₦airaland Forum

Eko Ile:
No need to blame your inability to read and comprehend on me, I made the same argument in every post. infact, that's all I've been talking about and have been repeating.

Tonight, you completely fall my hand.

Eko Ile:
Are you not here tying your existence to the worthless federal road by claiming that the federal road is your only option and you must fix it?

What point have you raised to support the fact that the state's involved should take care of their own existence by building their own roads and have 100% control over their roads and future?
Saying the SW should get together and spend their money on a worthless federal road sounds very reckless and irresponsible, unless the federal government is ready to hand over that road to the state's involved for total control.


Is the federal government going to take away the money given to the contractor handling the project and hand it over to the 3 states? Or it makes good sense to you if the company waka away without doing anything and the federal governments look the other way while the mumu Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states spend billions on the road? And even after spending all the billions on the road, who is going to repair the road after 1 or 2 rainy seasons? Spend another 10 begging the federal government to repair the road or ask the 3 states to throw some more billions on the same road?

Where is the sense and wisdom in all that?

As per the emboldened, you just made perfect sense and provided the simple solution to my suggestion of fusion between the governments of Lagos and Ogun. Rather than been a professional pain in the butt, you could have made that brilliant point in one sentence, however, you would rather ramble on pointlessly and lose your point in translation.
Yes, yes, you are absolutely right. The solution would be to build a new road which would save Amosun the headache of being dragged into court or taking the pain while the contractors who have been assigned to do the job smile to the bank without lifting a finger.
All in all, it would still require the states to dig their hands into their pockets and invest heavily on the new road. Though it might be more capitally intensive than the repair job they would have done on the FG route, it is however the only sane option and for that I concede to you.

Eko Ile:
Lagos state, Ogun or Anambra, it makes no difference to me simply because we are all in the same rotten basket.
I just need you to tell me what you prefer. Do you and your state want your destiny and future in your/state's hands or the same incompetent federal government.
You really need to make up your mind.

Now that it’s clear to me that the location or regions the state belong to does not affect you, I understand your arguments better. I was of the myopic view that you were pro-SW but I know better now.
My state of origin is Lagos state and from documented evidence, it seems to be doing rather well and surpassed people’s expectation even when its share of the revenue allocation was withheld by the FG. So, you see, the question is irrelevant to my state because it did prove that it can do just fine in the absence of the FG.
You seem a bit confused tonight Ekoile.
All i’ve been stressing upon so far is that we should not place our destiny in the hands of the Federal government, rather, we should do the little we can to uplift our region. Is that so hard to comprehend?
I also agreed with the counter arguments you put forward. You raised the issue of maintenance and of course the fact that Ogun would not be reimbursed for any work carried out and rather than be a wasteful bunch, the funds Amosun would be using for the repair of the said road could well be used for roads within the state. I agreed with all that.
Perhaps i’m slightly emotional when it comes to the issue of development in the South West but by all means I am mindful of the pitfalls too.

Eko Ile:
NO!!!

Building your own roads that you have 100% control over and wasting your money on worthless federal infrastructure doesn't sound the same to me.


I asked you a lot of questions, but you conveniently ignored them

After fixing the road, are you still going to be begging them to repair it six months from now or you're just going to keep throwing your people's money down the drain on the same worthless road.


Again you must be scared because I see nothing preventing the states involved from building their own interstate roads with 100% control and maintenance structure.

On one hand, you claimed and admitted that the federal government is incompetent, yet on the other hand, you are siting here advocating for their control over your existence and livelihood.
Now, are you OK.

It seems to me that you got your wires crossed along the line.

Where did I advocate for the FG’s control over our “existence and livelihood”?
My stance has been from my first contribution to current; that the SW states (particularly Lagos and Ogun) fuse together to implement the completion of the said road.
Please quote me where i’ve  defaulted on this standpoint.

Eko Ile:
You have yourself to blame for placing your future and survival in the hands the federal government.

Build your own roads if you really care about your business

isn't that what i've been harping on about?

Are you ok?

Eko Ile:
The reality at this very second is that road is still a federal road and the SW is not a sovereign state so let's leave IF alone and deal with today's reality. Right now, you have zero control over that road and it is very irresponsible to keep flushing your people's money on what's going to remain a very bad federal road.

People are dying off other bad roads within Ogun state itself.

You still haven't expressed how and why it's so difficult to build your own roads with the same money you are throwing inside a leaking basket. The federal government is not going to set up a special fund to keep that road in shape year after year, they are not even going to set up repair yards at few miles to effect quick repair and maintenance.

Also, why are you so afraid of taking care of your own future and destiny?

Why am I so afraid to take care of my own destiny? I really don’t understand what you’re getting at here.
Anyway, he point I’m trying to make ultimately is that regardless of the SW being part of Nigeria, the dilapidating state of that road is still our shame and not just the FG. When the okoro bigots on NR mention the ills in our region, they don’t call it a Nigerian anomaly but a regional one.
Of course, I see the sense in your arguments and they are indeed well founded but for the sake of prosperity, we should not continue to wait for the FG to do something that would benefit us more in the long run.
Heck! I am not even from Ogun State but I see the potential that lies within the Southwest and i’m not so myopic to focus on Lagos alone because it is my hometown and forget about the rest of the region. One tree does not a tree make. Yorubas would say: “olowo kan laarin otoshi, otoshi loun na” translates: “One rich man in the midst of poor men is equally poor”.

If we leave the road to the FG, it would totally collapse and businesses might start to relocate.

Eko Ile:
In other words, spend your money on your own roads and quit helping and supporting the same old incompetency we are all trying to get away from. You are basically endangering the same people by placing their future and destiny in the hands of the federal government.

Like I asked before, who is going to maintain what the Ogun state government just did? The same Ogun state government is going to keep spending the state's money to maintain the road or the same incompetent federal government. Just who?

You can't keep wasting your money on the problem that is never going to go away, you have to find your own local solutions to your local problems on behalf of your own people.

Fixing a band-aid on a major wound is not the best way to help your people, spending the same money to crate and manifest a permanent and sustained solution remains the practical reproach.

If the whole of SW becomes a sovereign state today, would we fix the road or not? Would fixing the road stop those from other region plying the same road?

Eko Ile:
Well said, but unfortunately, you are indirectly advocating for the same problem.

This road remains a federal, it got bad and neglected because of the same incompetent federal government and so it shall remain even after Ogun state government wasted Ogun state's tax payers money on other people's responsibility. So he fixed the road, what about maintaining what he fixed? Is he still going to be spending the state's money to maintain the road so it doesn't go bad again or the same incompetent federal government you're talking about going to be responsible?

Like I said, the only way to wash our hands off this mess and fend for ourselves is to stay clear off useless federal responsibilities. Every federal infrastructure outside Abuja is a mess and you can not rest your future and survival on incompetency.

The only thing you have control over is what you are directly in control of, so you need to spend the same money you are about waste on incompetency to build your own interstate roads and rail systems and impose some kind of state tax or financial structure and set some money aside for upgrade and maintenance like they in some countries especially the US where motorist are charged 1 or 2 cents per gallon of petrol. The money heads straight into to a dedicated highway/Road funds.


We can not keep complaining about our incompetent federal government and at the same time messing with them and their useless responsibilities, it's nothing but a waste of time and resources.

In other words, we should leave the road to rot before our very eyes and claim lives of our citizens alike; until the FG steps up to the plate. The same FG that wouldn't release the ecological fund to Lagos state when it initially asked it for assistance to curb flooding but now doing a round about tur n after the disaster have claimed lives. Okay, I guess the lives of the populace is a cheap price to pay for construction of a road.

Yorubas would say: "tidi ba baje tan, tonidi lo ma da".

Eko Ile:
Trust me, I truly understand your point. Ogun state's action sounds well meaning, I just think they have better and pressing matters to spend their money on and not on other people's responsibilities.

May be a good Idea if Lagos and Oyo are willing and ready to fix their portions.

Let's just pretend both states did

Are they going to be reimburse the states? I don't think so.

And what happens to Bi Courtney and the money they collected to fix the roads?

Are they going to return the money back to the federal government? I don't think so?

We are talking about roads that other states and other businesses far beyond Lagos, Ogun and Oyo are putting pressure on everyday. Who is going to be responsible for fixing the same roads after fixing it? The same irresponsible federal government?


If they really care, there are other areas of regional cooperation. What about using the same funds to build their own interstate road or highway and rail system and be directly responsible for fixing and maintaining them?


This is nothing but a serious waste of needed funds, your people are crying on your side, but you are on the other side wasting money on a useless federal road that's going to wrecked and neglected months from now via the heavy traffic including oversize vehicles like trailers and oil tankers to and from every corner of the country including the millions of Adeboye's church folks pressuring the road every week

You have put afore a very sound and compelling response, However, i'm of the mind that we cannot rest on our laurels and wait for the government of Ode to make things happen for us. These people, remember are for the downfall of the SW. That is the only opposition in their way.

Eko Ile:
The fact is, the people of Ogun state are dying and suffering inside their own state because of the same bad roads and terrible infrastructure just as described in the article below.

Understandable.

However, the government isn't fiscally able to respond to these needs without funds so why not pave the way for investment to come in and the funds generated from such would provide the means to tackle these problems?

Ogun's priority now is to generate income and one of those, I believe, is to make good its major roads to Lagos to attract investments into its territory.

hercules07:
Eko Ile tell them o, the FG takes over 50% of the allocations and yet is not living up to its responsibilities.

. . .but for how long must we fold our arms and hope that the FG takes up on its responsibilities? How many lives must we lose and how many investments must we allow to pass us by because the mumu in Aso Rock is too busy punishing the rascals?

I have said it before that Ogun has a lot to gain from doing the best it can to attract investors into it's land as Lagos can't seem to cope with the demand any longer. It would be beneficial for the South west region in the long run.

Yes, there are those who have been appointed to fight our corners at the FG level but in all honesty, how many have done what we appointed them to do? Yes, we will demand good governance and accountability but whilst doing that, let's also hit the ground working.

My only worry is that this is just one of Amosun's ill thought out plans or actions because not long ago he was whining about debt and inability to pay teachers' fees so I ask: where is the money going to come from?

Akanbi_edu:
If indeed Amosun manages to do this, it will be great.

I hope the mainstreamers will not start their mischief. because they can actually stop work on those roads if they want. The one in Sango has a big signboard that says "work will soon commence on this road" signed by FG and Bi-courtney may go to court to stop any work on the Ibadan-Lagos because it has been conceded to them.

indeed!

FG: On your marks, get set. . .get set. . .get set. . .get set. . .get set. . .

Kobojunkie:
Well, up to this point, the excuse with Lagos has been that "It is Federal Road", and somehow a crime for States to step in when the FG Fails . . . at least according to the Nairaland Lagos hounds .

Lagos would merely be showing itself up if it doesn't take on this task. If Lagos doesn't, then they'd be proving the critics right about being a government purely for the elites.

Somewhere inside of me, i'm hoping that this is one of the deals and agreements made by the SW governors to develop the region. It would indeed be a welcome development.

If they both complete this one task, they'd the putting the FG to shame and making other region quake in their boots and become wary of the emerging power region within their contraption called a union.

. . .and he can 4ck back off!

Applaudable move!

Let's hope that Lagos would pick up the tab for the remaining leg. It would be a brilliant ACN fusion.

Fingers and toes crossed.

For meat pie,

Ingredients
1 cup of plain flour
One bar of stork pastry butter cut in half
One teaspoon salt
Milk - 4 tablespoon
Eggs - 1
Beef(burger/beef sausage/minced meat)
Curry, thyme, ginger(powder), garlic(powdered) onion(powdered) maggi, salt.
Potatoe - mash potatoes will suffice.

Process:
First you want to make the shortcrust pastry.
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and cut the butter into cubes(ensure that it is very chilled) and add to the flour. Using a food processor or food mixer, mix the flour and butter together until you get a crumbly looking mixture.

Next break the egg into the flour mixture, add the salt and the chilled milk and mix. You should mix to get a dough that completely lifts off the mixing bowl without leaving a mess. If th flour is still crumbly, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Be careful not to put too much milk as this would make the end result too hard. You only need enough milk to bring the flour to form a dough. Once this is has been achieved, wrap the dough in a cling film and pop into the refrigerator.

Filling
In the mixe/food processor, mix the beef with all the dried seasoning and give it a good mix(include the maggi at this stage too).
In a hot frying pan, add a drizzle of your preferred oil, add diced onion and sautee for a few minutes. Now, add the beef and fry until cooked. You now need to add the mashed potatoe (and mixed veg if you so choose) to the beef mixture and give it a food mix to make a nice thick beefy paste(I do mine in the mixer).

Finally, you want to remove the dough from the fridge; roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out a circle using a pastry cutter. In the middle of the circle dough, place a scoop of the beef mixture and using a pastry brush, rub egg white around the dough (this is to give it a good seal), you then fold one side of the dough over to cover the filling and form a semi circle. Seal the ends with a fork and using a pastry brush rub some egg yolk on the top of the pastry to give a nice golden finish.

Be sure to have pre_ heated the oven @ 180 deg while making your filling. You should then place your pastry on a greaseproof oven sheet to prevent sticking and bake for 30mins.

Enjoy.d butter together until you get a crumbly looking mixture.

Next break the egg into the flour mixture, add the salt and the chilled milk and mix. You should mix to get a dough that completely lifts off the mixing bowl without leaving a mess. If th flour is still crumbly, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Be careful not to put too much milk as this would make the end result too hard. You only need enough milk to bring the flour to form a dough. Once this is has been achieved, wrap the dough in a cling film and pop into the refrigerator.

Filling
In the mixe/food processor, mix the beef with all the dried seasoning and give it a good mix(include the maggi at this stage too).
In a hot frying pan, add a drizzle of your preferred oil, add diced onion and sautee for a few minutes. Now, add the beef and fry until cooked. You now need to add the mashed potatoe (and mixed veg if you so choose) to the beef mixture and give it a food mix to make a nice thick beefy paste(I do mine in the mixer).

Finally, you want to remove the dough from the fridge; roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out a circle using a pastry cutter. In the middle of the circle dough, place a scoop of the beef mixture and using a pastry brush, rub egg white around the dough (this is to give it a good seal), you then fold one side of the dough over to cover the filling and form a semi circle. Seal the ends with a fork and using a pastry brush rub some egg yolk on the top of the pastry to give a nice golden finish.

Be sure to have pre_ heated the oven @ 180 deg while making your filling. You should then place your pastry on a greaseproof oven sheet to prevent sticking and bake for 30mins.

Enjoy.

Glad to know work has commenced.

Thanks for your response Ekoile and for your input, Lukkie.

EkoIle,

any news on what's been done about the drainage system in Lagos?

I would rather have an update on that, please.

Gbawe:
Seanet , you really must learn to ignore some folk who , undoubtedly, have proven that they have their own agenda that does not include their love or concern for the SW. By now we should all know what should really matter now that we are in the opposition and have voluntarily distanced ourselves from a disgraced ruling Party. As per that, a lot of folks (ethnic bigots, PDP fans and apologist of GEJ who hate his political opponents automatically) will spread negative propaganda always with the supreme intention of causing disunity. Their cheap divide and conquer tactics is rudimentary to the point it does not deserve response from you or any clued-on South Westerner.

What we should do is simply to remain united in purpose, ignore mischief makers, support our Governors, hold them accountable and criticize them constructively when necessary. Anyone who really wants to get in touch with our leaders can do so and pass on their criticism. Venting publicly , while being goaded by ethnic bigots and GEJ sycophants, against Governors who haven't really done anything wrong, is not helpful at all. Responding to those with an agenda of mischief is not helpful either. I would suggest you do less of it so you stay a positive person overall. Trust me, it helps productivity, clarity of vision and success in life.

seconded!

Like him or loathe him, Ekoile backs his assertions with documentary facts and Fashola makes it all to easy - the man performs! While some are complaining that he hasn't cultivated the ground for farming, EkoIle rushes back into the archives and gives them all a SHUT UP! Why? Because Fash has already done it and is moving on to greater things.

The adversaries should just sit there and argue with their big big grammar that is devoid of an iota of sense while like a Tsunami, Fash sweeps them away!

Anyway, as per the topic, I think its a brilliant move! Why continue to import if we represent the largest consumer in the continent? Common sense dictates that this is a lucrative avenue to not only leave change in our pocket, but to also be the giant of Africa in rice production and export to other African countries! Must we wait for Dangote to take the reins again? If the private sector refuses to do the dirty work, let the public sector pick up the baton! It would help reduce unemployment and improve agricultural research.

At one time, Nigeria was the largest palm oil producer in the world. Indonesia bought a few seeds and the rest is now history. The tables have now turned and we buy from those we fed. You see the irony? If you don't want them to slap your face again, then now is the time.

Lagos knows that with the success of this, they Would be smiling to the bank in no time and perhaps more money to install new drainage system that our madam kofo has been harping on about!

A step in the right direction, Fash!