Former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has urged the children of the late Herbert Wigwe to take heart.

According to him, no amount of words can heal their hearts.

Paying tribute to Wigwe on Thursday at his burial programme, Osinbajo said:  “I have known him for so many years. I’m not even sure how many years. While I was in office for the entire eight, Herbert called me practically every other month, just to say, ‘How are you doing?’ never asking for a favour. But two months before I left office, he called me and said he needed to see me. So, I thought, he must have some issue and he came with a notebook. I was very surprised because Herbert never comes with a notebook and he said that he wanted to know what my plans were after I left office. I laughed over it and he insisted and took note very diligently of everything that I said I wanted to do. Thereafter he visited me no less than three times before I left office.

“The Thursday before he died, he called me on Tuesday and said he was going to come see me in Abuja on Thursday and he did. We spent about three hours reviewing practically everything, the university, the philanthropy (initiatives) he was involved in, everything.”

Speaking further, Osinbajo said that the deceased was one who walked the talk when it comes to friendship

“I don’t think any event in recent times for me in particular has made it clear how important friendships and relationships are. Herbert was one who walked the talk of brotherhood and friendship,” he said.

Consoling the bereaved children, the former VP said, “No amount of words can heal your hearts but that you are not alone in your grief.  This tragedy has troubled so many, both young and old. A deep dark cloud hangs over our hearts.

“This event has confronted me and many of us with our own mortality. One thing I will like you to know especially, the children. The manner of death is not as important to God; John was beheaded, Stephen was stoned to death, Elisha died of an ailment. What is important to God is the difference between dying and perishing.”

After the series of events in Lagos, activities will move to Rivers State for the Christian Wake-Keeping Friday at Wigwe University, Isiokpo, followed by a Combined Funeral Service on Saturday at  RCCG, Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo and then a private interment ceremony. The final event is the outing service on Sunday at RCCG, Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo.

Some dignitaries at the service of songs include billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State; Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  Ola Olukoyede;  Senior Pastor of This Present House, Tony Rapu; lead pastor of the Trinity House Church, Lagos, Ituah Ighodalo; Senior Pastor of the House On The Rock church,  Paul Adefarasin and  his wife, Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin and a former Access Bank chairman, Dr Dere Awosika, among others.

Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has announced a new appointment he just got.

Osinbajo, who was denied the presidency ticket by the All Progressives Party says he has been appointed Global Advisor to Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).

He confirmed the development in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

Osinbajo will support GEAPP’s partnership with governments to enhance the enabling environment and delivery effectiveness to unlock faster and greater capital flows into the clean energy sector.

The former Vice-President last month led a team of distinguished experts in observing the general elections in Sierra Leone

“GEAPP in such a short period has demonstrated a commitment to support developing countries’ shift to a clean energy using models that ensure universal energy access as well as drive economic growth, generate jobs & sustainable livelihoods and meet urgent climate goals.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with @EnergyAlliance”

GEAPP also confirmed Osinbajo’s appointment.

It said: “The @EnergyAlliance is thrilled to announce the appointment of former VP of Nigeria, HE @ProfOsinbajo, as a Global Advisor, guiding our mission to accelerate #cleanenergy deployment in emerging economies.

“A champion for just energy transitions in Africa, @ProfOsinbajo will work alongside @EnergyAlliance to unlock greater capital flows into the #cleanenergy sector & boost Africa’s share in the global carbon market through the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative

Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, has said that  his principal, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has no luxury of time.

He said he had to hit the ground running, while speaking after the outgoing VP, Yemi Osinbajo, took him  on a tour of the Vice Presidential Wing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

Osinbajo had shared photos from the familiarisation tour on his Twitter handle.

Speaking after the tour, Shettima commended Osinbajo for his kind gesture. He also stated the sole purpose of his visitation was to exchange ideas with Osinbajo on how to move the nation forward.

“On the instance of Vic-President, who is a friend and a contemporary, I came here just to exchange ideas on how to move the nation forward,” he said.

“He took me round the offices out of courtesy and I want to commend him, I want to thank him for extending that courtesy to me.”

“He does not have the luxury of time. I will be the Vice-President. I don’t want to be presumptuous or make a loud proclamation,” he added.
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“But my interaction with him (Tinubu) has shown that we will hit the ground running from day one.

“I believe it is a humbling experience. It is a call to national duty and by God’s grace, we need the support of all of you, especially the media to succeed.

“So, I wish to implore all of you to join us in building a new Nigeria.”

Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, has anointed the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, as the person the All Progressives Congress should have presented as its candidate.

He said Osinbajo was healthy and could work 24 hours a day.

Obi indirectly knocked the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in a video of his visit to OVATION Publisher, Dele Momodu, on the occasion of his birthday in London.

Obi and other opposition have insisted that Tinubu is not healthy enough to be in charge.

In a 52-second video that went viral on social media platforms, the former Anambra State governor said he had one time confronted the leadership of APC that if they wanted Nigeria to work as a progressive country, they should have just given Osinbajo the party’s presidential ticket.

He said, “I am desperate to see Nigeria working, I can’t hide it. I even confronted them if you want it, why didn’t you bring Osinbajo so that we can have people who want to work for the country?

“Nigeria needs a healthy person and someone like him working 24 hours. Let’s have the place working for everyone,” he added.

Tinubu had defeated Obi to the third position in the election, while he floored the associate/mentee-turned opponent in the APC’s primary last year.

The former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has expressed the hope that Nigeria may be lucky to have the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the country’s President in the future.

Osinbajo lost to the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, during the All Progressives Congress primary.

But Sanusi said the country would have been better off having the VP as the helsman.

Sanusi said this at a virtual book launch titled, “Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader,” on Monday.

The VP was one of the aspirants of the All Progressives Congress presidential primary, who some criticised for contesting against his former boss and the now President-elect, Bola Tinubu, during the party’s presidential primary.

Sanusi, who is also a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, noted that Osinbajo was one of those in the present administration ready to deliberate on developmental matters.

He said, “And I dare say, we all agree that Nigeria is worse off for not having someone like him (Osinbajo) as president, but I do hope that he will be available to serve and to advise and to put in his best for the country and continue to do.

“So, I’m sure he will, in whatever capacity he finds himself in the future, and maybe, we’ll still be lucky to have him lead us at some point or take some leadership role as a statesman.”

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has lamented that voices of evil and hate are more virulent than ever in the country.

This is as he on Sunday in Abuja tasked churches and religious leaders to drive the faithful towards the pursuit of truth and justice.

Osinbajo gave the charge at the enthronement of Most Rev. Michael Akinwale as the Archbishop of Abuja Unity Cathedral, Methodist Church of Nigeria.

AVM Kayode Beckley was also presented as Diocesan and Archdiocesan Lay President of the church at the occasion.

According to Osinbajo, the Church is a place to deliver people from fear and oppression and eternal damnation; a place of succour, joy and encouragement.

“We must continue to build churches and places of worship knowing that everywhere we plant a church; we establish the light and power of the gospel of the love of Jesus Christ.

“The light and power is the answer to darkness, pain and misery of our world.

“The forces of evil and hate are more virulent than ever; the battle between light and darkness is more intense than ever, but the church will prevail,’’ he stressed.

The vice-president urged Nigerians and especially the political class to unite and ensure that the right things were done always.

“We need to unite. We call on politicians, religious and traditional leaders and all in authority to do the right thing,’’ Osinbajo said.

He commended the Church for aggressively engaging in evangelism, which, he said, had great impact on the society and on the nation.

In his remarks, the Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Oliver Ali-Aba said the Church was poised to move on through fervent prayers.

“The Church wants to carry on as Christ has charged on the great commission; to spread the gospel and to do well.

“We pray for Nigeria’s unity, peace and development; we pray for good leaders from the Church to the nation at all levels,’’ he said.

In his response, Most Rev. Akinwale said he was on a divine mission, which was to aggressively spread the goodness of Christ.

“I will also passionately and effectively drive membership of the church; we need God-fearing men and woman to know and serve God which would also help to deliver our nation,’’ he said.

He added that Nigeria needed leaders with the fear of God to get things right.

“Nigeria is a divine project and nothing can disintegrate it; it is our mandate to ensure unity and peace is promoted in the nation,’’ he stressed.

Also speaking after his presentation as Lay president, Sir Beckley said his task was to support the ministers to grow evangelism.

“The business of the Church is all about salvation and if the congregations get this, they have gotten all,’’ he said.

Sir Beckley also appealed to the laity to support the ministers to achieve their missions of the great commission.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says a cashless policy, when effectively operated in Nigeria, can help stem the surge of illicit election financing by making it possible to track funds.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the vice president received a delegation of the EU Election Observation Mission led by Mr Barry Andrews.

The EU Chief Observer is also a member of the European Parliament.

“I think that what we should be looking at is to provide more infrastructure.

“The cashless thing has been really advantageous and helps with tracking.

“That sort of infrastructure is useful for more financial inclusion and the more financial inclusion you have, the easier it is to track.

“So much money can be spent without it being tracked under the current election financing practices in the country.’’

Osinbajo acknowledged the serious difficulty in controlling election financing because of cash transactions.

According to him, there are still infrastructure issues required to be in place to ensure an efficient cashless system in the country.

“With cash transactions, it is still difficult to seriously control election financing.’’

On electoral offences, the vice president said the Electoral Offences Commission Bill was at the National Assembly.

He said he hoped that it would begin a new regime of dealing with electoral offences which would be helpful.

“By and large, one shouldn’t expect INEC to be the investigator of electoral offences.

“I think that law enforcement agencies should be responsible for arresting and prosecuting offenders, state by state.

“Electoral offences are always seen through a political prism; people will always feel that they are being prosecuted because they belong to a certain party.

“What is more important is that we have to find a system where the police could have a special unit for offences during the course of elections.

“The Federal High Courts could also have a special jurisdiction to deal with offences and not extend beyond the Federal High Courts.”

On the role of the judicial system, Osinbajo said that more attention should be paid to the monitoring of tribunals and their outcomes, calling for more scrutiny from the National Judicial Council.

He disclosed that discussions had been had in the past concerning malfeasance on the part of some judges and those found guilty should be brought to the fore.

“There should be sanctions and that way, we would be able to clean up and correct some of the problems,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Andrews said that the mission would be monitoring the elections coming up next month and hope for a peaceful and fair electoral process.

According to him, it is the 7th time the INEC is inviting the EU Mission to monitor the elections, adding that the team had been in the country since Jan 11 and will be around until the end of March, 2023.

Other members of the delegation include Ms Samuela Isopi, Ambassador, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS and Mr Thomas Boserup, Deputy Chief Observer, EU Election Observation Mission.