₦airaland Forum

There you guys go again. You guys keep yelling and talking about how illegal it is and how clueless the president is. Nigeria has been trying to acquire several fighter jets that are suitable for the military operations in the north-east but the U.S has blocked them severally. The jets we have aren't suitable for hitting targets within civillian environments. It's either we continue waiting for God to touch the Americans so they can sell to us,or we take proactive steps and improvise so as not to lose too many men and weapons in ground combat. Getting chad involved,will allow them use certain fighter jets that Nigeria do not have,to bomb and weaken enemy strong holds. Nigerian troops can then go in and do mop up. That way,we do not have to stay handicapped by our inability to get those hardwares from the U.S. I'd rather see things as a glass of water half full,than half empty.

Well,that's not a problem. I'm not so perfect to remember every detail accurately.

nairaman66:
Hahaha.. That's funny though! Delta state dialing code remains 053. I stand my ground!

I'm still shocked to know that AT&P folded up. It was such a huge and profitable business way back that one could hardly have seen a sign of it folding up.

otokx:
I visited the ruins of Africa Timber & Plywood last week and wept. How did such a calamity befall us?

Hmmm. I just love that town.

WillyWest:
NNB, I don't even know of the bank, it's most likely defunct. Mehn I love that town. which I cld have a good job there and reside.

I like your dp. You look pretty clean. I don't think a guy would wanna try that with someone this cute.

rubey:
If he tries that with me, I'll dump his sorry ass

I left Sapele in 1997. Went there to do a job for chartered bank in 2005 and spent just one night there. Didn't have the time to go around. Never been there after that time. Is new Nigerian bank(NNB) still functioning?

WillyWest:
Part of ATP has been bought by Seplat, Delta Pack I don't kno, Life Flour was still functional when last I visited Ogorode, Eternit is still there but has seen better days, ABB ke? maybe you left Sapele long ago. Seplat is the new kid on the block now.

Good to meet Pple from Sapele here.

If the man died in the 70s or 80s,then it means it's his son that I knew as the owner of Leone star. Honestly,I miss my days in Delta. The market day at Amukpe,Jes hotel @ okirigwe,frat and jazz things by people like Emma breeze,Solonzo,Dandy,Kingsley Jolomi et al,olympia cinema,etc. Nene hospital,the big deeper life church at okpe road where we used to worship,etc. I'd like to visit that state someday. Sapele was my childhood.

WillyWest:
Mehn, no body should try this guy o, confirmed Sapele guy. I spent 90% of my life in that town. All this places you have mentioned just brought back fond memories. I have to say thank you for that. Chief Humphrey Idisi's house along New Road was willed to the RCCG. I think the man died while in his 70s or maybe 80s, so maybe we should quit the arguement.

What?? African Timber and Plywood closed down? That's a big shame on the part of the government. That company used to be not just the biggest company in Delta state,but one of the biggest Nigerian companies in the 80's. Remins me of how the Edo state government allowed NIFOR(Nigerian institute for oil plam research) to close down. That was another big business in the then Bendel state. Those companies would have become multinationals today if they had handled them well. As at that time,they were already big businesses in Nigeria as a whole. A.T & P was huge then. Do you have any info on what Delta Pack and Life flour mills are now? Are they still operating? What of Eternit and ABB? Still in business or also folded up?

TommyGs:
This guy is a correct Sapele guy. Merit international is one of those new private schools. Being able to mention that A T & P clock is one unique details. That alarm clock even stopped working before the closure of the company.

Ibos,ijaws,urhobos,istekiris,binis,ishans,efiks,ibibios might not me exactly one but there is a higher probabilility of them living together peacefully. Don't forget that there are igbos in delta known as delta ibos. Apart from the many fights between the ijaws and the itsekiris from way back,I do not think we had so much problem then. Most of these fights then were usually around warri and patani where the itsekiris and ijaws are highly populated.

phransix147:
So for ur mind SS and SE are one? I sorry for u... Declare ur biafra and watch us declare Niger Delta Republic... What similarity does Efik and Ibos have? Or Urhobo and Ibo, or Ijaw and Ibo? Better continue to they learn ur business...

I thought I was the only one who noticed it. Aside that,dude is far from civil in his approach,and very quick to throw insults around. I try as much as possible to avoid getting into online fights with people especially on issues that are this petty.

geezzzyy:
Why the aggression?

Seriously,I was pissed off when the other dude said I never lived in that region,but was narrating stories told to me. It is ridiculous. Dr Efeturi of St Thomas hospital on Okpe road was my Dad's friend for God's sake. You remember how that A.T&P clock used to notify the whole town when it clocks an hour? Not forgetting that man that started Opkobrisi nursey and primary school. He used to use that bicycle they use in selling beer then,that has a carrier in front,to take his students to school. Holy child,tender kiddies and international,were the big primary schools then.

ogorkojo:
U b correct Sapele guy. U really knw d town

Merit mixed,excellence international,Davogah,st michael's,pisgah,international high school are relatively new as compared to the ones I mentioned. Moreover,they are all private schools. I wanted to point out the very popular old schools there to him.

ogorkojo:
U did not mention Merit mixed sec sch. Was it not popular den?

I won't trade words with you. I was born in Lagos and spent my childhood in Bendel. Lived in Sapele for several years before my family finally relocated to Lagos in 1997. I never lived in that region,yet Dr Efeturi,Dr Patona and Dr Salubi were our family doctors? I never lived in that region,yet I lived in Omoraka estate close to Eternit estate(which is also owned my Omoraka)? I never lived in that region,but I lived in Inikoro estate(the one with blocks of 4 flats each along otite road;the second one on the same road,had only bungalows). I never lived there,yet I know about St Malachi,Okpe grammer school,Chude girls high school,Ziks grammar school,Ajogodo nursery and primary school,etc? I never lived in that region but we used to go shop at Kigho stores along Okpe road rd? I never lived in that region but I know where Nepa staff school in Ogorode rd is? I never lived in that region but I know Tima guest house along Ugbeyiyi rd like the back of my hand? I never lived in that region yet I know my way to the naval estate and the Nepa estate at Ugbeyiyi? I never lived in that region yet I know Okonmah gardens along Sapele-Warri road and had friends living there? I never lived in that region and I know del rosca motel(the popular motel on Okpe rd)? I never lived in Delta,yet Mitchelle farm used to package yellow garri in their yellow sack with their name written on it,and we used to buy frozen chicken(full one) from Mitchelle farms?I could go on and on and on. The only exception to your claim,would be if the person I actaully used to see as the owner of Leone star drilling then,was His son and not the owner himself. I already told you where I lived and where He lived. Maybe you should dispute that. I'm not here to argue about who had more money between Odebala and Him. All I did was to point out in my write-up,the popular people who had money as at that time. And if for any reason the owner of Leone star wasn't so popular to me,then He must have lived a kind of quiet life. And like you must have noticed in my piece,I couldn't piece His name together. I knew him more by His company name.

One more thing I'd advice you on,is this: learn to be civil in a public forum and stop insulting people. You would have been able to state your point without calling me a liar. And to think that you feel I never lived in that region,is just simply ridiculous. For your information,I didn't even spend too many years in Benin/Ekpoma where I come from;I lived most of my life in Sapele.

blink182:
You are a liar, you never lived in that region. You are telling what someone told you as if you were there.

Lone star is probably the first company in Nigeria to drill into oil well side ways, yes you heard me right, their rigs can frack and even before the birth of lone star drilling, Chief was a big oil worker. Victor was petty when Chief made money.

So Victor is older than Late Chief Humphrey Idisi, lol Eloh must see this nonsense. Omo Gaye had money in the 80's, when was he able to finish his filling station? To this day he has not completed the building in Gaye Petrol.

Please do not come online to say what you do not know hoping no one will be there to vet you.

Are you sure we're talking about the same person? Did you say He was a grandfather then? Are you talking about the owner of Leone star or the father to the owner?

blink182:
Late Chief Idisi was most likely a grand father in the 80's. there's no way he is old enough to call Idisi a young man. People old enough to call Idisi a young man are presently at least 80.

Aiit. Did you live in the defunct Bendel state before it was broken into Edo and Delta?

DaGC:
I don't know the code you were using then but I've always used 053 for Delta and 052 for Edo.

The era of chief Okotie-Eboh preceeded most of these other guys,I think. Those ones are the Lords of the Delta.

armadeo:
Nice write up. Enlightening.

There's the rumour of okotie-ebihs and edewor wealth we used to hear back in the days though.

You sure? What code were we using when it was still Bendel state?

DaGC:
Delta is 053

053 should be Edo. I remember our landline at home in Delta then,was 054-41792(if I'm not mistaking). I remember how we used to pick up our panasonic phone and dial dad and mum at work and after that,we'd look up the directory,and start dialling different office numbers. Our neighbour upstairs had the old ring phone where you'd have to put one finger in no,ring it to the right,then put the finger in the next no and ring it again till you dial your complete no. For whatever it was,I found that old ringer more exciting than ours that was modern and all buttons. Memories of the good old days.

nairaman66:
Representing Area: 053.

God bless the State of Delta!

Pls,you mind telling me how old He was at that time? I spent my childhood in the former Bendel state before it was divided into Delta and Edo and from the much I know,the owner of Leone star drilling was a young man as at that time. He was younger than most of the big boys in Sapele as at that time. When people like Victor Odebala and Omo Gaye were making waves,I think He was just coming up then. And when I say young chap,I do not mean He's my age mate. He was young when He went into oil exploration. My parents were working in the two first banks in Sapele then and that's how I got to know most of these people. We used to go for picnic at the Sapele athletic club. Dad was a manager at the Pontu branch,while mum worked at the Boyo road branch. By the way,how old is Edirin? I'd like to know what age bracket you classed me in.

blink182:
You call the owner of Lone star drilling a young chap? I know you are not older than his sons most likely same age with Edirin.

When people commit criminal offences and they get caught and they are being paraded in public,I do wonder how they feel. The fear of my name,image and personailty being destroyed,is enough to make me not want to go near any crimanl activity. I'm so conscious of myself,that I protect my dignity with anything it will cost.

Goodluck to Him.

Good one. I remember my days in Delta. Then,rubber(latex) was the big business most young men were involved in. Majority of them would bring the raw rubber home and it used to smell badly. But that smelly stuff fetched them lots of money with which they built houses,bought several mercedes benz cars,and cruised the prettiest chicks in town. People like Victor Odebala and Apkeki,made so much money from rubber and timber business. Rubber business was so lucrative to the extent that people were being killed an assassinated over rubber jobs.

At that time,the oil industry there was still a nascent one and the few people who worked in oil companies then,worked with companies like total,mobil,elf,national,shell,agip and nnpc. Very few Deltans could go into oil exploration. I can't remember what people like Omatseye,Okonmah,Omoraka and the likes specialized on but I know there was a young chap who had an oil exploration company called Leone star drilling. He was the first person I saw driving a toyota land-cruiser jeep then. He and Akpeki lived behind my estate(Inikoro estate) along Otite road. All these were as far back as the 80's down to the early/mid-nighties. It feels good to know that the oil industry there is booming now and young lads are getting rich via oil contracts. I'm sure a good number of my childhood friends would have towed this line now. When rubber was a big business,almost every young rugged guy was into it. Now that oil is the in-thing,I expect them to follow suit.

How I miss the good old days of the Delta.

*sighs*

While I do not like to believe anything from sahara reporters,I also think it's pertinent to look into some of these re-occuring accusations of corruption in the military high command. Honestly,I can't remember the last time I heard anything from our chief of defence staff(Alex Badeh),and our chief of army staff(Keneth Minimah). Since rear admiral Ola A'sad and Onyeabo Ihejirika left,things haven't been the same. I can't remember if boko haram captured any territory during their reign. It pretty looks like the new guys aren't up to scratch,or are simply being overwhelmed by the insurgency war. I know the army has tried its best,given the special circumstances that surrounds this operation but I feel more needs to be done. I don't like hearing news like this. It irritates me.

God bless president Jonathan.

Sahara reporters? Naah...

Well,I don't know about stoning but I can confirm that when I passed through Ikeja around 5pm yesterday,APC buses were passing and passengers on a train that had stopped briefly to pick up more passengers,kept shouting ole at the APC folks. The driver made mention of people throwing stones,and hurriedly left the scene. I'm however,not sure if the stone thing was for Buhari or just targeted at normal APC supporters.

Unfortunately,not every Lagosian would vote APC. I was returning from Ikeja yesterday and I saw couple of APC buses returning from the APC rally(I guess). They decided to wave to the passengers in a train along Ikeja-along bus stop. To my greatest surprise,the passengers kept yelling and shouting back at them,saying "Ole! Ole!! Ole!!!". I had to ask someone what was going on. What this means,is that there is a sharp contrast between what we read online,and what obtains on ground. Nobody should get carried away with crowds online.

Kudos to our gallant soldiers. God bless you all.

It's alright...

Ara!!! Kind of down to earth. I remember when I interviewed her at planet one couple of years back. She was stunned with the kind of questions I was asking her. Before the interview,I had spoken to my aunt about her and she gave me a low down about her(Ara). She was a school daughter to my aunt way back in methodist girls high school. By the time we finished the interview,I asked her if she knew xyz(my aunt). It was then it dawned on her that I had gotten a big expo. She admitted I did a good job on her by finding her behind the scene stories,to interview her. All through the interview,she was corteous and would even apologize for taking a lil time out,to attend to her baby. She actually waited for me at the venue of the interview before I got there. It's something you hardly find Nigerian celebrities do. And when the news of her divorce came out,I felt really sad for her. In all,I think she has a good personality.

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