₦airaland Forum

soloqy:
Murtaza Haider, director of the Institute of Housing and Mobility at Ryerson University, said the age of the cars is definitely a cause for concern.

“We should be ensuring that there is some service life left in these vehicles and we’re not going to be playing havoc with the lives of those who would ride these vehicles,” Haider said. “There’s metal fatigue, and that metal fatigue could result in dangerous conditions. I would be paying a close watch on this for the next ten years to see how many accidents do happen in Lagos.”

If the above quote from those who have inside info on this deal is anything to go by, then whether $1,500 or not, they are not good enough for Lagos.

He raises a good point. But hopefully after refurbishing the cars their life will be substantially extended.

This to me seems a better choice than buying expensive new cars. You can google NL for a previous thread where the amount of money Toronto is spending on their new cars is stated. That number simply is not affordable by Lagos. Again, buying brand new cars means substantially higher fares.

BTW, it isn't as if Lagos State is the only place on earth that has purchased used railcars. Again, see the other thread (google NL for it.)

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=831960.msg9835443#msg9835443 date=1324876994]It is very likely that the authorities did not consider all  the options available to them before embarking on the said disgraceful act.  Citizens should demand accountability from their governments. I am yet to see any report with alternative proposals and/or options which advised purchasing these used train cars. If you have seen such, please post it here. The onus is actually on the Lagos state government and her defenders, to prove that the decision to buy these used car trains are reasonable.

On its surface, the said decision does not seem prudent IMO.[/quote]The Lagos State government owes you absolutely nothing, fulani.

Go and face your polio-infested, poverty stricken, Boko Haramified, "allahu akbar" states.

Surely your expertise would prove valuable to that part of the country.

Then again, perhaps it shouldn't surprise me that some of you reason this way.

You see people all the time living above their means. Black man earning $30k a year will buy the same Lexus that a man making $200k+ a year wants to buy.

So this f00lish "bling bling", trying to keep up with the Joneses mentality is nothing new.

If someone wants to live their own life in a profligate and foolish manner, unfortunate, but it is their choice.

However, it is ridiculous to be angry that someone else in this case decides to manage their affairs with wisdom and common sense.

You back up your insane proposal with evidence.

If one suggests something ridiculous, then the onus is on them to defend it.

No offense, but it has been a while since I have seen such brainless criticism before in my life.

If you want Lagos to buy fresh train cars like the ones Toronto is buying, then you should also expect Lagos to charge a similar amount in fare. Given that Lagos is probably less than 1/20th as wealthy per capita as Toronto, does it seem likely to you that the price point for new cars is something that will make sense for the riders of the train?

Criticism is fine, but criticize sensibly and intelligently.

soloqy:
Back to the topic ooo.

For those complaining that people are complaining, the issue here is bringing old, worn out cars(that shouldnt cost up to $1,500) which normarly, is sold as scrap for use in a place like Lagos.

Have we not already discussed why expecting to buy the cars for $1,500 is unrealistic?


[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=831960.msg9835351#msg9835351 date=1324873658]You should answer that questions first. Please tell us what enginnering rational or studies revealed to you that you cannot find brand new trains for the same cost or cheaper, and trains with the same or better engeneering and economic value than the second hand ones from Canada.

I am not blindly criticising but I must confess that I am disappointed in Fashola and his team in this case. Ekoile, you have been forthcoming in your posts, do not suddenly start sounding like  a sycophant.[/quote]So your perspective is that BRAND NEW TRAIN CARS can be purchased for the same price as these USED ONES? Or even at a price that provides the same overall value?

Does this even make sense to you? Like I said earlier, let us all think through what we are saying before we post.

It is a good thing that they didn't ask you for advice before they decided where to find cars from.

Heh. Keep talking foolishly, and one day it will find you.

Though I guess you are probably sensible to keep your senseless talk to the internet rather than real life.

manny4life:
Seriously? Hmm who's the hor.ny he/she goat on here?  Yall shouldn't spoil me  

Haha there are many, many. Pick one at random and he or she will likely be h.o.rny  

Ileke for example. . .

Heh, if you are looking for trouble, you have definitely found it.

Regarding security guard, fat, ugly and pot bellied, etc. Given that you don't know me, are you sure that you are not describing yourself and those you hang around with?

Don't assume that everyone has as miserable a life as you do.

Lol

H.or.ny Nigerian youth Gotta love 'em

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=831960.msg9835226#msg9835226 date=1324868834]I dont know what the conversation is about, so if that's enough to ask me to mind my bizness, you're free to do so.

However, your logic here is quite inappropriate. Using the "aloku" train does not forfeit them the right to complain about the conditions of it. If that's the most efficient transpostation, then why not use it? If there are better ones out there, why not complain about the old ones?

My only conplaint with those ppl is that you want something advanced, but you dont pay tax.  [/quote]I guess probably worthwhile to look through the rest of the thread. In a nutshell, there is a lot of complaining about what is the most cost-effective solution for rail transport in Lagos. And while these folks enjoy moaning, whining and spinning strange stories, when you ask them for a better solution their mouth becomes shut.

I have no problem with someone complaining, but it seems to me that you should also suggest a clearly superior alternative. And none of them have done this.

Instead id1ots like moremi2008 are giving unwanted advice, discussing their careers as security guards/dead body washers, etc. Which is of no interest to me.

In my opinion it cannot go to the North. There are a variety of reasons for this. But one of the biggest is that doing so implicitly rewards terrorism.

So perhaps it is just best for us to go our separate ways in 2015.

hmm

^-- Not particularly interested in your advice. Perhaps best to apply it to yourself.

I do not recognize the authority of anybody named Allah. I am tempted to say quite harsher things, but let me leave it at that.

I've come to the conclusion that arguing about this is a waste of time.

The same people here b1tching are the ones will then ride on the train, using it for 80% of their future commutes. They'll also b1tch about the price of fare, but simultaneously want new trains to have been purchased.

So long as the transportation needs of the silent majority of Lagosians are met, I'm not sure how relevant the inane complaints of a few residents of the internet are.

^-- cosign

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=832071.msg9834297#msg9834297 date=1324850405]Same way hausas have tuwo, ijebus have ikokore, and fulani have fura nunu.

Other regions eat these too but it remains the staple dish of the areas it is associated with and where it's commonly eaten.

Ekt bear i assume the question isnt a mischievious one only because you grew up abroad and perhaps genuinely dont know.[/quote]Interesting, never heard of tuwo, ikokore, and fura nunu before this thread.

Indeed, I genuinely didn't know. It came up in a phone conversation with a non-Nigerian friend of mine.

Can anyone provide further info? What led to Volkswagen leaving Nigeria?

Where is the new ownership getting electricity from?

If anyone has pictures of the plant or more details, kindly post.

A good development. I wish them success.

Lol.

I would strongly suggest that no one use this as an attempt to paint crime committed by southern Nigerians abroad as a Yoruba phenomenon.

A cursory search through online newspapers shows that this is probably not true. And that in fact another region of Nigeria is #1 when it comes to crime abroad.

Anyway, let us leave it at that.

By Moses Akaigwe [igwemos@sunnewsonline]
Friday December 23, 2011

• The Making of an Ashok Leyland bus at the rejuvenated plant
Photo: Sun News Publishing

More Stories on this Section

Decades after the German technical partners pulled out of Volkswagen of Nigeria, leading to its eventual shut-down, the auto plant, located at Ojo, Lagos, is set to start making vehicles again, following the rejuvenation of the decrepit production facilities by the new owners.

But this time, the re-jigged and modernised plant will start with the production of commercial vehicles to satisfy the rising demands for strong and affordable buses by transporters, as well as boost governments’ mass transit schemes across the country, as part of its contribution towards rapid socio-economic transformation.

Hints of the latest development at the plant which used to produce mainly passenger cars up to the 90s, were dropped recently by the Managing Director of VoN Automobiles Nigeria Limited (the new owners of the company), Tokunbo Aromolaran, while commenting on the update of the facility which commenced many months ago.

Aromolaran said VoN Automobiles has been investing a lot of resources towards ensuring that the plant bounces back very soon, adding that the first batch of Ashok Leyland brand of commuter buses built at the complex would be unveiled in a couple of weeks with eyes on both the local and sub-Sahara Africa markets.
He said: “We are doing everything possible to change the face of the plant and replenish all obsolete lines of the comatose company to produce made-in-Nigeria Ashok Leyland range of commuter buses.

While also recalling that the company inherited mere carcass of the moribund Volkswagen plant, Mr. Aromolaran said the resuscitated plant has attained 75 percent completion and would be ready in few weeks to roll out the first batch of made-in-Nigeria Ashok Leyland commercial vehicles from completely knockdown components.
“We are pleased to also announce that our company has received sizeable quantity of knockdown components from Ashok Leyland to begin the first phase of production, which expectedly, will lead to the production of the first batch of buses in a couple of weeks.”

He added that the company’s marketing team has commenced upbeat marketing strategies to exploit markets in the Economic Community of West African States to boost the capacity utilization of the Lagos based plant.
VON Automobiles has installed capacity for 1000 buses annually and is capable of providing job opportunities for various technicians and artisans, Aromolaran said.

“Besides, we have commenced talks with local content producers whom we will be partnering with to supply locally made components in a scheduled phase substitution of imported components from Ashok Leyland India.”
He said: “Our vision is to attain at least 75 percent of local content in the next five years by gradually depleting the proportion of more than 4000 components imported from the parent plant abroad.” Mr. Aromolaran said talks had begun to seek the consent of the Lagos State Government to endorse the assembly plant as ‘Centre for Automotive Engineering.’

He however dismissed insinuations currently making the rounds that VON Automobiles Nigeria Limited usurped some dealerships’ stakes, explaining that “In the five decades’ history of Ashok Leyland, it has never appointed an exclusive dealership for its products in any region and neither has it one in Nigeria. There are as it were, four Ashok Leyland marketers in Nigeria,” he recalled.

“If we are not in sync with Ashok Leyland, the company wouldn’t have given us kits and CKD (Completely Knockdown Components) sets for our assembly plant. We have a tripartite agreement with Ashok Leyland India to assemble, distribute and provide after-sales service support for her products in Nigeria.”
Mr. Nujum Riyaz, Country Manager, Ashok Leyland India acknowledged the joint arrangement with investors in Nigeria to localise the production of Ashok Leyland commuter buses, remarking that the buses would be forthcoming when assembled locally.

Riyaz who was one of the project managers involved in the planning and implementation of Bus Rapid Transit Scheme (BRT) in Lagos said private sector operators were carefully integrated into the scheme to make the project a viable business model for commuter bus operators. “And today, the initiative has become the toast of other West African countries,” Mr. Riyaz affirmed. Meanwhile, Mr. Prakash Kharat, Plant Head, VON Automobiles has reaffirmed the commencement of technical training for the locals, saying, “we have started phase training of technical personnel to acquaint them with our vision and scientific proficiency to build Nigeria’s first wholly indigenous large capacity commuter buses.” One of the plant’s motivations is to become Africa’s foremost automobile company, behind South Africa and Egypt, Mr. Kharat asserted.

He said in the next phase of production, the plant would explore the production of light commercial vehicles and saloon cars. Some of the departments that have been completed and are in operation are the five paint booths, shower test spot, under bus test, stretch panel section, brake test porch, and the press and fibre glass shop.
Meanwhile, the construction of a network of pressure air that would serve the entire plant is also nearing completion, while the administrative quarters and cafeteria are being refurbished.

No fewer than 520 units of Ashok Leyland Falcon City buses are currently in operation in Nigeria.
They include the 220 Falcon city buses in the Bus Rapid Transit mass transit fleet in Lagos State and LAGBUS Bus Franchise Schemes. Others are in various locations including Port-Harcourt and Abuja, Federal Capital.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/motoring/2011/dec/23/motoring-12-23-2011-002.html

I don't really expect more from the FG than what is presently given. Everything else we want can be obtained by partnering with foreign capital.

Political positions are nice, but investment is more important. So long as power plants, refineries, factories, etc come to Yorubaland, I am satisfied. And those things aren't really for the FG to give/take anyways.

Anyway, if they do attempt to "marginalize" the SW, it will only harden the heart of your average man against the FG. Which is probably not a recipe for the success of the project called Nigeria.

Smh. I don't know what to say.

No human being is perfect. I know I've made tons of mistakes before, things with which in hindsight I wish I'd done differently.

Oh well, that is part of life.

Their role in the civil war was a part of the article, but not the whole of it. And arguably not the most important part.

They didn't mention Yoruba in this article. Yet they mentioned Kogi State, the entire western portion of which is Yorubaland.

Even if there were zero Yoruba in the middle belt, events going on there would be of significance to us, for reasons already stated.

And of course the reality is that two states in the MB have significant Yoruba populations.

While you are correct that we are not the majority there (>50%), this is also true of every group in that zone. So you don't have a point.

Why shouldn't Yoruba be interested in this thread?

The breaking up of the North as a political entity is clearly of significance to us. A major portion of what is called the "Middle Belt" is Yorubaland.

So it isn't clear to me why we shouldn't be interested.

The way I figure, if you propose a policy like "free education", then you'd better back it up with a plan to find the money for it and make it happen.

If APGA is truly suggesting that university education can be made free while having any reasonable level of quality, then they should kindly tell us how they plan on achieving this.

Otherwise they are just farting into the wind.

Where I live, when politicians propose dumb policies that are unrealistic, people mock them and shout them down.

If the Democrats propose any expensive policy here and don't come up with a way to pay for it, their reputation diminishes.

Unfortunately in Nigeria, parties like APGA can say silly things and not suffer politically for it.

Awolowo probably never should have called it free education. He should have called it "cocoa-subsidized education" or something. Remember, the cocoa farmers paid massive taxes. Amongst the highest in the world for cocoa, if I am not mistaken.

So there was absolutely nothing free about any of Awo's education programs. . . .somebody was paying for it.

According to APGA, "Currently, Lagos state government came out with new school fees regime which was wickedly and unilaterally increased to N240, 000 per annum; this is a ploy to massively send out all the poor students out of LASU; this is far out of the democratic dividends expected from the ACN government of Lagos State.

"This is the same government that hyped free education as its main selling point during the April 2011 general elections; who is fooling who?" it asked, recalling, "If we can remember, the UPN regime of Lateef Jakande that established LASU did not establish it to be an institution that will turn out to commercialized."

Wetin concern paragraph 2 with paragraph 1? Or does "free education" mean free university education as well?

APGA is talking very foolishly here.

interesting

Merry Christmas to you all!