Experts rate Osinbajo high

Politics

By Toye Faleye

In the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, accolades have been pouring in for Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over his visitation to the Niger-Delta to stem the tide of crisis in the region.

One of the experts, Barrister Jiti Ogunye, a policy analyst, gave kudos to Osibajo on his trip to the region. He says the trip has yielded fruit, reducing pipeline vandalization by about 58%, as compared to when the militants were destroying pipelines almost every day.

Ogunye says if the government had adopted this strategy on time, things might not have degenerated to a level where the country loses a whooping sum of money daily.

In the same vein, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo, Manager, Nigeria Stability and Reconciliatory Programme, scores Osibajo high. He says by visiting the Niger-Delta region, the agitation has been reduced, while nerves have been calmed. He described the process as a good step in the right direction.

He however expresses that it is hoped the measure being adopted will yield a positive fruit, and that the government will fulfil its promises, hoping that it will also pay attention to other units who are victims of one irregularity or the other within the federation.

Meanwhile, Ogunye berates the continued absence of the President from the country on medical grounds, saying if things were normal, the President ought to be in the country receiving his treatment.

“Remember when Fidel Castro was sick, he did not leave Cuba. It means our health care system is still in shambles. It shows that the Aso Rock Clinic is not well equipped up till now,” he says.

Ogunye raises concern over how the information about the President’s health was handled. He says, “We were told that the President was going on vacation only to learn later that he was going for medical treatment. It means the President is ill and that he would be seeking treatment abroad. If it is only just vacation people did not need to visit him.”

It will be recalled that very many Nigerians frowned at the way the presidential aides in charge of information on matters concerning the president have performed so far. They are of the opinion that such matters should not be hidden from Nigerians who voted for the President.

Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a human rights activist, had commented that the information about the President’s health should be made public since he had opted for public service, expressing that Nigerians deserve to know his health status.

In like manner, Professor Akin Oyebode, Head of Department of International Law, University of Lagos, had also expressed that if PMB could speak to the US President, he should have spoken to Nigerians too, even if it demands speaking through the Skype.

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