Has Anyone Considered Ibori For President?

Chief james onanefe ibori is a well known name in nigerian politics. However, those from the south-south are carrying on as if he does not exist.James ibori has done more for the south-south region than the rest governors  in the region put together.James ibori has sacrificed a lot during and after the resource control tussle. If elected as president, he may give nigeria the path way to actualise true federalism and true democracy.

Djeresa okiemute
08055533208
President
Graduate forum of south-south assembly.

Thanks, Since u said he did well, what other criteria do u want him to meet? Could you please list some of them and how it fits into our laws as it affects the presidency of nigeria

True talk okiemute. He will get my vote anyday so long as he can come out to tell us he wants to come in as presido.

How is Ibori incredibly corrupt? He is presumed innocent until proven guilty by any court of law.

who's that??

we cam as well campaign for alami     

alami for president        

Djeresa  & others I really appreciate your position, but may I ask what criteria you have used in assessing performance.  You stated Ibori's contribution to the South-South through agitation for greater control of resources concluding that Ibori will push for true federalism and true democracy. 

Lets use statistics. Find below revenue distributed to Delta state from the federation account for the periods mentioned. This is apart from internally generated funds and other revenues accruable to the State Government.

Delta State being an Oil producing state we can only imagine the volume of such funds, I do not have data on that so I will not attempt to postulate any figure.

Month           Total Net Amount Received
December 2005      6,908,366,477.72
January 2006      6,817,931,192.35
February 2006      7,686,292,331.39
March   2006      8,093,570,010.16
April 2006         8,535,505,366.01
May 2006         6,977,262,151.36
   
TOTAL         45,018,927,528.99
AVERAGE         7,503,154,588.17

source: Federal Ministry of Finance Website
Link:   http://www.fmf.gov.ng/detail.php?link=faac
(Thanks to Okonjo-Iweala we know exactly how much our governors receive)

45 Billion in six months and what can we see in terms of development. I am from the Niger Delta so please don’t play the ethnic card. While I personally agitate for true federalism and greater control of resources, as a nation is that our problem, will that bring development and jobs to our brothers in the creeks?

I am studying a MSC in Economics in the UK and recently did a course on "Growth and Structural Change", you will weep for Nigeria  . Please forget the illusion that Nigeria is a rich country, per capita income is less that $300 (amongst the poorest in the world) and more that 80% of the population live below $1 a day.

I challenge you all to read on the development experience of South East Asia, and you would weep a second time    for Africa its not only Nigeria. Our problem is not peculiar, we have just decided to be selfish and mediocres. Please read and educate yourselves, its not about Ibori being my man or not,  its about development as a nation. God was I ashamed of my leaders when I realised the vision of others, Europe, America and recently south east asia.

I will not dwell on whether Ibori is corrupt or an ex-convict the figures say it all. We wait till when all Governors are stripped of the immunity the constitution provides and pray we would have an improved EFCC then to do an unbiased job.

I leave our conscience to be the judge.

Please lets demandaccountability from our leader, lets not be selfish, whether am a leader of the south south assembly or not, we all go to the same market, we all want security and basic infrastructures, we all want , we need to know what our resources are being used for.

I have attached the May report for others interested in what their state governments are earning. You can also go to the Link for Local Governments and you will be amazed at the extent of waste in our land.
Since Local Government is not he subject matter i avoid the temptation.     

Thank you Buluti, If we start weeping for Nigeria, the devastation caused by hurricane katrina would be a small thing because the government did not even create drainage channels with our money. Awon ole. They are now coming for presidency. You know what sickens me in this whole matter, Nigerians are so blind and sometimes stupid that they would still be canvassing for these bloody thieves and poor managers as president. Someone that cannot rule a state wants to rule a country. A big joke. sick nation filled with sick people. Like a friend of mine said he sometimes ago prayed that Nigeria should e a dumping ground for toxic waste. I'm praying that same prayer too although i'm in Nigeria because unless we rid ourselves of this blindness and stupidity with greed we would not move beyond our noses. Sleeping giant that may never wake up because those who are meant to wake her up are blind and can't locate her.

donmayor, u just cracked me up

@donmayor, hahhahahaa, good point but point of correction, in political context, STATE, COUNTRY, NATION all means da same thing

don't want to believe u dumb. A state and a country ain't the same, aight? the responsibilies that come with being a governor ain't d same as when u a president. If u can't handle a state, how can u handle a whole giant of Africa? One step before the other I believe

buluti,
Thank you very much for your post.

I lived in Warri for some 6 years before moving over to Portharcourt. And I know what James Ibori has done to better the lot of our people in that place. I don't know which part of the Niger Delta you come from. But I hope it's not Ekpoma or Uruekpen, or Asaba, because those places are really not a part of the Niger Delta.

Now, you've quoted ''true'' figures as per monthly allocation to Delta State. Thank you. But do you know how much the Federal Government and the FCDA gets at the end of every month? Please help me search and feedback. Besides, I will like to know how much the FCDA contributes to the Federal purse. I also know that between 1999 and 2005, Delta state alone contributed more than 5 trillion Naira to the National coffers - of course via crude oil extracted from the oil bearing regions of the state.

How much has other states (including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Ogun, Kwara and Enugu) contributed to the national purse?

Ibori constructed so many bridges and roads across Delta state all these years. Let me list out the ones I can remember:

* The gigantic Bomadi Bridge, considered as a legacy site, was built with over 6 billion Naira. This is one bridge the Ijaws in both Delta and Bayelsa state will forever remember Ibori for. It is reputed to be one of the largest single project executed by a state governor in Nigerian history. I believe you don't even know where Bomadi is talk less of appreciating the size of the bridge.
The bridge was originally a Federal govt. project which was abandoned since the late 70s.

* Airpor road dualisation:
Warri residents will tell you how strategic this road is to the Warri metropolis. All along it has been a single carriageway. Ibori came and brought smiles on tha face of many, by dualising this very strategic road. What the state government did to dualise the road is better rendered by those who know.

* Warri City Stadium:
I have gone around this country a lot. This stadium will beat the Liberation stadium here in Portharcourt. It's huge and boasts of many facilities.

Time will fail me to talk about this man's achievement in the areas of education, health, sports - ha!, sports, who does not know tha Delta state is the team to beat at every years National Sports festival?


So, buluti, please take it easy on this man. No doubt he has his bad sides, but I thinnk he has done very well in the past seven years of his administering this state.

ono,

Thanks to this forum. If you say Asaba or all the areas you mentioned are not part of the Niger-Delta, I have no worries, its really not the issue we are discussing, i would not join to dwell in that which divides us (tribalism or ethnicity) so I will not state in specifics where I am from. I said it earlier lets not play the ethnic card. It’s such a divisive tool, next it will be religion.

I thank you for your response, but please let’s have a forum free of personality attacks and inadequate facts. I would address your issues and conclude as indept and briefly as I can.

First clarifications, I asked what the criteria or the basis of assessment was? based on the infor from Djeresa it centered around agitation for resource control, true federalism & democracy. I didn’t say Ibori was not a performer, I said let our conscience judge we all go to the same market and face the same issues.

The figure you requested for can be obtained from that link I sent, if only we would all take time to obtain facts. You stated Delta State contributed over 5 trillion to the National coffers. Please source? it might actually be more. Note that the crude oil in the land is a national resource, that’s why there’s so much agitation for true federalism.

What about the Cocoa, Coal and others, though small it is also contributing its widows might, this brings me to your question how much has others contributed? Again you can research that, its easy to obtain. Am not dwelling on contributions because its off the scope, we are not discussing that, I tried to narrow my response to Delta State as an assessment criteria to handling Nigeria.

You stated few of the many achievements of Ibori. “The gigantic Bomadi Bridge” at N6 billion that’s less than the average monthly allocation for six months, you also stated the dualisation of Airport road and construction of Warri Statdium at what cost? Maybe N3 billion (my own estimate) half of another months allocation.

The projects are good and am happy but are they enough achievements for 8 years? Sports, Education, which Nigerian University is rated amongst the worlds top 100 (None) if even among the top 1000 (not sure now) why are Nigerians studying abroad? Nationally in sports Delta is good, but where do they stand in the international light? My brother its a global world, lets not be mediocres, we need visionary leadership that can take us to global limelight.

I suggested we should research on the south east asia development experience we really are not interested, we are concerned with the mundane, roads, bridges, school, hospitals etc these should be given, its only after that you can start talking about development, so imagine how far behind we are. We need to move at Jet speed, leaders that can build as well as expand simultaneously. Crude Oil alone can not take us there.


Let me expand our subject a bit. Do you know how much is controlled in the “City” where the investment banks in London are located, its more that the budget of the whole of Africa in short the developing world, then imagine how much America controls, these countries are massive. Do you know how much China has as external reserves it over $200 billion, yet they have no natural resource. They are engines of industrialization and trade.

I would try and get some journals so we can read if you guys are interested on how people build from nothing, on Africa’s development experience, why we are where we are.

Can our leadership deliver without crude oil, imagine. Come to think of it, crude oil should be an advantage but its become our greatest undoing, we don’t think again?

If in your assessment we should remain where we are its ok, please if you can listen to the debates of the House of Lords & Commons (UK parliament), check the plans of the Mayor of London, you will be amazed on what people are thinking.


NB: In development analysis how is data from the Middle East (Saudi, UAE etc) analysed, find out? Also find out how they discount the resources of these countries in analyzing data?

buluti,
I thank you. If those states contributes their widows mite from the sale of groundnuts, yams, cocoa, cassava (of late) and rice as their sources or revenues, don't you think it's just fair on the Niger delta to let them to take part of their own mite before sending the rest to the centre?.

Forget about all those global warming and competition gist of yours. Come down to level zero and face reality here in Nigeria. Those people started from somewhere too. The US as it is today has come a long way. That country is about 160 years old. Same with the UK.

You forget that Delta pays some of the highest salaries and emoluments to its civil servants, to the extent that people from neighbouring Anambra state now claims they are from Delta state just to get higher salaries. I hear Delta pays more than the FG to its civil servants. Like I said earlier, time would fail me to mention the others done by Ibori. When was the last time you went to Warri, Ughelli, Oghara, Sapele, Kwale, Oleh and other place to see what this man has done. How many governors can boast of similar achievements in their domains?

ono,

Again am happy there’s a forum to rub minds. Please refer to my first post, I said I personally agitate for true federalism where each federating state has greater if not 100% control of its resources and perhaps sends a percentage to the centre, but how that will work politically in Nigeria is difficult considering this is the voice of the minorities, that’s my desire, I support it and perhaps if we could we should ask for a referendum, but again considering the numbers we might loose (the conference definitely told us where the problem is), again I refuse to dwell on that which divides us.

ono, please look at the figures, all am asking for is accountability. If truly the funds allocated are being spent. Let them show us. Its not only Delta, Edo, Rivers, Kaduna e.t.c, they should be accountable to the electorate. Delta pays his staff well, really? Didn’t know if you had a choice you would work for Delta state instead of Shell or Chevron. While am not saying they should earn the same the disparity is still too much, civil service is still very inefficient. Standard of living is too low, thats why they still collect bribes and abuse the office they are not paid well enough.


US is over 160 years (much more) and UK is much more older so we should accept fate, nothing can be done. I guess we should go back to the industrial revolution which these countries experienced when they were our age (are we even there).  Do you know how far back the Underground was built.

What is the purpose of learning, if I can’t use knowledge. Acquire it and catch up with them. Must I go through the same process? This is the exact thinking pattern I am worried exist amongst a lot of Nigerians, we are trying our best? what can we do? It will be better?

We are not trying our best because our funds are not being utilised efficiently, we are not expanding, we keep relying on same old things.

I should come down to level Zero, am sorry but that I wont because that’s not reality, its what we have accepted. Mediocrity i wont be part off. I believe as a people we can do better, we are smarter than this.

Hold people accountable, if you can't deliver, please honourably resign. I believe we should place a demand on the leadership, don't aspire to office if you don't want to serve or don't have solutions, if you can't think. Look at Tony Blair when he entered office and look at him now, even unpopular Bush look at him. But the reverse is the case for our leaders they are looking fresher than ever.

Other countries have come from worst conditions than we are and moved quickly, with a sustained economic growth of above 15% a year over a time,we can cover much grounds and deliver good life to the ordinary Nigerian and leave a legacy for our children to be proud off amongst the committee of nations. Lets stop being local champions.

NB: Thanks for the correction, didnt know it was a vocalbulary class.

How can governing Zamfara be the same thing as governing Nigeria. that is dumb  , I know that a state is same as a country but in Nigeria context, dictionary is invalid. Zamfara is not equal to Nigeria. that is y, if i'm not wrong, the bible says a pastor must be able to manage his house. If u can't manage ur house how u wan manage a lot of people. If u can't manage a state how do u want to manage a country?
@ Ono
na that oil wey dey dey extract be our problem. Let that oil dry up by fire so u Niger Deltans can shut up and lets see whether we won't make better progress. 6th largest oil producer, yet everybody dey suffer. I hope my facts here are not wrong but China has no oil yet their economy is growing at a fast pace. They are one of the causes of the spike in oil prices because of their demand for oil. Tell me if China had oil, they might have ended up an oil based economy but richer. Ibori can't be governor, if he lays his hands on that 5 trillion u claim to have submitted to the treasury, it would become 1 million and EFCC would be toothless then. As far as I know, none of the 8 years governors can lay claim based on their present acheivements to the presidency. I would rather see an IBB ib Aso rock than seeing any of these governors even Duke.