₦airaland Forum

paddy_lo:
[size=13pt]Rice/Cassava: Vietnamese, Chinese set to boost production in Edo[/size]


[ He noted that the Vietnamese had species of rice that “from the day you plant to the harvest period is 90 days and because of this, they can plant three times in a year on the same spot through irrigation.

The rice is obviously genetically mordified. Edo state should be very careful with this technology.
Nobody really know the long term side effect of these produce neither do we know how the crop will affect the land in the long run.

There has to be a revolution.

They have been released.

Foreign sailors kidnapped in Nigeria freed: military
By Susan Njanji (AFP) – 7 hours ago

LAGOS — A dozen foreign seafarers seized two days ago in Nigeria's restive oil rich Niger Delta were freed on Sunday, the military said, while three sailors taken hostage in May were also reportedly released.

"I can confirm to you they (12) have indeed been released. They are on their way to Bonny (main oil terminal in the Niger Delta) where their ship is anchored," Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha, spokesman for a special security force deployed in the area, told AFP.

No-one claimed responsibility for the capture of the BBC Polonia, registered in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, and its multinational crew, including its 71-year-old German captain.

The main armed group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said told AFP it was "not involved in this attack but we are aware of the group that carried out the abduction".

Gunmen stormed the cargo vessel off the coast of southern Nigeria's Niger Delta late Friday, wounding one of the crew in a shoot-out and capturing the rest.

Security officials said they did not know who was behind the attack and abduction.

Navy spokesman, David Nabaida said the men were dropped off in a fishing trawler and the navy went to collect them.

"Our boats have gone to receive them from the fishing trawler. I don't know who is behind them, but I think it's one of the factions of the ex-militants," he said.

Germans and Russians were among the 12 seafarers captured in Friday's incident, during which a Ukrainian seaman was reportedly injured.

Hundreds of locals and foreigners have been abducted in the Niger Delta in recent years, against the backdrop of conflict in the oil-producing region where a government amnesty has failed to totally eliminate militancy.

Most hostages end up being freed after a few days or weeks, very often after a ransom is paid.

Two Russian sailors and a Lithuanian skipper captured in May in an attack on a Greek-owned ship off neighbouring Cameroon have meanwhile been freed in Nigeria, a Russian sailors' union and a Lithuanian shipping firm said.

Lithuania's foreign ministry confirmed that its citizen had been released and would soon return home.

Germany also confirmed that two of its citizens were among the 12 seafarers captured in Friday's incident.

Others on board included a number of Russians, a Latvian and a Lithuanian, who was identified by the Lithuanian government as Alexei Sysoi.

German officials refuted a suggestion by the Nigerian navy on Saturday that the ship was German-flagged, saying that it was not registered in that country.

MarineTraffic.com, a website that tracks ships' movements, reported that the BBC Polonia was en route to the Nigerian port of Onne, which is situated on the Bonny estuary in the Niger Delta.

Police spokeswoman for Rivers, the main oil producing state in the Niger Delta, Rita Abbey said security forces suspect Friday's attack was the work of a group led by Farah Dagogo, a former MEND commander who surrendered under a 2009 government amnesty.

But Antigha, of the special security force, said he had no idea who was behind the incident. He added: "We are sure that in a short time, we should be able to be clear about who" was holding them.

Since when did reward start to appear in the dictionary of some northern leaders?
They have no choice. The power equation has changed.

ode remo:
@ehoi,
does your militant now represent an illegal checkmate for your so called {northern dominated} army, oh, mind you they are still Nigerian army.

Sad as it may sound, there are now two armed armies in nigeria. I reckon its a recipe for disaster.
The army and militant seem to run in parallel paths hence i doubt its a checkmate. But from reports, it is clear the army do not enjoy going into the creeks because they are coming up against militants with same firepower and numbers as them.

rhemore:
I know a lot may be asking is it going to take magic? The answer is no but, just one thing, you can ask me what? So many have fulled to believe this situation is not redeemed able.

I believe you mean moving nigeria towards the right direction. Changing will take years.

Mariory:
Yeah and they were the same people killing each other.

Your observation and the facts about the militants are not mutually exclusive.

Kobojunkie
We are all happy there is relative peace in the niger delta now. Atleast it gives the government an opportunity to sort out the niger delta problem. But as long as the militants still have their weapons and numbers, i cannot regard this as a win. Besides, how do we know the militants are not using the money the government is paying them to buy more weapons. That is why the government need to act fast and bring development to the region so that the militant will have no other excuse to fall back on.

Coming back to my original point, the north now realise that they cannot overpower or threaten the niger delta or the south with the northern dominated nigerian army. Don't know why you have a problem with this.

Kobojunkie
They only thought of the money angle after they failed to defeat the militants and wasted $ billion buying all sort of military hardware. Now they know there is no military solution because they have tried it. I don't think the government enjoy paying the militants N60,000 a month. If there was a possibility to kill off all the militants, they would have done that.

I believe the kidnapping in Abia state is being driven by armed robbers who now see kidnapping as a lucrative venture. Even before kidnapping started in the niger delta, there were so many armed robbers in the east especially Aba. Kidnapping is also taking place in other part of nigeria. Are you suggesting all of them are also remnant of the niger delta militants?

Kobojunkie:
Well, I am glad I have at least jolted you back to the true reality of the situation there as you celebrate having an "army" 50K strong ( according to your claim there).

hhmm . . . hope you are also happy that the people(tax payers included) are loosing N6500(0) * 50,000 a month to the same army, even as they pay so much more for their own security and protection from this same army.

I wasn't celebrating it. I was talking of facts and reality that is on the ground which had nothing to do with the Aba situation.
It is a reality that there are up to 50,000 armed militants in the niger delta and that to me constitute an army. If you monitor the vibes that have been coming out of the north of recent, you will catch a kind of mutual respect in the waves. Since the JTF were unable to defeat the militants and the government opted to start bribing them, there is this feeling in the north that they cannot use the northern dominated nigeria army to lord over the south and niger delta anymore as they use to in the past.

Kobojunkie:
Yep . . . and people in states like Abia must be celebrating this number and the high number of kidnappings that have resulted!!!

I think you have gone off road.

People, don't be surprise the US high commision knows everything about you when you come to apply for visa.

Mariory:
You call that an army?

There are more than 50,000 of them in MEND and hundreds of other militant groups.

kobikwelu:
oga it called priority,

why not oshioms start a state power project?

Proper Independent power project (IPP) cost hands and legs but I reckon if Edo state can afford it, they will do it.
Edo state budget is just about N100 billion and a proper IPP will cost about that amount.
However, it seems private investors are impressed with the performance of Oshiomhole and are now willing to invest in an IPP. According to the link below, the chairman of Arik Air have concluded plans to establish an IPP in edo state worth N120 billion. They have also concluded arrangements to establish an Aviation Training Academy in Edo State equipped with Boeing and Airbus aircraft simulators worth N75 billion.


http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12356:company-plans-to-establish-800m-power-plant-in-edo&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Rockson Engineering is to establish an Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Ihonvhor village, near Benin,Edo State, at the cost of 800 million U.S. dollars (about N120 billion)
Ikhide Arumemi-Johnson, the company’s Managing Director, disclosed this in Benin on Friday when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo. Arumemi-Johnson said that the IPP, which would be executed in two phases, would be completed in between 24 and 30 months.

He pointed out that the first phase of the project, which would cost about 300 million dollars (about N45 billion), would generate about 500 megawatts of electricity. He further observed that the second phase, which would also generate 500 megawatts of electricity, would cost about 500 million dollars (about N75 billion).

The plant, when completed, would be the third largest IPP in the country,he noted, adding: ``Edo State will get the lion’s share of energy generated, while the rest would be added to the national grid.’’

Arumemi-Johnson, who is also the Chairman of Arik Air, said the airline had concluded arrangements to establish an Aviation Training Academy in Edo State. The academy, which would cost about 500 million dollars (N75 billion), would have Boeing and Airbus aircraft simulators.
He observed that about 150 million dollars (about N22.5 billion) would be spent on the academy’s buildings, while the remaining sum would be used for its equipment and facilities.

Arumemi-Johnson commended Governor Oshiomhole for his efforts at developing the state’s infrastructure. Responding, Oshiomhole assured that the Certificate of Occupancy for the site of the IPP project would be issued within seven days, while that of aviation academy would come out within one month.

The governor commended Arumemi-Johnson for his efforts to improve the people’s living standards through job creation

This is the reason why power equation have change in Nigeria.
The north is scared of the niger delta. The only region with a well equipped standing army.

Bayelsa state should be the last to be talking about bonds.
Even if it cost five times to develop the swamp, the amount of money Bayelsa state have received is enough bring development.

Good decision.

buffox:
While we would agree that some of the biggest problems we have are basic infrastructure, we need to understand that the state governors are not on the same pedestal.

What accrues to a lagos or a bayelsa every month, is more than double of what some other states get. With a limited economy, there is only so much IGR you can get. So there is no way we should not expect more effort on the part of the niger delta governors, and lagos. Not holding brief for the rest, because some of them are just clearly not focused, but ND states like ondo, bayelsa that are not making this list should be among the worst if you ask me.

Completely agree with you. But that is not what people want to hear. They have already made up their mind.

agitator:
don't know how this will stop crime. maybe you will have border posts where you will be checking everybody that comes into edo state.

I see it helping to solve crime in the future when the police is able to search database of fingerprint. The card will have the fingerprint of the holder I don't know if it also has the DNA profile. However if a state has the fingerprint of all its citizens, that is a crucial tool to fight crime if the police is up to the task. This database should be the foundation of state police. Instead of carrying weapons and trying to do exactly what the federal police is doing, states should focus on the intelligence aspect of policing. And the foundation of this is to have a database of the people.

Federal government ID card and state ID are not mutually exclusive. There are information not in the federal government ID that will be crucial for states. The state ID is more important because the state is more important to the citizens than the federal government. Everyone reside in the state level. If your state is not performing, the activities of the federal government will not help you. Nigerians have not benefited anything from the federal government in the last ten years considering the lion share of revenue it takes each year. We should stop depending on the federal government to provide a solution. The solution lies with the state and its activities directly influence the lives of the people. Nigeria will flourish when its component parts are strong and not when its center is strong. We need state ID, state police, state empowerment and more funding for the states.

I think we have to establish how much the project cost before making wrong assumptions.
I believe it should cost much. The cards are plastic.

Ehoi:
How can a project that will increase the IGR of the state and at the same time reduce the salary burden of the state be a misplaced priority?

And what has electricity got to do with this? Its a good idea to learn about something you don't understand or know how it works. For one, it will completely eliminate ghost workers. Do you know how much the state will save there? Secondly, it will help in tax collection. How is it a misplaced priority to spend 10 naira on a project that will save you 100 naira within a short time.

How can a project that will increase the IGR of the state and at the same time reduce the salary burden of the state be a misplaced priority?

And what has electricity got to do with this? Its a good idea to learn about something you don't understand or know how it works. For one, it will completely eliminate ghost workers. Do you know how much the state will save there? Secondly, it will help in tax collection. How is it a misplaced priority to spend 10 naira on a project that will save you 100 naira within a short time.

bisiaet:
This is absolutely mispalcement of priority when no electricity and no good road this is just going be a total waste of money, time and energy there are so many issues that need urgent attention than talking about ID Card.

Sometime I think all these politician need to sit down weigh things  before going for it  because I think a good reasoning politician if we have any, should ask himself a very good question like Do I have stable electricity in my state, what about security, employement, clean water, good road, education and so on rather than taken up irrelevant projects that will not make people lives better.

I know some may say but there are ID Card in other countries and so on but those country are they like our country? That is the great question. I think the ID Card project is unecssary at the moment

I don't know were to place Goodluck yet. He is either very dumb or very smart and dangerous.

He seem very calculative with the ability to outsmart his opponent by playing dumb. I believe that man is just keeping the status quo for now and trying to keep everyone happy. We will begin to see his real intent and true colour after he wins the election.

Kennyblues:
Where were you in 2005 when the National ID Card was introduced? These same features were outlined but what was the outcome of it? Some ministers were arraigned, one of them even died in the process of prosecution, give yourself a brain, if you insist tell Oshiomole that the name of the Oba must not be wacked with this time, LOL

Hmm, Kenny. You seem to be upset about something. Like i said before, I don't know why the federal government own failed. It was a good idea and will continue to be a good idea tomorrow. Just because something failed before shouldn't prevent other people from trying.

hackney:
They should do their looting and embezzlement and f.uc.k off rather than
talk sh.it thinking the masses are still st.u.p.i.d.

You want to do biometric id's and database records when there is no electricity?
Fu.c.k off!!!!!!

My broda, this thing is not rocket science. I can understand that some people are scared of new technology.
Its just like the cash card you use in the ATM. Did the whole ATM crash because we don't have stable electricity? Or were we wrong to roll out the ATM machines because we have not been able to sort out our electricity?

I don't know much about the federal government one neither do i know why they stopped it. But I can understand why some people would try to frustrate it because it has the potential to eliminate election rigging. The federal government only proposed it but Oshiomole government have gone a step further. They have already made the biometric cards and are giving it out free. The money the government will save alone from eradicating ghost workers is enough to finance this project.

Kennyblues:
The same way Federal Government came with National ID card, but don't I did not say so

The local government and the federal government are a waste of resources.
The amount of money going to all the local governments in some states is about half the total state budget. The local government chairmen seem to be under no authority or accountability. The federal goverment on the other hand takes the lion's share of the revenue but have no impact on the people at all. The people live in the states. They feel the effect of the states and not the federal government. Can someone point out three things they have directly benefitted from the federal government in the last six years? Like good roads, hospitals, security etc.

The hate for Oshiomole oozing from some people is repulsive.
This is a project that should be well commended but some people have already made up their mind that it was only done to steal money. Instead of focusing on negativity, we should discuss the benefits of this project.

I can already see this project making ghost workers a thing of the past.
It will improve the tax collecting system.
And if used for elections, it can eliminate rigging.

This is the way to go, other states should follow. But my worry is that the biometric information of the masses can get into the wrong hands.

This simple camparism is not fair. I think governor's performance should be compared to how much the state have. Some states are very poor and cannot afford to bring development while other states are very rich. If this concept of comparing is use, i reckon the governor of Bayelsa state will come last. That state is suppose to look like Dubai right now considering the amount of money it has been receiving. Also Yenogua is not a big place. I expect all the roads there to be three lanes, tarred with pavement and streetlight.

Some governors get frustrated and fall into what i term government depression when they don't have enough funds to do any project. Instead of working hard and be inventive in finding funds for development, they say to themselves, "there is not enough for development but there is more than enough to steal". Its even better now. I rememeber about six years ago, some state were having budgets of 20 billion. This is not even enough to pay workers in some states and it cost about 3 billion to build just one good road.

Someone showed me these pictures and said its benin city but i don't yet believe until i get a confirmation from people currenly living there. No i don't have more pictures.

I just heard that is the new look benin city at night. Can anyone confirm this?

Bawses:
Thats the new Silverbird Galleria in Abuja.

Wrong priority.

Seems some people in government never stop thinking of new ways to waste money.