₦airaland Forum

PDP- NEOLiberalism
Neo-liberalism" is a set of economic policies that have become widespread during the last 25 years or so. Although the word is rarely heard in the United States, you can clearly see the effects of neo-liberalism here as the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer.

"Liberalism" can refer to political, economic, or even religious ideas. In the U.S. political liberalism has been a strategy to prevent social conflict. It is presented to poor and working people as progressive compared to conservative or Rightwing. Economic liberalism is different. Conservative politicians who say they hate "liberals" -- meaning the political type -- have no real problem with economic liberalism, including neoliberalism.

"Neo" means we are talking about a new kind of liberalism. So what was the old kind? The liberal school of economics became famous in Europe when Adam Smith, an Scottish economist, published a book in 1776 called THE WEALTH OF NATIONS. He and others advocated the abolition of government intervention in economic matters. No restrictions on manufacturing, no barriers to commerce, no tariffs, he said; free trade was the best way for a nation's economy to develop. Such ideas were "liberal" in the sense of no controls. This application of individualism encouraged "free" enterprise," "free" competition -- which came to mean, free for the capitalists to make huge profits as they wished.

Economic liberalism prevailed in the United States through the 1800s and early 1900s. Then the Great Depression of the 1930s led an economist named John Maynard Keynes to a theory that challenged liberalism as the best policy for capitalists. He said, in essence, that full employment is necessary for capitalism to grow and it can be achieved only if governments and central banks intervene to increase employment. These ideas had much influence on President Roosevelt's New Deal -- which did improve life for many people. The belief that government should advance the common good became widely accepted.

But the capitalist crisis over the last 25 years, with its shrinking profit rates, inspired the corporate elite to revive economic liberalism. That's what makes it "neo" or new. Now, with the rapid globalization of the capitalist economy, we are seeing neo-liberalism on a global scale.

A memorable definition of this process came from Subcomandante Marcos at the Zapatista-sponsored Encuentro Intercontinental por la Humanidad y contra el Neo-liberalismo (Inter-continental Encounter for Humanity and Against Neo-liberalism) of August 1996 in Chiapas when he said: "what the Right offers is to turn the world into one big mall where they can buy Indians here, women there ...." and he might have added, children, immigrants, workers or even a whole country like Mexico."

The main points of neo-liberalism include:

THE RULE OF THE MARKET. Liberating "free" enterprise or private enterprise from any bonds imposed by the government (the state) no matter how much social damage this causes. Greater openness to international trade and investment, as in NAFTA. Reduce wages by de-unionizing workers and eliminating workers' rights that had been won over many years of struggle. No more price controls. All in all, total freedom of movement for capital, goods and services. To convince us this is good for us, they say "an unregulated market is the best way to increase economic growth, which will ultimately benefit everyone." It's like Reagan's "supply-side" and "trickle-down" economics -- but somehow the wealth didn't trickle down very much.

CUTTING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES like education and health care. REDUCING THE SAFETY-NET FOR THE POOR, and even maintenance of roads, bridges, water supply -- again in the name of reducing government's role. Of course, they don't oppose government subsidies and tax benefits for business.

DEREGULATION. Reduce government regulation of everything that could diminsh profits, including protecting the environmentand safety on the job.

PRIVATIZATION. Sell state-owned enterprises, goods and services to private investors. This includes banks, key industries, railroads, toll highways, electricity, schools, hospitals and even fresh water. Although usually done in the name of greater efficiency, which is often needed, privatization has mainly had the effect of concentrating wealth even more in a few hands and making the public pay even more for its needs.

ELIMINATING THE CONCEPT OF "THE PUBLIC GOOD" or "COMMUNITY" and replacing it with "individual responsibility." Pressuring the poorest people in a society to find solutions to their lack of health care, education and social security all by themselves -- then blaming them, if they fail, as "lazy."

Around the world, neo-liberalism has been imposed by powerful financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. It is raging all over Latin America. The first clear example of neo-liberalism at work came in Chile (with thanks to University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman), after the CIA-supported coup against the popularly elected Allende regime in 1973. Other countries followed, with some of the worst effects in Mexico where wages declined 40 to 50% in the first year of NAFTA while the cost of living rose by 80%. Over 20,000 small and medium businesses have failed and more than 1,000 state-owned enterprises have been privatized in Mexico. As one scholar said, "Neoliberalism means the neo-colonization of Latin America."

In the United States neo-liberalism is destroying welfare programs; attacking the rights of labor (including all immigrant workers); and cutbacking social programs. The Republican "Contract" on America is pure neo-liberalism. Its supporters are working hard to deny protection to children, youth, women, the planet itself -- and trying to trick us into acceptance by saying this will "get government off my back." The beneficiaries of neo-liberalism are a minority of the world's people. For the vast majority it brings even more suffering than before: suffering without the small, hard-won gains of the last 60 years, suffering without end.

ACN- Classical Liberalism
Classical liberalism is a political ideology, a branch of liberalism which advocates civil liberties and political freedom with limited government under the rule of law and generally promotes a laissez-faire economic policy.
Following Adam Smith, classical Liberals believe in three main functions of government: (1) the defense of the nation in international relations; (2) the administration of justice, upholding general rules of conduct protecting property and contract and preventing force and fraud; (3) the provision of "public goods" such as a minimum safety net for those who cannot provide for themselves, all of which the private sector would be unwilling or find too costly to provide on its own. Classical Liberals affirm that the state has a role in part-financing the provision of public goods, but they argue that this leaves ample room for private financing as well as competitive and decentralised private management of the services delivered.
Many ill-informed commentators hold that classical Liberalism advocates an unqualified laissez faire and a minimalist "nightwatchman" state -- "anarchy plus the constable," in the derisory words of Carlyle. This is false. The stress on justice, or the Rule of Law, shows that classical Liberalism advocates a qualified, not an absolutist, laissez faire or what one could term "liberty under the law." And the three functions of government outlined above go well beyond the restricted panorama of the "nightwatchman" state, encompassing broad and significant areas of public activity. Even the main function of economic policy, the formulation and implementation of general rules of conduct to protect property and enforce contracts, is far from being a simple, minimal, and cut-and-dried task. A framework of legal rules is infinitely complex in modern societies, differing between countries and constantly changing over time. This presupposes unwavering attention, great deliberation and not insignificant capacity on the part of the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The Scottish moral philosophers -- David Hume in particular -- were very attentive to this fact, and the complexity, as well as the supreme importance to the economy, of the rules of property and contract have been highlighted recently by Ronald Coase and his followers in what is called the New Institutional Economics.

To repeat, the classical Liberal does believe in important functions for government, but contrary to Socialists, or Social Democrats, he also contends that these functions should be circumscribed. The classical Liberal, following Jeremy Bentham, draws a sharp distinction between the government's legitimate and limited agenda (the three functions mentioned above) and its illegitimate and unlimited non-agenda. The latter -- what government should not undertake -- primarily refers to (non-interference in) private property and the freedom of production and consumption. To put it another way, this time in the formulation of the German economist Walter Eucken, the government is charged with supplying the institutional-regulatory framework of the free market economy, but it should not intervene in the market process itself, particularly in making decisions on prices and production in the allocation of resources. This is, or should be, the exclusive domain of private actors.

Thus the classical Liberal would characterise the office of government in terms of an impartial "umpire" or "referee," upholding "the rules of the game," but government, like an umpire or referee, should not get involved in the "game" itself, let alone pre-program or doctor the results of the game.

It can also be said that the classical Liberal conception of government activity in modern societies is composed of an amalgam of positive and negative functions: positive in the sense of active engagement, such as providing public goods and modifying and improving the framework of general rules; negative in the sense of refraining from doing certain things, such as interfering with private property and prices.

In the West, the positive agenda of government is fairly well developed, especially in the supply and enforcement of a comprehensive framework of rules of property and contract; but the negative side has been wilfully ignored as the public sphere has strayed into arbitrary interference with prices and production, and engaged in rampant redistributive activity in the dubious name of "social justice". In developing countries, paradoxical though it may seem, there is an insufficient appreciation of both positive and negative functions: on the one hand, there is far too much arbitrary interference in the private economic activities of individuals, with massive disregard for the individual's "negative" liberties; on the other hand, broad swathes of the positive agenda are underdeveloped, ranging from the supply of private law to the provision of public goods. One could say much the same thing about the situation in the transition countries. Their task is to rein in government so that it does not trespass on negative liberties, as well as sharpen its positive profile by concentrating on general rules of conduct and the provision of public goods.

CLASSICAL LIBERALISM AS A REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE
Having expressed reservations about the foregoing versions of Liberalism, I now propose to expound a theory of classical Liberalism which I believe to be more "realistic" and policy relevant. Classical Liberalism has its wellsprings in the moral philosophy and political economy of the Scottish Enlightenment, particularly in the thought of Adam Smith and David Hume, and resurfaced in the twentieth century in the works of Frank Knight, Jacob Viner, Walter Eucken, Wilhelm Ropke and, not least, F.A. Hayek.
Let us revisit the core value of Liberalism, individual freedom. For classical Liberalism, individual liberty has positive and negative aspects -- two sides of the same Liberal coin. In the first instance, liberty is defined negatively and secured by law: binding rules proscribe certain actions which interfere with the individual's delimited private sphere, particularly his property, in order to prevent him from being arbitrarily coerced; but this still leaves the individual free to act in any way not specifically forbidden. This latitude of action dovetails with the individual's positive freedoms for, as long as he stays within the limits of the law, he is perfectly free to "pursue his own interest his own way," according to Adam Smith. Acting in his own interest, or that of his family, friends or acquaintances, he discovers an inestimably vast range of present and future actions, allowing for the powerful expression of his individuality in all departments of life.

Individual freedom, negative and positive, is the bedrock of the free market economy. The freedom to produce and consume engenders a division of labor and increasing occupational and geographical specialisation, which facilitates a much improved employment and allocation of existing resources .

The division of labor is only one aspect of the case for a free market economy; it is complemented by the existence of a "division of knowledge." A major component of individual freedom is the ability to use his "own knowledge for [his] own purposes," in the language of Hayek. Knowledge in a complex society is localized and embedded in a myriad of skills and traditions, and is highly fragmented and dispersed. No person or group of persons is fully aware of the relevant facts to make "correct" decisions; everyone is partially and perpetually ignorant. The genius of the market economy is that it allows individuals to freely use what partial knowledge they have in everyday activities of production and consumption. Countless individual decisions, based on partial and highly fragmented knowledge, are coordinated through the "signals" of the price mechanism and within the rules of law. Only such a decentralised mechanism of coordinating existing knowledge and generating new knowledge is effectively capable of catering to the wants and needs of millions of individuals in complex societies.

In contrast, a centrally planned economy, or even a "mixed economy" with widespread government intervention, prevents individuals from acting in "their own interest their own way" or using "their own knowledge for [their] own purposes," especially by interfering with private property and the freedom of production and consumption. Government "planning" of the allocation of resources is far inferior to the nimble coordination mechanism of decentralised market exchange, for a centralised authority cannot possibly have access to, or control of, sufficient knowledge to "efficiently" decide on what is to be produced and consumed in complex orders.

Therefore, individual freedom is essential to provide material benefit for all, and especially for the poorer sections of society. The lesson of theory and history is that it is, in this respect at least, far superior to the clumsy and pernicious coordination of economic activity by government fiat. But this is not the sole argument for liberty in classical Liberalism. Indeed any theory of Liberalism would be poor, incomplete, and ultimately indefensible, if it rested exclusively and complacently on a "material" foundation. The freedom of the individual is not only about the creation of material wealth; it is more generally about the freedom of expression in all aspects of life, political, economic, social and cultural, which is the essence of the "Open Society" of Sir Karl Popper. Government intervention with individual freedoms cramps and even cripples such "openness" and leads to a "closed society." It is, as Hayek puts it, "the road to serfdom."

To recapitulate, the normative core of classical Liberalism is a belief in individual freedom as the most effective means of catering to the material requirements of society, as well as individual freedom for its own sake, that is to say, as the vehicle for the expression of individuality. This combination corresponds to what David Hume calls public utility. To Hume, Liberalism, as a system of individual freedom, displays utility, or proves itself "useful," to individuals who exercise choice and to society at large; and this system has been of greater utility over the longrun -- to innumerable individuals, wider social groups, and the progress of civilization itself -- than any viable alternative system of social coordination.

FREEDOM & ORDER
Liberalism is habitually upbraided for preaching an impossibly extreme form of individualism, considering only "atomistic" persons pursuing their self-interest. This is simply not true, as far as classical Liberalism is concerned. Adam Smith and David Hume, in common with Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville and, more recently, Bertrand de Jouvenel and Michael Oakeshott, have the utmost respect for morals, traditions and conventions, embodied in families, religion, small communities etc., that surround and condition individuals. Smith's Wealth of Nations and Hume's Treatise of Human Nature do not have a trace of atomistic or anomic individuals fighting it out in a war of each against all. To the Scots, society cannot function on a tabula rasa and purely on the basis of exchange and contract. Indeed, exchange and contract can only be sustained by supporting norms of social cooperation that emerge "bottom-up," or "grow" informally and historically, through a cornucopia of "natural communities" [e.g., families, the church, local communities] and voluntary associations -- the corps intermediaries sandwiched between the individual and government.
These institutions of civil society, many of which lie "beyond supply and demand," to borrow the very fitting words of Wilhelm Ropke, are vital bridges that link freedom and order. Freedom bereft of the "order" of civil society is precarious and ineluctably degenerates into anarchy and license, which, in turn, usually generates a tyrannical reaction that quashes freedom itself. The informal mechanisms of civil society, in conjunction with the formal rules of law, provide for a minimum of order and stability, which are preconditions for the gradual extension and longterm sustenance of individual liberty. As Hayek has remarked:


"There probably never has existed a genuine belief in freedom, and there has certainly been no successful attempt to operate a free society, without a genuine reverence for grown institutions, for customs and habits. Paradoxical as it may appear, it is probably true that a successful free society will always be in large measure a tradition-bound society."
This unbreakable bond between freedom and order does shed some "sociological" light on the process of transition in Russia and other countries. It has to be underlined that the economic freedoms of the West could not possibly have taken root, sprouted and flowered, without nourishment in the fertile soil of civil society. In sharp contrast, Russia had hardly a semblance of civil society before 1917, and what little it had was extirpated in the long night of totalitarianism. Therefore, its point of departure for transition in the 1990s totterd on a weak foundation, lacking the structural supports of civil society. The longterm success of economic transition (macroeconomic stabilization, microeconomic liberalization, and institutional transformation), political democracy, and the securing of individual liberty itself will only be gained if the institutions of civil society emerge and very gradually become established. These institutions include a solid middle class, a bourgeois ethic of hard work and self-responsibility, respect for property and the law, adherence to conventions of trust and reputation in business dealings, a plethora of voluntary associations, decentralised decision-making, inter alia.

On the other hand, the outlook for the East Central European countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary) is somewhat better, at least in part because they had a pre-Communist heritage of "Western" civil society to which they can now reconnect. For all the transition countries, to varying degrees, there is an inescapable mutual dependence between "technical" measures of policy and the enveloping informal institutions of civil society. It would be folly indeed to overlook the fact that their fortunes are inextricably entwined.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS
Liberalism, particularly its "economic" component, is also accused of relying excessively on the homo economicus of neoclassical economics. This rational actor model assumes that man makes correct or "optimising" decisions in adjusting means to ends under given conditions, that he has perfect knowledge of relevant facts as well as a perfect information-processing capability. With such rational action, competition for goods and services in "perfect": markets clear at equilibrium prices, there is no monopoly power, and resources are fully utilised and "efficiently" allocated. In effect, homo economicus is an outgrowth of the homo faber of the French Enlightenment: there is a mechanical optimism in the ability of "rational" human beings to master and control their environment, or "design" their social arrangements, at will.
Admittedly, much of Liberal doctrine is tainted by this rather primitive and simplistic Cartesian rationality, the unfortunate and baleful legacy of la pense franaise. [but not only French thought] in our modern world. Once again, however, classical Liberalism adopts a strikingly different approach, for the legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment is a sceptical or critical view of human rationality in social orders of unbounded complexity. To Smith and Hume, man is governed largely by his "passions," not his reason; he is fallible in his decision-making processes and has imperfect knowledge of relevant facts . Given "the slow and uncertain determinations of our reason" [Smith] or "the narrow bounds of human understanding" [Hume], markets are far from "perfect". The lasting advantage of markets, however, is that they provide an appropriate framework in which men are goaded into becoming more "rational" in adjusting means to ends: rationality, and with it the utilization of existing resources and the grasping of new opportunities, improve by slow degrees and by force of circumstance.

Thus, classical Liberalism has a hard-boiled, realistic appraisal of human nature, a world away from the abstractions of homo economicus. Its case for a free market economy is not dependent on rational men in perfect markets; rather, it holds that fallible and capricious men are still better at making their own decisions in real-world situations than having decisions made for them by stupid, ignorant, and profligate governments. According to Hayek, this is not a system reliant on "good" men; rather, it is one in which "bad men can do least harm". Hence the classical Liberal argument in favor of free markets is practical, empirical and perhaps even rough-and-ready, with complex assumptions of man in a complex world. By steering clear of over-rigid, unrealistic abstractions, it remains steadfastly relevant to the requirements of public policy.

THE ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK
The advantages of individual liberty have been set out in the foregoing discussion. Their upshot in the "economic" world of market exchange is the freedom to own property, the freedom of occupation, movement and association, and the freedom to strike contracts and engage in trade. Many commentators tend to downplay these basic economic freedoms and place greater emphasis on socalled political and civic freedoms, for example, the freedom of thought and speech, the freedom of the person (from arbitrary arrest, torture, etc.), and the freedom to participate in politics. Joseph Schumpeter, in common with many Socialists and Social Democrats, considers "political" freedoms to be inviolate but "economic" freedoms subsidiary, thereby legitimating government intervention in private property and the freedom of trade and contract.
This Socialist or Social Democratic stance classical Liberalism rejects out of hand. First, it is difficult to imagine how civic or political freedoms can be efficaciously safeguarded in the longterm without the defence of economic freedoms. And second, economic freedoms are at least as important as political freedoms. It is all too easy for the intellectual, closeted in his unreal, rarefied world (and these days, showered with public subsidies of various kinds in the name of "education" or "culture" to wax eloquently on the subject of human and political rights, while, at the same time, denigrating economic freedoms. What he conveniently and blithely overlooks is that the bulk of the population, that is to say, "practical" people, mostly engage in the mundane, quotidian "economic" activities of buying and selling, producing and consuming, using their property and making transactions. Only an infinitesimally tiny proportion of their everyday lives is taken up by political or civic activity. The latter is not to be underestimated, but the vital fact remains that economic freedoms are basic and primary; they vivify individual liberty. Without the life-blood of economic freedoms, individual liberty would be empty, a mere sham.

Russia, China and the other transition countries had both economic and political freedoms eviscerated by Communism. Now they should disregard the dangerous advice of many well-meaning Western Social Democrats to privilege political over economic freedom. To reiterate, the latter is at least as important as the former.

culled from POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE by Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.

We need to understand the Basic Idealogies of Both parties in Nigeria according to their economic policies.
PDP - Neoliberalism
According to Boas and Gans-Morse nowadays the most common use of the term neoliberalism refers to economic reform policies such as “eliminating price controls, deregulating capital markets and lowering trade barriers”, and reducing state influence on the economy especially by privatization and fiscal austerity. The term is used in several senses: as an ideology the term is used to denote a conception of freedom as an overarching social value associated with reducing state functions to those of a minimal state; and finally as an academic paradigm the term is closely related to neoclassical economic theory.

Some people believe that the term is used as a pejorative for policies that deregulate the private sector and increase its role in the economy
Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets and free trade. The role of the state is to create and preserve an institutional framework appropriate to such practices. The state has to guarantee, for example, the quality and integrity of money. It must also set up those military, defence, police and legal structures and functions required to secure private property rights and to guarantee, by force if need be, the proper functioning of markets. Furthermore, if markets do not exist (in areas such as land, water, education, health care, social security, or environmental pollution) then they must be created, by state action if necessary. But beyond these tasks the state should not venture. State interventions in markets (once created) must be kept to a bare minimum because, according to the theory, the state cannot possibly possess enough information to second-guess market signals (prices) and because powerful interest groups will inevitably distort and bias state interventions (particularly in democracies) for their own benefit.
Neoliberalism seeks to transfer control of the economy from public to the private sector, under the belief that it will produce a more efficient government and improve the economic health of the nation. The definitive statement of the concrete policies advocated by neoliberalism is often taken[citation needed] to be "Washington Consensus", a list of policy proposals that appeared to have gained consensus approval among the Washington-based international economic organizations (like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank). Williamson's list included ten points:
Fiscal policy Governments should not run large deficits that have to be paid back by future citizens, and such deficits can have only a short term effect on the level of employment in the economy. Constant deficits will lead to higher inflation and lower productivity, and should be avoided. Deficits should only be used for occasional stabilization purposes.
Redirection of public spending from subsidies (especially what neoliberals call "indiscriminate subsidies" and other spending neoliberals deem wasteful toward broad-based provision of key pro-growth, pro-poor services like primary education, primary health care and infrastructure investment
Tax reform– broadening the tax base and adopting moderate marginal tax rates to encourage innovation and efficiency;
Interest rates that are market determined and positive (but moderate) in real terms;
Floating exchange rates;
Trade liberalization – liberalization of imports, with particular emphasis on elimination of quantitative restrictions (licensing, etc.); any trade protection to be provided by low and relatively uniform tariffs; thus encouraging competition and long term growth
Liberalization of the "capital account" of the balance of payments, that is, allowing people the opportunity to invest funds overseas and allowing foreign funds to be invested in the home country
Privatization of state enterprises; Promoting market provision of goods and services which the government cannot provide as effectively or efficiently, such as telecommunications, where having many service providers promotes choice and competition.
Deregulation – abolition of regulations that impede market entry or restrict competition, except for those justified on safety, environmental and consumer protection grounds, and prudent oversight of financial institutions;
Legal security for property rights;

tomakint: Meaning, this is the party that will take Nigeria to the 'Promised Land'

I never said that they will take us to the promise land, but they have the tendency from their antecedent which both of us can attestate to. I want to limit my discussion to the 2 parties in Nigeria that have shown some sign of direction. PDP and ACN. their beleieve, ideaology politically and economics differ, even if most Nigerians dont understand really what ideaology meant. PDP's ideaology for the past 14 yrs have failed us from the economic part of it. The PDP control FG has failed while some of its state have performed not because of the parties ideaology but because of their own stands and believe.

tomakint: People like you will always have problems understanding the political terrain of this country, they already gave out the names of those who hold forte in the new party (APC) tell me what makes them 'another set of people' according to your warped view

funny things will never stop happening in a great country like ours. They term Tinubu as a SW champion, Buhari as Northern champion, Shekarau as NW champion, Rochas as partly SE champion, yet they come together to form a party we still criticise them. It as if we dont know what we want. I like to argue in a practical and factual way. let compare parties and their control state in terms of their interest and use of power, development from internal and external resources. I stand to be corrected PDP has more states than most of the parties, have more funds, but development within their controlled state are minimal with respect to other parties. Lets not forget that if new names are brought forward the same people that are against the known names will tell you he would be a failure cos he is not known and he cannot perform. We all know that Fashola was not known but today either anybody likes it or not he is the best governor in Nigeria from his antecendent (present gov). I laugh when people say parties in Nigeria dont have ideaology. It tells lot about us cos we can see they have different approach to issues and different mindset but do we really understand the word ideaology. I doubt it cos most of our politicians and electorate dont understand the rudiment of democracy, its operation , its modes and operandi. there are lots of loop holes in our understanding. PDP's manifesto talks about pushing true federalism to its fullest, can some one remind one policy that PDP have pushed to favour true federalism, do they even talk about it. Tinubu have been a serious fighter of true democracy.( Tinubu/Obasanjo LG) that lead to the creation of Governor forum initiated by Tinubu himself to pressurise the FG, but today it have been hijacked by PDP. PDP ideaology is neoliberal (economic liberalism) and stance in its economic policies and maintains a conservative (social convervatism) stance while ACN is classical Liberalism and maintains a progressivism stance. Now do we understand the stance and policies under this ideaology, Nope. We are just good in making noise but we dont sit to read or study their differences. Nigerians have a lot to learn and understand in democracy, yet the motive of every body is to have food on the table, shelter, water, good road, good school etc but the way to go about it varies from individuals to groups of people.

Mad Cow: My guy...

I'm not a politician. Infact, up until last elections, I have never voted or even bothered to. But you see this APC?!! Its not the answer that we Nigerians have been waiting for to PDP. APC is like a last ditch effort to pull a rabbit out of thin air. Sadly! They have once again failed.

There 7-point agenda is all well and good on paper and like I told Olaolufred, I shall await the 'How they intend to achieve this'. Until such a time as when I find a non-tribal/ethinically biased political party like PDP, I will continue to thumbprint only where i see the #UMBLERRA (In Patience Jonathans voice).

We Nigerians are desparate to see PDP leave power, but not to an Aboki and Yoruba Peoples political Party!! NEVER!!


_{For as long as Aboki still remains a Bastard, Aboki must only be used for one purpose alone, which is to; SHINE OUR SHOES!!!!}


Breathe Free or Die Hard.. #FRESH BREEZE 2015... Yes we can!!

I laugh when i read people decieving themselves by saying they are not politicians. The last time i read about the difference btw man and animal, one is a political animal cos he can decide is left from his right and do things that will suit him and his environ.
For Aristote, the man is a political animal (zoon politikon) which is however not the only one which lives in group: there exists many gregarious species. But the man is the only animal which, always living groups some, is also able, if necessary, to live in a politically organized company, polishes, a civil society (koinonia politikê).

The man can live without political organization, but its life is then of a lower quality. There exist people (European West too impetuous or Asian missing energy) of which psychological qualities, undoubtedly related to the climate, always according to Aristote, prohibit to them to live in cities. If the Barbarians never live in city, all Hellènes do not live in civil society, but only a part of them, eminently the Athenians: they form a community of citizens (politeai) according to the principle of the equality in the law (isonomy) and where the reports of being able are reversible, since the citizen who is ordered can order from his turn, as a magistrate. There exist communities, companies or associations, which aim at particular goals: crew of boat, army, religious brotherhood, guild of merchants propose a specific end, and it corresponds to them of precise sciences, for example the art of navigation, the strategy or the art of warfare.

But the political association is higher than all the others in two directions: it includes all other associations, which of it are the constituent parts, and it proposes a higher goal, namely the community property. And this is why the science of the civil society - political science - is the best science among the nonspeculative disciplines.


Thus, Aristote, while underlining the nonuniversal character of the policy, i.e. while supporting that the men can live apart from the political bond, affirms - the tradition augustienne or hobbesienne will differ on this point - the natural character of the policy: the political life is registered in the human gasoline, which it achieves, realizes completely; but the passage of the social animal man to the political animal man supposes that certain conditions are met. In other words, the political community is undoubtedly best communities: it is it which ensures civilization, while the life in associations, whatever they are, is a constant property of the mankind. Art (or science) political prolongs nature, but it is about a technique which can be various methods and different successes.

Back to the discussion, what is the manifesto of PDP? what is the agenda of PDP, pls can you state them. am not talking of candidates agenda but the parties agenda which will be a bases for their members to work with. I know you can mention policies and programmes that are known to all ACN states. THis are from their manifestoes and agenda. Nigeria"s problem is Nigerians. No body can take you for a ride either PDP or ACN unless we remove sentiments from our eyes and demand for issue base discussion reasons behind A and B. All ACN states expect Lagos state that just increased their tuition fees the rest states reduced the tuition fee from the hike by the previous govt, they promote more on free and qualitative education better than the previous govt. their lots and lots to talk about. Thats why i will appreciate it if you can state 2 or 3 states controlled by PDP that follows the manifesto and agenda stated by the party not the individuals.

thelastPope: Coming out to list seven of the biggest challenges in Nigeria as a seven point agenda is laughable. Nigerians know what the problems are already. The present government is actually planning and working on what they have listed so how can anyone get excited about it? The real issue is whether they can do it better and how they can do it better. Saying for example that Power is an agenda is laughable when privatization is almost complete. The only thing Nigerians will be interested in is how they can do it better, not a listing of the problems as an "agenda" whatever that means.

[b][/b] Bro's if you dont set a goal/agenda you would never think of how to achieve it. Goals/agenda can change cos our need as human beings changes also. This collection of men are experienced, successful and failures in one aspect or the other in life. For the goals set, what i expect from us is how do they intend to achieve it, what is their school of thought that makes them different from the present administration. Do they key into the present administration policies?if they dont how will they resolve some of the policy that have gulp lots of funds from the nation. I expect us to be open minded and not just critises for the sake of do so. Rome wasnt built in a day and dont expect heaven in just one day. We complain we dont like PDP govt, ACN govt, CPC govt, ANPP govt, APGA govt etc, yet we never provide alternatives. if one comes up we PHD. I think we need to be focused about nation building. The APC is answering some of your question bit by bit. The next is their manifesto which will tell you about their Idealology. let us be patient cos Politics of the opposition is a very difficult task especially in a docile nation like Nigerians. Most of the Nigerian electorates are selfish people.

Ikengawo: it is, and i would like for Nigeria to be this way, but i'm tell you how it is, not how it should be.

it SHOULD be open to the best man, but you can have igbo churches bombed every week, middle belters raided, and northerners demanding more of the south south's money, sharia law, and tolerance of almajiris and boko haram and expect the victimized people to vote for someone from the north.

They will only empower GEJ by running a northerner. The Nigerian statistics are fake, the north doesn't have the numbers to win an election for anyone. All elections have boiled down to how the SE SS and middle belt trust.

If you doubt the Nigerian statistics which one do you want to work with. for your informaton SE and SS is not a determinate factor in the coming election cos you have to look at electoral votes. First, must have the highest vote, Second 25% of two-third states including FCT, i.e 24 states, . The vote of NW alone is more than the combination of SE and SS. NW - 18,900,543 While the combination of SE and SS - 7,028,560 +

8,937,057 = 15,965,617.
in the coming election the determinate factors are SW and NC. 14,298,356 and 7,675,369 respectively. A political party picking SE as presidential candidate has failed from the begining except from the personality of the individual but for 2015. it is a sorry case.

The election of 2015 is going to be a very tough electioneering period. Politicians are calculating based on strenght and figures of most area with high eligibile voters. If PDP sticks with GEJ, it will be a very big battle but GEJ might still emerge but tight depending on GEJ's opponent from Merger party.
The 2011 voters register and the political calculation for voting pattern.
Lagos 6,247,845
Ogun 1,869,326
Osun 1,293,967
Ondo 1,558,975
Ekiti 750,753
Oyo 2,577,490
Total(SW) 14,298,356



Abia 1,481,191
Anambra 1,758,220
Enugu 1,301,185
Imo 1,611,715
Ebonyi 876,249
Total(SE) 7,028,560


Edo 1,412;225
Delta 1,900,055
Bayelsa 472,389
Akwa Ib 1,714,781
RIvers 2,419,057
C/Rivers 1,018,550
Total(SS) 8,937,057

Jigawa 1,852,698
Kano 5,135,415
Katsina 2,931,668
Kaduna 3,565,762
Kebbi 1,603,468
Sokoto 2,065,508
Zamfara 1,746,024
Total(NW) 18,900,543


Adamawa 1,714,860
Bauchi 1,835,562
Borno 2,730,368
Gombe 1,266,993
Taraba 1,308,106
Yobe 1,182,230
Total(NE) 10,038,119


Benue 1,415,162
Kogi 1,215,405
Kwara 1,115,665
Nassarawa 1,224,206
Niger 721,478
Plateau 1,983,453
Total(NC) 7,675,369
With the present parties and their strenght
PDP - SS (5 states) , SE (6 states) , NC ( 50% of 5 states + F.C.T), NE (4 states,
ACN - SW (6 states), SS (1 state), NC ( 40% of 3 states), NE ( 2 states)
CPC - NW (6 states), NE (4 states), NC (60% of 4 states)
ANPP - NW (2 State), NE (3 States), NC (2 States).

IF PDP picks GEJ: the opposition candidate will be very strong and accepted totally by the Northern elite as long as Buhari is not the presidential candidate but can be an endorsed candidate of Buhari.
Possible candidate and reasons;
El Rufai / Fashola;
i know some people will say it a muslim muslim ticket, yes it is but it wont hold water cos of the region the come from. Fashola is from a region that dont care ur religion but what you can offer. the region also is the second largest voters in the country after the region El rufia is from.
Their strenght in terms of states:
North west: 70% vote will support for El Rufai cos of Buhari's influence and some notable Northern elite who would prefer him to Buhari in office and cos he is a northerner.
South west: 70% Vote will support cos of Fashola's personnality
North east: 60% vote will also support El rufia cos of Buhari's influence and some notable Northern elite who want power shift at all means and prefers him to Buhari.

Their Weakness:
North central: Because of the problem btw the middle belt and the northern oligarghy they would prefer a christain northerner to a muslim northerner. the muslim muslim ticket would be a big blow. But nevertheless places like Kwara ( 40% vote) Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and benue. the required 25% vote required will be achieved.
South East: No go area. can have up to 20% vote
South South: Just one state cos of the Edo state governor. Akwa Ibom but depends alot on Akpabio's stand.

With this permutation. the voting pattern goes as follow.
North West: 70% of 18,900,543 = 13, 230, 380
South West: 70% of 14,298,356 = 10,008,849
North East: 60% of 10,038,119 = 6,022,871
North Central; 40% of 7,675,369 = 3,070,147
South South: 10% of 8,937,057 = 893,706
South East: 10% of 7,028,560 = 702,856
Total vote: 33,928,809.

Ikwere fist son: dat is wer d problm is.wen we tok isues lyk ds u yorubas wil imagne anti clockwise.no body said oyo,ogun or ekiti bt lagos.lagos was once a capital nd yorubas kan nt lay total cliam 2 lag if so wat is a yoruba man doing fcda in abuja as one of d directors.so a cosmopolitan state lyk lagos in d real sense shuld nt be governd by a tribe alone dat is wer d problm is.wen we tok isues lyk ds u yorubas wil imagne anti clockwise.no body said oyo,ogun or ekiti bt lagos.lagos was once a capital nd yorubas kan nt lay total cliam 2 lag if so wat is a yoruba man doing fcda in abuja as one of d directors.so a cosmopolitan state lyk lagos in d real sense shuld nt be governd by a tribe alone let me tel u b4 prof wrote hs book we all knew dat awo ws a bigot nd d bigotery role he playd aganst zik in lagos asembly electns in d 50s.nd 4u 2 say hw many re ibos in lagos shows dat ure a baby i shoudnt be joing isues wit u.gve ur fada d laptop lets debate.ogwolo

Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. 14 of 1967, which restructured Nigeria’s Federation into 12 states. Prior to this, Lagos Municipality had been administered by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs as the regional authority, while the Lagos City Council (LCC) governed the City of Lagos. Equally, the metropolitan areas (Colony Province) of Ikeja, Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry were administered by the Western Region. The State took off as an administrative entity on April 11, 1968 with Lagos Island serving the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital. However, with the creation of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja in 1976, Lagos Island ceased to be the capital of the State which was moved to Ikeja. Equally, with the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Government to Abuja on 12 December 1991, Lagos Island ceased to be Nigeria’s political capital. Nevertheless, Lagos remains the center of commerce for the country.
It unfortunate that we hv people who try to rewrite history. It was just a fraction of lagos state that was controled by the FG. Western region built lots and where taken over by the FG.

Puntae: It's really a shame that NASS have resulted to habouring and sheltering criminals... This is a show of extreme shame!
A public acceptance to a crime by the criminal who now is term a hero... Oh NASS, your acts of decay and incompetence you exhibit and I pray it burns before long...

The arm of govt that have been abused, marginalised and disrespected by Nigerians mostly is the NASS. it is the heart of any democracy. We abuse them, see them as crooks but have never asked the executives that spends the money of the country any how. It unfortunate that most of our youths reason in a different manner.
1. Pls who among us have watched the claimed video
2. Why have EFCC not made a substantial case against him
3. Why will the accompli release the audio and not the so called SSS or police
4. Why wait till after the report was presented before picking him up.
5. Or the same person doctored Ribadu's report that is similar to Farouk report.

The most neglected arm of govt in Nigeria is the Legislature. During military govt we have executives and judiciary but no legislature. Thats why we dont appreciate them Yes they might have their bad past but they have not harm nigeria 1% of what the executives or the Judiciaries have done to Nigeria.

"RELATED ABSTRACT"


WHY NIGERIA MUST NOT BREAK BY THE RULING CLASS. NIGERIA IS INDEED AN "OPERATING SYSTEM" TO RUN APPLICATION OF WEALTH ACQUISITION TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHERS. U CAN ALSO C THE CORROLARY OF PIB, WHY IT MAY NOT BE PASSED IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM. HAPI READN

he North is poor, this much no one disputes, the poverty has bred millions of destitutes, who have become instant and easy recruits for Boko-Haram. But the question is: Who impoverished the North? I want to posit that the Core North through their aristocrats and ex-military rulers rake an enormous income from oil money (from the Niger Delta) individually, much more than any Individual/group of individuals from the South, and collectively more than 10 times the entire Niger Delta business men in the oil and gas industry put together. In this disquisition, I have attempted to show that an estimated 75% of crude oil and gas produced by indigenous companies is controlled by the North. It is an area they have well conquered through General IBB, Abacha and Abdulsalami. However, the loots never get back home.

In this first part I will attempt to describe the very uneven nature of the distribution of the nation’s wealth among the Northern aristocratic families and their military generals who for decades looted Nigeria. They did so blatantly, and while Nigeria was weeping about oil windfall loot and others, Nigerians would wail if they know how much of the nation’s resources these folks allocated to themselves and their business fronts before they stepped aside.

Let us therefore begin.To the state of origin of Boko Haram: Borno State.Enter Cavendish Petroleum, the operators of OML 110 – with good yielding OBE field. This oil block was awarded to Alhaji Mai Deribe – the Borno patriarch, who even in death will remain the richest man dead or alive in the history of Borno state- by General Sani Abacha on the 8th of July, 1996. OML 110 has a proven oil reserve in excess of 500 million barrels (More than the entire 300milliom barrels reserve of Sudan). As yet with the capacity to produce about 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily from its OBE 4 and OBE 5 wells.At current production levels, the Mai Deribes net circa N4billion monthly in crude oil sales (Using oil price estimates of $100 p/b). Mai Deribe’s mansion, in allegedly poor Maiduguri is one of the most lavish mansions anywhere on earth; it used to be a tourist attraction, b4 Boko Haram’s tourism deterrent activities -

I will then shift to the centre of the Fulani aristocratic hegemony in the North – Kano. Here. Enter the Fulani Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, Mallam (Prince) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s cousin. He is a Key shareholder and director in Seplat/Platform petroleum operators of the Asuokpu/Umutu Marginal Field with a capacity of 300,000 barrels monthly and A 30mmfcsd gas plant capable of feeding 100MT of LPG. The Ado Bayeros, Yar’Aduas and Atiku Abubakar are Nigerian holders of Intels. It runs a private port that has grounded three Federal ports in the South. Intels is discussed later.

Enter South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO). South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO) is a Nigerian Oil Exploration and Production Company that was created in 1995 by General T. Y. Danjuma (also Chairma of ENI Nigeria). General Sani Abacha awarded the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 246 to SAPETRO in February 1998. The block covers a total area of 2,590km2 (1,000 sq. miles). SAPETRO partnered with Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd (TUPNI) and Brasoil Oil Services Company Nigeria Ltd (Petrobras) to start prospecting on OPL246. Akpo, a condensate field was discovered in April 2000 with the drilling of the first exploration well (Akpo 1) on the block. Other discoveries made on OPL 246 include the Egina Main, Egina South, Preowei and Kuro (Kuro was suspended as a dry gas/minor oil discovery). In June 2006, General TY Danjuma divested part of its contractor rights and obligations to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for $1 billion (N160bn). Akpo exports about 230,000 barrels of condensate daily. Condensate export is not regulated by OPEC, so SAPETRO/TOTAL exports as much as possible each day. Egina exports about 75,000 barrels of oil daily.Therefore, Akpo and Egina fields export just over 300,000 barrels of oil/condensate daily (three times what the country Ghana exports). SAPETRO (TY Danjuma) get’s 25% of this. Now, note I have not talked about the gas component – it’s about 2.5 trillion cubic feet. The money SAPETRO nets each month is more than the monthly statutory allocation to any Nigerian state and also more than the oil revenue of Ghana. Do your math.

Enter AMNI (or is it AMIN?) International Petroleum Development Company. AMNI owns two oil blocks – OML 112 and OML 117. In the production-sharing contract, AMNI gets 60% for owning the oil block and Total gets 40% for providing technical advice. OML 112 was awarded on the 12/02/1998 while OML 117 was awarded 04/08/1999 all by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. Operations started on both blocks 0n 26/02/2006. The licenses are due to expire 11/02/2018 and 05/08/2019 respectively. (Now you see why the next election is important?). The Okoro and Setu fields in OML 112 are operated by Afren Energy, a company substantially controlled by Rilwanu Lukman. The Okoro and Setu oil fields have about 50 million barrels in reserve and currently produce/exports just a little below 20,000 barrels per day. The chairman of AMNI International Petroleum and Development Company is Alhaji (Colonel) Sani Bello a Fulani from Kontagora, Niger State. Lest I forget, Alhaji Bello’s son- Abu, is married to General Abdusalami Abubakar’s eldest daughter.

Enter Oriental Energy Resources Limited, a company owned by Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, a close friend of General Ibrahim Babangida. Also worthy of note is that General IBB’s first son is married to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi’s daughter – Yakolo Indimi-Babangida, who also serves as a director in the company. Alhaji Indimi hails from Niger State. Oriental Energy Resources Limited runs three oil blocks: OML 115, the Okwok field and the Ebok field. OML 115 and Okwo are OML PSC, while Ebok is an OML JV. All of them crown offshore oil blocks. OML 115 on its own is 228 sq Km. On OML115 Oriental Energy Resources Limited has 60 per cent while Equity Energy Resources AS, which Alhjai Aliko Dangote’s oil and gas investment vehicle has 40 per cent (Aliko Dangote is from Kano). On Okwok, Addax has 40% and on the Ebok field, Oriental Energy Resources shares with none: its 100%. AMNI produces twice as much as Cavendish Petroleum.

Enter Express Petroleum and Gas Limited floated by Alhaji Aminu Dantata, solely for the purpose of fronting for winning oil block(s) even though he and the company are in no way qualified for the award. General Abacha awarded him OML 108 on the 1st of November, 1995. CAMAC Houston, a company owned by Kase Lawal bought 2.5% of Express Petroleum’s 60% holdings. The other 40% on OML 108 is owned by Sheba E&P Limited an IBB tributary company. SEPCOL operates the Ukpokiti offshore field in Shallow water Nigeria, which was acquired from ConocoPhillips in May 2004.

Enter Shebah Exploration And Production Limited (SEPCOL) . It is the operator of the Oil Mining License 108 offshore Nigeria. Head office is in Lagos, but ‘head quartered’ in Minna.

Enter Consolidated Oil. Conoil Producing Limited is an integrated upstream oil and gas company. They are the operator of six blocks in the Niger Delta as well as 25% Equity holder in the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) Block 4. Corporate Head office is in Lagos, but its ‘Headquarters’ is in Minna, Niger State. Conoil signed a technical operator agreement with Continental Oil and Gas Limited (CONOG) to provide 100% funding and technical service agreement to operate blocks OML 59 on a 40% (Conoil) / 60% (CONOG) basis. Conoil entered into a Production Sharing Contract with the NNPC by virtue of an agreement executed on 17th October 2008. Conoil’s has overall potential hydrocarbon resources of over 1.0 Billion Barrels of Oil and 7.0 Trillion Cubic Feet of Gas. General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB owns a substantial interest in conoil held in blind trust [same arrangement in Glo] ) awarded the first oil block to Conoil in 1991. The company produces about 100,000 barrels per day.

Enter Rilwanu Lukman, another Fulani multimillionaire with fronted controlling holdings in Afren, the operators of AMNI oil blocks and also with very key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal, Vitol is a London based oil trading company. Vitol lifts 350,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Nigeria.

Enter Intels and the Yar’Adua , Ado Bayero family and Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. The Oil and Gas Free Zone and Oil Services Centres, as well as Support Bases, are operated from government-owned facilities, leased to Intels under long-term agreements. Intels runs a ‘private port’, a venture that has systematically killed the Calabar, Warri and Port Harcourt ports. There are over one hundred major companies operating at the Intel facility in Port Harcourt. The company makes more money in profit than the government of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states put together. I shall give details and figures in the part two of this disquisition.

Finally, for the Part I of this disquisition, I introduce you to NorthEast Petroleum. The name is as clear as the message it sends. I do not need to write so much about NorthEast Petroleum registered as NorEast. NorthEast Petroleum Nigeria Limited is the holder of OPL215 license, covering an area 0f 2,564 square kilometres in water depths between 200 to 1600 metres. NorEast is the parent company of Rayflosh Petroleum was awarded the blocks OPLs 276 & 283 closing thereupon a Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria Limited and CCC Oil and Gas. Not surprising, NorthEast Petroleum is owned by another Fulani businessman from the North East, Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Jambo. The license was awarded to him by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in 1991 and then renewed in 2004. So far $50Million has been spent on the very promising Okpoi-1 and Egere -1 exploratory well.

In the Part II, we shall finish the discussion. We will table other North Eastern billionaires who make more money than their states of origin from Niger Delta oil blocks. Sadly, National Bureau of Statistics reports from 2010 show Niger State as the poorest state in the Federation, and the North East the poorest region. With these figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, I rest my case

NIGERIANS, ALWAYS THINKING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. NEVER HEARD OF IT BUT SURPRISED WHEN MY FRIENDS IN NIGERIA TELLS ME. THE QUESTION I ASKED NEXT IS WHO WILL ALLOW SOMEONE INJECT A CHIP INTO HIS BODY. AMERICANS ARE DULL AND ALSO WISE. THEY THINK AND REASON AND DONT FOLLOW THINGS ANYHOW COS ONE PROPHET OR MAN OF GOD SAID IT. IF IT NOT A TOPIC HERE IN AMERICA AND NO MEDIA TALKS ABOUT IT. WHERE DID NIGERIANS GET THEIR OWN. THAT HOW I GOT THIS MAIL ON BBM THAT MANDELA IS DEAD (GOD FORBID). HMMMM NAIJA WISE UP

babestella: I wonder why people come here to tell us how it is done in UK and USA. It is ok to copy what is done there as we see it as the right thing to do, but where in UK or NY do you stay in a hopeless traffic for 3 hours unless there is a natural disaster, we are talking about Lagos where a journey that should ordinarily take you less than 15 minutes now takes you more than 3 hours to make, and you are asking us how it is done in UK. Have you asked the government to provide good roads and convenient alternative routes, just like it is in UK and NY. So there naturally will be no need to run one way and when that continues for a decade or so, things naturally fall in place.

In that UK USA, how many times do bullion van carry money around? Most transactions are done through cards, and credits. But in Nigeria, it is 100% cash making it a very viable environment for armed robbers to operate.

Please stop talking from the left side of you mouth, may you not be caught in a cross fire between police and armed robbers trying to rob a bullion van, then you will urgently ask that bullion van even fly on that one way.


Bullion van should be allowed to run one way as far as there is traffic grid lock. Let's face the fact.

what fact are u facing, have we not experienced cross fire also in the bank premises, around the bank and point of delivery of money. Pls that does not justify disobeying traffic. And for your information most of lagos traffic probs is lack of discipling and impatient driving. it does occur here at Abuja, until someone deems it fit to come down and direct traffic. But in lagos even if someone volunteer the people wont obey unless u treat them in an harsh manner. I notices this at my first visit to lagos around berger, they wont wait for themselves, everybody wants to pass the a tiny road at the same time. I came down to direct traffic cos of my experience in abuja but they wont obey, until an army officer came down to joint me and start using is belt on some of the danfo drivers. so pls it more of indiscipline that makes most of lagos road traffic.

babestella: I wonder why people come here to tell us how it is done in UK and USA. It is ok to copy what is done there as we see it as the right thing to do, but where in UK or NY do you stay in a hopeless traffic for 3 hours unless there is a natural disaster, we are talking about Lagos where a journey that should ordinarily take you less than 15 minutes now takes you more than 3 hours to make, and you are asking us how it is done in UK. Have you asked the government to provide good roads and convenient alternative routes, just like it is in UK and NY. So there naturally will be no need to run one way and when that continues for a decade or so, things naturally fall in place.

In that UK USA, how many times do bullion van carry money around? Most transactions are done through cards, and credits. But in Nigeria, it is 100% cash making it a very viable environment for armed robbers to operate.

Please stop talking from the left side of you mouth, may you not be caught in a cross fire between police and armed robbers trying to rob a bullion van, then you will urgently ask that bullion van even fly on that one way.


Bullion van should be allowed to run one way as far as there is traffic grid lock. Let's face the fact.

what fact are u facing, have we not experienced cross fire also in the bank premises, around the bank and point of delivery of money. Pls that does not justify disobeying traffic. And for your information most of lagos traffic probs is lack of discipling and impatient driving. it does occur here at Abuja, until someone deems it fit to come down and direct traffic. But in lagos even if someone volunteer the people wont obey unless u treat them in an harsh manner. I notices this at my first visit to lagos around berger, they wont wait for themselves, everybody wants to pass the a tiny road at the same time. I came down to direct traffic cos of my experience in abuja but they wont obey, until an army officer came down to joint me and start using is belt on some of the danfo drivers. so pls it more of indiscipline that makes most of lagos road traffic.

Seun: If the punishment does not fit the crime, it is not justice. 1 year jail term does not fit this crime, and that's all there is to it.
When we read about Shariaists stoning girls for getting pregnant, we are indignant, because even though it works, it's not just.
The solution to petty crimes is not to make the punishment unreasonable and wicked, but to enforce reasonable penalties consistently.

I have witnessed an accident scene in Abuja involving a bullon van and a crysler, the woman died instantly. 1 year jail term is not a bad idea cos it could loead to loss of life in case of any accident. What are they protecting, do that stop them from not been robbed

Benshekari: If they cannot speak good in english is better to speak igbo, but Mr governor is dat the poeple need in ur state?

WE NEED TO BE PROUD OF WHO WE ARE, WHY PUT SOMEONES LANGUAGE ABOVE YOURS WHEN U ARE A CUTODIAN OF THAT LANGUAGE. IMAGINE SEEING QUEEN OF ENGLAND SPEAK FRENCH

I LOVE THIS, PROTECTING OUR LANGUAGE

psalmizt: I have 2 issues with the comments here... 1. Can't we do anything in this part of the world without resorting to ethnic sentiments? 2. Nigeria is not made up of Abuja and Lagos alone.. For pete's sake consider other parts of the country At least no boko over there..

Another Sentiment

Nigerians get carried away once anybody is labelled corrupt. The poster of this report needs to enlighten us better with his source of information. The details and not just cooked up stories. Shagari's govt is a very corrupt govt and Buhari/Idiagbon regime were known for serious discipline. Mr man back ur points with facts and answer 12 honeric01 post

asoderock: You are the one reasoning like aboki. So if a marketer presents a forged bill of Laden with duly signed documents by compromised NPA, DPR or NNPC officials to ministry of finance, how the hell is the minister to know at that instant that those officials compromised. Have you not seen a case where somebody used forged certificate to gain admission into higher institution? so if it is discovered along the line that the certificates were forged he shouldn't be punished by the School authority simply because those in charge of the admission admitted him unknowingly or compromised?. Stop talking crap and call a spade what it is.

I wonder how we reason, is it the marketers that import the fuels? is it the fault of the marketers that the govt officials are compromised? Is it the marketers that defended the overbloted subsidy fund?. is it the marketers that gave license to new operators that have no business in fuel importation and marketing? and why would the minister of finance sign documents for payment without verification cos we are told ministries of petroluem and finance work independetly. Pls let the govt start to manage thier probs properly and stop putting blames on people. Arrest the people you claim to be corrupt, sanction them, open the market for competent hand to come in, sanction also the govt officials in the ministries, presidency etc involved in the fuel theft and see if we would not get out of this blame game criss. The Govt have not prove to be serious[i][/i]

asoderock: You are the one reasoning like aboki. So if a marketer presents a forged bill of Laden with duly signed documents by compromised NPA, DPR or NNPC officials to ministry of finance, how the hell is the minister to know at that instant that those officials compromised. Have you not seen a case where somebody used forged certificate to gain admission into higher institution? so if it is discovered along the line that the certificates were forged he shouldn't be punished by the School authority simply because those in charge of the admission admitted him unknowingly or compromised?. Stop talking crap and call a spade what it is.

I wonder how we reason, is it the marketers that import the fuels? is it the fault of the marketers that the govt officials are compromised? Is it the marketers that defended the overbloted subsidy fund?. is it the marketers that gave license to new operators that have no business in fuel importation and marketing? and why would the minister of finance sign documents for payment without verification cos we are told ministries of petroluem and finance work independetly. Pls let the govt start to manage thier probs properly and stop putting blames on people. Arrest the people you claim to be corrupt, sanction them, open the market for competent hand to come in, sanction also the govt officials in the ministries, presidency etc involved the the fuel theft and see if we wouldnot get out of this blame game criss. The Govt have not prove to be serious[i][/i]

NIGERIA GOVERNMENT WOULD ALWAYS SHOUT BLACKMAIL IN THE FACE OF THEIR FAILURES:
I love this article and i would want you all to digest and reason over this piece. culled from jp philips from Nairaland forum

believe it this Govt is the biggest fraud in the history of this Nation, they lie professionally that you may be confused if you don't know ur salt.

first and foremost; there is nothing like cabal. it is just a distraction to make people think that there are three parties involved. ie masses,cabal and Government while in reality it is solely masses vs Govt.


if you noticed above, everyone is shouting cabal,cabal cabal, that is what the Govt wants you to be saying to justify total removal of subsidy.
the Govt has lied so much that it is crystal clear that the Govt had no business touching that subsidy rather, strengthening its administrative protocols.

the NUPENG story is what most Nigerians don't know, if there was a cabal in the first place then who is NUPENG?
are the NUPENG members the same cabal? are you fighting the cabal? if so, in what capacity?

you will find out that from january till date, nothing adds up in the lies this administration has been selling. why will NUPENG be demanding for subsidy if the Govt is honest?

when subsidy was removed within that week, do you know that it was the NUPENG members that was the hardest hit? do you know that it is the dream of every NUPENG member to be lifting products from the refineries and Govt depots?

someone stup.!dly inferred that NUPENG is anti masses because they don't know that NUPENG members are Nigerians like you.

during the subsidy brouhaha, it is common practice for marketers (NUPENG) members to pay upfront for products. if you paid 50m for products in dec 2011, and subsidy was withdrawn january 2012, the market price for the products will tripple in price and that was a heavy loss for marketers.

remember that the Govt lied that if they remove subsidy, they will cut off the corruption life wire of the cabals thereby saving money. that was all B.S because in reality, it doesn't work that way.

the importers will tripple their price for the marketers and the marketers will in turn pass it on to you the consumers, there is no winner here. but the lies from the FG will make it seem like a winner.

all NUPENG is asking is this; pay them the subsidy accrued to products that they have paid upfront to FG who insanely removed subsidy because with or without subsidy marketers and importers have absolutely nothing to loose. it is we Nigerians that will suffer.

do you know any of these marketers and importers? are they poor people? are they not richer than they were last year? do you still believe the crap that govt said he is squeezing them?

if you remove your stup!d subsidy (which marketers don't even want, save for the old ones they are being owed) they will simply pass the buck to you and make triple their profit.

stop listening to the Govt, think on your own.

i saw one ignoramus that mentioned refinery, i felt sorry for him, did your s.!.lly Govt tell you that more subsidies are paid on refined products than imported ones? did anybody ask why? do you think subsidy is the problem? do you think cabal exist? or do you think refinery is the problem?

it is the Govt's incompetence that is the problem. the Govt is calling importers subsidy thieves abi? very interesting to Nairalanders but in reality it was the Govt that fraudulently gave them the money and collected their own share, or you think oil importers are signatories in the ministry of finance? think again!!

when Ngozi uses the word "blackmail" what do you think she was referring to? the marketers are threatening to expose their conspirators in Govt that ate more money than them, that is the black mail. now, who is the cabal? Govt conspirators or importers that was a mere conduit through which the fraud was committed?



i tell you what, you guys are happy the Govt is publishing names of companies as subsidy thieves, what about their collaborators in the ministry of finance, NNPC, and PPRA?

the Govt is just deceiving you guys, the real oil thieves are the people in Govt that released such huge sum without verification and collecting it back from the marketers.

the situation now is simple, NUPENG wants Ngozi to pay them their money, Ngozi said she will verify payments and 8months on, people with families have millions tied down, mostly bank loans with accruing interests? and you think their strike is not justified?

where will they get the money to continue importing? which bank will give you a facility when you have not honored the first?

why is it taking Ngozi 8 months for paper work? what else is incompetence? imagine if you are given a task in the office and it takes you over 8months to accomplish, wont you be fired?

why is Ngozi negotiating with the subsidy thieves they apparently wanted to crucify like we read the other day? the answer is because the word "cabal" does not exist but Nigerians are too dull to read between the lines.
Ngozi just wanted them to release a little of the money to satisfy the masses while their conspirators in Govt goes home, and NUPENG members are saying "NO".

no negotiations, pay back and go tell Nigerians the truth that the Govt is the cabal not the other way round.

Ngozi now deliberately withheld their money shouting "blackmail" blackmail" blackmail" can anyone ask Ngozi the grounds for the blackmail?

why will the marketers use their money to please the masses while the "cabal" in Govt goes home to drink champagne? more so, the cabal in Govt ate more than the marketers. Ngozi wan use their brain rubbish!!!!

NIGERIA GOVERNMENT WOULD ALWAYS SHOUT BLACKMAIL IN THE FACE OF THEIR FAILURES:
I love this article and i would want you all to digest and reason over this piece. culled from jp philips from Nairaland forum

believe it this Govt is the biggest fraud in the history of this Nation, they lie professionally that you may be confused if you don't know ur salt.

first and foremost; there is nothing like cabal. it is just a distraction to make people think that there are three parties involved. ie masses,cabal and Government while in reality it is solely masses vs Govt.


if you noticed above, everyone is shouting cabal,cabal cabal, that is what the Govt wants you to be saying to justify total removal of subsidy.
the Govt has lied so much that it is crystal clear that the Govt had no business touching that subsidy rather, strengthening its administrative protocols.

the NUPENG story is what most Nigerians don't know, if there was a cabal in the first place then who is NUPENG?
are the NUPENG members the same cabal? are you fighting the cabal? if so, in what capacity?

you will find out that from january till date, nothing adds up in the lies this administration has been selling. why will NUPENG be demanding for subsidy if the Govt is honest?

when subsidy was removed within that week, do you know that it was the NUPENG members that was the hardest hit? do you know that it is the dream of every NUPENG member to be lifting products from the refineries and Govt depots?

someone stup.!dly inferred that NUPENG is anti masses because they don't know that NUPENG members are Nigerians like you.

during the subsidy brouhaha, it is common practice for marketers (NUPENG) members to pay upfront for products. if you paid 50m for products in dec 2011, and subsidy was withdrawn january 2012, the market price for the products will tripple in price and that was a heavy loss for marketers.

remember that the Govt lied that if they remove subsidy, they will cut off the corruption life wire of the cabals thereby saving money. that was all B.S because in reality, it doesn't work that way.

the importers will tripple their price for the marketers and the marketers will in turn pass it on to you the consumers, there is no winner here. but the lies from the FG will make it seem like a winner.

all NUPENG is asking is this; pay them the subsidy accrued to products that they have paid upfront to FG who insanely removed subsidy because with or without subsidy marketers and importers have absolutely nothing to loose. it is we Nigerians that will suffer.

do you know any of these marketers and importers? are they poor people? are they not richer than they were last year? do you still believe the crap that govt said he is squeezing them?

if you remove your stup!d subsidy (which marketers don't even want, save for the old ones they are being owed) they will simply pass the buck to you and make triple their profit.

stop listening to the Govt, think on your own.

i saw one ignoramus that mentioned refinery, i felt sorry for him, did your s.!.lly Govt tell you that more subsidies are paid on refined products than imported ones? did anybody ask why? do you think subsidy is the problem? do you think cabal exist? or do you think refinery is the problem?

it is the Govt's incompetence that is the problem. the Govt is calling importers subsidy thieves abi? very interesting to Nairalanders but in reality it was the Govt that fraudulently gave them the money and collected their own share, or you think oil importers are signatories in the ministry of finance? think again!!

when Ngozi uses the word "blackmail" what do you think she was referring to? the marketers are threatening to expose their conspirators in Govt that ate more money than them, that is the black mail. now, who is the cabal? Govt conspirators or importers that was a mere conduit through which the fraud was committed?



i tell you what, you guys are happy the Govt is publishing names of companies as subsidy thieves, what about their collaborators in the ministry of finance, NNPC, and PPRA?

the Govt is just deceiving you guys, the real oil thieves are the people in Govt that released such huge sum without verification and collecting it back from the marketers.

the situation now is simple, NUPENG wants Ngozi to pay them their money, Ngozi said she will verify payments and 8months on, people with families have millions tied down, mostly bank loans with accruing interests? and you think their strike is not justified?

where will they get the money to continue importing? which bank will give you a facility when you have not honored the first?

why is it taking Ngozi 8 months for paper work? what else is incompetence? imagine if you are given a task in the office and it takes you over 8months to accomplish, wont you be fired?

why is Ngozi negotiating with the subsidy thieves they apparently wanted to crucify like we read the other day? the answer is because the word "cabal" does not exist but Nigerians are too dull to read between the lines.
Ngozi just wanted them to release a little of the money to satisfy the masses while their conspirators in Govt goes home, and NUPENG members are saying "NO".

no negotiations, pay back and go tell Nigerians the truth that the Govt is the cabal not the other way round.

Ngozi now deliberately withheld their money shouting "blackmail" blackmail" blackmail" can anyone ask Ngozi the grounds for the blackmail?

why will the marketers use their money to please the masses while the "cabal" in Govt goes home to drink champagne? more so, the cabal in Govt ate more than the marketers. Ngozi wan use their brain rubbish!!!!

Frank truth

jp philips: You are just repeating the crap the Govt started selling since January. you are making it sound like you can just wake up and tell the Govt you have built a teaching Hospital Give me money and it will be given to you just like that?

you sound like the Govt treasury is one Aboki kiosk where any bingo can go grab a pop corn?

how can Govt Give you money on a fake vessel that never berth? is it possible?

ok, if its possible show me the office where i will go and tell them i just supplied 200 cars so they will just give me money.

the fraud was not committed by marketers but people in govt don't you get? the marketers was a mere conduit through which the fraud was committed.

what you wrote above is practically impossible if you don't have highly placed people in Govt as conspirators. so it is not the marketers problem, Give them their money then go sort your corruption out with your people, its dat simple.

fake vessels indeed!!!!

ok, go to ministry of finance just tell them you just completed a stadium in Afikpo so they will just give you money, after all, if Govt can pay for fake vessels why not fake stadium?

the govt is just insulting our intelligence, what they are accusing the marketers of is something that is practically impossible and that is why the marketers are not even talking to them.

after publishing names you went to negotiate with them, when it failed, you seize their money, they happily went on strike because

"MARKETERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM", "GOVT IS THE CABAL"

PointB: This is the question every and well meaning Lagosian, nay Nigerian, should be asking. Imagine a party touting progressivism as mantra, electing to enthrone a well-known criminal as leader and face of the party all because he has tonnes of stolen wealth to throw about; and also because the government at the centre lacks political will to prosecute and shove him in cage where he belongs.

This criminal, Tinubu, continues to dip his hand in Lagos state coffers, shameless and arrogantly while the governor (fashola) lacks the balls to stop him, afterall he was 'handpicked' by same criminal Godfather.


The saddest thing is that some clowns and established resident hypocrites are shameless brandishing crumbs thrown at them from the emperors high seat as evidence of giants stride, rather than saying the truth. Across the countries, some states which are less favoured in monetary terms have surpassed in no small measure such 'achievement' of Lagos state measured in the same time frame as that of criminal Tinubu empire and his stooge Fashola.



Lagosians open your eyes and ask questions! With over 20 billion Naira in monthly IGR and over 500 million dollars in external debt, what has Lagos shown for it? Street flowers? BRT buses owned by private companies? What exactly has been done? Or is just about Tinubus lions share and politicking and some expensive birthday?

Perhaps until AC.N and Tinubu's empire is dethroned from their seat of deceit and criminality in Lagos, such questions will remain unanswered!

I don't blame you, you don't understand lots of things. you read and don't digest. am not a supporter of Tinubu or Fashola, but has a professional and good in my field of engineering. Infrastructural maintenance is one of the capital expensive project anywhere in the world. I am surprise to hear you insult people who have tried in their own capacity and have been praised by their opponent that they are performing. Lagos need lots of fund to fix all his aging and over utilised infrastructure. Ondo state is a state with the highest FG allocation in the whole of southwest. Lagos is above it cos of its IGR and Oyo state. yet the basic infrastructural facilities and project invested into Lagos are still a pipe dream at Ondo state. If you insult Lagos state cos of its IGR how about Ondo state with all his FG allocation and 13% derivation. The capital project extend by Otunba A A Akala in Oyo state is so laudable that Ondo state that is richer that Oyo state is still yet to put in such investment. Pls don't join the band wagon of just talking but reason before you talk.

PointB: I don't know why you think the 30 billion naira election war chest story is a lie. When clearly the like of Tinubu are as dangerous and fraudulent as they come. With his fingers pepertually in the Lagos state cookie jar through his various schemes, it is hard not to believe this story. Since believe is personal, especially in the absence of hard evidence, on can on judge by past history. And Tinubu's past is shrouded in ignomy of identity theft, drugs, certificate forgery, perjury et al. To think this character is incapable of this, is the peak of selective amnesia or hypocrisy.

As for the Lagos state IGR, I earlier clarified that the figure is in Naira. I have edited my original post to reflect this. And clearly, this is not about FG or GEJ.

We find it difficult to think, we put in to much effort to sentiments and myopic reasoning. How on earth can Tinubu extend such amount alone in Ondo state. The money can never be from lagos cos the infrastructural job to be down in lagos is so much that they cannot temper with such amount of money. Ondo state is a blessed state but does it really warrant that money to be spent. Ondo state IGR is not enviable just its FG allocation, spending such amount is irrelevant. f Tinubu spends 30bn how about his sympathizers, the contestant and friends of the contestant. Pls it is false. Nevertheless it is propaganda and it is a weapon for politicians, it just left for the populace not to swim in it but reason for better government.
I advise the electorate to listen to the contestant, as-simulate their words, ask how they tend to finance their project. and anyone that answers you better vote for him. Ondo State needs more of Human capital development, basic infrastructure and amenities in the rural areas. this would enable industrialization and shift its economic activity from Civil servant (state govt) to private driven economy.

30 billion, haba. Even a fool knows that it is impossible to spend such huge amount. Commenting on such a figure is absurd. It a mere propaganda. We are good in absolving things and we don't like to ask some questions.
If Tinubu would spend such a frivolous amount alone for Ondo politics as claimed by the reporter, I can bet it with you all those people u said decamp would never decamp. That money would by them all. Most of them would shut up for just a bribe of 100m at most and a promise of a position.
Am not interested in the election but pls release better information. Even PDP that is financially bouyant can not expend such an amount.

@Sun of god; reading your article makes me weep for the kind of mindset we have in this country. Standing up for illegality with confidence, where ignorance is now an excuse for disobeying the law. Army colonel who is the person who is suppose to defend the law is breaking the law? Cos he looked remorsed he should be free. Haba bro's you fall my hand. Guess u support lawlessness cos of a reason. Illegal occupants of land and people who have built on the flow part of water should not be dispersed cos he is inhuman. Bro's am sure u would never like to live in that slum. I don't want to believe u live in Lagos cos i don't think lagosians would like to live in an inhabitable environment. Come over to Abuja and see places that are demolished cos inhabitable conditions and illegal acquisitions of land.
Reading your article tells u are just a Fashola hater, cos u mention some stuff that cos of him, most states and FG are already on that part like Tax, lastma and toll gate. ( even the FG stated on the 5th of Aug dat tolls will come back). Pls try visiting different cities to see how funds are generated and use of tolls to create wealth. In Abuja u pay to park on Govt road. Pls be objective and not sentimental.
Fashola has his wrongs but not from the one's you highlighted. Yes I agree with on to an extent on the LASU fees