In contrast to simple geographical restructuring of the country, prudent management of national resources and providing for the people properly, are better ideas for Nigeria’s development challenges, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo who stated this while fielding questions from a cross-section of Nigerians at a town hall meeting in Minnesota, the United States of America on Sunday, spoke on a wide range of issues covering the economy, anti-corruption, health, agriculture among others.

According to the Vice President, “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% 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.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said, “My view is that we must create the environment that allows for people to realise themselves economically because that truly is what the challenge is with our country.”

The Vice President added that Buhari-led Federal Government has put in place an economic structure that is able to function properly despite previous challenges, particularly corruption that led to a slowdown in the economy.

On the impact of corruption on the economy and the solution adopted by the Buhari administration, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “Unless we are able to deal with the fundamental questions especially around corruption, our economic circumstance will keep going one step forward, two steps backwards”.

According to him, “When you talk about corruption in Nigeria, the truth is stranger than fiction. It is the kind of thing that would cripple an economy anywhere because you simply don’t have the resources for the graft and the greed of the numbers of people who want to steal the resources.

“All that we have been able to deal with is grand corruption. When we started the TSA, the whole point was to aggregate all of the funds of government that were in private banks. So we put all of the money in the central bank so that we could at least see the movement of money and by doing so, we were able to save 50% of the corruption that was going on then.”

He assured Nigerians in the US that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari could be trusted, noting that “we can say for sure that the President is not going to sign off money and just bring it out to share.”

Relying on OPEC 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 realized by the country.

According to him, “Under the IBB / Abacha administrations (1990 – 1998) Nigeria realized$199.8 billion; under the Obasanjo / Yar’Adua governments (1999 – 2009), the country got $401.1 billion; and during the Jonathan administration (2010 – 2014), Nigeria got $381.9 billion 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.

“One of the critical things that we must bear in mind and see is that this government despite earning $94 billion, up until 2017, we are spending more on infrastructure and capital than any previous government, so we are spending N1.5 trillion on capital, that is the highest we have spent since 1990,” he added.

Responding to concerns on how government is utilizing recovered funds, the Vice President disclosed that the Buhari administration is committed to a transparent use of the funds in providing infrastructure.

He said: “What we are doing with the proceeds of corruption is by making it a line in the budget so that it can be accounted for properly; it is not a special fund somewhere that is just being used in any way, but as a single line in the budget for infrastructure which is our major spend.”

In the area of agriculture, Prof. Osinbajo said, the target was to attain self-sufficiency in the production of rice, tomato etc.

According to him, “We are doing a lot of work in agriculture. Take rice, for instance, we are doing a lot in rice production and we have increased local production such that we are no longer spending $5 million daily on rice import.

“Today, we are doing 11 million metric tons of paddy rice and are now importing only 2 per cent of what we used to import.”

On Nigeria’s rise on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index, Prof. Osinbajo said though the challenges are daunting, the government was committed to going beyond the 24 places it moved up to in the last rankings.

The Vice President added that reforming Nigeria’s port system was top on the agenda of government as
efforts were underway to improve the turnaround time for cargo clearance at the ports.

According to him, “If you look at the port issue, for example, we must be able to clear our port system; people must be able to import and export their goods in hours not weeks and months.

“So, we have to work our port system and one of the things we have been able to do is what we call the National Trading Platform or the single window. We are getting to the point where we are going to launch the national trading platform where the whole port system is integrated into one.”

On improving the health budget at both the state and federal levels, the Vice President said the focus is on trying to do National Health Insurance because funding health care through budgeting has proved to be practically impossible.

According to him, “We simply do not have the resources, the states and Federal Government cannot do enough. So, the National Health Insurance is a very basic part of it and we are currently working now with the World Bank and with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a proper National Health Insurance Scheme.”

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U.S., Mr Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor led other Nigerians within and outside the state of Minnesota to the meeting held in Minneapolis.

http://www.metronaija.ng/nigerias-problems-not-a-matter-of-restructuring-says-osinbajo-2/

Until we restructure this country, we are only fooling ourselves...

Only those out of power want restructuring ...

Shame!, from this midget,
If a so called man of God could be so compromised to this extent, then bliv me we are a very deep sh*t in this country,
Because any "messiah" that enters there gets compromised too.

And come to think Of it.. Nigeria is over 57yrs and up till now we still haven't found that messiah , THEN THERE IS NO MESSIAH!!.

I BLAME LUGGARD FOR MIXING UP THIS TOXIC MIXTURE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

This bullshít bitters looks incredibly familiar...
[img]https://i./1vkn.gif[/img]

Osibanjo, abeg open door I wan ask you something...
[img]https://media1./images/24181f1640ed11a6c39580163a09433f/tenor.gif[/img]

What is taking you time to solve the problems since you already know?

correct, even if we restructure, our regional leaders will still cheat us

They said the pib will solve problems, where is the effect of the pib?

It is a matter of your midgetness mr osibande

Buhari must go !!!

GOVERNMENT OF FRAUD
GOVERNMENT OF YAHOO YAHOO
GOVERNMENT OF YAHOO PLUS

THEY SAID BOKO HARAM IS TECHNICALLY DEFEATED BUT EVERY SIX MONTHS THEY AWARD $2.5 Billion for fighting Boko Haram.
Boko haram has now become part of Nigeria's budget.

I HAVE NEVER MET SUCH A LIFELESS PERSON IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, I DO NOT WANT TO MEET HIM AGAIN
-------Donald Onyeotiti Trump 2018------------

I do not agree with Professor Osinbajo on this one and I think many other Nigerians also dont.

With 36 states the cost of governance is forever too high. We end up taking care of the governors and just a few others. We need cost-effective and sustainable regions or provinces.

Now, we lack specialization and differentiation. With regions, you can specialize better and create competitive and productive sections. That helps to reduce costs and helps to create strong exportable products. The way we are now we dont specialize in anything. We have not created systems and processes to support cost-efficiency.

Let us not waste time over this. Our leaders scream re-structuring when they are seeking election and start to sing another tune when they get there. Is it that they are so cut off from reality that they no longer know what is happening on the ground?

I think we should even re-structure before the next election.

Prof, please think about this - A South West region will be too keen to elect you as leader but when it comes to the centre it will take a miracle to have you elected as president. That also tells you that our current structure does not even support merit. Everyone knows that!

Restructure and restructure,some people in power dislike it because it will dilute the concentrated power at the centre.

Is osinbade really a midget?

If you believe in restructuring hit like and if you believe in the VP’s report hit share.

We need solution and not stories from the Government. However, my take is poverty must be eliminated from our country.

Ok

Didn't you guys promise to restructure the country during 2015 election?

True. Lord lugard in his book dual mandates summarised the prob below.
Through the ages, the African appears to have evolved no organised religious creed, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural. He lacks the power of organisation, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. He loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility - he will work hard with a less incentive than most races. He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue. In brief, the virtues and defects of his race -type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudgingly as to an older and wiser superior and without envy. Perhaps, the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are his lack of apprehension and his lack of ability to visualize the future"

Osunbade tell ur Fulani masters we are leaving the Zoo

What's wrong with this dwarf naa.

I know Osibanjo does not want to say anyhting that contradicts his boss' view and I understand his position. But deep down he know that restructuring would help Nigeria in the present problem its facing. In this current system how can provision and adequate resource management work?

Point at yourself when counting problems Mr VP... You and that boss that you are totally submissive to like someone suffering from Stockholm syndrome.

Mr.osinbade we have tried somany things which haven't paid off.... let's give restructuring a try afteral it's an important component of true federalism, and restructuring featured prominently in your 2015 campaign trail..

This man is high on Tinubu weed. A pastor that sees the truth but prefers to lie

Osinbajo should just shut up



You better stop all this over sabi


You've had your time to address whatever you think is ailing Nigeria but you failed


Pretentious love for the masses and occasional crowd hailings will not circumvent your incapacity

Tinubu was at the forefront of restructuring before, now he has become mute, Yoruba have started withdrawing their-selves from the music they were singing before all because of VP position.

Let the best be done to move our nation forward

I beg to disagree Sir

dlondonbadboy:
Until we restructure this country, we are only fooling ourselves...

What is your definition of restructuring? Can you propose a new workable structure for Nigeria? I really want to learn about your idea of restructuring and why you think it is the only solution to Nigeria's problem.