REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF WESTERN NIGERIA TELEVISION, IBADAN, ON THE 31ST OF OCTOBER, 2019.

PROTOCOLS

It is a special honour to be here today, to celebrate the pioneers of the first television in Africa. Exactly 60 years ago today, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of the Western Region, then flanked by Governor General, Sir John Rankine, Chief Anthony Enahoro, the region’s Minister of Information, and Chief T.T Solaru, first Board Chair of Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, formally entered the history books by commissioning the Western Nigeria Television, the first in Africa; and ahead of China in 1962, Canada in 1967, New Zealand in 1960, and several European countries, including the Netherlands in 1960, Ireland in 1961, Greece in 1966 and Malta in 1962.

It was not just first in Africa, but first in many parts of Asia and, as you can imagine, even in Europe without even talking about Eastern Europe.

The event was historic for three reasons. Firstly, it demonstrated the capacity of the Nigerian mind to conceive and achieve anything no matter how complex or difficult. Secondly, it demonstrates how visionary leadership can inspire and lead people from the lowest levels to the high points of human imagination.

Thirdly, it exemplifies the use of public resources for the public good. WNTV was built to inform, to educate and entertain. As Papa Awolowo himself said on that day sixty years ago, television is a powerful influence for good.

It would ordinarily have been unimaginable that somehow in a part of the yet to be independent Nigeria, a man and his team would build a television station in three months, the first as we have seen, in many parts of the world. But for the man, it was not so surprising because Papa (Awolowo) had laid out a plan for the rapid development of the Western Region. It included physical infrastructure and human capacity development.

The plan included free and compulsory education. As of the date of the inauguration of WNTV, almost a million children were in school in the Western Region. Forty-one per cent (41%) of the Western Region’s budget was spent on education, the highest proportion anywhere in the free world, the highest proportion at that time anywhere in the world.

In the free world in particular, it was obvious that those who understood the value of education used it as a powerful proponent for the advancement of their people. Papa Awolowo clearly understood that so long ago.

Today, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of WNTV, we also celebrate what is possible in our nation and states, what vision, hardwork and a commitment to the public good can do.

As Ambassador Yemi Faronmbi said, the celebration of the phenomenal achievement in 1959 would be wasted unless we recognize that the achievement represents sturdy shoulders for us to stand on. Today we can do more and the vision of Awolowo was to build a people capable of excelling beyond even his own achievements.

Every generation has a historic responsibility to reach for the highest peaks that human capacity can achieve. Today we are at the most advanced moment in science, technology and innovation in human history.

The smartphones you have in your hands have more computing power than all the computing power that the Apollo spaceship that took men to the moon in 1969 had. All things are possible and we are able! Let us be inspired by Papa’s words, that our only limit is our imagination.

Congratulations to the Foundation for Ibadan Television and to all of us friends, families and admirers of the pioneers.

Thank you very much and God bless you!

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
31st October, 2019

Well said.

its not about being the First. its about being the Best

Eloquent people sound smart, regardless of how intelligent they are. I must commend the VP.

Nice one

But sadly not the case.

Criminals

Please read this to the president who uses public funds for private good!

That means nothing is achieved when public resources is being used for private purposes: A case study of our oga that is currently spending 3weeks in the UK doing nothing.

Oga, u deceived me in 2015 (I don't know about others) with ur 'change' mantra to the extent that I now hate the word 'change'.

Sir, you guys haven't lived up to expectations. All we hear is grammar without action. In terms of standard of living, we are now worse off since 2015. Thank God I didn't vote for u in 2019.. So keep these talks to urself.

So Enahoro was a minister then in the southwestern Nigeria

URGENT NEED OF LAND; Size: 1-3Ha. Location: Gusape. Please I need it urgently.

Call: 090.37.60.10.79

Pavore9:
But sadly not the case.

The preacher is not practicing what he is preaching?
Does that make him a hypocrite pharisee?


www.nairaland.com/attachments/10490704_screenshot20191101051249538_jpeg_jpege049cfdbeaa82cd14fe2bb161aa8f425

pendy79:
General Muhammadu Buhari in UK:
I Will Maintain a Modest Lifestyle as President - Buhari...Will Resuscitate Nigerian Airways...All Presidential Aircrafts Will Be Brought Under
Nigerian Airways

"One of the major killer of our economy apart from corruption is Waste. Our scarce resources are being plunder away very carelessly and unnecessarily wasted. "Let me give an instance, presently, there are more than 6 aircraft in the presidential fleet.

What do you call that? "Billions of naira is budgeted every year for the maintenance of these aircraft not to talk of operational cost and other expenses.

"You may want to ask what a Nigerian President is doing with so much aircraft when a Prime Minister of Britain fly around using the same public aircraft like an ordinary Briton.

"Go and check and compare with that of any developed country in the world, the office of the Nigerian President is a very expensive one inspite our
high level of poverty and joblessness.

"Despite all these, you still find a Nigerian Minister spending about N10billion to charter an aircraft for just one year."Now, for me, when we come
into office, all these waste will be blocked and properly channelled into our economy. "We intend for instance, to bring back our National carrier, the Nigerian Airways."We shall do this by bringing all the aircraft in the presidential fleet into the Nigerian airway and within a year increase the fleet into about 20.

What is the Difference between me and those who elected us to represent them, absolutely nothing. Why should Nigerian President not fly with other Nigerian public? "Why do I need to embark on a foreign trip as a president with a huge crowd with public funds?"Why do I need to go for
foreign medical trip if we cannot make our hospital functional? "Why do we need to send our children to school abroad if we cannot developed our university to compete with the foreign ones?

"Why, and why must our people be servants to the foreigners in the midst of plenty? I can go on and on."I came here in the UK and I chose to trek just to make sure I sent a message back home to some people who wish us dead.

This is not my struggle, it is our collective efforts to save Nigeria from those who have failed us for 16 years."-

General Muhammadu Buhari speaking in London on Saturday, February 21, 2015

www.nairaland.com/attachments/3503799_cdatausersdefappsappdatainternetexplorertempsavedimages3476420buharibusyjpega0c0f30c8e676447f2368ca29ce0e866_jpeg66496e979fd5cdafe4174996f8e07cae

Truthbites:
Oga, u deceived me in 2015 (I don't know about others) with ur 'change' mantra to the extent that I now hate the word 'change'.

Sir, you guys haven't lived up to expectations. All we hear is grammar without action. In terms of standard of living, we are now worse off since 2015. So keep these talks to urself

www.nairaland.com/attachments/3234361_fbimg1450823846843_jpegccc7ea9d509141b638a64535ab185d08



www.nairaland.com/attachments/6440050_dregaeuxcaaxmzn_jpegbc221e09788124eef1ab789b91afa35e

We know that already, you were not voted as a VP to preach, please let your actions speak louder

Politicians make their selfish interest seem like public good.

anonimi:



www.nairaland.com/attachments/3234361_fbimg1450823846843_jpegccc7ea9d509141b638a64535ab185d08



www.nairaland.com/attachments/6440050_dregaeuxcaaxmzn_jpegbc221e09788124eef1ab789b91afa35e

Your pic made me lol...
From #87 per liter to #145...worse scammers ever. If u calculate the difference in the fuel price that these scammers have collected from us since 2015...and they arrested Mompha while these guys are free. Between Mompha and these guys, who is the real scammer? Free Mompha, I beg

It's painful that few people are sharing these resources and converting them into private use today without sympathy and empathy for others.

So what exactly did you achieve with your trader moni MMM scheme??

Ok

The question to ask this preacherman is if his govt is using public resources for public good. Where's his boss? At whose expense is he in London and doing what there?

It's very easy to do the talking but very difficult to do the doing. Osibanjo and Buhari are classic examples of this case.

That is the absolute and honest truth and Fact.

However the problem also is to understand, define and interpret what this public good means and entails in correct and relevant terms and implementing fully, appropriately and accordingly.

Video:

1) Chief Obafemi Awolowo at the Constitutional Conference in 1958.

2) The commissioning of Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) on October 31st, 1959.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m_Q60YfVJ8

Stories for the gods

EXACTLY ! SIR, MUCH IS ACHIEVED WHEN PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE USED FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD WITH EVIDENCE. UNLIKE THE ELECTION TRADE MONEY THAT WAS WASTED TO BUY VOTES THAT HAS MOVED US TO ANOTHER NEXT LEVEL OF POVERTY. THANK YOU SIR.

You mean Nigeria would be better if your oga start using the public money to do things for the public instead of using public money for private journey..

Buhari and co. Take note

kolafolabi:
Eloquent people sound smart, regardless of how intelligent they are. I must commend the VP.

Sounding smart but doing dumb is only recognised as intelligent by gullible people?
What is there to commend please?

voltron14:
Well said.

What should we make of well said that is not well done?
Stone the speaker?

Luciferlove:
Criminals

funny.

Bunch of un-repentant liars/self-serving crooks and criminals!

#suceeded in swindling me with with FAKE CHAIINge in 2015!

#propagandist of next evil!