TheNewsGuru

Tag: Osinbajo

  • 2019 Budget: Buhari, Osinbajo to spend N1.3bn on travels, N149m on food

    The Federal Government budgeted N1,001,318,171 for President Muhammadu Buhari’s local and international travels in the proposed 2019 budget.

    The budget proposes N250,021,595 for the President’s local trips and N751,296,576 for him to travel internationally.

    Meanwhile, N83,974,710 was budgeted for Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s local travel, while N217,060,883 was proposed for his international trips.

    Under foodstuff/catering materials supplies, N98,306,492 was budgeted for the President and N50,888,218 for the Vice-President.

    The Federal Government also proposed N416,668,229 for the construction of the presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre out of the Presidency’s total estimate of N49, 307,859,794 in the 2019 budget proposal.

    Aside from this, N823,441,666 was proposed for the State House Medical Centre, including drugs and medical supplies (N208,350,424).

    Meanwhile, the State House also budgeted N36, 787,354 for drugs and medical supplies, and N51,821,160 for medical expenses.

    In the 2018 budget, the Presidency had proposed N1,030,458,453 for the State House clinic after the President’s wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, criticised the medical centre for not having an “ordinary syringe.”

    In the 2017 budget, N3.2bn had also been allocated for the upgrade of the state clinic, including “the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and other medical equipment.”

    The President and his deputy are also to spend over N7.5bn this year on “operations” and maintenance of office buildings, the breakdown of the 2019 budget showed.

    The breakdown, which was released obtained on Monday night, indicated that the entire State House was allocated N49.3bn for general services, covering capital, recurrent and overhead costs.

    However, the President’s office was given a dedicated vote of N10bn for the running of his office, out of which N7.5bn went for operations.

    To maintain presidential office buildings will cost N4.7bn this year.

    Similarly, the President’s direct overhead cost is N1.3bn, while his capital spending will consume another N416.6m, bringing the total figure for “operations” alone to N1.7bn.

    On his part, Osinbajo is to spend N591.8m on operations.

    Out of the figure, N448.6m goes into overhead costs, while the balance of N143.2m will be spent on capital provisions under operations.

    A further breakdown of the presidential budget showed that the Presidency would buy vehicles worth N607.1m this year.

    Aside from the N4.7bn budgeted for the maintenance of office buildings, the Presidential residential buildings will be rehabilitated with another N140.4m.

    The item titled ‘Refreshments/Meals’ has an allocation of N135.6m and an additional N25.6m, meaning a total N161.2m.

    Similarly, a provision of N65.4m was made for the animals in the State House for their “conservation.”

     

  • 2019: Vote for Buhari sure ticket for Yoruba in 2023 –Osinbajo

    Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday urged people of Yorubaland to ensure they vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari for second term, saying that the victory of Buhari is a sure ticket for Yoruba presidency in 2023.

    Osinbajo said this at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, where he paid a courtesy call and later met with traders at the Atiba Town Hall of the ancient town.

    According to him, “Yoruba have a crucial role to play in the 2019 elections to ensure that APC wins. We are looking at 2023. If we don’t do well in 2019, the opportunity might evade us.

    We should be forward-looking and not spoil our future by allowing those who had plundered our nation to come back to government.

    They have been coalescing again to continue the plunder but God shall not allow them. If one is building a house, he has to construct a very solid foundation. The foundation might not be easily noticed but when it is built on, the house will emerge.

  • Night of lies: Fact-checking the vice-presidential debate between Osinbajo, Obi, three others

    Night of lies: Fact-checking the vice-presidential debate between Osinbajo, Obi, three others

    Vice Presidential Debate: The Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Vice Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in All Progressives Congress, [APC], Yemi Osinbajo both stole the show as they battled each other at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

    Other Vice Presidential candidates at the debate include, Umar Getso of the Young Progressives Party (YPP);Alhaji Abdulganiyu Galadima Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, (ACPN);Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN).

    Today the internet is abuzz with uploads of memes, quotes, short videos, other form of excerpts from the debate session and Nigerians themselves have taken over the heated conversation by citing some of the statistics doled out by the several vice presidential candidates to support their arguments who should be Nigeria’s next VP.

    Here is a roundup by TheNewsGuru, TNG of 10 controversial claims that were made by the major contenders [Obi and Osinbajo] as well as several goofs from the other aspirants.

    1.

    CLAIM: There are about two million vehicles in Nigeria – Peter Obi

    FALSE: The the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said at Q3 2017, Nigeria had about 11,547,236 motor vehicles in the country.

    2.

    CLAIM: Ease of Doing Business: Nigeria went down by 64 places under PDP – Osinbajo

    FALSE: Nigeria went down by 50 and not 64, actual decline margin is from 120 to 170 between 2008 and 2015, under PDP rule.

    3.

    CLAIM: Oil give you 80% of foreign exchange earnings – Peter Obi

    FALSE: A report published by NBS in 2017 showed that Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings from the oil sector is above 90%.

    4.

    CLAIM: We produce 90% of the rice we consumer- Yemi Osinbajo

    UNVERIFIED: While this statement has generated lots of debates online, TNG is yet to verify the validity.

    5.

    CLAIM: Bag of fertiliser now sells for N6,000 to N7,000 – Osinbajo

    TRUE: Price of fertiliser in Nigeria has experienced a drastic drop following the Nigeria-Morroco fertiliser deal. As at 2016, a bag of fertiliser sold above N10,000

    6

    CLAIM : Nigeria has fallen on the global competitive index from 124 to 127 – PETER OBI

    FALSE: A recent report published in 2018 World Economic Forum, shows Nigeria rose on the index by 10 places.

    7.

    CLAIM: To bring out goods from Apapa cost more than it takes to bring goods from Europe

    INVALID: Large scale importations into Nigeria are done through Apapa ports, goods from Europe follow the same passage. Maybe this statement from Peter Obi is just a satire.

    8.

    CLAIM: Nigerian Airways was one of the largest in the world – UMMA GESTO

    FALSE: Nigerian Airways was managed by a number of foreign companies, including British Airways, the Dutch company KLM and South African Airways as such, the airline was never at a time rate as one of the largest in the world when adjudged on revenue generation, staff strength or numbers of air crafts operated.

    9.

    CLAIM : African trade today is less than 9 percent – Peter Obi

    False. According to Afriexim Bank, Intra-Africa trade is around 15 percent. In 2016, intra-African exports made up 18 percent of total exports according to Brookings Institution.

    10.

    CLAIM : We have four refineries in Nigeria, and none is working – GALADIMA

    FALSE: According to reports from the NNPC, refineries in Nigeria are not totally shutdown, they are said to be working at sub-optimal levels.

  • #2019Debate: Osinbajo, Obi throw jabs at each other over state of economy, subsidy regime, others

    #2019Debate: Osinbajo, Obi throw jabs at each other over state of economy, subsidy regime, others

    The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Yemi Osinbajo; and that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi, on Friday disagreed on the state of the economy and the subsidy regime.

    They both spoke on Friday at a debate jointly organised by the Nigeria Election Debate Group and Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria in Abuja for vice-presidential candidates of five political parties.

    Also at the debate were candidates of the Alliance for New Nigeria, Mrs. Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Ganiyu Galadimawa and Young Progressives Party, Mrs Umma Getso.

    While Obi claimed the economy had failed to improve under the APC’s government, Osinbajo said the economy had grown in leaps and bounds over the last one and half years.

    Accusing the APC of chasing looters and neglecting the growth of the economy, Obi said, “You can’t shut down your shop and be chasing criminals.”

    Replying, Osinbajo said, “If the shop is not secured, the thieves will empty it.”

    He added that the treasury must be secured while the looters must be prosecuted to recover the stolen funds.

    Obi lamented that no fewer than 87 million Nigerians were living in poverty with economic indices not favourable to the country.

    He said, “The unemployment situation is worse. The Small and Medium Enterprises in China contribute 60 per cent of Gross Domestic Product while the country guarantees 10 million jobs annually. As long as we don’t create job and there is high level of unemployment, Nigeria will have high crisis.

    “The crisis Nigeria is witnessing today is because we have not been able to create jobs. Nigeria debt is unsustainable because 50 per cent of its resources is used to service the debt.”

    But disagreeing, Osinbajo said the economic challenges faced today were due to the failure of the PDP government to build the infrastructure in its 16 years of misrule.

    “Nigeria has suffered major infrastructure deficit over the last 16 years. We need strong infrastructure to build the economy. There is no way Nigeria could have survived under the PDP with massive corruption.”

    According to him, Nigeria went through 16 years of no social reinvestment and infrastructure decay under the PDP which slowed down its economic prosperity.

    “We have spent N2.7tr on infrastructure development despite earning 60 per cent less than the PDP government,” he added.

    Obi claimed the unemployment rate went from 26 per cent in 2015 to 40 per cent in 2018.

    He added that the country lost N2.1tr at the stock exchange in the last three and half years of the APC government.

    The former Anambra State governor canvassed the removal of fuel subsidy and redirection of the money to critical sectors like education and health. This, he said, would improve the human development index of the country.

    “Subsidy is a waste, we need to reverse it. If you can remove it and do the right things, the prices of petroleum will come down because you are only paying for the delay at the sea port,” he said.

    But Osinbajo while citing a World Bank report said the major cause of poverty in Nigeria was due to massive corruption under the PDP.

    Obi raised the alarm that Nigeria was incurring more debts than it can sustain.

    He said Nigeria owes about N22.7tn ($80bn), adding that it was necessary to create a more productive and diversified economy that would earn foreign exchange and reduce borrowing.

    Obi said, “Today, we are virtually at a level where our debt is becoming unsustainable because we are using about 50 per cent of our revenues to service debts. Which means we do not even have enough to be able to do infrastructural projects that are highly needed in this country. Today, Nigeria is owing about N22.7tn ($80bn). We need to do more and we cannot even find the money.”

    According to him, the government of the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will fast-tract the economy through diversification of the economy and support to the small and medium enterprises which he said would drive the economy.

    In their contributions, Getso said Nigerians must vote for those that would secure the future of their children. “We can’t allow the people that destroyed our party to come back and build our future for us,” she said.

    Abdullahi-Iya said her party would ensure human development and diversify the economy.

    “We are putting the economy before the policies. It is the economy that drives the policy,” she added.

  • #2019Debate: Drama as Osinbajo, Obi, three others appeal Nigerians for votes

    The vice-presidential candidates debate for the 2019 general elections kicked off at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Friday, with five candidates slugging it out.

    Featuring were Ganiyu Galadima of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN); Khadija Abdullahi-Iya of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN); and incumbent Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The other two are Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Umma Getso of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

    In his opening statement, Galadima urged Nigerians to look at the candidates and their manifestos to make informed choices at the polls.

    Abdullahi-Iya opened with personal background information, including holding a first and masters degree in Law from the University of Abuja, and founding a non-governmental organisation devoted to women and children.

    The ANN vice presidential flag bearer said she believed all Nigerians should be concerned about the plight of children to secure the country’s future.

    She stated that her decision to run for the office stemmed from her concern about “everyone of the over 2.1 million children in the North-East and IDP camps scattered across Nigeria’’.

    On his part, Osinbajo started by reeling out achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the areas of infrastructure, employment, agriculture

    He said the government had embarked on the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history, including railways between Lagos and Kano, Aladja-Warri, and the Lagos-Calabar road.

    The APC candidate said the Buhari administration had a major road project in every state of the federation.

    On agriculture, Osinbajo stated that the government had made giant strides, especially by cutting the nation’s rice import by 90 per cent.

    He added that the social investment programme of the current administration was possibly the largest in the history of the country, taking N500 billion in every cycle.

    “Under the N-Power scheme, we are employing 500,000 graduates, who are in every single local government of the country.

    “At the same time, we have the homegrown school feeding programme under which 9.2 million children are fed every single day in 26 states of Nigeria,’’ he said.

    On his part, Obi said, “Our country today has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world; our HDI (human development index) has dropped from 152 to 157; our global competitive index has dropped from 124 to 127.

    “In terrorism, we have moved from seven to three behind Iran and Afghanistan; our inequality has worsened, our misery index,’’ he said.

    Getso said in her opening statement said she was passionate about girl-child education, adding that she “spent the early years of my adulthood in the development of a common Nigeria’’.

    The YPP vice presidential hopeful said she was a pioneer member and founder of a women multi-purpose cooperative society in Bauchi State that had impacted the lives of a lot of rural women in the state.

    Getso said her presidential candidate, Mr Kingsley Moghalu, was a person with a lot to offer in terms service to the nation.

    “If you compare all the choices we have, you can see that Moghalu is among the best because he has experience in all sectors of the economy,’’ she said.

  • #2019Debate: I grew grey hair faster woking with Buhari – Osinbajo

    The Vice Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yemi Osinbajo has said that he grew grey hair faster within three years of becoming Nigeria’s Vice President.

    Osinbajo, who is the incumbent Vice President said this during at the Vice Presidential debate which held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Friday.

    Answering to the moderator’s question on how overwhelming the job as Nigeria’s number two citizen has being particularly in the last three and half years, Osinbajo said: ‘Those Who Know Me Will Know My Hair Was Not This Grey When I Came In. I Must Say The Role Of The Vice President Has Been Tasking’

    Other Vice Presidential candidates at the ongoing debate include, Peter Obi of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]; Umar Getso of the Young Progressives Party (YPP);Alhaji Abdulganiyu Galadima Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, (ACPN);Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN).

  • Buhari, Osinbajo, Governors resume talks on new minimum wage today

    President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will today meet with governors of the thirty-six states of the federation to resume talks on the labour’s demand for a new minimum wage.

    The governors had earlier on Thursday met in Abuja but refused to brief reporters on what they discussed.

    They are billed also to attend an extended National Economic Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for the Old Banquet Hall, State House. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will chair the meeting.

    A statement by the Office of the Vice President said that the extended NEC was in line with the Buhari administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) for inclusive growth and human capital development.

    The governors had argued that the states lack the required resources to pay the N30, 000 being demanded by Labour as minimum wage.

    The governors maintained that the only condition available to them, if they must meet the Labour demand, is retrenchment, an alternative the workers have kicked against.

    It was learnt the governors used their meeting yesterday to articulate their position ahead of today’s meeting with the President.

    They had proposed N22, 500 as what they can pay as minimum wage. The Federal Government proposed 24, 000. But Labour is insisting on N30, 000.

    NGF chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari did not brief reporters at the end of the meeting.

    However, NGF Head of Media & Public Affairs Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, told reporters that “the governors looked into the issue of the minimum wage as it will be part of discussion when they meet with the president today (Friday)”.

    He also said the governors will use the opportunity to thank the president on his handling of the economy.

    The meeting, he said also welcomed Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

    Oyetola had earlier praised the NGF meeting, describing it as a platform for members to peer review one another and also share best practices.

    The statement from the Vice President’s Office said: “The extended NEC comprising governors of all the states of the federation and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will focus on the human capital development programme of this administration hinged on investment in the people.

    “The human capital development programme is focused on three main thematic areas– Health and Nutrition, Education and Labour Force Participation.

    “The programme has identified seven outcome areas and a considerable number of interventions designed to drive change nationwide.”

  • CAN denies endorsing Buhari, Osinbajo for second term

    CAN denies endorsing Buhari, Osinbajo for second term

    The Christian Association of Nigeria has denied endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari for second term in office, describing as “a fabrication” an online report on the issue.

    The Christian body stated that no candidate was endorsed by the CAN leadership during its meeting with 14 presidential aspirants on Monday.

    Media Aide to the CAN President, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, stated that the CAN engaged with the presidential candidates on their plans for the nation, noting that the issue of endorsement never arose.

    He said, “We appeal to members of the public to beware of those who are fabricating this fake news for whatever reasons.

    “We challenge the online platform that published this fake news to provide relevant footage and audio clip to back up the report.”

  • NEMA funds: Reps react to alleged impeachment plots against Osinbajo

    NEMA funds: Reps react to alleged impeachment plots against Osinbajo

    TheHouse of Representatives has denied having plans to instituteimpeachment processes against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was said to have summoned the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, Edo State, Mr Johnson Agbonayinma, who alleged that some members were collating signatures with the aim of impeaching Osinbajo.

    Agbonayinma made the allegation while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone shortly after, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissed the claim.

    Namdas said, “There is nothing like impeachment before the House of Representatives as I speak now. As far as I am concerned,  I speak for the House, and there is nothing like impeachment before the House for consideration.  I don’t speak for members, I speak for the House. But if there is anything, I don’t know.

    “At least, officially before the House, there is nothing like that.”

    Asked to speak as a member of the  All Progressives Congress, Namdas said, “I am not aware (of the impeachment plot).

    Agbonayinma made the allegation in a written speech entitled, ‘Call for Caution on the Purported Campaign to Smear the Office of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Disgruntled Politicians and Some Media Houses.’

    He said, “It has become necessary for me to add my voice to the call by many Nigerians on the purported campaigns of calumny by some political gladiators and media houses  against the office and person of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on spurious allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him.

    “(I am) Aware that signatures are being collated for the impeachment of the Vice-President. The reason is because of the outcome of the NEMA investigation.

    “For the records, the issues raised in the probe on NEMA had to do with (alleged) misappropriation of funds by the director-general and the day-to-day running of the agency vis-a-vis financial spending, procurement processes, among others.”

    Agbonayinma however failed to name those behind the campaign against Osinbajo when asked by journalists to do so.

    “Don’t forget that I am a member of the APC. I am a Nigerian. Not everybody has the boldness and  audacity to come out, not everybody. You have watched me on the floor of the House, I don’t play partisan politics. I supported the APC when I was in the  PDP. Now I’m in the APC, I do support  the PDP,” he said.

    Agbonayinma was also asked why he raised the alarm when the APC, which is the ruling party, has the majority in the House and the Senate, making an impeachment of the president or VP impossible.

    He said some  APC lawmakers were not happy as the party failed to give them tickets for the 2019 general elections.

    The House had probed into the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency in the North-East, during which it indicted Osinbajo being the Chairman of the Governing Board of NEMA and for approving funds to the agency as Acting President. The director-general of the agency also indicted.

    The VP however denied breaching the law in all his activities regarding NEMA.

  • NEMA funds: Reps collating signatures to impeach Osinbajo – Lawmaker

    A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Johnson Agbonayinma,‎representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, Edo State, has alleged that some members ‎are collating signatures with the aim of impeaching Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Agbonayinma made the allegation while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The lawmaker said, “Some political gladiators and media houses” were ‎sponsoring fake news against Osinbajo.

    “The reason is because of the NEMA investigation,” he said.

    Agbonayinma,‎ however, failed to name‎ those behind the campaign against the Vice-President, saying they include disgruntled members of the All Progressives Congress.

    The House had probed the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency in the North-East, during which it indicted Osinbajo and the Director-General of the agency.