I think one good thing that has emerged from how horrendous GEJ was is that it is only those who want to lead at the highest level and present themselves as able gladiators, ready to enter the ring and battle others, who will become President from now on. That is how it is worldwide because that is how many nations gain the leaders that help them attain laudable development and progress.

If the system had been like that in the past in Nigeria then there is no chance in hell either Yar Adua or GEJ would have become Presidents of Nigeria. For good or bad, we must always give the chance to those who present themselves to lead. The days of bringing one recluse from Katsina (Yar Adua) or an abject mediocrity from Bayelsa (GEJ) are over. From now on, with the lessons learnt from GEJ in particular, I think we will only be seeing the likes of El Rufai, Fashola, Kwanwaso et al becoming President in future. Nigerians are much wiser now.

modath:



Be rest assured that it wont take 5+yrs of transformation & fresh air that never happened..

BTW, you have been dodging making any comment about this Dasuki debacle... which I've gradually come to realise is your modus operandi... You hardly make submission beyond your usual..

The question asked, you waka pass & claim you are only here to read comments, you try well well!!

One thing i give you credit for is hiding in plain sight, apart from your "change" spam on threads, you just agree with posts that align with your bias & K.I.M

How Ya doing ?

Clever lady. You have 'worked out' Firefire completely. You did not even leave a single morsel of meat on the bone. You picked the bone clean 100%.

@Post.

My opinion, even as his fans may not like it, is that GEJ is a simpleton promoted far, far above his station in life by a warped political system that seeks the most unprepared, most unprincipled and most undeserving Nigerians to man the most important leadership position in the land. Such men/women lack a deep and abiding sense of right and wrong. they lack strong principles and have no appreciation of the damage they are doing.

They can willingly act alone or join others to ruin the lives and future of many Nigerians as GEJ did. Jonathan was not on Mars when all the looting was taking place. He was present and a willing partner in the looting. About time Nigerians face the truth about a President (GEJ) I personally find a nauseating human being even if bigots want to hail him a messiah.

I hope, with all these revelations, Nigerians can now appreciate the monumental mountain of sleaze, brazen theft and corruption the Buhari government and APC must scale to turn Nigeria around. The PDP virtually sucked Nigeria dry yet some Nigerians don't want to acknowledge let alone talk about this while they demand miracles from the Buhari government daily. Is it not obvious to a reasonable person that there must be a period of 'stock taking' and 'readjustment' before this new Government can begin a purposeful march forward and in the right direction?

As per the topic of viability of States, which is the cause of the frustration that leads many Nigerians to lose sight of what matters, the fundamental and deliberately perverse structure of Nigeria will always make it difficult for many States , bar the strongest and richest, to be viable.

Today we are at rock bottom and I feel this Government, which I believe is sincere, now has the chance to engage State governors and local government leaders honestly so that all tiers of the federation can join hands to chart a way forward. States can present their case to the FG as per what they need from the centre to help them secure rapid socio-economic growth. The centre must also sincerely do all in its power to ensure genuine liberalisation of processes and vital sectors that can drastically improve the earnings and performance of States. Some States, like Osun and Ekiti for example, are unfeasible vanity projects that should not have been created but for the greed and vainglorious attitude of some influential political leaders. The damage has been done and the only way to now make many Nigerian States viable is for the FG to partner with and assist State governors to turn things around.

The FG, as a matter of urgency, should:

Look at boosting power supply significantly as soon as is possible to spur the growth of activities that will promote the proliferation of the SME sector and thus socio-economic growth.

The Government must remove all grey areas and allow States to control and directly benefit from their mineral endowment. Doing this will create jobs, wealth, infrastructural development, attract FDI and deliver other attendant benefits.

Both suggestions above can drastically turn around the miserable reality of how many Nigerian States are civil service enclaves spending majority, if not all, of federal allocation on civil servant salary. This is the very definition of an unviable case. Sadly for Nigeria, many States fall into this category and a sincere and thorough effort now has to be made to address this deplorable situation once and for all.Though many civil service jobs are surplus to requirement what most Nigerians must understand is that Governors cannot just sack workers in large numbers as this will create social and political unrest.

The best solution is to put the right conditions and environment in place that will stimulate the growth of industry and the SME sector which, worldwide, is always the biggest employer of labour unlike what obtains in Nigeria where States like Osun, with civil service jobs, employ more Nigerians than any other sector. The article below puts things in perspective. Imagine if we had many more Dangotes, albeit on a smaller level, in all States of Nigeria? We can note below that while Dangote's target of 1 million jobs is laudable it will take some doing because the business mogul was only employing 26,000 Nigerians in 2013 when the article below was written. The reality today will be that Dangote has not likely even doubled his workforce from 2013 let alone be close to the 750,000 jobs by 2018 target. The obvious conclusion is that Government at the centre needs to be more of an enabler to provide the conditions that will see many Dangotes everywhere. The Nigerian government, if not for the excesses/incompetence and indolence of the military boys which the PDP then persevered with from 1999 to 2015, has no business being the biggest employer of labour. This must be reversed ASAP if Nigeria is to survive and thrive.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201310141544.html

Nigeria: Dangote to Overtake FG as Biggest Employer of Labour
Tagged:
BusinessLabourNigeriaWest Africa 12 OCTOBER 2013



By Chima Akwaja, Bukola Idowu, Olushola Bello And Agbo-Paul Augustine
With a plan to create 750,000 jobs in the next five years and thereafter raise it to one million, Dangote Group will overtake the federal government as the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria.

The conglomerate owned by Alhaji Aliko Dangote[b] has a current workforce of 26,000 spread across its subsidiaries in cement, salt and sugar manufacturing and packaging plants.[/b]

The FG, as a matter of priority, must try and develop an effective multimodal national transport system, especially focusing on a modular and expandable rail network , that will link Nigerian States and business hubs better. With this the government can achieve one of the 'holy grail' factors which almost automatically always guarantees socio-economic success and development i.e the efficient transport of goods and services throughout Nigeria. This will open up vast opportunities for commerce, trade, attraction of FDI and employment.

The government now has to be the major driver of the effort to diversify the economy of Nigeria away from over-dependence on crude oil earnings. It is now time to move beyond rhetoric. Nigeria has no choice but to diversify her economy or remain relegated in an economic downturn, i.e recession, for the foreseeable future and for as long as oil prices stay well below what we need to successfully and efficiently (1) finance activities of governance (recurrent expenditure) and (2) Finance infrastructural delivery, investments and all things capable of aiding socio-economic development and economic growth (capital spending). Sectors we enjoy a comparative advantage in, like agriculture, must be developed aggressively and entirely without compromise.

I will continue later.

@Mynd44.

Good effort buddy. I'll be sure to contribute later. Thanks.

modath:


.... That is the black man's way, make mince meat of one's nose to get even with THE FACE...

How ya doing ojare?? Found ya Damita Jo yet?

Indeed. I left the thread when intolerant folks decided they were more Yoruba than others and had the right to shout and rant above others. This will always be the black man's problem i.e our egotism ,over-bloated sense of self-importance and vainglory which means many cannot modestly defer to the greater good of a group, society, State or even Nation. I don't know why the thread died, since I left many pages ago, but I could predict it would die because it had been hijacked by the voices of intolerance and egotism. No bigger than that of an individual who has probably never set foot in Yoruba land yet intolerantly likes the sound of his own voice and simplistic reasoning more than he has the humility to understand that the search for solutions must include all voices and all opinions. When this discord amongst so-called Yorubas and their 'well-wishers' is obvious then anyone can contribute mischievously here to frustrate the thread and kill what can lead to the development of solid ideas and the discernment of viable solutions after robust and earnest inspection of what everyone has to say.

It is not for some to begin calling Yoruba leaders "failure" only for this group to brook no opposition and then try and take the thread in a clique-based and childish "them against us" impasse so that it is only their school of thought that can speak. My argument was always that we look at issues holistically and see the major problems facing the SW which , in its entirety, cannot be placed at the doorstep of Governors alone.

We have many brilliant governors who have outstanding academic qualifications and have excelled in the private/public/education sector and turned round the fortunes of diverse and multi-national entities like Ajimobi, Fayemi, Amosun, Ambode et al. Ordinary common sense, especially from those who have never led even a group of school children, means we should be careful irreverently calling men like that failures without wishing to examine some of the factors that made their "failure" in certain sectors inevitable !!! We don't gain solutions witch hunting anyone !!! We should criticise constructively and refrain from what most human beings do which is to unobjectively and unfairly look for scapegoats to blame everything wrong on. Almost 400 pages yet are we no closer to forming something official, as some of us suggested many pages ago, that can be a formal pressure/lobby group we can use to place demand before leaders. Does that show we really want solutions or does it show, if we are honest, that many just love the sound of their own voices and the chance to appear erudite even when they are saying absolutely nothing useful or productive at all? In the end many will tire of the predictable egotism and infighting, that precludes the chance for genuine solutions to emerge, and move on.

Soundly impressive budget and one those who know him will expect El Rufai to implement to a very high efficiency percentage. I praise the 'change' agitation that has now made it possible for Nigerians to see the likes of El Rufai leading Nigerians States. My only regret is that Ribadu, another pro-people public servant, effed himself up when this would have being the perfect government, even a match made in heaven, under which he can showcase his talent to the benefit of Nigeria.

We have found increased resources for capital expenditure only by severe cost-cutting. In the 2016 estimates, we have decreased recurrent expenditure by 50% of the 2014 actuals. Government House expenses for 2016 are projected at N563.7 million, a 70% cut from the N2.1 billion that the previous government spent in 2014, the same year that they appropriated only N300m to Ministry of Health for capital projects.

merry02:
When the time comes, all these APC apologist ll blame themselves for supporting buhari.

Man mi, get ready to be disgraced. Buhari will deliver. You can take that to the bank and you will be the one regretting the lack of support you gave him when it was important for Nigerians to put ego and sectional interest aside for the glory of our nation - especially given the PDP - caused hardship we are facing today that Buhari and others are valiantly battling to reverse.

Buhari and his appointees should all simply ignore the PDP and get on with their work. Do everything by the book and build cast - iron cases against these wicked and unconscionable looters .

Let the Wailers talk of 'vendetta' because "Bafawara stood surety for Dasuki" and let them say Buhari is after Dokpesi because AIT tried to blacken the image of Mr.President in the lead up to the elections. Upright and bright folks, who simply want a better Nigeria, will know that all this noise, like the "GEJ till 2080" empty rhetoric, will be discredited into total silence once all these men begin to get their guilty verdicts in competent Nigerian courts of law.

homirefacuny:

The question on my mind..... I do not hate GEJ bit the day he said he didn't approve that amount after the NSA said he did... I had a rethink. It's logical that something was wrong on his administration. I do not care at this point... These heads should freaking roll if they are found guilty including GEJ.

Thank you. I was one of those who said, before the election, that Nigerians would be shocked by the revelations that would come out after GEJ is deposed.. Yet even I am shocked at the level of conspiracy and complicity which is now revealing the 'free-for-all' involvement of so many worthless hirelings and worthless jobbers whose only means of lively-hood is the looting of government money from one government to the next.

This is a big shame to Nigeria. All GEJ fan, even as we know many are unrepentant bigots and ethnic jingoists of the worst kind, should bury their head in shame. Imagine the brazen looting of funds meant to strengthen the Nigerian army against terror with the help of 'conduits' like Dokpesi, Bafawara et al? Who is next Okupe, Abati, Maku, Metuh et al? Who exactly did not share in this free-for-all looting that was paid for with the blood of innocent Nigerians? This GEJ is just a highly callous, very wicked and totally unprincipled individual who is no better than a common criminal and armed robber. Very wicked and evil man. Going around hugging children who have lost parents and widows who have lost husbands, often the sole family provider, yet you are causing the deaths behind the scene with unconscionable 'come and chop' looting. Devilish really.

neolboy:
Keep grabing, useless agency

You should listen to the wise man below. People like you amaze me with how you make yourselves available to defend evil and what is 100% wrong because of clannish and ethnocentric proclivities. How on earth can you term as "useless" a government agency now under new leadership and trying to bring to book those who cynically stole money meant for the defence of Nigerian lives and properties?

Do you know how many Nigerians died needlessly because of the wanton looting GEJ and his wicked minions perpetrated? Be careful the soul of the many Nigerians who are dead dead does not curse your insensitive life and condemn you to misery for the rest of your life on earth. Can you replace even a single life out of the thousands killed directly and indirectly by the corruption of these men? God will indeed judge people like you.

obailala:
Whatever the case, I wish and pray the moneys stolen can be recovered and I wish those found guilty would be locked up for life. The greed of these guys has led to the sad loss of hundreds (if not thousands) of our military men, thousands of innocent civilians and trillions in destroyed properties.

For all those defending these guys (because their little brains erroneously think they are defending GEJ), may God judge you guys accordingly.

step1:


when I was warning yorubas left and right, they called me Igbo

I shook my head in disbelief that[b] some idiots like Ekoile gbawe[/b] and Co branded me Igbo because I saw APC scam

now where are they now ? We in nigeria are suffering it

meanwhile ondo is doing very well

look at life. Look at Lagos Ambode has practically destroyed Lagos

how can a sane man or woman vote Ambode over Agbaje


some of these so called yorubas can be unbelievable at times. I am yoruba but I am starting to hate this apc=yoruba thing

APC is tinubu project to steal from Nigerians

I have no time for your childishness.When did I "brand" you Igbo or when do you see me generalising along ethnic lines? Some of you are simply shameless liars. Suffice to say Buhari and the APC will shame you all. This is why not everyone is destined to be a leader, a useful and productive citizen or even a success in life. People like you only know how to whine, be pessimistic, rude and to revel gleefully and wantonly in ignorance always. Some of us go beyond the surface to familiarise ourselves with the rancid PDP-driven rot and putrid decay Buhari and the APC must rid Nigeria of to get us on course as a nation.

I will be here when folks like you disappear after Nigeria starts to make serious and never-before-seen progress post the arduous planning stage the APC and Buhari had no choice but to adopt due to the unbelievable depth of depravity, corruption and inefficiency Nigeria had sunken to under 16 years 9f PDP rule. Wait and see buddy. You and many will regret your ALUU proclivities and ignorance.

ishiamu:


There has been few steps to the islamization project we will all see it in the fullness of time

What "steps"? Give solid examples and stop hiding behind vague words. Give the precise "steps" Buhari has taken towards Islamizing Nigeria. Has Sharia been introduced in your State since the scaremongers insisted Buhari wants Sharia in every corner of Nigeria? Are you frog-marched to the local mosque everyday? Has your Pastor been replaced by an Imam? Is your sister forced to don the Hijab? Have you been told you must swap your bible for the quran?

So what steps exactly are you talking about? If your life is the same today as it was before the elecetion then admit you and others goofed and that you maligned the name of an innocent individual for nothing. You should be asking for the forgiveness of God and not vaguely alluding to some steps you cannot give precise details of.

NOBLEDANDY:


Leave your ranting sir, there were evidences.
I used the word accused because he has not been proven guilty as charged in the court of law....
I don't believe in writing paragraphs just to make my point.

What evidence? Please don't patronise our intelligence with talks of Buhari said this and that in 1956. Show us the evidence today, on the ground, that bears out the "Islamization" scaremongering many helped to spread before the elections. Simple request yet you are dancing around as is usual when a man knows he stands discredited. If Buhari has not done what many said he would then those folks should apologise, learn their lessons and move on.

NOBLEDANDY:


How can someone apologise for fear of islamization??
The accused should be the one proving them wrong....
Abeg don't misunderstand the context, because u are becoming more stu.pid than I think.

Can you listen to yourself? You are only throwing insult around and you cannot even appreciate how uniformed you sound. The above in bold is just ludicrous. Are we talking accusation in a court of law that a defendant is obligated to respond to or baseless rumours and unsubstantiated gossip in the court of public opinion a busy and focused person should/could choose to ignore? If you start shouting publicly that I am an armed robbers, when in reality I am gainfully employed, what on earth makes you think I am duty-bound to respond to you?

Is it not obvious you are not an 'accuser' and I am not an 'accused' in the proper sense of those words? Many of you just come here to tender sentimental arguments. you will then begin insulting others you should be learning from once you are dismantled by superior argument/logic. My friend, you better educate yourself about the fundamental rights of man to know individuals are not compelled to respond to slurs and lies against their persons because those can never be interpreted as legitimate accusations by any sane and rational mind. You do not become an 'accuser' telling lies against others and those you lie against are not 'accused' people who must prove anything to you or others. Buhari did not see it fit to dignify every slur and lie against his person with a response. That is his right 100% otherwise he will soon have to be responding to allegations that he smokes Marijuana and snorts cocaine with Osinbajo, Fashola and Amaechi till 3.00am every day in Aso Rock.

Umunede:
in addition to that, Buhari have voted NO to protection of human rights. This is to enable him easily implement his islamization agenda. In islamization, there is nothing like human right. During his campaign, he nearly took holy communion, because he was always in Church campaigning. But now He doesn't go to church again.

You guys crack me up !!! Buhari does not go to church any more and this is a sign the Islamization agenda is on course? Why not take the fact that Nigeria is still very secular today to mean you took the brainwashing propaganda of others too seriously? Even the folks who put those messages in the public domain don't believe their own lies they packaged for the consumption of ordinary Nigerians. It is all politics to them and it is only ordinary Nigerians who swallow their deceitful propaganda unquestioningly. This is why you are still looking for excuses, however silly and illogical they sound, to continue pushing accusations that have now been soundly discredited by the reality on ground today.

EUROBOMBER:
What is the use of this thread? Eziachi do you worship Buhari in ya dreams?

My good man, sometimes these sort of threads are needed to remind us of the absurdities of yesterday that shames us all as a nation in light of what is reality today. We all remember how Nigerians were carried along in dangerous propaganda by those who did not want a Buhari Presidency for their own selfish reasons. They painted a picture of a nation where everyone is forced to shout "Allah ho akbar" and political opponents are jailed without trial. It was all very insulting to the senses of intelligent Nigerians who could not believe Nigerians, in year 20 frigging 15, were being manipulated like this. PEJ said she feared visiting her husband in jail. Is GEJ in jail today or gallivanting the world and spending his loot?

The point is that Nigerians should develop their own minds and independent opinions. If you get carried away promoting the selfish and obviously flawed messages of others, who are working for their own agenda, then you risk looking very foolish and ignorant in future. The biggest Nairaland promoters of "Buhari will Islamize Nigeria" now look like mumus who were used by GEJ, PEJ, Dokpesi, Obanikoro, Allison-Madueke et al. In short those who benefited from the status quo under the former regime and wanted it to continue forever if possible.

porka:
‎
Not a very intelligent question within the context it is being asked. 

Hijab was not 'banned' by the NYSC because Buhari has dropped his nationwide Sharia spread project. It was 'banned' because of the prevailing security situation all over the world. Same way morning prayers sessions or morning assembly in schools were 'banned' by the IG of police. ‎

Nigeria is not the only country 'banning' the wearing of hijab in the public at this time, the western world is in the lead on this 'ban'. 

Senegal has more than 90% Muslim population and calls itself a Muslim country, yet they reportedly 'banned' wearing of hijab in the public just this month. 

Giving the current security realities where Boko Haram terrorists are all over the country (according to reports), wearing of hijab at this time is similar to scooping fuel from a fallen petrol tanker. 

It has nothing to do with Buhari's avowed commitment to spread Sharia to every nook and cranny of Nigeria. 

"I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria,  God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country” - Muhammadu Buhari‎, 2001 

‎
‎

This long response shows you are not witty and does not understand simple sarcasm. OP's point is that it is odd anyone would dare ban any form of the Hijab in Buhari's "Islam Kingdom" when it must be the other way round as many told us would be the case with their baseless "Buhari will Islamize Nigeria" scaremongering before the elections. Where is the Islamization is OP's real and sarcastic question. Gerrit? Don't tell us what Buhari said in 1945. Show us the reality of Nigeria today and the overt "Islamization" going on under Buhari many, before the elections, claimed they were 100% sure would happen in the effort to make Buhari 'unelectable'.

Duru1:


Per the bolded, why in the hell do you dabble into what you know little about?

He is respectfully and humbly asking to be educated. What is wrong with that? Do you know the hijab Buhari has officially adopted for his Islamization agenda or not? Simple question only seeking a simple answer and not insults.

Eziachi:
I am not a Moslem, so educate me. What is a big hijab and small/medium/xlarge hijabs? Which one has Buhari recommended for the Islamization project?

Classic
Over to the "Buhari will Islamize Nigeria" crew. Perfectly legitimate question. Which Hijab has Buhari forced on Nigerian for his Islamization project? We need pictures ASAP of Buhari launching this compulsory Hijab abeg.

seunmsg:


Irrespective of the source, what we have up there is nothing but the truth. The rate with which Tinubu was attacked before the election and even the continued attack on his person after the election says it all. He is PDP's biggest nemesis.

We both know this. Yet you will agree many uncouth elements come here daily to insult prominent Nigerians and political leaders. Tinubu is, as always, the object of their hateful attention. There is no need for Soyinka to then be insulted by those who bark at anyone who see good in Tinubu for things Soyinka did not say. I defend Tinubu here always because i know what the man really is to Nigeria and the Yorubas. Yet the fact is that we sometimes have to take a back seat and let frustrated souls vent because poverty and a lot of social malaise can reduce a proud people to a blind lynch mob just looking for victims. On threads like this, which will be a congregation ground for the usual haters, I would prefer Soyinka is not included in the free-for-all for something he did not say. Tinubu is a politician. this is not new to him and he won't care what envious and hateful people say. The Prof is another matter entirely.

Before you guys begin insulting the honourable Wole Soyinka, kindly confirm he wrote what is attributed to him here . Thank you.

Nice as this all sounds I am sure Soyinka never wrote this. I stand to be corrected but I doubt Soyinka will ever praise Tinubu this fawningly.

gabicon:
That's how it should be, taking care of 12 million people should wear on out talk less of innovating ideas for job creation for some 7 million people. The thing is that most of our govonors are mentally lazy, govonors in America take their states from $3 billion to $1 Billion surplus in four years but here in Nigeria they want to reduce minimum wage and block leakage. Attack is the best form of defence it high time our govonors start tingling with fresh ideas and concentrate less on the already dwindled cow. I admire elrufai for his honesty the job isn't easy for those who really want to work and most of our fat stomach govonors are doing nothing in government house.

Indeed. Many Governors can and would love to do more but our system of governance, as currently constituted, means the greatest tools of empowering the people still resides with the Federal government. for example, the emergence of a thriving SME sector (small to medium enterprises) , which is usually the biggest employer of labour worldwide, will not be a reality without constant and adequate power supply.

sapientia:
I wonder how most people read ooo..

The man stated the obvious...

He simply said.."its not an easy task"..

Why the insults?

Thank you. Especially against a Governor adjudged to be the best performing in Nigeria today. His State is lucky to have him in my opinion because Nigeria is facing very trying times which means even good leaders must now become supermen to guide their State and people through what is undoubtedly going to be a period of severe economic hardship before succour arrives.

dotune:
It shows u have a burden for your people. Your colleagues are fattening up because they don't really care much. Don't worry, as God sees ur heart and intention, he will give u more wisdom to govern ur state well.
From the stats out there, u r still the most performing gov, and Ikpeazu..I hope I am right.

100% correct. May God indeed shower El Rufai with the wisdom he needs to deliver for a people he obviously cares for and worries about deeply.

londonrivals:
[img]http://4.bp..com/-fkDsK7SUSBU/VlV8wwMDP6I/AAAAAAAHcCM/jGo3QPY2SlA/s400/index.jpg[/img]
Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai says the stress of seeking ways of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in Kaduna state has left him tired after just 5 months of assuming office. El Rufai said this while speaking at the just-concluded Ake Arts and Book Festival which held in Abeokuta, Ogun State November 17-21.

“As a state governor the challenge for me is what to do to create jobs in Kaduna State. Eighty-two per cent of the eight million people in Kaduna State are below the age of 35.
My challenge is not whether population grows next year or the year after. It is to get jobs for this young people, otherwise no one will sleep in peace. Frankly speaking, five months as governor, I am already tired. I honestly do not think that anyone who wants to do this job seriously can do it for more than four years and not burn out. When I look at some of my colleagues, some are putting on weight, they are looking nice, I ask them, ‘how do you do it?”he said

http://www.metronaija.com/2015/11/5-months-as-governor-i-am-already-tired.html

Those are the leaders who do not give a toss about the Nigerians they lead. They are in office to look after their own interests. If money is flowing them these sort of leaders will continue putting on weight and "looking nice".

@Topic.

El Rufai's honesty is refreshing. Nigerians should appreciate this type of honest leadership that seeks to engage the citizenry and give them a frank insight into what Nigerian leaders face and why the effort to create a better Nigeria must involve all of us. Leaders do not have a magic wand that will perform miracles and turn Nigeria into utopia. Pro-people leaders like El Rufai are the best Nigerians can hope for right now because we can rely on them to put in the effort to better the lot of Nigerians while we play our part also.

That El Rufai is exasperated with the sheer scale of the challenge is human and even encouraging as it means he understands the plight of his people and empathises with them. Yet that is not an admission of defeat and it does not mean he will not give his all to make the situation better.

focus7:
Lunching and helicopter is not the issue but maintaining it, it wasn't that there were no helicopter in Lagos state before now but they were grounded for lack of maitainance.

Correct. This is nothing new or even unique to Ambode. I agree with you that meticulous maintenance of the helicopters has to be made a priority.

http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2009/12/13/fashola-launches-helicopters-for-aerial-war-against-crime/

Fashola Launches Helicopters For Aerial War Against Crime
Posted by Donald Mike-Jaja on Dec 13th, 2009


Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has stepped up the war against crime in Lagos State with the launching on Monday morning of two Bell-412 EP helicopters. At the launching of the helicopters a multi-faceted type used in crime fighting, fire out break and emergency services among others, Fashola said it was a very expensive venture, but that it is a primary responsibility of government to curb crime.
According to the governor, section 14(26) of the 1999 constitution gave the state government the power to provide security to its citizens, saying that this was why the state recently concluded the Security Trust Fund to provide money to fight crime.
He said that all his efforts so far has delivered 79.9 percent reduction in violent crime, adding that the state is recording successes in apprehending and bringing criminals to justice.

“In spite of all, this we will never be satisfied. We knows that there is no crime free society, but we understand that crime and crime pattern are very fluid and we are resolved to stay ahead of the competition”, Fashola said.
His government, he said, will outspend, outrun, and overwhelm the competition hard criminals offer, saying “we want to be the first to arrive when emergency occurs with all the capacity to save lives”

Fashola described the acquisition of the helicopters as another success of his administration saying they will not only complement the efforts of the police and security operatives on land but also enhance the provision of emergency services, search and rescue operation, surveillance and ambulance service.

“Our choice of Bell 412 EP was informed by its multi-faceted platform which allows it to be utility in several functions such as paramilitary, civil and utility roles. These particular helicopters are specially and uniquely configured to be used in fire fighting, emergency services, search and rescue air ambulance and air surveillance roles”, the governor said.
He appealed to residents of the state to continue to discharge their own side of the social contract saying that he was proud that Lagos state led the way again as the first state to provide this kind of unique social service in the country.
The prevention and management of the helicopters, he said would be within the preview of the Public, Private Partnership (PPP) in collaboration with Caverton Helicopters to ensure that operation costs were met and that all safety and regulatory issues are stipulated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, praised the government for the venture, saying that the helicopters will help the police to ensure a crime-free society and promised that his men will make good use of them.

Aseneshii:
Misplaced priority. We need fuel not helicopter.

Do you guys ever read before you go on the attack? Because Buhari is mentioned then that means the FG, rather than LASG, bought the helicopters? If you read carefully and agree Ambode purchased the Helicopters, on behalf of LASG, then how is lagos responsible for your inability to purchase fuel? At least learn to be a useful critic otherwise be prepared to be ignored as a senseless/uninformed one.

LAGOS—President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to commission three helicopters purchased by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration as part of efforts to beef up security in the state.

Lordave:
Fashola must have been dormant for more than 200 roads to get dilapidated.

I'm beginning to worry about our Federal roads now he is the minister of Works and Housing.

This is not really an indictment against the leadership of Fashola. The lifespan of Lagos roads, especially those under the purview of the local government, is incredibly short because of corruption and unfeasibly high population density leading to a volume of traffic flow and vehicular movement that will test even the most durable roads anywhere in the world.

The issue of detrimentally high population density will continue to be a pain in the neck for Lagos because it is the smallest State in Nigeria with the highest population estimated to be around 20 million !!

To put things in perspective, so we see the strain on a State which did not have adequate infrastructure underpinning the immense population growth it saw in a relatively short period of time, we should look at some stats and draw some obvious conclusions.

Lagos is 999.6 kilometres squared in size and is home to around 20 million. Virtually all Lagosians rely on road transport to go from A to B every day.

London is 1,572 kilometres squared in size and home to 8.539 million. London has a good transport mix which means rail/tube transport gets far more Londoners from A to B daily than road transport. especially Monday to Friday.

New York is 789 kilometres squared and home to 8.406 million. New York also has a good transport mix which means rail/metro transport gets far more New Yorkers from A to B daily than road transport.

It is obvious that decongesting Lagos roads is key as a long term and permanent solution. LASG simply has to ensure other modes of transport (rail et al) come on board as soon as possible otherwise we will continue seeing 'patch-patch' of roads every few months.