₦airaland Forum

Thief,thieves,olee everywhere.The president has given everyone room to steal from this country,and he says he is not corrupt.If actually He is not,He must be a fool for allowing people to steal this much under his watch

We are gradually going the way of China and the Arab world,we are losing our freedom.What is this govt really scared of?

Simply one word:madness.

I can't just understand this.I schooled in OAU from 2004 till 2010,had always hoped d road will be fixed. probably next semester was the answer I usually come up with.3 years after Graduation,still same story.Bottom line is I don't think we citizens are valued by our leaders. Question to their supporters is:If theses leaders were actually ur parents,how would you view them? Loving or what,whit all they have at their dispossal.

2013-05-03 23:00:50

Since my last trip on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, I've been asking myself one question: Why has it been difficult for government to perform its primary responsibility?

Government has been spending so much money on Public Relations, but there's no better way to create a good image than the fulfilment of promises to the people. Roads like the Lagos-Ibadan expressway have given the authorities one bad name: Liars.

Nigerians were promised a pie in the sky five months ago, when the expressway concession was revoked amid allegations by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Agency and the concessionaire, Bi-Courtney, that government was largely responsible for the delay in the execution of the project. Nobody would have believed that the road would remain a bad experience for Nigerians after all the noise made by the Ministry of Works.

The only thing going on now, on the road, is the collection of all manner of revenues by officials of the ministry who are, everywhere along the 105km stretch, milking the people and making so much money that is probably going into some private pockets, while the road is left to rot.

The federal authorities have been grossly irresponsible when it comes to keeping this road safe and smooth for motorists.

The promised emergency rehabilitation of the road by Julius Berger and Reynolds Construction Company was abandoned barely two weeks after it began, even though it was reported that funds had already been voted for this purpose. Now, there are frequent reports of gridlocks on the road, with commuters spending several hours, sometimes a whole day, on a journey that should, ordinarily, not take longer than one and a half hours.

In all this, what I find most disconcerting is the seeming conspiracy of silence among the South-West political elite, as well as the failure of the populace to ask government probing questions concerning the handling of the road, starting from when the revocation of the concession agreement with Bi-Courtney was announced.

For instance, I would like to know why the South-West governors are less vocal now, unlike when Bi-Courtney was in charge of the road. The level of carnage on the expressway is still very high.

Or is it that the lives of Nigerians that were so important to the governors and the others then, have suddenly become much less important after they had succeeded in getting rid of Bi-Courtney.

When the Minister of Works, Mike Onolomemen, announced the cancellation of the agreement with Bi-Courtney, he claimed that government was taking the step because the concessionaire had failed to do any work on the road since the agreement was signed in 2009. He also gave the assurance that the contract for the immediate rehabilitation of the road, to be completed by January this year, had already been awarded.

The deceit in the promise of ensuring immediate relief for road users by the government had already been exposed by the persisting parlous and perilous state of the all-important expressway. As for the claim by the minister that Bi-Courtney did zero work on the road, I remember that the company had countered the minister by making reference to an interview in which he was quoted as commending the company for the palliative works done then.

The minister was quoted in the article, published in Saturday PUNCH of September 17, 2011, as follows: "I saw the concessionaire handling the road and he briefed me about some problems on the road, which according to him are being resolved now. But I had to also instruct him that in 60 days, I wanted all potholes on that road fixed so that road users can use the road without hardship. I am happy to say that to a very large extent, the concessionaire has complied. I am saying this because a few days ago, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, called me while driving through that road in the night, about 8pm and said, 'Congratulations, your ultimatum is working. For the first time I am seeing a Nigerian contractor working with floodlights in the night, patching potholes and all that'. I think that is a very good development."

Also, Bi-Courtney consistently maintained that the Federal Government's reluctance to endorse certain reviews it proposed to the original agreement was among the reasons for the delay in commencing reconstruction work on the road and ICRC affirmed same in its 2011 annual report, published in the media.

The report states in part: "It is evident that the scope of the work was not fully documented and outline design provided before the concession was awarded. Without an agreed design and scope of works based on the grantor's performance and output standards, there cannot be an agreed fixed cost for the project. Without a financial model setting out the expected project costs and revenues, financing costs cannot be determined. The cost of the project as included in the concession agreement was not based on the necessary studies (e.g. traffic forecast) required for the implementation of a road project through DBOT model. And due to the issues identified above, the project could not raise finance from any credible investor. This made it impossible for the concessionaire to meet the conditions precedent as itemised in Article3.3 of the concession agreement."

Finally, the report also appeared to have vindicated Bi-Courtney's position that the Federal Government should get the blame for delay in the project, when it confirmed that the approval for a final design of the road was granted by government on May 10, 2011, two years after the concession agreement was signed.

I have not read anywhere that either the minister or any other representative of the Federal Government has denied any of these reports. Yet no one is asking questions.

oAde wrote via femsmo@yahoo.com

link=http://www.punchng.com/opinion/lagos-ibadan-expressway-more-questions-than-answers/

Good day,how much can I get a volkwagen transporter.vanagon (petrol)

They've really fooled us in this country.

Alfamann: Mary Slessor stopped killing of twins and Mungo Park discovered River Niger. Yes, we've all heard it all before. You really to heed Fela's advice and stop following oyibo book and use your own sense.

White people came to Africa with lies. Destroyed what we had, condemned our way of life. Told numerous lies about us. Sold us as animals. Turned us against each other.

What proof do you have that what you heard about Miss Slessor was true?

U must be a mad man.Is it one of your forefathers that made what u hv used to type dis rubbish?

Mr. Yakubu was not jail for looting N24 billion, James Ibori was not jail by a Nigerian judge over the looting of billions of naira, Dishonorable D. Bankole was not jail for looting billions of naira etc, but ordinary citizens were jailed for begging for money. What kind of laws we have in Nigeria? Who made these people beggars? If the N24 billion was set aside as benefits for unemployed Nigerians, this people would not have be on the street begging. What provisions has the state or the nation got for its citizens? The proposed N4 billion building for Jonathan's wife and the N150 million for VP's house renovation would be enough to stop beggars on every street of Nigeria. In fact this 30 beggars are not nuisances to the state or the nation environment but our judicial systems who sent this 30 people because they were poor to prison and our corrupt politicians are nuisances to the environment and to the country.

War against the poor? It just doesn't feel right.An unjust law,is no law.For it even coming from a learned person of the law(Fashola SAN)makes it sad.

BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO

As part of ongoing measures to rid Lagos of environmental nuisances,   the Special Offences Magistrate Court sitting in Alausa, Ikeja, Monday,  sentenced 30 beggars to Kirikiri and Badagry Prisons for soliciting for alms in violation of the state environmental law.

The prosecutor and Attorney General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, read some of the charges against the beggars to include conducting themselves as disorderly persons without visible means of livelihood and thus committed an offence under the criminal law of Lagos State.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/court-sentences-30-beggars-to-kirikiri-badagry-prisons/

Just curious:how will the Nigerian embassy in heaven be?

lekkie073: yam sellers cause hold up every evening along mile12/ikorodu rd....

Are yam sellers the pot holes on the damn road?

seems my days as a chelsea fan are gradually coming to an end.Cant see what i am supporting again.they even made me lose a bet after all other teams played to my prediction.

Using ur car to take coppers from FUTO to Okada. Just joking tho.Nice write up bro.U know who na...

oubi: Hmmm... Mayb Ʊ skiped d part dat d state cod. Applauded ūя̲̅ effort for laminatein ūя̲̅ call-up aπd giving him xtra work to do.

,Yeah,guess I did,buh he really didn't make a fuss.He didn't create a scene outa it.

Mintayo: Pls am been posted to enugu state; pls is it right 2 go to camp on monday!
The camp opens on tuesday but i want to leave on monday due 2d fact dt am comin 4m Oyo state!
Will i b allowed in on monday Thanks

Go anytime,u'll meet fellow excited coppers like u.I got to camp on thursday.advatage of going stupidly early:u'll get nice accomodation,maybe good kits,buh ur suffer go start earler than others.

No mind most of these guys here jare.My case was more complicated than yours.I laminated mine after the D.G signed on it for redeployment.On getting to camp,I was directed to the state co-ordinator who was going to sign on my call-up,for admitting me into his state.He just had to staple a paper on my laminated call up to append his signature.moral of the story,don't rush into a rash decision(unlaminating e.t.c)when u get there u'll know what to do.Goodluck bro.

I wonder what our security operatives,have inside their skulls.A serving corp member @ that.

A member of the National Youth Service Corps, Alli Bello, has threatened to sue the State Security Service for allegedly detaining him for nine days.

Alli, who is observing his one year national service in Lagos State, also said he would sue Mr. Kolawole James, for causing his detention after he accused him of robbing him.

The corps member said he was quizzed by the operatives of the SSS on September 17 and detained at the Lagos office of the agency for five days and at the Abuja office for four days.

Alli, a graduate of Mathematics, University of Ibadan, said he was shocked on September 21 at the SSS Asokoro office when James said he robbed him.

He said, “On September 17, three SSS operatives arrested me in Agege area of Lagos and drove me down to their office in Shangisha.

“When I was taken to Abuja SSS office, James who I had never met in my life accused me of robbing him at the Abuja Airport area after taking him and an Alhaji on a ride.

“He accused me of being the leader of a three-man armed robbery gang that dispossessed him of N250, 000, an iPAD, a BlackBerry phone, ATM cards and other personal effects.”

Alli said he was rattled by the allegations as he had neither been to Abuja nor driven a car all his life.

He added that on August 15, the day the he purportedly robbed James, he was at his place of primary assignment where he taught students preparing for General Certificate of Education Mathematics lessons and also slept at his Lagos residence.

He said it was discovered that he was a victim of mistaken identity when James claimed he added him on BlackBerry Messenger and got his pictures from there.

He said, “During examinations and re-examinations it was revealed that James who had worked with my sister-in-law, Toyin Bello, in Lagos was once a contact on my BlackBerry phone which she (Toyin) gave to me.

“It was realised that James must have backed up contacts on his stolen BB phone because he also claimed to have sent me friendship request which I obliged.

“All the pictures he gave to the SSS, including my name were culled from my BB contact. He also used Facebook to get my profile.”

Alli said he was released on bail on September 26, after one of the SSS operatives who claimed to be the head of the legal team, said he did not want an innocent man to suffer.

He said, “After releasing me on bail, they neither apologised nor formally vindicated me of all the charges. As a matter of fact, they said my detention was only part of their normal investigation process.

“Throughout the nine days I was in detention, I was made to undergo emotional and psychological torture and treated like a common criminal for what I know nothing about.

“Besides, I teach as a corps member, and I am a role model to my pupils and by the action of the SSS they have tagged me as a criminal and tarnished my image. I demand that I be cleared of all these charges by the SSS.”

Toyin said all efforts to convince James that the incident was a pure mix up proved abortive.

“I was even the one that sent to him the PIN of his lost BlackBerry phone when he needed it,” she said.

But James, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Thursday, insisted that Alli led the robbery attack on him.

Asked about how he tracked Alli, James said, “I synchronised the Bold 2 phone that he stole with a Storm BB phone before the incident happened.

“By virtue of this, as new contacts were entering the stolen phone I was also getting the request on my Storm BB. Fortunately for me, I added him in that process and spotted his picture.

“I had a direct confrontation with him and I am not a child to mistake him for someone else. I am surprised that he succeeded in deceiving the SSS to grant him bail.”

However, in a petition to the Director-General of the SSS, Ekpeyong Ita, Alli’s lawyer, Adeniyi Adebisi, said James’phone synchronisation argument were “fraught and baseless,” adding that it should be “seriously investigated and diagnosed.”

Adebisi added that the action of the SSS operatives was synonymous with attacking an innocent person.

He said, “Our client’s nine-day detention has caused him and members of his family serious psychological trauma which they may not get out of if the record is not put straight now for future prospects.

“If he is not immediately cleared of this false allegation, we shall file for the enforcement of his fundamental rights and sue for damages.”

But, the Lagos State SSS Director, Achu Olayi, said the operatives of the agency only acted on instruction that Alli should be arrested and brought to Abuja.

“I don’t have facts about the issue or the offences he might have committed. Contact our Abuja office for any information relating to him,” he added.

When asked why he was detained for five days in Lagos, Olayi said, “We don’t detain people for more than 48 hours and it’s not in our character to put inconveniences on Nigerians.”

When contacted by one of our correspondents in Abuja, SSS Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said she was not aware of the case and therefore could not comment on
http://www.punchng.com/metro/corper-denies-robbery-allegation-threatens-to-sue-sss/

It seems most of u guys don't drive in Lagos.If u do,u'll know that u don't have to commit a real offence before u are being apprehended by these Lastma touts,its simply their words against yours,and they are simply not corteous when going about their touting.you can hardly find them assisting a broken down vehicle owner.u should at least get in front of a judge to ascertain ur guilt/offence.u shouldn't be a judge in ur own case.

Check this out from The Nation Newspaper.
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/news/60333-ailing-first-lady%E2%80%99s-aides-can%E2%80%99t-make-calls.html

Trouble is when u go to the pool, jump into the deepest end without knowing how to swim.You Got rescued and u discover ur clothes have been stolen.

Really smelling conspiracy theory here.Why would lady may remain in d house despite all d nominations.seems Big brother wants to balance d odds between upvillers and the downville cabal.

D console has been sold.thanx nairaland.

Need to sell of my ps3 console.its quite neat.
specs:140 gb HDD,software version 3.55
2 pads and an original game disc
Price 42k
Call me if interested 08051504234.

Does anyone understand this group ranking system by uefa.cos as it stands italy tops d group,baffles me how..