I And Buhari Would Be Mad If Our Aim In Government Is To Make Money – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that it would be a misnomer and an act of madness if what he and President Muhammadu Buhari are in government for is to make money.
“It is madness for anybody in our position to be looking for money. God put people in a position of authority for them to be able to do something for their people.
“I think if any Nigerian gets the chance to be president of the country, there is nothing he/she is looking for anymore except that while there, you improve the lot of the people.”
The Vice President spoke today, Thursday when he received a delegation of Christian Ministers Welfare Initiative also known as the Pastors’ Forum, Taraba State, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Osinbajo sworn that President Buhari’s dream is to make sure Nigeria is great again and that he has no other objective other than seeing this dream come true.
“This morning, I had a meeting with the President and he repeated to me twice, he said ‘at my age there is only one thing I am looking for, I want to see a great Nigeria.’ He has no other objective and I feel very inspired by that,” Prof Osinbajo stated.
Linking the economic situation to corruption and official graft, the Vice President said: “no economy can tolerate the level of corruption seen in Nigeria without the consequence. Nigerian lives were being lost and yet people cannot account for $15 billion meant for purchase of security equipment to fight the insurgents.”
The Vice President also explained how the factor of vandalisation of oil installations is contributory to the recession, saying that Nigeria has lost several millions of barrels of crude oil due to the activities of the militants in the Niger Delta.
According to him, by early 2016 the country was producing 5,000MW of power for the first time, but by February 2016 the Focados terminal  was destroyed by militants and 40 per cent  of the gas used to fire the power plants were lost and the country was down to 2,500MW of power.
Professor Osinbajo said that at the time the militants started blowing up oil and gas installations, the amnesty stipend were still being paid. “Nothing changed, the only reason is that we  are investigating people who have stolen money.”
He said that the country is losing one million barrels of oil a day and 60percent of the country’s revenues, adding that there is nowhere such amount of revenue is lost without going into  some  economic challenge like a recession.
While expressing optimism that the country will come out of the recession, the Vice President said: “there is no question at all, God has a reason for bringing us in at this time and God helping us we will see a change in this country.”
Vice President Osinbajo asked the Church and all religious leaders to stand up against corruption, stressing that if this government is doing the right thing by fighting corruption, the Church should support it.
Earlier, the Chairman of the delegation, Rev, Godwin Nyiekule said that the delegation was in the State House to pledge their support to the Buhari Administration for its forthrightness and fight against corruption.
“We are happy with the government for the war against corruption crusade,” he said.
Rev Nyiekule said that the Christian Ministers Welfare Initiative is a non-partisan group but supports good persons who want to participate in government, adding that the federal government should come to the assistance of those churches whose premises are being used as IDP camps. [myad]