By Olaoye Ayotunde
Nigeria became a democratic state again in 1999 when the then military administration headed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over to a democratically elected and constituted government headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Since the beginning of this Fourth Republic on May 29, 1999, till date, the nation has had successive handing over to democratically elected governments without military intervention 22 years running.
Looking through this period, the nation has not witnessed a Vice President in any of the past administrations who is peacefully interested in becoming the President after his principal except in the case of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Prof Osinbajo is the Vice President to the incumbent President Muhammed Buhari, and in seven years of being the Second-in-Command, he served with exceptional qualities, which his boss has attested to, such attributes that the nation has not seen in any Vice President since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
In simple comparison, one can conveniently say that Vice President Osinbajo exploring the office of the Vice President, has added a lot of values to this position many have said has no definite constitutional detection, unless such given to it by the President. However, there had been Presidents before Buhari, and we all saw the quality of engagement of their Vice President, in all honesty, Prof Osinbajo’s performance has surpassed what we saw of his predecessors.
Let’s take a look at some of his achievements: As Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), which has the state governors as members, the Council has enjoyed a lot of changes and effectiveness in managing the economy and creation of lifelines for states, especially in fighting the scourge of Covid-19. This testimony has been affirmed, even by the governors in the opposition parties. Many of them have given credit to the leadership of NEC under Osinbajo. If Osinbajo becomes the President it suffices to say that governors and their states will have more benefits from the central government whether in the ruling or opposition parties.
The present Buhari-led administration also came up with the Social Investment Programmes in her first term. These programmes were under the supervision of the Office of the Vice President, and with Prof Osinbajo supervising, even, the President had attested to the programmes being well-coordinated, likewise, the beneficiaries too had good testimonies about the how impactful the programmes were to them.
So far, these Social Investment Programmes have been applauded as one of the best in the history of the country in terms of delivery and number of beneficiaries.
The programmes ranging from N-Power to Homegrown School Feeding, to Market Moni to Trader Moni and Farmer Moni not to talk of the Anchor Borrower Programme that gave a lot of farmers headway. If Osinbajo becomes the President, he can turn the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management into a haven of opportunities for Nigerians.
In July 2018, Osinbajo visited Silicone Valley the International Headquarters of Google, where he facilitated technological development which can help the homegrown economy, while he also shared innovative ideas which could turn into employment opportunities for the Nigerian Youth with the organisations he met with. It was at the instance of Osinbajo’s patriotic move on behalf of the Buhari-led government that Google accepted to have an office in Nigeria.
Osinbajo has shown himself to be a person who has Nigerians and Nigerian youths at heart.
Still on the youth advocacy, during the #EndSARA protest, Osinbajo was the first leader to appeal to the angry Nigerian youths, that was during the crisis situation. On national development too, Osinbajo has been a serious advocate of fiscal federalism and national integration. He is an advocate of a system where less power will be given to the central government so that states can have more resource control and that states can have the power to create more developmental areas for wealth creation.
As the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, Osinbajo made a lot of reforms in the Lagos State Judiciary which includes the digitalization of Lagos Judiciary.
As the Acting President, Osinbajo made a lot of positive changes too, which today are his biggest credentials. He visited the Lagos airport, and as an incorruptible leader that is committed to progress, after his unscheduled visit, 10 directors were sacked for the negligence of duty.
Also the then Director-General of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Lawal Daura, after his role in the siege laid on the National Assembly. Osinbajo is a democrat, a progressive committed to the preservation of the rule of law.
The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) also has her share of Osinbajo’s Midas touch. This sector has also witnessed a lot of positive changes and developments, such as the MSME Clinics inaugurated by Osinbajo.
The MSME Clinic has made the registration of businesses easy for small businesses. So many businesses have also been brought to the limelight through Osinbajo’s MSME Clinic. Certification of products has also been made easy.
Another big one is Vice President Osinbajo as the Chairman of the Economic Sustainability (ESP) Committee, which he led to create a formidable national economic plan to cushion the effect of Covid-19 devastation, and it was through it over two million jobs were either rescued for collapse or created. It is an initiative that has continued to help Nigeria even in the post-Covid-19 era.
Vice President Osinbajo has been an agent of change in this dispensation and his commitment to the Nigeria project is second to none. Prof Osinbajo is allowed to become Nigeria’s President come 2023, he will make a lot of difference. Every discerning mind should support him to power, being a progressive man committed to Nigeria and Nigerians’ progress.