₦airaland Forum

BlueRayDick:
Gaddafi had it coming. He ruled for 32 years, it's only normal that his citizens who feel disgruntled with his dictatorship rule over the years will rebel against him. The unemployment rate was at 30% when the Arab spring wind blew across Libya and claimed his life.

No amount of investment in defence industry will save u from that.

In 2016, towards the end of his presidency, Obama admitted during an interview that interfering in Libya was the worst mistake of his administration, and if he could go back in time he'd have done things differently.

As a Nigerian, the fall of Benghazi (Libya's military capital and armoury) heralded the complete militarization of West Africa and the destabilization of Nigeria.
Pre-2010 (before the Arab Spring which also incurred into North Africa), Boko Haram was no more than a ragtag group of disgruntled religious fanatics. Libya fell as Obama armed the rebels and the stockpile of weapons filtered down South.


Today, the whole of West Africa is battling with terrorism - Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad... Boko Haram splintered into ISWAP, and grey areas with Herdsmen. Today they are top 7 deadliest terrorist groups in the world.

My dislike for America's Left began thus. Dislike for Obama, Hillary, and Biden... It stems from a chain of events resulting into my country becoming a haven of bombs going off everyday and people being slaughtered for the flimsiest reasons. I do not hide my dislike for Obama for this reason, including on the wider internet

Please, sir, don't try to excuse away what happened to Gaddafi. If he hadn't fall, West Africa and Nigeria would have been better off security-wise. And that in turn would have not affected our socioeconomics like it's doing today.
Obama realized this and stopped trying to topple Assad of Syria.

Gaddafi's death was orchestrated by outside forces. This much is public knowledge. Now I have to deadened my empathy so I can function well enough every time I read of entire communities being slaughtered in Borno State by Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Don't defend Gaddafi's killing, sir.

1. Federal Government says 60% of jobs in free trade zone for host communities.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/fg-says-60-of-jobs-in-free-trade-zones-for-host-communities/

My LGA is in a free trade zone in my state. Some parts of Rivers State are also part of the Onne Free Trade Zone, including parts of Ogoni (I think). Jobs are already being alloted.

Ask your traditional rulers, youth leaders, and sociocultural organization leaders. They ALWAYS get informed about openings but sell them or give to their cronies. Yes, sell them to people outside of your communities.



2. What Host Communities can benefit from the Petroleum Industry Act. This is a summary but there's more. It also includes building facilities, equipping schools, medical outreaches, bursaries....

https://punchng.com/how-host-communities-can-benefit-from-pia-nuprc/

When you really understand what's at stake, you as a Niger Deltan would know NDDC is a small fish to fry. Your direct leaders should be held by the coattails.

BlueRayDick:
You are doing well bro, Nice one.

Ideally this is what NDDC is actually supposed to be looking after; they ought to be at the forefront of helping Niger-Delta youths acquire in-demand skills in the oil and gas sector.

That way, the youth would not be too focused on engaging in oil theft and some laying siege on oil companies demanding for deve money all the time.

Well, to NDDC's credit, two nights ago, I confirmed there'd be an official flag off of skill acquisition training this week by the NDDC in my LGA. (I don't know about other LGAs or states.) But until I have evidence its not just for optics instead really advanced trainings, no comment from me. I've sent someone to be on ground to give me updates.

-
NDDC isn't even my problem. The PIA is my real concern. According to the Host Community Development Trust, the oil companies MUST pay about 3% of all their earnings annually to the HCDT which would be managed in conjunction with representatives from host communities. Those monies are already being paid.

Some of us have confirmed the names of these representatives for our place even though they were mute about it until we started asking loud questions. One of them a former senator. Those ones I can at least hold responsible as we know their homes and families and we are all interrelated so they'd be walking on glass if they try violence to silence those speaking out.

HCDT is the real money and our focus not subject to partisan politics. It's fixed and statutory.

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If you are from the Niger Delta reading this, just know your clan and LGA CLOs, youth leaders, traditional leaders, and politicians have been quietly siphoning monies belonging to your communities from the HCDT to their pockets and cornering alloted jobs they don't announce. Don't just believe me - go digging. Your Governor is likely oblivious of what's going on. Likely. It's all hush-hush.

YoshihideSuga:
Thank you for your reply.

I see good tidings in Akwa Ibom in the next decade maximum. I'm very excited to see such happening.

Hopefully the Government at the center with its unfavourable policy doesn't scare away foreign and private investors from injecting the needed funds and expertise.

For the bold, as I expected. But if so, why do many youths still complain about unemployment in the state? Even without residing in the state but being knowledgeable of these projects, I knew they will employ people.

It's the same reason many Nigerian youths complain about unemployment - they don't learn marketable in-demand skills and improve on their social capital which they can leverage on. You need to have the skills to be employable in the first place.

As at this moment, there's a particular community I know which has been alloted crane operator jobs, but there are few trained crane operators from the place. I mean guaranteed employment this minute. That's the problem - relevant skills.

Between February 2021 and December 2022, I and a few individuals from my LGA sponsored pipe-fittng trainings for persons of our LGA extraction primarily (and the whole state secondarily).
Someone on this thread went to Facebook then returned here attempting to troll me with it, stating I was wasting my time by referring to what we were doing.
You can local-search "Pipe-fitting" in the Foreign Affairs section to May 2021.

Good news is, 3 years later, at least 37% of the persons we got trained have been employed (with evidence) by the companies I mentioned earlier, and the Paramount Ruler gave us a special recognition recently.

We shouldn't even be the ones funding any such thing. That's what the HCDT of the PIA Act of 2021 covers, and more. Billions already paid into the accounts across the Niger-Delta.

And as an individual, you need to acquire skills yourself while hoping for the right opportunities to monetize them. Not everyone would be spoonfed by government or organisations. It's impossible.

Niger Delta youths as a whole need to acquire in-demand skills if they want more than crumbs from these companies. We could negotiate and insist on skilled employments because we had confirmed they are available skilled persons. Better skilled and demanding employment as stipulated by the PIA than screaming "Our oyel!" or "Our land!" and being considered a nuisance.

Anyway, now is the time to acquire certain assets to prepare for the future.

As for the lands, that's a future plan. I just wanted to know where is appropriate as my plan is industrial, so I need my money to long and networks to widen.

Good luck and Godspeed.

YoshihideSuga:
Good day Diss.troy,

Has there been any positive update on the BUA refinery? I checked online and nothing recent. The negative news is about the land tussle between the government/BUA and the indigenes. Also, the fertiliser facility by the Moroccan firm?

Thank you.

Hello.

The whole area is part of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone and work is ongoing. There are about 12 new multinationals operating.

Sterling Global, for example, parent company of Sterling Oil and others has been recruiting. Mostly mechanical, civil, electrical engineering and artisan fields. In the last two months I have confirmed people (locals) who have been employed. Others are also recruiting and work ongoing. These I have seen with my eyes.

--

About the protest: It was peaceful. There was a 2-day protest yesterday by one of the communities in the LGA, but it was about the implementation of the Host Community Development Fund (HCDF) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Peaceful since it has been resolved and a new CLO appointed.

----

For BUA refinery and the fertilizer company, that I understand. While ground work is ongoing, the stipulations of the PIA to host communities must be met and whatever benefits made public. I got feed back of oil being discovered in another part of the LGA close to the PH - Eket way. Essentially the whole areas forms a belt of oil & gas and manufacturing.

Bottom line is, work is ongoing but the PIA must be fully implemented - part of it being 50% local employment, execution of projects in the whole areas, advanced upskilling of the locals through facilitated trainings funded by the HCDT of the PIA.
I've seen a few of these, but we are insisting on the full democratision of the process - part of what fueled one of the protests which ended yesterday after resolution). I stand with that a 100%.

----

Did you eventually get the land you were seeking in the other LGAs?

Theflint1:
Gbadamosi supports LP, Peter Obi for president and GRV for governor. [

Okay...

No more LP top-to-bottom, my Niger-Delta brother? Olumide, a former NBA Chairman, who, on paper, is most likely to enforce and stick to the rule of law is no longer worthy of benefiting from the top-to-bottom flush?

You are actually going to vote a stooge like Asue over a more independent candidate who'd make decisions without the encumbrance of an overbearing Godfather?

OasisX:

We all have parochial interests. We posture but we are as crude as those we malign to seem like saints.

I, on this thread, railed against voting GRV. I was against voting LP even in my state of origin asides Obi. You can't have just about anyone ride on the wave to power. BlueRay supported my assertion.
The other Pro-Obi folks wanted LP top to bottom in Lagos. "Flush Sanwo Olu out!", they insisted, with virtual pitchforks.

Now it's no longer LP from top to bottom. It's now about equity which is a mask for ethnic interests.

That's why I never made it about party. I do not support the Labour Party - I support Obi. I do not hate the APC - I disliked Buhari.
And I criticise Tinubu yet praise one of his ministers constantly here and on other platforms.

That's why I could criticise Buhari but wanted Osinbajo or Fayemi (based on his long history of being at the forefront of human rights fight and sitting on such panels) as President during the Primaries if Obi didn't emerge.

Political parties in Nigeria are just SPVs without ideologies. No one party is awesome and the other completely evil. Address individual cases differently.

And if you want a top-to-bottom flush, stick to it, even if it doesn't favour your kinsman. Anything outside of that and you owe those you attacked on this thread for two straight years an apology.

This is why I would always give Iyin Aboyeji a pass and be biased in his favour, his crazy takes on Nigerian politics regardless.

This man has done and continues to do more for the Nigerian and African startup ecosystem than most of his most dedicated Twitter critics.

Through Future Africa and Accelerate Africa and the engagements on his timeline, this man is a movement on his own. He's not just talks and seminars, but actually doing it:

https://techcabal.com:443/2024/06/04/unicorn-iyin-aboyejis-accelerate-africa-first-cohort/

I just found out Yinka Odumakin wrote about it years ago. And he himself accused Sanusi of it.

The Tribune article:
https://www.nairaland.com/7159017/beheaded-gideon-akaluka-yinka-odumakin

https://tribuneonlineng.com/who-beheaded-akaluka/

Premium Times referenced FFK's post but refused to mention SLS: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/534544-nigeria-when-men-were-courageous-and-decisive-by-femi-fani-kayode.html?tztc=1

Here's a 1996 article about it but one needs to subscribe to read it indepth: https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/1239503.html .

Theflint1:
FFK isn't the most reliable of sources , but he also made reference to this beheading story, and Sanusi's part in it. Why was Sanusi deemed a threat to national security in 1995, and why do you think he is linked to this story?

https://www.facebook.com/realFFK/posts/now-that-he-that-beheaded-gideon-akaluka-has-been-deposed-it-is-time-to-bring-hi/10158203224067210/

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. Already going through the comment section to get more information.

Apparently, we have been routing for princely-cloaked LIKELY Shekau for years. Darn!

Ibime:
Sanusi has been a banker since the 1980s and went to Khartoum in 1991

Sanusi was in jail from June 1995 to June 1996 as a threat to National Security, not because of Gideon who died in December 1996

This part is publicly stated. Then again, the piece states exact periods and chronologically. I've been sieving through the comments and nested comments on that post corroborating the OP.

On the surface, it doesn't make sense. Sanusi was/is a Marxist and has portrayed liberal views so the marriage of that better-known persona of him and being a beheading extremist is shocking.

But knowing how he preaches against child marriages and multiple wives only to marry four wives and a 17-year-old girl too, while reveling in the opulence he so preaches against shows he's a contradiction.

I'm still digging exposés to see official documentations which corroborate it. And if so, if the mainstream media is complicit in shielding him by journalistic omission.

liveLongNprospa:
I don't understand.
I thought you knew this.
The God wey save Sanusi from Abacha was someone begging on his behalf.
I think it's the same people that own the cornflakes company that david did that expose on.

I fit dey mix am together

No, I didn't. I've never looked at SLS beyond cursory and mostly focused on his professional background. I was even looking into him - it was into Abacha for obscure pieces of information about him.

I was scavenging social media for historical recounts for a certain project so began 'touring' Nigerian and African history Facebook pages and groups. Then I stumbled on this shocking information about Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Apparently, he was one of the murderous beheading Wahabists Abacha was hounding and escaped punishment by whiskers.

https://www.facebook.com/100063691807488/posts/pfbid0UL7ckrP2XxAv28yp6cAJnG5kytDLrSCrBnWVYHiodrxXVHSxXBK5U82TAhiN4nzWl/

Who would have thought our pious and liberal Emir was exactly like Osama Bin Laden 30 years ago? I had no idea. I'm still shocked. Here I was rooting for a murderous religious extremist for years.

"DissTróy just likes to castigate. So because I listen to [ Shalli-whatever ] I am a fraudster? How is he a bad influence?"

'But he sings about and endorses fraud.'

"Songs are just songs."

You are what you listen to.

If it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and acts like one, it is a duck.

But forget about what I've been pointing out - enjoy and champion fraud music and fraudsters.

joseph1832:
MA main man. Ray Ekpu is from which state?

He's from Akwa Ibom. Along with Nsikak Essién who also worked at Newswatch with Dele Giwa.

There isn't a Wikipedia pages about him.

What we are building would solve this. So many greats do not have it.

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AfahaAbia:
Hi please can you join me to the WhatsApp group? Thanks

No, I can't. At the risk of coming off as a snub, it has the high and mighty in it and we discuss sensitive issues. Think Senators, Professors, top media men, old time Nigerian entertainers like Régîna Askia, accomplished SANs, judges... Not everyone gets admitted, but we'd be having a physical event this month.

If you are a literati, there's a possibility though. People added are carefully selected. We discuss intellectual issues only. No cruise or any such thing. Purely cerebral issues. Careful also because some persons' aim in such groups is social climbing and hassling elites for acquaintances and favours.

The cerebral Ray Ekpu. I had the honour of being on stage with him last November to toast to the health of Gov. Victor Attah during the later's birthday and book launch.
And just last Sunday, we were having a debate in our WhatsApp group about neo-feminism, misogyny, and other gender issues.

Rest on, ma'am.

YoshihideSuga:
Thank you for your explanation regarding land mass and specific local government areas. I appreciate. I'm curious at the bold, Akwa Ibom State University has her both campuses there.

No. Akwa State University main campus is at Ikot Akpaden, Mkpan Enin LGA, while the annex is at Obio Akpa, Oruk Anam LGA.

With the expansion so far, wouldn't it be affected by urbanisation?

Oruk Anam is the largest LGA so maybe not so much. Like I mentioned, interiors. The neighbouring Ukanafun LGA is a good option.

What about Onna? My hunch is any local government that hosts a tertiary institution, especially federal and state, would witness massive urbanisation and commercialisation.

Onna and Esit Eket LGAs might work. Udom urbanised those areas though.

Just avoid Eket and Ibeno - oil-producing areas snapped up by the big boys.

So, this should include Ikot Abasi which is closer to Mkpat Enin.

Also, where exactly are BUA refinery and the fertiliser manufacturing facility by the Moroccan firm situated?

Avoid this area. Completely urban. Rivals Uyo, Eket, and Ikot Ekpene for urbanisation somewhat.

The refinery is at Ete in Ikot Abasi. The fertilizer facility is close to the Mkpat Enin axis but still in Ikot Abasi LGA.

ALSCON and Ferrostal company take up the other expanses. Ibom Power Company takes up the Ibekwe axis after the refinery still in Ikot Abasi LGA. The Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi (FUTIA) takes up the rest.

No available lands for such.

Ukanafun LGA might work.

----


Wait a minute... How come you know that axis so well?

YoshihideSuga:
Thanks for answering the question.

I intend to invest into the cultivation of a certain cash crop in the state, so I needed to know where to avoid. The last thing I want is having issues with Fulani herdsmen.

None that hasn't been nipped in the bud from what I know.

If you haven't gotten land yet, I'd say go for LGAs with large landmass and land to spare where the urbanisation drive isn't on steroids.

LGAs like Ini, Ikono, parts of Mkpat Enin, parts of Oruk Anam. The interiors. Affordable too.

Flee from anyone who offers you a place in Ibesikpo and Uruan. They are large but you might lose your investment to government interests and right of way. Or at least be certain you get approval from the Ministry of Lands. Most lands have been purchased too so you'd likely not get a very large stretch of land for your investment.

Mkpat Enin and Oruk Anam LGAs are very accessible from/to Uyo and Port Harcourt too. Ini and Ikono are at the extreme ends of the state so far from the capital, Calabar, and Port Harcourt.

Sportsweb:
Be Honest Please. You are an Arsenal fans that jumped to Barcelona when the going was tough at Arsenal

No, I've always been a Cuker. All my life. But if you are a Culer, you'd know most Culers have a soft spot for Arsenal. The Barça - Arsenal comradeship story isn't a new thing. Ask around.

YoshihideSuga:
Apologies for quoting you here, but I'm curious, which areas/local government areas of Akwa Ibom State are farmers having issues with herdsmen?

Perhaps you'd point me to what made you ask this? I had to filter-search Facebook from April 1 to now immediately I saw this, but no results returned for clashes.

I only know they were isolated skirmishes with farmers around 2021 in parts of 3 LGAs: Ibesikpo Asutan, Ibiono Ibom and Itu LGAs. I've not heard or read of such since the anti-grazing law was passed.

Maybe there are skirmishes I don't know about so maybe point me to the piece of news which prompted the question?

I'm an F.C. Barcelona fan who also supports Arsenal F.C.

Football is a cruel thing to get invested in sometimes.

Anonymity on the internet has always been a myth. To find out, all you need do is trigger someone enough to dig tirelessly into you.

Even Peter Obi who is directly vying against Tinubu, and should have a personal grudge against him because of the vitriolic outbursts of the electioneering period, sees some positives where they are as he criticises.



1. Peter Obi Hails Tinubu For Adopting Oronsanye Report

https://www.nairaland.com/8015388/peter-obi-hails-tinubu-adopting

2. Peter Obi hails Tinubu over 50% transport fare reduction, queries implementation
https://guardian.ng/news/peter-obi-hails-tinubu-over-50-transport-fare-reduction-queries-implementation/


3. Obi praises Tinubu’s entourage cut, demands 60% governance cost reduction
https://gazettengr.com/obi-praises-tinubus-entourage-cut-demands-60-governance-cost-reduction/

As you berate the negatives, praise the positives if any. That's how not to be the bitter opposition.


I had to be the one to state this since I am on "this side" 'cause if anyone else does, he'd be gaslighted and termed an APC apologist.

The Heavens forbid I become that bitter.

Saying there are no positives or always ignoring the positives to focus only on the negatives is bitterness and hatred.

odizeey:
I wonder what good you want to point out when the bottom line of their policies leads to poverty, death amongst others.

This isn't the point. You are doing a sum-total.

If you have 2 parts of rices and 19 parts of beans, the beans do not invalidate the presence of the rice. And you avoided naming any good thing of the last administration or the present because we've been conditioned to notice only the bad and champion it. You can't really think of any good on the go.

For example, no matter what we think of this administration, power supply has improved. Probably for the first time in our lifetimes as young persons, the idea of dependable electricity or 18 - 24 hours daily power supply on a wide scale no longer seems farfetched.

NigeriaStories on Twitter was doing a list of places with regular power supply the other day - something which seemed almost utopian two decades ago. That's one positive. So many bad parts, but still good parts.

There's the revolution in the digital tech sector.

We are no longer completely dependent on oil according to the NBS so a diversified economy is also no longer farfetched.

Doesn't change the fact that on the whole Tinubu has been poor and Buhari was poor, but not seeing any good bad is hatred.

----

Doherty, the same man who exposed the illegalities and budget padding in the LASG expenditures just last year which began a wave of inquisitions into the budgets of state governments, including Alex Otti being fingered for the same wrongdoing which was discussed here, was still the same man who was the first to praise the LASG for the Red Line Rail Project.

Now that's how opposition is done. Praise where necessary, criticize where necessary. But for us, "Them bad, we good". Why would I even bother as a President or Governor explaining myself to you when you already have a pre-conclusion to any and every move I make and word I utter?

Bitter opposition which we mostly seem to practice isn't opposition.

iamoyindamola:
Now you are trolling

What do you mean by me trolling?

Akpabio wasn't out of line. The King and eyewitnesses stated the attackers seemed like mercenaries. Akpabio reiterated same and went to say he's assuming the mercenaries are from outside the Niger Delta.

Newspaper used "foreigners" in headlines but quoted Akpabio who didn't mention it. You saw the sensationalism but went with the exaggerated headline regardless.

The bitter and hateful opposition a lot of us practice isn't opposition. It's why some canvassed for a novice GRV to replace a relatively experienced Sanwo Olu because "we good, them bad".


There are a lot of tech-savvy guys here, including yourself, but beside two or three of us, I'd never seen any comment anything good even with the quiet turnaround and upgrade Bosun Tijani is doing in his ministry.

The day he'd ever be fingered for wrongdoing, those on " our side" would flood this thread with links and discussions.

Bitter and see-no-good opposition isn't opposition.

Realtord43:
man cap carelessly

He surely can't be doing it purposely

You know why governments in power never really take the opposition seriously most times? It's because the opposition does bitter opposition.

If you ask followers of Atiku and Peter Obi if anything good came off Buhari's government, most would say "no". It's barely ever been discussed even on this thread. We just shit on the government at the center for every reason, justified or not.

I can point out good in the Buhari administration. I criticize Tinubu, but I can point out certain positives in his administration, the inflation regardless.

If you ask other persons who identify with the opposition what good has been achieved so far, almost all can't point to one. NOT EVEN ONE. That's hátred.

We criticise blindly because we are most stuck on identity politics - " Them bad, we good". Sometimes it's pointless justifying your actions to someone or people who would never see anything good in you.


I criticise Akpabio. I was the first to shit on him. I'm the one who insistently opened up on some of the below-board activities he was up to as Governor even some person in and from Akwa Ibom still do not know.

I didn't celebrate his emergence as Senate President because I knew he has an antecedence of poor money management, and being chummy with the President meant a Yes-man Senate. I still criticise him but won't criticize blindly.

Same for Tinubu or Buhari or the state governor whom I didn't vote for.

Akpabio wasn't wrong in the instance in question, but since he's of the APC and we are on the other side, we must shit on him. He's the Devil like all of his associates in the APC.

What we have is a bitter opposition. Constructive criticism is the best way of being a critic. A good critic praises where necessary.

iamoyindamola:
Mehn have you see a dumb motherfvcker than this man

https://www.nairaland.com/8035169/killers-16-soldiers-may-mercenaries

Diss.troy this is not pretense again, this man is stupid beyond control it's like waiting for the next comment from a mad man

Even the King of the community confirmed the soldiers were sort of ambushed; like they knew they were coming, and launched attacks. That's a mercenary job.

And in the body of the text, Akpabio said, "Not from the Niger Delta". The newspaper added "foreigners" for sensationalism.

----

Just because I criticise Akpabio doesn't mean you should shit on him needlessly. He's very educated, intelligent, was a practicing lawyer from a very well-read family, and you calling him dumb seems like another motive.

Akpabio wasn't wrong this time.

I'm actually more intrigued by the drone manufacturing. If it's true that they fabricate drone and make functional drones no matter how crude, take the drone technologists into custody.

They should be punished but not regular jail. They can work out their punishment by refining their skills and working for minimum wage while adding value to the military props.

For the firearms makers? Jail them!

Kilishihunter:
Of course osimhen is our national hero atm but he's already bigger than that Napoli team even if they knock out can we see them realistically getting into the semis I'm not saying we will ourselves but some football fans except our haters of course will still expect us to fight and give a good competition because of our name and history, I'm just saying Napoli isn't sufficient for Osimhen again

I want him do perform really well today so it tips the big 6 clubs in Europe who are dragging their feet about chasing him to make a move today.

And I want us to do well.


Torn. Too bad a draw won't settle the tie.

Odd feeling for Nigerian Culers that the player who is most likely to end Barca's run in the UCL and make them unhappy is a Nigerian player who has made them happy the most and who we want to see succeed - Osimhen.

Whatever the result, we still lose.