once had a fierce financial competition with his son, Kola, who claimed to be richer than his dad.

Folarin Falz Falana, the son of prominent activist and legal luminary, rose to the top of his music career even without getting the blessings of his parents at the initial stage. Chief Femi Falana, SAN, while addressing young Nigerians, admitted that his son wouldn't have gotten what he gets in a day for a monthly salary in his chambers. What about the daughter of Femi Otedola, DJ Cuppy and many others?

Every parent’s dream is to see their child(ren) do better to beat their records in their respective career choice. One beautiful thing about the present African bred is that they have taken the present in their hands irrespective of their background, not being over reliant on their parents.

Then who sees the wrong in Kiki Osinbajo's Strive?

Recently, I read a publication on the daughter of Nigeria's vice -president, and I appreciate the fact that she was not caught living a lavish lifestyle, but rather built a niche of her own. One wouldn't have expected less from the daughter of a Pastor, a Professor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and of course, the black most populous nation's vice president.

Kiki narrated how she built ‘Glam’d Africa’, her fashion brand, despite the challenges of being “born with a silver spoon”.

Kiki could have chosen to remain silent and pretend it is not her outfit, but she wanted every young African to learn from her actions and strive to be great, especially for the children of the rich who rely solely on their parents.

Kiki said: “I may have been born with a silver spoon, but no one can say I don’t work hard. A few years ago, I decided to start my own business and, now, I look back and wonder what I was thinking. Turning somewhere into my own little empire,”

While exalting the youths, the daughter of Nigeria's vice - president said:

"I urge emerging talents and entrepreneurs never to give up on their dreams irrespective of how daunting and unachievable they might seem at the onset.

“Never give up on your dream no matter how big and unreachable it seems. People feel those in the limelight can do anything. Everyone’s circumstances are different but we all have our own challenges,” she wrote.

“Going through the fear and adding criticisms or the burden of nay-sayers makes it even harder. Don’t let your challenges define you, let it fuel you.”

I have just a question for those that aren't proud of Kiki's achievements; how many of you would want your children to fail? Because most tantrums thrown is just hatred attached to politics or the phenomenon of having a "well to do" background.

Having parents that are rich or influential is not an excuse not to surpass their achievements, it should rather be a solid foundation to greatness.

I appreciate Kiki for being a good model of an African child and I also congratulate the Osinbajos for this great gift to their family.

The Twitter account of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been restored and verified one day after it was unverified due to a technical glitch.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande on Saturday explained that some external attempts were made to gain unauthorized access to the Vice President’s Twitter Account.

But on Sunday, the Vice President wished Nigerians especially Muslims Barka Da Sallah from his now verified Twitter account, showing that the account had been restored.
Wishing Muslims a happy celebration, the VP tweeted, “Barka Da Sallah to all our Muslim compatriots. As the commemoration of this important festival-Eid Al-Adha- goes on, we are reminded of the virtues of unity that underpin our nation, even as we share in the joy and the fellowship of the celebrations.
“Our prayer is that in this nation, peace will reign and together Nigeria will prosper and progress in our time.”
Nigerians on the social media platform had raised alarm over supposed tampering with the account of Prof. Osinbajo with many demanding that Twitter provide answers as to why Vice President Osinbajo’s account was unverified.

https://www.chronicle.ng/2019/08/twitter-restores-verifies-osinbajos-account/

Unknown cyber criminals hacked the Twitter account of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday erasing all his tweets and media files.
Checks by Chronicle NG showed that although the Twitter account still exist it does not pop up when you want to mention or tag @ProfOsinbajo.

Initially, the account appeared to have been completely deleted but further checks showed that the account exist with no history of his content.

All the multimedia, tweets and other content on the account have been erased.
An email to Twitter to confirm the status of the account is yet to be answered but a source close to the Presidency told Chronicle NG that the matter has been reported to Twitter. “An attempt was made to hack the account of the Vice President, so Twitter locked  it. We are recovering it,” the source added.
https://www.chronicle.ng/2019/08/osinbajos-twitter-account-hacked/

*VP assures FIFA inspection team of government’s support
The Federal Government is excited about the prospect of Nigeria hosting the next FIFA U-20 Women World Cup in 2020.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN dropped the hint today while receiving a delegation of FIFA Inspection Team at the Presidential Villa, adding that the government is actively supporting the bid of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, to host the female soccer competition.
“Going round this country you will have noticed that practically every Nigerian is a football fan. We are excited about the prospect of hosting the competition,” the VP told the FIFA delegation, while also noting that Nigeria has indeed participated in all FIFA’s female competition and that the country has the number to effectively host the sporting event next year.
According to the Vice President, “the Federal Government is backing Nigeria’s bid fully and we are prepared to do all that is required for the adequate comfort of our guests and fans.”
Prof. Osinbajo added that the Federal Government is not just interested in the business of hosting the sporting event satisfying the needs of the people who have over the years, demonstrated uncommon love for football.
“Nigeria’s love for football is a mark of well-being, and it is also culturally important to us. It is a unifying force for the people… We politicians don’t even compete with footballers, they are far more famous than us,” the Vice President stated.
Speaking earlier, the head of the FIFA Inspection team, Mr Kaj Heyral observed that the team was impressed with the facilities they have seen and expressed appreciation for the hospitality shown by Nigeria during their two-week stay.
A decision on Nigeria’s bid to host the event will be taken next month.
Mr Amaju Pinnick, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, who noted that hosting the competition will further boost Nigeria’s positive image, said the FIFA team inspected six stadia, 13 training sites, nine hospitals and about 10 hotels in the country.
He added that Nigeria’s hosting of the sporting event “is about the future of Nigerian football; it is about the future of our youths; it is about the future of our female players.”
https://www.yemiosinbajo.ng/fg-excited-about-nigerias-prospect-of-hosting-next-fifa-u20-women-world-cup/

*VP meets Chinese investors interested in agro-allied sector
*About $16B to $25B investment envisaged says AfDB
In line with its commitment to developing a thriving agro-industrial sector, the Federal Government will welcome partnerships and initiatives that would make Nigeria actualize its potential of being the food basket of the world, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
The Vice President stated this on Tuesday when he received a delegation of Chinese investors and officials from the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the Presidential Villa.
According to Prof. Osinbajo, “I think that Nigeria is a place where there is tremendous opportunity. We have the 9th largest arable land in the world and most of that is still largely untouched.
“We have a tremendous potential of being the food basket of the world but a lot of that will depend on how we are able to get high-quality inputs, seedling and others, and how we are able to use technology especially the benefits of industrial agriculture to our advantage.
Referring to the interest of the Chinese investors in the agro-allied sector, the VP noted that “we believe very strongly that this partnership is the one that will deliver the kind of growth, the kind of quantum leap we are looking forward to. We think that with your partnership with us, especially the agro-allied aspect of it if it works very well, we can achieve a lot.”
Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said, “this is the reason why we are engaging at this (presidential) level of government alongside the AfDB, to ensure that our investors have no trouble at all in being able to operate their businesses and do their businesses efficiently.”
The Chinese investors are in the country at the instance of the African Development Bank to commence the processes of investing in Nigeria’s agricultural sector under an initiative known as the Agro-Industrial initiative with focus on crop production, forestry, fishery, and livestock production.
Speaking earlier, Prof. Zhao Zhihai, the leader of the Chinese delegation, said a consortium of Chinese investors were committed to the development of Nigeria’s agro-processing zones and especially the agro-allied sector.
In his own remarks, Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the head of the AfDB team at the meeting, said the framework of the initiative is to develop a programme that leverages Nigeria’s comparative advantage in key areas of agricultural production.
According to him, “the overall investment, under the initiative, amounts to between $16 billion to $25 billion over a period of four years with strong government support and private sector leadership.”

https://www.yemiosinbajo.ng/nigeria-is-on-the-way-to-becoming-global-food-basket/

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

ELECTIONS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, NOT “REVOLUTION’’ – PRESIDENCY TELLS GROUP

Following calls circulating on social and digital media, an organisation that calls itself the “Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria” plans a “revolution” march tomorrow, Monday 5th August, with the aim of bringing “regime change” in Nigeria without recourse to a nationwide vote.
The President of Nigeria and his administration respect and uphold the right of every Nigerian to peaceful protest and civil campaign– whether to raise awareness on issues, and even oppose the government. It is the inalienable right of all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to do so.

There is, however, a difference between peaceful call to protest and incitement for a revolution.

The organisation championing this planned action is not fronted by any serious public faces. We call on the sponsors and organisers to have the decency to come forward and make their identity known – out of respect to all Nigerians - so that Nigerians can be fully aware in whose name this “revolution” is being proposed and who the beneficiaries may be.

Less than six months ago, Nigeria held simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections. Both contests were won resoundingly by President Muhammadu Buhari and his All-Progressives Congress party. The campaign was observed, and results were confirmed by international election monitoring groups and observers. The result was even contested by the losing presidential candidate and his party in Court.

The ballot box is the only constitutional means of changing government and a president in Nigeria. The days of coups and revolutions are over.

Those making the “revolution’’ call hide behind the veil of social media modernity. But without revealing the identity of their sponsors this shadowy campaign is no better, and no more democratic, than the days of old.

The President calls on all those who seek to use and hide behind everyday citizens to attain power through undemocratic and violent means, which has been alluded, to come out clearly and be identified. They should lead their march in person. Only then will they begin to have the right to call themselves leaders before the people of Nigeria.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
August 4, 2019

Nigerians of goodwill beware of Fani-Kayode’s obsession with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

By Oladele Peter (PhD) It is no longer news that for Mr. Femi Fani Kayode to remain relevant in Nigeria he has resorted to insulting Vice President (VP) Prof. Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo and this has given him the illusion of the relevance he sought especially at a time even members of his own party see no more value in him. Just like his father (Chief Victor Fani-Kayode) who betrayed Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the entire Yoruba race, Femi has been following his father’s footsteps by fighting against the real Yoruba interest and  person of Prof Osinbajo, who many see as one of the shining lights and a beacon of hope in this present government. What cannot be doubted is that Yemi Osinbajo is everywhere going about his national duties, working tirelessly for the good of the nation even with his limited constitutional powers as the vice president. The main grouse of people like FFK is that the VP has a trustworthy and cordial relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. And for this reason he is saddled with the responsibilities that are deemed by many as beyond his constitutional powers. These are major responsibilities which many a former vice president has never handled. How many times did Atiku had to bear the blame for the perceived errors of Obasanjo while they were in office? Or Jonathan bearing the burden of Yaradua’s mistakes? Who ever blamed Namadi Sambo for the many undoings of President Jonathan? Yet for social cum public space cheaters like FFK, it is the man who is clearly ahead in integrity, character and competence who must be attacked and brought down, even when the buck dont stop at his desk! It has been argued that the renewed onslaught against Osinbajo is because of 2023. FFK and such political opportunists and sophists are focused on the VP because his character, integrity and popularity threatens their 2023 aspirations. Who knows tomorrow anyway? On the kidnapping of clergymen, Femi Fani-Kayode should know that Pastor Adeboye and Prof Osinbajo were as bothered as the rest of Nigerians and as leaders with integrity; they immediately swung into action using their spiritual and political capacity to call for the rescue of the abducted pastors. If Mr. Fani-Kayode did not have an ulterior motive and had he waited even 48 hours he would have been celebrating the rescue of these pastors and other Nigerians that were abducted. Actually the pastors abduction was reported on Friday and by Saturday they were rescued by the Police. But haters like the perennially unstable FFK were already attacking Osinbajo no sooner the abduction were announced. Pastor Enoch Adeboye demonstrated a good example as a leader in the body of Christ by asking Nigerians and Christians to pray for their release, even while the security agencies continue their search and rescue operations. Unlike the rabid rabble-rouser utterances we have read from Fani-Kayode on various media platforms. Femi Fani-Kayode is very crafty in whipping up religious and ethnic sentiments, as he encourages people to behave violently or aggressively, twisting even the meanings of passages in the Holy Scriptures, always for his personal political advantage. He has been out of power and the money that come with it. He is thus on a mission of survival, albeit in a most fatal approach of slandering Osinbajo who is seen by progressives as a true ‘Omoluabi’ and hardworking man. How do we clearly ascertain those pastors were even kidnapped by Fulani Herdsmen in the first place, when investigation is still on? Just some days ago a four-man Yoruba gang was caught in possession of 10,000 live ammunition in Ibadan. The same thing was just reported in Osun State where a roberry gang terrorizing Ikire axis in the State met their Waterloo when they were rounded up by local vigilante and were handed over to the Police. Surprisingly, they all dressed like Fulani but they were in fact indigenes of Ondo & Kogi States of Nigeria.

Here is the link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2357086177679770&id=100001352315927 We as positive Nigerians should not continue to point fingers, when we should be working together to overcome our security challenges rather than fuel prejudice and ethnocentrism as a nation with different religions and languages. Recently, Femi Fani-Kayode had to publicly apologize to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over his  widely publicized allegations, wherein he had blatantly accused the EFCC had raided the home of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen. The commission would later threaten to sue him for defamation, describing him as a purveyor of fake news. However, in a very rare acceptance of the humiliation brought upon himself by his regular unguarded utterances, Fani-Kayode would later apologize for his earlier comment but petulantly insisted that some people actually searched the CJN’s home. Many public analysts agreed the bravado was just a mere face-saving attempt after getting burnt. FFK had also insinuated that Onnoghen’s bank accounts had been frozen by agents of the Federal Government. Many Nigerians are aware this same pontificating fellow is a well-known wife-beater in Abuja elite circles. This has made many discerning socialites to steer clear of his person even at high brow events as most VIPs do not want to be associated with such. He who lives in a glass house should truly not be throwing stones. Unity in diversity should be Nigeria’s strength. There should unity in every corner of Nigeria which will be our strength. Finally, anyone that has gone through Chief Remi Fani-Kayode’s rascal antecedents in the Nigerian Politics during the NPN, should know by now that Femi Fani-Kayode is a real son of his father. Hence the public should beware of his antics and lies, Femi FaniKayode once said that  President Jonathan’s government is a bad omen to the country, but thereafter he decamped to the PDP to join people from the same bad omen. We can clearly see him with his re-twisted propaganda taking after his father’s style of politics as the apple never falls far from the tree. *Oladele Peter (PhD) writes from Ile Ife, Osun State*

Continue reading at https://persecondnews.com/2019/08/04/nigerians-of-goodwill-beware-of-fani-kayodes-obsession-with-vice-president-yemi-osinbajo/ | PER SECOND NEWS

A direct message from the VP to Nigerian youths:

tstx:
Yet... Your government gives us zero support

That's not true.
Government have been supporting different startups under different schemes. CBN, Social Investment Programmes, etc

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

YOUNG AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS WILL CHANGE NARRATIVE ABOUT THE CONTINENT – OSINBAJO


Africa's young men and women entrepreneurs will positively change the narratives about the continent, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today in Abuja at the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Forum 2019 where he was keynote speaker.

Describing this generation as the smartest that has ever lived, the Vice President further urged young African entrepreneurs to positively change the "one-dimensional narratives of Africa" through their skills, enterprise and vision.

"Our continent continues to be defined by unsavoury and unwholesome stories, which do not often accurately represent the reality of life and opportunity. The people in this room are the perfect and long-awaited counterpoints to those one-dimensional narratives of Africa that have sadly gained ground over the years.

"Outside on the streets of every village, town and city are many more individual embodiments of the potential of Africa. But we can change that story. We must fund young entrepreneurs and provide opportunities for capacity building. Our school curriculums must emphasize not just stem but critical thinking and entrepreneurship. And the promise of entrepreneurship banks must be kept," he said.

Highlighting some inspirational entrepreneurial stories from across the continent, Prof. Osinbajo noted that these stories represented a section of the huge potential for transformation on a continent's "landscape emboldened by multitudes of young people who are refusing to wallow in self-pity or frustration, who have realised that conquering the challenges of their environments are the milestones for outstanding success; young men and women who have come to fully understand the transformational power of technology in the 21st century."

The Vice President added, "Here in this room is a great representation of what the private sector can accomplish. It is also hugely inspiring to us as governments – and I am glad that a number of African governments are represented here – we are challenged to create the enabling environment for all of these young entrepreneurs to thrive."

Commending the work of the Foundation, in compelling African governments to focus on its youth and their dreams, the Vice President further said, "And the message to Africa’s emerging business giants is a clear one: how and what you can contribute, like Tony Elumelu, to empowering the next generation, helping them – you, gathered here in this room – helping you write, rewrite and revise the next chapter of your continent-changing stories."

The Vice President added that the world is waiting to see the exploits from Africa's youth.

"We are holding our breaths for the incredible achievements you will make," he said.

During the Forum's dialogue session moderated by CNN host, Fareed Zakaria; with panelists including the Presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; Senegal's Macky Sall; Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi; and Uganda's Prime Minister, Tuhakana Rugunda; the Vice President spoke on the steps taken by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to support budding entrepreneurs.

Answering questions from the participants, Prof. Osinbajo said the focus and drive of the Buhari administration in the past few years has been on supporting the growth of small businesses through investments in infrastructure and supporting technology adoption by small businesses.

According to the Vice President, “In the power sector, we have a willing buyer-willing seller arrangement that will bring in more investments into the power sector. By this arrangement, consumers are able to negotiate for the power they consume. We already have that in Ariaria Market in Abia State, Sabon-Geri Market in Kano, Sura Market in Lagos, and we are expanding to many other locations across the country.

“I am sure you would have heard the announcement of our collaboration with Siemens to take over the renewal of our transmission assets and some distribution assets and they will also undertake maintenance as well. So, we hope that things will improve considerably.”

“In technology, what we really need to do is to take care of the regulatory space. So, we have the entertainment and technology advisory council, we are looking at the regulatory space and ensure that we are able to keep it open and are able to keep it competitive so that technology companies can have more room to operate.”


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
27th July, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

FG CONSULTING WITH TRADITIONAL RULERS TO IMPROVE SECURITY IN STATES – VP OSINBAJO


Determined to develop and reinforce effective strategies towards addressing security concerns around the country, the Federal Government has begun a series of consultations with a number of leading traditional rulers with the aim of securing the peace and effective maintenance of law and order across the country.


To this end, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to embark on the consultations as the Federal Government with the collaboration of the States is working to significantly improve security in local communities while rearranging the security architecture nationwide.


Prof. Osinbajo dropped the hint today in Ogun State at the take-off of what is expected to be wide consultations with key traditional rulers in the state, and across the country.


Answering reporters' questions after separate meetings with the Akarigbo of Remoland and the Awujale of Ijebuland, the Vice President noted that the consultations would be done with traditional rulers across the country to ensure peace and security in their communities.


“As you know, there are many significant concerns all over the country; and of course there are concerns also in the South West. So, I’m here on the instruction of Mr. President to consult with the Kayibesi, Governor Dapo Abiodun and other stakeholders on what to do to beef up security, and to generally improve the security architecture," according to the VP.


After meeting the Awujale, the VP said “of course, you know that the Kabiyesi is not just the traditional ruler, but also a very important part of the government. That’s why we are here to speak with him and to agree on a few modalities for beefing up security, ensuring that we are fully conscious of all that is going on around us, and just to be sure that peace and security reigns here and across the country.


"There are some who might want to cause instability and difficulties, but we are very confident that God helping us, working together as a nation, we will be able to overcome all our problems and set our country on the path of peace and prosperity," he noted.


The Vice President further said the Federal Government, in collaboration with State Governments, has taken significant steps to improve security, while there would be further consultations with the traditional rulers.


Prof. Osinbajo noted that the governor of the state was committed “to ensuring there is peace and security and that everyone who lives in all our neighbourhoods, localities and communities live in peace with each other and that we maintain a high level of security.”


On the nationwide consultations with traditional rulers to improve security in their respective communities, the VP said, “we are consulting with many of the traditional rulers all across the country. But there are concerns in the South West. I’ve started here in Ogun. We are also going to be in Osun State on Tuesday. We are also going to go round and see several other traditional rulers. Primarily, they themselves want to participate. We’ve spoken at various times and they want to participate in improving the security architecture."


"One of the things that Mr. President has spoken about is the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security in their own locality. As you know, they are the closest to the grassroots, to their communities. And one of the critical things that we expect is that even with our community policing efforts; we expect that there would be some interventions between the traditional rulers, the community police and some of the other efforts that they are making to improve intelligence to understand what is going on. We need to know who is where and what exactly is happening all around, so that these can then be transmitted to the security agencies.”


The Vice President would continue on the consultations early next week.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
20th July, 2019

Insecurity getting worse under Buhari, says GEJ.

Dear Jonathan! I saw this statement from several mediums credited to you, it reminds me of the saying 'don't drink & drive'. I will advise you not to drink & tweet, Let me remind you with this things you have forgotten.

1. Oct 2010 Independence Day bombings which you tried to exonerate MEND even when they had given prior warnings before the attacks. 12 died that day with 7 wounded.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/10/2010102211449395151.html

2. May 2011 bomb blasts at Shadawanka barracks mammy market Bauchi with 10 dead & several wounded.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13592045

3. 26 August 2011 UN building bombing
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-14686780/abuja-attack-car-bomb-hits-nigeria-un-building

4. Between November 4 to Dec 23 2011 over 200 people died in several attacks in the Yobe capital of Damaturu alone.
https:///8ePIBUQUiR?amp=1

5. Dec 25 2011 has gone down in the history of Nigeria as one of the bloodiest Christmas because bombs and shootings occurred in multiple locations including Madalla, Jos, Gadaka, & Damaturu.
https://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/25/world/africa/nigeria-church-bombing/index.html

6. June 2011 Abuja police headquarters bombing, with 2 people plus bomber killed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/06/2011616111451344807.html

7. January 20 2012 BHT carried out simultaneous attacks in Kano State that left 183 people dead. 32 @PoliceNG officers lost their lives in that single attack.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-16786025

8. Easter day bombing 2012 in Kaduna left 38 people dead.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-17650542

9. June 17 2012 3 churches in Kaduna were bombed leaving many dead.
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/17/world/africa/nigeria-church-bombings/index.html

10. April 2013 we had the infamous Baga massacre, 187 people died that day.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/01/nigeria-massive-destruction-deaths-military-raid

11. Feb 2014 FGC Buni Yadi was attacked, 59 children killed.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-violence/nigerian-islamists-kill-59-pupils-in-boarding-school-attack-idUSBREA1P10M20140226

12. Lets not forget April 14th 2014 Nyanya bombing:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27018751

13. April 15 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, 276 female students.
https:///vvx4kR58Br?amp=1

14. Bloody month of May 2014:
May 1 - May 2014 Abuja bombing, 19 killed in Abuja by a car bomb.
May 5 - 2014 Gamboru Ngala attack, at least 300 people are killed in the twin towns of Gamboru and Ngala in Borno State by Boko Haram militants.

15. May 20 - 2014 Jos bombings, at least 118 villagers are killed by car bombs in the city of Jos.
May 21 – 27 villagers are killed by Boko Haram gunmen in northeastern Nigeria.

16. May 27 - May 2014 Buni Yadi attack, 49 soldiers and 9 civilians are killed during a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Yobe State.

17. October 30 2014 bokoharam attacked Vimtim Adamawa State hometown of former chief of defense staff. No one was killed in his house because he had sent in military helicopters to evacuate his family before the attacks.
https:///JGlOEEBoUI?amp=1

Dear Jonathan I can list hundreds of attacks that happened under your watch that left thousands of Nigerians dead, wounded and displaced. If the Defence and Nigerian Army give a list of our soldiers that died under your watch it would be enough for you to hide your head in shame. Unfortunately we are a people without shame.

GEJonathan let me also remind you that all the service chiefs under you are undergoing investigations, most have returned millions of dollars of defense funds looted. Do not forget your ATM Dasuki!

Aijay @Hejeoma

*VP pays condolence visits to Pa Fasoranti & Mr. Olakunrin in Ondo
The Federal Government is making concerted efforts to tackle the country’s security challenges to ensure protection of lives and property, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, said today in Ondo during a condolence visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti, whose daughter, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, was killed by gunmen a few days ago in the State.
Condemning the killing, Prof. Osinbajo prayed for God to comfort the family, noting that Government and security agencies will ensure the killers are brought to book.
The Vice President who was accosted by journalists after condoling with the Fasoranti and Olakunrin families in Ondo stated that “this is a massive tragedy as you can imagine, and we have seen it precipitated here and there, kidnappings and death. By and large, we are looking at the whole security architecture and trying to upscale the security architecture, to ensure that we are able to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.”
“We can be hopeful that we will see peace and calm as some of the steps we are taking come into fruition. As you all know, I have met with the Governors in the Southwest and Governors in the different zones, everybody is coming together to look at what to do to ensure that security is adequate and that everyone feels safe and secure.”
Speaking further, the Vice President emphasized the importance of community policing to prevent the occurrence of such dastardly crimes.
He said, “As you know, the President, very recently, met with the Service Chiefs, and also with the Inspector General of Police, and they have laid out a new policy on Community Policing. One of the most important things in these sorts of crimes, because they are largely economic crimes, is that people are trying to make money by kidnappings.
“One of the most important things is gathering intelligence and that is why we have Community Policing; where policemen will be trained in their own local governments and remain there. This is as close as we can get to the Community Policing structure that we expect to have.
“The other thing is that we are also engaging the Army, so there will be a bit more military presence, especially along the roads and as you’ve heard, the Inspector General of Police has committed to full coverage with even helicopters, first in the search for the killers, and also to ensure adequate presence to deter this kind of terrible situation from recurring.”
While noting the challenges of security in a hugely populated and dynamic country like Nigeria, the Vice President said the government will continue to take dynamic measures to tackle the challenges to secure lives and property.

https://www.yemiosinbajo.ng/nigeria-will-be-peaceful-as-fg-states-tackling-security-challenges-osinbajo/

A political group in Nigeria has accused Punch Newspaper of allowing itself to be used by the Peoples Democratic Party to propagate its Dubai strategy aimed at tarnishing the image and goodwill of persons in government, especially the President and the Vice President.
The Initiative to Save Democracy, ISD, in a press statement on Saturday said the latest report by the newspaper: ‘OSINBAJO’S FIRM LINKED TO COMPANY FINGERED IN ALLEGED N100B ALPHA BETA SCAM,’ was a pointer to the fact that it was working to spread fake news and be mischievous.
Sunday James Akinloye, President of the group, said even though Punch Newspaper failed to establish any clear cut relationship between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s former law firm and Ocean Trust Limited, it still went on to publish the report.
“To think that three reporters and perhaps two editors sat down to deviously concoct a fake news against the Vice President is rather frightening. Prof. Osinbajo has nothing to do with this old and stale matter, yet the paper used his name as the headline, trying so hard and desperately to link him to it.
“Is Punch saying that if the VP has stakes in First Bank, MTN or any other company he is responsible for the actions and inactions of such organizations? This is the worst kind of reporting particularly from Punch, a newspaper that is fully implementing PDP’s Dubai strategy. Nigerians and all people of goodwill are hereby reminded of the evil intentions behind the whole charade against the VP.
“Let me state categorically that Simmon Coopers is not Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s firm as alleged by Punch Newspaper. Even the skewed report stated that Simmons Coopers was listed as a company in which Prof Yemi Osinbajo (now Vice-President) ‘had’ a stake in his asset declaration form in 2015. The VP could not have continued with the firm and he resigned before he became VP. This is public knowledge.”

Mr. Akinloye then went on to explain that not only does VP Osinbajo have nothing to do with the law firm or its transactions; Simmon Coopers again has said it is not the Company Secretary. This is also in the public space.
“Our checks with Corporate Affairs Commission officials show that Simmon Coopers were never appointed Company Secretary instead there was a resolution to appoint Simmon Coopers but they were never appointed.
“Punch was handed fake documents which they published on their website. Anyone can go to CAC to verify the documents, they are completely fake claims. A paper submitted by a company to CAC of its plans or intentions is not the same thing as a CAC document. It is intriguing that Punch editors and reporters could not understand or comprehend this basic things.”
He pointed out that the inaccurate report by Punch tried to link the VP to a case he knows nothing about. “This is what Punch Newspaper has become and it is no surprise that two of its editors were recently sacked for this poor sense of judgment and professionalism. We hope these reporters are served same treatment,” he said.
“Students of history, will be perplexed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in July 2018 had investigated this matter, and the Vice President was not associated with the case in anyway.
He said the reporters who wrote the story have a track record of reporting falsehood, especially against the VP, a part of the Dubai strategy.
“Nigerians still remember the fake news by Eniola Akinkuotu, one of the many lies on VP like “Osinbajo puts TraderMoni tour on hold” or Tobi Aworinde’s “Buhari return and sidelines Osinbajo” or “Tinubu, Ambode alleged feud puts godfatherism in the spotlight” where they all sought to malign the person of VP Osinbajo.
“This is unacceptable to attempt to link a man to an issue he has no business with and this is the way that Punch newspaper has been conducting itself for many years.
“Prof. Osinbajo is a man of integrity, he is a honest man who has served Nigeria in every way possible, the least he deserves is this kind of fake reportage. Nigerians must be weary of reports like this.”

July 7, 1998. (21 years ago)
Chief Mashood Kashimawo Abiola GCFR left this world.
May Allah grant him Aljannah.
He was the winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election that was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.

stefanbanach:
A liar is one who consistently utters false statements with intent of deceit. What did osinbajo have in his mind when he posted the picture of reinhard bonke's crusade and captioned it "Kano APC rally"?

You should please abide to your prescriptions.

stefanbanach:
This man is not just a liar but a lying lion....

Is it my fault that you are lazy to read?

Re: OSINBAJO: Serial Liar, Buhari’s Brain, Propagandist, Interpreter of Buhari’s Maladies By Muhammad Gulani

To think of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as a liar and propagandist is to do a grave injustice to the truth itself, and to vex the millions of Nigerians that have benefited through the many ways his office has helped elevate people from poverty and unemployment. Not to mention, those blessed by his mentor ship, inspiration and leadership.
This Professor and Pastor is easily Nigeria’s most active Vice President since the inception of the 4th Republic in 1999. He has chaired so well the National Economic Council: leading the team whose efforts took us out of a recession, brought upon the country from many years of mismanagement.
The Social Investment Programmes, under his watch has touched the lives of over 12 million Nigerians. No socio-economic Programme in our history has made an impact of this worth. The ordinary women, the everyday Nigerians on the street looking for the next hustle, market men and women trying to make ends meet, needing just a little boost from government and the right atmosphere have found it in this programmes.
Forgive the digression, now to the bone of the issue.
When the Vice President said that Nigeria was experiencing kidnapping, engineered in some cases by politicians, and even in other cases by people who orchestrated their own kidnap, he did not lie. A Google search would prove that. Instances abound. Only recently the story of a man who faked his kidnap in Nassarawa State was shared on Cable NG. But the Vice President did not stop there, he acknowledged that there were indeed real cases of kidnapping and went further to state that the Buhari administration was ensuring that this sad reality became history. Where did the Vice President lie?
While it is true that Nigeria currently has several patches experiencing violence, most of it has been fueled by politics and tribal conflicts. It is also false to assume that the Buhari/Osibanjo administration has not concentrated efforts to address this challenges. Bayo Oluwasanmi might have a serious issue with understanding the difference between a fact and a lie.
The government has sent in troops and entire police divisions whenever a crisis has arisen. Different operations and exercises have been carried out by the Nigerian Army to flush away bandits, kidnappers, terrorists and armed criminal herders who have committed heinous crimes in the communities around them. Many of them have been arrested or even killed. A Google search would show these victories for Nigeria over evil doers who want to bring us back.
Beyond boots on the ground, the government has also launched social-economic programmes aimed at dealing with the crises, especially of the clashes between herders and farmers. Knowing well that it is primarily rooted in disagreements in resource management - land in particular.
The administration has put in place the National Livestock Transformation Plan. It is is one of the most comprehensive plans that aim at ending the several decades long conflict, while looking at the economic benefits of the livestock rearing, and ensuring that there is proper conflict management and justice. A peep at the 8 page summary of the plan shows that the administration means business in ending this crisis.
It’s is overwhelmingly absurd to think of Osibanjo - a man who has spent half of his life in the service of this country - as a liar. All references cited by the author do not hold water and are far from facts. So where is the lie?
Mr Bayo Oluwasanmi upends logic when he writes this long piece of article and at almost every sentence cries that Professor Osinbajo is a liar, but he fails to mention any instance where Osinbajo has lied. He barks like a dog without teeth. A rabid one!
At every point Osinbajo has reeled out government achievements, whether in defence of his boss or simply stating things as they are, they have been backed by facts. Not lies. Are the 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries not real people? Can Bayo beat his chest and say that these beneficiaries do not exist? Or the over 2 Million beneficiaries of the Trader Moni? Or the 2nd Niger Bridge, whose construction is evident for everyone to see despite the naysayers saying it wasn’t real?
The author's misguided interpretations in his article only shows you that he’s either being clever by half or is a pretty seedy personality who’s been urged along by a penny or two.
- Muhammad Gulani is a Political Scientist and Researcher.
[url][/url]http://saharareporters.com/2019/07/04/re-osinbajo-serial-liar-buhari%E2%80%99s-brain-propagandist-interpreter-buhari%E2%80%99s-maladies

A COMMUNIQUE OF A MEETING BY THE NEC COMMITTEE ON FARMERS/HERDERS CRISIS ON 3RD JULY, 2019 AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, ABUJA.

1. The NEC Committee on the Farmers/Herders Crisis under the chairmanship of Mr. Vice President, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo met today, 3rd July, 2019.

2. Members that were present were Mr. Vice President who presided over the meeting, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State who is the Chairman of the NEC-Sub Technical Committee on Farmers/Herders crisis, Governor of Kebi State who is the Vice Chairman of Food Security Council, Governor of Plateau State, Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; office of the Vice President, Permanent Secretary; Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Andrew Kwasali-Secretary of the NEC-Sub Technical Committee on Farmers/Herders Crisis and Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

3. Members deliberated on the NEC and Federal Government approved programme of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).

4. Members are aware that Mr. President has suspended the implementation of RUGA programme initiated and implemented alone by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources because it is not consistent with the NEC and FGN approved NLTP which has programmes of rehabilitation of displaced IDPs within crisis States and development of Ranching in any willing State of the federation.

5. The beauty of NLTP is that what NEC and FGN approved is only voluntary to all the 36 States who may like to participate.

6. That any state that is interested in NLTP is required to bring development plan in line with NLTP for implementation in his State which will be unique to the State based on the challenges of the State.

There are some level of insincerity in this #RUGA initiative.
RUGA is not part of NLTP (National Livestock Transformation Plan).

1. The VP Professor Yemi Osinbajo under his office as Chairman of the National Economic Council decided to find a solution to the farmer/herdsmen crisis.

2. As far back as 2017 he started a series of consultations with an aim of finding a solution that was acceptable to all mentions

3. He took a special interest in the crisis when he was Acting President in 2017. He deployed troops to Taraba, and summoned a meeting with the security chiefs and Gov. Taraba.

4. Crucially, he said the FG would not dictate to states how they would use their land.

5. Now fast-forward to 2019. In collaboration with state governors and representatives of farmers and herdsmen, he presents the National Livestock Transformation Plan, which again is to be driven by States and is 100% optional.

6. The NLTP was approved by NEC in January 2019.

7. In May 2019, Prof launches his plan, that has been 2 years in the making, and that’s when everything starts going crazy.

8. A week before handover FEC sits and approves million Naira contracts for Ruga settlements for herdsmen across the 36 states.
mentions 9. Then the Ministry of Agric comes out to say Ruga is part of the NLTP.

10. Myetti Allah come and say not only is it part of the NLTP, but that it is being driven by Prof Osinbajo.

11. Uproar immediately ensues. The SE Governors and most of the NEC reject Ruga.

12. Benue state says staff of Min of Agric come to Benue and are told the Land Use Act vests land administration with the Governor and they (Benue) do not want Fulani settlements.

13. The Min. Of Agric officials leave, but return the next week with contractors to build the rugas.

14. In an unprecedented move, Osinbajo distances himself from the Ruga initiative and states it is NOT captured by or forms any part of the NLTP.

15. The Presidency then issues a statement saying they will ‘begin’ consultations and that this consultations will be led by the SGF.

16. The first pillar of the NLTP was not any settlements, it was conflict resolution and compensation to indigenes for losses they suffered from the conflict.

17. It also sought to establish sustainable business livestock practices for ALL Nigerians, not just Fulanis.

18. All of this meticulous work has been jettisoned for a provocative land-grab and a shadowy billion-Naira contract award process that has seen broadband companies get construction contracts.

Contrary to claims reported in sections of the media, the establishment of Ruga settlements is not being supervised by the Office of the Vice President.
The Ruga initiative is different from the National Livestock Transformation Plan approved by State governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
NEC on January 17, 2019, approved the plan based on the recommendations of a Technical Committee of the Council chaired by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State. Other State Governors on the committee and Working Group of NEC are those from Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Oyo & Zamfara – mostly the frontline States in the Farmer-Herder crises.
The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 is a programme to be implemented in 7 pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara (as decided by NEC in January), being States in the frontlines of the Farmer-Herder crises. Afterwards, six other States have indicated readiness to also implement the plan. They are Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo states.
The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market-oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
The six key pillars include:
- economic investment
- conflict resolution
- justice and peace
- humanitarian relief and early recovery
- human capital development and
cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.
In all, the Federal Government will not impose on any State government regarding its land.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE NOT SUPERVISING ‘RUGA’ SETTLEMENTS

Contrary to claims reported in sections of the media, the establishment of Ruga settlements is not being supervised by the Office of the Vice President.

The Ruga initiative is different from the National Livestock Transformation Plan approved by State governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

NEC on January 17, 2019, approved the plan based on the recommendations of a Technical Committee of the Council chaired by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State. Other State Governors on the committee and Working Group of NEC are those from Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Oyo & Zamfara - mostly the frontline States in the Farmer-Herder crises.

The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 is a programme to be implemented in 7 pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara (as decided by NEC in January), being States in the frontlines of the Farmer-Herder crises. Afterwards, six other States have indicated readiness to also implement the plan. They are Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo states.

The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
The six key pillars include:
economic investment
conflict resolution
justice and peace
humanitarian relief and early recovery
human capital development and
cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.
In all the Federal Government will not impose on any State government regarding its land.


Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President

June 28, 2019

Says Jonathan, PDP made Nigeria poverty capital of the world

A policy group in Nigeria says Reno Omokri, a former social media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan is ridiculing the former number one citizen of Nigeria.
The Global Economic Policy Initiative, GEPIn, said it was wrong for Mr. Omokri to be peddling lies and issuing statements on behalf of President Jonathan.
President of the group, Mr. Bernard Okri said that the world will be laughing at Mr. Jonathan for trying to undo the abject poverty which he thrust Nigeria into by falsifying figures.
“Mr. Omokri has a record for impersonation, identity theft and blackmail but who would have thought that he would do it to his former boss and former President of Nigeria,” Okri quizzed.
“In an attempt to slander Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the poverty figures that he quoted while addressing the Council of Foreign Relations in New York City he dented the reputation and goodwill of his former boss.
Okri stressed that Prof. Osinbajo was right when he said the poverty level in Nigeria as at 2010 was over 112 million, which was over 67 per cent of Nigeria’s population at the time.


Quoting the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he said about 112 million Nigerians, which is about 67.1 per cent of the country’s total population of 167 million were living below poverty level.
He said Nigeria only became the poverty capital of the world because the Peoples Democratic Party which had been in government impoverished Nigerians and looted all the resources.

“In 2010, over 112.47 million Nigerians were living on less than a one dollar a day. The NBS data showed that 67% of Nigerians in 2010 were living in “absolute poverty” – this figure had risen from 54.7% in 2004.
He added that the NBS report revealed that Nigerians considered themselves to be getting poorer at the time.  “According to the report in 2010, 93.9% of respondents felt themselves to be poor compared to 75.5% six years earlier,” Okri added.
He said it was a shame that Mr. Omokri could not do a simple Google search to confirm the statement of the Vice President before jumping on Twitter and even issuing a statement.
“This is a disgrace to President Goodluck Jonathan, he has made him the laughing stock of the world, I think he deserves better than to be dragged in the mud by Mr. Omokri. A simple Google search would have saved both of them this embarrassment,” he said.
He, however, urged Mr. Omokri to apologise to President Jonathan, Vice President Osinbajo and all Nigerians for dragging the name of the country in the mud.
“He (Omokri) has record of telling lies and he is a very fraudulent person. Nigerians still remember Wendell Simlin, the name Mr. Omokri stole in his bid to blackmail then former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, accusing him of sponsoring Boko Haram but he was busted.
“Only last week I read that he was using the name of abducted Dapchi school girl, Leah Sharibu, to make money for himself by selling shirts and a book he wrote in her name.
“He has a past and most us know that he relies heavily on this type of fraudulent activity to survive, things have not been easy for him since the PDP left government,” Mr. Okri.
He urged Nigerians never to believe or take anything Mr. Omokri says seriously. “We should engage in constructive criticism if we really want Nigeria to succeed, persons like Mr. Omokri exude bad vibes, Nigerians should not believe anything he says.”

https://www.chronicle.ng/2019/06/poverty-statistics-reno-omokri-ridiculing-goodluck-jonathan-group/

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

VP OSINBAJO REASSURES NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA OF BUHARI ADMINISTRATION’S DETERMINATION TO SECURE COUNTRY & PROSPER THE PEOPLE




Taking more than 40 questions from the Nigerian community in New York Sunday night, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has reassured Nigerians in Diaspora about the determination of the Buhari administration to secure the country and prosper the people.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this while responding to questions during a townhall meeting with some members of the Nigerian community in New York.

The forum with Nigerians in the Diaspora was one of the activities lined up for the Vice President’s visit to the United States.

According to him, “there is really nothing serious to worry about because we are taking the necessary steps to address issues relating to herders/farmers clashes, kidnappings and others.”

While highlighting different aspects of the Federal Government's agenda at the townhall meeting in midtown Manhattan, Prof. Osinbajo said the whole essence of the policies and programmes on social welfare, health care and others is to take majority of Nigerians out of poverty.

He said “the reason why we decided to have what we call the Social Investment Programmes is basically because it is one of the ways to address the problem of poverty in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has never systematically addressed the poverty problem in the way that India, which used to have the largest population of poor people, have done.

“As at 2010, Nigeria had a population of about 112.7 million people living in extreme poverty and there was nothing in place to address the problem, no social investment programme, no social security, no way of getting people out of poverty.

“So, the National Social Investment Programme was to address questions of how to get our people out of poverty and to address the major concerns of poverty.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said “some people are so poor that they cannot afford the basics of life, so the disbursement of N5,000 monthly stipends to such people under the Conditional Cash Transfer has gone a long way in helping them.”

“Dealing with the problem of poverty is so huge that we also came up with the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) where we give interest-free loans to petty traders under what we call the TraderMoni scheme.

“These are traders at the bottom of pyramid in our economic value chain, those whose inventory are sometimes not more than N5,000. They are given N10,000 and when they pay back, they get higher amounts up to N100,000.

“The same thing we are doing with the Homegrown School Feeding Programme where we give children in public schools a free meal every day, and we are feeding about 9.5 million children in 31 states. This initiative is key to addressing one of the issues associated with poverty, which is malnutrition. And we have found that as a result of this programme, school enrolment figures have gone up significantly.

“Also, part of the reasons why we are doing this is first the multiplier, because it is homegrown; the entire value chain is serviced locally, including the cooks who are picked from the locality of the school,” Prof. Osinbajo added.

On measuring the impact of the schemes, Prof. Osinbajo said an impact assessment report on the cash transfer and the microcredit schemes would be released before the end of September 2019.

According to the Vice President “we are trying to measure the impact and we have put together a team with the World Bank assisting us. We also have one or two organizations who are trying to do this measurement for us and I believe that in the next two months we should have at least the first report looking at some of the impact of the microcredit schemes and the conditional cash transfers.

“But a lot of these things are intuitive. I don’t think that there is any great difficulty in knowing that when people are enabled it makes things easier for them and people can see the results.”


On health care funding, the Vice President said the Federal Government was committed to addressing the challenge of inadequate funding through an innovative approach that takes care of the poor in the society.

According to him, “what we have done is to follow the provision of the Health Act which says that 1% of our Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) must go to health care and that is what we have done. For the first time, for the 2018 budget, we have set aside the 1 % of the CRF for health.

“Aside from that we also have the basic health care provision fund which we are running in all of the states. This is the Federal Government contribution which is matched by the states to deal with primary health care issues.

“The challenge is that you cannot deal with health care from government budget alone. This is the reason why the National Health Insurance is very important for us. An amendment has been effected to make contributory health insurance compulsory.

“For us, one of the problems to address is the large numbers of poor people. So, in determining what that premium will be, we decided that government will pay 35% of the premium so that those who cannot afford to pay are taken care of by government.”

On pensions, Prof. Osinbajo said the Buhari administration had through several interventions resolved some issues with pensioners in different organisations and sectors including the Nigerian Airways, military and paramilitary organisations, civil service and parastatals, amongst others.

He added that the bailout funds released to some states by the Buhari administration were, in many instances, meant to pay arrears of pensions and salaries.

On leveraging human capital in the Diaspora to complement development efforts in Nigeria, the Vice President said the establishment of the Diaspora Commission by the Buhari administration was one of the ways to show government’s commitment to work with Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora.

He said “the reason why the Diaspora Commission was set up is to address all the various concerns that the Diasporan have and that we also have as government and in some cases as institutions.

“We believe very strongly that the Diaspora is an important partner in all the things that we are doing. You can talk about their remittances and all that. So, they are an important component in what we are doing, as you have heard in GDP, and their remittances.”

Prof. Osinbajo also urged them to work closely with the Diaspora Commission to identify ways of contributing to the development of the country.

Also present at the event was Hon. Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States; Prof. Tijjani Bade, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations and President of the UN General Assembly, amongst others.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
25 June, 2019