₦airaland Forum

The gang of 5 is now down to 4, more are still going to fall. God bless Nigeria.

Evergreeen123: I know the southsouth also has sea oultets and it isnt landlocked like y1boland. I know the port in Lagos would be decongested when the ones in the southsouth comes into full use in the event of the actualisation of regionalism and resource control.

However, you still cannot take the shine out of Lagos and the seaport situated therein, its an economic leverage for the Yorubas when we get regionalism and thats the simple truth. Ogun state has the highest number of industries in Nigeria, from where do you think these companies would import there manufacturing materials and from where would they export their products? Certainly not sapele or bayelsa ports but definately through the Lagos seaport

As i have written earlier, Yorubaland is rich in both human and natural resources, i just used the sea as a point of discuss. All the regions in Nigeria are rich in mineral resources. Regionalsim and resource control would do us all a lot of good.

Nobody takes the shine off lagos. All I'm saying, is for you to expect a 70% drop in revenue when importers are not compelled by regulations to enter through lagos again.

Evergreeen123: Resource control wouldnt stop oil exploration in the Niger delta. Resource control wouldnt stop importation and exportation in Lagos

No it will not stop, do you know how many ports we have in Nigeria, that are not used because of political reasons? We have three in delta, Warri, Sapele and Brutu. Don't expect the same traffic currently heading to lagos to remain. Portharcourt has port, Calabar has one, Akwa ibom is building one, even bayelsa is planning a new port too. That's why I asked you, who is going to pay all this import duties.

^^^^^ You people are 90 million only?

Evergreeen123: You'v got joke son. Okay let me indulge you a bit.

Yorubaland is very rich in both human and natural resources. Ondo state is the fifth largest oil producing state in Nigeria; okay lets leave crude oil out of the equation for a while

The sea is also a natural resource, right? Lagos, Ondo, Ogun all have acces to the Atlantic ocean. (Yorubaland isnt like a certain landlocked region across the niger). How about having total control of the seaport in Lagos? You know the millions that goes into that goes into FG's pocket from the import duties collected at the Lagos port every month; how about having all that into the regional account of the Yoruba western region.

With regional or 100% resource control, who do you expect to pay import duties to Lagos?

samoks: I don't know why these people keep deceiving themselves. They claim 75% land mass. How can you call these states North; Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue,Kogi,Taraba,Niger,Kwara etc.

They used their long years in power to ensure they caused division among us in the south by making an Ibibio man see himself as different from an Igbo man. An Ijaw man to see himself different from an Ikwerre man, an Edo man see himself as different from a Yoruba man.

They made us believe that Anambra, which shares borders with Delta is an Eastern State, while Cross River State which shares borders with Cameroun is a South South state. I ask, what has happened to Geography?

Yet up north they believe an Igala man is same as a Kanuri, a gbagyi man see himself as same as a Fulani man, a Gwari man see himself as an Hausa man.

All these their scheming failed them in the 2011 elections and will always fail them because the people of the middle belt now knows better.

If you wish to keep your land, go ahead, we will also keep our human resources, oil, palm oil, rubber, education and sports.
I really do not know why they want to eat where they did not sow.

When it comes to oil, they claim one Nigeria, but when the South East ( out of which Imo and Abia are oil producing) clamour for an additional state for equity sake, they claim that 'unequals' shouldn't be treated equally.
They have been mentally bed ridden due to their long stay in power to believe they are born to rule. According to one of them, "The Yorubas have Education, Igbos businesses, and South south oil, so we, the north should always rule". What a people.

Nicely done, that's what I call last bullet.

This people will never learn. What do need I your 75% land for? You people are not the only farmers in this country.

The igbos have now replied the 5% of gross revenue sought by the northerners. Nigeria, what a country. By the way that 5% would been about N350B yearly based on this year's projected gross revenue. Aboki needs to truly chill in this country.

Abuja - The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) on Monday said 170 candidates had been selected for its overseas scholarship sheme for 2014/2015 academic session.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Kalu Otisi, Head, Media and External Relations of the fund, which was made available in Abuja.
It said the scholarship award was for Master of Science degree studies in oil and gas-related courses in top ranked universities abroad.
It explained that the award was the outcome of an aptitude test it conducted in December 2013 as part of the process for the selection of beneficiaries of the award.
“The successful candidates are made up of four best performing candidates in the aptitude examinations from each of the 36 states and two from the Federal Capital Territory.
“Others selected for the award include two additional candidates from each of the nine oil endowed states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, Rivers and Bayelsa.
“Six female candidates with the highest scores in each of the six geo-political zones also received scholarship awards on gender consideration,” it stated.
The fund said that although the aptitude examination was written by candidates who applied for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 scholarship programmes, there was no discrimination on the basis of year of application in considering those selected for the award.
It explained that the candidates were assessed on performances and based on their states “to reflect the Federal Character principle”.
“The induction of successful candidates for the scholarship award is scheduled for the 11th to 15th of August 2014,” it stated (NAN)

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/170-students-bag-ptdf-overseas-scholarship/#sthash.JQFvCSYX.dpuf

http://www.ptdf.gov.ng/index.php/34-important-1/scholarships/224-2014-oss-msc-successful-candidates

Fresh air everywhere More reason why APC must be kept from power.

^^^^^^ If you wondered why APC is running around like a chicken without any head. Just read the post above.

cyril83: Why are you so pained ? The bitterness really showed in your post.

I hope you are placed on allowances because doing this to yourself for fun will not only make you silly but crazy.

Kai, I am now on allowance bah? The poverty mindset of the average APC supporter is nothing to write home about. Neverless, don't worry, I don't need your sympathy.

Clerverly: So sorry! Stop crying, is not the end of the world!

Kosi wahala

Evergreeen123: .. And are you personaly going to vote in the Osun election? You are not from Osun, you wont vote in the election and you know nothing about Osun.

Dont construe Ekiti politics for osun. Osun is a heterogeneous state onlike ekiti.

Cleverly, lets have a picture comparison. Lets see the picture of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeshola's rally at Ede in contrast to this

So I need to come from Osun before I can make a comment on Osun's election? So pictures you create and edit online are now, the basics of an electoral victory? We shall all revisit this point on august 10th

Clerverly: With the crowd in that picture, PDP's victory is a foregone conclusion!

After all your chest beating during Ekiti's election, it will do you some good to laylow. You clearly did not learn anything. You people are great at propaganda, unfortunately, it never translates to actual votes counted. Keep your kabuki dance going, I just hope you guys don't crash this site again on August 10th.

APC internet warriors, you people never learn. Create your fake pictures and spew your comments as you like. August 9th will be another dose of reality.

The difference is already playing out, between the cbn 120 days and 30 days ago. Suddenly the naira is no longer under constant pressure. Even when our imports keep rising. Boko haram supporter aka ......... kano, you failed here too.

Nigeria’s beleaguered foreign reserves seems to be gradually regaining its upswing as it rose by $1.030 billion in the last one month to close at $38.136 billion at the weekend.

This represents an accretion by 2.8 per cent, compared to the $37.106 billion it stood as at June 10, 2014.

Most analysts attributed the development to the appreciation of crude oil prices in the international market. In addition, some noted that the moderate demand for the US dollar observed at the central bank’s regulated Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) was also influencing the gradual build up of the reserves.

Data gathered from the central bank showed that the current value of the reserves which is mostly derived from crude oil earnings is the highest in the last two months.

In the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for delivery in August traded at $101.00 a barrel at the weekend, while Brent oil futures for August traded at $106.701 a barrel, while the spread between the Brent and US crude contracts stood at $5.70 a barrel.

The Chairman, Lagos state branch, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr. Bolade Agbola pointed out that the CBN governor’s agenda of maintaining price stability would help in the forex reserves accretion.

“The CBN governor has said that one of his goals is to ensure that the forex is stable. There are so many advantages in that. It allows forex inflow. That is why all central banks across the world, one of their main objectives is to maintain price stability and when you are talking about price stability you are talking about the pricing variables.

“The challenge the naira was facing was as a result of the recovery of advanced economies. Many investors came to Nigeria for higher yield investments and had an incentive to repatriate their money to go back and invest. But the only way to minimise that is to defend the naira which I think is what the CBN has been doing in the last few years,” he said.

Furthermore, the CIBN boss stated that the sustained crude oil production by the country would also support the growth of the forex reserves.

“The global oil market is not doing badly and we have been trying as a nation to sustain production as an export-oriented country. Government is also making efforts to improve non-oil exports,” he added.

Concerned by the perennial depletion of the foreign exchange reserves, the central bank recently announced new capital requirements for the licensing of Bureau De Change (BDC) operators in the country.

Part of it included a new minimum capital base of N35 million, up from the N10 million it was previously.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/external-reserves-stage-recovery-rises-by-1-030b-in-one-month/183552

2014 has become the year of the jedi warriors. APC has finally entered one chance with everybody, expect their almajiris and supporters of APC followers

A former presidential candidate and economic expert, Prof. Pat Utomi, has described the Nigerian media as a bazaar, accusing it of deepening cynicism about the Boko Haram insurgency.

Utomi said this in an article titled, “Existential imperatives in culture collapse: the media and the Nigerian condition”, which was posted on his Facebook page. He said that corruption and abuse of authority had affected professionalism in the press, especially in the reporting of terrorism.

He said, “Maybe it is more helpful to look at the media on a spectrum of developed and underdeveloped model, like the Bazaar-Canteen development approach, where underdeveloped media characterised by low social good values, limited education of the journalists and poor economic structure of the media, which is not profitable enough to pay journalists well as well as provide the right tools of work, is at the bazaar end. But at the canteen end, media is more sophisticated, more responsive to stakeholder aspiration and more focused on the common good.”

According to him, Nigerian press is operating on the ‘bazaar’ level, adding that previous generation of journalists, though not as ‘certificated’ as journalists in the country today, were ‘infinitely more sophisticated, and of higher ethical standing.’

“My verdict is that the Nigerian press is somewhere on the spectrum, closer to the bazaar than the canteen end. Today’s journalism is struggling with collapse of culture in the broader society in which corruption is systemic and abuse of trust and authority is epidemic,” Utomi added.

He argued that Nigerian journalists were not doing enough in reporting insecurity and that they had increased people’s doubts because their reporting lacked investigations.

“Good journalism is inherently sceptical, and probing. Not enough of that is happening today and that has deepened cynicism about what is going on. The case of abduction of a generation of the daughters of the people of Chibok is a case in point.

“Far too much time was lost because the press was slow to hold a government that sees everything through the prism of the next elections and the games of its opponents, the trauma of parents and the value of human life to account.

“One can argue that some curiosity about the peculiar adversity of churches being bombed prevented the media from realising the consequence of what was coming in the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency,” Utomi stated.

He, however, commended Nigerian journalists, whom he said had “been steadfast and who put a greater premium on the professional expectations from the media than the challenges of the moment suggest.”

Utomi noted, “There are some newspapers, beyond individuals, that by their corporate culture are more institutionally insulated from the media that embarrasses the thinking man. The discerning citizen seems to know the difference.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/nigerian-media-deepens-bharam-fears-says-utomi

Everywhere you turn, nah PDP political mojo.

BY DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA—INDICATIONS emerged at the weekend that10 members of Ogun State House of Assembly have defected to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, from the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

This brings to 13 PDP members in the House as the party before now had three members elected under the party.
The defection was reportedly facilitated by a member of House of Representatives representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, Abiodun Akinlade, who dumped APC for the PDP.
A lawmaker representing Ijebu North-East , Samson Onademuren gave the hint last week during a PDP rally held in Abeokuta , claiming that, he was the secretary of a 3-member faction in the Assembly against the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
The Assembly which comprises 26 members now reportedly has 13 PDP members while Labour Party, LP, and APC reportedly shared the remaining 13 members.
Akinlade while receiving the PDP flag, said he decided to join the PDP because of its laudable programmes for the people in the country.
He promised the people of the state better lives under the PDP, claiming he had lined up some developmental programmes for the state.
In his remarks, Onademuren said “I can tell you authoritatively that members of G 13 where I am the Secretary are ready to join the PDP. I have come as the Secretary of the G 13 members of the state House of Assembly to take the flag of the PDP, I want to say that all of us have decided to join the PDP.”

//www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/10-ogun-apc-lawmakers-defect-pdp

Akwa Ibom State delegates to the National Conference have warned of a looming crisis should their northern counterparts frustrate efforts to adopt the 18 per cent derivation fund recommended by the Consensus Group for oil-producing states.

A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja a former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, on behalf of the delegates, warned that the series of existing agitations by youths of the region might turn into a full-blown war unless the current 13% derivation fund for the oil-producing states was reviewed upward.

The delegates said, “There is a strong possibility that the Niger Delta region agitation could again snowball into an orgy of violence if the logjam on derivation principle at the National Conference is not resolved on the basis of justice and fair play.

“Besides, recent attempts to resurrect the onshore/offshore dichotomy and to make political capital out of the issue have further heightened tension in oil- bearing communities that have witnessed persistent oil spills, gas flaring and constant devastation due to the oil drilling activities of the multinational oil companies.

“Based on comments attributed to people from a certain part of the country, it is pertinent to indicate that the people of Akwa Ibom State and indeed the Niger Delta region are disappointed by the posturing of people from a certain section of the country and would resist attempts by persons or groups to use the satanic policy to blackmail the region.”

The Akwa Ibom delegates quoted some sections of the constitution to back their argument.

According to them, Section 134 of the 1960 Constitution and Section 140 of the 1963 Constitution which formed the basis of the country’s independence and nationhood had provided that Nigeria’s continental shelf of 200 nautical miles be deemed to be part of a region for the purpose of paying 50 per cent derivation.

“The two constitutions had provided that for the purpose of derivation, a state that has a coast is deemed to be the owner of the continental shelf. But through Decree 9 of 1971, the then Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), had introduced the onshore/offshore dichotomy. From that time, the policy had been abolished three times. The first abolition took place in 1975, the second in 1979 and the third in 1992. It was, however, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo who reintroduced the evil policy.

“Today, the dichotomy is still in place because the Abrogation Act of 2004 drastically reduced the constitutional provisions and the internationally recognised boundary definition of continental shelf from 200 nautical miles to 200 feet isobaths. What is used now is a mere measure of the low water mark of the land surface of a littoral state rather than the universally accepted measurement,” the statement added.

They said, “As delegates continue to procrastinate and disagree over the issue of derivation and other issues that are germane to the people of the state and indeed the region that has sustained the country’s economy for over five decades now, the Akwa Ibom State secretariat of the National Conference hereby draws attention to the rising tension and a possible backlash that may follow if the people of the region are shortchanged by the conference.

“While the bickering continues, youths from oil-bearing communities in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have during the past two weeks occupied the operational base of ExxonMobil Unlimited at Quo Ibo Terminal, QIT and stopped the multinational oil firm from accessing its facilities. The youths are protesting against a recent oil-spill which devastated over 46 communities along the coastline in the state…

“In the spirit of the Ramadan, we appeal to our brothers in the North to sheathe their swords and allow justice and fair-play to prevail in the current debate on what should constitute the derivation formula, after all, what has been recommended by the eminent members of the Consensus Group also covers solid minerals and other resources found all over the country.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/aibom-delegates-threaten-war-over-18-derivation-fund

C0llynzO2: Such distortion of facts can only work for his Almajiri brothers.
How can someone be so brazenly foolish as to post an article that contradicts everything he said as ''proof'' that he is right.
That article also said Nigeria's Agricultural output dropped significantly during the war. How did that happen since the north was largely unaffected by the war and they were supposedly the only ones involved in agriculture?

I have already given up arguing with his likes. After a while, you have to ask yourself what planet they reside in.

C0llynzO2: You are only proving those who opposed your assertions right. The article clearly said regional governments derived a large chunk of their finances from Agriculture.
The north depended on it s groundnut and cotton to an extent
The east depended on Palm oil of which Nigeria was the highest exporter at that time.
The west depended on cocoa and palm oil to an extent.
What is Presently known as Niger Delta depended on Rubber, palm oil and cocoa to an extent.
Stop living in delusion.
Trying to twist glaring facts can only work with your uneducated almajiri brothers.

He assumes agriculture was only a northern occupation. The people in south, stayed home and married 10 wives as his people planted and harvested groundnut. Unfortunately, this is the predominant view in the far north.

OneNaira6: In as much as I don't want to laugh but that sh1t was funny.

"Bring back our army. Bring back our army. Johnathan Johnathan bring back our army." I'm dead laughing right now. This shekau dude missed his calling

D

OneNaira6: In as much as I don't want to laugh but that sh1t was funny.

"Bring back our army. Bring back our army. Johnathan Johnathan bring back our army." I'm dead laughing right now. This shekau dude missed his calling

I fell off my chair laughing

OneNaira6: In as much as I don't want to laugh but that sh1t was funny.

"Bring back our army. Bring back our army. Johnathan Johnathan bring back our army." I'm dead laughing right now. This shekau dude missed his calling

laughing is already making me, post the same comment three times

EasternLeopard: Their elites are toooooo greedy to think straight.

A new Nigeria has come to stay either they adjust or perish.

This reality has not dawned on some of them yet. Just reading the comments of Anthony Sani on punch, one can see his capitulation already.

Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) may have come under the spotlight of the British government over allegations that it has links with the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group. Feelers from the British parliament gave this indication at the weekend.

Reports had it that the United Kingdom (UK)’s Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (otherwise known as foreign secretary), Mr William Hague, was, last week, questioned by an influential member of the British parliament, Mr Andrew Rosindell, on the UK’s engagement with the APC over the Boko Haram problem confronting Nigeria.

Information pieced together by Sunday Tribune from the website of the British parliament, www.parliament.uk, indicated that Rosindell, a conservative representing Romford, listed numerous questions regarding terrorism in Nigeria and some other affected countries of the Commonwealth for the foreign secretary, under “notices for written answers” section of the House of Commons Business Paper.

Some of the questions Rosindell, who is also a member of Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, want Hague to answer, according to the Business Paper, are: “To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the rise of Islamic terrorism in Northern Iraq.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria. (204387)

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling the threat of Boko Haram.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of links between Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups in Africa.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterpart in Cameroon the need for constructive dialogue between that country and Nigeria in tackling Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on tackling the threat from Islamic extremism in Northern Africa.

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with leading members of the Nigerian opposition party, the All Progressives Congress; and if he will make a statement.

“ To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will commission an inquiry into the international support network for Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.”

Reports added that the development came after a debate in the parliament in which a Labour member, Sandra Osborne asked the House to examine allegations of links between APC and the insurgents.

It was also noted that increasing questioning of the government of the UK by legislators over the issue may force an enquiry into the allegations.

Sunday Tribune also learnt that at a recent meeting of the parliamentarians, led by Henry Jackson Society and chaired by John Glen, who is a close adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, similar allegations were raised that key APC members were supporters and financiers of Boko Haram “for ideological and political means.”

The UK is now said to be showing more interest in the Boko Haram menace, especially after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April.

Hague, at an international summit on rape in warzones held in London in June, was said to have reaffirmed the UK’s “strong and united commitment to defeat Boko Haram and to end the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria.”

When Sunday Tribune contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for reaction, he said the party was still studying the development, adding that it would react to the allegations appropriately in due course.



http://www.tribune.com.ng/news/top-stories/item/10502-uk-probes-apc-s-alleged-link-with-boko-haram-we-will-react

^^^^^ what light are you seeking? why don't you focus all your energy in creating more revenue , than killing yourself about what happens in any man's backyard.