Elijah Adebero

Wife of the Vice president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, Dolapo Osinbajo, has rendered the praises of her husband.

After the All Progressive Congress (APC) had their primary poll, producing Bola Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate, as against Osinbajo who came third, Dolapo finds time to celebrate her man.

According to her, he remains her hero.

Also Read: Osinbajo to his supporters: The story has just started, the movement has just begun

She says Osinbajo fought a good fight, without spoiling his good name.
Now, she chants a praise poem in his favour:

“Oluyemi..

Oluleke..

Omoluabi..

Omo oko..

Oninu ire..

Oniwa Pele..

Oniwa tutu..

Ologbon..

Alaanu…

I’m proud of you!”

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, received some unsual guests in the Aso Villa on Wednesday.

They were a bunch of humour merchants who specilaise in skit making, planning to host the Nigeria Skits Industry Awards

Among they were Bimbo Daramola, Maryam Apaokagi, popularly known as Taaooma, Josh Alfred (Josh2funny), Ayo Ajewole (Woli Agba), Adebamiro Adeyanju (Mr Hyenana) and Adeoye Adeyemi Elesho (Yemi Elesho).

These are comedians who many people will call crazy, based on hos they endlessly inflict laughter on viweres.

No wonder, Osinbajo, while addressing them said Nigerian comedians were the funniest in the world.

“I don’t think that anybody anywhere is as funny as Nigerian comedians,” he declared.

This is contained in a statement by Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, which further quoted the VP as saying, “I strongly believe that what our young people are doing and what they are capable of is what will lead our country to where we are meant to be.

“The future is not tomorrow; it is already here and we can see it from just everything you are doing, the global acclaim that you are getting; young people like yourselves, doing something good.

Osinbajo also urged the skit makers to use their large online followings for the good of the nation.

Osinbajo further intimated the group on the government’s efforts to boost the Nigerian entertainment sector via the Technology and Creative Advisory group which aims to shape policies to encourage the growth of the sector, as engagement with comedy skit makers was important.

He said, “Why I think this engagement (with skit comedians) is important is because this is the way to go. Let us sit down and look at all the issues and come out with realistic positions that can then become policies, and what sort of support will be required.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo Osinbajo on Wednesday attended the Service of Songs for late Pastor Bamidele Olurin in Lagos.
Olurin was the pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Tree of Life Parish, Oregun, Lagos.
Olurin was the Assistant Pastor-in-Charge of Lagos Province 48 under Osinbajo and served in acting capacity for the vice president who was the Provisional Pastor until he went for national assignment.
Olurin was one of the first set of Apapa Family Bible College, now called RILA Institute where he shared class with Osinbajo.
Osinbajo, in a prayer for the family, thanked God for saving Olurin’s soul.
He prayed God to provide, protect and show his mercies to Olurin’s family.
“We thank you for what he was able to do through you; thank you for the service he rendered for you.
“We ask that you take care of his wife and children; keep covenant with them such that they may know prosperity, blessing, joy and fulfilment all the days of their lives.
” Set them apart for your goodness, your kindness, your great mercy; Father, they should know no shame; no disgrace, everyday of their lives, you will provide for them, ” he prayed
Pastor Deola Mensa, Special Assistant to the wife of the General Overseer, RCCG, said that Olurin lived a worthy life.

She prayed God to comfort the vice president for the loss of Olurin who deputised effectively for to him as the Provisional Pastor, Lagos Province 48.

“We thank God for the life he has lived; he served God faithfully.

“He has gone home to rest; he left for everyone of us, a legacy to follow,” she said.
The service featured praise and worship, Bible readings, hymn renditions, tributes and testimonies(NAN).

The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigeria is on the path of taking its place among the comity of nations with various developmental programmes ongoing in different sectors of the country.

Osinbajo made the assertion at the 2017/2018 50th Convocation Lecture of the University of Lagos on Monday in Lagos.

The theme of the lecture is, “Nigeria Rising: The Path to Prosperity’’.

According to him, the most crucial pillar of any government’s economic policy should be the improvement of human resource.

“I suspect the topic, Nigeria Rising; the Path to Prosperity is informed by the curiosity of what people expect from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the next four years, or what “Next Level’’ really means.

“I therefore, think that I should begin by affirming that the Buhari administration believes that Nigeria’s prosperity means a decent existence for all, ending extreme poverty, increasing productivity and ending corruption.

“We believe in wealth creation system that is capable of taking millions out of poverty, while providing for those who cannot work.

“Wealth creation options must include access to cheap credit. It must include job schemes for the unemployed and cash transfers to the most poor and vulnerable.

“The administration is also working toward providing good healthcare and education that makes our workforce relevant in the knowledge economy.

“In plotting the path to prosperity, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, we took into account the weaknesses of the Nigerian economy and the illusions that distort our real understanding of our economy.

“First is the focus on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures without the understanding of the underlying dynamics,’’ he said.

According to him, a total of 60 per cent of the country’s GDP figures depends on oil. The oil sector itself contributed 10 to 12 per cent, while the rest is contributed by the non-oil sector.

Osinbajo said that between 50 and 53 per cent depended on the oil sectors.

This, he said meant that the country’s economy rested on a tripod, with two of the three legs depending on highly volatile oil prices and production.

“But we have to understand that high oil revenue does not equal better jobs or better human development indices.

“For example, the period of astronomical high oil revenues was when we had high level of poverty, infant mortality and unemployment.

“Our economy was also being run on a consumption growth model, which is only advantageous if consumption is being met by domestic production of goods and services.

“However, our consumption was being met by import, and thus, though the GDP was going up, more people were going into poverty,’’ he said.

According to the professor of Law, the only affluent people in the current economic dispensation were the professionals whom, he said, were able to plug into the rent seeking opportunities brought by high oil prices.

He noted that the average citizen could not because when the oil prices fall, not only does GDP fall, but the wealth of these affluent people is wiped out.

Osinbajo said that the place of corruption was also crucial, adding that the same oil earnings that was supposed to fund education, infrastructure and healthcare ended up in private pockets.

He added that the combination of theft of public revenues, the consequent failure to invest in infrastructures and the largely rent seeking business class was what accounted for Nigeria’s current economic situation.

“It is important to underscore the fact that our major problem has always been grand corruption, the direct stealing of government resources.

“And we must not allow it to happen again because this high level corruption affects the government’s ability to provide the most basic service to our people.

“It is clear to us that we need to devise an economic plan which will prioritise the building of infrastructure, fix our healthcare system, ensure food security, provide quality education and create jobs for our teeming youths,’’ he added.

He noted that the current administration was on course to providing decent existence for the masses, with a view in improving infrastructure, just like it was also focusing on innovation and technology.

According to him, plans were on by the current administration to completely democratise access to innovation.

He noted that it was important too that government would be able to put in place, an educational system that would take care of practically every one.

Osinbajo added: “Our home grown feeding programme for instance, feeds about 9.2 million children in 26 states across the country with plans underway to cover the remaining 10 states soon.

“Today, we have all sorts of figures where our out-of-school children is in the range of 10 million and all of that. We understand the problem and when we talk about these children, we are talking about the primary school children and this is run by the states and the local governments..

“Now, there is no way that the Federal Government will on its own pick up this responsibility solely because each of these states run its own private school system.

“If we look at the figure, you will find disparity between out-of-school children in Lagos and that of Bauchi or Anambra,’’ he said.

According to him, what government was trying to do at the National Economic Council is to look at the challenges at the various states and proffer solutions.

He added that what this meant was that government would have to compel all the states of the federation to provide more resources for education as well as healthcare.

“So, we have to ensure that the states provide more resources and we will back the states as much as we can with resources for education and healthcare.

“What I see is that in the next few years, we will resolve the issues we are having with our out-of-school children.

“Another of my greatest worry is respect to quality of education which, of course, brings me to the question of teacher training and how to get the best from our teachers.

“That is why we are currently looking at how to revamping teachers training. How do we ensure that our teachers are not just better trained in a particular way that is relevant, especially their digital requisite skills and those skills that are relevant for their immediate future,’’ he said.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, noted that the jubilee convocation would be well celebrated as the institution had recorded giant strides in the area of entrepreneurship, research and innovation.

Ogundipe assured Nigerians that before the end of the year, the institution would record an improved ranking.

The Pro-Chancellor of the University, Dr Wale Babalakin, re-emphasised the need for only academics to find themselves in the academia.

“We must create an environment that will attract the best scholars and nothing less, if truly we intend to take this country to the next level,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Arthur Mbanefo, said that the topic of the lecture was apt, adding that it could not have come at a better time.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that earlier in the day, the vice-president commissioned some key projects that had already been completed by the institution.

Among the projects were an Olympic size Swimming Pool, an Academic Publishing Centre, comprising a virtual centre of e-learning and a library, a new extension of the university’s Medical Centre and the New Engineering Lecture Theatre. (NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured voters in Delta of adequate security in Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at a town hall meeting in Warri on Monday, said that the issue of security was fundamental to the electoral process.

The president said that special attention would be focused on security to enable the electorate exercise their franchise and check any form of intimidation.

“What happened at the Presidential and National Assembly elections was a great victory, but the completion of the victory will come on Saturday when Great Ogboru will become the governor of Delta.

“Delta cannot be the same again. Delta was our focus of attention, we wanted to see what will happen.

“Delta has proved a very important point that it is ready for a change to the next level.

” Security is a fundamental issue and we will pay special attention to it,” he said.

The president also urged leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unite, saying “when we work together, we will emerge victorious on Saturday.’’

Also speaking, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomohole, commended the people for voting massively for the APC in the recent poll.

He urged the voters to be courageous and vote overwhelmingly for Ogboru in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

” You have substantially weakened the rigging machine of the PDP.

“No one will provide unlawful security. Security operatives should ensure that votes are counted because President Buhari wants to have a cleaner election,” he said.

Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister for State for Petroleum Resources, described the occasion as “ a unifying day for us to come and work together.’’

Ogboru, in his opening remarks, had urged the government to provide adequate security to avoid a repeat of the violence witnessed in the state during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

” Security issues should be looked into seriously, if there is adequate security, the electorate will turnout en masse to cast their votes, ” he said.

Participants, who spoke at the interactive session, all stressed the need for adequate security during Saturday’s elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by traditional rulers from the three senatorial districts of the state, religious and opinion leaders as well as market women and youths.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday said that no amount of thanksgiving and praises to God would be enough for saving his life and nine others in Saturday’s helicopter crash.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice President survived an helicopter accident at Kabba in Kogi.

Osinbajo spoke during a Thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of Grace, Lokoja.

“Only God can take the glory for saving my life and that of the nine crew members on board.”

He said that it would have been a breaking news on local and international media that Vice President Osinbajo and nine crew members died in an helicopter crash, but God had not allowed such to happen.

“No amount of thanksgiving and praises to God would be enough for saving my life and nine crew on board.

“God is the one who can do all things, and only him can take the glory; we return the glory to him.

“We are here to say thank you, thank you JESUS. We bless his name forever and ever,” he said.

He prayed God to bless all the people that have celebrated with him in the state, the nation and the world at large.

“All I have to say is that we are grateful and we are moving to the next level; the Lord will uphold us to the next level and Kogi will be number one,” Osinbanjo said.

Earlier, in a live telecast from the RCCG headquarters, Lagos, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, asked the congregation to rise and give glory to God for saving the live of his son, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, from a crash.

According to Adeboye, the devil wanted to take the life of Yemi Osinbajo, but God put the devil to shame.

He, therefore, asked the congregation to specially appreciate God on behalf of the Vice President and all the crew onboard, for his supernatural protection, saying Nigeria would not mourn.

In his sermon, entitled: “Carriers of Glory”, Adeboye said for anybody to carry glory, he must be a true child of God and live a life of holiness.

Taking his lesson from the Bible in the book of Matthew 5 : 14- 15, he said: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

“As a carrier of glory, anywhere you arrive the darkness will automatically disappear.

“When God begins to use you, the glory belongs to God and you, so you must learn to always give glory to God.

“Do not take the glory to yourself because it is not yours, it belongs to God,” Adeboye said.

Dignitaries that attended the service included: Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Ayoade Arike; Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Comdr. Jerry Omodara; commissioners and Sen. Smart Adeyemi.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo thrilled some residents of Abuja to `Next Level’, a song composed from the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign slogan for the 2019 general elections.

The vice president addressed a crowd of enthusiastic residents, then paid a visit to the family of Abdulwaheed Yusuf in Garki Area 1, before visiting the family of Col. Ahmed Zubair (rtd) in Wuse Zone 7, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports.

Addressing cheering residents of Wuse Zone 7, Osinbajo bellowed “APC!’’, and the crowd responded “Next Level!’’ as many times as the vice president mentioned Next level.

The vice president, who spoke partly in Pidgin English, told the residents that the message he had for them from President Muhammadu Buhari was: “No shaking, na Next level we dey go; we don finish with the kind leaders wey dey chop money’’.

He said people that looted Nigeria’s money would not be allowed to come back.

“Dey no go come back again; Baba Buhari na mai Gaskiya; he will not steal your money; he will use the money for the benefit of the people.

“From now on, we are making sure that people have money to do their trading and young people have jobs; the only way to do is only if we do not allow these people who want to steal to come back.

“They will not come back; we are going forward; we are going to the Next level; by the Grace of God, four more years.

“There is one song that we sing now on radio; we are going higher, higher, Next level; we are going higher, higher, we are going higher, higher, higher Next level,’’ he sang.

The excited residents sang in unison with the Vice President and later switched to repeatedly singing “Four plus four, Next level; four plus four, Next level’’.

Earlier in Garki Area 1, Osinbajo told the residents that Buhari would not allow any form of looting as he would deploy Nigeria’s resources to improve the lives of the people.

According to him, the Buhari-led administration will use Nigeria’s money to help Nigerians.

“Traders will have more money for their trading; people who are working will have more; young people will have jobs; our women will go to market to sell; enough things to sell so that every Nigerian will prosper.

“Mr President has said that he will not allow a situation where people steal our money; that is why we are not going back to the past.

“Our money must be used for Nigerians; for all of you who are here.

“That is why we are doing MarketMoni, TraderMoni; every trader will have something to do; every young person will have a job.

“By God’s grace, everybody will prosper during Buhari’s next four years as president,’’ he said.

The crowd, comprising mostly women and youths, sang and walked with the vice president for about 200 metres in Area 1 before he departed for Wuse Zone 7 aboard his motorcade.