• Osinbajo is a rock, they are eggs, throw eggs at a rock, the rock remains the same
By Babafemi Lawson
“Let not anyone pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men should look on and do nothing.” —John Stuart Mill.
They have started, the agent provocateurs paid to disparage Nigeria’s most active and the biggest achieving Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, SAN, who served his fatherland creditably well and gloriously ended his eight-year tenure on May 29, 2023.
One of these defamers, one Zents Sowunmi, should be ignored, but as the utilitarian philosopher, John Stuart Mill, once said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing,” for this reason, let’s help his ignorance, and his ilks for the gullible under their spell to be freed.
Osinbajo was a VP and not the President, who was the Commander-in-Chief, but for his sterling records, Sowunmi wanted a VP to take responsibility for the President. A round of applause for an achiever, Osinbajo, whom eminent Nigerians including former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and former Emir Sanusi Lamido at a recent public event attested to the fact that he was Nigeria’s best Vice President so far!
Against Sowunmi’s lies, Osinbajo left Abuja as a gallant hero boarding the presidential jet on May 29, at an emotion-laden event. People trooped out to bid him bye-bye with songs and eulogies. Then, as his plane arrived at the waiting hands of jubilant Lagosians at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, with a joyous crowd, even, the elated Prof Osinbajo, walking on a red carpet was moved to say that “I’m happy that we have family and friends, and also, we have faith.” What again do Sowunmi & co circulating an old video where he and his supportive wife, Dolapo, embarked on a private outing want? The bright and shining videos of Osinbajo leaving Abuja gloriously and arriving in Lagos with a rousing welcome in majestic splendour are everywhere! But liars will always be liars!
Prof Osinbajo’s two terms as Nigeria’s number two citizen was an incredible journey of service to the nation, as he rightly put it. So it was! Even, with no approving powers as a VP, he influenced governmental achievements as the brain behind most of the government projects spread across Nigeria. But as they are circulating fake news, let’s puncture their lies and show them a few projects influenced by Osinbajo to his South-West constituency among numerous others spread nationwide.
Let’s start Osinbajo’s achievements with the mother of them all, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which has even been signed into law, Prof Osinbajo designed, packaged and delivered this to the nation and it benefitted millions of Nigerians as the largest social welfare scheme in Africa. Everyone benefitted against whoever is desirous of personal justification.
Then, after 19 years it was abandoned, rehabilitation work began on Lagos Ibadan-Expresssway funded by the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) in 2018, and over 90% completed, same for the Sagamu-Ore Expressway. In the South-West too was the construction of 158km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail, with 10 Stations at Apapa, Ebute Metta, Agege, Agbado, Kajola, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Olodo, Omi-Adio and Ibadan.
Then, the reconstruction of Apapa-TinCan -Mile 2- Oshodi- Oworonshoki Expressway, from November 2018, making it the first full reconstruction of the road since it was first constructed in the 1970s, coupled with the dualisation of Oyo-Ogbomosho road from 2017, and the rehabilitation of Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta Road, as well as the rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Sagamu Road.
ALSO READ: Buhari turning NSIP midwifed by Osinbajo into law, game-changer in Nigerians’ social welfare demands
There was also the construction of US$10 million Cancer Treatment Center at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), likewise a $21 million project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to stabilize power supply to more than 200,000 people in and around Apapa in Lagos State.
Look at this mind-blowing one! The Energizing Economies Programme which had seen to the Electrification of Sura Shopping Complex (1,000 shops), Shomolu Printing Community (4,000 shops), Gbagi Market, Oyo (7,872 shops), Ita-Osun Market, Ogun (2,814 shops), Nnamdi Azikiwe Market, Lagos (3,091 shops), Balogun Market, Lagos (1,662 shops), Iponri Market, Lagos (1,305 shops), UMBC, Oyo (700 shops), Isikan Market, Ondo (277 shops), Bariga Market, Lagos (390 shops), Erinwe, Ogun (1,280 fish ponds) (ongoing).
The Social Investment Programme earlier mentioned cater to millions of N-Power beneficiaries across the six states of the Southwest, while school feeding is currently ongoing in four States of the Southwest: Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Osun, courtesy of Osinbajo’s influence in government. Good job!
Then, every action Osinbajo took in government, especially as the Acting President, the only VP to have emerged in that capacity, was for the good of everybody, including the sack of the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, which Buhari said even said was a unanimous decision.
The more they schemed for Buhari and Osinbajo to fight, the more both leaders became friendlier! The Presidency shamed them when the then Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, came out with a release saying, there was no rift or power tussle between Buhari and Osinbajo.
ALSO READ: Buhari, Osinbajo agree on sack of Lawal Daura – Presidency
He said the Presidency was one and every action taken was binding. Shame on them, the paid hatchet jobber like Sowunmi. “Now, it is a matter of decency and we know that the Acting President is a decent man. There is no tussle for power, there is no tough battle between him and the President,” this was the Presidency’s reaction against the wish of Sowumi. They didn’t fight in government, they won’t fight after government.
ALSO READ: Presidency speaks on Buhari ‘fighting’ Osinbajo over the sack of ex-DSS DG, Daura
There was no fight! Then, as it is still choking them, be informed that Osinbajo contested to be President because Nigerians called for it, they wanted him, and it received Buhari’s blessing too, but he lost to the corrupt system.
Read: Excitement as Buhari Moves to Endorse Osinbajo
Rest, all paid libellers! As we know, the good will always prevail over evil, it is a matter of time. As our Lord tarries, all of you evil men and women disparaging a God-sent would be shamed. Osinbajo has served successfully and his name is already written in gold. Osinbajo prevails over his enemies!
• Lawson, a political analyst writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
