₦airaland Forum

1- One look at these dusty luxury and sports cars and you might think that a volcano or extinction-level-event took over the area, but the answer is, fortunately, less morbid, but no less bizarre.


2 - Every year, the police in Dubai come across all sorts of expensive automobiles, abandoned by their owners at airports, parking lots, and even on the street.


3 - The cars range from the more "pedestrian" BMWs and Mercedes to exotics like Lamborghinis, Bugattis, and Maybachs.

Donnyperry:
Zoning has been a major problem in this Country, it is a fast growing cankerworm which has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian society.
This formula paves way for all manner of idiots to occupy a seat which are not deserving of them over meritocracy. Well, i am not surprised with their resolution as it has always been a party with discordant tunes

datola:
This mischievous EZekhome of a liar again?

Dagora said he would not resign because padding is not a crime (according to Dagora) and you are saying that it is the executive that padded the budget. Who authorised the padding. Buhari?

Most of these lawyers are 'arije ni madaru' of the fifth column always obstructing the cause of justice because of what they would eat.

Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who on Friday afternoon met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, emerged defiant after the encounter, insisting he would not resign his position as Speaker.
The Speaker, who was accused by former chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin of padding the 2016 budget, dismissed the allegation, maintaining that padding was not an offence in Nigerian law.
Speaking with State House correspondents after his 30-minute meeting with the President, Dogara said:
“I am a lawyer and have been a legislator for a while, I never knew of an offence called budget padding.”
He said given his innocence, the question of asking asking him to resign, “does not even arise

A constitutional lawyer, Mr Mike Ozekhome, believes that the padding of the 2016 budget originated from the executive arm of government and not the legislative.

The legal practitioner, who spoke on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, linked his opinion to the sacking of some officials at the budget office by the President.

“The real padding in this current budget was actually from the executive, not from the National Assembly.

“President Muhammadu Buhari had to sack some people in the budget office when he discovered through some ministers who literally denounced their appropriation figures before the National Assembly, saying (that) it was not my deed (what we call ‘Non Est factum’ in law),” he stated.

Mr Ozekhome expressed dismay that the sacked officials were yet to be arraigned before a court.

Smuggled Figures

On the other hand, he explained that padding would have occurred at the National Assembly if figures were smuggled in the budget, after the lawmakers had made a resolve.

“Padding can only occur in the National Assembly if figures are smuggled in, after the finance committees at the various appropriation committee (Finance Committee, Budget Committee and the National Planning Committee) have agreed.

“If after they have agreed on certain figures debated and approved by the House itself at a plenary session, someone manages again to smuggle in some figures, then that could be padding,” he said.

Jazzlite:
be careful.... Supreme Court discharged and acquitted him of all the wicked charges

SalomonKane:
Isn't Bode George ashamed? How can the PDP even give out form to someone who is an ex-convict? It shows the party is still open to letting crooks guide it's affairs.

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from southern Nigeria, have agreed to zone the National Chairmanship position of the party to the South-West geopolitical zone.
At a meeting attended by governors, National Assembly members and former ministers, and other leaders on Thursday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, the party leaders also agreed to zone the positions of national treasurer and deputy national publicity secretary to the South West.
The leaders zoned the position of first deputy National Chairman, National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Woman Leader and Deputy National Auditor to the South-South.
The South-East zone got the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said despite the zoning of the positions, any party member willing to contest any position was free to do so.
By that arrangement, it appears the door has been locked against media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi, and the immediate past acting National chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, who both signified their intention to contest.
Those likely to emerge as the next chairman of the party include former Chairman of the Nigerian Port Authority, Bode George, former Ogun state governor, Gbenga Daniel, and the party’s governorship flag bearer for Lagos state in 2015, Jimi Agbaje.
The PDP is expected to hold its national convention to elect a new set of leaders on August 17 in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

interiorking:
Who is dangote's father?

Parent(s)
Hajia. Mariya Sanusi Dantata (mother)
Mohammed Dangote (father)
Relatives Sani Dangote (brother)

Descendants of Alhassan Dantata

Some descendants include

Mamuda Dantata (1922–1983): son, founder of the West African Pilgrims Association and a currency trader
Sanusi Dantata (1917-1997): son, a successful businessman[8]
Alhaji Abdulkadir Dantata: grandson[9]
Aliko Dangote (1957-): great grandson, a billionaire
Ahmadu Dantata (1916-1960): son, a politician
Aminu Dantata (1931-): son, a businessman

Alhassan Dantata (1877 – 17 August 1955) was a Northern Nigerian trader in kola nuts, ground nuts and distributor of European goods. He supplied large British trading companies with raw materials and also had business interests in the Gold Coast. At the time of his death he was one of the wealthiest men in West Africa.

Introduction to Trading
Probably after being freed from slavery around 1894, Alhassan joined a Gonja bound caravan to see his mother. He purchased some items in Bebeji, he sold half of them on the way and the rest in Accra. He might have hoped his wealthy mother would allow him to live with her and find him work among the Gold Coast Agalawa community. After only a rest of one day, she took him to a Mallam and asked him to stay there until he was ready to return to Bebeji. Alhassan worked harder in Accra than he did in Bebeji. After the usual reading of the Qur'an, Alhassan Dantata had to go and beg for food for his mallam and himself. He worked for money on Thursdays and Fridays. As was the tradition, the bulk of his earnings went to his Mallam. At some point he returned to Bebeji to his religious studies and work. There, Tata continued to insist that he must save something everyday.

European trading companies
In 1912, when the Europeans started to show an interest in the export of groundnut, they contacted the already established Kano merchants through Emir Abbas and their chief agent, Adamu Jakada. Some established merchants of Kano like Umaru Sharubutu, Maikano Agogo accepted their offer.

Alhassen Dantata was already familiar with the manner by which traders could make fortunes by buying cocoa for Europeans in the Gold Coast. He had several advantages over other Kano business men: language, wealth and age. He could speak some English and already had direct dealings with Europeans in Lagos and Accra. He had substantial amounts of capital. Unlike other established Kano merchants, he was in his mid-thirties, with a small family and retinue to support. Despite the famine in Kano in 1914, he quickly dominated the groundnut purchasing business via promotions, loans and contacts.

In 1918, the UK-based Royal Niger Company (later became the United Africa Company) searched for an agent to purchase groundnuts for them, and Dantata responded to their offer.It is said that he used to purchase about half of all the nuts purchased by the United Africa Company in northern Nigeria.

By 1922 Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing other merchant traders. In 1929, when the Bank of British West Africa opened a branch in Kano, Dantata placed 20 camel-loads of silver coins in it. (For religious reasons, his money collected no interest). Shortly before his death, he pointed to sixty "groundnut pyramids" in Kano and said, "These are all mine".

Alhassen Dantata applied for a license to purchase and export groundnuts in 1940, on the same level as the United Africa Company. However, it was not granted because of world wide military and economic conditions. In 1953–54 he became a licensed buying agent, which allowed him to sell directly to the Nigerian Groundnut Marketing board instead of another firm.

Dantata had many business connections both in Nigeria and in other West African countries, particularly the Gold Coast. He dealt, not only in groundnuts and kola, but also in other merchandise. He traded in cattle, cloth, beads, precious stones, grains, rope and other things.

Groundnut pyramids
Groundnut pyramids were pyramid-like structures made from groundnut sacks. The pyramids were built in northern Nigeria in cities such as Kano, where groundnut production was a key part of the economy. They were viewed as both a tourist attraction and a symbol of wealth. In the 1960s and 70s, as production in Nigeria shifted from agriculture to oil, the groundnut pyramids disappeared. Recently, the Nigerian government has made efforts to revive the groundnut industry and rebuild the pyramids.

History

Groundnut pyramids were the invention of Alhassan Dantata, a prominent nut trader[b][/b]. Dantata came to Kano in 1919 and within five years was one of the most successful businessmen, supplying the Royal Niger Company (RNC) with most of their groundnuts. Dantata's company kept their groundnuts at a facility in Kofar Nassarawa, and they stacked the bags in the shape of a pyramid before they were shipped. One groundnut pyramid could be made from as much as 15,000 full groundnut bags.

Groundnut pyramids were built all across northern Nigeria, in cities like Kofar Mazugal, Brigade, Bebeji, Malam Madori and Dawakin Kudu. The pyramids became synonymous with Nigeria's agriculture wealth; a postage stamp even featured a groundnut pyramid. However, as groundnut production declined in the 1970s and 80s the groundnut pyramids disappeared and were replaced with buildings.

Modern efforts

On February 24, 2014, Dr. Akimwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development launched a groundnut value chain project. This project is a joint venture between the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Their aim is twofold: to increase Nigeria's groundnut production and rebuild the groundnut pyramids. President Goodluck Jonathan reiterated the government's desire to rebuild the pyramids in a bridge dedication speech in March 2015.

dafuturis:
Why then are my Igbo brothers clamouring for more states when the whole of SE is not as big as the smallest state in the North.

Imagine Ebonyi +Imo+ Abia is not as big as my Delta sef.

jumper524:
Rank State km²
1 Niger State 95,363
2 Borno State 92,898
3 Taraba State 54,473
4 Kaduna State 46,053
5 Bauchi State 45,837
6 Yobe State 45,502
7 Zamfara State 39,762
8 Adamawa State 36,917
9 Kwara State 36,825
10 Kebbi State 36,800
11 B'enue State 34,059
12 Plateau State 30,913
13 Kogi State 29,833
14 Oyo State 28,454
15 Nasarawa State 27,117
16 Sokoto State 25,973
17 Katsina State 24,192
18 Jigawa State 23,154
19 Cross River State 20,156
20 Kano State 20,131
21 Gombe State 18,768
22 Edo State 17,802
23 Delta State 17,698
24 Ogun State 16,762
25 Ondo State 15,500
26 Rivers State 11,077
27 Bayelsa State 10,773
28 Osun State 9,251
- Federal Capital Territory 7,315
29 Enugu State 7,161
30 Akwa Ibom State 7,081
31 Ekiti State 6,353
32 Abia State 6,320
33 Ebonyi State 5,670
34 Imo State 5,100
35 Anambra State 4,844
36 Lagos State 3,345. Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nigerian_states_by_area

North central
Niger State 95,363
Kwara State 36,825
Benue State 34,059
Plateau State 30,913
Kogi State 29,833
Nasarawa State 27,117
-------------------------
Total =========254,110

North west'
Kaduna State 46,053
Kebbi State 36,800
Sokoto State 25,973
Katsina State 24,192
Zamfara State 39,762
Jigawa State 23,154
Kano State 20,131
-------------------
Total =====216,065 sqkm

North east
Borno State 92,898
Taraba State 54,473
Bauchi State 45,837
Yobe State 45,502
Adamawa State 36,917
Gombe State 18,768
-----------------------
Total = = = = 294,395

South west
Oyo State 28,454
Ogun State 16,762
Ondo State 15,500
Osun State 9,251
Ekiti State 6,353
Lagos State 3,345.
-----------------
Total = = = 79,665 sqkm

South south
Cross River State 20,156
Edo State 17,802
Delta State 17,698
Rivers State 11,077
Bayelsa State 10,773
Akwa Ibom State 7,081
-----------------------
Total = = = = = 84,587 sqkm

Ibrahim1975:
CORRECTIONS. 1.North East has 6 States with 294,395 Sqkm. Jigawa state is not part of North East. 2. North West has 7 States with Jigawa inclusive and a total landmass of 216,065 sqkm.

Clinton9000:
Most ahithophels aka Yorubbas actually think Lagos is big especially when they bring SE in the equation. Not knowing that the smallest state in SE...Anambra is 3x of Lagos in actual landmass considering half of Lagos is water. If Lagos houses nearly 30 million today at only 20% usage of its actual landmass, Anambra will houses over 200 million at 20% usage of it landmass with existing high-rise building plan. It's currently only at 10% usage!

Quick facts for the Ahithophels
Israel is only the size of Cross river at roughly 20,770 km² yet powerful and successful.
Luxembourg is only 2,590 km² which half of Anambra yet successful.

tomakint:
Fantastic write up, the level at which this clamour for youths representation in the sphere of political arena is at his crescendo especially at such a time like this. However, let it be known by all and sundry that the issue of youths involvement in our polity has been over flogged over the years. I am yet to see youth leaders representing the youths well in our political arena. Need I mention names, Dino Melaye at 42 years is every reason why no reasonable leader will consider youths amidst them. He is not even recognised in his Kogi Home State. Amaechi st 38 emerged speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly under Odili but what did he do to help youths or champion their cause in Rivers State? You know it. Why I do not support the idea of appointments of Grandpas and Grandmas in place of sensitive positions I must also say that most of the youth leaders we have paraded over the years only see positions in governance as their own personal till not minding the fellow youths that sacrifised sweat and blood to get them there. Before you judge me, just look inward into our own Nairaland and size up the mindsets of the membership (mostly youths), then you will understand. Once again, nice write up Tonye.