₦airaland Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari has heaped praises on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for driving Federal Government’s Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) and for drawing the government closer to the people.

It was a rare public demonstration of the President’s affection and endorsement of his deputy, and he spoke generously and ex tempore, straight from the heart.

President Buhari spoke Monday night at the breaking of fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he hosted top government officials on Monday.

He said the programmes driven by Prof Osinbajo have been “very successful”. According to the President, his deputy was ahead of him in pushing for the programmes as he was initially reluctant.

He said programmes like TraderMoni, MarketMoni, School Feeding Programme and other SIPs have reduced poverty and out-of-school pupils in Nigeria since implementation began.

“When I drive around the country, what upsets me the most is the state of poor people in this country. You see young people, the almajiris with torn clothes and plastic bowls. They are looking basically for what to eat.

“The question of education is a luxury. I think that the Nigerian elite are failing because I think we should have a programme that will at least guarantee some basic education for people no matter how poor they are.

“So, I welcome the Vice President’s initiative on feeding in schools. If you check in some of the communities the attendance in schools has improved because a lot children can get at least one good meal a day. But culturally, some elites are merciless; they don’t care about other people.”

He added that, “This MarketMoni, I have warned the Vice President that I don’t want him to be mobbed. The way women in the markets move to welcome him.

“These are very good initiatives, I must admit that they endeared many people to our government. The free meals, the N5,000, (Conditional Cash Transfer), N10,000, (TraderMoni) are fantastic programmes and I must admit that the Vice President did it and they have been very successful,” he said.

He then charged Nigerians to embrace peace and unity during and after the Ramadan. “For the remaining (I don’t count because it is still long before Ramadan ends) weeks, I wish you and your families a very good Ramadan, and may God give us the strength to last through,” President Buhari said.

Prof. Osinbajo, who spoke on behalf of the members of the cabinet, said that regardless of ethnic and religion affiliations Nigerians must continue to be their brothers’ keepers and must work towards building a united nation.

“I think is auspicious that this particular (end of) Ramadan falls at the eve of the new term in office.

“So, it is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves over the core mandates which is the welfare and security of majority of our people,’’ he said.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*VP meets Gbagyi traditional & political leaders at Presidential Villa

*Meeting with military authorities forthcoming

Federal Government is committed and will adopt all necessary measures that will lead to the amicable and just resolution of the land dispute between indigenous people of Abuja and the Nigerian Army, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this today during a meeting with a delegation of Gbagyi leaders comprising political office holders, traditional and youth leaders, at the Presidential Villa. He disclosed that a meeting with the military on the matter would also be held soon.

Last week Tuesday, on his way to the airport to launch the Homegrown School Feeding Programme in Ekiti state, the Vice President ran into some protesters at Goza village. The protesters who had mounted a road block were surprised when the Vice President came out of the car and abandoned his convoy to engage with the angry youths. It was during the interaction that the VP promised to meet the group and work on a resolution, culminating today’s meeting.

Prof. Osinbajo while noting that he had personally briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter and his encounter with the protesters, also conveyed the President's concern on the matter to the delegation with assurances for a just resolution.


According to the Vice President, “what is very important now is that we do not allow a situation where things are not done according to the law, that we do not allow a situation where due process is not followed. It is also important that this issue is resolved amicably and justly."

The Vice President then directed officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) present at the meeting to produce a comprehensive report on the disputed land.

Earlier, Sen. Philip Aduda, the Senator representing the FCT at the National Assembly, dismissed the claim by the Army authorities that the land was allocated to it and appreciated the intervention of the Vice President.

Also, the Secretary, Area Councils Services Secretariat, Sen. Isa Maina said the FCT authorities in an effort to address the issue has already proposed to allocate a n alternative plot of land to the Nigerian Army in Kwali.

He claimed that contrary to the directive by a Presidential Committee (set up to resolve the matter) that all parties involved in the matter maintain status quo, the Nigerian Army has proceeded to construct structures on the disputed land.

On his part, the Emir of Jiwa, His Royal Highness Idris Musa said the indigenous people of Abuja are not against the Nigerian Army in any way but want a just and amicable resolution of the matter.

In the same vein, the representative of the youths, Mr Dalhatu Musa who had spoken last week for the protesters when the Vice President interacted with them on his way to the airport noted that the youths wanted due process to be followed in the resolution of the land issue.

He commended the intervention of the Vice President and appealed to him to also look into other issues affecting the indigenous people of the FCT.

Those present at the meeting include the senator representing the FCT in the National Assembly, Sen. Philip Aduda; the Secretary, Area Councils Services Secretariat, Sen. Isa Maina; Chairmen of AMAC, Abdullahi Candido; Bwari Area Council, Mr. Shekwogaza Gabaya and Abaji Area Council, Abdulrahman Ajiya; Emir of Jiwa, HRH Idris Musa; the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Yunusa Adamu and youth leaders from the affected communities.

The disputed land covers over 7,000 hectares cutting across Gwagwa, Idu, Zuba and Giri communities in the Federal Capital Territory.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
13th May, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


*Speaks of forthcoming expansion of Buhari's Social Investment

*How State Govt mobilized people to tap into the Programmes

The successes recorded in the deployment of the Social Investment Programmes across the country and the planned expansion of the schemes in the Next Level reveals the Buhari administration’s commitment to the welfare of the common man, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this over the weekend during his engagements in Bauchi including the commissioning of the Bauchi state Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Shared Facility for soap and groundnut oil making clusters, the launch of a rural electrification project covering 22 villages and other projects executed by the state government.

The MSMEs Shared Facility project is an initiative of the Federal Government under the National MSMEs Clinic in partnership with state governments to provide equipment and other facilities in clusters for use by individual MSMEs who are not able to acquire such equipment and facilities on their own.

According to Prof. Osinbajo, “President Muhammadu Buhari has always been committed to the welfare of the common man and that is why one of the major programmes of the Federal Government is the Social Investment Programmes.

“All of the schemes – the N-Power, the School Feeding Programme, the Conditional Transfers, the GEEP schemes and the MSMEs clinic, are the President’s own way of saying that the first priority of our government is the common man - those who cannot take care of themselves or those who are struggling very hard to do so.”

Speaking specifically on the impact of the Federal Government’s SIPs in Bauchi State, the Vice President said the state government had done well in ensuring that the people were properly mobilized to participate in all the schemes hence the impressive figures recorded by the state in the various components of the SIPs.

“I recall that when we started the SIPs, the very first state that efficiently used our portal under the N-Power job scheme was Bauchi state.

“The state governor made sure that several young men and women of Bauchi state were able to use the portal and to the surprise of many, some of the largest number of persons who were registered on the portal were from Bauchi state.

“Today, under the N-Power, Bauchi has 13, 075 beneficiaries, & 972 under N-Build. Under the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, 618,124 pupils are fed every day here in Bauchi.

“In addition to that, we have farmers benefitting from our SIPs. Currently, we have about 9,799 farmers who have been given micro-credits to support their works. Under the TraderMoni,
Bauchi has one of the largest figures in the scheme with 39,000 beneficiaries. We have done conditional transfers to 23,000 persons under our Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme,” the Vice President added.

Prof. Osinbajo also lauded the launch of the Bauchi Health Contributory Scheme and the Health Trust Fund, describing it as “historic and commendable”.

He said the state government had scored an important point by taking on the responsibility of providing for a contributory scheme for its citizens and also a health trust fund.

According to him, “modern way of funding health care is by either creating a contributory scheme or by having in place a trust fund. The launch of these schemes here in Bauchi is a landmark development in the social and economic development of the state.”

Earlier on arrival in Bauchi state, the Vice President proceeded to Ningi Local Government Area where he commissioned the Burra electrification project executed by the state government.

In a short remark, the Vice President commended the state government for the project, noting that it was in line with the agenda of the Buhari administration, and assuring the people of the area and the state of more such infrastructure projects by the Federal Government.

While in Bauchi, the Vice President also continued his Family Chat engagements with Nigerians with a visit to the family of Mohammed Musa Usman – one of the outstanding MSMEs identified during the clinic organized in Bauchi in 2018.

Previously a scrap collector, Alhaji Usman now makes Suya grilling machine using scrap metals and makes belts and shoes using abandoned tires. He currently employs seven persons.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
12th May, 2019

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN at the weekend dropped the hint that the Federal Government would deal decisively with individuals and organisations that made the list of high-profile obligors of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). He said they have made it impossible for the corporation to resolve its outstanding N5trillion debt thereby holding the entire nation to ransom with their bad behaviour.

Prof. Osinbajo who is the Chairman of the Economic Council also disclosed plans by government to set up an inter-agency collaboration framework that would comprise relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and supervised by the office of the Vice President to ensure that institutions and individuals that are indebted to AMCON are not allowed to do business with government henceforth.

The Vice President who spoke when he received some Board members and Management of AMCON at the State House, Abuja led by the Board Chairman, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN said the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, will no longer fold its hands and allow a few individuals that owe AMCON huge sums of money walk freely on the streets in the country. He said, “I think the time has come for us (Federal Government) to set some examples with some of these top debtors of AMCON, which I believe will set a good example and serve as deterrent to others.”

Prof. Osinbajo who said he was impressed with the performance of the executive management of AMCON under the leadership of Ahmed Lawan Kuru for the recovery successes that have been achieved so far against all odds, also promised that the Federal Government would give AMCON whatever support that is necessary to enable them go after the obligors that have remained recalcitrant despite the olive branch extended to them over the years by the recovery agency of the government.

He said, “I congratulate AMCON for the work done so far having recovered over N1trillion and counting both in cash and in assets. The work you do as a recovery agency is not something that is particularly easy or encouraging because we all know how Nigeria works. But we are committed to working more closely with your administration to ensure that these monies are recovered from AMCON obligors because it will help our economy and provide the government with more money to continue to improve on the development of infrastructure across the nation.”

Osinbajo said in the next couple of days, he would invite the AMCON team alongside other relevant MDAs to discuss and fine-tune plans on how to ensure that anybody or agency that is a debtor to AMCON are completely made to face the wrath of the Federal Government as those who are indebted to the government are direct enemies of both the government and the people of Nigeria.

Earlier in his presentation, Dr. Banire who said AMCON’s visit to the Vice President was congratulate him and President Muhammadu Buhari on their recent victory at the polls, also highlighted some of the challenges and frustrations faced by AMCON as a result of the attitudes of some debtors who behave as if they are above the law in the country.

While calling on the government to rally round AMCON if they indeed want the corporation to succeed Banire said, “AMCON has been able to recover over N1 trillion since inception to 2018-year end. Out of the recovered sum, cash accounted for 60% while non-cash assets such as properties and equity securities accounted for the balance of 40%. Over the same period, AMCON’s repayment of its indebtedness to the CBN was over N1 trillion.

“As at end of December, 2018, AMCON’s Assets Under Management (AUM) amounted to about N172.5 billion. It is noteworthy to state that out of the total real estate properties, assets available for sale is valued at N62 billion. Of this N62 billion about 83% comprises of bare land and other assets, which may need considerable improvements to convert into income generating assets. Your Excellency may recall that in September 2018 following the takeover of Skye Bank Plc. by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), AMCON was again invited to inject a total sum of NN898.45 billion as capital thereby leading to the emergence of another bridged bank named Polaris Bank Limited.

“The intervention in Skye Bank was caused majorly by internal abuse by the operators. As a result of that development, AMCON’s total debt obligation to the CBN, is currently in excess of N6 trillion. And it is evident that the Federal Government cannot afford to write off this debt in the short term, hence, our moral obligation to pursue obligors and recover the debts owed. But, despite the successes recorded, the corporation has been facing a number of challenges, which includes obligors resorting to all manner of tactics to avoid honouring their obligations. Whilst some are still enjoying government patronage, others are using the judiciary and adopting on legal technicalities to stall recovery, which is why we need a new strategy to enable AMCON meet its mandate before sunset.”

Kuru in his own submission while acknowledging the Vice President for his support to AMCON all these years however added that he cannot wait for the take-off of the inter-agency collaboration, which Prof. Osinbajo talked about because such a move would compel all sister agencies to be on the same page in the interest of the country. Kuru also reminded the Vice President that AMCON’s debts sits on the government’s balance sheet with CBN, and failure to recover may result to serious consequences including recourse to tax payers’ money, which must be avoided. He said for an organisation like AMCON with sunset date, all hands must be on deck to provide the support required. According to him, considering the huge portfolio of debt, no obligor must be allowed to go scot free no matter how highly placed in the society.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday was in Bauchi, Northern Nigeria to commission projects built and completed by Governor Mohammed Abubakar.

Amongst other projects commissioned, the Vice President visited Barra, in Ningi Local Government Area of the state where he commissioned an electrification project that will power 22 villages in the environs.

He was accompanied by Governor Abubakar who stated that the contract for the project was awarded at the cost of N589.79 million.
Also present was Federal Inland Revenue Chairman, Mr. Babtunde Fowler.

Giving the vote of thanks, the Emir of Ningi, Alh Yunusa Danyaya, commended the federal and state governments for citing various projects in the area.
Danyaya called for the creation of Burra Local Government Area out of the present Ningi Local Government Area of the state.
He also called on the Federal Government to allocate more projects to the area, considering its high population.

The Vice President who was overwhelmed by the outpouring of joy and support from the Emir and people of Bauchi also commissioned a shared facility for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Bauchi State Health Contributory scheme.

He also had his unique Family Chat in the home of Muhammed Musa Usman, one of the outstanding MSMEs entrepreneurs identified during the MSME Clinic organized in Bauchi State in October 2018.

During his chat, he lauded Mr. Usman who previously was a scrap collector, now makes Suya grilling machines from scrap metals.

He also makes belts and shoes using abandoned tires. He currently employs seven people on his books and is looking to expand his business to further support his community.

The Vice President assured the people of Bauchi that President Muhammadu Buhari will make good his promise on making Nigeria a better place for all.

He said the Federal Government will continue its people-oriented policies and will ensure that Nigeria works for Nigerians.

The visit coincides with a dusk to dawn curfew imposed on four communities located on the outskirts of Bauchi metropolis following breach of the peace in those areas.

In the course of my work, I discovered that National Home Grown School Feeding Programme is actually a well conceived school feeding programme that will establish a safety net for the poor and eradicate malnutrition in school children while stimulating the national economy.

It is also important to note, that the mission to provide one free meal a day to pupils in public primary schools in Nigeria has endeared many school dropouts back to school.

*So What Are The Benefits to the Children?*

As a child psychologist and nutritionist I can say that, children benefit from nutritious balanced school meal which reduces hunger and improves education outcomes.

Also, research has shown that primary school is where children experience fastest growth in physical, mental and socio-emotional characteristics and that there should adequate provision nutritious meals, which will be aim at promotion of good health, proper growth of children and enhancing learning process and learning ability.

Simply put, cast your mind back to when you tried to study without food in your stomach, you will read one paragraph like 20 times and still not understand what you’re reading.

The NHGSFP also has huge economic benefits because it creates jobs which is the multiplier effect of the scheme.

There are 1, 900, 000 farmers and 103,913 cooks engaged across 31 states so far. This means that local farmers can sell their produce, thereby boosting the agriculture sector and the social economy status of both the cook and the farmer.

Apart from farmers and cooks, there are those hired to handle logistics, the meat sellers are also there, and this shows that the chain is indeed long.

*Morenike Oladele writes from Ekiti*

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE


 

The Presidency has admonished the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to stop dragging the presidency into their current sponsored media smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

Reports claiming that an agency of the government, the Department of State Services, DSS has indicted Bulkachuwa of corruption are the latest of this sponsored campaign aimed at causing disaffection between the Executive and the Judiciary, the two arms of government that had operated smoothly under the present dispensation.

While the PDP and its candidates are free to exercise their right to challenge the results of the 2019 presidential election, it is unacceptable to drag the name of the President or other organs of the executive branch into the campaign of character assassination against the President of the Court of Appeal.

The DSS doesn't conduct its duties in the manner so described and you can't use a fake security report to drag the presidency into a smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal.

Attacking judges because the outcomes of cases don't favour you and keeping quiet when the verdict is in your favour smacks of insincerity, double standard and mischief.

Intimidating and impugning the character of judges in order to force them to bow to blackmail is against the spirit of an independent judiciary.

The PDP praised the verdict of the Osun gubernatorial election tribunal because it favoured them, but they are now singing a different tune because they lost their appeal.

We cannot keep changing the definition of an independent judiciary to suit our political convenience and bias without ultimately creating chaos in the system.

If the PDP continues to blackmail and smear judges with fake news stories, we will ultimately find ourselves dealing with a situation where judges may be afraid to handle cases, thereby creating delays in the dispensation of justice.

If the presidency had any influence on election petition tribunals, APC candidates wouldn't have lost a single case before the courts.

 

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

May 11, 2019

By Tope Templer Olaiya

There’s presently no challenger; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is the undisputed poster boy of Buhari’s first-term presidency. And by each passing day, the Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) carves a niche for himself through his conduct and carriage of rising above the ashes of a floundering administration to earn the sobriquet, Star Boy.

Long before President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated his cabinet in November 2015, one man had been primed to take that space, the former governor of Lagos State. Babatunde Raji Fashola, a.k.a. Eko oni baje, was propelled then as the poster boy of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) that won the hearts of many during the 2015 elections.

And when the cabinet was unveiled with the president assigning three heavy portfolios – power, works and housing – to Fashola, the coast was clear for the Lagos ‘golden boy’ to transit from APC’s poster boy to Buhari’s actualizer, but it is another Lagos ‘golden boy’ that has taken the shine and grabbed the medal of this administration’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He is by popular acclaim the Buhari administration’s ‘Star Boy,’ the poster boy of efficiency, commitment, honesty and loyalty.


Both friends and foes, young and old are left enamored by the vice president’s exemplary and humble lifestyle, especially his ebullient spirit and ability to maintain uncommon composure in the face of threats and barrages of attacks.

Tuesday’s incident was unscripted. It was the latest of the vice president’s recurring civility and addition to his expanding crest lined with badges of honour. Angry youths of Gbagyi village in Abuja had blocked the busy Umaru Yar’Adua expressway connecting the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to protest against the alleged land grab by the Nigerian Army.

The vice president was heading to the airport on his way to Ekiti State to launch the Homegrown School Feeding Programme when he ran into the protesters at Goza village. The protesters blocked Osinbajo’s motorcade and all entreaties by his security aides to appease the youths failed. They were only disarmed and placated when the Star Boy seized the moment, alighted from his bulletproof Mercedes Benz to engage with the angry youths, by proposing to meet with their leaders on the matter and intervene with a view to finding an amicable solution.

Instantly, the people ended the protest and opened the highway for free passage. Still not done, the vice president didn’t order his convoy to squeeze through the congested road, he waited to ensure cars ahead of his convoy went on first and then got back into his car to continue his trip to the airport. Deservedly, the once incensed youths now formed a guard of honour that stretched several miles to bid him goodbye.

That was a simple but classic act of courage and leadership, which has never failed the vice president in the last four years, especially at critical periods when he mounted the saddle as acting president.

Acting otherwise with an excessive show of force would have been expected but out of character for Osinbajo. A similar incident with a different outcome occurred in December 2015 when the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, ran into the annual procession of the Shiites Muslim sect in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The ensuing clash turned violent, leading to the deaths of over 300 sect members and incarceration of the sect leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife since then. It is, therefore, left to be imagined what would have been left in the wake of such obstruction if it had been the motorcade of the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Osinbajo left that rowdy scene, arrived in Ekiti, performed his official function but what makes the man so much loved still trailed him to Ekiti when he visited the man who served as official driver to Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The senior citizen, Pa Olajide Olabode, aged 87 and his family was visibly elated and felt honoured.

Apart from serving as official driver to the late sage, he also functioned in same capacity and had the privilege to interact with the former governor of Western Region, Oba Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi, who was also the Ooni of Ife; the former Premier, Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and the first Military Governor, Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo. Pa Olabode was also the chauffeur of visiting head of states that included Julius Nyerere of Tanzania.

Before then, Osinbajo had sat on a school bench to eat with pupils of St. Michael’s African Primary School, Ado-Ekiti after the launch of School Feeding Programme.

Long before the TraderMoni social intervention scheme was launched that would see Osinbajo visit major markets across the length and breath of the country, he had also being a crowd’s man. Osinbajo in 2017 had almost caused a scare in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, when he went for a state visit.

On arrival at the airport, then acting president Osinbajo had inspected the guard of honour mounted by troops of the Army, Navy and Air Force before proceeding to the palace of the Obong of Calabar for a brief interaction. On the way, a visibly elated Osinbajo stopped his motorcade along the IBB Way to meet the cheering crowd, especially pupils of Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, who trooped out to catch a glimpse of his motorcade.

He not only walked a long distance just to shake hands with the crowd, an elderly woman from the throng forced her way to Osinbajo bringing freshly harvested vegetables to present to the vice president in a tray. That gesture melted the heart of Osinbajo who couldn’t help but reward the old woman with a tight hug.

Ever since then, the vice president has always been greeted by a mob wherever he goes, a situation even his security details sometimes find difficult to control.

As a polemicist, Osinbajo enjoys sermonizing. He likes to espouse on issues. As a university lecturer and senior advocate, he is in his elements when engaging on issues to win diehards to his side. As a vice president, he has taken his long years of scholarly antecedents with measured steps to tackle the matters of state that begged his attention.

He won hearts, even from unexpected quarters, and somewhat courted some enemies, with his swift response to the blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) during one of his stints as acting president last year.

While some of the president’s appointees have riden roughshod in their line of duty with no respect for democratic norms and ethos, Osinbajo had stood at variance from such malfeasance like a rare breed cut out from a refined piece. That was what Lawal Daura, the sacked director-general of the DSS, tried to display when he ordered his operatives to take over the National Assembly. He had a mission, to prevent the leadership of the National Assembly from holding their scheduled meeting. But Osinbajo aborted the Daura coup.

It would also be recalled that while Buhari was away on his routine medical trips, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) staged a public show. It demanded a referendum on Biafra. Osinbajo, also acting president at that time, handled the situation with the maturity it deserved.

“Nigeria’s unity is one for which enough blood has been spilled and many hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost. Many have paid for the unity of this country with their lives, and it will be wrong of us, as men and women of goodwill in this generation, to toy with those sacrifices that have been made.

“The truth is that many, if not most nations of the world are made up of different peoples and cultures and beliefs and religions, who find themselves thrown together by circumstance. The most successful of the nations of the world are those who do not fall into the lure of secession, but who through thick and thin forge unity in diversity,” he said.

Osinbajo, subscribing to this civilised tenets of democratic form of government, weaved through the thorny issue of self-actualisation, but once he reverted to his nominal role as vice president, the cart soon turned and a crackdown was ordered on the unarmed and defenceless members of IPOB, codenamed Operation Python Dance. Many lost their lives in the process.

But the vice president is not all out for the show. He brings his intellectual rigour into governance. Last week, the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, though started late due to other state assignments he anchored in the absence of the president, went on late into the night on Thursday. That was not his first time; last year when he had cause to take charge of FEC meeting, the ministers were forced to deliberate for seven long hours.

His forward thinking approach to governance has been the soothing balm in moments of crisis. Once on a tour of duty in Rivers State in 2017, Osinbajo declared that the federal government would work with illegal refineries and help convert them to modular refineries.

His approach to the Niger Delta challenge is an approach of intelligence and diplomacy, which has achieved more in the restive region than the president’s ‘command and obey’ tactics. The man approached the region with compassion and understanding, not with threats and bluster.

He physically visited and toured the region, not to canvass for votes, but actually to get a firsthand on-the-spot assessment of the issues befuddling the Niger Delta. What was the result of his avowed civility, oil production continued to rise and militancy waned.

He is an efficient technocrat in politics. Little wonder he is regarded across combustible and corrosive party lines as Nigeria’s most effective No. 2 citizen ever. He gets the work done. He is down to earth. His brainpower and people management skill more than compensate for what he lacks in a towering physique.

Where many are announced by raw physical presence only, Osinbajo only needs to speak to announce his presence: very articulate, never caught unprepared in situations needing empirical validation; always thinking on his feet and hard as granite under the harmless exterior. And when situations demand it, he is never short on quotable riposte like his anecdote of the looted empty shop and needless security over it during his sparring session with Mr. Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the vice presidential debate.

Again, Osinbajo does not strike one as an individual who has been changed by the power of his office. He is still the same good old ‘Jebby’ that his friends called him in the formative years. He appears more comfortable with being called ‘Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’ than being tagged with the awe-inducing ‘His Excellency’ label that tends to create a distance between the leader and the led.


Nigerians won’t forget in a hurry other few incidences where the vice president has shone brightly standing the middle ground between the government and the governed. In February 2017, there had been a mass movement of Nigerians mobilized for a nationwide anti-government protest tagged #IStandWithNigeria.

The protest was championed by music star, Tu Face Idibia, but he later succumbed to threats by the police not to lead Nigerians out on the protest. The rally lost a bit of momentum when the Afro-pop singer pulled out, citing security concerns, but his call to action had received widespread popular support and several civil society organisations keyed into it.

Yet at such difficult moment when responsibility fell on his shoulder to keep the country together in the midst of economic crisis skyrocketing prices of food items, then acting president, Osinbajo, received the protesters in Abuja and said: “We hear you loud and clear, those who are on the streets protesting the economic situation across the country and even those who are not, but feel the pain of economic hardship, we hear you loud and clear. You deserve a decent life and we are working night and day to make life easier.”

That statement, which was also posted on his social media handles, poured cold water on the fire the mass movement was generating.

It was a masterstroke that even disarmed a regular critic of the Buhari presidency, Reno Omokri. He had said then: “The man speaks to Nigerians as a leader should. He does not talk at us like the president. He talks to us. I may have issues with what he says sometimes but I am still impressed by his conduct and courteousness in office. Even if you do not like him, you must respect Vice President Osinbajo.” Was

The planned week-long retreat for Governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been described as contemptuous of Nigerians who are waiting for these governors to provide them potable water, smooth roads and to pay pension arrears to senior citizens.

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) accused the Governors and their retinue of personal aides of diverting hundreds of millions of Naira in hard currency, just to massage their ego at the expense of those who voted them into office, and who expect them to use the resources for the provision of basic amenities, especially schools that are conducive for teaching and learning.

A statement by BMO, signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsuji and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, said that the retreat that will hold at one of the costliest hotels in Dubai is wasteful and shows that the PDP Governors and Governors-elect have no confidence in Nigeria’s hospitality industry which employs millions of Nigerians.

“This is a further exhibition of PDP’s profligacy and wastefulness; are there no worthy places for meeting in Nigeria? We therefore call on the PDP to look inward at all times and for once be patriotic.

"Information available indicates that the PDP crowd, prodded by their unsuccessful Presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, has taken up a large chunk of the 599 luxurious ocean view rooms and suites and an additional 19 beachside villas in the complex

The Buhari Media Organisation said it is saddening that even outgoing PDP Governors, some of whom with cases at election tribunals, are travelling to Dubai for the retreat, instead of staying at home to take stock of their activities and prepare handing over notes for the in-coming governors.

“The PDP Governors and Governors-elect, by their action, have exported jobs and potential incomes for our domestic hospitality industry by taking their retreat to another country, where they will also pay taxes and contribute to capital flight", the statement lamented.

"BMO gathered that the talk-shop in Dubai would ostensibly focus on how the governors could attract investors to their states, but observers are of the view that it is unpatriotic to hold a retreat on such matters outside their states where they could showcase whatever they could offer the potential investors.

"It is just another frivolous extravagance of the PDP type that took away resources for the provision of amenities and wasting them on an exercise that is unlikely to bring any positive dividend to the electorates in their states", the group added.

Our attention has been drawn to the allegations in a report by an online publication, Premium Times, with the headline “How Buhari administration awarded Ogoni cleanup contracts to unqualified firms”, which was published on May 5, 2019. The headline and the report are misleading and inaccurate about the on-going clean-up of Ogoniland.

According to Section 49(1) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, “The procuring entity shall establish criteria to evaluate the proposals and prescribe the relative weight to be accorded to each criterion and the manner in which they are to be applied in the evaluation of proposals”. In view of this and taking cognizance of the Presidential Executive Order for planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science and technology, of February 2nd 2018, the Evaluation Committee of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) set the evaluation criteria in such a way that duly registered Nigerian companies can partner with local and international companies with requisite experience in remediation in the past 5 years. Thus, HYPREP did not fault its pre-qualification requirements.

It is important to also note that in our publication in both local and international media (The Economist – March 31st – April 6th; The Guardian, Daily Trust, Ogoni Star and The Tide of March 30, 2018) HYPREP never requested interested companies to have 5 years remediation experience before applying. Rather, Companies were requested to provide details of experience providing environmental remediation services of hydrocarbon impacted soil/groundwater comparable in scope and complexity to the assignment of interest in the last five (5) years. This is to ensure that the companies are still in business with current remediation technologies and not companies
that have been out of remediation business for the past 10 to 20 years. Therefore, local companies were encouraged to participate through evidence of partnership/joint venture agreement with local/international companies with requisite experience in remediation. This is aimed at building the capacity of the local companies in line with the aforementioned Presidential Executive Order for the promotion of Nigerian content.

The companies that came out successful in the exercise so emerged based on merit having met the requirements in the Technical, Financial and Commercial Bids. The Bid Evaluation Committee that evaluated the volumes of documents tendered by prospective companies rigorously verified every single claim of each company from the opening of bids through the technical to the commercial stages that finally culminated in the award of contracts.

Premium Times report alleged that several contractors that were awarded contracts did not qualify as stipulated in the terms and conditions of the Expression of Interest (EoI). This is not correct as HYPREP followed laid down procedures as stipulated by law.

The key requirements amongst others stated in the published Expression of Interest (EoI) which every potential contractor/company was expected to have include:

Certificate of Accreditation of company with Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA);

Nigerian companies applying as part of a joint venture or consortium with Non-Nigerian companies must, however, provide all the above listed information/documentation and a memorandum of understanding.

Thus, companies that won the remediation contract have competency in remediation and possessed the required documents and certifications to carry out remediation works in Nigeria. For example, Basic Technology Nigeria Limited which was cited, has executed remediation contracts with Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited from 2007 to 2018. The Company has Certificate of Accreditation from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, (NOSDRA) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), for oil spill clean-up and remediation. It also has a permit for use of bioremediation product known as Remediact. They are presently engaged in carrying out remediation work for another International Oil Company, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), complied with the Federal Government Executive Order 5 which among other things provides that procuring authorities shall give
preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007. The essence is to create an industrialized base for Nigeria’s economic development. In addition, each company that participated in the bidding process, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its technical partners in line with sections p & q of the advertorial.

For instance, Louizoni Ferretti Enterprises Ltd, met all mandatory requirements specified in the advertisement in line with Procurement Act of 2007 and is duly accredited with NOSDRA, Federal Ministry of Environment and DPR for oil spill clean-up and remediation as stated in HYPREP published Expression of Interest (EoI). The same applies to the other contractors mentioned in the publication, which had the required criteria.

Apart from their competence in related areas and having key technical staff with relevant knowledge in soil remediation, all of the companies have technical partners with requisite remediation experience. All the companies that participated in the HYPREP bid for the provision of remediation services were all qualified companies, and HYPREP in line with international best practices had to go for the most responsive bidders in line with the Procurement Act.
At the moment, the contractors have mobilized to site and they have also commenced remediation works. In addition, the companies have strong technical partnership with foreign companies.

We have to appreciate the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for kick-starting the clean-up of Ogoniland and, indeed, the Niger Delta, after successive neglect by previous administrations for several decades. To further reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Government to the clean-up, the Honorable Minister of Environment, Surveyor Suleiman Hassan Zarma came to handover sites to contractors. Also, this is the first time that such exercise would be done in the region.

As a project, HYPREP has recorded remarkable achievements in the Clean-up exercise which include, but not limited to, the implementation of the emergency measures as recommended in the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report. (The UNEP report estimated that it would take 25 to 30 years to clean up the polluted areas in Ogoniland).

Furthermore, we have carried out several trainings to enhance the capacity of Ogoni youths. Specifically, we have carried out the training of young Ogoni scientists in the area of remediation
and also Livelihood training of some Ogoni youths in collaboration with Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Onne.

It is also important to state that, in addition to the ongoing remediation efforts, HYPREP has implemented other recommendations of the UNEP report, including carrying out two medical outreaches in all the four Local Government Areas of Ogoniland aimed at collecting preliminary data for Health Study where over 20,000 cases were treated and over 400 surgeries were carried out, which was well received by the Ogoni people.

Also, HYPREP has entered into a collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development to resuscitate existing water facilities in the four Local Government Areas of Ogoniland. The procurement processes for the construction of new water facilities have reached advanced stages.

We wish to state categorically that HYPREP and indeed the clean-up project is fully welcomed and supported by the Ogonis, and the isolated incident in K-Dere where HYPREP bus was burnt was a clear case of an attack by miscreants. The act was totally condemned by the entire Ogonis and the people of K-Dere who provided useful information to guide security agents in their investigations.

The support of the Ogoni people for the project was evidently demonstrated recently during our Town Hall Meetings with the impacted communities where they offered useful suggestions and pledged to cooperate with HYPREP and its contractors to achieve a successful clean-up of their environment. Recently, the Central Representative Advisory Committee (CRAC) was inaugurated charged with the responsibility of interfacing with the Ogoni committees to resolve conflicts that may arise and to also ensure a peaceful atmosphere is created in Ogoniland during the operation of HYPREP activities.

Our office is open to Premium Times, other media organizations and the entire public who wish to obtain further information about our operations and the ongoing remediation work.

The Federal Government made a pledge to the Nigerian people and indeed the international community that Ogoniland will be cleaned to the standards prescribed by the United Nations, one of the reasons HYPREP has re-engaged the United Nations Environment, formerly United Nations
Environment Programme, UNEP, in a one-year contract (renewable) to advise and guide its operations in line with recommendations in the UNEP Report and global best practice.

HYPREP and the Ministry of Environment will keep making concerted efforts to ensure that the Clean-up exercise continue to adhere to required standards for a cleaner environment in Ogoniland and the whole of Niger Delta.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



I am truly pleased to be here this morning at the flagging off of the Homegrown School Feeding Programme of Ekiti State.

As we are all aware, the Homegrown School Feeding Programme is one of the four components of the Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government. The others, as you’ve been told, are the N-Power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, which includes TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni and Conditional Cash Transfers.

The Homegrown School Feeding Programme is one where the Federal Government provides one balanced meal a day to children in government primary schools.

But why do we provide the meals?

The most important reasons are; children in their growing years must be well fed. We have in Nigeria, a significant malnutrition problem. When a child suffers from malnutrition at an early age, they may become mentally stunted for life.

Secondly, surveys show that learning outcomes are significantly improved when children are not hungry while in school.

Thirdly, practically everywhere, the Homegrown School Feeding Programme has led to increased enrollment in schools and more regular attendance of children in schools.

Why do we describe our own School Feeding Programme as Homegrown? It is because we get all the ingredients for the food we serve the children from farms in the State so that farmers are empowered and we also engage the cooks locally, especially women living around the school area.

Today as you’ve heard from His Excellency the Governor, Ekiti State becomes the 31st State in the National School Feeding Programme.

Every day now in 31 States, we feed 9,536,860 children in 56,604 schools; 101,913 cooks have been engaged and over 100,000 smallholder farmers linked to the programme, supply ingredients every week.

So every week, the School Feeding Programme procures, prepares and distributes 767 cows, 138,000 chickens, 7,260,862 million eggs, and 94 metric tons of fish.

Ekiti State clearly stands to benefit, both in terms of the health of the children in school, but also economically by virtue of the numerous linkages to jobs and opportunities.

From today as you’ve heard, 75,020 children in this State will be fed daily and over 2,000 cooks and support staff will be employed as part of this programme. All of them, of course, would be Ekiti State indigenes.

Let me commend the vision and farsightedness of Governor Kayode Fayemi, not just for ensuring the implementation of this programme, but also for supporting all the other Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government.

Today, Ekiti State has 10,563 young men and women employed under the N-Power Programme, 9,760 beneficiaries of the MarketMoni loans and 43,701 TraderMoni beneficiaries.

In addition, there are 3,125 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme. This is in addition to what the State Government is doing.

Governor Fayemi’s support is not surprising, because he is one of those who clearly understands the importance of these programmes in lifting millions of our people out of poverty.
In his first term in office, he was one of those who pioneered cash transfers to the elderly in the sum of N5,000 a month and several other schemes which are very similar to what we have under our Social Investment Programmes today.

A fundamental pillar of President Buhari’s economic thrust is that the millions who function at the bottom of the economic pyramid; the smallholder farmers, the petty traders, and artisans, including the unemployed, must be supported by the State and the government to improve their capacity to fend for themselves and their families and contribute to the socio-economic development of society.

It is this bottom-up approach to economic planning and policy that informs our consistency in asking the question, how many jobs will this create whenever government projects or programmes are proposed? Because it is important that government programmes and projects create opportunities, especially for those who are unemployed.

The Next Level means that we will increase the scope and numbers of these important programmes. We will increase the scope of the N-Power programme, we will be employing more people, more young men and women from this State, we will increase the scope of the TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans to beneficiaries in this State. We will also be increasing the number of those receiving cash transfers. That is the Next Level!

Once more, let me congratulate the Governor, government and people of Ekiti State on the launch of the Ekiti Kete Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

God bless Ekiti State.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
8th May 2019




Copyright © 2019, Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN,

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE
[s][/s]

*Over 9.5M pupils benefiting

*Programme kicks off in Ekiti

*767 cows, 138,000 chickens, over 7M eggs & 94 metric tons of fish consumed every week

In continuation of the free daily feeding of pupils in public primary schools across the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has formally flagged off the feeding of 75,020 children in schools across Ekiti State taking the total numbers nationwide to 9.536, 860.

Prof. Osinbajo launched the programme today at St Michaels Anglican Primary School, Ado Ekiti in the company of the state Governor Kayode Fayemi, and other federal and state government officials.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme in Ado-Ekiti, the Vice President said Nigerians should expect more from the Federal Government noting that the Buhari administration will increase the scope of all its programmes to improve the impact on Nigerians.

“A fundamental pillar of President Buhari’s economic thrust is the millions who function at the bottom of the economic pyramid - the smallholder farmers, the petty traders, and artisans and the unemployed must be supported by the state to improve their capacity to fend for themselves and their families and contribute to the socio-economic development of society.

“It is this bottom-up approach to economic planning and policy that informs our consistency in asking the question of how many jobs this will create whenever a government project or programme is proposed. The Next Level is that we will increase the scope and numbers of these important programmes,” he noted.

On the multiplier effect of the school feeding programme, the Vice President said the benefits have made it one of the flagship programmes of the Social Investment Programme.

According to him, “Today, Ekiti State becomes the 31st State in the National School Feeding Programme. Every day now in 31 States, we feed 9.536, 860 children, in 56,604 schools, 101,913 cooks have been engaged and over 100,000 smallholder farmers linked to the program supply ingredients.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said “every week, the school feeding programme procures, prepares and distributes 767 cows, 138,000 chickens, 7,260,862 eggs, and 94 metric tons of fish. Ekiti State clearly stands to benefit both in terms of the health of the children in school and also economically by virtue of the numerous linkages to jobs and opportunities. From today 75,020 children in this state will be fed daily and 909 cooks will be employed.”

Speaking further on the reasoning behind the programme, the Vice President said apart from the aim of providing one balanced meal a day to children in public primary schools, the programme is designed to boost the local economy and empower local farmers.

He said: “the most important reason is that Children in their growing years must be well fed. We have in Nigeria a significant malnutrition problem. When a child suffers from malnutrition at an early age, they may become mentally stunted for life.

“Secondly, surveys show that learning outcomes are significantly improved when children are not hungry while in school. Thirdly, practically everywhere, the Homegrown School Feeding has led to increased enrollment in schools and more regular attendance of pupils.

“Why do we describe our own School Feeding Programme as Homegrown? It is because we get all the ingredients for the food we serve the children from farms in the State so that farmers are empowered and we also engage the cooks locally, especially women living around the school area.”

While commending the farsightedness of Governor Kayode Fayemi for ensuring the implementation of the School Feeding Programme in the state, the Vice President applauded the State Government’s support for all the other Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government.

According to him, “Ekiti State has 10, 563 young men and women employed under the N-Power programme, 9,760 beneficiaries of the Market Moni loans and 43,701 TraderMoni beneficiaries.

“In addition, there are 3125 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme. Governor Fayemi’s support is not surprising; he clearly understands the importance of these programmes in lifting millions of our people out of poverty.

“In his first term in office, he pioneered cash transfers to the elderly in all local governments of the state.”

An important component of the school feeding programme is the deworming exercise which started in November 2018 in a few states and will be extended to schools across the country.

The school feeding programme is adjudged to be the largest in Africa both in the number of pupils fed and the cooks engaged.


Laolu Akande

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

7th May 2019
Copyright © 2019, Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, All rights reserved.

There is something fascinating about the Vice President, he has this simple way of unravelling complex situation. This morning, some natives of Abuja took over the Abuja Airport road in protest of what they termed forceful occupation of their land by the Nigerian Army. Several attempts were made by security personnel to dislodge the protesters to no avail until the vice president arrived and pronto, without any show of force, he alighted from his vehicle, meandered through the thickness of the protest and began to address them.

From the rants and belligerent war songs that pervaded the road, it turned to a convivial songs of affection as the villagers reeled out their greviances not in venom but in dialogue. From Giri to Tunga Maje, has been taken over by the military in what the people described as a forced occupation. The vice president, they asked should use his good office to prevail on the army from taking over their ancestral land. By the time the man had finished speaking, it was the people soaked in unmitigated happiness and satisfaction that hailed endlessly as they opened the highway for motorists to pass!

How does Professor Yemi Osinbajo do this? How come he is always at home with the people? This is a study definitely in progress for students of political history. Shrewd understanding of the people, intimate ties with things that connect to the people and excellent human relationships are the combined wands employed by this man to solve very critical problems in a seamless manner. Leaders must adopt the Osinbajo model especially in resolving spontaneous conflicts.

Impressively musing
Abdullahi O. Haruna Haruspice

Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has been in the Middle East country for several weeks now.

This follows a leaked report of a meeting with individuals believed to have close links to key leaders of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) a group formerly known as Boko Haram which is waging a bloody insurgent warfare in Nigeria.

The leaked report seen by our correspondent referred to the meeting as "Doomsday Activate" and was strictly between the former Presidential candidate of the country's main opposition leader, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ISWAP facilitators in Abu Dhabi.

“The men who have the ears of the new ISWAP leader Abu Abdullah Idris bin Umar (a.k.a. Umar al-Barnawi) were flown in from Senegal on a private jet into the UAE last Wednesday for the meeting that began on Thursday night and ended on Friday afternoon, last week.

“This meeting was held in a hotel different from the one where the ISWAP allies were lodged,” it added.

It was against the backdrop of the meeting that security operatives began tracking the movement of the Nigeria’s former Vice President who had been in the Emirates since the February 23 Presidential election he lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.


It is not known if the Nigerian authorities had reached out to their UAE counterparts but both countries have a number of agreements including one on tackling terrorism and illicit flow of funds signed by President Buhari and Crown Prince Zayed Al Nahyin in 2016 which the security sources say has been triggered.


A Middle East security analyst said: "Nigeria and the UAE have no fewer than 9 agreements including the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that have boosted bilateral relations between the countries on Buhari's watch and are been pursued with serious interest by the two sides.


“There is a good working relationship between security operatives in the two countries which has recorded a number of success stories that can’t be revealed because of the security nature of the issues and the individuals involved.”

A UAE foreign affairs spokeswoman declined comments but SITE,a website known for tracking global terror activities confirmed in an email that security operatives have indeed placed the Nigerian politician on its watchlist.

The action by the UAE security agencies also comes at a time the Nigerian army raised the alarm about efforts by some individuals and groups to escalate the security situation in the country with a view to derailing the inauguration of the President for a second term in office on May 29 2019.

The army spokesman Colonel Sagir Musa had said “These persons and groups are making concerted efforts to further induce ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists and bandits with funds and other logistic supports.


He had added that "their body language and unguarded utterances seems to imply tacit support for the criminals. For example, credible source has shown that some individuals are hobnobbing with Boko Haram terrorists, while others are deliberately churning falsehood against the security agencies with a view to set the military against the people and the government".


It would be recalled that since the 2019 general election, there had been a spike in insurgent attacks in the North East region of Africa’s most populous country where ISWAP still operates on the fringe of the Lake Chad region.

*…Plans to meet with village heads to resolve crisis*

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday averted what was an impending civil unrest when he alighted from his convoy to assuage protesters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The Vice President who was headed to Ekiti state for the launch of the National Home Grown School Feeding scheme ran into the protesters who had barricaded the road, he alighted from his car and had a chat with the irate youths who began chanting his name soon as he was identified.

The protesters comprising mainly of young men and some women from Gbayi village were protesting at Gossa, the alleged invasion of their land by the Nigerian Military, urged the Vice President to intervene in the issue.

Responding to their plea, the Vice President assured them that he would meet with the village leaders to find lasting solution to the problem at hand.

He urged the youth to seek more diplomatic ways of solving issues. He assured them that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is dedicated to the people and that the dividend of democracy will be enjoyed by all.

The protesters said if they had known that the Vice President was going to ply the road they would not have acted in the manner which they did.

Thereafter, the youths once again began to chant his name and then made way for the Vice President to proceed to the airport.

Speaking to the media, a protester who identified himself as Danlami Abdulgafar praised Prof. Osinbajo for his humane nature. He said the Vice President understands and relates with the plight of ordinary Nigerians.

“Imagine that all Nigerians politicians are like Prof. (Osinbajo), this country would have succeeded since the 70s. He came down from his vehicle and he addressed us, in fact we were happy that he accorded us so much respect.

Another protester, Gwatana Muktar said if it were to be any other politician they would not even listen to the person. “You know during campaign he visited almost all the villages and we saw him first hand. He is a very humble man and God will continue to bless him,” he said.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar lacks pro-poor reasoning and thus cannot appreciate efforts at alleviating poverty through programmes that empower small-scale traders, like the Trader Moni Scheme, says the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO).

In a statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group responded to Atiku Abubakar's claim in his petition at the Presidential Election Tribunal, that the Trader Moni Programme amounted to vote-buying and lacked budgetary backing.

According to the group, the former Vice President, and one of the losers of the 2019 Presidential elections, is scornful of poor people, which is why he is inattentive to the fact that the programme was aimed at providing collateral and interest-free loans to small scale traders.

“Atiku's contempt for the poor renders him unable to understand and appreciate the Buhari government's policies and programmes aimed at making their lives better. It is not surprising, as Mr Abubakar spent the better time of his tenure as Vice-President making the lives of Nigerians miserable. As Vice President, he established his private University which no average Nigerian can afford, and at a time lecturers at public universities were on strike.

“Perhaps this despise has only worsened with the fact that the Nigerian masses overwhelmingly voted against him and his anti-poor policies in the recently concluded elections, while voting for President Muhammadu Buhari, a man who stands with and for them.”

The group highlighted that: “The Trader Moni Programmes are soft loans to small scale traders. They are expected to pay back. The 10,000 Naira is meant to provide extra capital for these small scale traders to expand on their small businesses, buy more goods to sell, and then pay back within six months. After repaying this N10,000, they are now entitled to N15,000, which when they repay, makes them eligible to N20,000, then N30,000, up to N100,000.

“Government had over time concentrated its efforts and policies on the welfare of the elites, the minority - who are already well to do - while neglecting the majority, poor Nigerians, by not creating policies that empower them directly and indirectly.”

BMO further noted that: “the President Buhari administration believes that the welfare of the poor is as important as that of the elites and thus they must be catered for as well.”

The group noted that with these facilities, low-income traders are able to access more funds to boost their capital and gradually expand their businesses, adding
that the Trader Moni Programme had received legislative blessing in the budget as it was under the Social Investment Programmes which had its budget presented and defended under that of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

“Trader Moni is a part and parcel of the President Buhari’s administration’s Social Investment Programmes which has followed proper budgetary procedure in its implementation. In fact, the Programmes were approved by the Saraki and Dogara-led National Assembly, which hailed it as the largest form of social investment in the continent. It is thus a figment of Atiku’s imagination that the programme has no legal backing.

“But we are not surprised, Atiku is a master of badly scripted tales that have no place in reality.”

“A man who had told Nigerians that he wanted to sell NNPC - Nigeria’s major revenue source - to his friends -would find it hard to understand Trader Moni. His mind is engineered towards cronyism and satisfying his elite friends alone.”

The group went further to recall that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was, a few days ago, in Anambra and Ebonyi States to monitor and assess progress of the Trader Moni Scheme in the two states.

“Is there any election coming soon, that the Vice President is going to purchase votes for? None! Atiku’s suggestion that the programmes are vote-buying schemes are not just baseless and unreasonable, they are cheap lies,” the group added.

Contrary to the fake news that Boko Haram members receive as much as $3000 daily as against what Nigerian troops receive, the true situation is that the insurgents are in disarray, lacking in supplies, foodstuffs and logistics.

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) in a press statement in Abuja said that the current unenviable state of the terrorist is due mainly to the renewed offensive by the Nigerian military.

In the statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Casidy Madueke, the group said reports emanating from the theater of war indicate that the terrorist have being decimated and incapable of committing atrocities like before.

“Obviously these deficiencies do not support the reckless views expressed in some quarters about the lucrative pay of the insurgents. A terrorists group that is buffeted with hunger and starvation can definitely not be in a position to withstand the unrelenting bombardment by the Nigerian military.

“We also note that based on the renewed firepower of the Nigerian military, the Boko Haram terrorists are now scattered and scampering for their own safety, as survival has become almost impossible. Dozens of the insurgents were recently killed by Nigerian troops within the Kimba-Sabon Gari-Damboa axis in Borno State.”

The group therefore commended the Nigerian military for their commitment towards eradicating the scourge of insurgency in the North-East of the country, in line with the policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“Presently the Boko Haram Insurgents are suffering from the depletion of their number of fighters following the ceaseless bombardment of their enclaves by the Nigerian military, with the air support by the Nigerian Air Force.

“We therefore appeal to Nigerians to disregard the rumours being peddled about Boko Haram terrorist receiving mouth-watering pay. This is a huge joke taken too far by the unpatriotic sympathisers of the notorious sect, and meant to cause disaffection in the country. We also urge the military not to relent but to sustain their tempo of activities in the North East with the Operation Lafiya Dole.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar lacks pro-poor reasoning and thus cannot appreciate efforts at alleviating poverty through programmes that empower small-scale traders, like the Trader Moni Scheme, says the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO).

In a statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group responded to Atiku Abubakar's claim in his petition at the Presidential Election Tribunal, that the Trader Moni Programme amounted to vote-buying and lacked budgetary backing.

According to the group, the former Vice President, and one of the losers of the 2019 Presidential elections, is scornful of poor people, which is why he is inattentive to the fact that the programme was aimed at providing collateral and interest-free loans to small scale traders.

“Atiku's contempt for the poor renders him unable to understand and appreciate the Buhari government's policies and programmes aimed at making their lives better. It is not surprising, as Mr Abubakar spent the better time of his tenure as Vice-President making the lives of Nigerians miserable. As Vice President, he established his private University which no average Nigerian can afford, and at a time lecturers at public universities were on strike.

“Perhaps this despise has only worsened with the fact that the Nigerian masses overwhelmingly voted against him and his anti-poor policies in the recently concluded elections, while voting for President Muhammadu Buhari, a man who stands with and for them.”

The group highlighted that: “The Trader Moni Programmes are soft loans to small scale traders. They are expected to pay back. The 10,000 Naira is meant to provide extra capital for these small scale traders to expand on their small businesses, buy more goods to sell, and then pay back within six months. After repaying this N10,000, they are now entitled to N15,000, which when they repay, makes them eligible to N20,000, then N30,000, up to N100,000.

“Government had over time concentrated its efforts and policies on the welfare of the elites, the minority - who are already well to do - while neglecting the majority, poor Nigerians, by not creating policies that empower them directly and indirectly.”

BMO further noted that: “the President Buhari administration believes that the welfare of the poor is as important as that of the elites and thus they must be catered for as well.”

The group noted that with these facilities, low-income traders are able to access more funds to boost their capital and gradually expand their businesses, adding
that the Trader Moni Programme had received legislative blessing in the budget as it was under the Social Investment Programmes which had its budget presented and defended under that of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

“Trader Moni is a part and parcel of the President Buhari’s administration’s Social Investment Programmes which has followed proper budgetary procedure in its implementation. In fact, the Programmes were approved by the Saraki and Dogara-led National Assembly, which hailed it as the largest form of social investment in the continent. It is thus a figment of Atiku’s imagination that the programme has no legal backing.

“But we are not surprised, Atiku is a master of badly scripted tales that have no place in reality.”

“A man who had told Nigerians that he wanted to sell NNPC - Nigeria’s major revenue source - to his friends -would find it hard to understand Trader Moni. His mind is engineered towards cronyism and satisfying his elite friends alone.”

The group went further to recall that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was, a few days ago, in Anambra and Ebonyi States to monitor and assess progress of the Trader Moni Scheme in the two states.

“Is there any election coming soon, that the Vice President is going to purchase votes for? None! Atiku’s suggestion that the programmes are vote-buying schemes are not just baseless and unreasonable, they are cheap lies,” the group added.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to office in a seismic political shift that swept out of office 16 years of continuous rule by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP recorded yet another resounding victory to win a second term in office, leading his closest rival by a record-setting four million votes.

His party, the All Progressives Congress, APC gained the highest parliamentary majority in the Fourth Republic in the Senate and the House of Representatives, giving the President an ample room to carry out reforms he wished to carry out, but was outmaneuvered and frustrated by the Eighth National Assembly.

While campaigning for the 2015 general elections, President Buhari’s All APC made promises to end Boko Haram terrorism and secure the country for it to be efficiently managed; to restructure the economy, halt its downward slide and create jobs and to fight corruption because, as the president repeatedly says, “if Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.”

His climactic victory against the then incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, his strong message on the three issues as listed above, his practical and serious approach helped to awaken a nation misled by characters who placed self above nation for sixteen years and more.

The Buhari administration has established for itself an anti-corruption reputation and has been in office nearing four years without a major scandal. The African Union has on account of this, selected the President as the continent’s anti-corruption champion.

The Buhari administration can pat itself on the back for this achievement when it is viewed against the established culture in which corruption is the norm.

To win the war against corruption and institute transparency in the affairs of government, the Buhari administration introduced a number of fiscal reforms and plugged several leakages.

In the firm belief that the party was not mistaken about the problems facing the country, Candidate Buhari went into the February, 2019 campaign on the same issue platforms. The President and his party looked certain of victory from the sea of crowds that attended his political rallies all over the 36 states of the federation. He was the only candidate to have campaigned at least once in each state and the Federal Capital Territory.

These rallies attracted large crowds, mostly of the poor who are trusting in his impeccable qualities of honesty and integrity, and have bought into the idea that he will quickly push their country onto the top by lifting up the economy, creating jobs, securing the nation and ending the nightmarish corruption which had become the order of the day. Some of the events were marked by incidents of road accident, podium or building collapse and stampede leading to tragic losses of life.

At many of those well-attended rallies, the venues fell short of the people gathered. Thousands of supporters outside tried to barge into the inner rings of the venues. Pleas were not heard by surging crowds which resorted sometimes to throwing chairs, sachet water and bottles into the no-man zones in front of the stage.

It was evident from the commencement of the campaign that President Buhari had a a two-pronged election strategy, one to showcase the achievements of his administration in its first term and two, to cash in on his popularity with the lower rungs of the population.

The party itself doubled down on President Buhari by zeroing in on his image as a diligent, coolheaded and incorruptible leader. In that enduring appeal, the APC saw a trump card going into the election.

Nobody can question President Buhari’s achievements. They are there for all to see.

The administration has significantly curtailed corruption to the point of abolishing what is called “grand corruption.” Given Treasury Single Account,TSA, the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Scheme, IPPS, the Bank Verification Number, BVN number and Whistle Blower schemes, it is no longer possible for people in authority to, for instance, request the withdrawal of millions, or sometimes billions of Naira or US Dollars to be shared among party members as was the practice under the past administrations. To boot, the Buhari administration has signed onto the global Open Government Partnership, OGP.

Reforms are being carried out in the justice sector with a number of domestic legislations and international agreements to facilitate the identification, tracing, freezing, recovery and forfeiture of ill-gotten assets.

The administration’s primary sectors of agriculture and solid minerals have experienced growth of 180 and 565 percentage points respectively. Nigeria has today achieved near self-sufficiency in rice production.

Government has launched a series of funding and capacity development initiatives to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), inaugurated by President Buhari in August 2016 has resulted in moving Nigeria up 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings, and earning a place on the list of 10 most improved economies. In this regard, the administration has issued a number of Executive Orders on improving efficiency in the business environment and promoting local content.

The Buhari administration has also demonstrated a single-minded commitment to upgrading and developing Nigeria’s transport, power and health infrastructure.

Road projects are ongoing across every state of the country, with many of these projects having been abandoned for many years.

The country’s narrow-gauge rail network of 3,500 Kms is currently being upgraded; Abuja’s light rail system has been completed and commissioned with a link to the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, which has equally been completed and launched. The Ibadan-Lagos standard gauge rail is being test run. Ibadan-Kano has been awarded.

The administration has successfully reconstructed the Abuja Airport runway, completed and commissioned new terminal buildings in Port Harcourt and Abuja with Lagos, Kano, Enugu and the others soon to be inaugurated.

Several water supply projects and dam/irrigation projects have been completed and many more on the way to being delivered. About 100 ecological projects have been awarded and completed in the six geopolitical zones.

The Buhari administration has more than doubled power generation capacity. It has increased generation to 8,100 MW and expanded transmission to more than 7,000 MW capacity, and has successfully deployed thousands of solar power systems to rural and urban households.

This is an administration that has been investing in people. It has introduced a social Investment Programme (SIP), which so far, has four components. These are the N-power employment scheme that is hitting 500,000 this year, the home grown school feeding program that feeds more than nine million school children across the federation, the Government Enterprise and Empower Program, GEEP giving out interest-free loans to millions of market women, traders, artisans and farmers and the conditional cash transfer, CCT which pays N5,000 monthly to the poorest and most vulnerable households in the country.

In dealing with security, one of the first major steps by the Buhari administration was the revitalisation of the Multi-national Joint Task force, MNJTF aimed at combating transborder crime and the Boko Haram insurgency. The MNJTF has the support and participation of neighbouring countries Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, in addition to Nigeria.

On the day of his inauguration, the President had directed the relocation of the command and control centre of the Boko Haram war to Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency.

The military has since proclaimed victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, following the capture of their operational and spiritual headquarters, “Camp Zero” in Sambisa Forest.

So far, more than one million displaced persons have returned to their homes and communities. About 20,000 hostages have been freed. One hundred and six (106) Chibok Girls, abducted in April 2014 and 105 Dapchi Girls abducted in February 2018 have been released and reunited with their families

In the area of diplomacy and international relations, the Buhari administration has re-established Nigeria’s position and influence in regional and global arena.

As a political leader, Muhammadu Buhari enjoys three formidable assets-- his record as a disciplined former Army General, his reputation as an honest leader who has not allowed corruption to flourish under his watch when he served as a state Military Governor, Minister of Petroleum and Military Head of State and the public perception of his record as one who stands for and by the truth, Mai Gaskiya.

The main opposition to President Buhari, the Peoples Democratic Party failed to realize how much these qualities meant to ordinary Nigerians; they did not reckon with the disillusionment of the citizens with their perceived acts of commission and omission for the 16 years they were in power.

They must by now, have realized with a with benefit of hindsight, that demonization and denigration of an individual does not bring in poll dividends. In their campaigns, they chose to demonise and denigrate Muhammadu Buhari as President. It did not pay.

Before and after this election, there is no face in the opposition who can match President Buhari’s inspiring character and personality. Many, including this reporter believe that it wasn’t the rail, road or achievements in the power sector that won this election for President Buhari. No doubt, these and many others are important. They may have added a bit here and a bit there. But what won it for him, was the focus by the voter on the single most important factor of Mai Gaskiya.

Mallam Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

*Visits Anambra markets, interacts with excited TraderMoni beneficiaries

The Buhari administration would ensure it completes the Second Niger Bridge project as it is not only important for the economy of the South East, but for the country’s economy, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Friday while fielding questions from journalists shortly after an inspection of the progress of work at the Asaba end of the Second Niger Bridge project.

The Vice President noted that strategic infrastructure projects such as the bridge is critical to the administration’s economic agenda, as it would improve socio-economic opportunities and benefit all Nigerians.

On the ongoing construction of the Second Niger Bridge, Prof. Osinbajo expressed optimism that the project would be delivered on schedule, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari is personally committed to completing the project.

The Vice President said: “The Second Niger Bridge is so important for the economy of the South East and for the Nigerian economy, and of course it's not just the bridge, there are also the access roads, which are also very important.

“It is obvious so much progress has been made here. It is an important project that the President is committed to complete. In the past 18 months or so, a lot work has been done and I came to see for myself.

“As you can see, the foundation goes all the way down, and this is just the Asaba end of the bridge. There is also the Anambra end of the bridge, so it is a lot of work. There is a huge number of people who are also benefiting in various ways (as the project progresses)

Speaking further, the Vice President noted that the commitment of the Buhari administration to complete strategic infrastructure projects to improve the nation’s economy, necessitated the creation of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

The PIDF is an initiative of Buhari administration which is to be invested specifically in critical road and power projects across the country.

According to the Vice President, “there are some critical infrastructure that we consider very strategic to our economic plan and which, through this fund, we hope to complete. One of the reasons why projects are hardly ever completed was because we didn’t have money going into the projects. That is why the President has decided that we must have a fund for all of these projects, which is the PIDF, and we also have a smooth sailing process.”

Speaking further, the Vice President said projects being executed under the PIDF include the Kano-Abuja expressway, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Mambila hydro project, amongst others.

“The good thing is that the President has set aside the funds, the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, which is a fund dedicated to certain strategic projects including the Second Niger Bridge,” he added.

Earlier before embarking on the tour of the Second Niger Bridge project, the Vice President paid a courtesy call on the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, at his palace in Onitsha.

In his remark, the Vice President assured the monarch of the Federal Government’s commitment to be fair and just in the execution of projects across the country.

He also noted that there are other initiatives being implemented by the Federal Government in Anambra State in partnership with the state government.

According to him, “Anambra State was the very first state to accept what we call the HomeGrown School Feeding Programme, which is a Federal Government programme. Anambra State was the very first state to accept and implement it the way we wanted it to be implemented.”


While in Anambra State, the Vice President visited the Eke-Awka market in Awka, and the Ochanja market in Onitsha to monitor ongoing disbursement of the TraderMoni to over three thousand petty traders at the markets

So far, over 30,000 persons have been enumerated in Anambra State while about 26,000 loans have been disbursed and over 17,000 cashed out.

Almost 2 million petty traders nationwide are currently benefiting from the microcredit scheme.


The Buhari administration’s N10,000 TraderMoni loans is a part of its National Social Intervention Programmes (N-SIP), and is designed to assist petty traders across the country expand their trade through the provision of collateral and interest-free loans from N10,000. The loans are repayable over a period of six months, after which the traders get an improved loan of N15,000. They get additional sums up to a N100,000 along the way as they repay the loans.



Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity

Office of the Vice President

4th May 2019

The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has joined the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (NCCI) to debunk the statement credited to Governor of Zamfara State at the Nigerian Governors Forum that the Governors should brace up for another recession in 2020.

BMO, in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, recalled that the CBN had assured Nigerians that there are no indicators suggesting an oncoming recession, and that the alarm raised by Yari who is Chairman of the Governors forum is patently wrong and misguided.

“Nigerians should dismiss the false alarm raised by Governor Yari because the Buhari administration runs the Nigerian economy on an economic template of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) with a robust roadmap towards sustainable growth.

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when there is a tight monetary policy which has seen an increase in the Nations foreign Reserves to $44.3 billion dollars from $22 billion dollars left by the PDP administration?

"How can Nigeria slip back into recession when there are deliberate attempts at revamping Nigeria's rail system, deepening road networks and giving facelifts to airports across the country?


“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when reforms like Treasury Single Account (TSA) have been actively pursued to cut down on the leakages from the public treasury?


“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF) managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) grew by $350 million?


“Despite concerns,” the group added, “Nigeria’s Central Bank forecast shows that the country’s GDP will record a sustained growth trajectory from its present 1.9% to 3% in 2019 and attain the single digit inflation target encapsulated in the ERGP.


“Yes, Nigeria’s population growth currently outpaces Nigeria’s economic growth of 3.2% year on year with the population rising higher than the country’s GDP growth forecast of 3% for the year 2019. But then, Nigeria, after exiting recession in 2016, has shown growth potentials from policies targeted at diversifying the economy, to courting foreign direct investments (FDI) and reducing inflation rate from a high 18% to a manageable 11.2%. The country has also improved per capita income, consumer price and manufacturing index,” the group added.


The pro-Buhari group noted that the CBN recently issued five new banking licenses which is a testimony to the viability of the economy. The consequences of home-grown fiscal and monetary policies has created an enabling environment for risk takers to source capital locally to acquire the banking licenses.

“What Nigerians stand to gain from new banks operating either regionally or nationally include access to credit for small and medium enterprises and jobs for the pool of Nigerians in the labor market.”


According to BMO, the indicators are easily verifiable; there is a deliberate policy direction to lift more Nigerians out of poverty, it is evident from the impact assessment and independent report of the administration’s social investment programmes (SIP) that have touched 13 million Nigerians across the youth, women, and children demography.

The group described as shocking “that some leaders would offer comments based on unverified reports and lacking insight as well as background information.”

Pa Ayo Adebanjo, factional leader of Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has been accused of seeking his long-lost political relevance at the expense of President Muhammadu Buhari.



The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) says Pa Adebanjo’s latest outburst on the 2019 Presidential election is in furtherance of this objective.



In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO wondered why the octogenarian, who does not have a political base, would insinuate that he could be arrested for expressing a political opinioin uncomplimentary to President Buhari.



“In any case, Pa Adebanjo had in recent years shown, by words and deeds, that he should not be taken seriously.



"Here is a man who in his youth learnt at the feet of the late sage Obafemi Awolowo but opted to use his later years to cavort with characters that the great Awo would neither have approved of nor agreed to be photographed with.



"It got so bad that he has since been rejected by the larger Afenifere group which still holds firmly to the time-tested virtues that the group has always been known for.



"But he's still holding firmly to a lost cause alongside a much younger individual who is a well-known political jobber, “it said.



The pro-Buhari group noted that it was not surprising that a man who has not vied for any elective position in recent memory would express such views about an election that was widely acknowledged as free, fair and credible.



"We urge Nigerians to ignore him absolutely, especially as it is clear that he is desperately looking for relevance.



"We know him as a sympathiser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) masquerading as a leader of thought in the South-West, so we are really not surprised that he has been acting as the party's repeater station in cahoots with the failed candidate Atiku Abubakar who has since returned to Dubai.



"The factional Afenifere leader claimed that the election was rigged, but the facts on ground show that an overwhelming majority of Nigerians, including those in his polling unit, ward, local government and state opted for the man he loves to hate.



"It should be clear to his paymasters now that he has no political relevance that they can leverage on, but he continues to massage his own ego with tirades against President Buhari.



"For us, his political outburst is akin to a mosquito that lands on an elephant and expects the elephant to notice and congratulate him.



“We join many Nigerians to ask him to check his conscience and reflect on how he departed from the glorious path laid by the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo."



BMO said the President respects all Nigerians but does not need the validation of a section of the political elite that is used to feeding fat on political patronage at the expense of the generality of the masses.



"Pa Adebanjo and his ilk should wake up and smell the coffee. Or is it that difficult to accept that the silent majority delivered a telling blow to those who considered themselves as the owners of Nigeria on February 23 2019?



"We know that members of this small group that Pa Adebanjo represents have been uncomfortable in many ways, but we just have to keep reminding them, without gloating, that President Buhari was duly elected and would also have his second term mandate reinforced by the Supreme Court in spite of the fake INEC server result that the opposition is relying upon, "it added.

On Monday, April 29th, 2019, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) completed the fourth National Action Plan (NAP 4.0) which began on March 1st, 2019. The completion of NAP 4.0 marked the end of another 60-day accelerated reform cycle targeted at implementing reforms and promoting accountability.

In the remark by the Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment/Vice-Chair of PEBEC, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, he emphasized the continued need for partnerships and collaborations towards economic growth, transformation and an overall improved business climate. He stated that, ‘’there is a need for government to forge synergy with the private sector towards exploring opportunities of raising capital through the market for infrastructure projects and boost industrialisation’’.

Also speaking on the completion of the 60-day NAP 4.0 reform cycle, the PEBEC Secretary and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole congratulated the MDAs on the successful completion of the NAP 4.0 and urged them to complete the implementation of outstanding reforms. She also thanked private sector and other arms of government for the strong collaboration that has been enjoyed on Nigeria’s ease of doing business initiative, even as we all collectively strive to expand and deepen reforms for continuous improvement of our economy.

During the NAO 4.0 cycle, specific Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) implemented reforms during this period that will improve efficiency, cost savings as well as transparency of processes and systems. These reforms are also a direct response to some of the challenges which SMEs encounter, particularly in the areas of starting a business, enforcing contracts, paying taxes, registering property and dealing with construction permits.

On the implemented reforms during this period, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) enforced compliance of its Service Level Agreement (SLA) on post incorporation filings. This means that post-registration applications are now treated within the timelines specified in the SLA at CAC offices. The Kano State Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Co-operatives and Tourism (KSMCICT) also enforced the use of the newly introduced electronic process for registration of business premises in Kano State. This will largely improve the efficiency in the process for registration of business premises in the State.

Lagos and Kano States Judiciaries have published performance reports and judgements of the Small Claims Courts on their respective websites, as reforms to ease the enforcement of contracts. These courts were set up in April 2018 and January 2019 respectively, to handle liquidated money demands with a threshold of N5 Million and below. The availability of performance reports and copies of judgments of will improve transparency and engender confidence & trust in the judicial system for both States.

The ease of paying taxes was also improved, as the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) worked extensively on driving the implementation and adoption of electronic payment and filing of taxes in Lagos State. This reform is expected to provide access to e-platforms for use by all classes of tax payers.

The Lagos and Kano States Ministries of Physical Planning and Development also drove more awareness and compliance on previously implemented reforms, with constant monitoring and evaluation. Some of these reforms include: the removal of the infrastructure development charge (IDC) for 2-floor warehouses, which saves about N6 Million for stakeholders; the removal of the requirement for submission of certified true copies (CTCs) for purposes of obtaining title documents and survey plans, amongst others. The communication of the implemented reforms has improved efficiency with regards to operations at the State Ministries and translated into cost savings.

The National Action Plan 4.0 concluded with an overall completion rate of 64%.

The Ag. Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Mary Uduk, also in attendance, said that the SEC has been at the forefront of supporting capital market operations, through its development of e-dividends to boost investors’ confidence in the market.

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. PEBEC’s model aligns with global best practice and includes a strong performance tracking element that is measured by the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index (DBI), which is reported annually.

Signed:
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole
SSA Industry, Trade & Investment to the President Office of the Vice President
2nd May, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari should get all the accolades for the release of a Nigerian, Miss Zainab Aliyu by the Saudi Arabian authorities, according to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO).

It will be recalled that Miss Aliyu, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano was detained in Saudi Arabia where she had travelled to for the Islamic lesser hajj. The young Nigerian was alleged to be in possession of banned substances, an offence punishable by beheading in Saudi Arabia

In a statement by the Chairman and Secretary of the organisation, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke respectively, BMO noted that barely 24 hours after the President issued the directive to his aides to ensure her release, Miss Aliyu was released. Investigation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had earlier found out that she was innocent of the alleged crime, consequent upon which she was released to the Nigerian Mission in Saudi Arabia.

The group said the action of the President demonstrates that he considers Nigerians all over the world, irrespective of the place and status, as deserving of the welfare and protection of government, especially where their innocence is established.

“Times without number, President Buhari has demonstrated his leadership and steadfastness in responding to issues that affect the welfare and security of Nigerians both within and outside the country. It is therefore not a surprise to us that he quickly issued a directive to the Attorney-General to secure the release of Zainab Aliyu, immediately the matter was brought to his notice.”

While commending the President for his prompt intervention, the group calls for the immediate prosecution of members of the cartel that planted and tagged the banned substance in Zainab Aliyu’s name.

BMO describes the action of the cartel as the height of man’s inhumanity to man especially knowing that the result of their action is outright death.

“Apart from ensuring that every single individual involved in this heinous crime is given the maximum sentence prescribed by law, upon conviction, so as to serve as deterrent to others, the relevant authorities must extend their investigations to ensure that there are no other innocent Nigerians suffering similar fate in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.

“It is barbaric that a group of people who know that countries like Saudi Arabia stipulate death sentence for any traveller found with banned substance, yet still went ahead to plant the substance in a bag that is not her’s, and tagged it to her name.

“It did not even matter to these people that the said girl is innocent. They were only interested in the benefit they would derive if the baggage had scaled through to its intended destination.”

BMO therefore called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of nationalism and let change truly begin with them.

“Apart from the evil of implicating a fellow Nigerian in crime she knows nothing about, it pays no one to involve in any form of crime, especially one in a foreign country where the penalty is capital punishment.

by Faith Edet Bassey, a legal practitioner



I really wonder for how long we have to deal with dishonest leaders. Leaders who lie without remorse, who cheat the people, deceive the people and relentlessly play on their intelligence.



When Alhaji Abubakar Atiku started yelling that he had been cheated on the Monday following the Presidential elections, I thought, well, perhaps he must have a point. Then he said the results he was getting from the field showed he was ahead while the results being announced on TV and radio by the returning officers showed that he was losing by an ever increasing gap as the results came in.



Then he said he was going to prove that the elections were rigged by showing that the INEC server( not Website, which is accessible to all) contained results showing he won the elections by 1.6million votes. As to how these results got to the INEC server, he offered that the Smart Card Readers transferred the results from the polling units electronically to the server.

Atiku is clearly playing games with our intelligence. His ploy is simple. Tell a lie, make it as confusing as possible, a lie around technology always works best .

But this is so irritating because it is so obviously a lie.



In the petition before the tribunal, he says that the results on the INEC server showed that in Lagos State he had 1.1 million votes! and Buhari had 1.3 million votes. I voted in Lagos, the entire Nigerian Press and all the social media operate in Lagos. Minute by minute they posted the results on line. The total votes by all the media for both Buhari, Atiku and all other candidates was 1.05 million votes. It seems only Atiku had a record of this fantastic result!



I am a lawyer, I am not a SAN like his lawyers but the Electoral Act makes no provision whatsoever for transmission of election results electronically. The relevant provision clearly prescribes a process of filling and verifying forms at every stage from local government collation to State collation and then the National collation centre at Abuja. Section 73. Of the Electoral Act says , “Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Commission shall issue and publish, in the Gazette, guidelines for the elections which shall make provisions, among other things, for the step by step recording of the poll in the electoral forms as may be prescribed beginning from the polling unit to the last collation centre for the ward or constituency where the result of the election shall be declared’.



And section 74. says, ‘Every Result Form completed at the Ward, Local Government, State and National levels in accordance with the provision of this Act or any guidelines issued by the Commission shall be stamped, signed and countersigned by the relevant officers and polling agents at those levels and copies given to the police officers and the polling agents, where available.’



So the law expects that the results would be collated manually, entered and signed on forms provided by law. In any event, the Card reader is only configured to verify the authenticity of PVCs not to collate and transmit results. Those who designed the process may have known that electronic transmission would result in these types of scams, a candidate who claims he accessed the INEC server! If he could access it he could tamper with the figures. Thank God that we have hard copies of all the results and the law only allows proof by hard copies.



The same Atiku argues in his petition that Card readers were not used in many States. Yet his ‘server results’ show results from every State except Rivers State. In every State there is a total number of accredited voters and scores for both Buhari and himself. How were the results electronically transmitted in States where Card Readers were allegedly not used?



It is incredible that a man who wants to lead this nation sees nothing wrong in barefaced deceit and astonishing lies.



This is just so insulting!Why do we have these sorts of characters inflicted on us?

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE


The Federal Government of Nigeria would not relent in its concerted efforts to improve the country’s power sector, including providing off-grid solutions such as renewable energy in order to rapidly grow and transform the nation’s economy, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday when he received a delegation from Total Group, led by its Chairman/CEO, Mr. Patrick Pouyanne, who paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Vice President said the Buhari administration is making concerted efforts towards improving power generation in the country, such as using solar energy to provide power for sections of the populace.

He said the Federal Government would be ready to partner with the private sector such as Total that have indicated interest in making investments not only in oil and gas, but also in electricity/renewable energy.

Prof. Osinbajo noted that “there is a lot of work that has been done to provide off-grid alternatives such as solar power. We have done quite a bit through the Energizing Economies Initiative, to provide clean and affordable electricity to Nigerians in economic clusters. It would be interesting to see some pioneering efforts in this area of renewable energy; it is a good opportunity to do something in this area and would be a major contribution to Nigeria’s energy needs.”

The Vice President commended the group for its contribution to the economy, especially with an increase in local content, noting that he hoped for a more robust relationship between the group and the Federal Government.

In his remarks, Pouyanne, who congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President for their re-election, said the group has achieved a high percentage of local content participation in one of its projects (Egina FPSO) in Nigeria.

“Our commitment to the country is strong and we have ambition to continue to be a long partner with Nigeria. Total is a leader in solar (energy) and we want to invest in all these fields in Nigeria,” Pouyanne said.

Also present at the meeting was the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; who noted that it was important that oil companies have an integrated approach to community development.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, and other senior government officials, were also present at the meeting.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
30th April, 2019

"…Disregard frenzy news and naysayers’ reports”



Nigeria’s security situation is steadily improving, and the security agencies have recorded significant results within the last few months across the country.



Making this assertion in a statement in Abuja, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) stated that opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) insinuations that the Buhari administration was not paying proper attention to security issues in the country, is completely off the mark.



The group added that the PDP has no moral ground to talk about security issues in Nigeria as Buhari has been busy fixing what had been bequeathed to him by sixteen years of PDP’s mal-administration.



In the statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, BMO noted that “While indeed President Buhari met on ground a weak security structure, and several security challenges, Nigeria’s security situation is being tackled head-on with tangible successes being recorded, especially more recently with prominent arrests made.



“There is the opinion that we must not dwell on the past, but context is important when we address Nigeria’s social, economic and security issues. Nigeria’s security challenges did not start yesterday, neither did it start in 2015. A weak security structure funds meant for security agencies stolen; that was what was bequeathed to President Buhari. But he has not rested on his oars since he assumed office in May 2015. Rather, he has decidedly tackled Nigeria’s security challenges head-on and made consequent directives that have yielded fruitful results.



“The menace of kidnapping and banditry in some states in the North-Central and the North-West, particularly in Kaduna and Zamfara States, have been dealt swift blows by the Buhari led administration in the last few months. Only last week, the notorious godfather of kidnappers, known as the Spiritual Father of Kidnappers in Northern Nigeria, Salisu Abubakar was arrested by the Nigerian Police. This is a major feat.



“Several arrests have been made consequently, and armed bandits are being smoked out from their hideouts through intelligence gathered from this 'Spiritual Father.'”



BMO stated further that the security agencies must be commended for their resilience and dedication, especially given their recent feats, including the arrest of the suspected killer of the traditional ruler of Adara Kingdom of Kajuru Local Government Area in Kaduna State.



“Those perpetrating the killings and banditry are being arrested by the security forces. Several of them are in police custody, including Ibrahim Abubakar and several others who were arrested in relation to the kidnap and murder of Maiwada Galadima of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.



“The 200-kilometre long Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, on the orders of the President, is now being dominated by security forces who are taking the heat to the bandits and kidnappers, taking them down in their bases. Kidnapped persons are being freed as well.



“The Nigerian Military recently uncovered an illegal arms factory in Benue State, and have arrested the two manufacturers.



“Troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force have made significant impact in their mandate in the North East. Today we do not hear of our Local Governments being run down, rather we hear that the Military have destroyed this camp and that camp; the military have recovered so and so. Consequently hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons have returned to their homes and their livelihoods.”



BMO stated further that the commitment of the President towards securing the nation was showing results and it is falsehood to say otherwise.

“Given all these achievements by our security agencies, and much more that have not been mentioned here, whoever says the President has made no impact is being a naysayer, and is being economical with the truth.



“People should not live in the past, indeed the PDP failed to institutionalise and fund security adequately, and this has resulted in some of the security challenges we have faced, but those days are coming to an end.”



The group noted that Nigerians should disregard frenzy news items that celebrate and promote crimes while failing to amplify the multitude of successes achieved by the Nigerian security agencies

The headline concocted by Sahara Reporters’ in its report published on Monday, April 29, 2019, titled “Documents Show Osinbajo, Fashola Lied About Rise in Power Generation” reeks of outright mischief and was coined deliberately to mislead the public, and it should be ignored in its totality the Initiative to Save Democracy has stated.



In a statement signed by its President, Akinloye James, it noted that on April 1, 2019, while delivering the convocation lecture at the 50th Convocation of the University of Lagos, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, noted that, “On Power, we have moved generation from 4000 to 8100 MW. But the effect of this increase in generation has not translated significantly to better service to the consumer” of which the statement was a matter of fact correct.



“This statement is essentially correct, because according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 2018 Q3 report, Available Generation Capacity for the Nigerian Electricity Sector Industry (NESI) peaked at 8,206MW in August 2018, the highest ever in the history of Nigeria -which the VP quoted.”



“Now, the Available Generation Capacity given is the total generation capacity of plants at a particular point that are available to supply energy to the grid in the absence of constraints such as gas, grid, line, water management and others.”



It noted that the Vice President did also point out that although power generation had increased, “the effect of this increase in generation has not translated significantly to better service to the consumer, mainly due to distribution challenges.“



The Vice President had noted that “Over 2000 MW of power is not taken up by the discos for distribution to consumers, largely because of problems they experience in the collection of tariffs. But one of the reasons for this is the fact that the discos have not invested significantly in metering. We have now embarked on a major metering Initiative, The Metering Assets Programme, which involves private metering assets providers.”



The group stated that: “On the said authoritative report obtained by Vanguard from the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo which stated: “On April 23rd, 2019, average power sent out was 87,061.8 MWh/day. The reported gas constraint was 2,039.5 MW,” it should be pointed out categorically that a gas constraint is something preventing energy from being generated, for example, low pressure of a gas pipeline. Thus, it means because all the gas constraints for different plants were identified and added up, it prevented 2,039.50MW from being generated.”



“However, despite the challenges, while it keeps working to improve the power sector, the Federal Government is also exploring other means to generate power. One of these is through adoption of an off-grid programme. Through this programme, private investors are encouraged to collaborate with government to build IPPs and supply power to willing buyers. This was made possible by what is called an eligible customer declaration by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.”



“Also, through this collaboration, solar power is being provided to tens of thousands of economic clusters such as markets, nationwide; a combined total of over 80,000 shops servicing 320, 000 SMEs. They include Ariaria market in Aba; Sabon Gari market in Kano; Sura market in Lagos; Isikan in Edo; and Gbagi in Oyo state.” The statement said.

Telecoms giant MTN's willingness to transform from a private company to a publicly traded company will enhance both domestic and international investors' confidence in the Nigerian Stock Market.



According to BMO in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the decision by MTN to free up to 35% of its share holdings to Nigerian investors through listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange is a welcome and worthy decision by the international telecommunications giant. “This will not only empower domestic investors but will enhance the robustness of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, create new telecoms asset class and catalyze a telecom index for direct participation by investors in Nigeria.”



The Pro-Buhari group noted that Nigeria is undoubtedly the largest telecommunications market in Africa and has continuously rewarded MTN with high returns than in any of its operational jurisdictions across the globe. Despite some regulatory sanctions, MTN in 2018, recorded a 17.2% growth, it is just commendable that MTN has decided to share prosperity with Nigerians.



"By its recent transformation of its corporate nomenclature to MTN PLC, preparatory to being listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, MTN has not only shown commitment to the localization of the markets it operates in, but it has also reaffirmed its long term dedication to expanding investment opportunities to Nigerians. This will also serve as a strong impetus to international investors to direct investments to the country, as a result of the compelling optics of reliability and trade-worthiness so generated thereby," the group added.

Telecoms giant MTN's willingness to transform from a private company to a publicly traded company will enhance both domestic and international investors' confidence in the Nigerian Stock Market.



According to BMO in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the decision by MTN to free up to 35% of its share holdings to Nigerian investors through listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange is a welcome and worthy decision by the international telecommunications giant. “This will not only empower domestic investors but will enhance the robustness of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, create new telecoms asset class and catalyze a telecom index for direct participation by investors in Nigeria.”



The Pro-Buhari group noted that Nigeria is undoubtedly the largest telecommunications market in Africa and has continuously rewarded MTN with high returns than in any of its operational jurisdictions across the globe. Despite some regulatory sanctions, MTN in 2018, recorded a 17.2% growth, it is just commendable that MTN has decided to share prosperity with Nigerians.



"By its recent transformation of its corporate nomenclature to MTN PLC, preparatory to being listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, MTN has not only shown commitment to the localization of the markets it operates in, but it has also reaffirmed its long term dedication to expanding investment opportunities to Nigerians. This will also serve as a strong impetus to international investors to direct investments to the country, as a result of the compelling optics of reliability and trade-worthiness so generated thereby," the group added.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



*FG gives immediate employment to NYSC honorees

*Awardees to also get automatic scholarships up to Doctorate level

*VP commends youth scheme for promoting national integration and cohesion

“The NYSC is an indisputable national heritage, established in 1973 by His Excellency and elder statesman, General Yakubu Gowon, who was just 39 years old at the time, to promote national integration and cohesion. Beyond this, the programme has become an important complement to national development, by making available manpower to meet Nigeria's requirements in education, health, infrastructure development and many other areas.

“To all of today's honourees, let me make it clear that you are not just the future of this country, but also its present. You must all see yourselves as the leaders that you are. But leadership comes with responsibility and continuous sacrifice. The successes you have achieved and are being rewarded for today should inspire you to even greater feats in your various spheres of influence.” – Vice President Osinbajo



ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE (COMBINED 2015, 2016 AND 2017) PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS (NYSC) HONOURS AWARDS CEREMONY, AT THE BANQUET HALL, STATE HOUSE, ABUJA ON FRIDAY, 26TH APRIL, 2019

PROTOCOLS

I am delighted to be here to address you on this special occasion of the conferment of the President's NYSC Honours Awards on these worthy young men and women who have diligently served the nation through the National Youth Service Corps.

I am especially pleased by the fact that we are gathered here to honour a time-tested tradition; the recognition and celebration of young Nigerians, who by hard work, innovation, sacrifice and selfless service, have distinguished themselves as NYSC members in various States. I commend both the Management and Staff of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the NYSC, for reviving this noble ideal of recognising and rewarding excellence and service of Corps members.

The NYSC is an indisputable national heritage, established in 1973 by His Excellency and elder statesman, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), who was just 39 years old at the time, to promote national integration and cohesion. Beyond this, the programme has become an important complement to national development, by making available manpower to meet Nigeria's requirements in education, health, infrastructure development and many other areas.

The NYSC has from the beginning been about opportunities; opportunities for young Nigerians to serve, to earn a living, to travel, to see and learn about Nigeria and go beyond their comfort zones and to build lifelong friendships.

The important roles that young people, especially members of the NYSC played in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the 2015, 2019 general elections, and several other elections, offer clear evidence that when positively engaged in nation-building and national activities, our country stands to gain tremendously from its brilliant sets of young people.

At this point, I invite us all to rise and observe a minute of silence in honour of Corps members whom, in their service to this Nation, lost their lives.

Please permit me to speak briefly on 3 core ideas that may be useful to remember here, especially as this is a gathering of Nigeria's present and its future, especially you, the brightest and best being celebrated today.

One, it is the exceptional individuals in society who are the true builders of institutions and nations. These exceptional individuals like you, are not necessarily those from the wealthiest homes or most fortunate circumstances. Indeed, they may be from the most humble circumstances and they may not even be the most academically successful of their peers. But they are the young men and women who somehow, know that true greatness comes from serving others and one’s community.

Second, it is the vision, innovation and handwork of one person that would make the difference in the life of a community or a nation. We have seen this in the outstanding work of many of you here today that indeed, with your own innovation, vision and contribution, you profoundly impacted the communities you served. Just one person can make a substantial difference in the life of a community.

The third is that enduring individual success is a function of the courage and resilience we bring to our lives. I was challenged here by the remarkable courage of those Corp members who suffered various accidents while in service. They belong to the group that has been described as the ‘Hope Alive’ group.

The fact that these young men and women have gone through these harrowing personal injuries, but are still determined to engage the future with hope and confidence, is proof that they will still experience the joys of great success and fulfilment in their lives and their future is bright.

But it is a great lesson to all of us that whatever setbacks we experience in life, should be used as a stepping-stone and should not be seen as the end of our lives. Indeed, it may even be the beginning of a greater future.

To all of today's honourees, let me make it clear that you are not just the future of this country, but also its present. You must all see yourselves as the leaders that you are. But leadership comes with responsibility and continuous sacrifice.

The successes you have achieved and are being rewarded for today should inspire you to even greater feats in your various spheres of influence.

I, therefore, charge you all to continue to be the light for others to follow, whilst also seeing yourselves as lifelong ambassadors of the NYSC.

In line with our policy of encouraging and rewarding excellence among our youths, I hereby announce immediate employment into the Federal Civil Service for all the Award winners today.

In addition, the Federal Government offers each one of you automatic scholarships up to Doctorate level in any Nigerian University of your choice.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I commend the National Selection Committee for the painstaking and rigorous process that brought these young men and women to national limelight.

The entire nation owes a huge debt of gratitude to the managers of the NYSC, and successive batches of Corps members, for the patriotic zeal with which you have collectively implemented the cardinal programmes of the scheme over the past four and a half decades.

May I also pay tribute to the founding father of the NYSC and all those who worked with him. It is those ideals that you knew would serve the youth of our country so well and we see this today, many years after you founded this great scheme, being demonstrated by these young men and women who were not even born at the time when this was launched.

I thank you very much and also congratulate you.

I also commend the efforts of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the NYSC to create jobs through skills acquisition and other youth entrepreneurship development initiatives. The Federal Executive Council has recently approved the 2019-2023 National Youth Policy presented by the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development for implementation by the Ministry and all stakeholders.

This is to enable the NYSC build on its achievements; and all stakeholders must discharge their statutory obligations as spelt out in the enabling Act. I urge all States and Local Governments to give greater support to the scheme, especially through the provision and upgrade of Permanent Orientation Camps, Lodges for Corps Members, and other welfare facilities.

Once again, may I congratulate all the honorees on this well-deserved recognition and honour. The entire nation salutes your determination, courage, selfless service, discipline, and hard work which you all exhibited during your service year.

God bless you all, God bless Nigeria.

I thank you.

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
28th April, 2019
Copyright © 2019, Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, All rights reserved.