Petrol price to come down - Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says that the government is working to reduce the price of petroleum products by encouraging and working with private refineries and reducing importation. Osinbajo, who is in the UK to sign the Nigeria-UK solar energy agreement, told Bloomberg in an interview…MORE AT:
http://lawyers4change.blogspot.com.ng/p/osinbajo-in-government.html

Lagos Television ( Gubernatorial Election Result )

Precious PVC!

Lawyers 4 Change Walk in Ilorin, Kwara State

Osun state Walk4Change: Lawyers ask Nigerians to vote out Jonathan

Some Osun market women leaders in solidarity

Excerpts

Lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers 4Change have urged the electorate to vote out President Goodluck Jonathan in the coming election.

“…Jonathan did not deserve to be voted for again because he had failed woefully to address the fundamental problems confronting the nation since he assumed office over five years ago.…such leaders could no longer be given the opportunity to continue in office, otherwise the nation would be destroyed beyond repair.

…“President Goodluck Jonathan has not done anything since he came into power. He has always been saying he will fight corruption and insurgency. What has he been doing since?...Someone who has not done anything since and who is now soliciting for votes, don’t we have to steer clear of such a person if we are serious as a people?

“Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is an exceptional leader who is passionate about positive change. The position of the vice president is like a neck to the head. Osinbajo will be a good neck for Buhari and Nigerians will experience drastic change with their combination.”

FULL STORY AT: http://www.punchng.com/news/lawyers-ask-nigerians-to-vote-out-jonathan/

Lawyers hold support rally for Buhari in Ibadan

A group, Lawyers4Change, yesterday staged a peaceful support rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

The rally, which started at 10:45am from the Aara Afe Babalola Bar centre, Iyaganku, took the lawyers to Roundabout, Mokola, and later ended at Iyaganku at 1:30pm.

The lawyers carried placards with inscription, such as: ”Nigerians give progress a chance now”; “Vote for Change”; “Vote for Buhari and Osinbajo”; “Time for change is now, vote Buhari”; “Change we need is Buhari/Osinbajo”.

The coordinator, Adesina Ogunlana, said they had identified Buhari and Osinbajo as the best candidates for the job.

He said they were not APC members but  professionals  keen on change.

READ MORE AT:

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/lawyers-hold-support-rally-buhari-ibadan/

LAWYERS4CHANGE PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 26TH JANUARY, 2015

cross-section of attendees

Nigeria is in the grip of election fever because of the imminent General Elections scheduled to commence February 14, 2015. There is a lot of tension in the air as the atmosphere has become charged with hot currents of partisan politics. It is the season of muck-raking, mud-slinging, name-calling, heated arguments, wild accusations and wilder counter-allegations as various interest groups jostle for power, either to claim it or to retain it in various political offices in the executive and legislative arms of government at the State and Federal levels.
More unfortunately, pre-election violence has started to break out. There are reports of attacks on supporters of rival groups involving deaths, infliction of grievous bodily injuries, wanton destruction of properties, arson, etc.

FULL ADDRESS AT:

http://nigeria2015elections.blogspot.com/2015/01/being-text-of-address-of-national.html

  

 

 

'Walk lag'

The Walk: Audio

2.

WHY WE SUPPORT YEMI OSINBAJO

NIGERIA NEEDS CHANGE URGENTLY

Our group, at least for now and as the name implies, is a closed one. It is an association of Nigerian legal professionals. LAWYERS4CHANGE is highly interested in and committed to the betterment of our very dear country which we believe is bedevilled by many self-inflicted injuries as a result of which her prosperity, development and stability are badly compromised.

We identify and support credible participants in the political process – (irrespective of ethnic, religious or party affiliation) who can lift our country out of her myriad of socio-economic and political problems and move her forward.

Our immediate concern is to let Nigerians know more about Professor Yemi Osinbajo S.A.N who is the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and see vital reasons why they should vote for the Muhammadu Buhari/Yemi Osinbajo ticket and not for any other ticket in the 2015 General Elections.

Only very few of Nigerians, believe that our country is in any fine shape. Most compatriots are persuaded that Nigeria could be much better than she has been for years.

There is a popular and widespread yearn for change in the country. Change in the way we THINK. Change in the way we ACT. Change in the way we LEAD. Change in the way we FOLLOW. Change in the way we do our BUSINESS. Change in the way we SERVE our God. Change in the way we SERVE our fellow men. Change in the way we RUN our lives!

CHANGE! CHANGE! CHANGE!

First and foremost, as citizens of Nigeria we are not left out. After all, we have no other place in the world that we know as home and country. It is in Nigeria that our ancestors, ourselves and our offspring were born and raised. It is in Nigeria that we live and have our various expressions. Thus we are naturally moved and concerned about Nigeria. For we have no other place to call home.

Secondly, we are especially concerned about Nigeria, on account of our profession, LAW.

As legal practitioners, we are curiously regarded in two sharply conflicting lights. In one breath, we are seen as leaders because we belong to a noble and highly respected profession. Our views and ideas on various issues are widely sought and many times, followed. Thus we are centres of influence.

In another breath, intriguingly and alarmingly enough, we are about the only educated and trained group of professionals sometimes regarded by fellow countrymen as either a big chunk of Nigeria’s problems or the very problem itself. The most charitable of them think that we are at least beneficiaries of the woes of our country.

This rather odd sentiment dates way back in time in history. You may remember the famous denunciation by Jesus Christ in the Scriptures:“Woe Unto You Lawyers” or even the more sanguine charge of the Roman mob:“First Let’s Kill All The Lawyers,” creatively conjured in William Shakespeare’s‘Henry IV Part 2.’

We take this strong condemnation of our professional class as a backhanded compliment and an acknowledgment of the pervasiveness of Law and the role of its trained practitioners and users in the society. As we all know, the life of the Socialised Man is the Life of Laws. Even before Conception and after Expiration, Man is governed in society, by Laws.

WHY WE SUPPORT YEMI OSINBAJO

We desire that Yemi Osinbajo becomes the Vice-President of Nigeria at this critical period of our national life because we know him very well and at close quarters to be one of the ablest hands to manage the affairs of our dear country.

Thus, we are not supporting him because we belong to the same party with him or because we share the same religious persuasion or even because he is a lawyer like us. We are supporting his candidature because of the quality of his person and his proven track-record of performance.  

Professor Yemi Osinbajo was called to the bar in 1979 and has been a teacher of law since 1982. He is a practicing lawyer, a seasoned solicitor and a jurist, being an author of many legal texts.  In addition, in his capacity as a legal practitioner, he has served as a Special Assistant to Judge Bola Ajibola SAN , former Honourable Minister of Justice, been a Consultant to the United Nations and has also served as the Honourable Attorney General – Lagos State (1999 -2007).

 In all these various capacities over the years, we, as well as several thousands of other lawyers have interacted with the Professor and the unanimous perception of him is that he is a man of exceptional mental capacity, hardworking, humble, amiable, accessible, extremely resourceful, generous, forward looking, highly focused, result-oriented and above all, honest, principled and decent.

 

We were thus extremely delighted and excited to learn about the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the Vice-Presidential Candidate of a major political party, the All Progressives Congress. We immediately realised that we had a duty imposed on us – to do our best in ensuring that the Electorate vote for the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket as it represents the best option NOW for the salvation of our country from the misrule of incompetent and selfish leaders.

We recognize that most people already know about General Buhari, the APC’s Presidential Candidate,he having been longer in the public domain and in bigger dimensions than Professor Yemi Osinbajo. That is why we have come together in LAWYERS4CHANGE to let our people know that Yemi Osinbajo is not just any other Vice-Presidential Candidate. We want Nigerians to know that the distinguished Professor of Law and learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria whom the APC has paired with General Buhari for the 2015 presidential elections is an exceptionally gifted, surpassingly decent and a very progressive-minded individual.

 

THE OSINBAJO FACTOR IN THE BUHARI-OSINBAJO PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

*Osinbajo’s legal background and serious commitment to the preservation and upliftment of human rights (as exemplified by his creation of the first ever Directorate of Citizens’ Rights in Lagos State and indeed in Nigeria, in his capacity as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice), guarantee adherence to and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in the nation under the Buhari Presidency.

*Osinbajo’s cosmopolitan and international outlook would provide the necessary capacity in the presidency for modern, technology-driven approach to governance.

*Osinbajo’s versatility, depth of knowledge, patriotic zeal and youthful vigour compliment the ripened maturity and profound integrity of General Muhammadu Buhari, ensuring therefore that the Presidency has been entrusted to two capable, highly functional and compatible leaders.

*Osinbajo’s strong academic background and deep understanding of economics shall be useful in the Presidential formulation and execution of sound economic policies.

*Osinbajo’s humility, excellent human relations and resourcefulness, identify him as a non-divisive personality and a natural team player that will prove immensely useful in unifying the Presidential leadership team.

*Osinbajo’s proven upliftment of the administration of Justice will assure the enhancement of democratic values, principles and practices through the invigoration and empowerment of the Judiciary, the third arm of government, the safety valve of the society and the last hope of the common man.

In view of the foregoing, we call on all well meaning compatriots to support the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN as our country’s Vice-President.

Our nation’s problems are gigantic; let’s put giants in place to lead us in the task of solving these problems. Let’s put round pegs in round holes. Let’s put our best foot forward. Don’t let us bury our talents and consign our gifted ones to the background. Nigeria needs urgent rescue and the only way to allow the decent, mentally elevated, extremely capable and highly focused Professor of Law to get into the position desired for him to work is to support the BUHARI-OSINBAJO presidential ticket.

Just consider. Just imagine. Please evaluate. Kindly compare and contrast the options before us. The present controllers of the affairs of our nation have been at it at least for the past six years. You all know where we are. Where they have taken us. Certainly not forward. Should we continue to slide backwards economically, socially, politically, even spiritually?

Now consider the alternative. Consider Team Change. Consider their track records.

They are not perfect. But do they have integrity issues? No. Do they have performance problems? No. Do they have capacity challenges? No. Do they have credibility issues? No. Can they deliver? YES!

Nigerians, the way to go is BUHARI-OSINBAJO.

OUR MODUS OPERANDI

We intend to use all legitimate and available means of getting our message across to the voting populace. There will be media campaigns and direct, person-to-person campaigns and interactions. Of course we cannot do it alone. We need your support.;And the support of the public. We encourage other professional bodies and groups to buy into our idea and partner with us to achieve the very laudable aim of putting the CHANGE TEAM in the saddle of governance. Surely the Wind of Change, of Positive Change is blowing and very strongly indeed, across the nation. You and I and every well meaning Nigerian is that WIND; let’s blow away Mediocrity, Incompetence, Selfishness away from our corridors of power.

Finally, we all need to vote. We should not cheat ourselves from casting the Vote for Change. Millions of us are yet to get the Permanent Voters Card. INEC is complicit in this, but we on our part should not fold our arms. We should find the time and the concern to go to INEC offices to complain and demand for our rights. Voting in the 2015 General Elections is a right of all Nigerian Citizens who are of age (18years) and are of sound mind.

INEC must be made to wake up from its (contrived) slumber.

 

THANK YOU FOR READING.

 

ADESINA ADEMOLA OGUNLANA                                 

NATIONAL COORDINATOR

 

THE PUNCH REPORT

‘APC’ll promote rule of law’

 

A group of legal practitioners in the country, under the aegis of Lawyers4Change, has expressed the belief that respect for the rule of law will be enhanced, if Nigerians can vote in the All Progressives Congress in the February 14 Presidential election.

The lawyers, who addressed a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, stated this just as they lauded the choice of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as the APC’s vice presidential candidate.

According to them, Osinbajo’s background as a lawyer coupled with his antecedent as a former Attorney-General of Lagos State, where he created the Directorate of Citizen’s Rights, will “guarantee adherence to and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in the nation under the Buhari Presidency.”

The group National Coordinator, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, said the lawyers would support the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket, because they were convinced that they “can lift our country out of her myriad of socio-economic and political problems and move her forward.”

Ogunlana, a former Vice Chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, said it was apparent that the country was not in a fine shape and that there was the need for a change for the better, which the group believed Buhari and Osinbajo could deliver.

Describing Buhari and Osinbajo as giants, Ogunlana said they were the most suited to solve the problems that the country had been faced with owing to years of misrule by the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said, “Our nation’s problems are gigantic; let’s put giants in place to lead us in the task of solving these problems. Let us put round pegs in round holes. Let us put our best foot forward. Don’t let us bury our talents and consign our gifted ones to the background. Nigeria needs urgent rescue, and the only way is to allow decent, mentally elevated, extremely capable and highly focused Professor of Law to get into the position desired for him.

“We are not supporting him because we belong to the same party with him or because we share the same religious persuasion or even because he is a lawyer like us. We are supporting his candidature because of the quality of his person and his proven track record of performance.”

The lawyers said from their close interactions with Osinbajo as a colleague, they had found him to be “a man of exceptional mental capacity, hardworking, humble, amiable, extremely resourceful, generous, forward looking, highly focused, result-oriented, honest, principled and decent.”