Prof Yemi Osinbajo had a swell time speaking before a young audience at a Lagos conference thereby attracting a standing ovation.
Prof Yemi Osinbajo
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has declared that it is total rubbish to attribute the discovery of River Niger to Mungo Park.
Osinbajo said people were already fishing in River Niger before Park’s grand father was born. He made this comment on Tuesday at the ongoing programmed tagged The Platform.
Osinbajo, who harped on the need for Nigerians to promote their own, noted that there are many young persons from this country who have contributed intellectually to the growth of the nation.
“I tell you, it is total rubbish to say Mungo Park discovered River Niger. We all know that people where fishing in the River beforeMungo Park’s grandfather was born.
“This calls for the need for us to promote our own,” he said.
According to the vice president, “our business as government is to create more enabling environment for entrepreneurs to do business and create more infrastructure.
“We have to provide more jobs as more people are added to the population everyday.
“Today we are confronted with the remnants of Boko Haram with farmers/herdsmen clashes and ethno-religious conflicts,’’ he said.
Osinbajo recalled that when oil was selling for 100 to 142 dollars per barrel, the budget of Transport and Agriculture Ministries; all the ministries together got 139 billion.
“Today with oil prices between 60 and 70 dollars per barrel, the Power, Works and Housing, Agriculture and Transport Ministries got N560 billion.
“How come we can do more with less income?
“How come we are able to invest in infrastructure. How come we can do the Lagos-Kano standard rail gauge; the Second NgerBridge, with 60 per cent less income than we earned a few years ago,” he asked.
“The job of the builder is not to complain. I believe the solution is in building that Nigerian bridge.
“A bridge that will be built on the strongest materials of all and to excel in our commitment to build a new society.
“A bridge that connects us across tribes; across ethnicity; across dialects; a bridge that connects us across religion; across politics; and across even generations.
“Everyone of us can travel on this bridge. A bridge that rises from innovation and traditions and stands the troubled waters of our past.
“A bridge that can take the traffic of all our best Nigerians and creativity; and human and materials to the destination of our dream.”