Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo,
yesterday pegged the total earning which accrued to the Nigerian government
from oil sales in the past three years at $94 billion.
He, however, stated that in the
four years preceding the All Progressive Congress, APC, administration, the
government – then led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – earned about $393
billion in oil sales but made less impact on the livelihood of ordinary
Nigerians.
Osinbajo made this revelation
during a town hall meeting in Bariga/Somolu LCDA in Lagos State, on Tuesday, as
part of festivities marking the Eid-el-Kabir with Lagosians.
He said: “In the past four years
of the previous administration, over $393 billion was earned in oil proceeds
alone. In the past three years, we have earned $94 billion. Look at the
difference.
“And the reasons are very
straightforward. The price of oil was about half of what it used to be. But
with the same $94 billion, we have been able to do far more.”
The vice president, who addressed
a gathering comprising APC chieftains in the state, youth groups, state
government officials and the LCDA Chairmen of Somolu and Bariga, noted that the
administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) were geared
towards improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
“The president’s focus has always
been on the common man. So, when we came, we decided on a few things to tackle
youth unemployment. First, the N-Power programme to engage as many young people
who are graduates as possible.
“We started with 200,000, and
just this month, we have employed another 300,000. So, in our N-Power
programme, we have 500,000 young graduates who are employed in the programme.
Now every local government (area) in Nigeria has N-Power graduate,” he said.
“When we got into office, 24
states had not paid salaries for over six months and we ensured that these
salaries were paid.
“And President Buhari said then,
‘Look, I have been a salary earner all my life, I have never done any business;
the only thing I have ever done is government work, either as a soldier or in
government. I cannot imagine how anybody can go to sleep as a governor without
paying the salaries of his workers.’ So, we made sure that we paid salaries,
and we have done so many other things.
“In investments, look at the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; for almost 12 years, with all that money, it was never
done. Now we have set about and we are doing it, we will complete it. Also, the
Lagos-Kano railway project, so many of us know that we are moving towards
Ibadan now. And we are going to complete it,” he added.
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