The Buhari administration under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not only invested heavily in infrastructure development, it has also laid the foundations of commitment to social protection and welfare of citizens, particularly the poor and most vulnerable.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday in his speech at the National Delegates’ Conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, where he was Special Guest of Honour.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s conference, “Building People Power, National Unity and the Quest for a New Social Contract,” Prof. Osinbajo noted that when all Nigerians, especially its political elites, begin to see the country’s diversity as an asset, rather than a tool for division, its socio-economic and cultural capital can be further deepened.
Noting some of the achievements of the APC government under President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice President stated that the “administration’s heavy investments in transportation infrastructure – road, rail, sea and river ports – which reduce the distances between our people and link localities to markets and enable trade, travel and tourism, are more than just infrastructural connections, they are also social bridges, and cultural roads and rail ways crisscrossing our vast tapestry of dialects, foods, music, dances, customs and more.”
The VP also highlighted the Buhari administration’s prioritization of social welfare through the different components of its globally recognized National Social Investment Programmes.
“Following from our -APC- manifesto, our administration sought to lay the foundations of a state committed to social protection. We are catering for our children through the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme which feeds children daily and for our unemployed youth through programmes such as the N-Power scheme. Over 4 million people have benefitted from the Government Empowerment and Enterprise Programme (GEEP), and other support initiatives under the National Social Investment Programmes,” the VP recalled.
While emphasizing the significance of a social covenant in society between the people and the State, Prof. Osinbajo noted that “the social covenant also importantly must provide for those who cannot work. And it would seem that only an intentionally progressive left of centre ideological bent can without losing its soul deliver on this aspect of the covenant.”
According to the VP, the APC and the Buhari government belonged to this (social covenant) end of the ideological spectrum.
He added that Federal Government under the Buhari administration also established the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the National Centre for Senior Citizens to cater for the needs of the elderly and citizens with disabilities.
“This is a demonstration of our commitment to inclusion – especially of groups that have long been relegated to the margins. In a democratic society. The ultimate demonstration of people power is the right to freely elect leaders of our choice.
“It is through the instrumentality of the ballot, that citizens regulate and discipline their leaders and hold them accountable. In a few weeks, Nigerians will have the opportunity to demonstrate their power by voting in favour of which candidates and parties have what it takes to manifest the future that we want,” he said.
Prof. Osinbajo said “while social inclusion and shared prosperity appear simple enough, it is the creation of an environment that enables talent, innovation and commerce to thrive, that produces the wealth and prosperity, the jobs and opportunities necessary to pay for the social contract.
“No nation can improve the quality of life of the people without producing more, and without removing barriers to business and commerce,” he stated.
Similarly, the Vice President further noted that Nigeria’s diversity would deepen its unity and will further unlock the immense potential and talents of Nigerians for innovation and productivity.
“Our diversity is neither a liability nor a curse; it is, in fact, a blessing and an asset. Diversity deepens the pool of sociocultural capital available to us; we are enriched by the frothy ferment of the vast multiplicity of perspectives which provide us with a treasury of tools for innovation and productivity,” he said.
Countries that have learned to hack the diversity principle are now leading the global race for prosperity and progress, he added.
Prof. Osinbajo, who was of the view that national integration was a journey, noted that, “Politicians who continue to traffic in division and discord are behind the times and have failed to take note of how much more integrated our society has become. I submit to you that it is the elites of our nation that must adjust themselves to this reality and conduct their politics accordingly.”
Underscoring the power of unity in driving social inclusion, fairness, equity and justice in diverse societies, the Vice president also observed that the major issue was not the country’s diversity, but “our capacity to manage it with a sense of fairness, equity and justice. “
“There is no denying that diversity can be a harbinger of friction. It is natural. As different groups from various backgrounds and with different worldviews mingle, their interaction is characterized by a degree of tension and even conflict. All diverse nations find their unique ways of managing the tensions, which inevitably arise from the co-mingling of an assortment of peoples,” he added.
