₦airaland Forum

jason123:
Lagos is has VERY ethnic group in Nigeria (if not Africa) in her. There is no place with such diversity with clashes.

It is a VERY big deal. Imagine if your boss slashes your salary in half?!

Calabar — Men of the Nigerian Customs have stopped the on-going 1st TINAPA Trade Expo in Calabar following the non-release of government's guidelines for the operation of the TINAPA Business and Leisure Resort.

The Customs operatives stormed the Expo impounding sample items bought by customers, forcing Shop owners to close their offices and making shoppers to scamper for safety. The Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke Monday flagged off the Expo but just an hour later, armed with riffles, the Customs men took over the exit point of Tinapa searching the boot of all cars coming out of Tinapa for prohibited items, especially textile materials.

Customs Men Disrupt Tinapa Trade Expo
June 06, 2008 15:34, 111 views

By Emma Una/Calabar

The much touted Tinapa Trade and Tourism Expo came to a frustrating end after men of Nigerian Customs Service confiscated goods brought in for the event.

Moments after the Cross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, declared the 2008 Tinapa Expo Trade Exhibition open, at the Tinapa Business Resort and Leisure premises in Calabar, Nigerian Customs Service officials blocked the main entrance to the resort and seized items bought by customers at the expo. The heavily armed Customs officials left nothing to chance as they frisked persons and vehicles leaving the venue. They also impounded the vehicles of people who had purchased goods from the expo.

The Customs officials went wild when they saw some fabric in a vehicle, with registration number EF 153 AAA, hired by three ladies who had come to shop at the expo. They immediately seized the fabric and impounded the vehicle. But for the timely intervention of some management staff of Tinapa and members of the public, the ladies would have lost their goods to the overzealous Customs officials.

This apparent show of force confirms insinuations in many quarters that the Nigerian Customs Service have been a cog in the wheel of the successful take-off and operation of the Tinapa as a free trade zone. Since the commissioning of the business and leisure resort by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on 2 April last year, business activities at the resort have not commenced due to the insistence of the Nigerian Customs Service that it must collect import duty on items sold at the Tinapa.

Tinapa is presently awaiting the Federal Government legislation that would confer on it, the status of a free trade zone and enable it to operate as such. To this effect, the Customs officials mounted a security team at the Tinapa gate to prevent customers in the expo from taking away any item.

After the dust had settled, the Customs officials told newsmen that the management of Tinapa did not inform them that the business fiesta was a trade expo and not a trade fair.

The Customs officials said Tinapa management had held series of meetings with them but did not say that the event was going to translate into a trade fair, hence they were right to have confiscated the items.

Reacting, the Managing Director of Tinapa, Arch. Bassey Ndem, said the Customs officials were high-handed in their approach to issues that concerned the resort and that their action suggested that they were out to sabotage Tinapa.

jason123:
There are ethnic clashes as well as Political crises and all sorts in the North and other states that have the population diversity as close to Lagos. Take for example, Warri. Most of the people in Warri are christains, YET they kill eachother over "conquered territories". The same cannot be said about Lagos.

jason123:
Who made it the Financial capital?? You?me? Babangiga?? OBJ?? or Who Bros, its is due to careful planning and God's grace (to the atheist, Luck!). No one said, "Hey, today this will be OUR financial capital". It just happened because Lagos state has found a constantly attract investors both LOCALLY (From the SWestern states and the SE) and international.
About the "large amount of people with fat wallets". Haba! Since your last visit to Lagos, how many people have you seen with a "fat wallet"?? In fact, most working class people who work in Marina (I hope you know that is the work district of Lagos) actually live in Ogun state. The price of houses in Lagos is too high. So where do you see your "fat wallet"??

jason123:
There is ABSOLUTELY no evidence of this. How can you build Tinapa without an International Airport close by It just does not make sense. I mean, who wants to land at MMA or NAA, then travel all the way to Cross river because of Tinapa?? Most but not all of the fun they will ever dream of in Nigeria is in Lagos or Abuja. Why will I go to Tinapa when I can go to STV cinema or Palms to get what ever I wants. More still, travel abroad and show off to my friends yet I will still get whatever I want.
The commercial environment was not conducive enough for investors and tourist. It was not properly planned.

jason123:
In a city like Lagos with funds for 10milllion people when 18 million are actually living there (minus the extras that come everyday), you certainly do not expect Fashola to go to Makoko and build houses for them, do you ? Agreed, only about 12 or so million people will benefit from his schemes and I will consider that a success.
Even if he builds houses for them in Makoko, how do you expect the citizens of that area to pay for rent Moreover, people from other states (especailly neighbouring ones) will take advantage of such a scheme.
All in all, it will not be viable.

jason123:
1) Fashola is managing 18 million people not 2 million or so people
2) The population density of Lagos is way higher than that of Cross river state. This makes it an enormous challenge to build infrastructures without unnecessary disruption and commotion.

jason123:
3) It takes a whole LOT to manage a multi-cultural place like Lagos without ethno-religious clashes as we have been witnessing in Kaduna and other multi-ethnic states.

jason123:
4) Cross river is considered as an Oil producing state, thus, entitled to more money than Lagos state BUT Lagos stats has found a way to constantly attract investors (Eko atlantic etc). Thereby, making the Federal revenue USELESS (Lagos survived without the Federal revenue for 3 SOLID YEARS. No state can do it in Nigeria)

jason123:
5) The Tinapa project was a monumental failure because he over invested without taking other factors into account BUT the Eko-atlantic project is ALREADY a success before its even completed. Tell me, if you are given the option of going to Tinapa or Eko atlantic (All expense paid ). Which will you choose

jason123:
6) It is ONLY Lagos state that can build an Airport without the help of the FG and yet compete with Muritala.

jason123:
7) Lagos state is being paid to cater 10 million people while the actual population is DOUBLE in size. Tell me, which state can do such

MzDarkSkin:
[color=#0055bb]lol @ some folks.

Historically speaking we western blacks have a sense of "kinship" or ties to Ghana. Everyone of us who have visited Ghana describes it as being "home". That is just how it is. Ghana is the first place we think of when we repatriate or even take trips to Africa so most definitely the Obamas would see it that way. The president although half Kenyan has adopted the African American identity and in an interview was describing how important a visit to Ghana (one of the key players in the slave trade) would be for his wife and daughters to know the other side of their lineage.

logic101:
The greatest problem the black man has is his huge ego.

ifyalways:
btw,where is "asha"?he is MIA,ezeogu and co,o nwere onye huru asha?

ifyalways:
Ndi Nri na akpu aru. ie when someone commits certain crimes that are seen as a taboo eg ikwu udo(sucide),inwu from ibi,a visit is made to Nri to get men that would help bury such men.

That's just about the only thing i think is special with Nri.

jason123:
I repeat, if Fashola should contest. IT WILL BE VERY FO.OLISH, if Nigerians don't vote for him based on tribalism.
Enough said!

EzeUche:
I still believe the Ijaw are the earliest inhabitants of Nigeria. They were just pushed to the coast by the much larger and aggressive groups.

vicenzo:
Not at all,being light skined and good looking is an advantage,it stands you out from the crowd,it can open doors for you, especially when you have a good head on your shoulder.My grandfather told me that they did it because they wanted to have outstanding daughters,who would in turn marry influential members of the clan.

vicenzo:
I think the light skin issue depends on the family,my family loves light skin a lot,right from the days of my   great great granfather,male members are adviced to marry  a light skined and beautiful  wife,there is always an unspoken sadness,when someone marries a dark or brown skined wife,even the girls are praised when they marry a light  and skined handsome person,when a family member sees a light skined and beautiful girl child,he runs back home to report to the umunna,who in turn visits the girls parents to ask for the child's hand in marrage,the umunna then presents one of its male members as the suitor.This was the practice long time ago,it is no longer practiced,but because of it,we have a lot of really light skined people in my family and less brown/dark people.

When my dark skined brother wanted to marry an ngwa girl,my mum saw red,but when she learnt that she was beautiful and light skined,she thought that where she is from doesn't matter,lol,as long as she was concerned,it was a chance to eliminate the dark genes,and when she gave birth to three light skined children,it was a win-win situation for my mum and my brother,hehehe!

dayokanu:
Abeg shey una fit organize ATM for every Ashi joint?

alj harem:
do you know i am igbo as well ?