Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday, described Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as “a bridge-builder and a man of deep social conscience.
El-Rufai said Osinbajo is a leader who cares deeply about the poor and about giving them the opportunity to prosper economically.
The Govenor made the commendation during a one-day working visit of the Vice President to Kaduna State, where he was the Special Guest of Honour at the sixth edition of Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KADINVEST 6.0), with the theme, “Towards a Sustainable Knowledge-based Economy."
KADINVEST is a platform to showcase and promote Kaduna State and Nigeria as a major investment destination in Africa.
Governor Rufai praised the Vice President and expressed appreciation that he came "to commission the rebuilt and modernized Kasuwan Magani Market alongside a 100-Kilowatts Solar PV Mini-Grid in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the State.
"This community is probably seeing a helicopter for the first time. This community is seeing the Vice President for the first time and we are seeing their excitement. We wanted you to commission this market," El-Rufai said.
According to the Governor, the Kaduna State Government wanted Prof. Osinbajo to commission the market for several reasons.
"Your Excellency; the first is that you are a man of deep social conscience. You care deeply about poor people and you care about giving them the opportunity to prosper economically. This is one of the reasons why we felt that you are the one that should commission this market.
"The second reason Sir, Mr Vice President, is that you are a bridge-builder. You are a pastor who is a friend to Imams and Emirs. You are a Professor who can speak the language of ordinary people. You are the lawyer who pursues justice, not technicalities.
"You care for people, you care for Nigerians and you care for unity in diversity. You care about differences in religion and ethnicity and you always promote peaceful coexistence.
"No one, Your Excellency, is more qualified to commission this market in this community at this time than Vice President Yemi Osinbajo," the excited Governor noted.
Shortly after attending the KADINVEST 6.0 event, the Vice President was at the commissioning of the rebuilt and modernized Kasuwan Magani Market and 100-Kilowatts Solar PV Mini-Grid, Kajuru LGA in the State, where he received a rousing welcome from the locals on arrival.
Responding, the Vice President at the commissioning of the market, which had been burnt down during past ethnic conflicts, the VP noted the “importance of community building, partnership, and tolerance amongst our people and a new narrative of growth, togetherness, economic progress, and development.”
Osinbajo said the unique design of the new market and reorganization of its 942 stalls would encourage interaction and partnership amongst diverse groups.
“Our joint and common interests as Nigerians outweigh our ethnic and religious differences,” he stated.
He said that the Economic Sustainability Plan, ESP SolarPowerNaija project, is aimed at providing 5 million homes with electricity through solar systems and mini-grids, and thus improving access to electricity for Nigerians.
"The funding mechanism for the Solar PV plant today would not have been possible without the intervention of the Buhari Administration. Despite the passage of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act in 2005, the activation of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) only commenced in 2019, a staggering 14 years after the passing of the Act.
“In the two REF cycles executed thus far, more than N6 billion worth of projects have been executed with 42,000 connections being created, impacting an estimated 200,000 Nigerians.”
The Vice President, who was received on arrival in the State by Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other senior State government officials, commended the State Governor for his efforts in developing the State.
