Osinbajo’s stabilising role in the polity

BY CHUKWUDI ENEKWECHI

Whenever this historical epoch of Nigeria’s political evolution is to be evaluated the role being played by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will not go unnoticed or be swept under the carpet. In the last three years of this administration, he has worked tirelessly with President Muhammadu Buhari to help realise the vision and mission of the administration as encapsulated in the ‘’change agenda’’ and several other policy documents. In doing this he has brought his extensive knowledge of law, public and private sector experiences to bear in the many successes of the Buhari /Osinbajo administration. 

Like President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has equally through a dint of hard work and commitment to the Nigerian project emerged as a man of the people, hence the incredible show of love he garners wherever he goes. His wide acceptance across the country has added value to the administration and will surely attract needed support in the 2019 general election.

His focused leadership of the administration’s economic team has helped to rejuvenate the weak economy they inherited from previous PDP administrations. Today Nigeria has become the preferred investment destination in Africa, while several policies the administration has enunciated have alleviated the plight of the poor. For example, the N-Power, school feeding programme and anchor borrowers programme have translated into life-changing experiences for a good number of people.

For the myriad of problems facing the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has never shied away from proffering workable solutions and a typical example is the farmers/herders clashes which he has been in the forefront in addressing the fundamental causes. This has contributed along with the security approach in restoring relative peace in the restive communities. Professor Osinbajo has proven that his position can be used to give support to his principal President Muhammadu Buhari rather than fight for supremacy or undermine the principal as we witnessed in past dispensations.

As a loyal party member he has at critical periods brokered peace towards ensuring the cohesion necessary for the growth of the party and democracy in the country. He has also earned the confidence of President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the ruling All Progressive Congress as a peace maker, solution provider and out-of-the box thinker in resolving several knotty issues that crop up from time to time.

His interventions in other issues of national importance are also worthy of mention. Recently he opted to intervene in redressing the action of the Lagos state government in forcing luxury bus owners to relocate to a location that is obviously unsuitable for them to continue rendering seamless transport services to travellers from Lagos to other parts of the country.

By offering to help find solution to the transporters’ plight he has demonstrated responsible leadership, especially considering the pivotal role transportation plays in the economic development of the country. Added to the fact that he leads the administration’s economic team, he is the most suitable to help find solution to such unnecessary disruption in the movement of goods and services across the country. Even in the United States, transport companies own bus terminals as we have in the Greyhound Bus Company and many others.

It can therefore be said that Professor Yemi Osinbajo is a blessing to the Buhari administration and Nigeria in general. History is replete with examples of such highly rated statesmen like President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who had rare opportunities of leadership to transform their societies and presently Nigeria is witnessing a focused leadership that is positioning the country well.