Exclusive Investigation - Why Osinbajo chartered private chopper for Kabba trip

Details emerged on Monday on why Vice -President Yemi Osinbajo chartered a private helicopter for a trip to Kogi State last Saturday , which ended up crash -landing in Kabba .
The VP , the Minister of State for Labour , Prof . Stephen Ocheni , and 10 senior presidential officials had escaped unhurt when the AgustaWestland 139 helicopter marked 5 N-CML and serial number : 31389, owned and operated by Caverton Helicopters hit the ground awkwardly and fell on its side at the Kabba Stadium in Kogi State on February 2 .

Findings indicated that Osinbajo opted for the charter service because the helicopters in the Presidential Fleet were reportedly occupied that day with other functions .
Two choppers in the official fleet , said to be the “ only functional ones ” for now, had already been engaged to fly to presidential campaign venues in the North -East on the fateful day.
One State House official , who spoke with The PUNCH, explained that in the circumstances, the VP had to opt for the charter service to be able to carry on with the Next Level campaign activities of the Buhari administration .

“ Actually , there are two functional helicopters in the Presidential Fleet . That is the information available right now. Those two choppers were already engaged on Saturday .
“ For example , Mr President was away to Bauchi that same day and the two PAF choppers were engaged for that and other functions .

“ It is not unusual that when the choppers are engaged and there is another equally important function to be executed, an alternative can be sought.
“ This is not just about the VP , whenever there is the need for an alternative when the functional choppers are busy , this is done , ” the source informed The PUNCH .
Investigations showed that the VP ’ s office ruled out any sabotage in the near-death experience .
“ There is no use pre-empting the outcome of an investigation . However , there is no fear about any sabotage, ” a presidential source told The PUNCH.
The Accident Investigation Bureau on Sunday , confirmed that it had begun investigation into the accident to ascertain what really caused it .

The AIB said investigators had been dispatched to the site of the crash in Kabba .
Caverton Helicopters , in its reaction to the development , expressed support for the investigation , saying that it would give necessary cooperation to the government agency .
Presidency backs probe of crash by AIB
When The PUNCH sought the reaction of the VP ’ s office to the move of the AIB , it responded that what the agency had started followed the normal protocol when a crash occurred .

Speaking with The PUNCH , the Senior Special Assistant to the VP on Media and Publicity , Mr Laolu Akande , said Osinbajo believed the investigation was the “ standard procedure. ”
He added , “ After such an incident , the aviation authorities will do their due diligence , carry out a thorough investigation and come out with a report on what has happened .
“ That is the proper thing to do and yes , they are on the right course of action. ”
Findings showed that as of 2015 , PAF had 10 aircraft , including four Agusta helicopters .


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Exclusive Reports - VP Osinbajo Escapes Death As Chopper Crash Lands In Kabba, Kogi State

Nigeria's Vice President has escaped death by the whiskers after his chopper crash landed in Kogi state.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has survived after his Chopper crash landed in Kabba today. Also, the entire crew are safe. He is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State.

Confirming the report, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, on Media & Publicity Laola Akande tweeted: "VP Osinbajo's Chopper crash lands in Kabba, but he and the entire crew safe. He is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State."

Via Tori.ng

VP OSINBAJO - President Buhari Not Aware of Allegations Against CJN, Onnoghen Until Saturday

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has absolved his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari of pre-arranging the trial of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for non declaration of assets.
He said Buhari never had any fact of financial misdemeanor involving the CJN until Saturday evening.

According to the Vice President it is highly regretable that his senior colleague the CJN has to go through this process but that Buhari had issued specific instructions that anti-graft institutions be allowed to do their job without any interference.
Osinbajo gave this account on Wednesday, at a one day conference organised by Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) with the theme: Free Press and Objective Reporting in the 2019 Election Year.
“I must tell you in clear terms that President Muhammadu Buhari, his whole approach is that institutions should just do their work, I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening.

“He did not even know that there was going to be any kind of trial until Saturday evening, he has said categorically don’t interfere with whatever institutions are doing, sometimes it has consequences such as we have today, such that people say how can such an important person be subjected to trial without the Federal Government but I can tell you without any equivocation that he is not aware” Justice Onnoghen is facing trail over non declaration of assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Continue Reading - Punchng

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Previous Governments: What they did with our money

Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has taken a swipe at previous governments particularly the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with a charge on Nigerians to ask them what they did with monies earned?

The Vice President also disclosed that in building infrastructures for the development of the country, the administration of President Muhammad Buhari has spent N2.7 trillion on building infrastructure since its assumption in office. Prof. Osinbajo made the disclosure at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, HRM Oharisi III during a courtesy visit on the monarch in company of other Urhobo monarchs after he launched the Trader Moni Scheme at the Ughelli Main Market.

In his address to the monarchs, Osinbajo who was accompanied by Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and others, said 30, 000 petty traders would benefit from the scheme with N10,000 each in January, 2019.
Speaking further, he said: “This is not a government that believe that the money of the people should be stolen because our determination is to build this country.
“We are earning today 60 percent less than what the country earned in the past 10years, yet we are spending more in building infrastructure than any government in the country today.

“The question we ought to ask previous government is, what did they do with the monies if today we are still building the Itakpe-Warri railway line which was established 35years ago as well as the Kaduna Hydro project which also was established 40years ago?”

Via Vanguardngr

2019 Budget: Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo presides over brief FEC

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo, Wednesday presided over brief Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting which lasted less than one hour thirty minutes.

The brief FEC started about 10am when the Vice president arrived at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja with Christian and Muslim prayers said by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelemah and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello respectively.

But in less than one hour thirty minutes, the FEC, meeting was adjourned and the Ministers immediately proceeded to the National Assembly for the presentation of the 2019 Appropriation Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai, when asked whether there would be any briefing on the outcome of brief FEC, he said there would be none.
The budget presentation was coming six weeks late when compared to that of 2018 budget which was presented on November 7,2017.
Last year’s presentation lasted for about two hours with the President standing for 62 minutes to read the budget proposal.

Via Vanguardngr

Exclusive: Osinbajo's Celebrate 29th Wedding Anniversary

Nigeria's 2nd family, the Osinbajo's today (Mother and father) are today celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. Mrs Osinbajo took to social media to give God all the glory, captioning the photo above;

''Two hearts... 29 years... All glory to God
#WeddingAnniversay #❤️❤️''

UPDATE President Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu arrive for crucial NEC meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari , Vice President Yemi Osinbajo , and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress have arrived the APC National Secretariat for the party’s National Executive Council meeting .

The party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole , is leading other members of the National Working Committee to the meeting .
President Buhari arrived the venue at about 11 : 20 am .

MORE NEWS DETAILS - PUNCHNG

EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria’s problem not about restructuring, says VP, Yemi Osinbajo

Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo says the problems facing Nigeria are not about restructuring as being suggested in many quarters .
He also wondered how past Nigerian leaders , including a military dictator , Ibrahim Babangida; former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former President Goodluck Jonathan, spent the oil revenues that accrued to the country during their administrations .

According to a statement on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Mr Laolu Akande, the Vice- President said these while answering questions from Nigerians at a town hall meeting in Minnesota, the United States of America , on Sunday. Osinbajo said Nigeria ’ s problems were not about geographical restructuring but about proper management of the country ’s resources .

He said, “ The problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring and we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the argument that our problems stem from some geographical restructuring . It is about managing resources properly and providing for the people properly, that is what it is all about .

“I served for eight years as Attorney General in Lagos State and one of the chief issues that we fought for in Lagos State was what you call fiscal federalism. We felt that there was a need for the states to be stronger, for states, to more or less , determine their fortunes.
“So , for example , we went to court to contest the idea that every state should control , to a certain extent , its own resources (the so - called resource control debate). We were in court at that time up to the Supreme Court and the court ruled that oil -producing states should continue to get 13 per cent derivation.

“While we were at the Supreme Court only the oil - producing states and Lagos were interested in resource control, everybody else was not interested in resource control for obvious reasons .
“ Now , that is the way the argument has always gone . Those who have the resources want to take all of it, while those who do not have want to share from others. ”
Osinbajo said his view was that the government must create an environment that would allow people to realise their economic potential.

In June , Osinbajo had said that the present administration was not opposed to restructuring as being canvassed in many quarters .
Osinbajo stated this while addressing traditional rulers from Ekiti State at the palace of the Ewi of Ado - Ekiti , Oba Rufus Adejugbe , ahead of the governorship election in the state .
He had said, “ I want to say that this country is strongest, this country is best when we are one , when we are united . It is a united country that can make a difference.
“We are fully in support of any form of restructuring that benefits the people of our country .

“That is why , for example, the President just signed this into law , a bill which enables Houses of Assembly to be autonomous ; so that their finances are autonomous . This is some form of devolution of powers .
“We are also keenly supportive of anything that gives a measure of independence for states so that the states can realise their own potential and do very well for themselves in every way . The President is keenly supportive of all of those things.
In August last year, Osinbajo also denied media reports that quoted him as describing proponents of restructuring as political jobbers.
He then went ahead to describe the restructuring debate as an important one .

A statement by his spokesman then read , “Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN , has expressed surprise at the news report quoting Chief Ayo Adebanjo as saying he described those agitating for restructuring as political jobbers.
“At no time did the acting President say that those asking for restructuring were political jobbers looking for appointments . The video, audio tapes and full text of his speech at the National Security summit organised last week by the Department of State Services , are publicly available . ”
“Besides , the debate on restructuring is an important one and the calls for restructuring cover a wide range of legitimate and constitutionally valid issues . Indeed all Nigerians have both a right and a duty to advance their arguments on the subject. ”
While relying on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ statistics on oil revenues accruable to Nigeria under successive administrations between 1990 and 2014, the Vice - President said not much had been done in terms of infrastructure development despite the huge oil revenues realised by the country.

Osinbajo said, “Under the IBB /Abacha administrations (1990 – 1998), Nigeria realised $ 199 . 8 bn.
“Under the Obasanjo / Yar’Adua governments (1999 - 2009 ), the country got $ 401 . 1 bn.
“During the Jonathan administration (2010- 2014 ), Nigeria got $ 381 . 9 bn from oil revenues .
“The question that we must all ask is that what exactly happened to resources ? The question that I asked is that where is the infrastructure?

“When added together , the oil revenues that accrued to the country under IBB , Obasanjo , Yar’Adua and Jonathan amounted to $ 982 . 8 bn
“One of the critical things that we must bear in mind and see is that this government, despite earning $ 94 bn , up until 2017 , we are spending more on infrastructure and capital than any previous government. So , we are spending N 1 . 5 trn on capital. That is the highest we have spent since 1990. ”

via punchng

CAN Reply To VP Yemi Osinbajo Criticizing Prosperity Preachers

A few days ago, acting President Yemi Osinbajo hit out at churches that preach only about prosperity and don’t talk about corruption.

Osinbajo had stated “Very rarely do you hear our preachers talk about corruption from their pulpits. If a nation is not righteous nothing will help it.”

Speaking in response to this, CAN President, Rev. Samuel Ayokunle, said that the acting President was well within his rights to speak about this. He did state, however, that churches do speak against corruption and that they aren’t all about prosperity.

He said: “Being a pastor, the acting president may know what we don’t know and he has a right to correct those whose teaching or preaching contradicts the scripture.
“What we know is that the church must speak against evil in the land, corruption inclusive. The church has been speaking against the perceived genocide in the country, insecurity of life and property, hypocrisy, nepotism, greediness, tribalism, favourism, treasury lootings, lopsided appointments, etc.
“These are all manifestation of corruption. Corruption goes beyond greed and diversion of public money into personal hands. Whether our leaders, politicians and civil servants are listening is another thing entirely.

“Those who have not been preaching against the evil in the country should heed the counsel of the acting president and the leadership of CAN in turn tasks those in the position of authority to be sensitive to the yearning of the church for peace, security, job opportunities, good roads, affordable medical care, and an end to every form of hardship in the land.”

[PHOTO] BBNaija2018, Tobi Meets Vice President Osinbajo

BBNaija 2018 finalist Tobi is so over joyedin a new photo as he takes a selfie with the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Tobi who has been having some fun timesafter living the reality Tv show, he has been visiting some top celebrities and even paid a visit to his former work place to see his colleagues at Heritage Bank.

Tobi Bakre has revealed the exciting moment he met with the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.Taking to his instagram to share the photo, he captioned it:-

“Senior role model!!! #blown!!! Choi#tobination”

See post below:-

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo's wife, Dolapo celebrates him on his 61stbirthday today

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo is 61-year-old today and his wife, Dolapo, took to her Instagram page to celebrate him.

[Interview] We have tamed grand corruption, says Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo: explains government policies

Transcript of an interview granted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to a group of journalists and social media practitioners in Lagos on Friday, 2 March 2018. He explains government policies, the fight against corruption, infrastructural development, 2018 budget, controversies on appointments and the rating by Transparency International

√ Q: On Nigeria’s rating by Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.

Vice President: I think that by even Transparency International’s own assessment, Transparency International uses nine different indexes to come to a conclusion. In four out of those indexes, Nigeria moved up, in another four Nigeria stabilized & dropped in only one index. So in aggregation, it (T.I) then decides that it has fallen in certain number of points below where we were.

I think the important thing to bear in mind about Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight is that the government has done what it ought to do by focusing on grand corruption. Grand corruption is the type we experienced years before when, for example, $15 billion was lost in defence contract. Two, three weeks to election, N100 billion in cash was taken out, and again $293 million in cash, two weeks, three weeks to election. That’s the kind of impunity.

And of course you are also familiar with the scam that went on in the NNPC at the time; the so called statutory contracts, that’s grand corruption. That is the corruption that crippled the economy of the country.

Let me tell you very quickly how you can recognise that we have scaled a good deal on grand corruption today: despite the fact that we are earning 60 percent less in revenue, we are actually able to spend more than ever before in the history of this country on infrastructure. In 2017, we spent about N1.3 trillion on capital. That’s the highest in the history of the country. So we are able to do far more with far less because we have controlled the impunity that went on, the grand corruption, and all of that.

Now, how does that translate to perception; because grand corruption is a big aspect of corruption. It’s a big one because if you cannot control grand corruption, you can’t do what you want to do. But then you cannot address the corruption as you go through our airports, our ports or as you go through government offices, in many cases. That’s where the whole perception emerges.

We must have a deeper and much wider way of dealing with corruption. How are you going to do that? You must have an efficient way of doing that; like automation, removing discretion from individuals.

√ Q: What is the institutionalised process of fighting corruption?
Vice President: Institutionalisation is not a one-off thing, it’s a process, and we are dealing with that, that’s exactly what we are doing. For example, the TSA and being able to look at government accounts and all of that is one way of institutionalising a process by which you can be sure of what people are doing, how this things are happening. The process of allowing the EFCC to do its work without dictation, saying that “look, this what the EFCC is doing”, and giving them every support that you can. These are ways of institutionalising. And it is that same process that we are taking in the public service – Automation.

For example, look at all that we have done in the ease of doing business. The whole point of doing that is institutionalising processes, so that when you come into Nigeria you can get your visa after applying online; so that Customs don’t have to sit around the airport, that is why we are putting in the I-check and we are putting all sorts of other processes. That is to institutionalise; it’s not a one-off process.

√ Q: What’s the national strategy on anti-corruption?
Vice President: That’s a long conversation, but put simply, the national strategy is to ensure that public officers in particular are not able to privatise public finances. And how do we intend to achieve that? We intend to achieve that by ensuring that there is consequence for corruption and also by automating processes, removing discretion from individuals because if you don’t remove discretion from individuals the individuals can have discretion as whether or not they will grant certain approvals through certain processes; then you continue to encourage corruption at one level or the other.

√ Q: Aside from the EFCC, it seems the other anti-corruption agencies such as the ICPC are doing nothing…
Vice President: Well, I don’t agree. I think that you will find that alongside the work of the EFCC, in fact one of the critical things we do is, we try and re-direct the ICPC. We appointed the executive secretary of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, PACAC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, to head that body and we believe the ICPC is the important part of the whole fight against corruption. We revamped the leadership of the ICPC.

Unfortunately we were stalled because it requires Senate confirmation, that hasn’t been done. That is the area of focus for us because the ICPC is supposed to be involved, not just in corruption, but in orientation and re-orientation of the public service. So, it’s an important part of our work.

√ Q: Nigerians in diaspora are one of the biggest foreign exchange contributors of about $20 billion. Aside from having a Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora Affairs, does Nigeria have a Diaspora partnership?

Vice President: I think we’ve also gone beyond the Office of the Adviser; we now have a Diaspora Commission by law, which I think is a policy step. That Commission will aggregate a lot of the records through data for diaspora in order to encourage the diaspora to interact more with government, with private sector and all that. But don’t forget that, with the whole diaspora experience and what is in tune with other nations of the world; the usual focus is on remittances; what are they able to remit as it is pointed out, it is a substantial amount of money. It is something in the region of $20 billion.

But it obviously goes beyond that. In developing the economy we also need diaspora’s talent. So we need diaspora in technology, we need diaspora in education, medical practice and all that. The Ministry of Health, for example, actively engaged with the personnel in diaspora for specialists, setting equipment and all of that.  But I believe that one of the most critical ways of doing so is through the diaspora commission, ordering it, measuring it; once that is constituted.

Continue Reading - NAN

Osinbajo dispenses petrol in Lagos

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Lagos for Christmas made surprise visits to two petrol stations at the Lekki-Ajah Expressway on Sunday.

He even helped out to dispense petrol to some motorists.

Accompanied by minister of state for petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu,  he discussed with the owners of the stations and consoled some Nigerians on the queue.

First, he stopped at Oando Petrol Station by Elegushi where he engaged with citizens on the  queues and staff of the station. He went pump by pump to get insight on people’s experience, especially the wait time.

Thereafter he made  a similar stop at Heyden Petroleum by VGC.

Read Dolapo Osinbajo's Holiday message to Nigerians

Sharing beautiful photos of herself with husband Yemi Osinbajo, Dolapo sent a beautiful Christmas message to all Nigerians.

She wrote;
“Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you!”

Short man devil-Fani Kayode blasts Osinbajo over $1billion boko haram fund

From the desk of Fani Kayode..

Osinbajo - Buhari and I poorly paid

The President’s and the Vice-President’s pay is low, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

He criticised the private sector for not respecting the national minimum wage law, which puts the lowest pay at N18,000.Speaking at the end-of-year seminar of the State House Press Corps at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Prof. Osinbajo said he earns about N1.5m as Vice-President; President Buhari earns about N1.75 million.

To him, the pay is not commensurate with the offices they occupy. The vice president also expressed misgivings about the remuneration of journalists and lawyers, saying journalists’ case is unique because many media owners make big revenue but simply refuse to pay good wages. He recalled his brief encounters working with media houses as legal adviser and how in all the months he worked he was not paid despite the irregular hours he putin. Osinbajo spoke of entry into journalism as not rigorously regulated or enforced by professional bodies because untrained persons are allowed in.

He added: ”I realised first of all that this (journalism) is not a profession from which one could make a decent living in the first place unless you find a really good way of doing so.”But more importantly for me is that you are just on your own. Journalism as a profession is so wide open.”There are a few reasons in my view why remuneration is poor.

”The first is that it is just simply cheating. There are owners of media that are just cheats. They just want to get something from nothing and that is not uncommon, it is a general malaise, it is not necessarily restricted to the media.”It is also the same in the legal profession. There many lawyers if they tell you what they earn, you will certainly not want to be a lawyer.”The private sector does not respect the minimum wage. Even if a minimum wage is set nationally, it is not necessarily respected by the private sector and this is something that should be factored in to the status of a company and whether a company is even complying with the requirements.

”The Vice-President urged journalists to brighten their prospects and future by always seeking ways of improving themselves and getting better job opportunities with attendant improved income. Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Kwara, was the chairman of the ceremony.

He said: “It is important to note that a good retirement plan starts the very day you are employed, knowing that whatever has a beginning has an end; 35 or 60 mandatory years of service are certainly not eternity.”It must also be stressed here that it is not too late to plan even where you have just few years to retire from service.”The most important thing is that you have a plan either of money saved or of the job you intend to carry on after retirement.

Put every other factor in place such as your age, strength and the mental capacity to carry on.” he advised. He added “It is important to state, therefore, that the uncertainty on payment of entitlements has continued to worry Nigerian workers, making them fear retirement.”This has led to prospective retirees falsifying their age just to enable them stay put in the service.”In this regard, a lot of corruption induced activities have continued to infiltrate the MDAs and the organised private sector responsible for managing pension,” he said.

Source - The Nation

Photo from President Buhari's surprise 75th birthday dinner

President Buhari was treated to a suprise party as he turned 75 yesterday.

Vice President, Yemi Osibajo,Governors and other well wishers surprise him with Birthday Cakes, Cards and Songs.

POLITICS -2019 Presidency: Will Osinbajo Contest? Here's What the VP is Saying

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nigerian vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, has addressed insinuations that he might attempt to bid for the presidency.

Speaking while responding to questions at the FT Africa conference in London where he is one of the speakers, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said he does not have any plan to contest for the Presidency come 2019 election.Accoriding to Reuters, Osinbajo's diclosure comes amid talks about whether President Muhammadu Buhari who has battled with an undisclosed ailment this year would seek reelection or bow out after one term.

Some of the talks have also been aboutthe possibility of Professor Osinbajo contesting in the 2019 elections. But when asked about that possibility, the Vice President said,“None of that is on the cards.”  Professor Osinbajo also warned about the dangers of over-reliance on oil. He said,“We don’t have all the time in the world with oil. We have to use oil while it makes sense to do so.”Share this news: