VP President Yemi Osinbajo at the Palace of the Emir of Bauchi
….Visits Bauchi, woos APC delegates in Bauchi
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the unity and security of the lives and properties of all citizens of the country remain crucial and important to him as one vying for the office of the president.
According to him, one of the critical things he has recognized is to treat everybody with fairness and justice in a diverse country such as Nigeria with different religions, different ethnicities and people with different designs.
He said: “We must treat everybody, every faith, every ethnicity with fairness and justice. And I believe that this is one of the reasons why it is important for us even in putting ourselves forward for the position of president, to bear in mind that the unity of this country is one of the most important things that we need”.
“The unity of this country is very, very crucial. There is no point trying to govern a country that is not united. Our primary task is unity and security which is also very crucial; and these are issues that we are concerned with and which we are trying to deal with everyday.
“Your Royal Highness, I am here to visit you and to inform you of my intentions and to pay my respect to you and the entire emirate council of this great kingdom.”
He stated this on Tuesday when he paid a visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwan Adamu, in his Palace, as part of events of his visit to the state to meet with delegates of the All Progressives Congress, from the state to woo them to vote for him during the party’s national convention
Osinabajo, an aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, said that the major concern and priority of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been creating jobs for the youths and providing a better livelihood for the masses.
According to him, the administration has also been concerned about how to, not just, improve the quality of education but to create employment for the teeming unemployed youths and to improve their standard of living.
He appreciated President Buhari for his transparency and openness which have given him the opportunity to gather experience being the Vice President so seven years so far, adding that the period he served as acting president of the country also gave him an opportunity to be exposed to governance which is why he is running for the number one job in the land.
“At all times, the concern of our government, is the plight of the common man, how to ensure that the common man is given a fair chance to be employed and to have a decent living. This is the reason why several of our projects that we have undertaken, especially the social investment programme, have been to better the life of the common man.
“But also, we’ve been concerned about young people, how we can improve, not just the quality of education of our young people, but the opportunity for young people to get jobs, to be employed and to have a decent standard of living. This is very important for us as a government.
“And this will also explain why I am running for the president of this country come February 2023. Your Royal Highness, I have served as Vice President to President Muhammadu Buhari for the past seven years and with God helping us, I will serve out that term till May 2023.
“But in that capacity, I have been exposed to governance of a complex and diverse level my office has allowed. Thanks very much to the openness and transparency of our President, Muhammadu Buhari. I have learnt a lot and I know that even during that period that I acted a President of this country, I was exposed to so much,” he said.
Responding, the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwan Adamu, welcomed the Vice President to the state and thanked him for the honour done to him by visiting him despite being in the state for “political activities but you still considered it necessary to visit me at this material time,” stressing that “this shows the love and respect you have for the traditional institution.”
He informed the presidential hopeful that: “We believe that power belongs to Allah and he gives it to whoever he wants and at the same time, by virtue of our position, we are not politicians, we can’t participate in politics but we only advise wisely.
“We pray that whatever you are here to do today in Bauchi state is fruitful. Whatever will bring unity and peace in our country what we are after.”
Those in the entourage of the Vice President included: Senators Kabiru Gaiya (Kano Central) and Adamu Bulkachuwa (Bauchi North); former Bauchi state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, among others.
Speaking briefly to journalists shortly after the meeting with the delegates, Osinbajo described his engagement with them as successful and fruitful.
“I feel very positive about meeting with the delegates. What we have been doing in all the states is interacting with delegates because it is not enough to say ‘support me,’ I want to also want to get a sense for what the delegates want and what they’ll like to see from the government and the coming government.
“The interaction has been very fulfilling and satisfying,” he stated.
