₦airaland Forum

Standing5: Why go to a church premise to serve notice with camera? No one is questioning the actions of the govt officials before they were attacked. By the way Gbawe. I don't see how conviction ones twin brother leads to the that person being quilty.

Symphony007: this pic reminds me of mafia gangs i used to see in movies. Oyedepo is the mafia boss leading his boys...check out their suits, the only things missing are hats and cigars.

May the GOD OF OYEDEPO forgive me if i've said anything wrong.

Michyeddy: you have kept this annoyance and anger for long.... i feel ur pain bruh...easy easy easy(take a deep breath)..all hope is not lost

lastmessenger: thank you my brother.most people talk as if they have a magic wand to turn the country around for good.let them not forget that the military caused the problems we are facing today.they destroyed things for us and remember that it is easier to destroy than to build

Malawi: Joyce Banda Sells Mutharika’s Presidential Jet To Feed Starving Masses
By A Correspondent

Published: September 7, 2013



Lilongwe: Malawi’s President Joyce Banda has auctioned the presidential jet bought and used by the late president Bingu wa Mutharika, in order to feed the starving masses facing severe food shortages.

The late President Bingu Wa Mutharika bought the jet in 2009 for $22 million and which also sucked an annual bill for maintenance and insurance of $300,000. When she came to power following the death of Bingu, Joyce Banda announced that she would dispose of the 14 passenger presidential jet and a fleet of luxury mercedes benz cars. Banda declared that she would use commercial airliners for her travels as she was used to hitch-hiking.


https://www.zimeye.org/wp-content/live_images/2013/09/Bingus-Jet.jpg
Bingu's Jet

Joyce Banda’s government auctioned the presidential aircraft for $15 million to a Virgin Islands company, Bohnox Enterprise Ltd in a deal that was announced in May.

A spokesman in the Ministry of Finance said the government had decided to use all proceeds from the sale to purchase maize as 10 percent of the country’s population are facing severe food shortage.

“It was a collective government decision that the money realised from the sale of the jet will be used to purchase maize locally and some for legume production,” said Nations Msowoya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance.

Malawi’s first woman president has been on a cost-cutting drive to reduce unnecessary financial costs in government and to improve transparency. She has furthermore called for an urgent review and enactment of a bill that makes it mandatory for public officials including the president to disclose their wealth.

Meanwhile a recent report by United Nations’ WFP program estimated that millions of Southern Africans ( in particular Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia)will go hungry in the next few months. A separate report by the same agency states that 2.2 million Zimbabweans will go hungry within the next 4 months.

Uyi Iredia: @ Gbawe: While I don't know much about goings-on here, nor what drives you to respond the way you and find you a well-meaning Nigerian I think you are too harsh as regards GEJ. I think ot wrong to say we are backward in all-respects, moreso since the private sector and state governments are doing their bit, you happen to be a staunch APC supporter and applaud projects they undertake. As for the topic, I disagree, I'll play the idealist here and see the good, much moreso in an arena of gross pessimism even by people who are part of the problem: I will not, as such, agree we have made no progress, at least, we have over a decade of democracy to our credit, no matter the sham involved.

Billyonaire: Gbawe sanity needs to really be re-evaluated.

Global Competitive Index from the GCI World Economic Forum is here (Find link below for 2010 to 2011).

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2010-11.pdf

Nigeria was at 127th position 2010-2011, and GEJ administration's measures move it 17 PLACES upwards to 115th.
(See data at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2010-11.pdf)


Nigeria dropped just 5 places to 115th position to 120th among the 148 countries profiled which is basically due to SPONSORED TERRORISM and SERIAL FIGHTS & DISTRACTIONS by opposition forces that Gbawe is sympathetic and loyal to.

Gbawe, your hate for your President is making you senile, please get your head checked before it becomes too late.

Whose efforts moved the rating 17 places upwards, your father's effort ?

Davidoff2000: Harsh but true.

Dike Chimezie: He is allergic to good news.

Sincere 9gerian: This element called Gbawe must be living a very boring and frustrated life. What is it with this guy and BAD news?

Budget 2011: Presidency to spend N18bn on fleet

Following plans by the Presidency to spend N18 billion from this year’s budget on the maintenance of presidential planes in its fleet, financial and real estate experts have disclosed that the amount is only N1 billion higher than what could provide decent accommodation for the 17 million UN-Habitat estimated un-housed Nigerians.

Figures obtained by BusinessDay has shown that the allocation for the presidential fleet comes under the allocation to ‘Intelligence Community’ which got a total budget allocation of N105 billion, ranking it as one of the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget.

The amount of money the Presidency plans to spend on its presidential fleet of planes which carries it in comfort around the world is about N1 billion higher than the N16 billion with which government plans to confront the housing deficit of over 17 million Nigerians.

The N18 billion on the presidential fleet is also N7 billion higher than the N11 billion the government intends to spend equipping the country’s police force in 2011, and just about N2 billion less than it intends to spend on the nation’s aviation sector.

Financial analysts have also calculated that the N18 billion, if deployed to the epileptic power supply the country is currently grappling with, could provide 120 megawatts of electricity which is enough to light up Asaba, Delta State capital.

It will be recalled that in August 2010, the minister of Information at the time, Dora Akunyili had, at the end of a Federal Executive Council meeting, announced the acquisition of three additional presidential jets for the Nigerian presidential fleet at the cost of N23.1 billion.

The addition was to complement the eight existing aircraft that were already in the fleet.

Nigeria’s presidential fleet, which is one of the largest in the world, is made up of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) bought in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Gulfstream V, a Gulfstream IVSP, and two Falcon 900s.

It is not clear, though, if the N18 billion allocation to the Presidential fleet in 2011 is purely for maintenance, buying an additional airplane or for both; but a source in the Presidency last night told BusinessDay that there was no plan to buy new planes for the Presidency this year.

In the 2010 proposal, the Presidency had actually proposed the acquisition of four new aircraft for the presidential fleet and had made a budget provision of N23.4 billion in that budget for them.

Akunyili had said then that “the committee set up for the acquisition of the aircraft was able to get a reduction of the sum of $2.9 million from the proposed price of two Falcon 7X aircraft and a reduction of the sum of $5.4 million from the offer of the Gulfstream G550 aircraft.”

She had also explained that “the first Falcon aircraft being purchased will be delivered by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 while the second Falcon and Gulfstream G550 will be delivered by the end of the second quarter 2011.”

BusinessDay investigations show that Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world with a dedicated presidential fleet. Most countries prefer to convert aircraft used by their national carriers for use by their Presidency crew whenever the President is going on international trips. At other times, such world leaders could use an aircraft managed by the country’s Air Force for local trips.

For example, international trips of the Chinese President are managed by the government-owned national carrier - Air China, while domestic travels are operated by the 34th division of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

For the British monarch and other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the British Government, air transport is provided by either No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), chartered civilian aircraft or scheduled commercial flights - normally British Airways - for senior members of the royal family, and other commercial carriers for the Prime Minister and aides.

Aside Nigeria, the United States of America is another country that maintains a dedicated fleet of aircraft for its presidency.

With Nigeria’s Presidential fleet parading 11 different planes, BusinessDay analysis shows that the cumulative spend of N41 billion on the presidential fleet in two years would be enough to buy five Boeing 737-600 planes; large enough to start a national carrier for the nation. The average cost of a Boeing 737-600 is N8.5 billion (based on figures obtained from Boeing website). An analyst familiar with workings at airports told BusinessDay that “a national or flag carrier like Air Nigeria can be safely and profitably operated with five aircraft.”

The Federal Government sold Nigeria Airways - the nation’s national carrier - because it could not run it profitably.

The offices under ‘Intelligence Community’ which allocation of N105 billion ranks among the top ten allocations in the 2011 budget include: Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Directorate of State Security Service (SSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Presidential Air Fleet.

A breakdown of the allocations to the various units shows that the Office of the NSA plans to spend N37 billion in 2011; the SSS will spend N24 billion, while the NIA is planning to spend N26 billion.

Billyonaire: What will prompt a human being to wake up early on a Sunday morning and google bad news about his country and take it to a forum with the sole aim of insulting our President?

No infrastructures since 1960, yet GEJ supposed to fix everything in just 2yrs?

Nnah men, GEJ is working harder than any President I know. Allow him to stay focus.

sponsored terrorism called Boko Haram has been neutralized, now let him focus

olire: you APC gys should be matured for once, though I am a neutral but with the way u gys are just throwing insults for no reason I am greatly dissapointed. Kudos to the PDP gys, so far they have not resorted to insults. Can we do away with insults please so that this debate will constructive?

So @Gbawe and other APC sycophants should tell their masters that the poor primary school education in their states is affecting the ranking of Nigeria.

gramci: Putin is right, UK sphere of influence keeps diminishing by the day.It better redefine its approach on international issues

MADRID SET A RECORD BUT THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS WHERE THE REAL MONEY IS
Sep 08, 2013 0


When the summer transfer window finally closed earlier this week, it once again proved that the rich continue to get richer in European football.

Of all the leagues, the bulk of the spending this summer was done by the English Premier League – in fact, it was up to a record £630m (Dh3.6bn) when compared to the equivalent 2012 figure of £490m (Dh2.81bn).

Elsewhere, as expected, apart from the four big Premier League clubs, the majority of the spending was done by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in La Liga and Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1.

Monaco were the surprise package of the summer Under its new owner, Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, they have spent close to £160m (Dh744.4m) this year, while Real broke their own world record transfer fee for the fourth successive time when they signed Gareth Bale from Spurs for £85m (Dh488m).

Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, a leading business advisory firm with a close association with the Premier League and European football, commented: “The story of this summer transfer window is of new records: a new record for Premier League spending as well as a new world transfer record fee.

“Premier League clubs’ gross spending this summer is £630m, beating the previous record of £500m set in 2008. Whilst the sale of Gareth Bale brought £85m into the Premier League, net spending is also a new record at £400m.”

Deloitte released their analysis of the transfer season and some of the points worth highlighting are:

► The four Premier League clubs competing in this season’s Champions League – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – had a combined gross transfer spend of £230m, representing 37 per cent of the aggregate gross transfer spend by Premier League clubs.

► Gross transfer fees to overseas clubs were around £490m, over 60 per cent up on the level seen in summer 2012.

► Gross spending by clubs across all of the ‘big five’ top divisions of Europe is up compared with last year. After the Premier League, the next highest spenders were La Liga and Serie A, each with a gross spend of £335m, followed by Ligue 1 with £315m and the Bundesliga with £230m.

► Premier League clubs’ net transfer spend, being the net amount that flows to overseas clubs (£370m) and Football League clubs (£30m), was also a new record of £400m, beating the previous record level of £250m set in summer 2012.

► The two leagues that generated a surplus on transfers are La Liga (£95m) and Serie A (£10m).

So, when Europe really hasn’t come out of the economic rut yet, what has prompted this round of optimistic spending by the clubs, especially the ones at the Premier League?

Deloitte’s consultant Alex Thorpe said as far as the Premier League clubs are concerned, they are bullish about the windfall each of them are expected to get as their share of revenue from the new television deal.

Thorpe said: “This is the first year that Premier League clubs will benefit financially from the league’s new broadcast deals; each club benefitting from a share of the extra £600m of revenues in 2013/14 alone. Testament to the impact this is having is in the scale of Premier League gross spending, as well as the gulf in net spending between the Premier League and other European leagues.

“Whereas many clubs around Europe have been reliant on selling players in order to spend, the financial advantages Premier League clubs enjoy has enabled them to spend more.”

The new television rights will fetch the Premier League clubs £25m this year. Media rights accounted for almost 50 per cent of the total revenue generated by the clubs in 2011-12, and this year, broadcasting fees will make up for slightly in excess of 55 per cent of the expected combined revenue of £3.1bn.

However, with the UEFA’s financial fair play rules kicking in from this season, and the Premier League imposing their own rules to curb rising costs, experts feel the 2014 summer could be muted. Well, at least by their own lofty standards.

honeric01: Are you confused? I should not call UK a puppet of the US? A public secret even a dunce should know, yet you want to be seen as a honest person? Oh dear Lord, don't tell me Gbawe and insincerenigerian are from the same pot of stew.

honeric01: Same way britons migrate in large numbers to Qatar, UAE, Oman and Yemen. Learn to discuss with civility and stop indirectly insulting people with diverse view from yours.

There are just 32,000 russian migrates in the UK out of 150 million Russians in Russia, how does that indicate any 'shift' of financial whatever you're talking about?

In total, there are just 300k russian descents in the UK and most moved there because of the fairness in the tax regime.

Before you start thinking one way again, i've no hatred for the UK, RUSSIANS and the UK are both included in the list of those destroying the world, so quit the 'sentiment' thing you've in your head.

www.workpermit.com/news/2006_12_19/uk/russians_londongrad.htm

www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/rbth/society/8476412/why-are-russians-moving-to-britain.html

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_the_United_Kingdom

shymexx: Yes, the statement was inappropriate, however, it's time someone put Cameron in his place and let him get back to reality. The UK can't afford anymore wars - and with the cuts in the army, we shouldn't be intervening everywhere.

I guess you didn't follow the G-20 summit and how Cameron was at the forefront of military intervention in Syria, despite the resounding defeat he got at the UK parliament. Heck, he also presented some dubious documents, allegedly done by UK scientists which "proved" that Assad used Sarin gas. Enough of this madness already.

You may call Putin any name in the world, but history and humanity would judge him for standing up for what's right. Syrians don't need bombs, they need peace and good life. It's high time the West-Saudi Arabia-Qatar reined in the jihadists they're using as proxies to destroy a sovereign country.

honeric01: But who actually listen to the UK? He didn't lie na lolz, UK's the US puppy as evidently seen.

A former master now a servant to his former servant. Chai.

Tiny island no one listens to was a hard shot.

Its to Russian's advantage that UK is being flooded by Russians looking for easy place to make extra buck and live freeer life na.

shymexx: Someone in Putin's cabinet. However, they denied it. I kind of understand where they're coming from with David Cameron and his cockiness. The Russians aren't the first to say that - most Brits believe Cameron's version of the UK is always punching above its height. This isn't the 1800s or early 1900s - the UK can't afford all these extras the current government keep sticking its neck into.

honeric01: Who said this?

Afam4eva: Na waoo...So, it has gotten to this level where we beg Kenya for visa?

Pukkah: Wow! Are these the kind of infantile minds that some people are debating with?

Honestly, there's no point engaging some people here because the frequency at which they operate, and which deeply affects the opinions they express here, is very very different.

chukwudi44: Is this man above the law or what? The state government should stop issuing press statements and do the needful even if it will involve the army to keep this shameless man behind bars.

I thought what happened yesterday were just the acts of overzealous church officials not knowing they had his tactic approval.

David Oyedepo is a very big disgrace to the generality of thenigerian clergy

Burden Of Recurrent Expenditure: ‘Lifestyles’ Gulp N18tr In 12 Yrs
Posted by Editor on March 31, 2013.
The Guardian.

Only N6.5trn Spent On Infrastructure

OFFICIAL figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that the current democratic dispensation has gulped over N18 trillion to service national “lifestyles” — operations, wages and salaries, purchase of goods and services, as well as subsidies, among others — in sharp contrast to a relatively paltry N6.5 trillion spent on infrastructure between 1999 and 2011.

Realistic figures on last years recurrent and capital expenditures, according to NBS sources, are still being fine-tuned. But indications are rife that, going by the professed efforts of the Finance Ministry and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to cut down on recurrent expenditure, the figures could take a downward trend, albeit insignificantly.

A document, which The Guardian procured from the NBS, showed a uniform average recurrent expenditure pattern within the range of N1 trillion and N1.6 trillion between 2003 and 2007, but shot up significantly to N2.1trillion in 2008, N2.3trillion in 2009, and jumping even higher to N3.3trillon in 2010 to settle at N3 trillion in 2011.

While the recurrent component burgeoned, capital expenditure dwindled in the period under review.

Specifically, N489 billion capital expenditure in 1999 fell to N239.4 billion the following year. It, however, appreciated to N519.5 billion in 2004, sustaining the tempo to 2009, when the government, according to the NBS, spent N1.1 trillion on infrastructure. The figure also went down to N883.9 billion in 2010, the year the country spent the all-time high of N3.3 trillion on recurrent items.

Official figures in the last 31years also indicate that the country has raked in about N51.50 trillion as proceeds from oil.

Between 2000 and 2011 (a 12-year period), it earned N48.40 trillion, as against N3.10 trillion it received between 1979 and 1999. The estimates exclude revenues derived from non-oil sectors.

Further analyses show that, except for some evidence of volatility, revenue from oil had maintained an upward swing, from N724.4 billion in 1999 to well over N4.4 trillion in 2007. The trajectory of growth continued, with N6.5-trillion revenue in 2008, (dropping to N3.2 trillion in 2009 and picking up again to N5.4trillion the following year) to hit N8.8 trillion in election year, 2011.

The lower quantum of government spending on infrastructure, as against burgeoning expenditure on “lifestyles,” becomes significant when viewed against the backdrop of heavy capital expenditures by developing nations to engender growth.

Similarly, capital expenditure takes the lion’s share of annual spending in many advanced countries.


For instance, although Australia’s cultural spending represents just an aspect of its capital and recurrent expenditures, the 2009/2010 expenditure figures, as republished by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in commemoration of the International Year of Statistics 2013, gives an insight into the thinking of the government with respect to capital expenditure.

It shows a heavier capital vote on infrastructure than on recurrent —operations, wages, salaries, subsidies as well as purchase of goods and services, among others in that category.

Australia’s recurrent expenditure on cultural activities for the two-year period was $5,769.2 million. The government allocated $2,218.4million of its cultural funding towards recurrent activity, while state and territory governments allocated $2,502.1m and local governments allocated $1,048.7m.

Its capital expenditure — for creation of fixed assets, acquisition of land, buildings and intangible assets —by all levels of government, was $888.9 million.

According to the ABS’ website, the majority of this capital expenditure was from state and territory governments, which outlaid $501.2 million, while the central government outlaid $238.6m; and local governments, $149.0 million.

Seventy-year-old former British Minister, global investment advocate and coordinator of the Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC), Baroness Lynda Chalker, in a recent interview with The Guardian, added her voice to the debate on Nigeria’s mismanagement of oil revenue.

She said the country would have an impressive record in Foreign Direct Investment, especially in the energy and financial services sector, only if it reviewed extant policies and think of modernising its oil infrastructure, among others.

Of particular concern to Chalker is the yawning gap between existing oil technology in Nigeria and global expectations. She observed that the country, having been producing oil in the last five decades, needed a holistic overhaul of its production technology and to make the upstream really efficient for competitiveness.

Many Nigerians believe that the state of physical and social infrastructure would have been pleasantly different if the huge revenue from oil and non-oil sectors were judiciously utilised for the good of “one and all, specifically to maintain the nation’s road network of 193,200km — 34,123km (federal), 30,500km (state) and 129,577km (local government).

Mr. Callistus Chibuzor Okeke, an Onitsha-based public Affairs analyst, in a telephone conservation, said it was interesting to note that the Nigerian economy was more tightly, if not better, managed with less than $10 a barrel of crude oil in 1997 and 1998 than it was in 2002 when prices was over $100 a barrel.

The huge budgetary allocations made for road construction and rehabilitation in the last 13 years notwithstanding, over 70 per cent of the 34,123km federal roads still remain in wretched state.

Mr. Godwin Nkwegu, an Abakaliki-based auditor, alluded to this in a telephone chat when he observed that, apart from few road dualisation and maintenance projects, no new Federal road has actually been constructed in the last 20 years.

ballabriggs: You know I say something daily on this forum, that development is about competitiveness. And this is very true to a large extent. Competitiveness occupies a lot of studies in the Development Economics literature.

Nigeria continues to lag in terms of innovation, technological readiness, infrastructure, institutions, health and primary education. These are the things critical to move from that low level of competitiveness to a higher level of competitiveness.

If you look at the global export market and all a country of over 100 million people contributes is basic primary products, then that country does it even know where it's headed.

Billyonaire: Where is poor Gbawe ? Hahahahaha, he has been banned for name calling. Now, tell me, Who is the Champion ? I am, and I represent GEJ.

GEJ leads, others follow.

FRESH AIR.

mobuch: Gbawe and co, I warn you for the last time

Hello fellow nairalanders, there is this girl dat grew up in my parents neigbourhood somewhere in surulere, i just met her today and she has grown so big and beautiful; i really need to bang her badly, but unfortunately her bride price has been paid for, please can anyone advise me on how to accomplish dis assignment

luvmijeje: I hope the President knows what he is doing. He tried to circumvent the law during the Ameachi saga, it blow up in his face. Now, he want to circumvent the law against 7 governors.
I was hoping the President will fight back but it should be within the law. Nobody is bigger than this country, not even you the President.

Billyonaire: Listen, little rabbit, I am a billionaire, Yes, I am. I demand apologies from you and I will get it sooner. I am not threatening you, No, not yet.

If you think you can come to this forum and smear the name and personality of the President and go scot-free then you are living in illusion. We are trying to get the country working and you are pulling us down with your wanton disregard for people greater than you in intelligence and other capabilities.


Be careful!