₦airaland Forum

nethacker:
well said.u just said my mind. If he had said micreants and thugs,i will agree.but beggars on dat streets of NY  [size=21pt]lailai  [/size]

Seriously?

MrCrackles:
GBAM!!!
Good job i am not Nigerian. . . . 

Nonsense, we tie you down wit marine rope!!!!!

Yawa gas!

[size=14pt]Investigate Yar’Adua’s adviser on NASS, says Igbini[/size]
National News Dec 7, 2009

By Emma Amaize
WARRI — A chieftain of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in Delta State, Mr. Emmanuel Igbini, yesterday called on the State Security Service (SSS) and other security agencies to probe the role of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Muhammed Abba-Aji, in the assumed scuttling of transmission of President Yar’Adua’s letter of temporary absence to the National Assembly.

According to him, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, should also be blamed for the development.

Igbini said in a press statement in Warri that he was surprised to read a report by a national newspaper that Senator Abba-Aji decided to withhold the letter from the National Assembly after reading the content and, thereafter, recruited the Minister of Justice to support his game plan.

According to him, “in view of the seriousness of the implication of the said report on the unity, peace, democracy and security on Nigeria, it has become very urgent and imperative for me to demand that an urgent full scale investigation be commenced into this report by the State Security Services and all other security agents.”

“This is with a view to unravelling the facts and bring to full justice anyone found guilty of scuttling President Yar Adua’s directive.

“To this effect, the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Abba-Aji, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, principal secretary to president, Mr David Edevbie, as well as Thisday Newspaper must be fully investigated to ascertain the whole truth and the role each one played, if any.

“To disobey the directive of Mr President and to act deliberately to mislead the president is a very serious crime likened to treason and must be dealt with accordingly.”

According to him, “what is even more disturbing is the fact that the Vice President, Dr. Jonathan, has severally admitted to speaking with President Yar Adua, the questions now are: why didn’t President Yar’ Adua use these opportunities to inform the vice president of his directive to transmit to the National Assembly his temporary absence?

“Why didn’t the vice president demand clarification from Mr President regarding the said directive allegedly to Mr David Edevbie to handover all files to the vice president?

“These are the salient but very pertinent questions that must be answered by all allegedly involved.
Let me state here that it is evil for anyone to seek the resignation of the vice president or deputy governor in matter like this.

Section 145 does not require the resignation of the vice president for there to be an acting president during the temporal absence of Mr President.

“Section 145 does not also require the approval of the National Assembly for the president to resume duty as president anytime within the said period of absence contrary to the fear allegedly expressed by Senator Abba- Aji , which he said informed his decision to withhold delivery of Mr President’s letter to the National Assembly.

“I still maintain that for the purposes of peace and the equal right and opportunity of all geopolitical zones of Nigeria to lead our nation at that highest level, the present zoning arrangement must be protected and obeyed. To this effect, Vice President Jonathan of the South- South must not take over from President Yar’ Adua on permanent basis till 2011.

“The Northwest geo-political zone must be allowed to exhaust its turn (2007 – 2015) tenure. To do otherwise will be to deny the numerically disadvantaged South- South the opportunity to produce Nigeria’s president come 2015 – 2023”, he asserted.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/12/07/investigate-yaraduas-adviser-on-nass-says-igbini/

Pharoh:
I am not even sure if to call it pretending anymore or selfishness and you know how nigerians behave behind the PC. Okay let me use myself as an example to give you a clue.

During my undergraduate studies we were six Nigerians, five Yoruba's and one me the outsider. I believed we were all one until i heard what was going on between my back all because i am omo IGBO.

Tribalism is as a result of our failed federal setup.
Every body sees the FG as an enemy to suspect (one that nonetheless provides our meals) and their kinsmen the only people they can rely on.

chosen04:
What figure of speech is this?

I dont seem to get. U mean the Igbo man will become President after you? or at same time with you?
Pls tell us in the language we will understand.

How? Becomerich only sprrreaks enggrrish .

Sky Blue:
No worries, not necessarily irritated with your whole post, just the 'purging my brain of the western picture' part; thought it was unecessary and uncalled for.

Now to address your posts. I assume we agree that the cheapest path should be followed, right? This is the thing. At current and with the level of development and research in such fields, "going green" isn't necessarily the cheapest (something you seem to advocate for domestic consumption). Research in Africa is important because technology or the specifics of a research is hardly ever given away for free; that is why countries like America are able to dangle nuclear know how over the the heads of certain countries and use it as a bargaining chip, because they have researched and have the know how, they have the knowledge. Hence, for Africa to 'do it itself', it might need to do some research itself too to obtain solutions that are suited to us. I am not saying we close our eyes to solutions already out there, but as I have said, solar energy is not even fully harnessed in developed countries, and it is difficult to find buildings that rely soleley on such. What percentage of Australia's energy is from solar energy? How many corporate buildings or industries in Australia are completely run on solar power?

Don't take it that way, I wasn't being intentionally rude at all. People always complain that I can be quite blunt, so please no vex.

Yes, research is important without doubt and traditionally, universities provide fertile ground. But we've got to face the reality that our leaders don't see value in education (as an example, ASUU strike just ended), so development and research might be better if driven by the community instead. The people make money and the nation develops. So we can deal with global warming and develop technologically on the cheap as well.

Solar energy is not fully harnessed in developed country for the simple reason that they don't have the luxury of proper sunlight; in extreme situations, you even have countries like Finland having night time (or twilight) lasting for months! As you pointed out, Australia is a hot country that should be different; while they don't currently have a high percentage of their energy deriving from solar, they are going into it big time. In 2010 they will publicise succesful tenders for a 1000 megawatt solar energy plant http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE54G0C820090517

^
Frankly speaking I don't see what issue you are talking about, the argument you are making or why you are irritated by a harmless statement. Surely, the easiest way to develop is the cheapest way?

You raised my attention to the fact that we should follow the cheapest path, I have simply expanded on that. I don't see the connection with African universities, research and our finding immediate solutions; what if these schools are not able to fund research in the next couple of decades?
In any event, there are already proven technologies that are suited to hot climates (do some googling).

As for Australia, here's an Australian solar energy company doing things without solar cells http://www.enviromission.com.au/EVM/Company/ShowPage.aspx?CPID=1109&PageName=US%20Energy%20Analyst%20Profiles%20Solar%20Tower%20Technology:%20Solar%20Tower%20Technology%20Makes%20U.S%20Debut
Australia is a leading country in solar energy and they are relying increasingly on solar energy.

Sky Blue:
Yes, we have a chance to do things differently, that is not the issue. I would prefer renewable and sustainable energy anyday, and not because of global warming. If adopting such energy means cleaner air to breathe and more forests and wildlife, then sure. However, I would only support such if it can meet the demand. You talk about renewable energy for individual homes, with the current level of development in such technologies? Are you really sure you are familiar with such technologies? I ask because I have seen them in action, they are not exactly reliable and are mostly used as back up by buildings in the west, not to mention the initially high installation cost. Funny enough, I recall a documentary I watched a while a go. Some hospital in Africa was being encouraged to use solar energy to power their needs, they could run the fridge or the the lights, not both, how enticing a prospect (I guess faced with the alternative of no power anything was something). Solar energy technology has a way to go before it becomes reliable and practical, till then I say we burn. The only reason solar energy would be attractive to anybody in Nigeria is simply because it is Nigeria and there is hardly ever power, so anything that can generate current would be welcomed.

. . .Thats why we have to do it ourselves. You are looking at the way it has been done in the West, but remember that the West is constrained by cold weather and poor sunshine; their feasibility studies and research directions are based on their conditions.
All over Africa, sunshine is quite strong, the length of day and night is more or less constant (not getting dark at 3pm!), so we don't have to rely on solar cells; we can have simply concentrate and convert solar heat directly, it is much more efficient and much cheaper as well.

If you purge your mind off the Western picture, you'll see things from a totally new perspective.

Me and a couple of guys a hoping to start an NGO soon on the above and similar topics. I'll be posting here about it.

Everyone (except daft people) knows that these are mixican drug catel pictures. Stop spreading falsehood.

Sky Blue:
@Beaf; worrying whether we are using the most 'fashionable' power source should be the least of our problems, we should be more worried about the most cost effective solutions. If OIL is going to prove cheaper to use to generate power and run our industries, and if it is readily available, then I say use it, burn it, whatever. The west even remotely considering trying to encourage Africa to invest in technology not yet fully developed or harnessed in the west would be nothing short of an insult.

African nations need to be racing towards industrialisation which would lift many on the continent out of poverty. Global warming was and is not caused by Africa, I mean, how much pollution does the continent generate? The issue is not whether we can do without oil, but whether doing without oil would prove to be more expensive and hence less cost effective. After all the noise making about global warming and how it is a threat to the whole world, till this day there has been NO consensus in the west over how to tackle the problem due to fear of the implications such would have on their industries and profits. What then gives them the moral justification or right to tell developing countries to compromise on rapid industrialisation driven by cheap and more readily available power sources all in the name of 'going green'? Don't be surprised, the climate summit will come and go, and the only consensus would be that "global warming is a problem". If developed nations aren't treating global warming with the urgency they espouse in their media, then why should developing countries treat it any different?

In all honesty, the way the West is running is totally wrong. Everything is centralised from gas distribution, to electricity to dealing with sewage; less developed countries like Nigeria have every opportunity to do it differently; more than anything, we need to consider our environment in the decisions we take. We already have soakaway pits and septic tanks instead of centralised sewers (not practical in Europe, US, China, Japan etc because their cold climate will freeze up everything); think about how much capital and government time we save in this way. Can we not do the same with electricity? Let every home generate its own electricity. Solar energy is also abundant enough for our cooling needs (eg AC and freezers).

I agree 100% that we need to be racing toward industralisation, but lets look very wisely before jumping. There are many cheaper routes to technology that we can follow than what obtains in the West, the West has only approached development as dictated to a large extent by climate, culture and extortion; if these things are not the same for us, we need to sit back and think up alternative routes. As a simple example, car shells, bodies and some engine parts don't need to be metal and consume so much energy to produce, we could do it with plastic (that would sort out a use for our oil ).

If industry needs to be powered by oil, then by all means lets do that, but there is no reason why the average home cannot be energy sufficient. Imagine how much that would save in aluminum wires purchases and government time.

Ibime:
The West is trying to rig the energy market.

Abeg, we no do jor. Development first, climate change later.

Besides, the kain cold wey dey hit us for London these days, I cant wait for climate change to hurry up and come.

But bros, global warming means the gulf stream will likely stop and UK will become like the north pole.

^
Not funny.
Oyibo people with their cold climate are trying to harness solar energy, while we who are near the equator are trying to harness oil. Oil will go out of fashion as an energy source in the next 20 years.

We have solar energy in abundance, yet we don't know what to do with it. We can do without oil if only our "leaders" would see that.

We also stand to lose the most from climate change. so we cannot do without planning for it.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=363457.msg5071316#msg5071316 date=1260270269]fashola no fit dey on top of de ticket for 2011 because all political parties agree say na south go rule for 8 years, followed by north for another 8. de ribadu/fashola ticket meet de requirements of de agreement. maybe dis ticket go deal a death blow to pdp as far as presidency dey concerned.

@beaf, i understand ya feeling about tinubu but i no tink say ribadu fit become puppet to tinubu. i like de ticket.[/quote]Saraki never seems to be too far away from Tinubu. I wouldn't discount undue influence.

stillwater:
. . .
All true. I'm just tired of talking without no headway. Our fathers have been rubbing minds for so long, nothing happened. So we should still continue on that same route?

If the country is currently set up to be tribalistic (yes, tribalism is only a symptom of underlying structural problems), what are the alternatives than to reach out and rub minds in the hope that critical mass will be acheived? The alternative are bloodshed or some stroke of good fortune.

^
@paddy_lo

When people disagree with you it doesn't mean they are fighting with you or it is somehow personal. Don't always degrade your arguments with unecessarily defensive or offensive language. There is nothing in the words you are responding to that deserves such a response as you've given above.
A lot of the time you come up with good positions, but they get lost because most people don't want high bp because they are on NL and they might just gloss over your stuff.

I think ~Bluetooth means billionaire in terms of google search hits.

And yes, the World wants to know who Goodluck Jonathan is, several Western countries (the US is prominent) have already begun either creating diplomatic links or sending out diplomatic feelers.

To foreigners, Goodluck Jonathan for a number of reasons, is the best placed Nigerian to deliver the goods in every direction.

mbulela:
I find this talk about Sanusi's islamic scholarship childish and silly.
Who refers to Akingbola's pastorship or that dude that ran Omega bank aground that was a reverend.
Yet every keeps talking about his islamic scholarship as if it limits him rom executing his responsibilities.
it is a cheap shot that reveals the small mindedness off those who use it.

Sorry, you are going in the wrong direction; Sharia is not religion, Sharia is not Islam; don't mix up matters or you might be labelled as mischievous.

A Muslim's faith does not depend on Sharia and Prophet Muhammad did not practice Sharia.
If Akingbola was a member of "prophetess" Helen Ukpabio's Liberty Gospel Church, you would have a case. Any modern day school of thought that accepts slavery, amputation, stoning to death etc like Sharia does, is just as primitive as Helen Ukpabio's child witch beliefs. We don't need primitive minds on the national stage.

stillwater:
Aren't you people not tired of talking? This topic is one of the many recycled discourse here on this section. You think your leaders don't know the right thing to do but for selfish reasons they do the opposite. Even a primary 2 girl already knows what is wrong with Nigeria and how to change it.

No offense @beaf.

Believe me, the thinkers and true leaders of tomorrow are never tired of discussing topics like this one. Everyone might know "what is wrong with Nigeria", but without constant rubbing of minds, we could get it wrong when the opportunity presents itself. So, talk about it again and again we must; until the day one of us either comes up with a fresh, novel and unassailable angle or we get the political break.

In order to act on this issue, we must empower ourselves. Knowledge is the most important form of empowerment (especially for the younger ones - teenagers and twenty somethings).

@topic
We've had sjeezy make the extraordinary claim that Nigeria is not yet ready for free and fair elections.
Rather than improving over the years, tribalism has worsened exponentially and in recent years, begun to attain truely dangerous proportions.
There have always been problems between North and South (or more accurately, between the South and the Northern Caliphate), even then, the tribalism of the 50's and earlier pales into insignificance compared to what obtains today. That is because, before the discovery of oil, we had something akin to true federalism.

What we need do to move forward at this time is, honestly identify those things that make us belong in one country (the things that unite us) and also honestly identify those things which separate us. Let us see if there are bridges or if those bridges have been permanently breached and we are only waiting for the worst.

^
It aint warped reasoning. Not at all!
You appreciate others better when you are part of a multi-cultural environment.

I have always sworn that I will vote for Ribadu if he ever ran for president.
With the drug trade tainted Tinubu forming a part of the ticket, it will be a no no. Tinubu being party boss just ridicules to pieces, any anti-corruption fulcrum Ribadu might want to hinge on.

Has anybody heard of Northern Union, the hardline breakaway from Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)? Well thats Saraki again, he broke away because he considered ACF has become too soft and had lost control of power. The formation of the Northern Union is a statement of Saraki's grand plans for the country.

Things begin to come together when you realise that Saraki's Northern Union is the main force pushing for Yar Adua to continue in 2011 despite his obvious incapacity (someone desperately wants to be the puppet master) http://leadershipnigeria.com/index.php/news/headlines/8725-2011-northern-union-seeks-second-term-for-yaradua.
The Saraki name was also at the forefront of those with access to Yar Adua in Saudi Arabia, it is his Northern Union that has threatened war, should Goodluck Jonathan ever be sworn in http://allafrica.com/stories/200912040725.html

Saraki's use of Societe General bank in the past, as a cash cow to fraudulently finance his political ambition is something that hunts him daily. There is the constant need to bury investigations by both the CBN and EFCC. This taken with his quest to control and pillage the nation, makes this story of his alleged control of the CBN all the more plausible.

^
Very big mistake. You sound like sjeezy.

Each time there is talk of a national conference, there is vehement disaproval from the Northern cabals, making it seem that "national unity" is of benefit only to certain sections (rather than for all). Yet, it is fundamental that consensus be obtained on why and how we should be united.

There has already been one brutal civil war, also recently there have been several serious human rights abuses in the Niger Delta and the Middle Belt. Indeed, the only thing uniting us today seems, on the one hand to be easy money from oil and on the other, the threat of extreme and beastly violence from a military that should be protecting us all.

The failure of our "federal" system can be seen in the discomfiture of the "federating" units; there are feelings of injustice, feelings of being threatened, the fear of domination, descrimination and insecurity. A plethora of seemingly one sided government policies have only heightened the sense of regional isolation in todays Nigeria eg lop-sided military demographics, federal character, federal police, quota system, degradation of derivation and resource control.

With the recent heating up of the polity on the presidents health (and the rolling out of drums of war), there is no better time than now to ask the question; what unites Nigeria, if anything?
The foundation is faulty, can we fix it and prosper, or do we bury our heads in the sand and wait for the inevitable?

A federation (Latin: foedus, foederis, 'covenant'), also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government.

The form of government or constitutional structure found in a federation is known as federalism (see also federalism as a political philosophy). It can be considered the opposite of another system, the unitary state. . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation

A unitary state is a sovereign state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions (subnational units) exercise only powers that the central government chooses to delegate. Many states in the world have a unitary system of government.

Unitary states are contrasted with federal states (federations):

    * In a unitary state, subnational units are created and abolished and their powers may be broadened and narrowed, by the central government. Although political power in unitary states may be delegated through devolution to local government by statute, the central government remains supreme; it may abrogate the acts of devolved governments or curtail their powers. . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_state

Quite clearly, Nigeria is a unitary state, pretending to be federal. Why are we fooling ourselves?
In order to resolve issues of national unity and the "National Question", we need to take an honest look at ourselves.

Some questions to punder
Why is the creation of states a weapon (yes, you heard right) in the hands of the powers that be?
Why is the country not developed after 49 years (next year will be our silver jubilee)?
How sensible is it for a non-imperial democratic state with a massive and ethnically diverse population to run as a unitary system?

I like anything to do with Reuben Abati or Edwin Madunagu.

70% of Nigerians are poor because we have oil. Foreigners drill it and middlemen pocket the dosh. . . Poor person no dey dat equation.

^
After the way some have behaved over this "our turn" issue (witness the disgrace in PDP Katsina were they're getting thugs to harass "dissenters", its time to put a nail in the coffin of rotation. Let the best man rule us, if Jonathan takes over and turns out to be good, why should he not continue beyond 2011?

Is it good governance or "turn by turn" that will develop the country and put meals on our tables?

The Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Muttaqha Rabe Darma is also fingered as one of the leading arrows in the offensive against those opposed to President Yar Adua.

Its not about Yar Adua's health, its about the money. . .

What is the problem with our politicians?

. . .Danger lights don begin flash.

[size=14pt]Masari in danger over YarAdua[/size]
Idris Akinbanjo
December 7, 2009 10:59AMT


The drama sorrounding the health of president Umar Musa Yar’Adua and his ability to remain in office took a turn for the worst yesterday when a meeting of party chairmen from the 34 local government chapters of Katsina State agreed to punish the six “wayward” Katsina politicians who had dared to demand that the president resign on the grounds of ill-health. The meeting was presided over by the state’s People’s Democratic Party chairman.

“Each party chairman arrived the venue with truck loads of supporters and thugs. Among their missions was to get the party’s nod to attack the homes and properties of the six Katsina State indigenes who signed the petition calling for the President’s resignation” our sources said.

Restrained by the heavy presence of a police anti-riot detachment at the meeting, the angry delegates who had planned a rally after the meeting resolved instead to adopt the position of the local party charman calling for the dismissal of Aminu Masari, former speaker of the House of Representatives who was also a signatory had lend his voice to the call that the president resigns.

The letter

“The local chairmen submitted a letter requesting the dismissal of Masari. But you know, because Masari is a national officer, the state party cannot just expel him. So the state party leadership promised two things: They promised to forward the demand of the local chieftains to the national secretariat of the party and they also promised that something positive will come out of it,” a source at the meeting told NEXT.

Usman Bugaje,former member of the House of Representatives and signatory to the President’s resignation letter told NEXT that he also heard of the threat to attack them. “Yes, I heard about it,” Mr Bugaje said in a telephone interview.

Mr. Bugaje said the planned attack was by those he characterized as “just a few PDP sect” adding that “it is not like Katsina people are attacking. The people who are behind it are known for thuggery.” Mr. Bugaje is the National Secretary of the Action Congress [AC].

When asked if he reported the threat to the security operatives, Mr Bugaje responded by saying, “which security operatives? I don’t think Nigerian police are too different from the PDP.” Political commentators in Katsina told NEXT that the set up to the meeting was the Friday, December 4 broadcast on the British Broadcasting Cooperation Hausa service by Zubairu Gafai, a PDP chieftain and Mr Yar’Adua’s first cousin, who stated that “we will go after each and every Katsina man that signed that document.” The Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Muttaqha Rabe Darma is also fingered as one of the leading arrows in the offensive against those opposed to President Yar Adua.

Masari again

Prior to his statement on the BBC, Mr. Gafai, accompanied by other chieftains of the PDP, had visited the Emir of Katsina, where, NEXT learnt, the group complained bitterly to the Emir about Mr. Masari’s involvement in the call for the President’s resignation; requesting that the emir strip Mr Masari of his title as the Dallatun Katsina.

The Emir, speaking through a member of his council, NEXT learnt, said they would look into the request. Mr Masari is considered in Katsina politics as leading the opposition to Mr. Yar Adua’s second term in office. Mr Masari could not be reached on phone.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5492492-146/story.csp