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Tag: Osinbajo

  • Osinbajo swears in five NPC commissioners

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday swore in five commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC).

    The event was held at the Council Chamber before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.

    Those who took oath of office were Eyitayo Oyetunji, Benedict Ukpong, Haliru Bala, Patricia Iyanya and Gloria Izonfo.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had in line with Section 154 (1) of the Constitution forwarded their names to the National Assembly.

    The Senate had also confirmed the quintet for the appointments.

  • Osinbajo orders investigations of alleged contract fraud in Ministry of Water Resource

    Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has ordered immediate investigations into alleged contract fraud in the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA).

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that CRBDA is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    Osinbajo’s order is contained in a letter addressed to the managing director of an indigenous engineering firm, Coasterners Engineering and Building Services Limited, Kola Adegoke.

    In a letter marked: SH/OVP/DCOS/Legal/Misc, written by Osinbajo’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President, Ade Ipaye, he acknowledged receipt of the petitions by Coasterners, including one in which it accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) of compromising investigation into one of its complaints.

    The letter reads in part: “I am directed by His Excellency, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 10th October 2016 and 14th November 2016 on the above and related subjects.

    “I am also to inform you that your submissions have been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further consideration and necessary action.

    In one of its recent petitions to Osinbajo, Coatsterners alleged contract racketeering in the CRBDA. The petition painted a situation where most contracts awarded in the agency are in violation of the Public Procurement Act.

    The petitioner accused the management of CRBDA of penalising it for its whistle-blowing activities by deliberately starving it of necessary funds to execute contracts awarded it, a move allegedly calculated to frustrate it. Coasterners also accused CRBDA of withholding funds due to it for projects executed.

    The Water Resources Ministry had faulted allegations made against CRBDA, accusing Coasterners of among others, acting with the intention of blackmailing its agencies.

    The ministry’s position is contained in a letter marked: FMWR/LU/S/292/1/34, titled: “Harassment of the CRBDA by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coasterners Group Ltd.”

    Part of the letter authored by the ministry’s Director, Legal Services, Gboyega Oyekanmi reads: “The ministry’s attention has been drawn to your frantic efforts to malign the name and integrity of the management and staff of the CRBDA by making spurious and unfounded allegations against them as evidence in the correspondences under reference.”

  • 2017 Budget: Saraki, Dogara, Adeosun, Udoma confer with Osinbajo

    2017 Budget: Saraki, Dogara, Adeosun, Udoma confer with Osinbajo

    Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, yesterday, led the Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, to a meeting with Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    Others in attendance were Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma.

    Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting held behind closed doors, Saraki said they were consulted on matters of economy and 2017 budget.

    He said: “We are meeting on the economy and the budget, myself, the Vice President and the Speaker, Minister of Budget and Minister of Finance. We are aware that the economic team will soon be on a road show and to brief us and let us know the issues and carry us along.

    “We have just started the budget defence. So, there are no issues. These are just consultations.”

    Meanwhile, Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Lawal Babachir, was seen coming out of Osinbajo’s office shortly after Saraki and Dogara left the villa.

    It will be recalled that Babachir was indicted by the Senate over the funds meant for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the North East and called for his sack.

    It could not be readily ascertained if the meeting discussed soft landing for the embattled SGF.

  • 2017 Budget: Osinbajo meets Dogara, Lawan

     

    As a proactive measure of ensuring easy passage and implementation of the 2017 budget, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met with the leadership of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    Investigations by the TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Osinbajo met with the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan and also an APC governor behind close doors.

    Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Lawan disclosed that the 2017 Appropriation Bill was the major topic discussed.

    He also said he used the opportunity to assure Osinbajo that the APC Caucus in the Senate was now united.

    Lawan said: “I am here to meet the Acting President, to brief him on what the Senate is doing on the Appropriation Bill 2017. You know we have suspended plenary for three weeks.

    “The idea is to have ample time to focus on the Appropriation Bill. The committees will start to work from this week, meeting the MDAs on the budget defence that they need to do.

    “Secondly, you know that the Acting President is an APC Acting President. As a new Senate Leader, it is also important that I come here to this office to tell the Acting President and our administration that the APC caucus in the Senate is now a united caucus.

    “We are ready as a caucus to support our administration; we are also ready as a Senate, that is both the APC and the minority parties, to work for the betterment of Nigerians.

    “Our colleagues in the opposition have always been supportive for the Senate to function.”

  • FG will restore normalcy to IDPs in North East – Osinbajo reassures

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to restore normalcy to the lives of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast region of the country.

    A statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, on Friday, said Osinbajo stated this when the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Ms. Ertharin Cousin visited him in the State House, Abuja.

    According to him, the Federal Government is working on how the IDPs can get back to their normal socio-economic activities, and to help the children obtain quality education, housing and other necessities of life.

    “We are working on how people can get back to their normal lives.

    “The Federal Government is also working on how to help the children especially regarding education and housing.

    “So many people are in need, it’s a tough challenge, but we are committed,’’ he said.

    He assured that the Federal Government would continue to secure the places where the peace had been restored, stressing that the dealing with the security challenges “is an ongoing task for the government.’’

    Osinbajo, who appreciated the collaboration of international agencies like the United Nations in the efforts to combat insecurity in Nigeria, also appreciated the visit of the delegation of World Food Programme.

    While acknowledging the agency’s assistance in the Northeast region, especially regarding children and families, the Vice-President pledged more cooperation from the government.

    In her remarks, Etharin Cousin stated that she came to brief the acting President on the activities of the WFP, and to extend the greetings of the Secretary General of the UN.

    She commended the Federal Government for the support WFP was enjoying in Nigeria.

    The Executive Director expressed appreciation that since the establishment of the inter-ministerial committee on the Northeast, there had been a significant improvement in the implementation of the UN agency’s work providing assistance in the region.

     

    NAN

  • You are elected VP to defend Christians, your silence is no longer golden – CAN blasts Osinbajo

    You are elected VP to defend Christians, your silence is no longer golden – CAN blasts Osinbajo

    Sequel to the ongoing crisis in Southern Kaduna and the recent purported attempt by security agencies to arrest the founder of the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide in Ado Ekiti, Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Friday urged acting President, Yemi Osinbajo to rise to the defence of Christians in Nigeria.

    A statement by Bayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media to the CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, and obtained by TheNewsGuru.com said while Christians are yet to recover from the genocide in Southern Kaduna by the murderous Fulani herdsmen and its attendant consequences, the Jigawa state government had began the pulling down of churches with impunity.

    The statement reads in part: “According to what we heard, they insisted on remaining in the hotel until Apostle Johnson Suleman surrendered himself for arrest. But for the timely intervention of the management of the hotel and other well-meaning Nigerians around, the invasion could have resulted into bloodshed as the Minister of God was there with some MOPOL men and officers.

    “Apostle Suleman has become a refugee in Ekiti state as security operatives are said to be searching every nook and cranny of the state with a view to arresting him.

    “If there is an urgent need to interrogate Apostle Suleman on any issue, it would only have been proper to extend a formal or informal invitation to him from the DSS rather than Gestapo approach used in the attempt to arrest him.

    “It should be noted that under Nigerian Laws, he is presumed innocent until a court of law proves otherwise. Or have they extended the proposed obnoxious law that forbids religious preaching without the permission of the state governor down south too?

    “Treating Ministers of God and our members as common criminals is unacceptable to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

    Enough is enough.

    “Despite all the promises made by Governor Nasir el-Rufai, none of those who were responsible for the killings of our members in the Southern Kaduna has been brought to book.

    “Instead the Police have been releasing those who were arrested for the killing of our members in Kano and Kubwa (Abuja) while our leaders are being subjected to untold hardship for just no cause.

    “It is high time the overzealous security agencies knew that Nigeria remains a secular state and any attempt to turn the country into a refugee camp for Christians will not be acceptable and will be resisted with every lawful means.

    “We call on the acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to intervene in all the clampdown on the Church in Nigeria after all, he is in the office primarily to represent the interest of the Christians and his studied silence is no longer golden.

    “The last time we checked, Sections 38 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) it states clearly that every Nigerian is “entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”

  • Saraki distances self from plot to remove Osinbajo, take over presidency

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has debunked reports that he contracted some governors to pressure acting President Yemi Osinbajo to resign.

    The report stated that Saraki was looking to take over as President once Osinbajo reign.
    But the Senate President in a statement said such reports were baseless, empty and unintelligent.

    He said, “My attention has been drawn to a speculation on some online media about supposed meeting of some Governors who held Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to ransom and sought for Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to take over the Presidency.

    “My first initial reaction was to ignore this empty rumour but after being inundated with calls from across the country and abroad, it became necessary for me to make clarifications from our own end.

    “It is a good thing that the Presidency had dismissed the speculation and showed that there is no substance to it.

    “However, I feel it should be known that those behind this baseless, empty and unintelligent mischief are those who do not love this country.

    “Such suggestions as contained in the speculation can only bring ill-will, disunity and crisis to the country and I therefore advise the sponsors to desist immediately. More importantly, these trouble makers should refrain from linking Senator Saraki’s name to their evil plot.”

  • Economic growth sustainable if driven by private sector – Osinbajo

    Economic growth sustainable if driven by private sector – Osinbajo

    Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, said that Nigeria’s economic growth can only be achieved and sustained if left in the hands of the private sector to drive.

    This came as the Organised Private Sector, OPS, listed the challenges facing the economy as well ways to overcome them.

    Meantime, the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Nike Akande, has called on the Federal Government to include members of OPS in the Ease of Doing Business Committee.

    Osinbajo spoke at the second edition of the Presidential Business Forum, a platform to engage and interact with the private sector to keep them abreast with government’s policies, programmes and activities held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said: “The main focus of our economic plan is the sustenance of the robust private sector partnership. Indeed, it is our strong believe that sustenanable economic growth is only possible if it is private sector led and great attention has been paid as you will possibly find in sustaining private sector leadership especially in the plan of economic recovery and growth plan 2017, which is to be launched next month.

    “The pivot of that plan is the private sector led recovery growth and plan. So, this Forum is an important one for engendering the continuous engagement that this partnership will entail.”

    Making a presentation on behalf of the OPS, comprising Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN; Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA; Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA; Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, NASME and Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industries, NASS, President of MAN, Mr Frank Jacobs enumerated the challenges the sector is facing which had inadvertently affected the economy.

    According to him, there was inadequate foreign exchange, forex in circulation and the monitoring mechanism by the government is ineffective.

    He listed about 12 challenges inhibiting business atmosphere in Nigeria, which include access to foreign exchange; diversification of the economy and resource-based industrialisation; long term funding; EU/ECOWAS Economic Partnership Agreement; patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products and enforcement of the Procurement Act; and collapse of basic infrastructural facilities.

    Others are challenges with policy environment; low investment in agriculture and agro-allied businesses; prohibitive gas pricing for industrial users and wrong classification as commercial users; multiple levies by government agencies on same sales promotion; and invasion of premises of members for the purpose of collecting taxes.

    Jacobs said: “Collectively, we are the voice of the Organised Businesses in the Private Sector on issues on the Nigerian economy in particular and the nation in general.

    “We commend you for giving us the opportunity to make this presentation, which we believe, would significantly improve the economy, while strengthening the relationship between the private sector and government.”

     

     

  • Recession: Buhari to unveil economic plan in February – Osinbajo

    Recession: Buhari to unveil economic plan in February – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has revealed that plans had been concluded to launch the economic recovery plan of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in February.

    He also stated that the federal government was critically considering the option of tapping into the Pension Funds for massive investments in infrastructures.

    Osinbajo spoke while fielding questions at two separate panels tagged “panel of Building Africa” and “International Business Interaction Group of investors” focused exclusively on Nigeria on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday.

    He said that massive investments in the people and their skills would bring about economic prosperity. Osinbajo’s presentations were encapsulated in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande.

    “The Vice President noted that the Buhari administration is “committed to investing more in infrastructure,” than in previous times by ensuring that 30% of the budget goes into capital expenditure.

    Vice President Osinbajo “Besides, he disclosed that the government is working on how to tap into Nigeria’s huge Pension Fund to finance infrastructure in the country.

    “To do this he stated that “we have to first derisk” such financing models for infrastructure.

    “An active engagement with, and encouraging the private sector, he said, is also of a great deal, referring to the example of the 650,000bpd refinery project of the Dangote Group, which is going to be the largest single-line refinery in the world.

    “Assuring that the Buhari administration is very confident about the recovery of the Nigerian economy, Prof. Osinbajo said “it is not difficult to get out of where we are if we understand why we are where we are.”

    “He reminded his audience that the Nigerian economy remains indisputably the biggest in terms of size of the economy.

    “Speaking at the Business Interaction Group attended by several international and local investors and business interests, and hosted by the Nigerian delegation, the Vice President assured that the newly developed Economic Recovery Growth Plan of the Buhari administration has been specifically designed to take the country out of recession and in the long term continue to grow the economy.

    “He said the planning of the 2017 was based on the ERGP, which he said would be formally launched next month. “Prof. Osinbajo gave the example of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme where for the first time half a Trillion Naira is being budgeted by the Federal Government for Social Investment Programmes.

    “It is about investment in people, in their skills, in youths, that we have a N500B allocation in our budget last year and proposed for this year also.

    “It is an investment in education and educating large numbers of people in a short time, it’s a radical thing to make that kind of serious investment in education.

    “He also referred to the planned N100,000 supporting grants to students of higher institutions in Science, Technology, Enginerring & Maths, STEM”, the statement stated.

     

  • Osinbajo’s visit to Niger Delta is meaningless, says ex-Minister, Kenneth Gbagi

    A former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has said the visit by the Vice President to Niger Delta on Monday to understudy the challenges battling the region fails to address the core issues that can ensure lasting solutions to that troubled part of Nigeria.

    Gbagi said Osinbajo’s visit doesn’t come with any policy statement from the government addressing the issues at hand.

    He added that oil well in the Niger Delta will not dry up in the next 100 years.

    He made the remark in response to Osinbajo’s call for diversification of the nation’s economy because the value of oil would drop in the next 20 to 30 years.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, Gbagi frowned at Osinbajo’s visit to Olu of Warrior, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli and not going to Urhobo land.

    He claimed that the federal government took the people of Urhobo for granted for not visiting the area which was the hob of gas production.

    Gbagi alleged that the refusal of the Vice President to visit Ughelli in Urhobo land, was a replay of what happened in 1971 when the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon scheduled a visit to the land but the secretary, an Itsekiri did not allow the visit to materialise.

    According to Gbagi, “While we are looking for peace, the sensibility of Urhobo people should not be taken for granted, the Urhobo people have been taken for granted for too long in the scheme of things.

    “A similar situation happened in 1971 when Gowon was to visit Midwest which is now Delta, the Secretary then was an Iteskiri man and they crafted a similar visit to exclude the Urhobo nation, it is on record that Urhobos hold the bedrock of gas company, that is the major source of electricity in Nigeria today, not to talk of all the oil wells, pipelines across the entire Urhobo nation. Urhobos being the 4th largest nationality in Nigeria have been for sometimes now neglected and relegated to the background because of their peaceful nature.

    “While it appears that trouble makers get greater reward in Nigeria, the school of violence, agitations does not belong to any ethnic group. I see the visit of the Vice President as irresponsibly put together as it is not in the interest of the much desired peace; I congratulate the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom and all those who walked out from that gathering of shame.

    “I was reliably informed that the Programme which originally was to see the Vice President’s visit to Gbaramatu, the Olu of Warri and the visit to Ughelli where the oldest traditional ruler, the Owhorode of Olomu who is 100 years resides, to host all the traditional rulers in conjunction with a meeting with the Vice President, was truncated by the governor of the State and the deputy.

    “We should root for genuine peace to support the good initiative of Mr. president and stop playing lip service or waste the economic base of Nigeria.

    “Quoting the Vice President, at least 97% of the economy today is rested on oil and gasj his claim that oil will soon finish or dry up is a political statement without foundation, the gas situated on Otolobo at least will last for another 100 years, tax payers’ money earners like the Vice President and persons in government must seek information where they don’t have them and stop heating the polity.

    “I will grant a statement on the second year of the administration in Delta as I have done in all previous governments. Urhobos will make our position known to the government at the Centre.

    “The visit of the Vice President is meaningless, made no statement; it is akin to a personal visit to the Olu of Warri as there is no policy statement from the government addressing the issues at hand.”