chiefinalowo:
With or without your single vote, GEJ will still win.

I don't even have the vote, so you can rest easy there. But seriously, if Jonathan is not President of Nigeria, would you elect him President of your Town Union?

I am convinced GEJ lacks the character and intellectual curiosity required even by the low standard of what passes for leadership in Nigeria. I believe that Jonathan got promoted to his level of incompetence when he became governor of Bayelsa following the impeachment of his mentor, DSP Alamiesieghe. That he rose beyond that to the highest office in the land, says much about what we have become as a people.
Jonathan’s sojourn as president has simply validated the old cliché that character is destiny. Duplicitous and timorous, this erstwhile lackey of Alams has been totally out of his depth, and that he has been allowed to occupy that office for the past 5 years (and actually seeks to extend it for another four) speaks volumes about the Nigerian project. I believe that on his own, GEJ probably could not have been elected chairman of a local govt in Bayelsa, talk less of leading the Ijaw nation. In the brutal words of Joe Biden, he was not qualified to be elected dog-catcher. But he has been president of the most populous country in Africa for 5 years and is in the cusp of buying himself a further four!
I do not believe that Buhari has the right ideas for these times. But this election is not about ideas. It is about character. The single biggest and urgent challenge facing Nigeria today is not economic or infrastructure or even the genuine conversation about Nigeria that I consider imperative. All those and more are critical, but what is needed and urgently is to work to rescue the Nigerian public space. In a nutshell, Government, in the holistic sense of that word, is nearly totally eroded in Nigeria, and until we work to arrest and reverse that fatal trajectory, we can never hope to start to address the other major problems plaguing Nigeria. Such job requires a man of character and integrity.
I do not for a moment suggest that Jonathan created this existential problem - we have been on this downward spiral since the end of the civil war. However I believe that he totally lacks what it takes to start to deal with the problem. He simply does not believe in accountability whether of himself or of others. His statements on corruption show that clearly. I cringed when I read him saying stuff like if any soldiers sabotage operations in the war against Boko Haram, such soldiers should not be fired (he made that clear!), but should be transferred out of the war zone. That right there captures his philosophy and practice regarding accountability!!
Yes there are things I found troubling about the very Nigerian project. I still doubt that as an Igbo that I have enough in common with the Northern Moslem to form a self-sustaining political community. However, there are things that I found even more troubling as an individual and a moral agent:
I find it very troubling that for 5 years now, hundreds of thousands of people in the North have had their lives turned upside down in the most savage of ways imaginable and all that the Nigerian government could do is propagandize and play politics with this tragedy.
I find it deeply disturbing that villagers in my state of Anambra could wake up one morning and see dozens of bodies floating down the river, and 2 years after, the identity of those bodies have not even be ascertained talk-less of finding out who and what killed them.
I find it demoralizing when I read in the papers that government agencies are fraudulently diverting billions meant for the common treasury and nobody is doing anything about it, and that even mid-level civil servants are being accused of stealing hundreds of millions of Naira from the public.
I believe all of these and more are just symptomatic of a bankrupt state and only a person with the character to insist that everyone plays by the rules and holds everybody accountable can start to arrest the Nigerian rot.
Such person is definitely not Jonathan Goodluck.

I just wanted to go on the record and state that I am breaking ranks with some of my fellow Igbo nationalists on this forum and throwing my support to Buhari.

Of course in an ideal world, Buhari would probably not be my preferred candidate for president at this time and age. But this is not an ideal world and I will not play King Solomon and declare the two candidates unworthy of the office. We have to work with what we have and if this election goes forward either Jonathan or Buhari would be sworn in come May. I don’t even want to contemplate the consequences of the election not going forward, even though that is not an altogether impossible outcome.
Personally I like Buhari.

In a country where hedonistic indulgence is the order of the day, I find his asceticism ennobling. In a clime where cynical opportunism reigns supreme, I admire his supposed stubbornness.

I was old enough when he was in charge to appreciate what he was trying to do for Nigeria; especially considering the path the gang that forced him out took Nigeria. We are still living the consequences of that.

As an Igbo nationalist, I see the fact that Buhari is reportedly a devout (some say fanatical) Northern Muslim not as something to be feared, but as an opportunity to avoid a cataclysmic dénouement to the fault-lines speedily ripping Nigeria apart. I believe that to move forward (whether together or apart) we must have a genuine conversation about Nigeria. I also believe that such conversation can only be possible when genuine leaders of the different nationalities and cultures that make up the Nigerian polyglot emerge from amongst their people. So the fact Buhari truly represents the Northern Muslim street I think is a welcome development. I would rather have him representing the moslem north than the janus-faced Atiku or the morally crippled Babangida who are equally comfortable being moslem or Christian (or unbeliever) depending on the occasion. Hopefully, his presidency will encourage the emergence of other true leaders from other groups to enable us talk about Nigeria.

But let’s be clear - this election is not about Buhari. It is about the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, and he deserves to be sent packing in the landslide which this wave election ought to produce.

Ikebesupa:
Ok, @polyroads will certainly doo. I have got like 136 matured ones already just waiting to make it up 200 for my client

hmmmm. In November you just started with 26 young ones. Now you have 136 matured ones?

teezpee:
@ikenga67
....left a message to Mercylicious? No let Hipsy@SMN catch u oo.

Lol. Its really for entirely honorable and professional reasons I want to chat with her. Please, if you know how to reach her, could you ask her to send me email or something through nairaland. I will hate to seem to be stalking her on social media, especially since I have read what she can post when she feels upset hahahaha

mercylicious:
so una no notice say guinea insurance traded today?

Hey. I left a message for you to contact me. Can you check and revert back, biko? Thanks

saliubello:
yes. a dedicated tractor is available for that purpose. The pump is trash pump powered by PTO. Those gasoline/diesel honda, yamaha can do the job but not as effective when it comes to pump to a height. Of course the uses those mud pump to pump it into the fields from the pen sockaway. Very fowl smelling. Thats the bane of people living close to large farms. most expecially in cities

Ok. I dont know about Nigeria. They have those here in the US (used and new) but its going to take time to get it to you. Just see if you can find it in Nigeria first and if you can't and definitely have to have one then I can help you search for it here but it will not get to you anytime soon. Sorry.

What you are describing is simply a trash pump. It could be either the PTO you posted the picture, an engine powered (gasoline or diesel) mobile unit or an electric type. Now the capacity of what you need will be determined by your job volume. The machine capacity are measured by gallons per minute. Honda makes so good (not very high volume) gas powered units. Am sure you can find trash pumps in Nigeria

Does it have to be PTO? Do you have the tractor for that?

I greatly admire your enterprising spirit and ingenuity. Are you on whatsapp? Do you mind dropping your number or email on this thread?

biafranqueen:


I understand how you feel. Western media has done a good job as portraying White Supremacists as the saints and angels of the the global world. We have been brainwashed to think only a world ruled by White Supremacy could ever work.
I hope to meet you too My Dear and I wish you and your family a joyful and productive holiday!

BTW if you ever ran for office I would join your campaign team, you should think about it

Hahaha! Run for office? Thanks nnem, but...I doubt it. I might be a political junkie but not yet a politician.
But please, whatever you think of the West, dont think the Asiatics will be any better. From Ghenghis Khan to present day communist China, they never recognize any moral boundaries. They are not immoral mind you (Nigerians are), they are just ammoral doing whatever it takes to get what they want. I really think that they would be the worst people to run a crowded world with rapidly diminishing resources.

Nne, a world dominated by China and India m,ight well prove a world our children will hate living in. I understand all that anger against the West but wait until other cultures take the driving seat.
Anyway, how have you been? Happy holidays in advance and I hope to meet you soon.

irukandji89:



A pilot scheme/ test will be carried out in the next few days.

Result will be in abt 8 to 12 weeks time.

Pictures of progress will be uploaded.

Kindly check often.


Thanks.

I sure will. Thanks.

irukandji89:
MARCOTTING/ AIR LAYERING: TURN A PLANT INTO A PLANTATION

Hello, I would like share a method of plant propagation that I feel has a lot of potential.


Marcotting, also called Air Layering is an asexual or vegetative method of plant propagation in which a new plant is made from a mature, established parent plant.


It is a very easy and quick way to multiply or propagate woody plants. In this method of plant propagation, roots are induced to form on a part of the parent plant (by causing a sort of “wound” or “cut” and then covering it up) while it remains aerial (above ground), hence the term Air Layering.


I have tried and tested this method of propagation of many plants which include Citrus plants (Lemon, Orange etc.), Moringa, African Apple, African Star Apple (agbalumo), Teak, Molina, Rubber, Basil (Ewuro), Thyme (Efinrin) and some woody decorative plants, and I have recorded success.


I hope to share my methods with fellow NLanders because I have searched on this forum and I haven’t found a related, comprehensive article on this method of propagation and I believe it would be beneficial to agriculturists who may want to start a plantation of some plants listed above.

I am interested in the teak. Do you have any pictures and how well do they perform through this process?

FreeWill01:


Thanks bro, I wanted to get a car from a car lot in NJ, but no one to go check it out for me, but I am working my way around it.
Do you know any courier service for pets? Were you thinking of accompanying them if they were closer to you?
I sent you a PM.

Where in NJ is the car? Do you still need help with that?

felixzo1:
not yet.

I sent you an email. Check your junkbox if you didnt get it. Hoping to hear back from you.

In any event, I dont want to derail this thread so I leave with an apology to the Op for creating any distraction from his purpose of creating the thread.

oluwaseunla:


Either my glasses need thickening or I'm not getting something right. The way I see it, he never said you are trying to represent him, he only indicated that you guys are not working together. But if that's the way you see it, by all means have fun.
Nice day to you sir.

Sorry, its not your glasses, it is your comprehension. I used the word "implies" not "said". There is a world of difference in the two. A "disclaimer" is just what it is - a caveat emptor telling the world "this guy is not associated with me!".

oluwaseunla:


Actually, you are wrong. If you need to advertise, create your own thread. Your customers will come and meet you there. The disclaimer was neccessary to clear the air, just in case some people didn't check who posted it. What you did was in bad taste.

Is that what Nairaland's rules say or it is just your own notion of what is right or wrong? i dont exactly know what the rules are and I will willingly apologize to you if I breached the rules, so we can check with the mods and get better clarity on that. You claim my action was in "bad taste" and I see where you are coming from but you have to see it in context too. The guy is adamantly shopping for a 4runner (and it is not only on your thread that he had been posting for it) and you apparently dont have it to sell to him. It would have been a different thing if you have what he is looking for and I am trying to hijack your sale. In any event, I am not a professional car dealer so I dont know what unwritten rules you guys have to play by.
What I think is in even worse tast is you 'disclaimer' which directly implies that I was trying to misrepesent that I was acting for you or your dealership. That was over the top, and absolutely unnecessary.

kakakibuy:


Important Notice: Nairalander Ikenga67 has made this post of his own freewill. He does not speak for Kakakibuy Motors. I do not know him and he is not acting on my behalf.

My contact remains: kakakibuy@hotmail.com

My brother you dont need to blow all hot and cold. I never in anyway represented expressly or impliedly that I was acting for you, so there really is no need for all that crap. This is a public forum and it is FREE. If you want exclusiveness, go buy some advertising space.

afope:
Hello.

My budget is 1.5m and I need a 4runner. Low mileage and non accidented. Year 2000 upwards. What can u do for me? Pls post pix and vin if u can help.

Thanks

I have 2 units of 2001 4runner sr5. One is already in Nigeria and the second will come in next month. If you are still shopping for one let me know.

@op,
How far? Are you still feeling sanguine? You still believe BH has been defeated?
Mark my prediction, the next BH strategic move will be aimed at encircling Abuja. Anyone that thinks the Nigerian army has what it takes to defeat BH is just...well, being Nigerian.
And please its futile to debate anything now, lets come back 15 months hence and see where things stand.

No one get the time?
Anyone got books on Nigerian history they dont have any more use for? What do you have? The older the better.
Anyone with reports of the 1977/78 Constitutional conference?
What about the 1950s Consitutional conferences?
Obj My Command?
C,mon, look through your Dad's old collection, you might find something there I can take off your hands!!

ndu_chucks:

Good points up there. Unfortunately, neither the legislative branch nor the executive branch is willing and ready to test the constitutionality of the executive branch's power to raise or reduce such tariffs, in court. The test certainly will not come because of the new policy on Tokunbos.

Both the branches will be busy fighting over the budget in the next few weeks. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on the postponement of the 250% tariff increase. When all is said and done, we'll end up with a compromise of probably 50 - 75% increase.

Forget the legislative branch. They do not even deserve the hallowed name "Parliament" in the anglo-saxon sense and tradition. It is a shame that while we all dissipate all our energy screaming "Jonathan-this", "OBJ-that", "2015-this", we allow the most important institution in a constitutional democracy based on our heritage to just go to waste. If only we an devote a fraction of the emotional energy we dissipate on shouting ourselves hoarse about the presidency and just look to see if our so-called reps are even making the effort to do the people's work, Nigeria would be a much better place.
Is it not sad and ironic, that we have such a weak president and he still call all the shots?

One view is that the Customs/Excise Tariff Act empowered the President to adjust tariffs whenever necessary. Those who hold that view believe that the only way to stop the policy in question was to come by an amendment bill. An opposing view (which I subscribe to) is that the said tariff was included in the Exclusive Legislative List and could not be changed by “executive fiat” unless by a law passed by the National Assembly.

I have no doubt that suchn Act as above exists to justify what the president is doing. My point is that legislations like that whether passed by the NASS or by the military (and grand-fathered in by the Constitution) are patently unconstitutional as improper delegation of legslative powers.
Under US consitutional law (and I dont see a special circumstance that stops us from following the precedence, sicne we borrowed the same system), the Congress might rightly delegate some of its powers, but such delegation has to be narrowly tailored with clear guidance regulating its exercise. A blanket delegation of power to raise or reduce tariff or ban or un-ban imports will clearly fail that test.
We just have to imbibe and internalize the political philosophy that (except in a few circumstances) the powers surrendered to the governemnt under a constitution is first and foremost powers surrendered to the senior branch of governemnt (the legislature) which is also the truly representative branch and the custodian of the people's sovereignty

[quote author=ndu_chucks]

The Joint Committee on Rules/Business, Justice and Judiciary, is currently charged with studying opposing views on this very issue and advise the House on what to do.

One view is that the Customs/Excise Tariff Act empowered the President to adjust tariffs whenever necessary. Those who hold that view believe that the only way to stop the policy in question was to come by an amendment bill. An opposing view (which I subscribe to) is that the said tariff was included in the Exclusive Legislative List and could not be changed by “executive fiat” unless by a law passed by the National Assembly.

I do not believe that the matter has been settled. My guess is that the executive branch, out of courtesy, will allow the house to fully deliberate the issue before allowing the policy to go into effect. It would be wise of the executive branch to postpone the 250% tariff increase and avoid a possible legal challenge which could actually erode its perceived authority, to willy nilly adjust such tariffs. The fat lady is yet to sing.

My friend if you look at it from a constitutional perspective, you will agree that the NASS, out of sheer ignorance of its constitutional role have essentially abdicated (not even delegated) its constitutional duties in this instance (and sadly, in so many other instances) to the president. Firstly, the power to impose tariff is the power to riase taxes. Even an elementary grasp of consitutional law will tell you that the power to tax is supremely a legislative power. It was the need to raise taxes that prompted the English monarchs to summon the first parliaments. It should be sacrosanct that no money ought to be raised or spent without the stamp of the NASS.
Secondly, this policy makes a serious impact on major sections of the economy. It even impacts the right of private property by depriving some of their livelihoods and bestowing benefits on others. Such discriminatory policies might be necessary sometimes in the public interest but they have been deployed very narrowly after a complete and open factual finding and done within the bounds of what is reasonable and prudent.
What I find most depressing with your post (though sadly true) is your opinion " that the executive branch, out of courtesy, will allow the house to fully deliberate the issue before allowing the policy to go into effect". I am sure Oliver Cromwell will be rolling in his grave if he reads that. I have said it before, 90% of our problem is that we just do not undetrstand the concept of constitutional democracy...3 decades of military rule has destroyed Nigeria

tobex_23:

He has opened a thread for that already! He said he isn't FFK so y'll should free him now, and you saying the picture is FFk and he is a public figure, what does the tittle of this thread say? "PICTURES OF CRAMJONES" so I bliv MODs should do the needful!

The rule says not to expose the identity of a member without his consent. Cramjones has expressly told us he is not FFK so how is posting picture of FFK exposing Cramjones' identity? If the mod posted picture of Obama or a goat for instance and said that's Cramjones, would you still think thats's infringing the rules?

donphilopus: MODs, hope you will do the needful?!

But didn't cramjones say he's not FFK? What is posted here is picture of FFK, a public figure, so I do not think anyone's right to privacy is being infringed.

txswat:

@ikenga67 are you a lawyer? Just asking because your conclusion seems "matter of fact." I'm curious because if the nigerian constitution is almost a cc of the american constitution definitely there should be language in there that prohibits actions like this. I personally don't think we need to take this lying down. I've noticed nigerian officials do all sorts until lots of negative attention is brought to it and if its consistent enough they "might" change.

Under a constitutional democracy, the Constitution is a framework. It is left to the practitioners (the political arms of governemnt, the courts, the legal profession and the enlightened public) to fill out this skeleton so it takes legal and political form as constitutional law and constitutional convention. A prolix Constitution (one that seeks to provide for everything) will only cause confusion and contradict itself. You can read the whole of the US constitution including all the amendments in less than 30 minutes. However, the interpretations accorded to that slim volume will fill a whole library. The point I am making is that the Consitution does not have to spell out that some powers may not be delegated. Our borrowed and inherited constitutional laws have to take care of that. All the courts have to do is adopt interpretation rules that give full weight to the intent of the constitution. Our problem is that our courts adopt a too literal reading of constitutional text, ignoring that first and foremost, the Constitution is a political document whose over-arching purpose is a scheme to LIMIT the powers of governement.
And yes, I am a lawyer - licensed both Nigeria and New York so I am actually in a position to do a little comparative analysis, lol!!

sonnie10: A brand new ford focus is about $20k in the USA. That translates to about #4M. When I hear all the talks about Nigeria cheap labor in auto factories I laugh, knowing that now, almost all auto plants are fully automated. Automated factories are cheaper to run than 'man powered'. So where will the #1.2M car price come from?

Of course they pulled that figure from off their posterior end knowing they will not suffer anything if it turns out they having been lying. The saddest part is that these folks (Aganga, Okonjo Iweala) basically earned their stripes working for some of the finest institutions in the West. Can they honestly claim that where they previously worked that they could even dream of pushing such disruptive policy based on cooked-up and faulty data and wishful thinking.
Nigeria deserves better of these people.

txswat:

I asked this very question about 2 pages back. Are there any lawyers on the forum who can confirm if the executive branch can pass and implement a policy like this without going through the two chambers of congress? I'm not a lawyer but this seems unconstitutional to me.

In the US that will be patently unconstitutional. For one, there is no way that the US Federal Courts will allow Congress to delegate its taxing powers (and imprt duties is a tax...in this case a huge one!) to the executive or its agencies. Also such untramelled delegation of powers to either the presidnet or an agency (as this Automotive policy) seeks to do without clearly identifiable and in-built legislative oversight will not pass constitutional muster.
But this is Nigeria we are talking about here. You will think having borrowed the US system, we will also borrow its richly developed body of constitutional and administrative laws, but you will be fooling yourself.
I am convinced that 90% of the cause of the failure of the democratic system in Nigeria is because the practitioners (especially the legislators and the judges and lawyers) are functional constitutional law illiterates.
So the answer to your question sadly is that the courts might find it constitutional since they cannot find any language in the constitution that expressly prohibits that. They are that literal!!!

From a legal point of view, I even have serious doubt if this so-called policy can pass constitutional muster.
Here we have a policy that will have major impact on both the economy and the revenue of the Federal Governemnt, not to talk of having disruptive effect on industry. The NASS should be responsible for inititating such policies through duly passed legislation. Of course in the modern system the legislature can delegate some of its functions to the executive and other agencies, but the legislature ought to have in place a mechanism for overseeing the delegatee of such powers. I doubt if any of that has been put in place here, but again, this is Nigeria!!!