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Osinbajo Calls For Deepened Debate On Restructuring, Supports Creation Of State Police.
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is calling for a deeper understanding of the current restructuring debate in the country, and supports the idea of having State Police in the country accordingly to his spokesman, Mr. Laolu Akande.
Akande said there are have been different interpretations, meanings and purposes to which the restructuring debate is being put to.
The Vice President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity made the clarifications in Abuja and while speaking to a radio programme on Orange FM in Akure, Ondo State amidst some media reports that the Vice President opposed the restructuring because of his reported comments during a question-and-answer session at the Second Foundation Day Lecture of the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State last week.
But Akande explained that while the Vice President questions whether the allocation of more funds to the states from the federal would be helpful at this time considering the dwindling revenues from oil and taxes, he wholly supports the idea of having State Police across the country as articulated in the APC’s Roadmap to a New Nigeria.
Akande said it was important Nigerians understand that the issue of restructuring should run deeper than some of the superficial and surface value focus. According to him some of the issues involved include notions or views calling for a return to regionalism, fiscal federalism, devolution of power, state police among others, adding that different interests are taking different approaches and at times this confuses the debate and reduces it to mere political rhetorics.
He said the Vice President while reacting to a question on whether allocation of more resources to states from the center would make them meet current demands of governance at this challenging period, emphasised that focus should be on economic diversification especially towards agriculture to make the states more vibrant in the wake of dwindling revenues from oil and taxes.
“Restructuring debate should do deeper than what we see on newspaper headlines and we need to understand all the angles to it…What do people mean when we talk about restructuring? some focus on regionalism, some focus of the fiscal part, allocation of more resources devolution of power, state police…it’s important we understand which part we are talking about at any given time.”
Continuing Akande said “in recent times, we do not have much resources that we used to have from oil and taxes and what we need to get the states to be more vibrant is to diversify the economy.”
He said the constitution recognises a Federal System of government already and the federal government is truly committed to true federalism.
Akande then submitted that the federal government is giving much attention to fighting corruption and ensuring effective governance at all levels because this is far more important than some of the political rhetorics and superficial arguments around restructuring so far.
Speaking on the president’s view to put the 2014 Confab report in the archives, Akande said with or without any Confab resolution, the Buhari-led government is much concerned with the overall well-being of the people, delivering results and bringing governance closer to them.
He said for instance, the current administration has implemented some of the decisions listed in the 2014 Confab report, not because it was in the report but because they were sound decisions. He listed two of such decisions including the merging of Budget office with National Planing as one full-fledged ministry and also the adoption in the 2016 budget of a 60-40% recurrent and capital expenditures
”The president will do what is right even without recourse to the Confab report. We have an agenda which is to promote the well being of the people and bring the benefits of governance to the people”. Akande said, adding that “we will not be stuck in an elitist political rhetoric that does not deepen the issues.”
Thousands of excited Nigerians attended the opening day of the much-anticipated maiden edition of the Lagos Shopping Festival (LSF) on Monday, December 23 and were served up an electrifying feast of events, activities and promotions across the the main venue of the festival, the iconic Mobolaji Johnson Arena, (formerly Onikan Stadium).
As advertised, first day of the festival lived up to its billing with a colourful blend of commerce, music, innovation and creativity following its flag off by the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.
The Lagos Shopping Festival, powered by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Chain Reactions Africa, a frontline PR firm, and supported by leading brands, including Zenith Bank, Tolaram Group, First Bank Plc, and Guinness, will see millions of people hit the main venue and select Lagos malls to bag the latest bargains, and bring together the best of city’s retail offering, showcasing local and top global brands and shopping experiences, including in-mall promotions.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu described the LSF as a history-making festival of back-to-back shopping, fun, and entertainment, reaffirming the Lagos state’s commitment to grow small businesses as well as the entertainment industry.
“This is the first of its kind and this event is made to bring shoppers with MSMEs, with innovators, with entertainers, with the creative industry, with the food industry and everybody,” said Sanwo-Olu.
“For the next three days, we are meant to all come together, enjoy good food, good music, sales at discounted market price, shopping at the highest level and just general entertainment with the creativity of Lagos,” the Governor added.
He called on all Lagosians and Nigerian to join the fun, shopping and entertainment.
“Call everybody from Iyana-Ipaja to Alimosho, call people from Agege, call them from Ebute-Meta to Shomolu, call them from Bariga, from Badagry to Ikorodu, from Epe to Ibeju-Lekki, call everyone to come to the arena here at the Mobolaji Johson Center in Onikan where we’ll be doing shopping, we’ll be doing music, we’ll be doing entertainment for the next two days. This is the first of its kind”, Sanwo-Olu added.
He assured all fun-seekers, buyers and sellers of their safety, saying that they are in a safe, secure, peaceful environment, urging them to “to sit back, relax and see another Lagos creativity that is the first, and the very first Lagos Shopping Festival”.
Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his appreciation to the sponsors of the Lagos Shopping Festival for their unwavering support to drive the story of Lagos commerce, entertainment and creativity.
“I want to thank all of our sponsors from FirstBank, to Zenith Bank, to Tolaram, to Smirnoff Ice, to Indomie Noodles, to OmniBiz, to PowerOil, to Minimie, and to Malta Guinness, all of them, including the Lagos State Government. I want to thank you”.
He also commended all the local and small businesses at the festival, and urged Lagosians and Nigerians to always patronize them.
“More importantly, to all the small businesses that are inside and under the canopies, go out there and make good deals. Go out there and do huge purchases from them. Go out there and make their small-scale market, work for them; because here, we want the market to be meeting all of the shoppers. That’s what this is all about. It’s about buying stuff at the most reduced market. It’s about entertainment, it’s about food, it’s about tourism. This is what Lagos has given to you again,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Also, commenting, the MD/ Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Africa, the organisers of the Lagos Shopping Festival, Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, buttressed the strategic significance of the festival saying, “LSF is poised to be the catalyst that will redefine the true essence of commerce, especially SME businesses, the creative ecosystem, and fun times with family, friends and loved one. LSF is sure set to open a new vista of socio-economic growth from Lagos, to Nigeria, whilst raising a unique bar in the African market”.
Fun-seekers and business men and women alike had entertainment value for their time, with dancing and singing competition with the winners adjudged by the audience receiving cash gifts. The highlight of the day was the energy-revving musical performances from the youthful Ayo Maff, with the soulful rendition of songs from Adekunle Gold the icing on the cake for the audience who kept singing along to his enchanting stage performances.
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