Tales about Vice President on IPOB, herders-farmers  on social media fake news -Spokesman   *Adds: Osinbajo’s voice on justice is loud and clear

Mr. Laolu Akande, Spokesman to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has debunked comments attributed to the VP regarding certain South East group and another on Fulani Herdsmen/Farmers, describing them as fictitious and deliberate falsehood.

Akande, who was featured on the weekly FRCN network radio show Have Your Say Thursday morning said there was never a time the VP said the Federal Executive Council must “crush” any group “by fire by thunder.”

He also said it is fake news that the VP asked Nigerians to pray for any group of people perpetrating violence instead of meting out justice to them.

He said these are ” fake news and deliberate deployment of falsehood,” stressing that “the VP’s voice on matters of justice in and out of government is always loud and clear.”

According to him, the Vice President never uses  those kind of language at all, adding that such comments attributed to the vice president in that regard should be ignored.

“For quite a long time, there has been deliberate deployment of falsehood against the vice president.

“I have seen, a number of times they put out stuff on WhatsApp, Facebook that says the Vice President has said something to attack a particular group in the South-East, and that this and that is what he said about the farmers-herders conflict, all of it untrue.

“What the Vice President said about our people in the South East is that they are people of industry, and that though there may be issues from different parts of the country, the whole essence of a union is to find very transparent, open ways to resolve the differences.

“And that he knows that people and leaders across the country whether from the South-East, South-South, South-West, North-East, North Central, all support the unity of this country.”

On the issue of justice, Akande said that the Vice President, just like the President, had said very clearly that anybody that violated the law or engaged in violent conduct must face the law.

According to him, justice is an important requirement for humanity.

“The Vice President is someone whose voice is very clear about the issues of Justice. He makes this very clear in his actions and deeds. Just check some of these things out independently, you will see those attributed fake comments are complete bunkum.

“ So, when you read that hog-wash about what he is falsely reported to have said about the herders-farmers clashes and all that, just know that it is just a lie, a big one for that matter.

“He is the one that said there must be justice and that we can all live together, and that there is strength in our unity, there is value in our diversity.

“If you read anything that runs contrary to the virtues the VP is well know to espouse, just know straightaway that it is not true, it is fake news and don’t pay any attention to it,’’ he said.

He said Osinbajo was focused on supporting President Muhammadu Buhari in creating opportunities for young Nigerians such as the forthcoming  20,000 yearly jobs fellowship – the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), soon to be inaugurated by the President soon.

He said such fake news had become a recurring problem, adding that the people in the profession had a duty and responsibility to ensure that there was sufficient professional regulation aside government regulation.

On the NJFP, the presidential aide said it was in line with the job creation agenda of the Federal Government which was being implemented across different sectors.

He said that the scheme which was designed for fresh NYSC graduates would provide the enabling environment for them to develop job skills in important sectors.

Akande said the programmes would also enable them to garner the necessary experience required to get better paying jobs at the end of the scheme.

He said there were quite a number of other programmes being implemented at the moment under the Social Investment Programme and the Economic Sustainability Programme .

Akande also listed the Nigeria Innovation Programme, Nigeria Investment Fund, Public Works Programme as schemes geared towards creating job opportunities for young Nigerians.

On security, Akande said the Federal Government understood the challenges and was working toward overcoming them.

He said the President and Vice President, alongside other leaders in the country were working together to ensure that security agencies were properly resourced, and given clear mandates.