By Seun Bisuga
Not many people know what Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo really means to Nigerians and how he has impacted the lives of
people and the nation.
Below are four things the number
two man means to Nigeria.
1. Hope for Nigerians (through the
Social Investments Programmes): Vice President Yemi Osinbajo oversees what is
regarded as the largest social investments programme in sub-Saharan Africa. The
National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) comprises of the N-Power
Programme, currently employing 500,000 graduates; the GEEP loans (Market Moni,
FarmerMoni andTrader Moni), providing credit to over 3 million Nigerian
traders, artisans and businessmen; the Home Grown School Feeding Programme,
feeding over 9.5 million children in public schools in 31 states nationwide;
and the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, putting disposable funds in the
hands of over 300,000 of the poorest families in Nigeria.
The Social Investment Programmes
are the most successful social investment programmes ever implemented in
Nigeria. Designed, promoted and managed by Vice President Osinbajo, they have
lifted millions of Nigerians out of poverty. Indeed, the N-SIPs are is giving
hope to millions of Nigerians nationwide and helping them to improve their
lives.
It is not surprising that only a
week ago, President Muhammadu Buhari commended him for the success of the
programmes – like the World Bank and many more. The commendations are evidence
of hard-work, transformational policies and dedication. They are deserved as
well.
2. Improving the Economy: As a
recession seemed inevitable in 2016 – giving the absence of any savings by
previous administrations, falling of the price of oil in the international
market, the destruction of Nigeria’s oil assets by militants, and the monotonic
nature of Nigeria’s economy – Nigeria needed a team to steer the ship out of
the storm. And Prof. Osinbajo provided the lead of this team.
The Niger Delta New Vision, which
is the blueprint of the Buhari administration to develop the Niger Delta, is
being spearheaded by the Vice President on behalf of President Muhammadu
Buhari. His leadership and forthrightness to ensure development was clear for
all to see during his tour of the region and meetings with Niger Delta elders.
Osinbajo’s leadership acumen has not only helped rebuild the trust of many who
had been skeptical of the Federal Government’s New Vision, it has also
contributed in no small measure to the peace and stability in the region. This
has greatly helped to improve oil revenue that had suffered greatly from past
restiveness, and so the country’s economy.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is
the head of Nigeria’s Economic Management Team. His leadership was able to
bring the country out of its worst recession to hit it in decades. Since the
country’s exit from the recession, he has overseen the economy grow from
negative, and headed to a double digit, even beyond the predictions of the IMF
and the World Bank. The journey with his captainship has been a steady and sure
rise: diversification has been successfully pursued, with increased inputs now
being seen from the non-oil sectors in our GDP and revenue; the country’s
foreign reserves have doubled in just four years; the minimum wage increase is
set for implementation despite Nigeria’s low earnings from oil; these and more
show a focused, dogged, resilient and witty economic management team – led by
Professor Osinbajo.
Also, the Vice President is chair
of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which was
inaugurated in July 2016, as the administration’s flagship initiative to reform
the business environment, attract investment and diversify the economy to
reduce the nation’s reliance on oil. Since its setup, PEBEC has spearheaded
reforms that have improved the nation’s economic environment through its Ease
of Doing Business reforms. This ensured Nigeria moved up 24 places on the World
bank’s Ease of Doing business index and earned the country commendation as one
of the top 10 reforming economies in the world. Also, the Vice President has
helped launch the administration’s Energizing Economies project which provides
solar power to markets and economic clusters for small businesses and petty
traders and so, drives economic growth.
3. Leadership: Seen as youthful,
agile, contemporary and versatile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stands out as
the significant link between Nigeria’s young population to the President Buhari
administration. And he doesn’t stop at that. He is a mentor to hundreds of
young Nigerians through his platform, Act Now Group. His aides are comprised
mostly of a tech-savvy generation of young upwardly mobile youths. Osinbajo
gladly welcomes opportunities to mentor young people to become excellent in
their respective fields and contribute their quota to nation-building. He walks
the talks and is a bridge-builder, for both the young and old generations.
As Nigeria’s number two citizen
he has taken positions that prove his deft appreciation of leadership: he took
mended the fence of feuding members of his party APC. As Acting President, he
took hefty but pertinent decisions: he appointed a Chief Justice where there
was a vacuum, he unflinchingly sacked a recalcitrant head of Nigeria’s security
services, he signed Executive Orders to improve Nigeria’s business community.
As a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he is a leader of thoughts who has
left indelible marks of astute thoughts in Nigeria’s jurisprudential space. His
prominent role as Head of Nigeria’s Economic Management Team needs no second
mention.
Just recently, in demonstration
of true leadership, the Vice President temporarily delayed his trip to the
airport for an official assignment to engage with some Abuja residents
protesting on the highway over alleged land grabbing by members of the Nigerian
Army. He subsequently met with leaders of the community and also Nigerian Army
to ensure the issues are resolved amicably. Osinbajo has displayed such
exemplary leadership on many occasions.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
means leadership to Nigeria today – cutting across professions, ethnic groups
and age demographics.
4. Bringing people closer to
government: From Oyo to Owerri, Maiduguri to Yenagoa, everywhere he goes, Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo has a way with people that instantly magnets them to
his inborn charm and aura of personality. Whether in the wide corridors of power,
in the narrow passages in marketplaces or wading through flooded areas around
Nigeria, VP Osinbajo is at home with both the high and mighty, as well as the
low and ordinary Nigerians. Simply put, Osinbajo’s deep connection with people
goes deeper than the surface. It is neither for the camera or for the klieg
lights or for photo-ops, just the epitome of a man whose life and career has
been built on the foundations of championing social causes well before his
university days, and giving back to society through his talents, skills, and
resources.
Recently, during the launch of
the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Ekiti State, the Vice President was
pictured sitting with one of the schoolgirls in her classroom while the pupils
enjoyed their meal. Like a dotting father, Osinbajo leaned closer to listen to
what the little girl was saying at the time. Later that day, he tweeted, “She
spoke, I listened. She was the boss of me today (insert smile emoji).” It felt
like a photo-op moment, but it was more than that. It succinctly captured a man
devoid of airs, one who embodied the essence of true leadership driven by
compassion and genuine concern for people’s welfare. Everywhere he goes, his
connection with people is evident. Everywhere he goes, it is evident that
people, Nigerians, simply love this man. Sometimes, the crowd is so
overwhelming, that Osinbajo’s security and protocol struggle to contain them.
True compassion cannot be masked in photo-ops. Osinbajo is the real deal. He
brings a human face to governance like never seen before from one holding the
Number 2 position in Africa’s most populous country.
At countless events, despite his
busy itinerary and schedules, and retinue of security, Osinbajo takes out time
to listen to a child, a young or old man or woman, who wouldn’t have had a
whiff of opportunity to come close to him in any situation. He listens to
everyone, regardless of status or social class. Whether it was that woman that
was moved to pray for him in the market, or a group of three generations of a
grateful family he visited during one of his family chats, or the excited mai
suya who couldn’t believe his eyes that Nigeria’s Vice President actually
stopped by his stall to engage him in a conversation and then purchase his
wares, or those group of starry-eyed kids who surrounded him and listened with
rapt attention, or those excited young men and women who just wanted to take
selfies with this great man; Osinbajo’s deep connection with people shines
through.
Osinbajo brings that quality of compassion
into political leadership and governance, he goes to meet the people where they
are, bringing government closer to ordinary people. He loves to be there, to
feel the pulse of the people, with the people, so that he could help them to
make their lives and situations better.
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RUBBISH
ReplyDeleteCome 2023, Osibanjo for president
ReplyDeleteThat is what we expect but will it happen?
Delete