₦airaland Forum

OK_2_NV: one is currently planned adjacent the raging and swelling atlantic and one of the most unhabitable city in the world while the other project is sited in one of the fastest and most developed cities

The efforts to transform Abuja into a truly world class capital city has received a huge boost with the signing of an MOU between the FCT Administration and a Dallas, Texas, USA-based conglomerate, the BALKAN Development Center Ltd for the building of a $2.6 billion Abuja Town Centre. The epoch-making ceremony which sign-posted one of the biggest inflow of investments to the country, took place at Dallas City, USA between the FCTA delegation led by the Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed and the Balkan Development Centre Ltd Management led by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Gene Phillips.

To cap the impressive event, the Mayor of Dallas, Mr. Dwayne Caraway hosted the FCT Minister to a dinner in the City of Dallas.

The huge project covers investment in real estate, shopping malls, offices, power generation, and infrastructure etc. The development of the Town Centre is expected to significantly raise the tourism, entertainment and commercial profile of Abuja.

FCT Minister, visibly impressed with the project had constituted a high-powered committee to study and make recommendations on its feasibility and suitable site location. He assured that all obstacles would be removed by the FCT Administration to make way for a smooth take-off and success of the project.

The President of the Balkan Development Center, Mr. Gene Philips gave the estimated time frame for the completion of the project as six years. According to him, once the land is obtained, it would take the company six months to complete the engineering design and another three months for the take off of actual physical construction at the site. After that stage, the project will be executed in three phases spreading over a cumulative period of six years.

Mr. Philips explained that multi-layer underground car parking facilities would be built at the centre to accommodate the large number of vehicles that would be accessing the centre.

The project when completed would stand out as a global edifice. He assured that the project would be a huge success and the type that will befit Abuja’s projected status as a world class capital city.

The company plans to build the downtown facilities in the Federal Capital City, possibly within the Central Business District. Estimated to occupy a land space of 31 hectares, the design of the project includes 5,000 housing units. The town centre when completed would be the business and entertainment hub of the Abuja Federal Capital City. Upon take-off, the project is expected to employ thousands of Nigerian professionals, as well as upwards of 10,000 semi-professional and unskilled workers. When completed it is estimated that the economic impact of the project will run in trillions of dollars and last to serve future generations of Nigerians.

The Abuja Town Centre is estimated to occupy a land space of 31 hectares while the design of the project includes thousands of housing units.

van bonattel: It strikes me as odd that you always want to throw insults to use it as a added weight to your shallow thinking. I would have loved it if you can communicate with those bitter languages which is typical of low quality upbringing. Thank you for understanding.

The problem with the Igbo setting up companies in our lands is that your people in the central government will always kill it like before. Remember those post war time policies by Awolowo on second hand clothes and stockfish? What happened to Ibeto after he started importing cement? Obasanjo simply banned cement imports to protect Dangote who was selling at N2,400. It took Yar adua to save the poor masses and he allowed Ibeto to keep bringing in cement. There will always be policies against anything the Igbo starts to do.

I still praise Innoson for his bravery in starting to produce cars in Nigeria. I am also expecting a yoruba man to ban that after Jonathan leaves office.

The Igbos were refining and using their own petrol during the turbulence of civil war. The same engineers may be alive today, but your leaders chose to ignore them and spent trillions building refineries that never work.

van bonattel: Guy, dont get it twisted, we are not talking of who provided land for the establishment of industries, my question was and still is, who built the industries in Nigeria before and after independence?

Neo-XVI:

God forbid that I should waste my time trying to prove to you what is common knowledge. Read through this thread alone, you'll find enough. And then there's the indefatigable Gani...

van bonattel: Yes, he also built these companies

Nigercem
E.M. Michelletti
UAC
BATA
Gaylads
A.G. Leventis
Volkswagen
UTC
Julius Berger
Coca cola

chin chin chin chin chin, I am laughing in nupe language.

van bonattel: Eko ilee, who built the industries in Nigeria both before and after independence?

van bonattel: So, who built the industries?

van bonattel: \

Keep twisting, I caught you back there and you know it.

van bonattel: So, OBJ AND Stella travels abroad to "do hard labour in another mans land" when they go on shopping and pleasure in foreign countries? Look again in the mirror, you will see that you have grown two horns and a long goatee, you are a goat!

van bonattel: That is where you constantly miss the point, what Achebe meant was that before the start of the civil war, between 1930 and 1950 the Igbos were able to climb into juicy positions of government and power because of their adventurous spirit and natural adaptive characteristics. He was not talking of today and where the Igbos are, he was talikg of 1930-50.

Sometimes your problem is that you will not understand anything and you launch off to attack anybody with your blind arguments borne out of bitterness. Just sit back and learn about your life history from Prof. Chinua Achebe.

van bonattel: Nobody welcomed anybody, listen to this;

Had the Igbo been a minor ethnic group of a few hundred thousand, their menace might have been easily and quiety contained. But their numbers ran in the millions. As J.P.Clark's fine image of "ants filling out of the wood," the Igbo moved out of their forest home, scattered, and virtually seized the floor.

By this small quote, it is clear that nobody welcomes the Igbo, their adventurous spirits carries them to places unimaginable.

van bonattel: A HISTORY OF ETHNIC TENSION AND RESENTMENT.

"I have written in my small book entitled 'The trouble with Nigeria' that Nigerians would probably achieve consensus on no other matter other that their common resentment of the Igbo. The origin of the national resentment of the Igbo is as old as Nigeria and quite as complicated. But it can be summarized thus: The Igbo culture, being receptive to change, individualistic, and highly competitive, gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society. Unlike the Hausa/Fulani he was unhindered by a wary religion, and unlike the Yoruba he was unhampered by traditional hierarchies. This kind of creature, fearing no god or man, was custom made to grasp the opportunities, such as were, of the white man's dispensations. And the Igbo did so with both hands. Although the Yoruba had a huge historical and geographical head start, the Igbo wiped them out of their handicap in one fantastic burst of energy in the twenty years between 1930 and 1950."

van bonattel: By the time the soldiers and mobs started cleansing Igbos from the north and West, Achebe had this to say;


"I was one of the last to flee Lagos, I simply could not bring myself to accept that I could no longer live in my nation's capital, although the facts clearly said so. My feeling toward Nigeria was one of profound disappointement. Not because mobs were hunting down and killing innocent civilians in many parts, especially in the north, but because the federal government sat by and let it happen"

Yomieluv: Eko-ile,next time when you want to start a thread,get your facts right,do you think NL is filled with dullards,who you can pass junks to,and expect us to swallow it?
The caption ran by The punch embarrassed the GEJ government,and immediately,moves were made to renovate the said stadium,under a new management. I guess one of the purpose of a media is to criticize,which a responsible government would react to. Leaving the stadium to rot isn't a News,what should be News is the reaction of the government.which the GEJ responded positively.

Stop feeding us with junks.

Ijogz K: I don't think it's right to compare the National Stadium with a state Stadium. Why not National Stadium Abuja Vs National Stadium Surulere Lagos state maintained properties are 100 times better than any FG own.

Mexyz: Mr eko ilee,d security situatn in naija was d reason,stp spreadn lies@yomieluv,thank u bro,those dat dnt even knw d states dat border's abj wl spill rubbish abt wats happening there. GOD BLESS MY COUNTRY.

Yomieluv: Nigeria,and their stale News,and pull him down syndrome. The pix the op showed were the one made used by The punch newspaper,when it ran a caption on the said stadium. The Abuja stadium is now fully renovated,and under the maintenance of Julius Berger. The Teslim Balogun stadium recently held a local competition,which can't be held in desolated state. I can't say much about the National stadium,Lagos.

I have to say this,cos some dimwits like the Op would start bashing,and throw barrages of insults to the authority without any knowledge of the current state of the stadium.

Am not a Fan of GEJ,but I hate when people comment with prejudice.

I rest my case.

Mexyz: @nap2,u re spreadn lies abt arsenal fc nt playn because of d stadia,d game was cancelled due to oda reasons abeg. @op,my guy when last ve u bn to abj stadia,i can tel u authoritatively dat d stadia is under full maitenance nw by julius berger.

God's Mercy:
If all governors are like God'swill, Nigeria would have been a better place by now. His works still speak and will always speak for him. I'll vote for him anytime anyday but it's unfortunate I'm not from his state neither residing there. I'm a living witness of his giant strides. No governor like him. May God bless him and take him to higher height. God bless us all.

Eko Ile: Ode monkey follow follow, it's that's what a well managed and administered state should look like, not the silly and damn nonsense you and your double ID are spewing. Oil money doesn't manage and administer anything to achieve good results, but superb managerial skills, Competence, good vision, capable people and team effort does.

Wednesday, 13 February 2013 09:46 BusinessDay The Lagos State Government paid N14.486 billion to 2,604 retirees of the contributory pension scheme in two years, Rotimi Hussain, director-general Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) has said.

Hussain, who disclosed this at the 3rd Pre-Retirement Seminar for Workers retiring from the state’s service from January and June, said the contributory pension scheme in the State, has continued to record huge success, adding that the amount was paid between October 2010 and December 2012.

He noted that the pre-retirement programme was designed to help the would-be retirees prepare for their physical, emotional and financial well-being in retirement.

He said with effective planning, retirees would be afforded the benefit of being in a better position and frame of mind to build a vibrant and rewarding life in retirement.

He said: “I am pleased to state that the contributory pension scheme in Lagos State has continued to record huge success. As we speak, 2,604 retirees who retired from the State public service under the scheme have been paid N14.486 billion between October 2010 and December 2012.

“This feat gives hope that with the contributory pension scheme, the future is absolutely bright for workers in the state.”

Hussain said the state is poised to provide comfortable live for its workers during retirement.

Executive Director Technical LASPEC, Folashade Onanuga, said the state is working hard to ensure that workers get their benefits a month after their retirement.

She urged workers to comply with the contributory pension scheme by observing all they are required to do, adding that the scheme has put the future of workers in their hands as the scheme is transparent and carries workers along in all the process involved.