₦airaland Forum

Olu Abuja:
The Census process was okay in my area, Kubwa in Abuja.
Everybody in my family got counted.

Nigeria is 46
Arise salute the nation
Come join the celebration
The people united will never fall
The sun shines, the rains fall
On our land, vast and mighty,
Richly blessed by the Almighty
Like bees in the hides who work
so add to make honey the flows
Come join the celebration

Original lyrics was written by Bongo Zikwe in the 80s.

PEACE TO NIGERIA

Nice, hear that!! Also to show just how important and serious OBJ is taking this thing,  he has obliged the callings of many state officials to extend the census period for another 2 days so to make up for the many unfortunate lapses in the first two days of the project. Things seem to be rolling along well know, know that OBJ has came out and talked about the situation and stated that he has personally saw to it that the money owed the enumerators whom haven't been paid yet were sent to a secure account in which will disperse to them their money at the conclusion of the census period.

otokx:
they have started government magic. these wicked politicians are doing what they know best. i have just observed some activity in front of my office. since yesterday they have been photocopying census form in their thousands, they come in 2 buses and 2 cars including a mercedes benz vboot with a local government number. They are well protected with enough mobile policemen and they are photocopying census materials. Did i hear that MR. President said that photocopies are invalid? Infact I saw the president say that double entries will be detected through the thumb prints. This must be a huge joke cause the enumerators did not take any thumb print in our house; they only marked our fingers after filling the forms for us. This must be a dress rehearsal for the 2007 elections. Them don they dabaru everything.

I'm sorry, but I think you're over blowing the situation. First of all, there's nothing wrong with photocopying the results, and in actuality,  it makes sense to do so,  in the case of that some of the originals happen to be misplaced or become damaged in some way to the point of being unusable. Photo copying all the results is simply good forward thinking, in knowing that stuff happens, and one needs to insure that there's a plan B to counter such a situation so that the project can continue on fluidly.

The copies will only be used if needed. When doing a project as important and expensive as this you can't leave anything to chance, your results should always be backed up with an identical set of results and securely stored away for use in the unfortunate time in which they may be needed do to damages or losses procured to the original set of data. It's just good, smart business management, to do so!!

While you see this as more government corruption, I see it as the fact of that the government is finally getting it right.

Seun:
If they don't have insurance, then they may lose their vehicles entirely and they'll have to pay for damages from their own pockets. That's a greater loss.

Well that is if in fact their actually able to pay!! The demand that folks have insurance acts as not only a deterrent against reckless driving but also as a security net for those whom are the victim of those reckless drivers. By forcing people to have insurance, it will always insure that people whom receive damage to their cars, self or other properties will be able to receive payment from the person whom caused the damage with their vehicle, and in a timely manner.

If a person doesn't have insurance, then there's no guarantee that you get a payment from them for the damage they've done, or at least not in a timely manner. I person cant pay out what they don't have, and in another light, should not be made to spend their life savings paying for damages they may have caused by ACCIDENT. Insurance protects against both of these situations.

Seun:
I don't see how insurance will make people drive more safely, but it's compulsory in Nigeria.

If it is made mandatory for folks to have insurance before they are allowed to take a car out on the road, then the idea is that they'll drive more carefully, in that if they don't, and begin getting into a bunch of accidents, and compiling a bunch of traffic violations on their driving record, then their insurance rates will begin to become more and more expensive for them to maintain, in that they'll become more and more of a liability. It's actually a very effective system.

Are homes and businesses in Nigeria numbered?  Are S.S. #'s given to the people at birth? Why are there so few traffic lights in the cities? About what percentage of the nation's drivers are actual licenced drivers? How many actually have insurance on their cars, and dose a car have to insured prior to being allowed to be taken out on the road, like here in the US? If not, they should implement this law,  and guaranteed the amount of crazed reckless drivers on the nations roads will drastically decrease. Dose Nigeria have an DMV like organization, and are are cars required to pass inspections before they can be taken out on the roads, like here in the US?

The militant have already willingly given their numbers to the gov. a while back in a E-mail to some news paper in which mentioned that they number about 10,500. I guess the gov. will use that as their count for them.

UN estimations say that the city should have no less than 15Mill, rapidly rising to about 25Mill by the year 2015, to become the worlds second most populous City. Though if in fact its found out, via the census, that the City-State actually already has 20-25Mill inhabitants then this would mean that the city is already the second most populous in the world, and that by 2015 it would not only become the worlds most populous, but the worlds most populous by far, with 5-10Mill more people than the next closes city in population, Calcutta, India.

Nia:
I, too, disagree with the third term bid. He will be setting a precedence of the (quasi) democracy we are trying out. And whoever comes after him and decides never to leave will be justified to do so by Obj's previous actions. I am yet unconvinced, however, that he will run for a third term cause the country seems too shaky right now to take that chance. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if he places a puppet in the presidencial seat to replace him.

In this day and age in Nigeria's history,  I not so sure if such an intervention as that highlighted in red,  would not be such a bad an idea. Matter of fact if he doesn't run himself, which like you, I highly doubt he will do,  I fully encourage him to attempt to get a "Puppet" to fill his vacant spot to-be. At least that way the world will be assured that the nation will continue its strong push for economic, social and infastructural turnaround in which OBJ has set into motion.

For being in such a cold region, it's odd how TO has such a large Caribbean population. I can always remember seeing lots of Jamaicans, and other West Indians nearly everywhere.

Txlonghorn:
@ Hero.

I'm sorry dude, I thought this thread was about Nigeria scoring low on Human Rights, and not about President Bush and his policies. Dude you sound like one of those tree hugging, Animal Right, New age liberals. You know if you don't like Bush or his policies, you and your Hollywood friends can always move to Canada for all we care.

, Damn, now that's just what I was talking about. These Repugnantcans forget where the hell they are!! They have the nerve to talk about dictatorships and corruption in other countries, all the while supporting the same illicit acts right her in this nation. Look at what that person just wrote. He practically insinuated that this nation is some kind of communist state, in where people cant openly express their dislike for those in whom are supposed to be leading their nation.

He practically proclaimed Bush as a dictator who can do whatever the hell he wants without ridicule and protest toward his vile doings. He's insinuated that those whom dare speak out against the Bush and his party Associates in gov. should be escorted out of the nation!!! Such talk goes against every scrap of democratic foundation in which this nation was built upon. Thanks for proving my point, Cowboy!!

Oh, and in my last post I forgot to mention that Bush also put forth a policy in which would allow the government to indiscriminately tap into peoples phone calls.

This nation is steadily and quickly regressing into shambles. Just think, it was only a few decades ago that a little event like Watergate sent Nixon out of office, and now Bush, having been involved in waaaaaaaaaay worst things than Watergate is barely getting a slap on the wrist, so to say, for his acts of incompetence. That just goes to show how far this nation has slumped.

The State Department, ey??    The same State Department run by the same Republicans whom not once, but twice,  voted in Bushwhacker? The worst president in American history by far. The same bush that was caught on tape downplaying the importance of the coming of Hurricane Katrina before it slammed into the gulf region killing loads of people? The same bush that hired an golf buddy, with no type of qualifications, for the job of leading one of the most strategic positions of national security in the entire country, FEMA?

The same Bush that said he invaded Iraq and killed nearly 40,000 of them because they had WMD's in the nation, which they didn't? The same Bush that hired some bum onto his staff,  in whom was just sentenced for frauding a whole bunch of retail stores out of thousands of dollars, when the boy makes over 100Grand a year from his government job.  The same Bush that tried to sale off the nation's most strategic sea ports to an Arab government, UAE, in whom has been found guilty of allowing funds to leak into the network of Al Qaeda just prior to the events of 9-11, and also has admitted to shipping parts to Iran for their nuclear plants, while also its believed by the CIA that they may have shipped to them nuclear material as well?

The same Bush that has just offered to give India nuclear aid/secrets, while at the same time asking Pakistan, India's enemy # 1,  to allow the US to run its hunt for Bin Laden from their nation?  The same bush whom has just proposed building a fence along the Mexican border and militarizing the area, while at the same time creating a task force to go around and gather up all the illegals in the nation, putting them in camps and then deporting them in mass? Perhaps the S.D. needs to first get our own house in order before worrying about someone else's, ya know? 

I got an good Idea. Let OBJ have his third term and by the time that is over,  current members of his team or political surrounding whom are doing such superb work will have become name worthy, savvy and popular enough to successfully contest for the big spot. Folks like Soludo or better yet, Ribadu. This is how it often has worked in the US. Folks gain notoriety and experience working under past presidents,  and then they go on to run for president themselves, and thus carry on the policies and works of the past presidents they labored under.

Who wouldn't want Ribadu for president or Saludo, after OBJ? I say OBJ in 2007 with Ribadu as his Vice, and then Ribadu in 2011. People are clambering for fresh blood in the presidency and the implementation of knew ideas and such; well Ribadu as the perfect guy to fill that wanting demand.

Oracle:
Akwa Ibom may be cool but i personally prefer Cross Rivers Stata (Calabar)

yeah, I heard that they have alot of major projects of their own going on.

oluwizard:
We need to stay at home is for our own future, but what i don't like in the thing is those people that employed people have put politic in it. If u see the kind of people they are training for the program u will know that they just want to waste our money again. They just put any how people into it, just because of money they want to make for themself can u believe it in my area they are training secondray school dropout , house help, [People that can not even write simple English correctly] e.t.c.

As long as a person can count and properly record their countings, their level of education shouldn't mater. Every eligible person should have a chance to be part of this historical event. To show discrimination in the process of the hiring for those to carry out the census process would set a bad precedence for the process right from the beginning. Alot of you-all often perceive nothing but negativity in everything the government does. This is a very bad mindset.

demmy:
This is what i would expect him to do myself. Take Yelsin for example he knew that if he was not careful Russia could go to the mafias; to avoid that he personally handpicked Putin to help safeguard the democracy. Dose of limited autocracy is not bad if use wisely. Obasanjo however has not only failed to strenghten democracy he has also failed to produce ideological followers whom he could entrust the continuation of whatever achievement he wants to safeguard with by looking for third term. If they could only follow the rule of law,

Russia is a bad example. I just watched a documentary about how the new Democratic Russia is fairing and it didn't look to good for Russia in that it showed the the mafia is very much so entrenched into the runnings of the nation. Crime, drug use, alcohol abuse, AIDS, suicide and all other types of ailments are increasingly worsening,  especially HIV/AIDS. Prostitution is at an all time high in the nation, and an horrid off-swing of it,  known as "white Slavery" is increasing at an rapid rate in and around the nation. 

Corruption is out of this world high, as well, in that nation, and because of it,  its nuclear facilities look like crap!! In fact, just so these facilities don't deteriorate into toxic dust,  the US gives Russia tones of AID just so the nation can maintain these facilities. A small part of the documentary focused on the business environment in that nation, and both local and foreign CEO's and exacts in the nation were interviewed, and they all confirmed that,  doing business in that nation was extremely risky,  in that nearly everything has to be done not by the formal book of business conduct, but by an insider informal book of conduct in which involves all kinds of kick-backs, killings, over priced expenditures and other fraudulent dealings of all different types, and those whom didn't follow suit,  literally didn't last long,  in that they are rather quickly taken out, aka, killed.

All of those interviewed,  outrightly confirmed that they personally and informally knew many fellow business men and women whom were killed due to the way they did business. Some even stated that they knew of various incidents in where not only an business man, but him and his whole immediate family was executed, and another one stated that when he first started his business he knew of 8 other guys who started a business at about the same time that he did, and within just 6 years or so all of those other guys had been executed by fellow competitors.

Russia is waaaaaaaay worst than Nigeria. If it were it black nation, you'd better believe that it's international ratings would be piss poor, along with that of the Ukraine's, Belarus, and all those other ex-Soviet nations. But we all know that the whites cover each other back, while jumping at the chance to ridicule and exploit the slightest flaw of their perceived arch enemy,  the Blackies.   

Hold up people, hold the F up!! Ok, if the majority of the people are truly against the man running for a third term, then the man, in the on-taking of a truly free and fair election, will not serve for a third term. Just because the man is now allowed to run for a third term and just may do so, doesn't mean that he's going to win the bid to do so. An election still has to take place before he can serve out that third term, and during that election you better believe the whole world's media and observers are gonna be in Nigeria watching and observing what's going on.

Let the people clambering for the nation to implement fresh blood into the top spot, come out in mass and vote for such person. And in my opinion, if such potentials are too chicken and soft hearted to come out and run against OBJ, then they are all too soft to run that nation the way it needs to be run, because at this point in time, you don't need a punk in office, but real men, like OBJ who's not afraid to stand up against strong negative opponents and risk his/her ass putting theirs in place, all in the effort to clean that mess of of nation up.

Hummm, in actuality if in fact it's true that he was threatening folks who showed interest in running against him, I wouldn't put it past him, doing so just as a ploy to see if there were any real men out their who would stand up in the face of threats and death, in their drive to continue on his sanitizing of the nation!! OBJ may be old, but he aint no fool. He obviously has learned his lesson from the last time he lead the nation when in the military.

He is obviously timid of once again turning the nation over to a weakling who will allow either foreign Imperialist minded governments like that of the US, take over the nation, or Imperialist corrupt minded Nigerians do so. A weakling scared of threats can not run a nation like Nigeria successfully. This is why the US gov. is so up in arms over OBJ's third term ambitions. They know that once he leaves, a softy, who they can easily get hold of and direct around like a child, will be elected into his spot, and all their fears of loosing major oil/gas blocks to major budding Naija trading partners like China, S. Korea, India and Brazil, via OBJ's trade diversification policy, will be subdued.

Why do you think they've been stalling on giving Nigeria the navel boats they've ordered months and several years ago, so proper patrolling of the Delta could be implemented? Why do you thing they've yet to deliver the nation it's Air Force planes and helicopters it sent to the US to be refurbished after months and years of being over in the US for repairs? What about the millions in small arms they promised the government for the military along with other weapons, all so it can properly operate, not only in the Delta, but in Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and everywhere else Naija has its forces located? It's all part of the plan to keep the nation weak and humble so that OBJ will fail and the Bush boys will be better positioned to keep their Oily tentacles sternly penetrated into the heart of the world's second riches oil/gas region.

OBJ has refused to fold to the West as deeply as they want and need him to, and that's why they now want him gone, and in return that's why OBJ is now so sternly committed to stay, cause he knows what's up, and he's determined to not let it happen. He, in the past 2 years or so, has been desperately building a strong relation with the Asian powers and especially China, S. Korea and India. Most of the critical infrastructure in the nation, like the steel plants, railroads, power plants, and increasingly alot of other prime industries, like communications outlets and more, are no longer tied in with western companies, especially American ones, thanks to the wise planning and work of OBJ.

Most of all this stuff is now tied in with a diverse array of Asian and South African companies, and it's of no surprise that after decades of poor performance, most of them are now working very well, and or are increasingly gaining better and better operational performance. OBJ cant just come out in the blue and state these types of accusations, but he can fight against them and he is, and know thanks to his fight, the west has been scared into giving the nation back all of the money they allowed to be siphoned off to their nations by their Uncle Tom African buddies, and is cutting back the loads of false debt in which they've been forcing the nation and other African nations to pay to them.

They're now offering all kinds of AIDS aid and job creation aid, and all types of other useful aid in which they NEVER, EVER, OFFERED BEFORE OBJ came to office. Go figure. OBJ threw a monkey wrench in their imperialistic ploy, and now they want him out badly. OBJ is just asking for 4-5 more years to solidify Sino-Nigerian relations in which is going at full speed ahead at this point in time. In 4-5 years at the rate in which the ties are solidifying, the western influence over the nation will be neutralized as will most of the nation's internal debacles via the increased Asian aid and cooperation, and the nation will then truly have the freedom to grow and be prosperous, and a prosperous Nigeria ((WILL)) lead to a prosperous Africa. With neutralization of the western powers, Nigeria and Africa will rapidly expand into the powerhouse continent it should and needs to be!! Give OBJ the time and respect to continue his fight. Throw your backing behind him!! Show the west that you're tired of their shit, and that they need to take their puppets and shove em. OBJ, OBJ, OBJ!!

By the way, all that military equipment in which the US has been holding back from Niaja, has now been re-contracted to China, and it's looking as if soon India and S. Korea will also take on some contracts. Fighter planes, armoured vehicles, Navel vessels and more, all state of art, are on its way to Naija from China, along with communications satellite (probably doubles as a military observation and guidance satellite) is now on its way too, after China, to see the project through, just donated a whopping (($200Mill)) to the project.

The gov. is keeping extremely tight lipped about their nuclear program, I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese were in Niaja helping them strengthen that project too; matter of fact, I strongly suspect that they are. OBJ is no old pushover, he's got some serious international clout.

I'll stop there for further comments.

Stupid girl!! If its found out that she did this and not one of her parents, her life is over, and only at the tender young age of 18!! What the hell was she thinking? I cant believe these people actually thought that they were going to get away with all of this crap forever.

I'm not so sure that the Naija military authorities are so displeased that this Delta incident took place, in that it gives them that well needed upmf to get the government to swell their budget, so to allow them to get all their planes, ships, tanks and other out of commissioned equipment finally fixed, and upgraded, and to ad hundreds of millions of $ worth of state of art new equipment into their inventory.

It will also allow them to display to the world just how strong they are, give their men some real action,  so to test out just how effective the forces' training has been, and give them ground to majorly swell their ranks from the current man power of about 80,000 strong,  in which for a nation the size of Naija and with its ever growing continental responsibilities,  is significantly too low of a number!!

Some specialist suggest that the number should be in the range of 250,000 to 300,000; yet 80,000 is pretty large. That's more than what the UK has in their Military!! From now on the Military will have no expenditure problems for the foreseeable future. Also, this incident will bring into forewishing an new and improved extended olive branch to the entire Nigerian defence mechanism,  in that this meshing of US and Naija forces will see loads of defence material once bard from being sold to Naija,  now given the green light to go through.

Expect to see a massive growth of the Nigerian Military mechanism and other security branches with in the next couple of years; a growth in which will be heavily aided by the US government. Mark my words; the greatest victors in this situation when the dust clears is going to be the Nigerian Military,  by a long shot.

demmy:
@owo trying to make the rest of us feel bad about the condition in the Niger Delta won't work. At least not to those conversant with the region's politics. The question is: what has Niger delta's elites/leaders done for their own region? And the answer is Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And there has been quite many educated elites from that Niger delta but nothing to show for them. Now for example Gen. Alexandra Ogomudia, the present Chief of Defense Staff is the one responsible for bombing Niger delta villages presently; guess what he hails from that very Niger Delta. Nigeria's unofficial minister of petroleum is Dr. Edmund Maduabebe Daukoru who is also the present OPEC president also hail from Niger Delta. Guess what his views are on conditions in that region, nothing. No opinion. He is too busy attending to bigger oil business deal in Vienna. So you see what I'm saying? You can't ignore the complicity, intrigues, neglect and disinterest of the Niger delta leadership in the chaotic and wretched condition plaguing their region. Saro Wiwa was sadly a victim of such intrigues. The present 13% derivation formula while little is still enough to provide a minimum form of living for the people but you have to wonder where the money are going.

True Talk!! I've been pondering on the same things myself.

I don't know about Nigeria as a whole, but I do know that I would love to see Lagos changed back to its original name of Eko. Eko sounds much better and is historically placed with the foundering of the City, in that Eko in Bini means place of rest, camp or something of that nature, so I heard. It was named in respect to the fact of that it was settled by the Benin Imperial army after managing to take over the western coastal lands south of Oyo kingdom/Empire.

The Portuguese upon their arrival at the port town in which grew up around the military camp,  nicknamed the, by then, bustling town of Eko,  Lagos after their most influential port town back in Portugal. In time, as the Europeans gained greater and greater influence over the region the name, Lagos, just stuck!!  Yet I've heard that many older Nigerians from around the city, still refer to it as Eko. Is this true?

demmy:
Anybody who thinks that this is a religious or tribal issue is decieved. this is politics by other means. no amount of sitting together by religious leaders will solve this. Religious leaders has sat together before and nothing came of it. Only a positive, clear and assertive government intervention can curb it. As Seun has said arrest ALL the perpetrators wherever they come from and prosecute them. simple. If the federal government is unserious about the secular character of Nigeria its folly to expect religious synchophants to not play politics with it.

KABAMB!!

Hotstepper:
travel 2 Nigeria and experience it 1st hand

My brother says you are hot!! He thinks your body is sexy!!

What, no votes for Kano?  Kano looked a hot, dirty mess of a pig pin when I visited that place. Not even its ancient city wall survived its seemingly limitless spread of utter degradation.  As an foreign tourist to the ancient city, I was very disappointed in its appearance. What a waste of history. 

Abeokuta looked pretty clean too. Zaria and Jos weren't too bad as well.