Ono
As we don't know the full details of the contracts we can only 

This current contract is for 8000km network for the duration of 20 years
The first phase is the normal lagos to kano and i think they want to connect abuja somehow to be completed 4-5years with some money coming as bilateral loan from the chinese, I think they are getting some oil blocks- nothing goes for nothing with them.

Make we siddon dey look

Why do we keep deceiving ourselves? Why should an administration that is about 5 months to go awarding a contract it will not be in a position to see to the end? Why do we keep deceiving ourselves? Why? Why? Why? State of the Art what?

otokx:

Why should an administration that is about 5 months to go awarding a contract it will not be in a position to see to the end? Why do we keep deceiving ourselves? Why? Why? Why? State of the Art what?

What has that got to do with it? A contract is a contract, weather you're there to watch it get completed or not. Or are you saying that whoever awarded the contract should be in government for the next 10+ years? Seeing as that's how long it will take to complete the new line.

@ Mariory

Dont mind the guy (otokx). An administration that is five months old should fold their arms and do nothing because their tenure is winding up. I am convinced that the cause of Nigeria's problem is majorly the pessimistic nature of the citizens who never beleive anything good can come out of their country? Can you imagine?

This issue of railway made the editorial in The Guardian and you can see how authentic it is.
The offer by the Canadian firm was to build a brand new track from Lagos to Abuja, supply brand new engines that run on LNG and the trains will run to Abuja in a record 3 and half hours from Lagos. It would take the company 11 to 14 months to complete the work, install the engines and coaches. It would cost $2.5Billion Dollars.

Our FG rejected this offer but prefered to award another contract to a Chinese firm that cost $28billion, and would take years (over 3 years) to complete. There is no talk about the speed of the engines.

Rather than look at the details and their value, we are busy praising a waste of tax payers money making a "State of the Art." For the record, after Nigeria rejected this contract, other countries took the offer namely Ghana, Kenya and they will likely begin after parliamentary approval of the funds. Worldwide, no body is giving railway contracts to the Chinese. How fast is the system they are offering?

In essence, the PDP led federal government is very wasteful. During the All Africa games, there was a contract scandal that was reported by Tell and it exposed the ineptitude of OBJ as president. OBJ reacted, bought up those papers so that you and I won't read them. But other publishers put it in print. Many of us don't even remember the story.

What I am saying is that , we can achieve so much by spending only prudently and wisely. The current railworks being undertaken by the Chinese is too much money down the drain. No one will travel in slow trains. Nigerians need an efficient railway system that can provide fast, secure and reliable means of transport and not a waste of tax payers money. In case, you are still in doubt , purchase a copy of The Whole Truth, a collection of choice editorials from the Guardian about Nigeria.

Let us learn to think not by emotions or other feelings but from facts. Ghana today has electricity that does not fail. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Egypt, etc and a host of others embark on projects that benefit their people (the entire nation) without spending exorbitantly. What project has our own FG done that benefits all Nigerians in their 7 years of office. The National ID card was a flop, The GSM companies paid for everything and are earning their profits from us. Just what national project has this PDP led government done to benefit all Nigerians? Then at the last moment of their tenure, they award a contract of over $20billion when a better contract was worth only about 10% of that sum.

Why do we think good things must be paid so much for? Have we never heard of cost effectiveness as a concept or principle? Let us not be deceived. The PDP and OBJ have no intention for Nigeria. Their interest is power to the PDP NEC and loyalists.

Nigeria is my country and I insist on good governance. I want a better Nigeria.

*

Ghana today has electricity that does not fail.

Are you sure?

According to what you wrote, the Canadians offered to build new tracks to link Lagos to Abuja using LNG;the contract with the Chinese is to link THE WHOLE COUNTRY as a "design,construct AND MAINTAIN project. The contract also involves a separate fast link service to Abuja from Lagos

As with the cost i don't really know the whole details but spending $1.2b-$1.5b a year for the next 20-25years to link the whole country sounds very good if it works

What ever happens now, history does not change the truth that PDP did nothing for all Nigerians.
The PDP says it has made Nigeria the largest producer of cassava worldwide but check out garri price in Nigeria under PDP.
The PDP says it has made banks secure and more stable for depositors, but has lending rates dropped and interest rates increased?
The PDP says it has built 10 power stations. Do you have light more often now or less? I am opportuned as a systems engineer to travel far within Lagos and sometimes without. Nearly every office I go to run a generator and almost all the time.

In fact, I was running network cables at an office complex recently in Lagos. It took a full week to complete and in that period (10am-3:30pm) daily Tuesday to Thursday except Sunday the next week, there was no single time, the generator was put off.

The PDP is wasteful. They are lawless. They do not respect court orders. They are uncaring and they are unqualified to rule again. Their reforms are not at all in the interest of Nigerians else, they would have fixed the refineries and upgraded them to meet and exceed local demand for petroleum products. The PDP is primarily concerned about privatising everything and selling it their members or friends of their members.

Vote them out for the good of Nigeria. Vote them in again, if you like the way things are going. But I assure you, you are guilty of each other policy they make in their continued stay in Federal offices.

Did you see Yar Adua at the convention? He basically read the script of acceptance without passion. No zeal.

The railway, is a good project but costing far too much. The FG should have built in stages connecting the regions (geo-zones) one at a time. Starting with Lagos-Abuja, then Lagos-Onitsha. Then, it can run Abuja-Kaduna, Onitsha-PH / Calabar. This will make it faster and cost effective. The important thing ought to have been the speed so as to reduce the rate at which we fly planes, go by luxury buses, all pointing to giving comfort to the people.

Power to the People, which people have really benefited? Who are the people they are talking about? I guess you know now and if you don't, vote PDP. I do not believe in personality politics beyond the person as an issue. I believe rather on the issues, their root and immediate causes, etc. The PDP does not even want us to register to vote. How? PDP led FG appointed its chairman and he was approved by PDP led N.Assy. Up till now only a few Nigerians have registered.

I dont know about the pdp apart from the fact that they have the country on lockdown

The railway, is a good project but costing far too much. The FG should have built in stages connecting the regions (geo-zones) one at a time. Starting with Lagos-Abuja, then Lagos-Onitsha. Then, it can run Abuja-Kaduna, Onitsha-PH / Calabar. This will make it faster and cost effective. The important thing ought to have been the speed so as to reduce the rate at which we fly planes, go by luxury buses, all pointing to giving comfort to the people

That's the plan!

@ Jaybaba

The same PDP is undertaken a project that will mean constant elctricity nationwide. This will be completed soon, the money for this project is part of the money from the Abacha loot. Is this worth praising? That the government took the Abacha loot back is a record in history, that they paid off our debt is also a record i history, no government is perfect, I am sure even in the common family set up, it is hard for the hubby to please the wife - the nations you mentioned also have their own complain. so, give credit to whoever credit is due.

The problem of Nigeria is the pessimistic attitude of its citizens

I have heard a lot of ignorant statements on NL but this one takes the pick!!!!! If of all the gargantuan problems Nigeria is having all U got to see was the pessimistic attitude of the citizenry then it is either U are really ignorant about the Nigerian situation or ur parents (or whoever is related to U) has been part of the adminstrative cadre of Nigeria for the past 20 years or something.So it is a case of U do not know wat u are talking about or a case of U defending the hands that fed U.

If Nigerians are in any way pessimistic, then they have the right to be!!!

The way some people talk amazes me. I am referring to mariory and alabiyemmy particularly, it only shows that you people are not on ground or don't know what obtains. For more than 6 months, the Port Harcourt Airport has been shut down so that a contract to execute the maintenance and upgrade of some of the facilities forcing air travellers to go either to owerri. The bad roads to owerri has made a journey of 1 hour increase to 3 and costs 10000 which is slightly lower than the 12000 air fare. The point here is that the contract which has been awarded has not started and some people are already chopping the money somewhere. You can bet that the airport will be reopened by the next administration with no change to the facility. This elephant project you call railway that was commissioned in ogun state (is it because the president is from there?) is doomed to fail and I hope I will be proved wrong.

@ OTOKX

What do you mean not on ground? I visit Nigeria up to five times in a year, I have a thriving business in the same Nigeria, I am not a government agent, so how more can I be on the ground? The airport was shut for maintenence, which government in the last years found it necessary to improve the airport infrastructure? same for the Lagos Airport, new rnway built and new infrastructure? When you argue, don't argue one side. The railway was commissioned in Ogun, so what? This is the starting point of the route, or you want it commissioned at the end or middle of the route?

@ UCHE2NNA

Why does every statement that doesnt agree with yours become ignorant? What is your panacea for the elimination of the so called gangantuan problems? Noone or rather nothing is given a chance in Nigeria, once it is announced, the next thing is for people to condemn it, but when it succeeds, they will gladly take to it and continue to bad mouth it to see it destroyed, but if it is a foreign country, all they want to do is run to that same country to enjoy the goodies.

Amazing. Can someone just have a change of attitude, it costs nothing to beleive nothing will work, the same way, it costs nothing to beleive something will work. If in your personal life, all you think about is failure, you will sure fail, if all you think about is success, then be sure you will succeed. Lets beleive in Nigeria, we have none else.

God bless you alabiyemmy. Why and How can the starting point of the railway be Ogun State? What is in Ogun State? Is it not because Obasanjo is from there? The evil that men do will surely come around. The Port Harcourt Airport is not worse than Kano, Kaduna or even Owerri that they are now using so why the haste to shut it down knowing fully well that the maintenance work will not start? We are always used to praising our politicians for what they will do when we know it wont be completed that is why people can praise duke for a tinapa that is not yet bringing revenue or obasanjo for a railway line that is not in existence, even Odili was praised for a gas turbine that is not working. God bless you alabiyemmy once again.

@otokx
The line does not start from Ogun. The first phase is from Lagos to Kano. Or are you reffering to this? http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article20
And are you now suggesting they closed PH airport to punish/"do something" to N. Deltans? Wow Nigerians never cease to amaze me.

What is this nonsense about rail? Why are you guys not asking right questions?

In 8yrs, OBJ and PDP cannot revamp or modernise Lagos-Ibadan express road yet you guys believe they can build rail system?

Think twice, people.

@BABASIN

Your coments don't usually make sense.

alabiyemmy:

What do you mean not on ground? I visit Nigeria up to five times in a year, I have a thriving business in the same Nigeria, I am not a government agent, so how more can I be on the ground? The airport was shut for maintenence, which government in the last years found it necessary to improve the airport infrastructure? same for the Lagos Airport, new rnway built and new infrastructure? When you argue, don't argue one side. The railway was commissioned in Ogun, so what? This is the starting point of the route, or you want it commissioned at the end or middle of the route?

@alabiyemmy

in ur 5 times a year visit try and visist ph we would take u to the airport so u would see for ur self.
the deal was simple the airport would be resurfaced b4 december 2006 now it is almost january yet no work is been done on site

stop day dreaming about ur hope for nigeria it is clouding ur image of reality on ground, if ur talking about having faith in nigeria yes we should but call a spade a spade

PDP have failed this nation and this is another mighty project that may never come to lime light

@ kaecy5

what is your point? the contract is awarded but not executed? is that government's fault?

You are free to loose hope in Nigeria - same, we are free to have faith and hope in our country Nigeria and wish her well when others don't wish her well.

The Airport you mentioned had been neglected for years by previous governments, so if one government found it necessary to do something to it, then the same government should at least be commended for that reason, now if a contract is awarded and their is a failure on the part of the contractor, then talk to the contractor and not tot he government.

alabiyemmy:

@ kaecy5

what is your point? the contract is awarded but not executed? is that government's fault?

You are free to loose hope in Nigeria - same, we are free to have faith and hope in our country Nigeria and wish her well when others don't wish her well.

The Airport you mentioned had been neglected for years by previous governments, so if one government found it necessary to do something to it, then the same government should at least be commended for that reason, now if a contract is awarded and their is a failure on the part of the contractor, then talk to the contractor and not tot he government.

I don't understand what you mean by blame the contractor. How do you blame the contractor? Pls what business do you say you do in Nigeria that is so successful? How can the FG award a company a contract and the company won't carry it out? So everybody in the administration is just folding their arms and letting the contractor get away with it. I have a lil experience about FG contracts and its that if you don't have connections and you're going there as a honest businessman you could be ruined. Not being pessimistic just being real. They don't pay you on time after you've used your own resources to fund the project just to get it started. Pls keep in mind that abandoned project in most cases are a result to the clients' failure to fund it rather than the contractor not carrying out his/her duties.

@mr me too

You want to know the business I do that is so successful? I will tell you - go here http://www.ceaser-web.com/

I bet you think nothing can be successful in Nigeria without being a government apologist? So many successful businesses in Nigeria, if you will like to know.

Most of us still do honest business without necessarily soling our hands - take that?

Thats not my point, I know there a lot of successful businesses in Nigeria. I lived and grew up around many successful business people. My thing is you said people should blame the contractor for the project not being carried out and the reason I asked for your business was to know if it involves government contracts. There's a very slim chance the cheques for those contracts have been sent out and the contractors are not just doing their jobs.

@alabiyemmy

P.S. Just checked your website. Thats a nice project was thinking about something like that too. I wish you continued success at least you're doing your own part.

awwww @ Mr me too

its a pleasure you like it, the more the merrier you know, dont stop if you want to.

well alabiyemmy

i don't know whyur getting personal with govt issues u sure are saying indirectly your profiting from negative situationof things

let me give u a simple illustration, your child went to school and refuse to read his books he failed then u blame the teacher? the child is at fault even though at times the teacher too are

when govt gives contracts out they should give it to credible contractors and follow it up until it is executed afterall it is taxpayers money and should be accounted for
if not all of us should be claiming contractors then collect contracts and do nothing


since nothing happens to default contractors

@ kaecy5

I am not getting personal. I am not proffiting from negative situations of things, I am simply proffiting from hard work, ok?

@ alabiyemmi U do not cease to amaze me. So U are exonerating the Govt officials from all the failed contracts in Nigeria
This is really serious. So it is only you that have not heard of the Kickback syndrome in Nigeria.The only reason why Contractors get away with doing shabby work or even no work at all is that the politicians that awarded the contracts have been compromised.When a Govt official requests and recieves some money from the money that was meant for a particular contract, that official loses all credibility to supervise the contractor and contractor can decide not to do any work!Nothing dey happen,,,Oga don chop

@ Uche2nna

What point are you making? Noone is doubting that fact, but to lump all projects to be the same is what surprises me. The point in question, remember is the PH airport and the railway project. Duh!

That is just a case study of the kind of stuff going on in Nigeria. Whether it is a railway,road,airport,school, water, power supply etc they all start the same way and end the same way.It has always been the same vicious circle duh!!!!!

Sorrow, Tears and Blood, that is what Fela sang over 30 years ago when OBJ was in power and it still applys today. How can a baby run when it has not crawled. Which of you will buy a TV and right there in the shop it fails to come on then you go home and say "perhaps it will work when i switch on my generator" Abacha awarded a contract to the same chinese and they did not do anything now OBJ is awarding another contract to the same people. When will we rise up and call a spade a spade?

A paradigm shift in how we look at issues generally is desired. We cannot continue to look at the way the country is governed with some kind of ''satisfaction''. Anyway, the satisfied lot among us in this country are pretty few; and we need not bother about them.

Our tertiary institutions are in a pariah state. Only 10% (or less) of all the qualified candidates gain admission to the university of their choice. Often times, there's no space to accommodate qualified candidates. Yet, some people are using public money to build Bells University meant for the rich. Health and public utility systems are in the worst state of disrepair ever, as a matter of fact, our hospitals are actually morgues in disguise. Emergency response unit only responds to gather dead bodies of victims of disasters across the country.

It's only during the lifetime of this administration that a serving Inspector General of Police will come out to publicly state that his Police Force is incapable of handling the crime wave rocking major towns and cities across the country. Despite the huge billions of public money sunk into the force. Our FG has acknowledged this much. They claimed the police force is ''underfunded'' and needs help. I wonder where all that huge billions moved to. It should be in some private pockets e.g. Tafa Balogun and company.

Now, I want to ask every reasonable person on this forum if it's right thinking for a government that cannot guarantee public safety of its citizens across the cities and towns in the country, to initiate plans of linking the same towns and cities by rail networks? Is it right thinking for a government that cannot handle the repairs of the existing road networks linking towns and cities to award contracts to link the cities by rail networks?

I have this feeling that when I get on board one of those trains (if it ever see the light of the day), I will be travelling with my heart in my mouth, knowing that hoodlums will be at the other end waiting for me to alight and part with my valuables.