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Tag: Osinbajo

  • Buhari has no plans to Islamise Nigeria – Osinbajo

    Buhari has no plans to Islamise Nigeria – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday urged faith-based organisations in the country to shun rumours that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was moving to Islamise Nigeria.

    He told religious leaders after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Student Christian Movement of Nigeria (SCM) in his office, that they should dwell on facts.

    Recall that before the election in 2015, Prof. Osinbajo spoke out that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not secretly plotting to Islamise Nigeria if it won the election.

    Osinbajo He again reaffirmed that stand stressing that the rumour making the rounds about plans to make Islam the official religion of Nigeria were unfounded as the country “can’s be Islamised”.

    Osinbajo emphasised that it was impossible to Islamise the country given the 1999 Constitution that forbids state religion.

    He urged religious bodies to channel their energies towards proffering solutions to the numerous challenges facing the country.

    The vice president also challenged Nigerian youths to wake up from slumber and take advantage of abundant opportunities in ICT, agriculture and other sectors. While noting that the opportunities were far much more now than they were in the past, Osinbajo harped on the need for young people to take responsibility for their future and be creative.

    He also emphasised the importance of using the internet to acquire knowledge as well as learning a second language to boost their global competitiveness.

    Expressing appreciation to SCM for the honour, the vice president solicited the organisation’s assistance in disseminating factual information about the Federal Government’s policies and programmes.

    Earlier, the National President of SCM, Rev, Eric Ighalo, commended the government for its social interventions such as the N-Power initiative and the conditional transfer scheme.

    Ighalo expressed the willingness of the body to partner with government in several areas including serving as government ambassadors in their constituencies.

    The SCM national president said that the award was conferred on the vice president in recognition of his integrity and outstanding leadership he had demonstrated over the years.

    The award presentation, according to him, culminated the 75th anniversary of the organisation.

  • Alleged Corruption: Buhari removes Lawal as committee chairman, appoints Osinbajo

    Following alleged involvement in different cases of bribery and corruption and the continuous public outcry for the his probe, President Muhammadu Buhari has removed Secretary to the State Government, Eng. Babachir Lawal as the chairman of a Presidential Committee on the Reconstruction of Federal Government Boards of Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.

    The president has however appointed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the chair of the committee, while the chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah was appointed head of secretariat.

    “The SGF is no longer in charge of that responsibility, for obvious reasons,” a source spoke on condition of anonymity said

    It was gathered that Abdallah-led team now meets frequently at Wuse II, Abuja, and “s working vigorously and will soon conclude its work after which it will submit its report to Mr President.

    President Buhari has begun the search for a new SGF following the indictment of Lawal by the Nigerian Senate.

    The upper chamber of the National Assembly accused Lawal of corruption in the award of contracts at the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

    Buhari, in his New Year message, noted that his “government is aware of some mistakes and wrongdoings in handling the affairs of IDPs. We are taking measures to correct those mistakes and punish the culprits”.

    Recall that Buhari in October, 2015 constituted an eight-member committee, headed by Babachir, to compile names of prospective appointees into federal government boards, parastatals and agencies.

    Members of the committee included Alhaji Mai Mala Buni (northeast), Alhaji Zakari Ede (northcentral), Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir (northwest), Chief Hillard Etagbo Eta (south-south), Chief Pius Akinyelure (southwest), Chief Emmanuel Eneukwe (southeast) and Mr. Gideon Sammani, a senior special assistant to the president as secretary.

    The committee, however, had disagreements over certain issues in November.

    Buhari, in a response, directed Osinbajo to meet stakeholders including the Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman Abdulaziz Yari, APC Governors Forum Chairman Rochas Okorocha and representatives of the governors in each of the six geopolitical zones.

    The governors nominated were: Jibrilla Bindow (northeast), Atiku Bagudu (northwest), Simon Lalong (northcentral), Rochas Okorocha (southeast), Adams Oshiomhole (south-south), and Akinwumi Ambode (southwest).

    They committee swung into action and reviewed names of the prospective appointees collated by the SGF from the 36 states and FCT which was reportedly done without recourse to governors and other stakeholders of the APC.

    The SGF was accused of not treating the issue of board appointments with levity.

    He allegedly failed to carry members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council along while refusing to consult governors, a development that set them against Buhari.

    President Buhari is expected to make appointments into no fewer than 500 parastatals this year (2017).

     

  • Watch Osinbajo, Obasanjo, other ex-leaders sing for Nigeria’s greatness

    Watch Osinbajo, Obasanjo, other ex-leaders sing for Nigeria’s greatness

    Former Nigerian leaders, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Shonekan combine with former deputies, Ebitu Ukiwe, Alex Ekwueme, Oladipo Diya and current vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo sing a hymn for a greater, united and peaceful Nigeria in 2017.

    The song is Isaac Watts hymn, “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” with the video recorded early December 2016.

     

  • FG begins payment of N30,000 stipend to N-Power beneficiaries

    The Federal Government has started the payment of the N30, 000 monthly stipends for beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme -the job creation programme of the Buhari presidency.

    The N-Power programme is designed to engage the teeming and massive numbers of unemployed Nigerian graduates from tertiary institutions across the country.

    The Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity,Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, disclosed this in an interview on Friday, stating that “ all successfully verified beneficiaries who have provided bank accounts are being processed for payment.’’

    According to the presidential media aide, “some beneficiaries will receive their first stipends today -December 30.’’

    Mr Akande said the process of payment would continue after the New Year Public holiday, urging beneficiaries of subsequent batch of the scheme to take seriously their virtual training.

    “Already, close to 50% of the 200,000 unemployed graduates selected in the first batch of N-Power job program have now been verified and being processed for December stipends’ payment.

    “This process will continue and some will receive their stipends after the New Year public holiday, starting from Tuesday, 3rd of January.

    “ N-Power Volunteer Corps members are encouraged to take their virtual training seriously over this period,’’ Mr Akande said. Mr

    Laolu also encouraged states who had yet to conclude the physical verification process to do so, “as that would enable the N-Power beneficiaries in those states to draw from its benefits & empowerment offers.’’

    The unemployed graduates selected for the N-POWER programme are given assignments that will help to address issues in schools, hospitals and other areas in communities across the country.

    A total of 150,000 out of the 200,000 selected in the first phase of the scheme would be deployed as support teachers to help address shortage of teachers in schools at the basic and secondary levels.

    Another 30, 000 graduates would work as extension workers in various communities which will expectedly aid the government’s diversification agenda.

    In strengthening community health services in line with the agenda of the Buhari administration, 20,000 graduates would be deployed as community health aides, under the first phase of the programme.

    The Federal Government is overseeing the programme by way of providing the funding but the project is going to be implemented in the states by the state governments.

  • Nigeria saves N15.4 billion monthly from fuel subsidy removal – Osinbajo

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the fuel subsidy removal has removed a burden of not less than N15.4 billion monthly from the Federal Government.

    Osinbajo said this in Abuja on Thursday at the 2016 presentation of Scorecard of the Ministry of a Petroleum Resources and Agreements Signing ceremony for Joint Venture Cash Calls (JVC) exit.

    Represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, Osinbajo said that $15 billion would be injected into the sector.

    ”I am pleased to be the special guest of honour at the agreements signing ceremony for Joint Venture Cash Call exit and the announcement of $15 billion investments to be done in the sector.

    ”The oil and gas sector remains very critical to the stability and growth of our economy as it accounts for about 90 per cent of earnings.

    ”Amongst others, the downstream sector has been deregulated with the elimination of petroleum subsidy.

    ”This policy has removed from government, a burden of not less than N15.4 billion monthly,” he said.

    The vice-president said that government had taken steps to raise the domestic refining capacity for petroleum products by repairing the existing refineries.

    ”We have also licensed modular refineries and support the development of private refineries one of which is a 650,000 barrel per day capacity,’’ he said.

    According to him, one of the refineries is nearing completion, adding that when completed, it will restore ‘’our pipeline to facilitate crude and products transportation.”

    He said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved new measures aimed at eliminating the burden of JVC and easing future payments in the upstream sector.

    Osinbajo commended the World Bank on the global initiative to secure the environment by ending and commercialising gas flares.

    ”It will boost the discharge of international obligations by Nigeria on climate change and contribute to our national power generation capacity”.

    He urged other ministries to come up with score cards of their performances in the last year.

    Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, said that when he took over the leadership of the ministry, oil sector was losing N1.2 trillion every year and fuel scarcity was common.

    ”Today, we have a situation where refined petroleum consumption has gone down from an all-time high of 40 million litres a day to about 28 million litres a day.

    ”On cash call, the issue was how long the upstream was going to continue to bleed as investments were drying up and activities grinding to a halt.

    ”For the first time in 2017, you are going to see the Ministry driving an effort with the Department of Petroleum Resources to find leakage areas, essential to cover the gap in the 2017 budget.

    ”In the Niger Delta, we have brought the all-time low production of 1.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) to 1.8mbpd but for some minor incidents it would be closer to 2.1mbpd or 2.2mbpd.

    ”We set a zero militancy target in 2017 and we want anything that needs to be done should be done,’’ he said.

    On Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), he said that he was thrust into the chairmanship of the organisation immediately he was appointed.

    He added that he said he had to convince four countries to serve as engine rooms of finding solutions and not bringing the national problems to OPEC.

    In her address of welcome, Dr Jamila Shua’ra, said that ”the year started with refineries producing below capacity, high demand for petroleum products and insufficient supplies at depots, forex shortages.

    ”However, President Muhammadu Buhari believed in our team and our collective ability to find solutions.

    ”Although, it is not Uhuru yet, there are many more rivers to cross. As we speak, aviation fuel remains a challenge.

    ”We are yet to pick maximum capacity in our refineries and there is need for more investors to fund massive infrastructural development in the sector”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that awards were presented to an outstanding staff each from subsidiaries of the Ministry.

  • Nigerians free to practice any religion, FG will ensure protection in worship services – Osinbajo

    Nigerians free to practice any religion, FG will ensure protection in worship services – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday assured Nigerians that government would protect them in their places of worship and ensure that they practice their chosen faith in freedom.

    Osinbajo gave the assurance at the Christian Centre during the Service of Nine Lessons Christmas Carol tagged `Celebrating Jesus, The Light’ taken from the book of John Chapter 1 Verses 1 to 5.

    He said that the Federal Government would continue to work hard to restore what the country had lost over the years.

    “On the part of government, you have our assurance that we shall continue to live by example, working hard and diligently every day to restore the years that the canker worms have eaten.

    “Government will continue to dutifully protect lives and property with all the means at its disposal while also protecting the life of every Nigerian to freely worship in their chosen faith.

    “We shall continue to pursue dialogue, reconciliation and nation building as we continue to focus on some of the areas of divergence and differences in our national lives.

    According to him, “when we live in love and we live in peace, we live in prosperity and so we should love our nation enough to serve it with diligence and upright awe’’.

    Osinbajo informed that with God and the unrelenting determination by government to resolve the problems facing the country, better days are ahead of Nigeria.

    He reminded Christians to practise love, service to the Lord and exemplary characters as Christmas was just around the corner.

    John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, described Christmas as a special celebration of the Christian faith that involved the whole world.

    According to Onaiyekan: “It is a season for sharing, for expressing solidarity and for reaching out to others, especially to the poor and needy.

    “There must not be less generosity among us all; perhaps we must seriously consider this year with the exchange of gifts; there are so many of our countrymen who are in distress and poverty.

    “This is a spiritual asset which will make a positive impact in our land; true religion must be for peace, for justice, for honesty and harmony.

    “Christmas is a time for us to take up anew the challenges of fashioning good relations among our religious communities.’’

    He said Christmas was a season for sharing, for expressing solidarity and for reaching out to others especially to the poor and needy.

  • Buhari on track to lead us out of recession, Osinbajo assures Nigerians

    Buhari on track to lead us out of recession, Osinbajo assures Nigerians

    Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is on the right track to lead the nation out of the present economic crisis.

    Speaking during a Town Hall meeting in Kano on Monday, the Vice President said Nigerians need a man in the pedigree of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Vice President who called on Nigerians to exercise patience with Buhari that all will soon be well said, “I’m confident everyone of us would come out of this recession happy.”

    He added that, “let’s be patient, let’s work hard, and we are lucky with the kind of President we have, he is an honest man.”

    “This country needs honest leadership, we need somebody like Buhari who is not going to steal your money,” Osinbajo said.

     

  • Gowon, Obasanjo, Shonekan, Osinbajo, others attend Villa Chapel thanksgiving

    Gowon, Obasanjo, Shonekan, Osinbajo, others attend Villa Chapel thanksgiving

    The Aso Villa Chapel on Sunday organised its annual end of the year thanksgiving with former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan in attendance.

    The service which took place in the chapel was also attended by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Chiefs of General Staff Ebitu Ukiwe and Oladipo Diya, and host Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Vice President Osinbajo said the service was an exciting time to thank God for all he had done for the country during the year.

    “Today is a special thanksgiving for the end of the year and as you have seen, all the former Presidents and Vice Presidents are here for the special thanksgiving service.

    “They have been specially invited to come, we also expected President Jonathan, but unfortunately, he had to cancel at the last moment.

    “So we are all extremely excited that we have been able to bring everyone together to thank God for our nation and to give Him thanks for the great future ahead of us,’’ he said.

    Gen. Gowon said he was delighted to be at the service with other former colleagues and thanked Osinbajo for facilitating his attendance.

    Gowon said he was more excited with the children who came also to do their thanksgiving and prayed to God to bless the children in a special way.

    He enjoined the children to keep the faith with other Christians “to always make sure that we keep this country one and together.’’

    He urged Christians to love every Nigerian in spite of their faith following the injunction of Jesus Christ to love your neighbour.

    “Our neighbours are Christian, Muslim, traditional religions, among others. Whatever we do, we make sure that we live up to the expectation of what Christ expects of us,’’ he said.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, thanked the the Vice President and organisers of the service for bringing the past and present leaders to the service.

    He said the nation was expecting good lead from the leadership in the coming year, noting that the event was specifically to thank God for helping the country to steer the economy of the country.

    The Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel, Pastor Seyi Malomo, in his message said thanksgiving was an injunction from God, adding that everyone in spite of status must thank God in all circumstances.

    According to him, thanksgiving is an acknowledgement that God is alive, adding that each time the faithful gave thanks they demonstrate their faith in God.

    “As we thank God, He will restore the good days to the nation,’’ he said and predicted that time shall come when people will queue in embassies to visit Nigeria.