Kunle ADELABU
-Says Buhari-led govt to focus on employment, power, loan for businesses in second term
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibajo, has described Ikorodu as land of progressive politics while appealing to the residents to continue to toe progressives line by voting for President Muhammadu Buahri’s re-election in the Presidential election slated for February 16.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo spoke on Sunday, February 10,2019, while addressing traditional rulers, religious leaders, traditional chiefs, captains of industry, market men and women, artisans, students, people with disabilities and other critical stakeholders across Ikorodu division during his visit to the Ayangbure palace in Ikorodu.
Osinbajo told the large crowd that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration would bring more development to Nigeria if re-elected.
“We do not need to start canvassing for votes here because Ikorodu is a progressive town. Here is not where we have to start giving people voting education. The residents have been known for progressive type of politics”, Osinbajo stated.
While stating the achievements of the government, Osinbajo also revealed the second term agenda of President Buhari which according to him, would focus majorly on employment, power and loan to develop small scale businesses in Nigeria.
“Our government is planning to focus on three key areas out of the numerous list on our agenda.
“The first is to tackle the issue of job creation for the youths. This is very important for our government. This is why we created N-Power to absorb the 1. 7million youths that are being graduated every year due to the fact that there is no job.
“N-Power was initiated to give graduates and other youths the opportunity to get something doing after their youth corp service before they secure employment”.
Osinbajo stated that the Federal Government has been providing jobs for 500, 000 graduates from the 1.7million that are being graduated from the institutions of higher learning in the country every year through N-Power adding that another 20,000 non-graduates are also included in the scheme.
“If we look at it critically, 500, 000 is a small fraction of 1.7million graduates every. This is why we are saying that when we get to the ‘Next Level’, we shall be employing 1.5milion every year. Through this, we shall be able to curb employment challenges.
“When we employed them into N-Power, we usually give them iPad for self-training in entrepreneurship, code writing, computer programming. We don’t just employ them, but we also exposd them to trainings for them to be skilled.
“This is not our only focus to create employment, there are other areas. We created Entrepreneur Bank for the purpose of job creation. Through this, youths with business initiatives can get loan to achieve their dreams.
He explained that the new bank will assist the existing Bank of Industry in helping to develop businesses in the country.
“Our second focus is power. This is very important to the Nigerian economy. We met 3000 Megawatts of power when we resumed office in 2015 but we have now increased it to 700 Megawatts which is still not enough for what we have on ground.
“More importantly, private companies that bought NEPA do not have the capacity to provide transformers and metres which is why Nigerians are still the ones procuring these themselves. It is also the reason why they are sending estimated Billings.
“We have resolved as a government to give other companies that are willing to contribute to our power situation the opportunity by further decentralizing the system. If we have any company willing to handle power situation in Epe or Ikorodu, we are ready to give them the license.
He stated that the he government has started issuing license to such companies at Iponri and Sura markets in Lagos and also Sabo-Garri in Kano and other places.
Pro Osibajo also said that tradermoni, meant for market men and women, would also be increased to enable small scale businesses to have easy access to loan for their businesses to thrive.
“The third agenda is to provide soft loan to business people and traders. That is what we called Marketmoni and Tradermoni. We are planning to create a Peoples Money Bank that would serve this purposes.
“Presently, we have giving tradermoni to 2 million traders but we want to increase it so as to be able to reach more people.
“Because of this, we are extending our reach to 10milion so that every market man and woman can access the money.”
Oba Shotobi in his response, thanked Prof. Osinbajo for the visit, saying that it was a privilege being the first time a sitting vice president would visit Ikorodu.
He, however, called for more federal presence in the area.
“Today, we are very happy to receive the Vice President of Nigeria, as the first of its kind in Ikorodu town, I know he will come back to this town and by that time, it will be for celebration on his re-election.”
In an additional report by The News Agency of Nigeria, the Vice President’s visit to Ikorodu was in continuation of his house-to-house campaign for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the February and March polls.
Some of the dignitaries at the event were Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, Adeboruwa of Igbogbo. Oba Semiudeen Kasali, Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, Obateru of Egbin, Oba Akeem Oyekoya, Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Bashir Sotonwa, representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Babajimi Benson, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, APC State Vice Chairman, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Mr Lasisi F.O., Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State, former deputy Governor of Lagos, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and Chairman, Diaspora Commission. Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa among others.
