BTW, for those using this to bash GEJ. . . well, Buhari foolishly promised the same thing too 

It isn't just GEJ alone proposing this bad idea. Both of them are.

We should just lobby against it, and educate everyone on why it is a bad idea.

Ileke-IdI:

Thank you!

As much as I hate going thru 4 other states just to get to my beloved state (Ekiti), we have more important things on our minds than an airport.

There is an airport in Akure, less than 40 miles away from Ado-Ekiti.

If we built an airport in Ekiti, it cannibalizes business away from the one in Akure and makes both airports sickly and weak.

If there were an excellent road from Akure to Ado-Ekiti, you can make that drive in under 1 hour.

That to me seems a way better use of resources than building an airport.

Where is the interview?

babaogun:

Fashola is the one promising Low Cost Houses, well at least from the original post!

I misread the article the first time around. Rereading it. . . Fashola promises access to mortgages for homeowners. Just a simple, ordinary mortgage. The term "low cost" never comes out of his mouth.

However, the author of the article title the article "low cost houses." Because of this, first time I read it I thought:

A) He'll provide a mortgage for people who want to buy.
B) "low cost" means that he will sell the houses at a discount. For example, sell a 10 million house for only 5 million.

Since he never actually promises anything beyond the mortage stuff ("low cost" is a term used by the author of the article, not Fashola, and the author doesn't even define what exactly "low cost" means), the posts I made earlier don't have much value.

My bad 

No airport in Ekiti State. Write us a check for the amount you'd spend on the airport, and we'll use it on roads (or whatever else should rightly be at the top of the priority list.)

If he wins, he wins. . . not the end of the world. I'm not too sure that any of the three presidential options are amazing.

I would hope that he doesn't screw over my region though. This is my big concern with the PDP in general, especially with a guy like OBJ prominent.

They truly are vindictive b@stards.

^--- Did Bello develop the north?

When was the north wealthy?

Like, GEJs premise is that at some point in time, the North was wealthy. But is his assumption true? If so, we can try to understand what went wrong, why it fell apart.

But if it never was wealthy, then a different approach is required, no?

In the groundnut days, was this generating a lot of money? So that the average prosperity levels were decent?

For the Western Region, I know that there was a time when it was very well off. Possibly the wealthiest region in Nigeria, even. But since then, agriculture fell apart, industry fell apart, infrastructure fell apart, and the region became much poorer. But at least I know that there was a time when it was well-run and prosperous.

I know much less about the north and its economic history, though.

manny4life:

Like I said before, it' way impossible for Mr. Gov to provide low cost housing, while he can use state funds to write off discount losses for instance he builds a house for 4million but have to discount it for 1million so people can purchase at "low cost prices" at 3million or less, unless he does that, there's no way he can achieve that.

Agreed. And if he does that. . . then it is just really a gift to those lucky enough to nab the "low cost houses." And thus a scam transferring wealth from Lagos as a whole to a few lucky people.

Guys, nothing in life comes free. If someone offers to sell you a $200 pair of designer jeans for $20, they are either (a) stolen (b) fake or (c) damaged in some way.

So anybody trying to criticize Fashola for not providing unrealistic things is a bit silly.

Loan schemes are realistic. Schemes that involve selling multi-million naira property for far less than market value is a scam, one way or another.

Is he right?

Was the north once wealthy? Say before independence? I don't know much about economic data from that time period, how each region stacked up in the 50s (GDP-wise.)

NewsMar 18, 2011
   
By LUKA BINNIYAT
KADUNA  – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, at the Northern Economic Summit, lamented that the once rich and glorious Northern Nigeria has fallen far below the Human Development Index, saying something went “grossly wrong.”
Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, took turns to blame the relatively poor state of the North on the North itself.
But, the Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo, and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, while regretting the set back suffered by the north in terms of both human and social_economic development, reeled out some incentives for recovery.
The theme of the summit was: “Agenda for Economic and Social Transformation of Northern Nigeria.”
President Jonathan who admitted knowing little about Northern Nigeria, its people, history and environment until joining partisan politics, stressed that his new experience shows that the North “was once very rich.”
He said: “I have visited many Empire palaces, and I have been awe-struck by the quality and craftsmanship of their designs. It did not come cheap to build such structures. Some, I have been told, have been there since the 18th century. And when you look at the attires of the Emirs, and that of their officials, you know that they come from very expensive fabrics. The history of the North was once that of riches and colour.
But, I am disturbed from the Central Bank statistics on the North, placing it the lowest in the country.
“Something must have grossly gone wrong. And the solution has to be found, because the North still has some of the brightest minds in Nigeria and it also has many resources.”
While noting that his administration was putting measures in place to provide basic infrastructure all over Nigeria, he stressed that, the Federal Government specifically was planning to spend N350 billion in building small dams across the North in the next four years with the view of stimulating massive irrigational farms.
Human resources
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole in his speech said: “The North controls about 53 per cent of the human resources in Nigeria, but what has it done to turn it into a productive force? The North has ruled for most of the times, but what has it done to better its people. Today out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives, 200 are from the North.
“They are going to largely decide how the over N5 trillion 2011 National Budget would be spent. How would this number take advantage of this for the good of the North?”
On his part the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said that the North held the extreme forms of the problem that confronts Nigeria.
He said: “Some part of Jigawa and Yobe have poverty levels worse than in Niger and Chad,” adding that the elite of the North were to be blamed for the woes of the region.
While acknowledging that government had given out N200 billion as Agriculture Intervention Fund, he observed that farmers from the North are the least to patronise the loans.
Vice President  Sambo said the present government had huge plans to stimulate industrial growth in the North, stressing: “Power is an important sector that must be addressed if we are to achieve our noble objective for positive development in the North and indeed Nigeria.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/jonathan-laments-fallen-glory-of-north/

@kalokalo: It is hard to sack them all. Will take too long to recruit new ones. Perhaps the hospitals need to be privatized and decentralized. Some sort of healthcare plan where the Lagos State government contracts out the work to a private company? Perhaps this will limit their ability to strike? I'm not sure.

This is one of those situations where a private corporation will have far greater ability to avoid being manipulated by politically-adept nurses who hold you at gunpoint (figuratively speaking) one month to an election. Somehow private corporations are much better at union-busting than governments are

texazzpete:

So the 8 months arrears of clinical allowance they are demanding for, is it an evil demand too?

Obviously not. Pay them whatever was agreed upon. But they are in no position to demand the federal payscale.

'allowed to strike'?
Perhaps in your opinion they should be arrested and set upon by dogs and thugs.
In the 'civilized countries' you talk about, these people would not be 'allowed' to go on a full scale strike after giving notice and a warning strike. It is only in Nigeria that a critical service personnel will give a warning strike and the powers that be will continue on with their lives as if nothing happened.

*shrug* A law that limits the ability of critical services like police, health professionals and other critical and sensitive positions to strike is not a bad, strange, or cruel law.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'Partial strikes'. When full scale strikes have little effect on the pot-bellied politicians, why would a 'partial strike' succeed?

So what do you suggest? I don't want to see the state gov't blackmailed, nor do I want to see tons of citizens die. The nurses have made their point and need to sit down and reasonably negotiate lest lives are lost.

Here is the cable itself: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5683895-146/wikileaks_cable_us_view_of_nigerias.csp

Pretty much a must read!

Here are snippets:

Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa: Tends to be present when the President makes important decisions; one of leading advocates for removing EFCC Chairman Ribadu; not to be trusted; close to ex-Delta State Governor James Ibori; was recently in London helping out Ibori's lawyer, who was recently arrested by the Metropolitan police. Aondoakaa claims that whatever information Met Police has previously from the EFCC was not obtained through proper channels. If you think of Darth Vadar, you think of the AG.

Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekerau: ANPP Governor; leads most populous state in the north; helped stop PDP from stealing state election in 2003 and 2007; of late, Shekerau has been a disappointment as he has done little for his state; his popularity also has tanked since he fell out with former presidential candidate Buhari.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi: His state receives about $1 billion annually from oil receipts; Port Harcourt serves as oil industry's capital; political contacts from his stint as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly; pushing for a harder military line in the Delta by the JTF, and as a result has more access now to the Villa given his support for the JTF.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola: He leads the most populous state in the country (despite what the 2006 census claimed); very popular in Lagos and noted for his energy and initiative; only Action Congress governor, and has access to Yar'Adua when he wants it, given the importance of Lagos State.

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi: One of the few governors in southeast with some popular appeal; managed to stay in power despite best efforts of the Uba brothers who first thwarted his legitimate election win in 2003 and then pushed the State Assembly to impeached him in 2006; has support of the Church; links to business community from days as a banker; very close to the most senior traditional elder in the south, the Obi of Onitsha, and made sure the Ambassador met him on a recent trip to Anambra. During Ambassador's visit there, it is clear that Obi has done a lot in his state, particularly on infrastructure development.

youngmonie:

This is the FG's fault, trust me if i was the president i woulkd first of all  remove or reduce the powers of the union jus lkik thacher did. This people cannot hold the nation to a randsome.  Federal nurses got an increase doesnt mean it should be the same with the state. This was never in the 2011 lagos budget, the federal government did not make provision for it so were do they expect the government to get the money from. IT IS HIGH TIME THE FG REVISDIT THE ISSUE OF REVENUE ALLOCATION OR  SIMPLE REDUCE THE POWERS OF THE UNIONS (LABOUR UNION).

It is pure blackmail. Lagos State has already passed a budget for the year. Nurses decide to strike. If you don't give into their demands, innocent citizens die.

If you do give into their demands, you have to redo the budget and raise taxes on the people. Not to mention the additional pressure of them doing it right before an election.

How is this not completely evil, what the nurses are doing?

In what civilized country are public workers in critical services (healthcare, police, firefighters, etc) allowed to strike completely like this? Partial strikes yes, but complete ones. . . where does this happen, when the consequences of striking are loss of life/property for citizens?

So the FG introduced a new pay scale for FEDERAL hospitals.

Nurses who work at LAGOS STATE hospitals are striking because Lagos State won't implement the pay scale for FEDERAL hospitals 

A pay scale that Lagos State (and in fact no states) had any say on?

How is their position justified 

They are working for Lagos State, not the FG. So why demand the FG pay scale?

So long as their pay scale is commensurate with that of their peers in private practice/similarly expensive states, then I think they are being fairly treated.

I'm not sure what the answer is in the short-term to this puzzle, but in the long term the power of these unions need to be broken. How to break the union power, I'm not sure how to do, though.

Hrm, in the short term. . . perhaps Fashola should just agree to their demands and renege after the elections. A bit dishonest and immoral. . . but since they feel the need to play a dirty game, he can roll in the mud a bit too.

The US official noted that Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State under the Action Congress party (AC) “leads the most populous state in the country (despite what the 2006 census claimed)”.

In case there was any doubt about the relative population of Kano State and Lagos State, this should be enough to convince most about what is what.

Census figures in Nigeria are screwy.

fstranger3:

And you think killing Funsho Williams was the way to go.

WTF? Substantiate this accusation.

fstranger: You don't seem to like Tinubu and the ACN. Offer an alternative, then. What strategy do you suggest? I'm all ears. I don't think going centralist is the way to go. ACN allows you to achieve something very close to federalism in Nigeria. Why are you so keen on throwing it away?

*Shrug*

It is what it is.

I think the current strategy of the ACN is a good one. I'd prefer if they'd managed to pull off an alliance with the CPC on their own terms, but it didn't work out.

That is fine; there are plenty of senate and governor seats to be won.

And if the election goes to a run-off, then whatever presidential votes the Ribadu pulls in will be of value.

Certainly not the best of all possible outcomes, but a pretty solid strategy overall.

Let's agree to disagree, I guess.

@fstranger3: Spend less time on nairaland, more time on some forums on groups.yahoo.com where they discuss politics. Will better help you understand certain things. Or talk to some politically aware older Yoruba folk in their 40s and 50s.

fstranger3:



You guys keep putting him on a pedestal he does not belong. What has he done that  no one else can do. He wasnt the lawyer that represented Aregbesola and the rest. let him do the right thing, like how Awo and Bola Ige  and Adesanya and the rest of them greats would have done it. Not his magomago and wuruwuru way of doing things.


Hopefully, he is locked up for good. His overbearing attitude/influence is stifling th voice of other credible people in the party and the SW.

Tinubu is not Awo, Ige, or Adesanya. He is not a hero. He is a large, vicious dog, perhaps a little insane. But if someone wants to rob your house, the first thing they do is to poison/kill your dog.

Look, as much as I like Awo, Ige and the rest. . . how effective were they, really?  Ultimately i'm after results. Say what you will about Tinubu, but I think he will deliver results.

seanet02:

GBAM.  You can not have said better. Fstranger3 is the only son of a PDP usurper who is very popular in criminal circles. If not for the YORUBA link, i will have slapped the sense out of this childish poster.

We are faced with a variety of evils, yet fstranger seems interested in choosing the larger ones. I don't get it.

@fstranger: Tinubu is not perfect, but is necessary at this point in time. We have enemies in this Nigeria, and Tinubu seems to be the only one interested in fighting them.

fstranger, I have no clue which team you play for. You seem to hate Tinubu more than is rational. Unless he killed your papa, then our collective interests mutually align. . . for now.

birdman:

Just so everyone is clear. Ribadu is most likely a fifth-columnist. As much as I love the guy, I cant help but think he is an OBJ plant, similar to Saraki in the Northern Elders forum, to split votes. Eh,  what do I know

If that were the case, he'd not be running on the ACN ticket. Unless Tinubu is working with GEJ (and thus OBJ.) Which sounds a bit too conspiracy-oriented for my taste.

fstranger3:

And if I may ask, who are Tinubu's people

DOnt tell me he is looking out for the same people he is stealing from?  the 2 billion naira ABC collects every month, how does that fulfill the principle of quid pro quo.


Lets call a spade a spade, a criminal is a criminal. Tinubu is nothing but a common criminal.


I just hope he is locked up for good!

OK, let's say that Tinubu is stealing N2 billion from Lagos State every month.

What than of the PDP, who used James Ibori and Delta State as a slush fund? Ibori who is sitting in Dubai right now with $3 billion in his account? If he has $3 billion in his account, he probably stole twice that much.

What of Alams and the billions he stole?

Absolute hypocrisy.

Fstranger, let the PDP take the log out of its own eye before it tries to remove the speck from Tinubu's.

fstranger3:


By running on the ticket alone, he was, in a way, albeit single-handedly, transforming the party from a hitherto regional one to a national party. Believe it or not, Buhari is bigger than Tinubu and the whole of ACN combined. Buhari has a reputation Tinubu cannot touch in this life and in the here-after.

Doesn't matter. You can be worth $1 billion, and me only $1000. But if you need to buy an asset that costs $1 billion + $1000, then you'll come to me and we will negotiate a deal. I'll charge you full value for the $1000 I loan you. No discounts on interest even if you are worth more.

Beaf:

Buhari never considered Okonjo Iweala, rather Ribadu did and Tinubu fought the choice with sulphur and fire (cos he wanted to impose a candidate and Ribadu refused). Things were so bad that Ribadu didn't look like he would have a running mate. Long and short is, its no typo.

If it isn't a typo, then it makes Bakare look like an asshat.

I was trying to be generous to him by hoping it was a typo.

Eko Ile:

Are you people not tired of all the anti Tinubu propaganda? Standing strong and not selling out is a great virtue and looking out for your people and your party in general is not a crime. The other members you mentioned are all weak individuals, they will ignore their party's interest and sell out in a minute.

Where is the sense and wisdom in selling off your party with nothing in return?

For many Nigerians, if you don't slit your throat, gouge your eye, sell your firstborn child like everyone else is doing, you are unpatriotic.

Abeg, if you want the ACNs help to accomplish something you cannot do yourself, then let's negotiate a deal.

Nothing is free in this world. If you want me to help you, then you have to help me too. Equal exchange. No discounts.

fstranger3:

On this one, I do agree with Bakare


The reason GEJ is going to win the election is looking to be due to Tinubu's foolhardiness. Simple!

100%, utterly, completely wrong.

There is absolutely no justification for someone (Buhari) carpetbagging onto someone else's ticket (ACN) AND choosing the VP. If you want top billing AND our voting base, the bare minimum we get is VP.

So you take the ticket and we get nothing, despite us building the party? F that. No deal.

I'm starting to think that the author of the article made a typographical error. Perhaps it should read

Though Buhari's choice was former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who he argued fulfilled all the requirements

In that case, I think things make more sense. Then it simply becomes a case of Bakare complaining about how the ACN didn't let Buhari have full control over who he runs with on their ticket. Which isn't a big deal, really.

Because the way the sentence is written now, Bakare comes off as a jackass.

birdman:

I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion from the article. Maybe its just me, but the article implied Tinubu putting his foot down on Iweala was an example of Tinubu's iron grip on the party,  a grip even ACN mebers have complained about.

There are two separate and distinct issues. You can complain that Tinubu has an iron grip on the ACN. Sure, that is a legitimate gripe. . .but is true of many parties in Nigeria. And I don't think many would claim having a tight control of your party constitutes the "greatest threat" to democracy in all of Nigeria. Otherwise 99% of parties are a threat to democracy.

But my issue with Bakare is this

Though Bakare's choice was former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who he argued fulfilled all the requirements

How on earth did it become Bakare's choice who Buhari runs with on the ACN ticket? A party that Bakare is not in? Shouldn't that be an ACN decision, not Bakare's?

Hell, if Bakare has this power. . . then why isn't he choosing GEJs running mate too? Or the running mate for any # of parties he is not a member of, much less prominent in?

Where did he get this authority from?

Beaf:

he fiery speaker disclosed that Lai Mohammed, spokesman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), had suggested that Buhari should run for Presidency on the platform of the ACN, but that trouble came during the search for his running mate.

Though Bakare's choice was former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who he argued fulfilled all the requirements, including formidable credentials, regional, religious, and gender balance, the choice and others did not enjoy the favour of the former governor whose word is scarcely contradicted in the ACN.

So in a nutshell, if Bakare doesn't get to choose the VP of the ACN (a party which he was not a member of, mind you, much less prominent in), then the ACN and Tinubu are anti-democratic  

Who the F is this jackass? Go f*** yourself, Tunde Bakare.

This is a very strange pastor.

So why didn't he step down himself and let someone else run as VP?

The ACN and Tinubu are the greatest threat to democracy in Nigeria?  Because they didn't merge with the CPC and let the CPC also choose the VP? How on earth does this make any sense?

I'm pretty confused, at this point. . . someone who understands, please explain

I'm starting to think that this Bakare is a fool