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Osinbajo:10 Nigerian States Have GDPs Bigger Than That Of Some Nations
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the gross domestic capital (GDPs) of 10 Nigerian states are greater than that of some African nations.
Osinbajo made the comment on Sunday when some Harvard Business School students visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, maintaining that Nigeria should not be economically compared with “smaller” African nations.
“For instance, Borno State is about the size of the whole of the United Kingdom plus Sweden or Denmark,” Osinbajo said, according to a statement from his media aide Laolu Akande.
“So, when it is reported that there is violence in Nigeria, it is probably an incident in one remote area of the country, and many people in Abuja and Lagos may hear about it on social media, such is the size of this country.
“When they talk about the economy, we are often compared with smaller African countries, but there are 10 states in Nigeria that have bigger GDPs than those countries, it is a huge target market.”
VP Osinbajo also added that he values integrity, transparency, and social justice, noting that he assumed office with these.
He said, “for me, spirituality connotes values. I came into government with values about what I think is important, especially around transparency, social justice, and justice, among others. You are almost always a product of the values you believe in. Fortunately, a lot of these values cut across different faiths, they are not necessarily restricted to a religion or one faith.
“In societies that are more developed institutionally, you don’t need to be told that you shouldn’t do certain things because you could end up in jail if you do and there is a good likelihood that you could be detected and the process will go through and you will be punished.
“I speak about corruption and all that. But where the institutions are weak, some people have reasons for not doing the right thing.”
The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.
Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.
There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.
The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.
Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.
Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.
Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.
A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.
Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.
The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.
Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.
Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.
The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.
Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a clampdown on unregistered hospitals and quack medical personnel operating within the territory.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the Minister warned, “Henceforth, anyone found to be operating or working in an unregistered health facility should be arrested and prosecuted.”
According to the statement, Wike issued the directive following the death of a 35-year-old pregnant woman, Chekwube Chinagorom, after a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital, a private, unregistered facility located in Durumi, Abuja.
The statement described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that despite the free registration of pregnant women into the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme, many still patronise unsafe health facilities.
“In the FCT, vulnerable persons, including pregnant women, enjoy free enrollment into the FHIS, which allows them free access, through the Primary Health Care Centres, to all services covered in the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services,” Olayinka said.
He further noted that several hospitals in the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care centres, offering cesarean sections free of charge.
“Our pregnant women are once again urged to take advantage of this free health insurance scheme and stop visiting quack medical personnel and unregistered health facilities,” Olayinka added.
According to the statement, Chinagorom was brought in dead to Asokoro District Hospital after undergoing a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital. While she died, her baby was delivered alive and referred to Asokoro Hospital for care.
An investigation by the Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee revealed that Afolmi Hospital was not duly registered. During inspection, only one staff member, Mr. Simon Elisha Godiya, a Junior Community Health Extension Worker, was found on duty.
“Mr. Godiya reported that the surgical operation was performed by one Murtala Jumma in conjunction with another unidentified individual. All attempts to reach Murtala Jumma via phone were unsuccessful.
“Shortly after the PHERMC team arrived at the facility, a detachment of officers from the Nigeria Police, Durumi Divisional Headquarters, also arrived. The case was immediately handed over to the Police for further investigation.
“The officer in charge requested that the PHERMC team accompany them to the station to formally record the incident, and the team complied accordingly.
“The Nigeria Police is currently assisting in identifying the individuals responsible for the surgery, verifying their qualifications, and investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the late Chekwube Chinagorom at Afolmi Hospital,” the statement added.