Atiku To PDP Members: You Must Win Your Polling Units To Qualify For Job In My Govt

January 18, 2023

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has asked members and supporters of the party to go back to their constituencies and work for the party to win the 2023 general elections as one of the conditions for appointment in his government.

“You are all members of the PDP and supporters of the PDP. You want PDP to return to power. Please, I beg of you, make sure you win your polling booths”

Atiku, who spoke at a stakeholders meeting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital today, January 18, stressed that individuals looking forward to any position in his government must win their polling units, adding that he is only concerned about the result a party member is able to deliver during the election.

He warned that following him about during the ongoing campaigns cannot guarantee an appointment or a contract whether at the local government level, state, or federal level.

“The only way, as far as I’m concerned, if I’m President, if you come and say you want a job or you want a contract, I will ask you, let me have the result of your polling booth and that is what I’m going to direct to everybody because unless we do that, we will not win the elections.

Peter Obi Displayed Ignorance Of Economic Matters At Chatham House – Group

Editorial staff

January 18, 2023

A group, Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has described Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi’s comments on the economy and the nation’s debt profile, as a public display of ignorance of economic matters.

In a statement today, January 18, the group’s Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke said that Peter Obi’s claim that all monies borrowed since 2015 were wasted, showed his tendency to play to the gallery with claims that have no basis in fact.

“It is shocking that a man who postures as one with an understanding of economics, with spurious statistics, would use the opportunity of a global stage to make an outlandish claim about the country’s debt stock under President Buhari.

“Yes, the Buhari administration has added to the debt he inherited in 2015, yet only the ignorant, or in some cases people with mischievous intentions, would carelessly say that all monies borrowed since 2015 were wasted.

“We wonder why Peter Obi was silent on PDP-era debt and what his former party used those monies for? That was an era where Nigeria’s public debt rose to $63bn with little or no infrastructure to show for it.

“But because of his penchant for grandstanding, a man who delights in quoting figures from far flung places to make unverifiable points, conveniently forgot that the Debt Management Office (DMO), the agency which manages the country’s debt, has a fact sheet on its website on what the Buhari era debt are used for.”

The group said that Peter Obi’s position on Nigeria’s debt in relation to that of other countries shows a lack of knowledge of economics.

“In one breath, the LP Presidential candidate said there was nothing wrong with borrowing and noted that more developed countries including US and Japan are owing 100 and 230% of their respective GDPs, yet in another breath, he sees a lot wrong with that of Nigeria which is owing less than 25% of its GDP because according to him, the other countries have ‘something to fall back on.’

“And for the records, most of the loans taken by the Buhari administration are not only tied directly to infrastructural projects including those abandoned by previous administrations, they also do not involve transfer of funds to Nigerian entities.

“The DMO website which Obi and his handlers did not even bother to check has a full list of ongoing road rehabilitation and construction works as well as rail projects and airport expansion being carried out with these loans. We urge them to take a proper look at what is there.

“When they do, they will find that what Obi described as nothing is what the agency termed as ‘projects that have the added benefits of job creation, not only by themselves, but through direct and indirect service providers, a number of which are Small and Medium Enterprises.’

“Let us add here that the same Peter Obi had been quoted on more than one occasion as saying that infrastructure cannot be used to stimulate economic growth, and then went on his usual trajectory of citing Bangladesh and Singapore as examples, when indeed it is widely accepted globally that investment in infrastructure is one of the most effective tools for achieving economic growth and development”.

The group urged Nigerians to continue to fact check Obi’s claims in order not to be misled by a smooth-talking average politician with no track record of performance in public office.

2023: We’re Prepared For Presidential Runoff – INEC Boss, Prof. Yakubu

Greenbarge Reporters

January 18, 2023

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has given a hint that there may be a presidential run-off after voters cast their ballot on February 25, 2023 for their preferred candidates and that the Commission is prepared for it.

Delivering a lecture yesterday, January 17, at London-based Chatham House, Professor Yakubu said: “the truth of the matter is that for every general election, the commission prepares. At least for some time now in the last three electoral cycles, we also prepare for that possibility.

“The reason is until the constitution was amended, there was only one week for a presidential run-off in case it happens.

“With the number of registered voters we have, it is almost impossible to print the ballot papers required and the result sheet and deliver them to locations and conduct the elections as required.”

Speaking on the topic: ‘Nigeria’s 2023 Elections: Preparations and Priorities for Electoral Integrity and Inclusion,’ INEC boss said: “every election since the last three electoral cycles, we also make provisions for the possibility of a presidential run-off in case it happens. If it happens, then we’ll have no issues, and this year is no exception.”

He said that with the amendment of the constitution, INEC now has three weeks between the presidential election date and the run-off date.

He said available data indicates that Nigeria has 16.7 million more voters than the rest of West Africa.

“Based on figures compiled from electoral commissions and interior ministries in West Africa, Nigeria’s current voter population is 16.7 million higher than the 76.7 million registered in all the other countries put together – and there are 14 other elections in the sub-region.

“This means that a general election in Nigeria is like conducting an election in the whole of West Africa and beyond.”

He dismissed any speculation of plans to put off the elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11, saying INEC is not contemplating, let alone planning, to postpone the 2023 general election.

He stressed that the commission is not considering the postponement of the presidential poll amid attacks on its offices nationwide.

“We are going ahead to conduct the election as scheduled,” he said, noting that though there are “tremendous” challenges and expectations of INEC, the commission is a beneficiary of “enormous” goodwill in Nigeria and beyond.

“We can surmount the challenges and ensure elections continue to get better,” he added.

Professor Yakubu reiterated the need for the establishment of a new commission to deal with electoral offenders.

He lamented previous attempts to pass the bill for the establishment of the commission, saying the failure to do so had frustrated efforts to get justice against offenders in Nigeria’s courts over the years.

Professor Yakubu said work on the country’s electoral process would remain incomplete if electoral offenders continue to walk freely.

He argued that via the powers given to the commission in the recently signed Electoral Act 2022, INEC can’t make an arrest or investigate offenders.

He said that the establishment of a new commission will help to enhance efforts to prosecute offenders.

INEC boss said that though the Senate has passed the bill, it is still before the House of Representatives Committee, adding that everybody in the queue by 2:30 pm on election day will vote.

On Diaspora voting, the INEC chairman was optimistic that the legal obstacles preventing foreign-based Nigerians from voting will be cleared eventually.

He said that Diaspora Voting by millions of Nigerians living outside the country remains a recurrent issue for the Commission, just as he added that Nigeria is said to have one of the largest diaspora communities in the world.

“Our quest for a fully inclusive extensive national deployment like we do in Nigeria will naturally come with challenges.

“We have worked closely with stakeholders and development partners to confront these challenges and we are satisfied with our preparations so far.

“Our commission does not take the pledge that we have repeatedly made to Nigerians lightly. We are leaving no stone unturned in our preparations.

“Our commitment remains only to Nigerians and not to any political party or candidate. That is what the law requires of us. We cherish the institutional independence and integrity of the Commission.

“With the enthusiasm of Nigerians, the goodwill of stakeholders and partners, and the commitment of the Commission, we believe that the 2023 general election will be among the best conducted in Nigeria.”

Professor Yakubu reassured voters that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has come to stay, saying there are plans to ensure it works perfectly.

He said that the 2023 election will be among the best polls in the country, insisting that only votes counted during the election will determine the winner of the elections.

Professor Yakubu said elections is a multi-stakeholders’ activity, adding that the commission has demonstrated it in previous elections.

2023: AAC, PRP Form Alliance In Kano, Adopt Sowore As Presidential Candidate

Greenbarge Reporters

January 18, 2023

The parties, which signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect at an event in Kano State yesterday, January 16 announced the adoption of Omoyele Sowore as Presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

Speaking after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Sowore described the alliance between the two political parties as the “most powerful kinetic combination” in the history of the country.

He recalled that the alliance is a fulfillment of the prophecy made by late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who was Kaduna State Governor on the platform of the PRP between 1979 and 1982.

He said: “Today we are very happy to be in Kano. Kano is the home of the truth for Nigeria. Kano is one of the liberal cities for development and democracy and we are happy that we are not among the politicians you know and call ‘munafikin banza’.

“The PRP from time immemorial has been a party of truth. The AAC is also a party of the truth, but we are younger than the PRP.

“The Alliance that is happening today has been prophesied by Alhaji Balarabe Musa in 2018 in Kaduna where we met him. We went to his bedroom and he said: come and join PRP and today it has come to pass.”

Sowore expressed confidence that with the alliance, they will win the 2023 presidential election and send both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) packing. He said both parties have destroyed Nigeria but the country will be rescued by the alliance.

“Our conviction is that we will defeat the elements in this country that have brought poverty to the North, East, and South and those that have brought insecurity and all problems that the APC, PDP, and their affiliates have brought to Nigeria,

“We are very proud that within the shortest period, the country witnessed an alliance it had never witnessed before. They keep decamping, and they pay for decamping every day but ours is an alliance and it is so strong.

“As we are sitting here and standing here, the whole of the political establishment in Nigeria is afraid. In fact, they put people outside here to tell people there is no meeting here today. But at this hall, look at me, don’t I look and talk like Mallam Aminu Kano?

“I will assure you when we take over power in 2023, the poverty that has become our story will end. The insecurity that has become our nature will come to an end.

“We will build a fast railway from Lagos to Kano. We will ensure that young people go to university which will not be shut down due to nonpayment of lecturers. We will make sure education is free.

“Our combination is the most powerful kinetic combination in the history of Nigeria and we will make sure we deliver Nigeria from the hands of the buccaneers that have ruined it; those corrupt people that have made Nigeria a laughing stock and poverty headquarters of the world, we will pull them out of business.”

Source: NiajaNews.

Nigeria Has For Long Been Battling With People Using Religious Sentiment To Hoodwink

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that some Nigerians have developed the habit of hiding under the canopy of religion to advance their economic and political agenda.

“It’s a problem Nigeria has been struggling with for a long time, and it is completely unnecessary.

“Some people use religions as sentiment, but with adequate education, people are seeing through it now.

“Majority of the people just want to practice their religion without problem, but some people cash in on religious misunderstanding for their own ends.”

The President, who spoke today, January 17, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, when he met with Rashad Hussain, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, recalled his private meeting at the White House with former President Donald Trump.

Buhari said that during their interaction, Donald Trump asked him: “why are you killing Christians in Nigeria,” adding that he had to explain to Trump that the issue in Nigeria was not religious, but criminal as well as a usage of religion by some elements to further their economic, and sometimes, political interests.”

President Buhari emphasized the necessity for adequate education of the people, saying: “when people are educated, they would be able to discern when others want to use religion for certain ends. They do it mostly for material reasons.

“Also, when some people are incompetent, they bring in all sorts of excuses, including religion.”

This was even as Ambassador Hussain said that the United States of America is interested in partnering with Nigeria in the areas of formal and non-formal education, towards religious harmony.

“There’s so much we can do together to promote peace, promote communal harmony. We love what you are doing, and we would be glad to assist as appropriate.”

32 Year Old Vulcanizer To Die By Hanging For Robbing Nurse Of N57,000

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

An Ikeja Special Offences Court, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada has sentenced a 32-year-old vulcanizer, Chidozie Onyinchiz, to death by hanging for robbing a nurse of N57,000.

The judge pronounced the sentence today, January 17, after the prosecution had proved the charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, and membership of an unlawful society against Onyinchiz.

Justice Dada said that the convict’s attempt to wriggle out of the charges was futile.

She said that the convict had earlier confirmed to the police at Igando, Lagos, that his victim, Veronica Uwayzor sighted him and they both recognized each other at the time of the offence.

Justice Dada said: “The defendant had stated that the complainant pointed at him as one of the boys armed with a pair of scissors and forcefully snatched her bag containing N57,000 at Akesan Bus Stop.

“The complainant had stated that neither the defendant nor his accomplice, Ediri Endurance, (still at large) wore masks which made it possible for her to easily recognise Onyinchiz few hours after the robbery.

“The first statement of the defendant which he made at Igando Police Station confirmed that he and Ediri went to Akesan Bus Stop on the day of the robbery.

“Onyinchiz admitted to belonging to an unlawful society as he stated that,’this is my first time of coming to Akesan to steal. I was initiated into Eiye Confraternity in 2009 but I have not killed before.’

“The same information of him being a vulcaniser was also contained in the statement he made at Igando police station and the one he made at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad office at Ikeja.

“In his confessional statement, Onyinchiz stated that he met Ediri Endurance in a public bus and Endurance took him to his father’s house after the bus developed fault.

“He also stated that they ended up sleeping in an uncompleted building because Endurance’s father did not open the door for them to spend the night in his house.

“The statement corroborated the submission of the victim that she was accosted at about 4.30 a.m. by two boys holding an iron rod and a pair of scissors on the day of the incident.

“She said the two boys were the ones who robbed her.

“The totality of the evidence before the court is compelling and I find the defendant guilty of the charges preferred against him.

“He is hereby sentenced to death by hanging and may God have mercy on his soul.”

The state prosecutor, Mrs. Afolake Onayinka had earlier told the court that the convict committed the offences with an accomplice still at large on 12 August, 2018.

Onayinka submitted that the complainant ran into a white garment church after the defendant robbed her.

“The Shepherd of the church alerted landlords in the area which led to the arrest of Onyinchiz while Endurance escaped,” she said.

Onayinka submitted that the offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Source: NAN.

Financial Institution Worried Over Rising Bank Workers Involvement In Fraud In Nigeria

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

Financial Institution Training Centre (FITC) has expressed worry over the rising involvement of bank workers in fraudulent activities in the Nigerian financial system.

According to the Institution, such bank workers are taking undue advantage of their access to the physical cash to defraud bank customers.

A report by the Institution, which gave insights into fraudulent activities in Nigerian banks between April and June 2022, showed that 19 employees of banks were sacked within the period due to their involvement in fraudulent activities.

It said that the number of bank workers that were sacked in second quarter 2022 due to fraud represents a 90 per cent increase compared to 10 recorded in Q1 2022.

The report compares the data within the same period in 2021 which showed an alarming 375 per cent increase, as only 4 dismissals for fraud were recorded in the second quarter of 2021.

With a total of N1.17 billion lost to frauds across 24 banks in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2022, 73 bank staff were reported to have been involved in the activities, a 27.6 per cent increase when compared with 60 recorded in the first quarter of the year.

The report gives credence to wide speculations that most fraudulent activities on bank customers’ accounts are carried out in connivance with bank staff.

With the increasing trend of young Nigerians migrating out of the country and the continued lose of key IT staff to Fintech hitting the IT departments of most Nigerian banks, there has been an increase in the number of bank customers losing their hard-earned money to fraud due to the technical lapses left by the trend.

Some banks’ insider sources have also fingered tech staff who are planning their exit for committing some of the atrocities to get enough money to fund their travel.

While advising banks to put adequate measures in place to deter their staff from engaging in fraud, FITC said: “Given the growing number of employees involved in fraudulent activities, banks should exercise extra caution when employing new staff or contracting an outsourcing firm for employment.

“As a measure to curb the involvement of staff in fraudulent activities, staff who have also acted with high integrity in circumstances in which they would have acted otherwise should be duly commended and rewarded for their actions; this sends a positive message to other staff and they too would want to be recognised and rewarded as well.”

Atiku To Oby Ezekwesili: Stop Your Jaded ‘Aproko’ Pettiness

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

Former Nigeria’s Vice President and the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has asked former Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, to stop being what he called “jaded aproko pettiness.”

Reacting to Ezekwesili statement in which she called him a liar for saying that he was the head of the Economic Management Team (EMT) of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku, via his spokesman, Paul Ibe, said in a Tweet: “Dear @obyezeks, I know it’s political season and people resort to all sorts of antics in support of their preferred candidates. But some things should be considered too low.

“In trying – and failing – to weaken his standing in public, let us not resort to this sort of jaded ‘aproko’ pettiness.

Ezekwesili had earlier reacted to Atiku’s claim of being the head of Obasanjo’s Economic Management Team, asking him to stop his social media handlers from misleading the public, describing such claim as a lie.

Atiku had earlier boasted about playing a major role in designing a private sector revival strategy and opening the economy for private sector investments in several sectors.

Atiku made the claims while addressing business stakeholders at an event organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), held in Lagos yesterday, January 16.

He had said: “as head of the economic management team while I was Vice President, I was instrumental in designing a private sector revival strategy and advocated for the opening of the economy for private sector investments in several sectors. And we made tremendous progress.”

Why Nigeria Must Not Fail To Have Acceptable Polls In 2023 – ECOWAS

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has warned that Nigeria cannot afford not to conduct peaceful and credible elections in 2023 as a lot is at stake.

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, who was represented by ECOWAS Commission Programme Officer on Mediation, Directorate of Political Affairs, Dr. Brown Odigie, said today, January 17 that countries within the African sub-region would be greatly affected if Nigeria fails to conduct acceptable elections this year.

He spoke at the ongoing Dialogue and Mediation Training for political actors as Tools for Preventing and/or Mitigating Election Related Disputes and Violence, held in Jos, Plateau State.

Abdel-Fatau Musah advised that Nigeria must create space for inclusiveness in the electoral processes and ensure a peaceful election because of its very strategic position in the region. He noted that Nigeria’s enormous population is working tirelessly to ensure that the electoral processes are done peacefully to avoid anything that can lead to conflict, warning that the region cannot contain potential refugees

According to him the interactive engagements by political actors and stakeholders are critical in electoral processes and the ECOWAS commission prioritizes creating opportunities for such interactions to be held as well as equipping stakeholders with the necessary skills and competence for dialogue and mediation.

He called on all candidates and political parties, including IPAC to always uphold the contents of the signed peace Accord and the electoral guidelines which are imperative to ensuring a peaceful and credible general election.

“With the hope of ensuring that all stakeholders play their role, including the police and INEC in ensuring a peaceful, free, fair, and credible election that will be acceptable to all Nigerians. Creating space for dialogue and inclusivity in the electoral process is key; because once you deny that inclusivity factor; it creates an opportunity for people to resort to violence. Grievances can be brought out and collectively, we look at the contentious issues and find common ground. We are doing it specifically for Nigeria because Nigeria is strategic in ECOWAS.

“Nigeria has an enormous population; elections are a period that can generate conflict and if not effectively managed, have the potential of snowballing into violence. And when violence occurs, with the enormous population of Nigeria, it can spill over to other neighboring countries. And I can assure you, no member country within ECOWAS will have the capacity to accommodate refugees from Nigeria.

“That is why, we do all we can, to encourage stakeholders to dialogue, by looking at contentious issues and seeking ways to amicably resolve them to have a peaceful outcome. It is in this regard that the ECOWAS Commission developed a Dialogue and Mediation handbook, elements of which will be used in the course of this training workshops, and with this, participants are expected to acquire practical techniques and skills for dialogue and mediation as important tools for the management of electoral disputes and conflicts through role-plays and simulation exercises.”

He said that the specific goals for the engagements include creating the opportunity for participants to appreciate the ECOWAS normative principles and frameworks for transparent and peaceful elections as espoused by the 2001 supplementary protocol on democracy and good governance; sustaining and enhancing ECOWAS’ strategic engagement with the political process in Nigeria and also as an indication of our commitment and preference towards using dialogue and mediation in resolving electoral disputes and violence.

On his part, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Oliver Agundu said that the ECOWAS commission has taken a very unique and very commendable step that will no doubt help to strengthen channels of information and deepen relations amongst the stakeholders and promote widespread collaborations on common issues faced during elections.

Represented by the commission’s Head of Voters’ Education, Mr. Otokpa Egwurube, the REC said, “We also urge stakeholders to act and behave responsibly even in the face of defeat or when the victor is victorious because in an electoral contest, there must be a loser and there must be a winner.

In the same vein, the representative of the United Nations Office in West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) Liaison Office in Nigeria, Mrs. Sa’adatu Shuaibu noted that the training falls within the framework of UNOWAS joint efforts with ECOWAS to support member states in their efforts to conduct peaceful, inclusive, and credible elections and entrench democracy.

“As part of its efforts to ensure peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections in Nigeria, UNOWAS has conducted various engagements with national stakeholders to the formal special representative of the secretary-general (SRSG), Mr. Mahamat Annadif, who used his good offices last year to engage with Nigeria authorities, school parties, some presidential candidates, civil society organizations, the Independent national electoral commission (INEC), the inter-party advisory council (IPAC) and members of the diplomatic corps on the need to strengthen peace, democracy, development and good governance in Nigeria.”

Also speaking, Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Bartholomew Onyeka said that the nation’s recent history of pre and post-electoral violence is the reason many Nigerians are very apprehensive.

Onyeka, who was represented by ACP Ejike Ochiabotor, said: “Plateau state police command under my watch as the prime law enforcement agency in the state has involved various workable strategic measures to ensure that the forthcoming general elections are conducted peacefully without any hitch all over the state, adding that the command has carried out effective sensitization of its officers and critical stakeholders in the state to virtually all rules guiding the conduct of the elections.

“We have made golden plans on how best to make deployments, protect the integrity of the electoral process, and make sure elections are credible to all, taking past elections as a case study. All prisoners have been properly educated on how to secure the electorates, INEC officials, and materials, and escort INEC staff and materials to the polling units and back to the collation centers.

The same vein, the National Secretary of IPAC, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, in his remark, said the free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive, peaceful, and acceptable election is the beauty and bedrock of democracy, noting that the forthcoming general election is critical for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

“The success of the elections will be a defining moment for our fellow compatriots who desire and yearn for transformational, visionary, progressive, purposeful, and resourceful leaders who will restore Nigeria as the great arsenal of democracy in Africa.”

The 4-day training and interactive workshop, which is the third in the series, is geared towards violent-free 2023 general elections in Nigeria with the enhancement of participants’ dialogue and mediation tools and platforms for addressing contentious issues, thus contributing to the prevention and mitigation of election-related conflicts and violence before, during, and after the polls.

It has participants from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) cutting across the North-Central and North-East geopolitical zones of the country.

Vice President Osinbajo Proposes Ethical Revolution In Nigeria

Editorial staff

January 17, 2023

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has suggested an ethical revolution in Nigeria for the purpose of producing the highest quality individuals to run the most efficient governments and private institutions.

To ensure the success of the revolution, Professor Osinbajo, said, there is an urgent need to teach the right values, not only in our institutions of learning, but also imbibe national ethics of hardwork, honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, among others.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke today, January 17, in Abeokuta, Ogun State while delivering the Centenary Lecture of Baptist Boys’ High School (BBHS), asked the governments to lead this ethical revolution, by rewarding ethical behaviour and ensuring speedy punishment for misconduct.

He emphasized also that there is need for a national consensus, especially among the political, religious and business elite, in accepting and implementing minimum ethical standards, “where we establish a national work ethic, of honesty, hardwork, thrift and the deferment of gratification.”
Speaking on the topic “Values: the difference between success and failure,” Professor Osinbajo insisted that an ethical revolution is necessary to fast-track the country’s development towards becoming a great nation.

“It is what is taught and learned that shapes the character of individuals and nations. But it is not just teaching, governments must lead this ethical revolution, by rewarding ethical behaviour and ensuring speedy punishment for misconduct.
“The religious elite must reinforce the ethical direction agreed by showing that wealth, and influence is built by hardwork, diligence and the deferment of gratification and not just by miracles. The religious elite must also reject and ostracize public officers and persons whose wealth cannot be explained or is clearly from shady or suspicious sources. Every modern society has had to deal with corruption, and enthrone minimum ethical standards to succeed, we must do the same.”
The Vice President observed that the same values of integrity, hard work and trustworthiness are what make individuals, institutions and nations great.
“The difference between men and women who attain significance and those who do not is values. So, it is also the case that the difference between successful societies or countries and failed or failing countries is values.”
He referred to the examples of countries in Asia and Africa with huge deposits of natural resources and human talents, adding: “while geography plays an important role in the success of people and communities, they are not defining features; otherwise, the countries with the largest deposits of mineral wealth would be the most prosperous.”
Professor Osinbajo defined values as ethical principles by which individuals and communities live, work and interact, including honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, perseverance, hard work, diligence, discipline, respect, etc., even as he said: “it is values that determine the success or failure of individuals or societies.
“Venezuela has one of the largest oil deposits in the world but the UN estimates that 94% of its citizens are poor. The Great Lakes region in Africa has some of the world’s richest mineral deposits, yet the countries in the region are some of the poorest in the world. On the other hand, some of the wealthiest countries in the world and those that have the most companies listed on the Nasdaq are Israel, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Singapore — none of which have any natural resources.
“Every one of the great and successful economies of the world share the same characteristics, they emphasise hardwork, integrity.”

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