Connect with us

News

2019 poll: Osinbajo, Atiku renew restructuring debate

Published

on

The restructuring debate returned at the weekend, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo  describing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as an opponent of the idea when he was in office as vice-president between 1999 and 2007.

Atiku has promised to restructure Nigeria in six months, if voted in as president.

Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while delivering the ninth public lecture of Sigma Club at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), Osinbajo spoke of how he as Attorney-General of Lagos State went to the Supreme Court 12 times on restructuring.

That was when the Lagos State Government’s move was opposed by the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency with Atiku as his deputy.

“All this time, this was 2000, some of those people, including the presidential candidate of PDP, who is talking about restructuring, was the vice president then.

“They opposed every step we took. Of course, we were taking the Federal Government to court then. They opposed every step.

“Let me explain my position clearly. I am not just an advocate of restructuring, there is no other government in Nigeria that has actively pursued restructuring such as we did when I was Attorney General in Lagos State.

“People talking about restructuring, if you ask them what they meant by restructuring, they won’t even know what it means and that is the problem we have to face,” he said.

The vice president recalled the Supreme Court battles.

His words: “We started with fiscal restructuring, which is more of resource control. Should states control their own resources? We went to the Supreme Court. They argued that each state should control its own resources.

“The states that argued in favour of autonomy for states to control their resources were the oil producing states in the country and Lagos State while some others argued on the other side because they wanted to share oil money.

“We lost at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said ‘no’, that you cannot control your resources. If you are an oil producing state, take 13 per cent extra, which is derivation.”

Osinbajo said Lagos State argued that it had ports and the ports served the entire nation, so the state should also take 13 per cent derivation which the Supreme Court objected.

Osinbajo said further argument led to the introduction of onshore and offshore law, which enabled the state to share from onshore resources.

“The next thing we did was that the states should be able to create their own local governments, which is autonomy of states.

“So, we created 37 new local governments in Lagos. The president then, Chief Obasanjo, seized our local government funds and said we could not create new local governments,” he said.

But Atiku fired back in a statement by Paul Ibe of his media office. He described Prof. Osinbajo as “economical with the truth.”

The statement said: “given that Prof Osinbajo and his boss have been speaking discordant tunes on restructuring, we can understand their desperation to revise history, however, it is impossible to revise documented history.

“Prof. Osinbajo needs to be reminded that there are well documented accounts in the Nigerian media chronicling Atiku Abubakar’s support and struggle for restructuring.”

The statement said a piece published in a national newspaper chronicled Atiku’s thoughts on how “to restructure the revenue allocation formula to allow littoral states of the federation benefit from off shore oil proceeds.’

It added that “ironically, it was precisely Mr. Osinbajo’s boss, Muhammadu Buhari, who as military dictator, cheated these states of their just due by military fiat.

“It is also common knowledge that the six geopolitical zones structure which all parts of Nigeria benefit from today is the fruit of the collaborative efforts of Atiku Abubakar, the late Alex Ekwueme and other patriots.

“Their efforts at restructuring Nigeria are captured in the Hansard of the 1995 Constitutional Conference, which is a public document and is still available at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“The question we want to ask Professor Osinbajo is this – why do he and his boss constantly resort to rewriting history? Why can they not campaign on their achievements? Is it that they are forced to campaign on subterfuge because they have no achievements to campaign on?

Nigerians want to know if promises have been kept. They are not interested in fairy tales about how Atiku Abubakar did not support restructuring because they know that he is and was and will always be an active promoter of restructuring.

Everywhere he goes to campaign, Atiku Abubakar has used temperate and respectful language on both President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo.

Source: The Nation…

GrassRoots.ng is on a critical mission; to objectively and honestly represent the voice of ‘grassrooters’ in International, Federal, State and Local Government fora; heralding the achievements of political and other leaders and investors alike, without discrimination. This daily, digital news publication platform serves as the leading source of up-to-date information on how people and events reflect on the global community. The pragmatic articles reflect on the life of the community people, covering news/current affairs, business, technology, culture and fashion, entertainment, sports, State, National and International issues that directly impact the locals.

Continue Reading

News

Dangote Foundation Donates 80,000 Bags Of 10kg Rice To Communities

Published

on

The Aliko Dangote Foundation has donated 80,000 bags of 10kg rice to support vulnerable communities in Lagos State.

The Special Adviser on New Media to the Lagos State Governor, Jubril Gawat, disclosed this on his X handle on Wednesday.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; founder and chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; and Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc, Femi Otedola, were present at the event of the food distribution.

Dangote has reportedly spent about N15bn on the food intervention programme with beneficiaries across Nigeria.

The food intervention programme by his foundation was first launched in Kano State on Saturday, and will see over one million bags of 10kg rice distributed across the 774 local government areas of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.

Here are pictures from the event.

We appreciate Dangote for this kind gesture.

Continue Reading

News

36-Year-Old Lady In Shock After Her 19-Year-Old Daughter Welcomed A Baby Without Her Knowledge

Published

on

She wrote: “My 19year old daughter made me a granny at the age of 36 😭😭 im still shook and traumatized

She hid the pregnancy for 9months up until her water broke. After God fear ama 2000.

Amid so many reactions from netizens, she also wrote;

“Lol some comments amuse me .. I’m not ashαmεd or embarrassed that I had my daughter at the age 18 , yes it was not planned but she has been the biggest blessing to me

I’m a mad that she got pregnant, yes any parent would be . Because I still wanted her to achieve more.

I’m also mad that she hid it from me because I could have planned better . And as for that little baby boy , I will love and raise him as my own son . He’s a huge blessing to me and the family.”

Continue Reading

News

Chinese Man Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Killing Nigerian Girlfriend

Published

on

Geng Quandong, a Chinese man standing trial for the murder of his Nigerian Girlfriend named Ummukulsum Buhari, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kano High Court, Daily Nigerian is reporting.

On September 16 2022, Mr Quangrong stαbbed his 23-year-old girlfriend to death at her family residence in Janbulo quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano.

According to him, He said he had spent millions numbering upto 60 million naira on her.
All the expenses he made included buying her a car worth 10 million naira, Getting her a house worth 4 million naira, Opening a business worth of 18 million naira. Plus other millions he spent planning for their weddings and extra spendings he’s done for her.
And he did all that with hopes that they will get married to each other, But she married someone else instead. So he was really heartbroken which led to his actions.

Mr Quandong, 47, was found guilty of the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Kano State and convicted accordingly.

Continue Reading

Trending