₦airaland Forum

@Poster can you outline in detail how u would have tackled the various developmental challenges GEJ is facing if u were the president.
@ OP: Are u looking for that job?

If you patiently go through the above write up, you will find a link below and to confirm I didn't write this, I saw it while I was informing myself online and decided to share, cos i found some sense in it...
I hope that answer your question and mind you, I'm not looking for the Job..

I bought the two novels as soon as it was introduced, and read them both in the space of two days each and sold them off when am done, for real Potters Wheel is interesting but not as interesting as the Successor, thou at first glance(through the first 3 chapters) may sound boring, in the end, the Novel was worth the price,

President Goodluck Jonathan seems to have become extremely unpopular with the electorate only few months after an overwhelming victory at the polls. Is it due to bad policies or bad communication?

First of all, I will like to stress the fact that the term “overwhelming victory” is relative and subjective. It is according to INEC’s election results which we all know have never been flawless. That aside, President Jonathan’s low acceptability rating is not surprising to some of us who knew that he was not in any way prepared for the huge responsibility entrusted on his shoulders. GEJ is a product and a beneficiary of this same corrupt and inefficient system that we have been trying to change. He has been part of government as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, Acting President and now Substantive President. Sadly, the experience and maturity he is assumed to have garnered over the years is not reflecting in the quality of his governance.



I put this down to a combination of the following factors:



a. Lack of a clear vision and purpose of what Nigeria’s priorities were when he assumed duty and what they still are today. GEJ came with the impression that it would be business as usual. He was not ready at all. He didn’t have a clear agenda; forget about the noise on transformation. There was no strategy in place.



b. Gross underestimation of the enormity of the task of turning the nation around at this critical period. To transform a country requires a great deal of courage, discipline, forthrightness and focus on the part of the leader. GEJ does not possess these qualities. As I said earlier, he is a product and beneficiary of this system. How can he be the best person to transform the country? GEJ came to equity with soiled and tainted hands.



c. Lack of a clear and discernible communication policy and strategy. What is the strategy driving communication in this government? Nobody has taken time to expressly define what the communication message will be; how it will be communicated; by who and when? Also there is a clear overlap of functions, almost bordering on redundancy and repetition. The President speaks, Dr. Reuben Abati speaks; Labaran Maku speaks. When you aggregate all their views and content-analyse their messages, you get lost and confused. The President is not being well groomed on what to say and how to say it. Look at his first broadcast in the heat of the fuel subsidy removal crisis. It was lack-lustre. He was timid; his words lacked power; his poise was un-presidential. This Government speaks as it remembers there is something to be said. But it should not be so. In strategic communication, even if there is something to be said, the WHEN and HOW are key issues that should be sorted



Is the president a bad president or a bad communicator or is he both?

He is both. I watched him during the PDP Presidential Primaries at Eagle Square, Abuja while responding to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s address. I was alarmed because he was not strategic in his comments and he was gesticulating like someone who was jittery and under immense pressure. He was the sitting President, so you would have expected some level of calmness, maturity and composure. Rather, he was talking like a militant (apologies). So, to that extent he is a bad communicator. Secondly, he has not been proved to be a good President in the sense that he has not been sincere with us. As at the time he was campaigning for the Presidency, he should have had an inkling of what the thrust of his economic policies would be. How come he didn’t mention it to us at all? Head or tail, he is the loser here: if he says he didn’t know he will remove fuel subsidy, that means he didn’t have a long-term assessment of the economy during his campaign strategy session. If he says he knew he would do it, why didn’t he tell us?



Secondly, he is a bad President on the strength of his lack of duty to take care and the failure to consult widely with all stakeholders before announcing the removal in a most annoying and surreptitious manner. He brought out the fuel subsidy removal joker on the first day of the New Year while Nigerians were still savouring the joy of making it into 2012.



Thirdly, he is a bad President on the account of his failure and inability to instill discipline in the management of the economy. Corruption has been allowed to fester with so much aplomb. What is his justification for remaining in office with the staggering revelations of monumental fraud in the oil industry?

Fourthly, he has failed to rise above party politics to appoint the right people into key positions in the economy.



The Special Adviser on media to the President, Rueben Abati, is a renowned journalist who was highly respected in the industry. Why is the president’s image not at its best?

You have said it. Dr. Reuben Abati is a journalist; he is not a trained and experienced reputation manager. They are two different role functions. Journalism or Mass Communication is just an aspect of Public Relations or Reputation Management. Communication is one of the key elements of reputation management, but in the reputation management matrix, communication is a means and not an end in itself. Dr. Abati at best will prepare press releases and ensure they are used by the media. Who in this GEJ administration is the strategic thinker who is advising on how the reputation of President, the government and its functionaries should be built and managed? Who is ensuring that this government walks its talk and deals fairly with us? Who is advising GEJ not to say some of the embarrassing things he says? This government has accumulated a huge reputation deficit that will take years of sincere, consistent and purposeful governance to address. It is not about rabble rousing or issuing press statements. It is about being able to analyse trends, predict events, constructively engage with key stakeholder groups, enthrone a culture of excellence in all its ramifications in government and communicate clearly and consistently. With the analysis I have done above, you will agree with me that Dr. Abati, with due respect, is not equipped and suitable for the job they are asking him to do.



But, let me shock you. Even the best reputation manager in the world will find it difficult to manage the reputation of the GEJ administration. This is because it is the PDP and its clusters of cabals that are ruling this country. That means there is no room for merit, fairness, transparency, equity and justice in the administration of the country. These are the pillars of a sound reputation management policy. You do not say one thing and do another and expect to have a good reputation. A good reputation cannot be decreed into existence by presidential fiat or wished for. It has to be earned through hard work, sincerity and consistency.



For instance, some reasoned that the recent fuel subsidy removal was not well communicated to the public, what do you think is the best way to handle such?

I have touched partially on this in my responses to previous questions. The single most critical issue that was deliberately overlooked is sincerity. This government has squandered the goodwill that brought it to power on the altar of arrogance and disrespect for the people of Nigeria. The fuel subsidy removal decision was ill-conceived, mis-timed and wrongly delivered. A major policy like that which affects the lives of every Nigerian should not have been shrouded in secrecy and left to the PPPRA to handle. It will shock you to know that key figures in the economic management team of this administration did not know that the decision was going to be made on January 1. So, there wasn’t enough consultation; there wasn’t enough sensitisation and enlightenment campaign (what NNPC did was a charade and more of a fait accompli stuff: take it or leave it). Enough time was not devoted to consultations and communication.



After bungling the first phase in terms of inadequate consultation and poor communication, government still went ahead to grandstand by insisting after its FEC meeting that there was no going back on the subsidy removal. How could less than 50 people decide the fate of over 160 million people in such a rude, crude, disrespectful and carefree manner? Even the House of Representatives’ resolution urging government to revert to the old price was ignored and spurned. So, in all areas, government invited the reputation dent that it got during the Occupy Nigeria protests.



If you were to handle the communication arm of the presidency, what will you do differently?

I will insist on a re-definition of the job function. It has to be something that revolves around reputation management because that is the issue at stake here not just media and publicity. The media is an important stakeholder group to government, but it is just one of the numerous stakeholders. So, whoever is occupying that position must have the broadness of mind, clarity of vision and maturity of reasoning to carry all stakeholders along. Secondly, I will insist on having inputs into policy formulation from the point of view of a Public Relations professional because once a bad policy is formulated and implemented, government suffers a reputation dent. I will have to be a member of the Federal Executive Council, and not just an observer or an occasional attendee. You see, most of the people in government, including the President, do not know the implications of most of the things they say or do. They do not understand how these things are received by the people they govern. Only a reputation management professional will appreciate that. Thirdly, I will request for a full complement of competent professional colleagues, not political jobbers, to work with me.



Is the president’s dressing communicating the right message?

There is nothing wrong with his style of dressing. Previous civilian presidents chose the attire of their tribes and that was not an issue. What will communicate the right message to Nigerians about GEJ’s administration is the way he deals with corruption and other malfeasance that have pilloried our nation. It is what he does with poverty, unemployment, injustice and other social vices that matter to the average Nigerian struggling to eke out a decent living. That is the main issue for now. What he does with the economy and how he is able to tame the menace of Boko Haram are more important to me than what he wears.


Your View About The Above Article Please:

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/03/09/jonathan-needs-a-reputation-manager/

I reside around Ojodu Area, So where can you refer me to please?

xavier3g:
Anybody that read the story above will know that it does not make sense.

Seconded,

Imagine AFP Said 30 Dead with confirmation from a Medical Official
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hUGLCxp_dY5O-ubE_CjNq1fO-CJA?docId=CNG.f13de0108ae1c7f81766bf946431112b.891

And the Post here says,

[size=8pt]According to an eye witness, it was members of JTF that arrested a suspect and killed eight others in their attempt to unleash terror on the innocent traders.[/size]

I've this chick bought me a cologne and refused to turn it in cos i offend her, and i sure don't know what i did,

Goldieluks:
If only you have the ability to think critically, you'd have been able to ascertain from my first reply that your a victim of your own gullibilty. Try reading the meaning of words using a diverse approach to it, it would help you a long way, stop sticking to just one meaning only, and stop usin gjust dictionaries to define words, you've got stuffs like bing and google,those search engine are not just there for you to look for insultive words only. Try using it to your own advantage. My 5 pence of advise, take it or leave it! And lastly, stop sounding mean, cause you don't know me neither do I know you, our first time of conversing. Do try and be nice next time. Nuff said!

@Goldieluks, If i were you, i would have stop here (the bold part), than go on with the blind argument, cos to be neutral, i don't see Him reasoning with you, instead being sentimental and taking things personal just to make you accept His view about His thought,

No Offense @Ch@nges, Free the Young Lady cos she's been clear enough,

I have passion for Music and its production and looking to make that dream of becoming a D.J & Audio Tecnologits/Music Producer come alive, The problem I'm having now is my People(family) wanting to send me to school to get a degree,(even thou i'll so much love to study Sociology) and not too interested in sending me to a music school to become who i want to be, , I'm trying to come up with some money to get myself skilled,even as a teenager,  but i need help in finding a better one that allow me the chance to pay installmentally,

Does anyone have an Idea of a Great place to Learn/Study D.J and Audio Technology/Music Production

#Question of The DAY!
Which would you prefer to have an Hour Dinner With??
#DAVID BECKHAM@[footballer]
#DAVID OYEDEPO@[bishop]
#DAVID MARK@[politician]

<STATE REASONS>

[b]January 25, 2012
The Area Manager,
PHCN,
Lagos


Dear Sir,
COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR SERVICES

I am writing to you with a deep sense of humility and gentleness. I consider this a great opportunity to communicate with an entity as awe-inspiring as yourself. Firstly, I bring greetings to you from residents of my area in Lagos.

As a dutiful citizen, I consider this letter as part of my civic responsibilities. Great countries comprise of citizens who are alive to their responsibilities. As a famous musician once said, "Ask not what your country can eat from you but what you can eat from your country."

I have benefited immensely from this country; therefore I have decided to give back.

I want to bring to your notice some strange occurrences which have been happening in my area. I want to sadly inform you that in the last 2 weeks, electricity has been stable. In other words, we sleep and wake up with electricity, we go to work and come back and electricity is still running. This is a terribly new and I must add DANGEROUS development in the lives of residents of my area. This is something we are not used to. This is too much electricity for us to handle. In the first week of constant electricity, I started acting strangely. I ironed all my clothes because I didn't know when "light" will be impounded on your orders. After 2 days, the "light" was still there. Therefore, I proceeded to re-iron the ironed clothes. My fridge which had not seen "4 hours" of constant light for months suddenly started freezing. In order to enjoy the maximum effects of refrigeration, I have decided to be drinking 20 cups of cold water before I go to sleep. Once I finish a cup, I put the bottle back into the fridge. After 10 minutes, the water cools and I drink. I just don't know what to do. All the Ceiling fans in my house have been switched on alongside my AC. My deck is playing at a high level. My life is now in state of chaos because of constant "light". My TV and VCD player are complaining of high blood pressure, as they have been terribly overworked in the last few weeks. Half of my light bulbs have gone on strike to protest their resurrection from blissful death.

All the customers in the beer parlor beside my house are complaining that the beer is too cold and wants to destroy their teeth. Even the rats and cockroaches are complaining that human assailants find it easier to track and exterminate them under electric light than under candlelight.

All the witches and wizards that regularly visited me in my sleep have suddenly taken flight in the presence of "light". Now I have to review my membership of MFM (Mountain of Fire and Miracles) since their work has been done. Can you imagine what will happen to the membership of churches if constant 'light' persists? No more demons meaning No more offerings.

With the above situation not abating, I decided to seek the reason behind this strange situation. This task was made easy for me when I realized that it was the work of saboteurs. Sabotage is the main reason for anything going wrong / right in our country. Our elections were sabotaged, our president's health is being sabotaged. Therefore this constant "light" is the handiwork of saboteurs within your work system. These disgruntled individuals are enemies of progress who want you miss your set targets. These enemies want you to score very low on your KPI assessment. I realized this fact when I stumbled on a document showing your Key Performance Indicators for every month. These are:

1. Explosive growth in the amount of Candle-lit dinners and balcony-bedrooms

2. Massive boom in the sales of Candles, torchlight, generators, inverters and lanterns

3. Increased work place productivity due to Employees spending at least 16 hours at work because there is no light at home

4. Massive growth of Rock music fan clubs being aided by the endless sound of generators that are switched on overnight.

5. Volume of human blood being sucked by mosquitoes unchallenged by ceiling/standing fans

6. Incidence of heat rashes

7. Large Increase in Naming ceremonies: When people have no light at home, what else do they do with their time other than *******?


Sir, I strongly feel that the above achievements will not be possible if we keep on having "light". The saboteurs in your workplace will make you look silly and incapable in front of your bosses. The repercussions of this charade would be unbearable. This is why I am writing to you now. As a responsible citizen, if I do not volunteer this information, I know that I will be the one to suffer. The day you realize that I have been enjoying endless light for 2 weeks, you will pay me back with 2 black months. The end will be worse than the beginning, thereof. I am at a crossroad. This is a major dilemma. Should I keep quiet? No I won't. This is because Evil triumphs when Good Men keep silent. Your incompetent staffs have left the light switch on and gone to sleep. I know you will take back all that we have stolen from you but Please remember my house in the day of recompense.

Your humble servant[/b]

mikuz:
so na so craze dey start?

Na u talk am,

DONkollione:
Super crap!

Sense of Humor -1

bunmioguns:
Its only d pic dt I love most

I Love that too,

Listen to your useless analogy. When Peter Odili was governor of Rivers State, I knew 2 key member of his administration and anytime I went to Government House PH, I was given express entrance as a result of the people I was connected to at the time. When that administation ended, my access ended with it.

You were connected to, And what of those that are not connected

Some of you here need to be schooled on how to become rich.

I'm on my path to success but not by deceit sorry cos i know how to survive right from when i was very young, so i need not be schooled and have you been home schooled about it too?

High_Chief:
Ofcourse they should not only be disliked but dispersed to the vulture for fleecing their unsuspecting-miracle-seeking members. How many designers did Jesus wear when He lived, Jesus never had a personal donkey, Jesus never lived in a mansion. Jesus mingled with the poor and had his followers sell their wealths to follow Him.

Now tell me, how do you respect a pastor that has a fleet of 5private jets. How do you respect a pastor that has over 40 SUVs. How many church oversears visits his poor members to pay attention how they are living, pls dont tell me they are busy cos even Jesus had time to visit the poor.

Nigeria's biggest problem is that we are too religious and this beclouds our senses of judgment. These pastors are frauds and I dont know if its a blackman thing or something cos even the Pope still flies Alitalia which is a publich carrier flight. Honestly, any pastor that is measuring diiicks with politicians on who has more money deserves to be stoned to death. God indeed is a patience God

Someone will surely attack you with "He Wore the Best Robe",

dare2think:
Stop trying to influence people with fear. That's how the Devil operates.

Do you share the same bed with Oyedepo?, just curious to know how you are are well informed about his sleep pattern.

3hrs sleep for the past 30years?? lol  is that what he told you? and you wonder why people call him a charlatan.

Jokers.

Azin I tire ooooo,

Babzilla:
If a man chooses to fleece other that's his business and the person being fleeced.but when it affects me directly or indirectly then I gotta say something. the bible says a man's heart is where his treasure is. The way I see these pastors I know where their heart is. certain;ly not in making heaven at all.

"Who Made You A Judge Over Isreal", Expect that from someone,

pro01:
@ Topic

Simply because being rich and godly at the same time is bad enough, but having a luxurious taste (private jets, bullet-proof cars, mansions, bodyguards, etc) and yet claiming to be godly is outrageously obnoxious. My idea of forsaking the world to follow God and win souls for Him means that you MUST also forsake the petty enjjoyments of the world as well as worldly, sinful indulgences. The colonial-era missionaries proved this point excellently, and I would be inspired by their example if ever I receive the 'calling' to be a man of God. These modern day charlatans that live the rockstar, Forbes billionaire lifestyle and yet claim to be 'pastors' are despicable to say the least. If a pastor must be rich, then he should be a Mike Adenuga converted to a pastor - i.e. with verifiable prior business success before the calling. And even at that, he MUST adopt the Warren Buffet lifestyle in spite of his wealth. There is simply no room for ostentation in God's work.

Wealth fespecially ostentatious wealth) and salvation is mostly like oil and water: they simply don't mix.

I couldn't agree more,

ayox2003:
@Kolababa, do you have evidences to back these up?
Touch not Gods anointed with profane words, I plead.
Pastor Adeboye is a honorary citizen of Pennslyvania, He prayed at the UN conference 2yrs ago and he made an altar call where world leaders gave their lives to Christ. He has a Ph.d in Hydrodynamics. While he was a lecturer at unilag, he represented Nigeria at different Mathematics competitions/conferences. He used the computer for his Masters project way-back in the 60's. Pastor Adeboyes repute is more than u would possibly imagine. British Prime Minister and the Mayor of London wants to attend the prayer coneference he holds in London.
Check out for American pastors wealth and you would be flabbergasted with how much they own and noone is criticizing them.
I rather seek the God that blessed Pastor Adeboye with somuch intelligence and riches than to point accusing fingers.
Can you tell it to his face?

Your MTN Cheat dey Overreact abi

Acidosis:
It is not only the pastor my sister, they hate rich people, like dangote adenuga and the rest. Dont be surprise when nairalanders say evil about me tomorrow.

How?

Dukes83:
Personally they come off as lying, cheating, stealing, adulterous individuals, which usually take advantage of the fact that most people are religious here in Nigeria, to help further their cause in churches where there is more of a power struggle going on behind the scenes than there is in the government. Trinity House, in Lekki is one such example, the head Pastor whose name I won't mention, has a tendency to ramble on and on about his wealth, (House in Ikoyi), cars (Mercedes Jeeps) & trophy wife more than he does about the word of GOD! In the end he will expect you all to donate to his church, right! All I can say is if you have the money, invest in a church and you can have what he has, a very successful business!

Azin datz D Way Forward

stagger:
This is why. Jealous individuals who make statements like this that they cannot back up with proof. I have a classmate who is a pastor, and he uses a different car every year. I have heard outsiders say he takes money from offerings to settle himself. Meanwhile, this guy is from a rich family and is an architect by training who has handled some high profile jobs that only his closest friends are aware of.

What people do not understand, is that if you are in a job where you meet many people of all walks of life, your chance of getting connected to the high and mighty who will facilitate things for you.

Was it Adeboye who went seeking Goodluck Jonathan or the other way round?

I ask anyone who always criticizes pastors: were they created with a different brain, or with an extra head? Stevie Wonder who was born blind is making his money as a blind man. Able-bodied Nigerian men who cannot think of how to make money can only sit and criticize those who do.

In this life we live, the level of your wealth is directly commiserate to your connections. If you interact with bus conductors and vulcanizers, that is where your economic level will be.

If you are a member of the IBB Golf Club, your chances of making money will be enhanced. I met GEJ in 2006 in a Senator's house in Bayelsa because of only one thing: A CONTACT I HAD WHO FACILITATED MY ENTRANCE INTO THAT GET-TOGETHER.

Pastors have contacts. Reverend Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, Kris Okotie, Uma Ukpai, Matthew Hassan Kukah, David Ogbueli, Late Oduyemi, Archbishop ICO Kattey, Ayo Oritsejafor, Cardinal Arinze, Cardinal Olubunmi Okojie and co are not poor and they all share one thing in common.

IF THEY ALL GO TO ASO ROCK TODAY, THE DOORS CAN NEVER BE SHUT ON THEM. NEVER. THEY CAN ENTER ANY GOVERNMENT HOUSE IN NIGERIA AND GET AUDIENCE WITH THE PRESIDENT OR GOVERNOR ANYTIME THEY WANT.

But outside goons who do not understand these dynamics of how the Nigerian society and indeed any society works, will open their mouths to talk rubbish.

Cos they work hand in hand, so they are always welcome, can you visit one of their residence or the  main one the same way they visit Aso Rock above?, I bet u will be scared after being interrogated by the guard at the gate, not to talk of the one at the door,

abhosts:
I think that hostile mindset towards rich Pastors is mostly borne out of envy.

Lay more emphasis please,

nwanna89:
Because they make all that money from their congregation, and never give back to the society. They use the money to make more money (e.g opening 300k/year universities, airlines, radio stations and so on). They don't engage in any charity work. From them, its all about getting richer.

Correct

habiolah:
@plaetton; I love the naive part of your reply - lol
Jesus said when you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that all the things trhat people seek after shall be ADDED unto you. Jesus' sacrifice diddn't mean he was poor, his disciples never went hungry and without clothes because of 'sacrifice'. Some of these pastor have devoted over 40 years of their life unto God's work, and you think it's a problem if they prosper by it? If you have been working for shell company for the last 30 years, how rich do tou think you'll be? Should God perform any less?
@others; I completely agree with you.
@dare2think; are you a xtian? That doesn't mean you can't contribute o, just wanted to know why you said they are not sure that heaven is real. Because these people are more sure that heaven is real than they arre sure that dare2think is human. And spiritual salvation cannot be secondary (for the real ones) because that's what they live to preach.

An Example of a Fanatic Christian,

I'm not against them getting rich, but not at the expense of the wealth of their congregation, and I think the so called Men of God need to start declaring their asset before entering into the Ministry, I see them all as Charlatans except proven otherwise.

I am not an Anti-Christ But Anti-Religion, cos this so called Religion has cost this our Dear Country a lot, we have so many Men of God and A lot of churches scattered all over the country and we are still in this state (Do I hear someone say "Give unto Cesar what is of Cesar and Unto God what is of God?" Bulskit, And they sure have more influence on Nigerians, even greater than that of the Politicians and People tend to respect them more, yet they keep quiet to the wrong that is going on and all I hear is "Pray and Fast for the Nation", Enough of that!, are we against Peaceful Revolution; Or before Christianity or the other was brought into Nigeria, Are we not better off then,

Now I've stop believing in them and All I know is "God Truth is Absolute & He Alone knows Who is for Him and Against Him",

tlops:
[size=18pt] Buy the Song, support the Musician!!![/size]

You don buy yourself?
And Mind You, (ja no dey buy, We only Download and Pirate,

Dial *501# and enter your token to activate your account, #ServiceReply, #TRYAGAIN, , now give me a reason why I won't get a try again when i need to do an urgent transfer, Thou I support the move 60% as far as it involve my bank #GTB but i hardly use it, cos of unnecessary sms deduction monthly, even when i didn't transact, I just hope this work well and I will start using my Bank Steady,

ayolinger:
Here u go dude, send to dayvidolahui@yahoo.com,

Waiting,

Even as I neva Hear am, or watch am, I want it too, Chai, No Testing na him i won do oooo

Here u go dude, send to dayvidolahui@yahoo.com,

Waiting,

HELLO HOUSE, I URGENTLY NEED THE SUBJECT COMBINATION FOR "SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY", COS THE BROCHURE STATES, ENGLISH, GOVT AND ANY OTHER TWO ART/SOCIAL SCIENCE SUBJECT, ANY ONE HAVE ANY IDEA??

From my Putter; Why The Man (First Top Left) Com resemble Baba Suwe Like this?

“We want to subject staff, including myself, to polygraphic test every six months and any person who fails the test will be sent out.”

Why don't we subject our political leaders to this detector, when they are being sworn in or when giving thier party manifesto?

~Bluetooth:
Which kinda lie detector ? Abeg these people should be made to swear before ogun,sango,osun,esu and so on.

Correct!

Pennywise:
Lamorde has obviously been watching too much American movies.

On the other hand what he said might make sense if the lie detector can be adapted to the challenges of local Nigerian liars and thieves. And this is the difficult part because it will take a true Nigerian. We all know we are incapable of producing anything.

I swear you get am right,

mukina2:
Watch Nigerian budget presentation live @ noon.  Click here to watch it online.

Will Fuel Subsidy Removal Be discussed?

Watch it online ke?, Lai Lai fa ba da, over my living body, I would rather wait for the article, that's if i'm gonna make time to read it self, cos i sure know the major points already.

Fuel Subsidy Removal.
State Independent Power Generation. and,
The regular 7 Point Agenda.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=160937


There are good reasons to believe Goodluck Jonathan is trying to make a break from the past. He has surrounded himself with internationally renowned economists and bankers whose reputations rest on their performance.

THE issue of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria exemplifies everything that is wrong with this giant economy operating well below its potential. It reflects years of neglect of state refineries; it underlines the irony of being Africa’s biggest oil producer but also a major importer of refined fuel; it highlights the undermining of the economy by cartels; and it shows the lip service paid by the state to development.

President Goodluck Jonathan created pandemonium with his recent announcement that the historical subsidy, currently worth $7bn a year, would be removed in January next year as part of the government’s deregulation of the downstream oil sector. There was an immediate surge of hostility to the announcement right from the grassroots to the lower house of the legislature, which voted against the scheme at a sitting last week, saying it would lead to more financial hardship for Nigerians.

Economists have predicted a rapid rise in inflation and a ripple effect throughout the economy, while the unions are threatening mass action. The fuel price at the pump is about 65 naira a litre (R3,25/l ) against the current real cost of R6,95. But Jonathan has so far stood firm, to the extent of producing a four-year medium-term budget that does not include an allocation for the subsidy, which amounts to 30% of total expenditure. Supported by the head of his economic team, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, he maintains the subsidy is swallowing up funds in recurrent expenditure that could be used to build a future for the country.

The subsidy issue has been around for decades, with successive leaders trying to raise the cost of fuel but retreating in the face of widespread resistance. Nigerians maintain cheap fuel is the only benefit they get from being an oil-producing country, given that little oil money filters down into the broader economy because of years of government corruption.

The scale of Nigeria’s economic dysfunction is shown by the fact that despite it producing more than two- million barrels of oil a day, it imports almost its entire refined fuel requirement. Some of this is being siphoned off into neighbouring countries whose own unsubsidised fuel is almost three times the price of that in Nigeria.

Three of the country’s four refineries are defunct, with a fourth operating at about half of its capacity. Most point to corruption as the basis of the problem — billions of dollars earmarked for rehabilitation of the refineries have disappeared over the years.

But there is a more sinister reason — the entrenched interests of a host of unnamed people, who make huge profits from exploiting the subsidy.

In an attempt to prove good faith in its attempts to clean up the downstream sector, the government last week released details of the scheme’s beneficiaries. It listed more than 100 companies, many of which are owned by Nigeria’s richest people. They include Oando , which owns fuel stations across Nigeria and is headed by local heavyweight Wale Tinubu; Conoil, owned by Glo mobile phone billionaire Mike Adenuga; Forte Oil, owned by magnate Femi Otedola; and Integrated Oil & Gas, owned by a retired m inister. Some on the list were not fuel distributors at all, exposing fraud in the scheme.

Jonathan has outlined projects that the money will be invested in, such as infrastructure (including the refineries), urban mass-transit schemes and vocational training. But Nigerians, whose default setting is to suspect corruption in anything linked to the government, have heard all this before, from the hated military dictators and the democrats that followed them.

Newspaper reports last week said the president may overrule the legislature’s objections to the subsidy removal by executive fiat.

There are good reasons to believe Jonathan is trying to make a break from the past. He has surrounded himself with internationally renowned economists and bankers whose reputations rest on their performance.

But he has inherited a poisoned chalice. The tough decisions that should have been taken by his predecessors have coalesced in his presidency and now the impatience for change makes it difficult to implement long-term plans.

Jonathan is at a turning point. His future may rest on how he handles this thorny issue.

• Games is an independent consultant on African business.

stillwater:
Lol, I hardly read them either. Hardly? I doubt I've read one, lol. I think it's a tactic companies use. The letters are tiny, the pages are endless. Definitely not appealing.

The thing tire me too ooo,

ujchief:
Looking for the eclipse? It went pass my roof and i caught it. I'm feeding it edikan ikong soup now. Its having a nice time, sory pals, i'v got to keep this one

Believe me, Imma night you and collect the eclipse and move it to the OP's Villa,

Chai!, @OP Sry to say but your a Cousin to Retardinho Johnfoll Guffloose!,

I sometimes feel sorry for those who sat down to compose the Terms & Condition of an application, a software, a blog e.t.c.

I have never remember myself reading that for once, as I will just jump to click "Next", "OK", "I ACCEPT". & the same thing goes to "Manuals of a product, Acknowledgment of a Book, Table of Content & Sometimes Instruction of how to make a proper use of a product",

I know a lot of people that does the same thing, All I want is for you to HONESTLY share that thing you've never read and not thinking of reading.

shumno:
@poster I am a female not bros thanks.

Forgive my ignorance!!!


Thanks Y'all. Though I'm still 19 and just seeking opinion about this and i believe this is the best place to get good and the other side of the opinion, i don't think a marriage counselor can give out all this seriously, that's why i came on NL to seek public opinion,

Believe me i save every of your post that really made sense to me and i'm sure to read them in years to come to remind myself about it,

Again I'm grateful to you all,