Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said that as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, his role is to supervise the economy, even as he said that there would be no such thing as coordinating minister of finance as was obtained in the immediate past government.
In a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande today said that Professor Osinbajo made the declaration while receiving the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson, in his office at the Presidential Viall, Abuja.
“It would be recalled that during the National Economic Summit in Abuja few weeks ago, the Vice President was asked during a Presidential Dialogue why the President was absent at the Summit. In his response, the Vice President explained that the President wished to be present, but due to pressing national engagements he couldn’t attend. He apologised and then noted that as Vice President his role is to supervise the economy.
“We are not going to have a system like where there was a coordinating minister. No, there would not be anything like that.”
He said as Vice President his role is “to ensure that everyone is involved in economic activities, that there is a way by which the President is fully appraised of what everyone is doing such that we are all on same page and to make it easier for the President to make decisions.”
Professor Osinbajo also expressed the willingness of the Federal Government to deepen the existing bilateral relations, especially in the area of economic cooperation with the Government of Australia, in mining, agriculture, shipping and transport sectors as well as in the area of infrastructure development.
Explaining the reason for Nigeria’s interest in the deepening of economic cooperation between the two countries, Professor Osinbajo said: “the Federal Government would be interested in exploring deeper relationship on economic cooperation as it is a major area in diversifying our economy.”
He lauded Nigeria’s excellent bilateral relations with Australia and commended the Australian government for the various capacity building initiatives in Nigeria and its investments in some key sectors of the economy.
The High Commissioner of Australia to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson said that his country’s bilateral relations with Nigeria had grown over the years. He disclosed that his country is seeking to enhance relations with Nigeria in areas of commercial development and is ready to offer technical assistance in some sectors which the country has given priority to. [myad]
