₦airaland Forum

But this Water Ministry is trying...many Dams and irrigation projects abadoned for years have been completed...Kudos to Sarah Ochekpe and GEJ

When I saw it on TV,I had to reach for my glasses to make sure its Aregbe-rascall...He was full of praises for the Minister and FG

Also I saw him commissiong the YESO project(a project sponsored by world bank and backed by FG and interested states) with the Finance Minister and he was also full of praise for the FG.

Seems the Fresh air has caught our dear Ogbeni...Kudos rauf

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has refuted
reports that it may close international operations of the
Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, insisting that the regulatory body has no such plan, describing such reports as mischievous.

NCAA was reacting to reports that it may bar international
operations to the Enugu airport because its designation as international airport has not been gazetted by the Federal Government.

In a statement signed by the agency’s general manager,
public affairs, Fan Ndubuoke, NCAA said its role is civil
aviation regulation; that it is the Federal Government that
controls policies that affect air transportation in the
country, which it exercises and directs through the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

“The NCAA’s standards with respect to airport, aircraft,
passenger and operational safety, security and experience are primary and not necessarily determined by designation of an airport as international or domestic. The relevance of such designation is only to the extent of the nature of equipment, traffic, security and uniform safety concerns,” the Authority said.

The regulatory body also denied that it refused to clear a
flight to land at the airport because the airport designation as an international airport has not been gazetted, saying that the gazetting of an airport is not one of the considerations of NCAA with “respect to safety, security or passenger comfort and experience.”

“The Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu having
complied with all the requirements, is permitted to receive, and embark internationally bound aircraft and passengers.The facilities and facilitation of passengers, crew and goods in international travel at the airport comply with globally accepted safety and security standards,” NCAA said.

The agency also remarked that other relevant agencies
such as immigration, customs and NDLEA are satisfied with the airport and facilities for the purpose of carrying out their statutory duties.

“Airlines and aircraft operating internationally to the airport have also conducted their necessary inspections and assessments for their equipment and crew handling which they found satisfactory, failing which they would not operate.”

The Authority insisted that it was not true that any aircraft was denied passage to Enugu on account that it was engaging in international operations.

On the Gazetting of the airport, he disclosed that “It is
entirely false and preposterous to insinuate that gazzetting constitutes a factor in NCAA technical analysis and certifications.

The Akanu Ibiam international Airport, Enugu having
complied with all the requirements, is permitted to receive,and embark internationally bound aircrafts and
passengers. The facilities and facilitation of passengers,
crew and goods in international travel at the airport comply with globally accepted safety and security standards”.

He also said that “Other relevant agencies such as
immigration, customs and NDLEA are satisfied with the
airport and facilities for the purpose of carrying out their
statutory duties. Airlines and Aircraft operating
internationally to the airport have also conducted their
necessary inspections before flying from the airport.

The managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management
Agency Engr. Nnamdi Udoh had told THISDAY earlier that
his organisation installed all the necessary equipment that will ensure smooth operations of the airlines and assured that the facilities are of international standards as the International Civil Aviation Authority does not tolerate
substandard equipment and materials in al airports,
aerodrome and heliports worldwide. He said “aviation is
not what it used to be in the past. You can’t install any
equipment or material that is not certified. Our
equipment’s come from ICAO designated manufacturers
and we can’t go below that standard. Human lives are
involved”

The Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah had recently confirmed that after the Ethiopian airlines airlines started flying the Enugu Adis Ababa route on Saturday August 24,2013,, five other airlines have sent in their papers to be considered for the routes

Source:www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ncaa-enugu-safe-for-international-flights/159525/

According to this article,Ethopian Airline is flying international via PRESIDENTIAL FIAT but this same article from thisday confirms that the approval for international flights has been GAZZETTED...

awodman: Under Jonathan, the Airport was finally gazetted as an
international airport. The gazette was important to lay to
rest the initial fears caused by Omotoba’s statement. Just
last May, Mr. President commissioned the remodeled
Enugu Airport and laid the foundation for a new
international terminal.

www.thisdaylive.com/articles/as-akanu-ibiam-airport-enugu-welcomes-international-flights/156006/

larride: You are right, if you read my other contribution on this thread you will notice I touched on how the plan will be implemented, this idea needs a strong institution to thrive so that it won't become one of those good ideas that yields no impact on the masses. I don't really like the car loan, I would have prefer a student loan to a car loan but I guess we will take any one we get. This policy should not be for the upper middle class or senior civil servants as you said but it should be for everyone because its a dividend of democracy and should be felt as across the citizens and not some selected few. We are watching.

Its wholly private sector managed and owned...regulated by government..

@atuoke I listened to the Finance Minister explain about the project on Raypower's political platform..they are collaborating with states..most states have shown interest but not all

nairaman66: Mundane comments from someone who has been bought to the other side.. Realistically, do you think GEJ is equal to this promising venture.. The big question is? Will this project be financed from the total removal of subsidy next year? Could be possible, don't you think? But this project of GEJ's is not possible..

This initiative to establish a mortgage refinancing company started last year..so its definitely not a knee jerk reaction aimed at scoring cheap political points

awodman: Prospective home owners in Nigeria are to benefit, as the
Federal Government plans to set up a Mortgage Refinance
Corporation (MRC) next year, with an initial N5 billion in
capitalisation and a further $250million in debt financing.

This was disclosed yesterday by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, at the 2012 Lagos Business School (LBS), alumni day, in Lekki, Lagos.

www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/47718-prospective-home-owners-to-benefit-as-fg-plans-n5bn-mortgage-refinance-corporation

seunmsg: 2015 election gimmick. We aint buying this poo!

To warped minds like you anything a president who is 2years plus into his tenure does is now because of 2015...

You guys have TERAGRO(Elumelu's company) to supply you with fruit juice concentrates

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala suggested calls for her resignation were
political.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the
Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday dismissed
calls for her immediate resignation from office over her
alleged refusal to comply strictly with Federal Government
revenue projections in violation of the 2013 Appropriation
Act.

Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers
State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had said at the end of of
the Forum’s meeting on Tuesday that the decision by the
minister to entrust the constitutional responsibility of
managing the country’s economy on the Economic
Management Team constituted by the Presidency, rather
than the National Economic Council, was a violation of the
provisions of the Act.

But, responding to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry on whether
she was considering complying with the demands by the
governors, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said that was not part of her
immediate plans, as she was too busy working to ensure
the economy served Nigerians better.

“That (resignation) doesn’t arise at all,” the Minister said.
“You know I’m not here to address those kinds of issues.
I’m Minister of Finance for the country. I’m working with
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and I just do my job.
I’m not here to address such issues. From time to time, I
call you (reporters) to share with you what is happening in
the economy. That’s what I am doing. So, I’m not
answering to that. And as you see me here, do I look any
close to resignation? I de Kampe!

“Don’t worry about that. You know we shouldn’t talk about
political issues here.What I want to tell you is that the
economy must be managed to the good of Nigerians. We
are not going to be involved in any political thing. Let’s
face facts of the economy – about roads built; agricultural
jobs created; increase in production and things we are
doing that you can go and check for yourself,” she said.

While reviewing the performance of the economy, Mrs.
Okonjo-Iweala said the economy was doing reasonably
well, though not perfect yet, adding that the realities on
the ground attest to that, with 2.5 million seasonal and
full-time jobs created in the agricultural sector alone,
involving nine commodity chains, including cassava,
sorghum, oil palm, cotton, cocoa, dry and rainy season rice.

The minister said that some of the commodity production
have helped in moderating prices of food items in the
market, such as beans and yam, adding that government
aims to create more jobs in that sector and others in the
economy.

She said government was also doing well in the area of
manufacturing, with ongoing specific investments in
petrochemicals and fertilizer, to help create jobs, while the
community services scheme for the unskilled being run on
the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme
(SURE-P) has created 178,000 jobs, in addition to over
2,000 beneficiaries under the Graduate Internship Scheme
(GIS) for graduates and 19,000 jobs from the YOU-WIN
programme.

On the fuel subsidy payment regime, she said the system
had been audited and cleaned up, resulting in significant
reduction in the amount being paid out to marketers from
N2.3 trillion to about N950 billion, with the expectation that
government would pay about N971 billion this year.
Another tranche of the payment to petroleum marketers,
she said, would be disbursed on Thursday.

In addition to these achievements, the minister said the
fundamentals of the economy remained strong, with the
country’s foreign reserves currently standing at about $46
billion, consisting of an Excess Crude Account (ECA)
balance of over $5 billion, while inflation rate had remained
at single digits at about 8.7 per cent and exchange rate
relatively stable within a band of N155 and N160 to the
dollar.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, she said, was
still at about 6.5 per cent in the first quarter, and 6.18 per
cent in the second quarter, while fiscal deficit is about 1.85
per cent of GDP, indicating that government was
maintaining prudent management of the economy.

The minister said the prudent management of the
economy had generated sufficient confidence for investors,
particularly among the governors, most of whom, she said,
believed so much in the performance of the economy that
they were floating bonds to help fund various development
programmes in their domains.

“If one does not have confidence in the management of the
economy, one would not float bonds. One can only float
bonds in an economy that works. We have a list of nine
states that have recently floated bonds in the Nigerian
Stock market. We have more applications from other state
governments pending. This is a total mark of confidence in
the economy and its management. I am glad to say that
we have a good relationship with the governors, and will
continue to work with them,” the minister said.

Source:premiumtimesng.com/news/144879-wont-resign-noiweala-says-governors-forum-wants.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=wont-resign-noiweala-says-governors-forum-wants

0lumide: I support the governors on this!!!!!!

How can we have SWF when we have infrastructural deficit?

nations with SWF are nations with above average infrastructures to leave for the next generation. You can't leave money for the next generation, you are suppose to leave INFRASTRUCTURES NOT MONEY!!!!!

Okonjo Iweala has done enough and she must go NOW!!

SWF is not about saving us some money in a remote account but to use this money for investment on things that will bring returns to the country including INFRASTRUCTURE...

Read some of these links to get enlightened
www.thisdaylive.com/articles/swf-to-create-template-for-pension-investment-in-infrastructure/155212/

www.ventures-africa.com/2013/09/nigerias-sovereign-wealth-fund-invests-200m-us-bonds/

I need no other confirmation to know that this guy is really on do.pe

Oando had claimed Mr. Ibori owns insignificant shares of
the company.

Contrary to the claim by oil and gas company, Oando Plc,
that former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, owns
“insignificant” shares in the company, British prosecutors,Tuesday, provided overwhelming evidence that the convicted money launderer owns almost a third of the company.

A crown prosecutor told a British Crown Court in
Southwark, London, that Mr. Ibori told a Swiss private bank in 2004 that he owns up to 30 per cent of Oando.

Mr. Ibori is believed to have laundered more than N12.5
billion (£50 million) stolen from the treasury of oil-rich Delta State during his tenure as governor. The case has been described as one of the biggest embezzlement cases ever seen in Britain.

More details of how he hid his illicit wealth in a maze of
shell companies and offshore accounts are expected to be
revealed in a the three-week long asset confiscation
hearing that started on Monday.

According to Ms. Wass, while opening an account at Swiss
bank, PKB, through a shell company called Stanhope
Investment, Mr. Ibori told the bank he owns 30 per cent of Oando.

Reading from internal PKB documents, Ms. Wass said the
former governor passed himself as the owner of an
insurance company and 50 per cent owner of a Nigerian
Bank.

She also revealed that N180 million ($1.2 million) was
transferred from Oando in three instalments into Mr. Ibori’s account in PKB. She said the money was subsequently transferred into a fund meant to purchase a N3 billion ($20 million) private jet for Mr Ibori.

Oando, Nigeria’s biggest indigenous oil company, issued a statement Monday denying that some of Mr. Ibori’s wealth was hidden in the company.

“Based on our current shareholding register, Mr Ibori’s
shareholding stands at 443 shares out of a total issued and paid-up share capital of 6.8 billion ordinary shares, which is clearly insignificant, and cannot be considered as a large part of Oando,” the firm said.

Oando shares dipped 10 per cent at the shock market, on
Tuesday after news of Mr. Ibori’s involvement with the
company broke.

Money like the Kennedys

Internal document shows that Mr. Ibori awed officials of
PKB with his enormous stolen wealth so much that the
bank likened him to a descendant of the Kennedys in the
U.S. The bank described Mr. Ibori as being from a wealthy
Nigerian family with decades old wealth gained from
investment in the petroleum sector.

“We could compare these families with the Kennedy
dynasty which also mixed business and politics,” the bank document said.

Another part of the document also described him as “an
extremely rich man as he was doing a lot of business
before becoming governor”

Recent evidence has shown that Mr. Ibori started out as a
career petty thief who stole building materials in Nigeria
and shoplifted in cohort with his now convicted wife in the U.K.

Source:premiumtimesng.com/news/144843-ibori-owns-30-per-cent-oando-swiss-bank-document-reveals.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=ibori-owns-30-per-cent-oando-swiss-bank-document-reveals

Now these are the demands of amaechi and his gang...

1. Don’t contest 2015
2. Sack Tukur
3. Stop EFCC from investigating us
4. Total control of PDP structures in our states

Now they are adding okonjo's resignation to the list...because of her insistence on the establishment of SWF and for not give them unfettered access to the ECA...

Now when you look @ all this demands you begin to wonder the place of Nigerian masses in their agitation...all these demands are they for the betterment of Nigerians..

Orlando Owoh: As prestigous as it's for Heads of State to address the General Assembly of the United Nations, no Nigerian leader that has so done is making noise about it. Here you hear noise being made because the President wants to ring the closing bell in the NYSE. The President had the opportunity of addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations this year but he was nowhere to be found.

Sorry United Nations general assembly for this year has not held and actually when it opens GEJ will be the 4th world leader to address the assembly...get your facts right before opening your mouth in public

Here's the pitch

sarutobie: Staying in aba..for the first time in over 2 decades,the first train plied the railway cutting across okigwe road on friday 13th(last week).Though they were probably surveying the viability of the rail tracks.Many people who were born after the demise of the railways or new settlers in aba were taking aback lol.dem just dey look am like one kind spirit..Anyway its a step in the right direction..I hope they phase out those outdated narrow rail tracks.Nigeria go better

You are absolutely right...My neighbour came home gisting how they all ran to get a glimpse of the train... Sнε was obviously elated because that's the first time Sнε has seen a train all her life..Very bad I wasn't nearby,would have taken alot of pictures

PvtParts: Here is tinibu clapping like he is in church at an Obama rally he lied that he was invited when he paid to be there.

Notice he is the only one standing.

Why is tinubu standing na
This is more like Obama I came oooo

PECO4KING: You are right the work is starting near Shagamu interchange but If you sincere go to the other side of the road from redemption camp to Mowe/Ibafon and upload the pictures of the traffic and bad road. In any serious and real project, which I notices Contractors works on both side of the road not part of the road. I think they should start from the other side due to heavy traffic bcs of the bad road.

Ok I get...your problem is about where the started the work from...thanks for confirming that work has already started...

ba7man: Being poor is a state of mind.

They oppose development and when left alone, they don't mind to keep breeding and increasing their number of illiterate kids that grow up to be "area boys", expanding their shanties and ghettos till they grow into embarassing sizes, asking for hand-outs and free everything.

They're also quite dirty. They see a large body of water and to them its a refuse dump and toilet meanwhile, an enlightened person sees it and sees a beautiful view worth paying for. I cringed yesterday at how dirty one of the newly constructed pedestrian bridges was made dirty at their trading activities on it.

They need enlightenment but for the LASG to carry that out, their number has to be reduced to reasonable numbers that can be adequately catered for.

Why are they so many?? That's a question for the past rulers to answer but they must not stand in the way of a new Lagos, rather they should position themselves to benefit from its numerous employment opportunities by trainning themselves in chosen fields, not hoping they're left alone to continue wallowing in ignorance.

#The hard truth.

Why not entirely dismissing your assertions because you are viewing it from your own perspective...how about putting yourself in the shoes of these guys

How about what the writer said...build low cost houses for these guys...you don't just demolish their slums without providing alternatives...
Remember how the transport commissioner was stoned and booed at Gani's memorial...that goes to show you the discontent about the transport situation in Lagos

Finally if u are very close to Fashola,tell him this
"...Fight POVERTY not the POOR..."

Moderators please frontpage sharp sharp...

jmaine: See solid disinfecting of fleas and vermin.

bros eh!! You too mussssh . . . .

Mehn...@theoctopus is too good ...I have been enjoying the guy...Pictures don't lie

Demdem: Na today.
Retardeen has always been a serial Liar.

Even with pictorial evidence by @theoctopus..nawa ƒσя you oooo

@theoctopus bros you bad gan..I throway salute oooo

President Goodluck Jonathan will on September 23, become the first Nigerian leader to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange,NYSE, DailyPost can
authoritatively report.

The Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof.
Ade Adefuye, had in a statement disclosed that
Mr. Jonathan will meet with key industry players
in agriculture, power and infrastructure during his stay
in the country.

The Diplomat also noted that investors would be
provided with information on the steps that the
government had taken so far to attract foreign
investments.

He disclosed that a team of Nigerian Ministers, led by
the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, would be in Washington on September
20, to further underscore the positive changes the
government had made.

DailyPost was reliably informed that some top government officials that will make the trip include Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, Segun Aganga, Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Ag. Minister ƒσя Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri and Director-General, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Arunma Oteh

Our source in New York added that Mr. Jonathan
would hold meetings with top executives of companies
doing business in Nigeria. They are Coca Cola, General
Electric, Procter and Gamble, Chevron, among others.

Relatively, Mr. Jonathan and United States President,
Barack Obama, will meet next week in New York.

Both leaders will also be addressing the annual United
Nations General Assembly next Tuesday; UN and
Nigerian official sources had disclosed over the
weekend.

Last month, a top U.S. Government official, Ms. Wendy
Sherman, leading the American delegation to a U.S-
Nigeria Bi-National Commission in Abuja, had
presented to Jonathan a letter from his American
counterpart, reviewing the diplomatic relationship
between both countries and inviting the former to a
meeting in New York.

The meeting bewtween the duo is to calm nerves in
the wake of Obama’s snub of Nigeria during his recent
trip to Africa.

Source:dailypost.com.ng/2013/09/16/jonathan-to-ring-closing-bell-at-new-york-stock-exchange/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=jonathan-to-ring-closing-bell-at-new-york-stock-exchange

So bros GBAWE mislead us

If Fani Kayode has done this basic things..Oduah would have been thinking of how to compete with Heathrow and JFK..but sadly we ve got to start somwhere..

Thanks Oduah and GEJ for gradually restoring our pride in the eyes of visitors

Finally we made frontpage ...
Oga gbawe thanks for this "POST OF THE YEAR"...

drnoel: U people should read in between lines before commenting. The new says first quarter of 2013 which has passed. Why is the meter company not setup yet.

Y are you trying to capitalize on a typo error by businessday..that article was first published on 13 septmeber 2013...so this is not like Gbawe is reminding us of an old news...

taharqa2: Hehehehehe.......laugh wan killi me now

...bros Gbawe has done well...don't you think so?

theoctopus: Front page please. A masterpiece from Gbawe.


https://www.nairaland.com/1440456/multi-billion-naira-meter-assembly-plant#18145614

Seconded....

awodman: MOJEC International is one of the companies engaged
by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to sell
and install meters under the newly introduced Credit
Advance Payment Metering Implementation Scheme
(CAPMI).

The factory to be sited along Oshodi/Isolo Expressway
will be funded by the Bank of Industry (BoI).

Clear evidence that the power sector reforms and the recent strengthning of Bank of industry by the GEJ adminstration is working...Good one Gbawe!!!..Nairaland needs more of this from you..

But Gbawe why are you now interested in this privatization...does it mean you agree that GEJ govt is on the right path as regards solving nigeria's electricity problem...