₦airaland Forum

[quote author=Gbawe.]Does it surprise you? It is not for nothing I always insist many here, when all is said and done, are vacuously clannish and emptily feudal.[/quote]See mixing of modifiers!

You mean public hospitals in Lagos have competent psychiatrists? I was hoping to get a personal recommendation from someone who has used or knows someone who has used one but this should be a good idea too. Thank you.

Sorry if I don't sound current, but what grievances have these people listed against Tukur?

Nigerians getting all emotional as usual! Our inability or unwillingness to think critically will keep us down. What has Daniel done that is worthy of emulation? Nearly getting himself killed? He's not even smart - at half his age I knew you don't fly from Benin to America. Yeah, send the dolt to Sandhurst and let his mother be proud of him.

This is good.

Richfella: Is it just me, but I see an uncommon level of maturity and understanding displayed by these men.

Right. Considering they are not educated, many people in their shoes would have settled this with machetes. I listened to an interview with one of the men and he gave a great speech about being in love with her. The woman, when asked to choose, said she could not do without either of them. Those saying the woman is rich don't get it. One of the men opened a business for her.

When your partner is gone you marry when and who you damn well like. He doesn't owe anyone any apologies. And he certainly doesn't need lies like

Maxymilliano: I thought I wasn't going to re-marry but God said that is not his plans for me. He chose Emmy Kosgei for me. I chose to trust God more than my mind."

Found this on Fb

"The doctrine that future happiness depends upon belief is monstrous. It is the infamy of infamies. The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss, while a dependence upon reason, observation and experience merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance, called "faith." What man, who ever thinks, can believe that blood can appease God? And yet, our entire system of religion is based upon that belief. The Jews pacified Jehovah with the blood of animals, and according to the Christian system, the blood of Jesus softened the heart of God a little, and rendered possible the salvation of a fortunate few. It is hard to conceive how the human mind can give assent to such terrible ideas, or how any sane man can read the Bible and still believe in the doctrine of inspiration." Robert Ingersoll

FG commits N70.2bn euro bond to gas infrastructure

AUGUST 19, 2013 BY OKECHUKWU NNODIM, ABUJA LEAVE A COMMENT

The Federal Government has announced the allocation of N70.2bn ($450m) for the improvement of gas infrastructure across the country.

This, it said, was aimed at addressing the gas supply problems, which have led to a sharp reduction in power generation in the country.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who disclosed this in Abuja, also stated that the Federal Government had sourced for additional $1.47bn from the World Bank, African Development Bank, French Development Bank and the Chinese EXIM Bank for the improvement of the electricity transmission infrastructure.

Nebo spoke on Friday when delegates from the Independent Power Producers Association of Nigeria visited the ministry.

The Federal Government had last Tuesday said the proceeds from the sale of the 10 National Independent Power Project plants, amounting to $1.6bn, would be used to finance the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

Nebo also said the ministers of Finance, Petroleum Resources and Power had met last week to deliberate on the gas supply problems.

He said, “Nigeria has enough gas; more than enough; but there are things that have to be put in place and part of this include the right pricing for domestic gas.

“Government is also trying to address gas infrastructure challenges. The first segment is the East-West axis. Government is putting in billions of naira to address that. The next is the South-North, South-South and the North axis. So, there is a gas master plan and soon, the issue of gas will be settled.”

On transmission, he said once the Federal Government effectively put the funds allocated for the TCN to use, the country would be able to transmit 10,000 megawatts of electricity.

Nebo said, “We might come up with 10,000MW and might be able to transmit all. That is why a huge sum of what is being realised as proceeds of the sale of the NIPP plants, about $1.6bn, has been set aside to finance transmission.

“In addition, the World Bank is funding (the transmission system) with $800m; the French Development Bank is funding with another $170m to aid transmission. When you look at this, we will say there is a huge investment going on for transmission. We hope with these, we will be able to produce the 10,000MW and at the same time wheel it out for full distribution. I forgot to mention the $500m we got from the Chinese EXIM Bank, still for transmission.”

The minister also said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the inauguration of the Geometric Power Plant in Aba, Abia state.

He added that the government was working to make sure that the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader was fully capitalised so as to ensure partial risk guarantee for the IPPs.

Interesting!

DESPITE the promise by the Federal Government to revamp rail transportation, the sector may remain in a comatose state.

This is because unfolding developments not only threaten the establishment of new railway routes but also the modernisation of old ones planned for the country’s six geo-political zones.

One of the challenges facing the successful rehabilitation of the rail sector is the issue of high consultancy fees requested from the Ministry of Transport by both expatriate and local firms commissioned by the government to offer various specialised services in the critical transport sub-sector.

Another major threat is the paucity of funds. For instance, the allocation of N52,331,974,638 to the Federal Ministry of Transport in the 2013 budget is insignificant. It is lower than last year’s N54 billion, which was even said to be inadequate to cater for the entire ministry’s capital projects.

An international rail transport consulting company, CPCS Transcom, Siraj Nig Ltd, CrestHill Engineering Ltd and TEAM Nig Ltd are among the leading companies currently providing Nigeria with different consultancy and feasibility services believed to be essential to the establishment of new railway routes as well as the resuscitation of the existing rail system.

The Guardian, however, learnt that these feasibility consultancy services come at a huge cost to the ministry despite the fact that such hefty bills do not themselves guarantee the completion of projects in the sector.

For instance, to carry out feasibility studies for a standard guage line spanning Lagos-Ibadan, Osogbo-Baro-Abuja, and covering about 615km high speed rail track, CPCS Transcom is to be paid a total of N284,562,603.00.

Siraj Nig Ltd, according to government records, requests N443,154,907.11 as consultancy and feasibility studies cost for a 533 km standard guage line covering Ajaokuta (Eganyi)-Obajana-Jakura-Baro-Abuja, with an additional one line running through Otukpo from Ajaokuta.

It was learnt that CPCS Transcom is to be paid N334,016,907.84 to carry out another new railway routes feasibility studies. Among other things, the studies will be on the peculiar area soil for the purposes of setting up a coastal rail line in the Niger Delta. The 673km project covers Benin-Sapele-Warri-Yenagoa-Port Harcourt-Aba-Uyo-Calabar-Akampa-Ikom-Obudu Cattle Ranch.

Team Nig Ltd, which is expected to carry out feasibility studies/consultancy for standard guage line from Zaria-Kaura Namoda-Sokoto-Illela-BeninKoni (Niger Republic) covering 520km requires N214,560,920.00 for the job.

The company alone is saddled with three separate consultancy services worth over N600 million in projects across various locations. The second involves feasibility studies/consultancy for a 300km East-West standard guage rail line, covering Lagos-Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore-Benin City. This costs N165,310,275.00. The third of a feasibility/consultancy job awarded to Team Nigeria Ltd is for a 500km standard guage line covering Benin-Agbor-Onitsha-Nnewi-Owerri-Aba with additional lines from Onitsha-Enugu-Abakaliki at a cost of N226,816,661.63.

CrestHill Engineering Ltd is to carry out feasibility studies/consultancy for a 280km standard guage rail line in Eganyi (near Ajaokuta)-Lokoja-Abaji and Abuja for N144,003,024.00.

Other new rail routes’ feasibility studies expected to be embarked upon by the Federal Government this year include a standard guage line for Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Enugu-Makurdi-Lafia-Kuru-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu, and Maiduguri.

Feasibility studies are also planned for a standard guage line for Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja-KatsinaAla-Wukari-Jalingo-Yola-Maduguri. Others are the Kano standard guage line covering Nguru-Gashua-Damaturu-Maiduguri-Gamboru-Ngala, Illela-Sokoto-Jega-Yauri-Makera.

Till date, Nigeria has only two major rail lines: the one connecting Lagos on the Bight of Benin and Nguru in the northern state of Yobe; and the other connecting Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta and Maiduguri in the north-eastern state of Borno. Over N100 billion has been expended as budgetary allocations to the rail transport sector alone in the last four years.

Pledges by successive administrations in the past to revive the critical rail transport system have failed to yield enduring results, as proposed new tracks have never been completed, while the rehabilitation of tracks and coaches has become something of a yearly ritual for the government in power to take money from the treasury.

Experts warn that except concrete steps are taken to monitor contractors to ensure compliance with budget specifications, the dream of having a re-invigorated rail transportation may not materialise.

Meanwhile, a breakdown of the yearly budgetary allocations to the railway transport system in the past four years shows that in 2012, a total of N20.3 billion was approved for the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), out of which N16.3 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure. It was to rehabilitate the Jebba-Kano, Port Harcourt-Makurdi-Kaduna, Kuru-Maiduguri and Zaria-Kaura-Namoda rail tracks, as well as to procure and rehabilitate rail wagons, coaches and tanker wagons.

In 2011, N29.6 billion was budgeted for the construction and rehabilitation of most of the already captured rail tracks, out of which N5.5 billion was set aside for the construction of Ajaokuta-Warri rail line.

Statistics also show that N31 billion ($207 million) was approved on a special request in the supplementary appropriation bill of 2010 for the construction of Lagos-Ibadan rail lines.

In 2009, N23.3 billion was budgeted for rail transport, out of which N20.7 billion was reserved for capital projects that included the rehabilitation of 120 coaches and wagons, rehabilitation of the Ajaokuta-Warri rail line, which was also catered for in 2011 budget.

To remedy the critical condition of the nation’s rail transportation, the Federal Government has sought to privatise the NRC. Under the privatisation plan, three separate concessions of between 25 and 30 years would be granted to private sector companies to run railways in the western, central, and eastern parts of the country.

As of today, the construction of standard guage lines under the Federal Government’s mordernisation scheme of the railway system is ongoing. The construction of Lagos-Ibadan 180km standard guage line is said to have begun at a cost of $1.53 billion. The contract was awarded to CCECC Nig. Ltd. The Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri standard guage line covering 274km has been awarded to Julius Berger at a cost of N33.1 billion. Also, the Lagos-Kano mordernisation rail project has been awarded to CCECC Nig. Ltd. at a cost of $8.3 billion covering 1,342.50km, out of which $257.4 million has been paid by the Federal Government.

A former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, awarded about $500 million (N79 billion) rehabilitation contract aimed at resuscitating the Lagos-Kano rail line. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded a contract for the same Lagos-Kano rail line for $8.5 billion (N1.34 trillion). Yet, the completion of these and other key railway projects across the country remains to be seen.

The ministry early in May had its 2013 capital budgetary allocation slashed by about N24 billion by the Senate. President Goodluck Jonathan had in the 2013 appropriation announced a total of N52.3 billion allocation to the ministry, which oversees the NRC, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and National Inland Waterways Authority, among others.

The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, said that although N49.6 billion was approved as capital expenditure for the ministry, only N26 billion was released to it.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/129768-how-high-consultancy-fees-others-may-mar-rail-transports-revival

A PROJECT that would assist the poor and hungry children have at least three meals a day has been launched by the Christ Embassy Church, in Warri, Delta State.

The project according to the Warri zonal pastor of the church, Pastor Siji Dara, first took off in poor areas of Lagos where majority of the hungry children live and were successfully fed and given free education. He added that the project would gradually move to “every nook and crannies of the country.”

He said the food bank project is specially designed to cater for children who cannot afford to go to school and who have given up hope to get education – as pupils get free food supplies, books and tuition.

A non-governmental organization, Innercity Mission for Children, a humanitarian movement started many years ago, is driving the food programme in partnership with Christ Embassy

Declaring open the Food Bank project in Warri, Pastor Dara said different food items collected from well-meaning Nigerians would be donated to the Innercity Mission which in turn would properly channel them to needy children in poor Niger Delta communities and invariably to all corners of Nigeria.

http://ngrguardiannews.com/news-metro/129778-church-opens-food-bank-for-the-poor-in-warri

Power supply to Lagos drops by 67%

AUGUST 12, 2013 BY DAYO OKETOLA 8 COMMENTS

Power supply from the national grid to Lagos has dropped by 67 per cent.

The drop on Sunday followed a drastic reduction in power generation from 3,367.20MW on Friday to 2,628MW on Saturday.

Some officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday but asked not to be named, said the Eko and Ikeja Distribution companies responsible for power supply to Lagos and its environs received an average electricity supply of 600MW from the national grid daily.

This, according to them, has been reduced by 67 per cent due to the crisis affecting some of the nation’s power plants.

Our correspondent gathered that the two distribution companies in Lagos got a little over 200MW each on Sunday.

When contacted, a senior official of the Ikeja Distribition Company, who also spoke under anonymity, confirmed that the DISCO, which normally received over 600MW from the national grid, was only supplied 226MW on Sunday.

He explained that this had been responsible for the latest load shedding in Lagos and warned that the situation could continue if generation did not improve.

The nation was thrown into massive load shedding and near black out on Saturday when power generation level dropped to 2,628.6 mega watts.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, attributed the problem to the low gas supplied to the generation plants in the area.

The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Ms. Kande Daniel, said Afam IV, Afam VI power plants as well as Rivers Independent Power Plant were shut down on Friday night with a combined loss of 624MW due to gas issues.

She said, in a statement, that government had already set machinery in motion to reverse the situation.

dvdon: And IBB is a ____ to Nigeria.
A. Blessing
B. Disgrace
C. Shame
D. Problem
E. B,C,D

E

IBB's endorsement. Tufiakwa!

Ola Johnson: Who remembers this reggae song?
Chase them oh Rasta chase them. Chase them away.

Andy Showman.

proO1: The great Alex O. This guy was arguably the biggest name in Nigerian pop music in the late 1980s/ early 1990s. As big then as Tuface is now. Too bad there was no cable TV, Internet, and social media during his era. He could easily have been one of Nigeria's biggest artistes of all time.

He was good. Wasn't the biggest thing then. And certainly wasn't as big as Tuface is now.

everyday: May God punish those cultists.May them and their generations be cursed for life

prisie: smh. Your sister might probably marry one of them...or maybe your child'll marry one of their children. Anyways, amen to your prayer.

ignis: Woman, what are you insinuating?

Lol.

'She was attacked by robbers who wanted to snatch her HANDBAG. She resisted, so they attacked her with their machetes, inflicting cuts on the hand holding the bag. They then took the bag and fled.'

That's what Radio Nigeria reported yesterday. So I'm a bit surprised to come here and read this blogger's version of events.

ogugua88: The comparison is fair. The issue at hand is a serious one. Stella released an emotional and well-conceived video. Tonto Dikeh released a statement using shorthand vocabulary. I don't see any seriousness or thought in her writing.

Exactly. Been hearing of this girl. Never knew she was this bad until today. No clue what happened at the Senate and can't even string sentences together. Ha.

biolabee: On the contrary, i get it... you are saying it should not be taken too seriously as the word alleged has been used

But already the tribalists, man haters, divorce-advocates have jumped on the wagon and moved on

See?

No, you don’t. So I’ll explain it again in “is and was” – and this is the last I’ll say on the matter.

When a reporter gets a crime story, there is ONE requirement: You contact the police to confirm before going to press. This must be done where possible. After that you are free to go to press.

Now, when you write your report, HAVING CONFIRMED FROM THE POLICE that a crime was prima facie committed and a suspect has been arrested, you report exactly that – that someone is dead and the police have a suspect. That is what the reporter did in the first paragraph – merely reporting it. And in the last paragraph he told us what the police PRO said. On the headline, yes, most reporters will write it in a way that it will grab attention – that is common in journalism and no journalist can be crucified for it. In any case, even if you choose to accuse the reporter of writing sensational headline, that does not justify the allegation that he made general conclusions.

On the issue of what people have been saying here (I see someone has wasted his time compiling them), I have already responded to that. There is nothing you can do about it. See my Ohakim example. Even if you wrote the headline the way another poster suggested above, some will still, on reading that the husband is in custody, come here and cuss him. In the thread about the girl who decapitated her father for, according to her, raping her, I myself had cause to ask Nairalanders to take it easy and called for the police to question the girl since we only have her word for it. People act that way – once you are arrested you must be guilty. That happens in all societies.

Thank you.

biolabee: Seems you hold tabloid journalism in nigeria to a really high standard

Good luck


Even daily mail is descending to tabloid level n you call this original article commendable because they used allegedly?

Funny guy

Seems you don't get it. Read my posts again, starting from the first one.

coogar: where's the quote? if there's no quote then i disagree the reporter spoke to any police. besides, you said nigerians know the meaning of "allegedly". read the first 3 comments on the first page and tell me the posters had not even passed their judgement on the man already.....

that's what lazy journalism does.....

It's your prerogative to pick which news stories to believe or not to, but in this case it's not because the reporter did not speak to the police - the article says he did and the officer's comments are reported.

As to the highlighted, there is nothing anyone can do about that. It happens in all societies. Are you saying that if the reporter had interviewed relatives and used quotation marks and writen the headline like... I don't know you'd have him write it or have written it yourself... that problem would have been solved? People are like that. A few people think critically - the majority of people don't - they rush to condemn at the first mention of an alleged crime. This reporter is not responsible for that.