Election: Osinbajo takes campaign to biggest market in Ogun

The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday took the ‘Next Level’ campaign to the new market in Ijebu-Ode, adjudged the biggest in Ogun.

Mr Osinbajo, who arrived to the jubilation of the traders, assured them that the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari would consolidate and improve the lives of the downtrodden.

The vice president, in the company of the new market leader, Sherifatu Ogunba, pleaded with traders to secure their future by voting Mr Buhari.

“It is not that we don’t have funds as a nation to meet our demands, but we hitherto lacked leaders with integrity who were more concerned about self-enrichment.

“These people canvassing to come back have been there before and they are the ones who left us in this situation due to their mismanagement.

“For example, look at our Lagos-Ibadan expressway, that took them 16 years and yet it couldn’t be done until we came to the rescue.

“Nigeria’s wealth is commonwealth and the aim is that the dividends of democracy get to everyone irrespective of class, social status, tribe or religious allegiance.

“If re-elected, we will focus more on improving the living standards of the downtrodden,” he said.

Mr Osinbajo listed three key sectors that the next level drive hopes to improve upon to rapidly grow the economy.

The sectors include youth employment, power and Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs).

“Youth employment is the most important because we are aware of the frustration and desperation among our young ones in their struggle to survive and create meaningful impact.

“The N-Power is doing much to remove the scourge of unemployment having already catered for over 500,000 youths. We want to take this figure to 1,500,000 in the next two years.

“Power is our next priority because it is the major infrastructure to drive industrialisation.

“We now have many companies investing to restore stability evident in the number of power projects executed in the last four years.

“Financial aid for petty traders through the Trader-Moni initiative has recorded unprecedented success going by the number of beneficiaries so far,” he said.

The vice-president, however, appealed to the market men and women, who were Trader-Moni beneficiaries to ensure timely repayment so that others could benefit.

He assured them that the funds were interest free, designed to ensure affordability for beneficiaries in meeting up with their various projects.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vice president earlier had a closed door meeting with the monarch, Oba Yinusa Adekoya, at his palace in Odogbolu Local Government Area.

NAN also reports that the vice president’s visit formed part of activities for his ward-to-ward campaign in Ogun. (NAN)