₦airaland Forum

24SEVEN:
But sincerely aren't Akwa Ibomites wasting their resources unnecessarily?

Look at the sparsely populated environment and tell me what vehicular traffic warrants such infrastructure. Can the money be used for something more pressing and/or beneficial.

Why do people who suddenly struck wealth resort to wastages.

Not necessarily! If the state is planning properly, these infrastructure could be a selling point for investment in factories because of the good layout of the city, which then in turn creates jobs. The thing though is that the infrastructure should not be for its sake. It should be backed up with a good investment drive.

If the state were able to go further and design well planned and spacious industrial layouts and get the deep sea port sorted, it could become a hub to supply the South East.

Point is it has to be supported by quality medium /long term planning. Unfortunately that's what we lack in Nigeria. The next government will come in and go in a totally different direction.

Is this Buhari in charge of anything at all!?

We need a hands on President walahi. While people do need to take responsibility for their jobs, but Nigeria situation now is that President must be on top of these things.

If I were President I would expect monthly report of recovered funds, and which accounts they have been placed in CBN and get verification from CBN governor.

nairavsdollars:
Why is the President always rejecting good things?

Really!! You try!

quentin06:
I have worked for a disco, so shove your ignorance in your butthole

E pain am !

If na Nigeria, by now Nairaland would be full of insults for Buhari.

Joyce95:
A thread of the ESC's recommendations for the Nigerian economy post COVID-19.

High level economic plan with no real substance, or implementation strategy beneath it. After a while it will fade away into distant memory. EGRP was more detailed and better written than this, but where is it today.

Nigeria is really on the edge. Politicians continue to bleed this country and revenue is fast disappearing. The country should be diversifying but NNPC is busy looking for more oil in Kogi and Benue.

Government should be taking drastic decisions on wastage and spending, but for them nothing has changed. Its business as usual.

Security is non existent
Hospitals are a mess
Educational standards are rubbish
Everywhere is an environmental mess
Roads are death traps
We can't even clean our gutters consistently or effect road repairs with any urgency

CIA that said Nigeria might be a failed state by 2015 May have missed the year, but it looks like its a certainty at some point rather than a possibility. That's why almost everyone is escaping to Canada.

Cantonese:
The military in the 80s introduced tolling booths on two highways namely Lagos - Ibadan and Onitsha - Enugu. There was a framework established connecting revenues to road repairs. Infact that was the purpose of establishing the tolling booths. The problem was that the money realised was instantly embezzled. As observed by you too staff of the federal ministry of works who were originally assigned there made the tolling plazas their private businesses with forged receipts, non issuance of receipts but receiving payments, etc. The roads were concessioned thereafter but the story of corruption by the investors remained the same until government pulled out. It became an issue of litigation.

We have a major problem in this country and it is corruption. Privatization helps the economy and the people but in our country it is not the same. Daily times newspaper is an example. We were lucky with telecoms. The reason why power is a problem in this country is simply that ECN, NEPA, PHCN, as it was called at different times, was a veritable source of looting for government officials. When it was broken up into Gencos and Discos, what changed? Nothing. Those who ran NEPA aground took over in the name of privatization, turned around to obtain billions from the FG and still maintain status quo. Government officials see privatization as means of enriching themselves while agreements are going on and making money when all things are set in place.

With all the taxation where are the jobs? This country needs a Messiah.

Oga, there are many privatization success stories. It seems sometimes we focus only on the bad and refuse to see the good. Let me give you a few examples of former government enterprises and their privatized versions and see if the government version made as much impact as the privatized one:

Nitel vs MTN/Glo/Airtel/9 Mobile
Nicon Insurance (when it was govt) vs AXA Mansard, GT Assurance, Old Mutual
ACB bank vs GTB/Zenith/Access/ Stanbic
NTA vs Channels/TCV
NNPC vs Shell/Exxon/Chervron
Nigeria Airways vs Aero/Air Peace/Arik
Radio Nigeria vs Cool FM/Classic FM
Old Nicon Noga vs Transcorp Hilton
Fertilizer company of Nigeria vs Notore
Eleme petrochemical vs Indorama
Unilag vs Covenant University

The private companies here have added far more value to nigeria in terms of employment, improves services, introduction of technology, payment of taxes etc

quentin06:
Govt has been funding discos since 2016 via CBN, its not only tcn that gets funding, how will you know these, have worked in any of the discos before?

That is totally not true. It's amazing how so much gist goes on in this country based on whatsapp posts and beer parlour gist. And people just believe it as fact.

It's important you put the information out there in the proper context. When the privatization was done, to ensure liquidity in the system there were a number of guarantees put in place to ensure that discos/genco's get cash for energy supplied. If at all CBN paid money to DISCOS, it was probably one of 3 things:

1. Remember FG still holds shares in the DISCO's. If I recall FG didn't divest 100%. So therefore, if the DISCO is increasing capital base for eg, FG is obligated to pay it's share.
2. During the privatization, there were a number of guarantees put in place for GENCO's and DISCO's to ensure that they got their cash for energy supplied. CBN could very well have been effecting those guarantees and paying bulk for electricity supplied.
3. Govt agencies and parastatals as you should know are the biggest electricity debtors in this country. it could very well be that CBN was paying outstanding debt to DISCO's on behalf of govt.

None of these 3 amount to FG still contributing to run DISCO's as you have put it. Often times the newspapers and social media doesn't get headlines right. What most people will see is the headline - "CBN pays N50bln to EKEDC". However, most people don't read the details of the story to understand the context. Besides what you typically still hear Fasola talking about when he was Minister of Power was installation of substations and injection stations, which are all still part of TRANSMISSION.

Let's learn to really understand the subject matter before making posts based on assumed headlines.

Blyzz:
they'll tap oil directly from Delta to the listed states, so that they'll claim they've oil well. Wicked people

Don't be daft!

quentin06:
You have not answered the question, why is govt still funding a privatized entity?

Why are the new owners not doing it?

You don't know the term called crony capitalism.

When you sell your car to someone, are you still responsible for its maintenance.

Privatization of the power sector was and is a scam!

Do you have light in your area? You don't pay NEPA bills that's why you talk this thrash.

Tell me exactly what government is funding outside of Transmission Company of Nigeria, which remains with government. The generation companies and distribution companies are in private hands and government does not pay for any maintenance. Try and be better informed about the workings of the power sector.

As for why the owners aren't doing it, how can they invest if a unit of electricity costs N35 and government fixes electricity price at N27?? Does that make sense in any sector in your brain?

You are either a business man or you have a job. If your have a job, the only reason why you are paid a salary is because your MD ensures that the company sells above its cost and makes a profit.

If your are a business man, you follow the same principle, other wise no point being in business.

gowonmaharajah:
while the oil - producing states received N 37.021 bn as derivation ( 13 per cent of mineral revenue ) .

I don't see any reasons why some SE states and Niger Delta shouldn't develop with all these monies.
grab your governors' balls and make them accountable. stop pining all blames on Buhari.

Well said. I've often said what we need are 36 good governors and not one good president. Isn't it strange that rivers state has mainly one major city and yet even in PH you wonder where revenues of last 30 years have gone.

Homiesjinxbank:
The only thing in Nigeria that need privatising is PHCN..

Oga the problem with power is that the tarrif is not cost reflective. Which is why the tarrif is going up in July. Stop using power as example of privatisation gone bad, cos its not a good example because the price is regulated.

Even a bad Privatization is better than the best government ownership. Reality is that the country finance3have been ruined since babangida with massive corruption and we have barely moved forward in 40yearz. Now we will have to pay for it. I keep telling us that in the grand scheme of things and inspite of our supossed oil wealth, Nigeria is poor country.

Cantonese:
All Fashola knows how to do is big proposals and visions without end. Everything he said before and after becoming a minister have been complete lies and monumental failures. Light, roads and housing all rubbish.

All we have been suffering in this country in the last 5 years have been increase in exchange rates, too much loans obtained from everywhere, taxation of practically everything, killings, embezzlement of resources and lies.

What will concession achieve in the end for the people of the country? Nothing but more hardship. When he talks of concession he sounds as if neutral companies are expected to take over. They have looked at opportunities and positioned their proxies and companies to take over the roads too. The result in the end will be them making the money and government fixing the roads.

When roads were concessioned during the military what was achieved? Nothing! They made the money, government fixed the roads. Cost of transportation rose as public transport increased. All roads were in very terrible shape. Concessions were revoked and Nigerians had their peace.

And by the way I noticed that Lagos - Ibadan was not included. What's the idea behind it?

Roads in Nigeria have never been concessioned. What we had before were toll booths managed by government. And of course same corruption everywhere in Nigeria happened to it. Staff were chopping the money and barely remitting anything to government. Besides there was no framework that connected the revenues from the toll booths to raod repairs.

All revenues still went to consolidated revenue fund for appropriation. And then what was appropriated to road maintenance whacked again.

Maxymilliano:
But the audio concession of the Lagos - Abeokuta express road to the Lagos and Ogun State government is yet to see the light of day.

The road have never been this bad, from Tollgate in Ota, down to Ajegunle, Amje, Moshalashi, Kola, Adura , Salolo , Meiran to Obadeyi is like driving through a war ravaged highway.

Motorists using the road have encountered only misery, devastation and utter neglect. The road is currently not fit for even a country at war.

That's why if it were in private hands, the road would not be that bad. I'd rather pay N2000 toll driving from Lagos to Akure on super smooth road than driving free on a road that will take my life.

How often does each of us travel sef. Even before lockdown I hadn't been out of Lagos by road in 6months. And if the toll doesn't make financial sense for you, maybe it will help some of us stay home a bit more.

Funny thing is that many of us who travel do so for social reasons, and not economic reasons. My mother in law is from Imo state and lives in Festac. Any small thing she has gone to village, mama this Don die, mama that Don die. Meeting this, meeting that. Always telling her this plenty risk for burial is too much. Make she no go die on top another person burial.

But truth is toll won't really stop those who feel they need to travel.

Of the many challenges Nigeria is facing, security is arguably the biggest one. from militancy and institutional kidnapping in the South South, roaming bandits and communal clashes in the middle belt, attacks on highways across the country, attacks on banks etc. Of recent we have seen how the security forces which were supposed to keep Nigerian's in their resident states in response to the COVID 19 pandemic turned around and started operating toll gates at the state borders, letting people through for a fee.

The Nigerian police is an embarrassment to this country and one of it's most corrupt institutions. And yet, absolutely nothing systemic is being done about it. This is my strategy for reforming the Nigerian Police Force. The strategy would have the following as it's key elements:

1. Training & Recruitment
2. Remuneration & Motivation
3. Equipment & Technology
4. Discipline

1. TRAINING: I would commence a huge renovation of the 3 existing Police Colleges and construct 3 new ones in the other zones. The reconstruction would cover new hostels for police cadets, kitchen and restaurant facilities, lecture rooms, huge gym and training facilities, indoor shooting range etc. I would set up bilateral agreement with American or British police to man the police colleges to provide modern police training. I would then recruit another 250k new police cadets with minimum educational qualification of OND. These cadets would then be sent to the 6 police colleges in batches over 12 months for intensive training. 10k new recruits per college means 60k new police recruits can be trained in 12 months and 240K in 4 years. As these recruits graduate, they will be posted out and some of the existing police will also be sent to the new police colleges. Those who are unable to pass the academic, physical, mental, physiological requirements of the new police force will be dismissed.

2. REMUNERATION & MOTIVATION: Truth be told, considering the kind of work the police do and the fact they may be asked to pay the ultimate price, what we pay the police is ridiculous. I would make police minimum wage N200k per month and insure EVERY field based police man with a N15mln policy against permanent disability and death. This would also cover medical in event of injury.

3. EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY: Every policeman graduating from the new police college will be given a standard issue police equipment - personal sidearm with 2 magazines of bullets, knife, personal rechargeable flashlight, a taser, 4 sets of quality uniform with 2 pairs of police boots, handcuffs, walkie talkie. These equipment will be expected to be on the person of every police officer once he is on duty. All this shouldn't cost much more than $2k per officer. Overall that's N50bln per year for 4 years. Not too much in my view, considering that we wanted to renovate National Assembly for N39bln. Police officers in mobile police squad going out on patrol will be issued bullet proof vests and semi automatic weapons from the police station armory, to be returned after every shift.

Existing weapons in the police will be audited and itemized. All poor quality weapons will be scuttled and dismantled. And new one purchased. Police weapons will be standardized across the country for easy interoperability.

All police vehicles nationally will be audited and added to the Police Asset register and properly assigned to each police station. Every vehicle will be fitted with communications and GPS equipment, so that the police control room in every state capital will know on a huge screen where every police vehicle is in response to distress calls. This will enable the closest vehicle to be dispatched to the scene. I would design the system such that a police team can respond to a distress call in any major city in 15 minutes max.

4. DISCIPLINE: I would create an Internal Affairs department led by a civilian, but supported by a mix of high ranking police officers and other civilians to respond to indiscretions by the police. This department would conduct spot checks on police officers in the field to ensure they maintain the proper equipment at all times, investigate complaints by the populace, audit police weapons and other equipment inventory, ensure the police are operating within established rules of engagement, operating procedures and standards of ethics.

Overall this would be a 4-5 years strategic improvement of the police. It shouldn't cost much more than N400bln over 4-5 years. Seems like a lot, but not too much for security. I would save that money by reducing the staff strength in our civil service and multiple duplicated agencies and parastatals. If anyone dismissed from civil service needs a job, let him or her go and join the police if they are young and qualified enough.

talut:
you are not going to see the real picture if you just start comparing prices. better still, a better way would be to see how large the percentage of these data price is to the average income earned by that region just like some article on nairaland some days ago discussed. affordability is what's being discussed not just outright pricing

I get what you are saying. But my point is that a product cannot be cheaper than it's cost. The real issue is the low purchasing power of Nigerians.

Having said that, my driver spends more time on the phone than me. I find it very surprising that drivers, house helps etc tend to spend a lot of time on the phone. I often wonder where all the credit is coming from.

Maxymilliano:
https://i2.wp.com/www.republican.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/images-28-4.jpeg?w=658&ssl=1

Still found guilty despite feigning sickness ...

Don't mind him. The guy on the wheelchair looks very well fed and robust. Doesn't look sick at all to warrant being in wheelchair.

Amazing how ALL accused corrupt people are always sick. Diezanni cancer, Fayose neck, Melaye neck too.

xjiggy:
You think the market is saturated? What do u think will happen when they give you data at better prices and faster internet services. What i mean is 4g that is actually 4g (not the breeze Airtel/MTN/GLO is sellingto us)and 4g lte thats 4g lte. Not the so called 4g lte we're getting thats not faster than the 2g in Europe. Everybody will port

Won't they make profit? Are they here to dash you cheap data? The same issue the other networks suffer will hamper them as well. Poor electricity, vandalism, difficulty in accessing right of way, etc.

And besides telecoms services in Nigeria is actually cheap. One of the cheapest telecoms services I have found in Yankee is Mint Mobile.

https://www.mintmobile.com/plans/

$15 for 3Gb.while call and sms is free within US, we all know that data is what really matters now. $15 is N6000k. In all networks in Nigeria, Lagos N5k gets me like 10 Gb to 20Gb.

On EE in UK £15 gets you 5Gb. So don't know where this misconception of cheap everything abroad for unlimited data keeps coming from?


https://shop.ee.co.uk/sim-only/pay-monthly-data?CTTag=CT_Sal_PAYMDataPlans_PAYMSIMO_Q1_2019


While speeds in Nigeria are not the best, I have also found speeds in many areas of Houston to be inconsistent. High in some areas and like Naija speeds in others. And the issue in Nigeria is beyond the networks. Its partly due to poor operating environment.

Nbote:
Wat is saturated about d Nigerian market for example? These networks know dey do not really have any competition dats y dey can afford to run their customer base anyhow.. The only problem dey will have to contend with is d frustration from the govt

I disagree. The Nigerian Market is saturated. Very few people are willing to hey a new line. Even with porting, how many people have actually done that.

As for the wishful thinking on cheap data, nothing can be cheaper than the cost of production in the private sector. They exist for profit and not to dash us data.

A new entrant will have to recover the cost of its investment. Mtn, Glo and Airtel by now should have broken even and recovered all the cost used to acquire license and expand. Therefore their marginal cost of 1MB or 1 minute is very low. A new operator will have high marginal costs and therefore can't charge lower than the market.

revolt:
I would simply privatize everything and strictly assume a regulatory role. CAPITALISM is the solution to Nigerias problems.

Asides education and security though. But left to me everything else like power, airports, sea some roads, seaports, stadia, national theatre etc all deserve to be in private hands.

This is a proper business school.

ANSMEDIA:
UNIZIK business school. The best in Nigeria

Na business school be this? Looks like normal block of flats in Lagos!

jarawa:
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-approves-n123bn-for-ibadan-kano-rail.html

Interesting! This makes a lot of sense to me and gives me some comfort. This is how to do project finance! Use the profits to pay the loan.

That's why I don't know why we continue to struggle for funding for our key infrastructure. If we use proper project financing it will be strsigforward. For eg take a project specific loan for Lagos Ibadan expressway and 2nd Niger Bridge, toll both of them and let a proper company manage it and be using the toll to pay back the loan. That way govt normal revenues can be used for other things.

We will all be shocked that collecting N1000 toll on Lagos Ibadan expressway will pay back a $1bln loan in 5 years with the level of usage of that road.

It's just lack of discipline and creativity from government.

dfrost:
That will be a dumb move. Must everything end in corruption? Gosh men.

Unfortunately in Nigeria it does!

Davash222:
Never bite the finger that fed you...not when the finger tries to choke you. I still consider Obaseki more noble than Ambode.

Well said. I wonder if we are expected to have blind loyalty. If the benefactor wants to govern from afar, what dumb loyalty is that. It says a lot that no one blames Oshiomole for trying to govern from Abuja. It's the same problem in Lagos where the shadow of Tinubu looms large after 10years he was governor.

When are we going to true purpose driven governance, instead of rubber stamp governors.

Goalnaldo:
This is fine and very neat but in terms of real architectural design, Na OAU carry the day even convenant and University of Ghana dey learn.

I agree. OAU was extremely well built. If not for poor maintenance.

Olalekanbanky1:
Meet the founder of ABUAD.
A philanthropist, a legal icon and employer of thousands of staffs.
The Ààrẹ Bamọ̀fin of Yorubaland

Meet the Ag Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Olarinde
Did u know she's the mother of the popular 'Daddy freeze'

You can see the resemblance with daddy freeze

SokizzRaven:
I took my time to read this context twice! And I still couldn’t understand what a simulator is or it’s usefulness
Why is this on front page self?

If that is the case, then you need to take a good look at the quality of your education. Along with the 24 people who liked this post.

Even worse, in this day and age you are still not smart enough to Google it, before coming to type this!

You need help!

Doesn't this just look like a more conducive environment for learning?

A poor environment can very easily sidetrack some one who could be a brilliant student elsewhere. That's why average students in Nigeria go abroad and dust everyone.

Why this obsession with cargo airports, deep sea ports, inland basin river ports etc. Is there really sufficient trade to support all these projects and facilities? Ordinarily I would expect that the Onitsha one would make sense. I also hope support infrastructure to make it a success, such as good roads leading into and out of Onitsha.

ghettokid1:
The Apple don dey ripe

Pervert!

softset:
How did they carry out this study ? How can you day 40% of Nigerians lost their jobs.


That's just not a fact. Yes people lost their jobs, which is very sad but 40% .... common

To be honest I am a bit skeptical of that as well. I wonder what exactly their metric of unemployment is.

Considering that no one in government lost a job, so how could 4 in 10 lose job? CBN stopped job losses in banks, so could 4 in 10 lose jobs. And I really didn't hear many companies severing staff. Markets, supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals were allowed to open. as well as farmers and police, army, airforce, navy and so I am a bit sceptical of this 4 in 10.