LastSurvivor11: I wanted to doubt this story but remembered that i have read a story of someone who deposited his son for a bag of rice in kano in this same nairaland..
There no doubting this story. The cross river 1st lady already addressed it on channels TV.
Mklanceee: there is nothing else in the link.i saw it on vanguard already.everything there is already here
It has the exact details going point by point debunking his arguments. His lie about walmart being one example. Ckick hyperlink in comment you quoted.
It is at times like this that I really wonder if all sits well with Donald. President Obasanjo never signed Walmart for Tinapa.
On his allusions about Walmart I would have thought that when you are constructing a shopping mall facility, if Walmart is going to be your anchor tenant not only would they have signed an agreement pre-construction, but they will also be present at the commissioning. Furthermore, President Obasanjo left office in 2007 along with Donald. So when did this Walmart issue happen?
Sweetcollins: You are calling an ex governor a serial failure Issokay. Kwontinue
He's also an ex governor and besides duke called him a failure first.
grandstar: OBJ would never approve as he is a protectionist and it would lead to serious abuse by importers who will prefer to ship products not destined to the FTZ through it into other parts of the country
If however he gets there as president Duke can give the green light for preferential access
He didnt even bother getting approvals millions in loans. Nairaland commenters should read full interview for a clear picture. People celebrate project but it doesnt make the state any money. The dude even lied about signing walmart on.
Through a tradition called "money marriage", some young girls are being used as currency in a type of modern slavery among southern Nigeria's Becheve community.
Children are sold to men as old as 90 to settle debts or as a form of payment.
Video producers: Franklin Adegbie, Stephanie Hegarty and Mayeni Jones
Awol1: I don't know whatever Imoke must have exposed about Duke but that doesn't change the fact that Duke is one of our brightest politician.
Though I do not support Duke running his mouth, I don't think Imoke should assassinate his character
He didnt assassinate his character by speaking facts about his poorly planned projects. If he didnt want smoke he shouldn't have been taking shots all these years. Duke might have good qualities but he's like a rapper addicted to beef.
I recommend you guys go read the fule interview. Its long tough read since the author cant summarize to save his life but Imoke exposed Duke badly. His sin was staying silent letting him throw dirt on his name. It was very stupid of him.
Donald left office, because the loans fell due and there were no investors or private sector partners to manage Tinapa and ensure the loans were serviced. Debts fell due and yet he continued to borrow even beyond the N40 billion (forty billion Naira).
Tinapa was commissioned with no tenants, no gazette, no fiscal policy framework or regulations and no operating guidelines; this explains why the private sector did not buy into the project. It was commissioned without completing the hotel and the waterpark which I eventually completed.
Furthermore, free trade zones are on the Exclusive Legislative List, and state governments can neither legislate nor regulate free trade zones. And yet Tinapa was a free trade zone. So Donald puts billions of Naira of state funds into a project over which the state has no operational or regulatory control.
I was saddled with the heaviest debt burden of any state in this federation, with over 50 per cent of all the state revenues going to service the various questionable loans, thereby making it literally impossible for the state to meet its recurrent obligations, including salaries and overheads. Yet, I did not say a word of criticism. I was accused of protecting him at my own expense. Recall that in 2007, he ran for the office of president, largely on the perceived success of Tinapa. Rather than expose the facts, I chose to remain silent.
EVER—SINCE he took office as governor of Cross-River State in 2007 through his departure in 2015, Liyel Imoke has maintained a somewhat dignified silence on his predecessor, Donald Duke’s tenure in office from 1999 to 2007.
Yesterday,Imoke. however, fired back at Duke, who has been openly critical of Imoke over the years. In an interview granted www.calitown.com, and published by TheWill, Imoke described Duke as egoistic, a serial failure and someone who wouldn’t appreciate efforts that were not his.
He said, “Let me begin by saying that the reason I have not spoken all this while is three-fold. Number one is my respect for the office of governor, which we both occupied, and what it represents; number two is the commitment to the success of the Cross River State project, irrespective of our differences; and, number three – and more importantly – the fact that telling it as it is about Tinapa, for instance, would have made it near-impossible for any investor to take a second look at the project, which has cost the government and people of Cross River State over N100 billion in contingent and other liabilities. I didn’t want to put the death knell on this white elephant.
“Contrary to what Donald would have everyone believe, Tinapa failed before he left office. It was poorly conceptualised and became a burden on the state in the course of its execution. There were several policy and regulatory issues that should have been addressed either before or in the course of project implementation, as Cross River State did not have the capacity and resources to carry the burden of of sustaining a growing concern of that magnitude.
“The project was financed with loans of billions of Naira guaranteed by the state and the Federal Government. The project was supposed to pay for itself, it never did, because there were no investors. Private money only goes where it makes business sense. And the fact that no one other than the bankers to the state government, who were coerced and threatened with loss of patronage, invested in Tinapa, is clear indication of its failure ab initio in both conceptualisation and execution.
Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday night burnt down three villages in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno, in an attack that left at least seven people dead.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) gathered that the insurgents attacked and set Wanori, Kaleri and Amarwa villages on fire in a two hour operation that began at about 9:00 p.m.
Villagers said the insurgents shot indiscriminately, looted food items before setting the villages on fire.
Security sources told NAN that the insurgents were sighted on motorcycles along the Alau General Area.
“We suddenly started seeing fire from Dalori, Kaleri and Amarwa followed by continuous gunshots from these general area.
“The Alfa jet was quickly deployed to the scene but the insurgents had taken over the villages as at that time,” one of the security sources said.
A resident of Amarwa, Goni Kachalla, who fled the attack amidst the onslaught by the insurgents, said they were shooting everybody and people fled in different directions. “I am yet to locate my family members,” Mr Kachalla said, adding that the insurgents looted their belongings shouting Allahu Akbar and shooting everybody.
Usma Grema, another victim of the attack, said all houses in Kaleri were set ablaze by the attackers, adding that “the jet came and chased them away. I have lost everything.”
Bello Dabbatta, head, emergency response of the State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the attack and said the agency had deployed its personnel to the affected areas.
Mr Dabbatta said he was yet to get the number of people killed or injured.
Both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Borno Police Command also confirmed the attack, but said they would respond as soon as they have details on the incident.
Attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria’s war-ravaged northeast have increased in recent months. Over 100 soldiers have been killed and as many feared missing since mid-July alone.
The frequency and scope of the latest Boko Haram assault have alarmed security analysts and residents in the region who feared the insurgents might have regrouped.
Several military bases have been raided in recent weeks, with terrorists making away with large quantities of military equipment in virtually every raid.
Experts also blame inadequate weapons and welfare for the troops for the losses being inflicted by the terrorists.
Ask the civil engineers that advise them. They must feel its best solution for traffic management.
Qiiiii: Why are Nigerian governors really obsessed with flyovers tho. I think a research paper needs to be written about this. It's almost like their standard for what true development is
The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has reacted to the yearnings by people of the state on the need for him to redirect focus to the completion of projects flagged-off by his administration.
It would recalled that on Saturday, DAILY POST had exclusively reported how residents of the state frowned at the governor’s ceremonious penchant for the flag-off of projects than executing them.
DAILY POST reported how the Hospital/Ijoka road dualisation as well at the proposed flyover bridge were flagged off since February this year without contractors being in site till this moment, which the people have now tagged “white elephant project”.
Reacting during the visit of the “Aketi Vision Group” at the Cocoa Conference hall of the Governor’s office, Akeredolu said he is not unaware of the fears expressed by the people that projects flagged off may have been abandoned.
He explained that the Ore flyover was delayed due to consultations with the federal government and the need to get approval.
“We want to have a flyover in Ore. We Will do it. But, the Benin/ Lagos expressway is a federal road. Ore road, it’s a federal road.
“We can’t go ahead and do it without getting the approval of the federal government “We wrote the federal government because we expected them to pay us back when we finally finish the road but they wrote us back, and said they are not going to pay us back. They didn’t even tell us if we should go ahead.
“Our people don’t understand that the process takes time. But, I can assure you, very soon, we will get the approval and we will move to site soon “The dualization from ” A” division to Ijoka, in Akure, we will commence work on it soon. As you must be aware, there is only one road to lead in and out of Idanre. But we have reached an advanced stage at the construction of another road in Ijoka which will lead into Idanre.
“We are doing all these and even more. On Bitumen, we have engaged an investor, as I speak with you, all their equipment are on the sea from Germany. I can assure you, we will explore bitumen in Ondo state soon.”
Its amazing to note these new dry ports are being completed the original six concessioned in 2006. What rail if any is connecting Edo to Lagos. Dry ports are supposed to be multi-modal. Edo dry port will probably be finished before Plateau if they are inaugurating it in December.
Im guessing the the original six dry ports will be ready in this order, Plateau, Kano, Oyo, Abia, Katsina then Borno. The rail lines that will have standard guage lines first will be Oyo, Kaduna Kano, Katsina via Lagos-Kano standard guage railway. The other eventually will.
Ahead of the inauguration of the AMES-Edo Inland Dry Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to see to the completion of the project and commencement of operations at the facilities.
Shippers’ Council’s Deputy Director, Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr Glory Onojedo, said this in Benin on Monday during the physical inspection of the project by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Council (ICRC) and the NSC at Agbonmoba community near Benin.
Representatives of the Federal Ministries of Transport and Finance, South-South Chambers of Commerce and Benin Chambers of Commerce were at present at the event.
The others represented were Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Edo State Export Cluster and representatives of the host community.
The Shippers Council top official also restated the commitment of the NSC to the implementation of the project, saying that it was the wish of government that export cargo would start originating from the various states across the country.
He said that ports in the hinterland would assist in decongesting ports and roads in Lagos.
Onojedo said that government concessioned six inland dry ports in 2006 and which were currently at various stages of completion.
He said that the AMES-Edo Inland Dry Port had fulfilled substantially most of the requirements for a PPP, adding that the project was already awarded a four-star status few months ago.
“By this, it means the project is ready to go and the full might of the Federal Government is behind the project,” he said.
Mr Humphrey Azeke of the ICRC, gave assurance that the council would continue to provide the needed guideline for the regulation and implementation of the project.
Mr Kelvin Uwaibi, the Senior Special Assistant to Edo Government on Investment Promotion, said that the state government was working assiduously to see that businesses in the state thrive.
He said that the state was anxious to see the commencement of activities at the port.
Dr Charles Akhigbe, the Chief Executive Officer, Atlantique Marine Engineering Services (AMES), the Promoters of AMES-Edo Inland Dry Port, said the project, among others, would help accelerate socio-economic transformation of Edo and the South-South in general.
He said it would also drive export business of the state as well as assist in reduction of overall cost of transit cargo to landlocked neighbouring states and countries.
He said that this was because investigation had shown that 70 per cent of cargo cosigned to the Lagos Port complex was destined for the hinterland.
The only character he has demonstrated in politics so far is that of betrayal. How can a man that does not believe in his party’s ideology and can cross carpet so easily to another party be trusted to govern a State?
Lol its funny this statement is being made in this political climate. People are cross carpeting like they're ball players before trade deadline.
“On the Plateau, Shitgurum got several contracts through proxies and left many of them abandoned. How does this demonstrate capacity and competence?
Contracts fom whom and where are the judgement against him assuming the party sued him.
Lol James Ibori is still celebrated. Maybe APC could use that against him. PDP does need to investigate. it's smart thing to do.
“Even Shitgurum’s business competence is now in doubt over his handling of the Jos Inland Dry port. The Port was concession to him since 2006 and his highly celebrated business sagacity could not manifest in the completion of the Port for over 12 years and still counting, whereas the Kaduna Inland port that started long after Jos has since been commissioned and operational.
None of the 6 dry ports concesdioned in 2006 are completed. Even the Edo dry port might be ready before Plateau if they're trying to inaugurate it by December. Shitgurum's excuse is funding challenges and former governor Jang destroying structures at dry pory in 2014.
JOS, Plateau, Nigeria – The ambition of a business mogul, Geoffrey Bawa Shitgurum, to be governor of Plateau State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 may be heading for the rocks, following allegations that he had been convicted in the United Kingdom over some shady deals. He was said to have defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP last month. The PDP for Peace and Good Governance Forum, a pressure group, therefore demanded that an investigation should be carried out on the allegation.
The organisation said following the conviction in the UK, he may not be qualified to contest the Plateau State PDP governorship ticket. The National President of the forum, Rev. Jonah Pam, told journalists in Jos that the entry of Shitgurum in the political race of Plateau state will be a great minus and disservice to the party.
But when contacted, a core and unrepentant loyalist of Shitgurum who didn’t want to be mentioned dismissed the allegation, saying that was the mischief of the APC and the ruling government.
“Shitgurum is an accomplished businessmen and technocrat who has done well for himself and the nation. I don’t know why the people making the allegation decided to wait till the election period to raise the allegations. It’s the hands of Esau and voice of Jacob. In 2019, Shitgurum is taking over Plateau Government House. The APC in Plateau state is gone; they’re fretting over impending defeat”, he said.
He said “Even as the elders were happy about the defections coming into the PDP, we must not fail to point out anomalies where they occur in our journey to relevance and we must say that in this instance an anomaly has occurred which must immediately be addressed by our party if we want to be taken seriously.
“We have noticed that one of the persons who have defected to our great party, is a certain character whose presence in our party will not only spell doom for it in the current build up to the general elections but may dent our image as a party to the extent that we may not be able to recover in the near future.
“The defection of Geoffrey Bawa Shitgurum ordinarily should have been welcomed by all lovers of our party since the man has carved out an image for himself as somebody who knows his way in business and politics. But that is only a perception and we must not let such inconsequential impressions not based on any empirical evidence, make us lose sight of the bigger picture, which is what the party stands to lose if the anomy is not addressed.
“The PDP has in the past been blackmailed as a party that not only condones corruption but has been painted as one that harbours criminals. The party was still battling to recover from that blackmail when former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori who was convicted in the UK came back and rejoined the party. This is a huge burden that the party is still grappling with and is doing all within its powers to improve on its image and the perception of the people.
While that is going on at the national level ahead of the 2019 elections, in Plateau State, we have erred by allowing Shitgurum who has a similar case of conviction with him to join our party.
“We are persuaded to think that since all information may not be available to the leadership of the party at every given time and given the need to secure an advantage over our opponents, we may have overlooked certain key characteristics for party membership, especially for those who like Shitgurum want to contest for the governorship ticket of the party.
“But since it has now come out in the public domain that the man may not be what he professes to be, then it is imperative that the PDP should do the right thing and launch a special investigation into his case so that at the end day we will not end up with an exercise in fuiltiy. Shitgurum had shown that he is not to be trusted even before he defected to the PDP.”
Pam said when it was first rumoured that Shitgurum was planning to join the gubernatorial race against the incumbent Governor Simon Bako Lalong, not many took it seriously “Shitgurum is a brother and close confidant of the Governor.”
According to him, to support the position, Shitgurum quickly dismissed the rumour with the wave of the hand and called it mere fiction of rumour mongers. He said, “However, a fraudulent intent, no matter how it is carefully concealed at the outset, will generally in the end, betray itself. The rumour became a reality when the news of Shitgurum’s defection from the APC to the PDP in the state dominated the headlines last month. The media also reported his declaration to run for the office of Governor on the platform of the PDP.
“Shitgurum was acclaimed to be a seasoned business tycoon and going by this assumption, he should be able to appreciate the sanctity of trust and loyalty. Governor Lalong and the APC accepted Shitgurum and accorded him deserved recognitions in the party but he betrayed that trust and left to join forces with the opposition.
“That meant he did not only lie to the governor, he also lied to the Paramount Ruler of the Goemei nation, The Long Goemai, Mishoum Martins Sheldas. The paramount chief sensed the acrimonious tension brewing up in his domain and summoned a meeting with Godfrey Shitgurum. He asked if he has interest to contest against his brother. Shitgurum denied it out rightly only for the Chief to hear about his declaration. That is an affront to the entire Goemai nation. “The political space is wide enough to accommodate everybody’s interest. However, in electing who represent the people, we must be circumspect to guard against treacherous characters who will betray the trust of the people. Integrity, moral decency and loyalty should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics. Shitgurum affirmed that he has the character, capacity, credentials and competence to build a new Plateau. The only character he has demonstrated in politics so far is that of betrayal. How can a man that does not believe in his party’s ideology and can cross carpet so easily to another party be trusted to govern a State?
“Even Shitgurum’s business competence is now in doubt over his handling of the Jos Inland Dry port. The Port was concession to him since 2006 and his highly celebrated business sagacity could not manifest in the completion of the Port for over 12 years and still counting, whereas the Kaduna Inland port that started long after Jos has since been commissioned and operational.
“On the Plateau, Shitgurum got several contracts through proxies and left many of them abandoned. How does this demonstrate capacity and competence? The Plateau electorates have a genius for identifying pretenders. Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating the people like sheep. The PDP as it is has a surfeit of qualified and respected persons who can fly the party’s flag without attracting unnecessary negative reactions to it.
It is our suggestion that the PDP should wash its hands off anything that would be burden to it and refuse to allow its platform to be used by someone whose entry into the party would engender more problems than solutions.
“The party must use the likes of Shitgurum to set an example and sound a note of warning to others whose only interests in the party is to use its platform to cover their tracks while gunning for political offices to desist from doing so. The Plateau PDP, having produced governors for the state in the last 16 out of the near 20 years of Nigeria’s return to democracy cannot afford to compromise on integrity and might leadership standard. “The screening committee of the party must do a thorough job to investigate all those expressing interest in flying the party’s ticket. It must check thoroughly the allegations that Shitgurum especially the allegation that engaged in fraud in the UK and ensure that all materials pertaining to the case are availed the party while he should be given the chance to defend himself. If found guilty, Shitgurum should not be allowed to contest for the ticket of the party and be should be disciplined according to the party’s statutes.*
Look at Cross River State today, for someone like you who gave, let me say your all, in running the state when you were governor, how do you assess today’s Cross River State?
Honestly, I try to sever myself from Cross River State; if I do not, it would affect me. See, when I left in 2007, I left behind a state that will, five years after, be financially independent of the rest of Nigeria; that was the dream. I mean a state that would have created huge opportunities so that every Cross Riverian will thrive. But I tell you Iwara, the decline you see today didn’t start now, it started on May 29, 2007. It was the vogue to undo everything that had been done, for political expediency. Let me explain something to you. The governor of a state is a shift worker who works for a four- or eight-years shift, after which he is replaced by another governor. If every time a shift changes, you go back to foundation building or go back to the starting blocks, you can never complete work. What we are all seeing right now is an undertaker in motion. The death of CRS happened in 2007. Frankly, I don’t hold Ayade responsible, he was served a bad hand and he was ill-prepared for the job; I don’t think Ayade really understands CRS, but at this point, he is the undertaker to close down everything.
What can be done?
We need to find leadership that can restore and rebuild our state. CRS deserves better leadership than what we are seeing.
It has been bandied around that the failure of Tinapa is tied to national politics, can I have your thoughts on this submission?
No, Tinapa didn’t suffer national politics, it suffered state politics; let us not blame the rest of Nigeria. We had a governor here who claimed that Tinapa was designed in his bedroom, yet did nothing about it. The blueprint was there, my administration had carried out the first phase, which was the more difficult phase; building the place. The brick and mortar were already in place and the next thing to do was just to run it, to get it working. The people to make it work were Walmart, the American multinational retail corporation that operates hypermarkets, discount departmental stores and grocery stores, and all others. They had indicated interest but they were prevented from coming in. We should be man enough to admit that Tinapa was killed here in the state. Would we also say it was national politics that killed Obudu Ranch Resort? What has national politics got to do with these two?Nothing. We were the only state in Nigeria that had internal flights, from Calabar to Bebi, wasn’t that killed? I went to Aero Contractors after I left office when I found out that the flights had stopped and asked them why. They told me straight that the Cross River State Government said they were not interested again. How can you say that? Was it not this state that had a Reserve Fund? Recently, I was doing the calculation, the money from that Fund, by today would have been N190 billion, if we had continued the way we were going. As soon as I left office, the money in the Fund was squandered. So, let us not blame anybody but ourselves; we had poor leadership, we had selfish leadership, we had visionless leadership. That is what happened. I think that they are allusions at this point that point at former governor Liyel Imoke. What is your relationship with him now?
Civil.
What do you mean by civil?
What school did you attend? (A deep throated chuckle follows) Well, on a personal level, cordial. We can sit down here and you will not know there are any differences. But when it comes to CRS, I see him as a recurrent failure. He failed as a minister and he failed in CRS. In his public service he has failed because he has used the wrong parameters in public service. In public service, you put others first, before yourself. When you think that the whole state should revolve around you, I disagree. We are three million in this state and we are all equal stakeholders, whatever I do, I take into cognizance the one fact; what the greater good would be and not my personal good because I am transient. Liyel misused and abused his opportunity of public service, he had an opportunity to electrify and power this country but he failed. He cannot claim success by the stretch of any means or imagination because if you spend N16 billion on power, it is assumed that you would have generated at least, 16, 000 megawatts of electricity. As governor of CRS, he didn’t fare well either. I liken CRS to a state where you have an aircraft taxing on a runway, about to take off, then you change crew and take the plane back to the hanger and when you take it back to the hanger, the night shift man is just shutting the doors. That night shift man as we speak now is Ayade. I pity this fellow Ayade but if Imoke had continued from where we stopped, Ayade would not have derailed, he would have had no option other than to build further on what is already on the ground.
What is your impression of Gov. Ayade?
When he was being sworn in, he said he was going to build an international airport in Ogoja; that’s when I knew we had a problem. When he made that statement and added that elaborate designs of what the airport will look like had been completed and told us too that the engineers and experts were actually in the audience, I shook my head. When he said he was going to build a super highway and a deep-sea port, I wondered how that was going to be feasible. See, we are by the river and not by the sea. I drew his attention to that and he said he was going to dredge it. But we already have a port, so why not work on making the existing one work instead of spending money on a deep-sea port.The amount of money you are going to spend on dredging, use it, get into a partnership with the Federal Government, even obtain a certain percentage of equity from the FG on this collaboration. Ships come to the Calabar Port, the problem is traffic and that’s what Tinapa would have resolved. You see Iwara, CRS is at the end of Nigeria, it is not Benin or Kaduna, people only come here if they have need to come here. So when we had the Carnival and developed the Ranch, it was to draw people here. The essence of Tinapa was also to draw traffic here, otherwise why would someone come to CRS, where it rains all the time. We wanted to create something for ourselves considering that we are in the Niger Delta where the bulk of Nigeria’s money is. We needed to create an environment where people will come and spend their money, it was why we built up our infrastructure and people came here buying land to build their country homes. You will agree with me that the price of a piece of land shot up. All we needed to do was stick with the template all of us had bought into, a template we had spoken to so many people about, done a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and a lot of people contributed to the Tourism vision, in its wider focus and agriculture. I asked Imoke, how do you want your conference centre to work, if there’s no further attraction other than just sitting down in a room and having a conference. If Tinapa was working, there would have been a very successful convention centre because people would shuttle back and forth because of the synergy with a working Tinapa, close by. Now what they have done is to put a mono rail between two dead projects.
But the mono rail was your idea!
Iwara, it was meant to run from the airport to Tinapa. I didn’t want Calabar to turn out to be like Port Harcourt. I wanted to isolate the traffic coming to Tinapa from entering the city, so that our city remains as pristine as it is and leave it unspoilt. Now, so that Imoke’s conference centre will not look like the dead project it is, they now built a mono-rail and in the process destroyed the lake by Tinapa, boats can’t go into the lake now and I think it is sheer wickedness.Can’t you see that the mono-rail is now useless, nobody is going there and Imoke knows that Walmart was pleading with him, to take over this place but he refused to talk to them. I didn’t bring Walmart, it was then President Obasanjo who brought Walmart after I had spoken to him about Tinapa. Obasanjo met with Walmart and they agreed to come. Walmart was going to use Tinapa to make inroads into Nigeria, the biggest consumer market in Africa but they were frustrated by Imoke and he knows it because I had this conversation with him not once, not twice.
How do you feel when you drive around the state?
I hardly do. But like I said earlier, I severed myself from Calabar because why suffer the pains; I know we can do better than this. At the time we left office, 80% of our communities in CRS had electricity. Today, all those things have gone. We managed to fix our roads and the federal roads so someone could leave Calabar at 8am and be at the Ranch at midday. We had flights going to the Ranch, had nine flights coming into Calabar daily, we were the fourth busiest airport in Nigeria after Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports. Today, there is only one flight coming in. So, we are seeing the rise and fall of our state in a blink and the people who caused this are not remorseful, they still think they are superstars and they should be adored, No. Nobody is here to serve anybody, if the governor does not perform, get rid of him, don’t hold the state back because of an individual.
The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir Usman, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to equip security operatives at the 203.5km border with Niger Republic in Katsina State to perform well.
The Emir spoke when Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Interior, Mohammed Tambuwal, and Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mohammed Babandede, visited his palace.
According to him, equipping the operatives with modern gadgets and communication facilities will enhance their efficiency and reduce crime along the corridor.
He said: “I have spoken to President Muhammadu Buhari that agencies under Internal Affairs must be equipped to perform their duties, especially in communication. We have set up committees and development associations to monitor criminals and their activities.
“There should be strict punishment of arrested criminals and there should be no preferential treatment for anyone.”
Tambuwal told the Emir that they were in the state to open the newly established border patrol base by the NIS at Jibia border with Niger Republic
He said: “This is an important national assignment for the security of the country. Katsina has a long standing history on migration and the government felt it is expedient to establish a facility that could tackle security challenges along the border areas. We jettisoned the idea of walling the borders because of the cost and opted for land and air patrols instead.”
Its crazy how this one one of the areas where Nigeria has regressed. Honestly water utilities should be one of the few profitable services a government can run. The main issues like usual are maintenance and underfunding. The states that provide water to homes only do it for small segment of population at low prices.
Ayisha Ayuba, a middle age woman with a delicate frame dashed into a room with a ferocity beyond her frame when she heard her crying little baby. The two-week-old light complexioned boy with curly hair had brought a new lease of excitement into her household. His elder siblings take delight in monitoring the demeanour of the new life. They gather round him and watch as he wiggles his legs and arms, fixing his gaze on their starry-eyed faces. However, their excitement often pales into oblivion whenever they are sent to far distances to collect water for the household. Though the family relies on a water vendor, at times he does not show up at their house.
While populations are exploding across Nigeria, through births and migrations, there are fewer resources to meet this explosion. In Gama, as with many other communities in Kano, access to potable water is a difficult task.
“I have to send my children out to get water from a commercial borehole that is 15 minutes away from the house when the Mai Ruwa (water vendor) fails to show up. There are times when getting water is difficult especially when there is prolonged power outage. I’m forced to manage especially now that I have a new baby,” Ayuba said, leading the reporter to a fading green water tank leaning against a wall in the compound.
There are times when getting water is difficult especially when there is prolonged power outage. I’m forced to manage especially now that I have a new baby.
Ayisha Ayuba
Gama residents are forced to buy water on a daily basis; and this puts a financial strain on poor households. An average household spends ₦200 to ₦300 to buy ten 50-litres jerry cans of water from vendors who source water from private boreholes and public stand pipes located in the central part of town.
The Brigade community, renowned for its history as a settlement for World War II veterans has been plagued by a perennial water scarcity for over thirty years, says the Emir of Gama, Alhaji Rabiu Isiaku. Dominated mostly by the Hausa-Fulani people, it is the most densely populated community in Nasarawa local government in Kano.
Close to the entrance of the Emir’s office is an abandoned borehole project constructed by a milk producing company. It only worked for two years before it stopped, leaving the taps dry and inhabitants stuck with getting water from compromised sources.
Climate change, difficult topography, non-functioning boreholes, as well as poor electricity supply are some of the factors contributing to inadequate water supply in Gama and other Kano environs.
“There are some areas where even if we dig the ground to construct tube wells, it won’t bring out water. If it does, it will stop in a short time. There is a problem with the soil, we don’t have the details yet.” the emir said, moving his gaze from the reporter to the pictures of former Emirs adorning the walls of his office.
There is a problem with the soil, we don’t have the details yet.
Rabiu Isiaku, Emir of Gama
Aliyu Mahmood, a retired civil servant and Gama resident has made a business out of the water scarcity in the community. An octogenarian with sparse white beard that forms a ring around his mouth when he speaks relived how 20 years ago, he dug a commercial borehole in front of his house. Unexpectedly, the borehole stopped bringing out water two years ago and he was forced to dig another, deeper than the first one but the investment has not yielded fruit. The water quality is so poor that the long queues of buckets and kegs which was a common insignia in past days have become history. His old generator which puffs out fumes intermittently is fast becoming decrepit, due to lack of frequent use, a fall out from low patronage.
“The water from the new borehole is harder in texture. When the former one was still flowing, there’d be people queuing to fetch water as early as 3 a.m,” he said with a tone of distress.
Garko, bedevilled by a similar fate
In Garko, a community in the rural area of Kano, the siege is the same. Yunusa Sani, a man with a small frame, is quick to announce his status as the chairman of the water vendors in the area. Reliving his experience with water stress in the agrarian community, he said he and his colleagues have to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to the western part of the town with wheelbarrows loaded with kegs.
Although selling water is a brisk business in the community, the water vendors also have their tales of woes. They cut their night rest to make the long-distance trips. When they return, their bare backs glisten with sweat as they push wheelbarrows now loaded with kegs of water.
Things were not always like this in Garko. Malam Muritala Dankan Garko, the leader of the Garko Progressive Association recalls that Garko, his ancestral home used to have abundant water supply until twenty years ago. Today, he spends ₦300 on water every day. This caters for his household of twenty persons— two wives, eight children, his mother, younger brother and other relatives. At weekends, when there is a lot of washing and cleaning to be done, he spends double the amount.
This lack of potable water has implications on the health of the people.
“Every month, in a family of 20 members, at least three people will complain of typhoid, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illnesses. I don’t think there is any resident of Garko that has not complained of such,” he stated.
An abandoned water project by the federal government has also dashed Garko residents' expectations of potable water supply. The Nation learnt that as a result of the topography of the town, some areas get water from public taps on alternate days from the Kafichinrin dam. A water sample taken from a public tap in Garko which was subjected to laboratory test at the University of Lagos revealed the compromised state of water meant for public consumption in the area. The water was coloured and turbid, containing some bacteria presence.
Confronted with the result of the laboratory test, the Kano State Commissioner for Water and Rural Development, Alhaji Usman Sule Riruwai said Kano state’s water is one of the purest water in Nigeria and as such, any water coming from the state’s treatment plant could not be contaminated.
“About six months ago, there was an independent organisation that came to Kano and they took water samples from the tap to test; in the whole of Nigeria, our own water is the purest. We pay about 1 billion naira to manufacturers of water chemicals in Nigeria. So, we cannot come short of water chemicals in Kano. As at now, we have stock that will last all our treatment plants for three months,” he said.
Riruwai also stated that the state is confronting water scarcity by collaborating with the French government, the Islamic Bank and other development partners to rehabilitate three major water treatments plants with a fund pegged at $200 million (₦72 Billion).
On the state of abandoned borehole projects in the state, he said; “We have a government agency called Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASA) that is responsible for the drilling of bore holes. We have close to five thousand bore-holes scattered around the state and we are aware that close to 2000 of those are not functioning. RUWASA has been going around fixing and maintaining some of them,” he said.
He also offered that the government has built close to 3000 hand pumps and about 200 motorised/ solar boreholes in various parts of the state.
Kano state, located in the dry land zone of Nigerian north-west, is the second most populous state after Lagos. The 2006 census pegged the population of the state at more than 9 million and there have been significant population growth over the years.
Abubarkar Ibrahim Tukur, a lecturer in the Department of Geography, Kano State University of Science and Technology, cited the geographical complexity of the state as a major reason for the perennial water shortage.
He said a 2010 research revealed that due to elevation, ground water migrates from the south western part of the region to the northern part.
He also cited other causes of water scarcity as the rising population of Kano as well as the change in weather pattern occasioned by the short period of the rainy season.
In Kano, as well as many states in Nigeria, access to potable water is a luxury for many households. “Only 3.7% of Nigerians have the best-case scenario, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 6, of an improved drinking water source located on the premises, free of E coli and available when needed,” a report by Africa Checkstated.
Also, only 22.4 percent of the population have access to an improved drinking water source on their premises, according to the country’s 2016/17 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
When taps run dry in Popoola, one of the clustered streets in Bariga, a dense precinct in Lagos, bitter fights often break out. On a drab Saturday morning, children, young adults and women with babies strapped on their back gathered to fetch water from a well close to an open drainage.
Muritala Olalekan struggles to use a paint-size container to scoop water from a shallow well. As he labours to fill a 25-litre bowl, he wipes beads of sweat from his face with the back of his hand. This is a daily routine.
“It’s not easy struggling for water at the well but we have to wash cloths and do other things. We just have to use water! Sometimes fights would break out when there is a crowd since some people do not come to the well with their own fetchers.”
Not far from the well is a borehole constructed by a Lagos state House of Assembly member, representing the area, but the flow of water is determined by the availability of power supply. Due to a faulty transformer, the community has been without electricity for three months. So, they rely on contributions from residents to buy fuel to power a generator which powered the borehole. On many occasions, the arrangement does not work out and they have to resort to well water for their household needs.
“It’s because there is no money, that’s why we are fetching water from the well,” a woman with a big bowl placed on her head lamented.
It’s a similar case in Ijabgemi street, Ibuowo community where wells are situated in front of some houses. Mr Ajibola Jimoh, the community mobiliser told The Nation that only few houses are piped to the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC). Others make do with wells dug in front of their houses. An observation of some of the pipes which are lined in the drainage showed a great risk of contamination. There were cases of water leakages on two different locations, pointing not just to wastage, but contamination since waste water can get mixed in what’s supposed to be potable water in the households.
Lagos, the famed city of aquatic splendour suffers from lack of potable water forcing majority of the citizens to make alternative arrangement from ground water. 35.6 percent of Lagosians source their waters from boreholes, according to a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 2016/17data conducted by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Bureau of Statistics.
The unregulated proliferation of boreholes is regarded as a threat to the stability of the state’s water table which might collapse if exploited beyond a certain limit. Since some of the boreholes are close to septic tanks, it presents public health risks.
https://thenationonlineng.net/taps-that-run-dry/assets/f2TQIs5ow4/leaking-pipe-in-lagos-750x563.jpeg A labyrinth of pipes laid in drains in Ijesa, a dense region in Lagos. Sights like this which often lead to wastage and contamination of water meant for households is common in many Lagos communities. Confronted with The Nation’s findings, the General Managing Director of the LWC, Engineer Mumunu Badmus pushed the blame to external plumbers.
“LWC has not been able to achieve 100% disconnection of these illegal pipes in drains, that is why we still have pockets of pipes inside drainage. Our zonal distribution offices are seriously on top of it, as the exercise is ongoing.”
Created over forty years ago as a residential estate, FESTAC town is one of the oldest housing estates in Nigeria. Initially designed to house participants of the second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in 1977 (FESTAC 77), the Nigerian government invested substantial resources into building the town, which had its main source of water from the Ishashi dam.
With dilapidated infrastructure, the estate which was intended to evoke an ideal state-sponsored economic development housing plan has become a shadow of its former self. One is bound to be greeted with the sight of water tanks in clustered arrangement lining up many housing blocks in the densely populated town.
Pa Samuel Ajakaiye, a prominent landlord in FESTAC used to be a chief technical officer in charge of water works and sewage treatment with the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). The octogenarian, now a clergyman was in charge of the FESTAC water reservoir which was created in response to the crashing level of water supply from the Ishashi water works to FESTAC.
“We had six boreholes in FESTAC town and the smallest depth was 300 metres. We treated these boreholes and we distributed to the estate, so Ishashi water works was ignored. We were using tankers to supply those areas that could not get water,” he said. The boreholes were dug by the FHA to solely supply water to FESTAC town.
“Before I retired in 1988, we discovered that people started building houses on water distribution networks, so it couldn’t function properly. Houses were built on sewage plants, therefore disrupting the whole system. That place has been condemned now,” he said of the water reservoir on 22 Road in FESTAC.
... we discovered that people started building houses on water distribution networks... Houses were built on sewage plants, therefore disrupting the whole system.
When the reporter visited the FESTAC reservoir which stopped functioning thirty years ago, it was overgrown with grass and the entrance sealed off with padlocks. From outside the gate, one could see rusty machines and other equipment which were used, once upon a time, to distribute treated water to households.
Even at the time, when buildings began to sprawl up in places originally designated for water distribution, Pa Ajakaiye lamented that nothing was done when cases were reported to the authorities.
“We discovered that someone built a house on one of the boreholes in 22 Road. We wrote a petition, but nothing was done. When I retired in 1988, everything became disorganised and water stopped flowing. That’s why people started building shallow boreholes with untreated water around their premises.”
Like the water sample from Garko in Kano state, water from many of the boreholes in FESTAC is coloured and turbid. Some of the households buy potable water from water factories who make supplies in the form of packaged sachet water and treated water in tankers.
With 90.8 percent of Nigeria’s household drinking water contaminated by E. coli; according to the MICS data, there is no gainsaying the fact that the present state of affairs underscores government’s insensitivity to the water needs of citizens.
Towns and cities that once boasted of effective public water systems have resorted to digging wells and boreholes; no thanks to the recurring culture of systemic failure in the country.
While it is anticipated that a standardised Code of Practice could curb indiscriminate drilling of boreholes, groups such as the Environmental Rights Action have argued that the best way to save the nation from environmental and public health disaster is to make the public water system work.
Water aids digestion and absorption of food, it helps the body maintain proper muscle tone and supplies oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Water also rids the body of wastes and serves as a natural air conditioning system. Will the Nigerian government show sufficient concern for the water sector in order to improve citizens' quality of life? Uncertainty hovers!
The federal character principle in the Nigerian Constitution is intuitively appealing. Its primary goal is “…to ensure that appointments to public service institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the country” (Adamolekun, Erero, and Oshionebo, 1991:75 in Publius: The Journal of Federalism). It is difficult to contest this.
Some people have argued that the federal character principle helps to keep Nigeria in check and balance. Without it, they argue, a few people from the same kindred, if not the same family, could rule Nigeria and or occupy ‘juicy’ government positions for eternity. According to this line of argument, this is nepotism and should be avoided.
For such people, diversity and representation across peoples and regions is a virtue worth protecting and safeguarding through the Constitution. In this case, diversity becomes a valuable object of consumption in itself, and the only way to achieve it effectively in Nigeria is through regulation. In other words, such diversity would not be easily achieved in Nigeria, if it is not embedded in the Constitution of the country.
This presents two fundamental but similar problems. First, Nigerians are incapable of voluntarily making decent choices. Second, compulsion is the most effective way of getting Nigerians to act decently. In either case, the reasonableness of the average Nigerian is questioned.
But to what extent is this line of thinking reasonable? Is regulation the only way for a meaningful inclusive society?
Obviously not! Meritocracy can also be useful, given that we all bring different competences and abilities on board the one Nigeria project. In other words, meritocracy is not against diversity and inclusion, as it is often misconstrued.
Based on the view that meritocracy matters, there are significant voices against the federal character principle; pointing to the atrocious manner in which the federal character principle has decimated and impoverished Nigeria instead. According to this line of thinking, the country has invariably sacrificed meritocracy on the altar of a seemingly spurious principle, as if the latter mattered that much. To appreciate this, all we need, as a case study, is our public service institutions. Do they attract the best hands in the land? Are they the pride of the nation? Are they as efficient and effective as we would want them to be?
If not for anything, we can at least learn from other emerging economies like China. It is not a perfect country, but it has managed to create enormous economic development and lift millions out of poverty in the last few decades. It did not do this accidentally or on a federal character principle, as emphasised in Nigeria.
The China story is obviously different. There are about 56 ethnic groups in China. You hardly hear or read a single word about anything akin to the federal character principle there. It does not matter as much as prioritising the interest of the country. It also does not matter if all the key people in government come from one village, as long as they are capable of meeting the national goals.
Competition appears to be the key word in China. The best and brightest candidates go into public service – your religion and region do not make any significant difference, and they make no apologies for it. Does that work for China? I do not think it takes anything less to power the Chinese economy and society. Serious countries and societies prioritise their talents, irrespective of where they come from.
Arguably, the current implementation of the federal character principle in Nigeria seems ineffective. It is difficult to find any empirical evidence that supports it. As such, one wonders why it is still vigorously pursued in Nigeria. The use of the federating States of Nigeria, as the unit of analysis, is even more preposterous First, the States are not of equal size. Second, some geopolitical zones have more States than others – which means that using the States as the unit of analysis may run against the fundamental goal of ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of the federal character principle.
The problem of the odd practice of the federal character principle in Nigeria is trying to satisfy every ethnic group, state, and religion but no one. We have found a way to deify the federal character principle. It has become a sacred space everyone needs to behold with awe and reverence. It is in this apparent deification of the federal character principle that one finds its ability to silence any opposing voice. It has become a cheap way of antagonising anyone who opposes it as a saboteur of the One Nigeria project. In effect, it has inadvertently become a tool to oppress and marginalise – the exact opposite of what it aims to achieve. Therein lies the paradox of the federal character principle.
Many successful countries and societies often prioritise merit. One would like to think that public service jobs in Nigeria used to be for our best and brightest. Where, when, why, and how did we lose it? This question will continue to haunt us until we find the courage to reconcile our desired goals with commensurate policies. Anything short of that is likely to be unproductive.
In the end, we become poorer for our very incoherent choices. The federal character principle should be deleted from our Constitution. If at all we need it, it should have a timeframe and deadline. It should not exist in perpetuity. The proverbial and omnibus problem it targets should be specific and time bound. Leaving it, as it is, only creates room for abuse, corruption, patrimonialism, and division in a country where unity, efficiency, and productivity are very rare commodities.
Let us retrace our steps and find creative ways to treat this national malaise called the federal character principle. Nigeria needs the best irrespective of their ethnicity and religion. The best should think and work for Nigeria. No ifs, no buts. That is how countries and societies develop. It is folly to think and act otherwise.
As long as we continue to push a system that undermines meritocracy and enthrones patrimonial patronage, we shall always reap the rewards of underdevelopment, a disunited society, and poor governance.
Perhaps, it is time for us to be brave enough to dismantle the colossal edifice of the federal character principle and wait for the often-argued Armageddon, as the outcome of this iconoclasm!
There are better ways of creating an inclusive society. Obviously, an outdated federal character principle implemented in perpetuity is not one of those.
Kenneth Amaeshi is a policy analyst and professor at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He tweets @kenamaeshi
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Crime › Re: Money Wives: The Nigerian Girls Sold To Repay Debts by Blue3k2(op): 4:51pm On Sep 21, 2018
