Acting President
Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari knows Nigeria's
capacity is limitless in terms of what we can produce, even as he disclosed
that in his relationship with the President in the last two
years, he has been treating him more like a brother and a son.
Speaking on the
President's convictions he said "when he gave the 2017 budget speech in
December 2016, the President said the central vision of our government is to
grow everything that we would eat and to make everything we would use."
The Acting
President said this today at a gathering of small scale businesses, industry
and stakeholders across the public and private sectors involved in developing the
micro, small and medium scale enterprises in the country at the launch of the
Katsina State's MSMES Clinic in Katsina.
Prof. Osinbajo
averred that the Federal Government's newly launched Economic Recovery &
Growth Plan (EGRP) places high premium on the nation's capacity to grow it's
export potentials rather than continue on the unsustainable path of total
dependence on import.
He said the focus
of the Plan is to develop "the capacity of Nigerians to do everything that we need
internally; to become a net exporter of the various things that we are
importing today."
Explaining Federal
Government's reason for the inauguration of the MSMEs Clinics that is now going
round major cities in the country, Prof Osinbajo stated that it was designed to
give small businesses the opportunity "to meet with the industry
regulators, to talk to them and to hear their problems", adding that he
was so excited to see not only business men but women who are focussed and
serious about their businesses.
He explained that
the idea of the MSMES clinics which he has personally attended for the fourth
time now is the Buhari administration's effort to close the gap between MSMES
and relevant FG regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, CAC, SON, BOI, FIRS and others
and ensure that those agencies become facilitators of businesses not obstacles
to business development.
Giving an insight
on the personal and official relationships he has shared with the President,
Prof. Osinbajo disclosed that " the President has been treating me as a
brother. In fact the President has taken me as a son in the way he treats
me."
Continuing the
Acting President noted that going by the amount of responsibilities President
Buhari has given me, it shows that he seriously believes that we can live as
brothers in this country. He seriously believes in the unity of Nigeria. I pray
the Lord will preserve our President to continue to lead us just as the nation
has voted him to do."
The Acting
President who earlier paid a visit to the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir
Usman, also spoke about his close relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari
at the palace reception saying "one of the reasons why I feel very much at
home in Katsina State is because this is the State of our President, President
Muhammadu Buhari, who has taken me more like a brother; in fact sometimes more
like a son than a Vice President."
He commended the
Government and people of Katsina State for being a role model in terms of
peaceful co-existence of all ethnic tribes and religions in the State.
Prof Osinbajo who
declared the MSMEs Clinic open, was accompanied to Katsina by the Minister of
State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and
Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde
Fowler and Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator
Babafemi Ojudu.
He also spoke about
the imperative of a one indivisible and united Nigeria, emphasizing that the
nation's diversity is its strength and noted that "Katsina State is the
home of a United Nigeria."
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