₦airaland Forum

^^CONGRATULATIONS BRO!!

Proud of ya!

buzugee:
this is insane. whats going on in that country are you guys that rich ? in the western world they pay the equivalent of N1000 per month.

"You have to be rich to be poor." -DeNeen L. Brown

You asked a question many economists have struggled with for decades. The link below will give some insight from a US perspective, but I think it applies to Nigeria too. Actually, I think it's worse in Nigeria if you factor in our corruption rate and our incoherent economic/public policies.

Also, doing business in a disorganized and unstable economy is very expensive. Smart and corrupt businessmen will take advantage if that too and profit to the max.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051702053.html?sid=ST2009051801162

http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2006/0723california_fellowes.aspx

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=668039.msg8332132#msg8332132 date=1305560954]Per capita, Nigeria is probably #1 on earth when it comes to haters and bad belle people

These same people complaining that he got affordable cars will be the same ones complaining that the rail is too expensive when it comes out.

Smh
Carry go, Fashola[/quote]ROFL , read the highlighted quote below -atrributed to St Augustine of Hippo- I will paraphrase it as;

"There is nothing more dangerous to a public dicourse than people with Half-Education or Half-Knowledge, especially when they are unaware of their limitations" We seem to have too many of those.

I think Debosky's point earlier should have ended the argument.

Augustine is considered an influential figure in the history of education. He introduced the theory of three different categories of students, and instructed teachers to adapt their teaching styles to each student's individual learning style. The three different kinds of students are: the student who has been well-educated by knowledgeable teachers; the student who has had no education; and the student who has had a poor education, but believes himself to be well-educated. If a student has been well educated in a wide variety of subjects, the teacher must be careful not to repeat what they have already learned, but to challenge the student with material which they do not yet know thoroughly.

With the student who has had no education, the teacher must be patient, willing to repeat things until the student understands, and sympathetic. Perhaps the most difficult student, however, is the one with an inferior education who believes he understands something when he does not. Augustine stressed the importance of showing this type of student the difference between "having words and having understanding," and of helping the student to remain humble with his acquisition of knowledge.

JudgeDredd:
@ kilode: I guess my sarcasm's lost on you.

Right, I thought about the possible sarcasm just after I posted that reply. It went over my head initially. 

Got you bro.


I hope it will give some perspective for those who might need it though.

Beaf:
Here's my response.

JudgeDredd:
@ Beaf: thanks 4 your response, I found it quite insightful.

Bola Tinubu offered an explanation. I think you should read it too so you can consider both sides of the story.

I'm not his Lawyer and frankly I'm not a big fan of his local politics, although I support ACN. But I understand that a large chunk of US treasury and cash forfeitures go uncontested, probably because people believe (1)they are guilty (2)will lose  (3) cannot afford the legal cost of contesting (google the issue)

But Bola Tinubu did contest and recover some of his funds

I don't know if he's guilty or not, but I do know for a fact that If you carry one cent over the official limit en-route to the USA for example, you will get a seizure of funds/forfeiture notice similar to the document posted by Beaf. even if you are Mother Theresa

Point is, we do not know for certain if this guy is actually guilty of Narcotics trafficking or not, he was never convicted or sentenced.

If he's guilty he should suffer for it though, but let's not get caught up in opposition propaganda either.
I will add though that it is very reasonable to maintain skepticism about politicians, especially Nigerian ones.

See Thisday's (a GEJ friendly paper) published account:

. . . And His Defence

In the early 1990s, Governor Bola Tinubu maintained some bank accounts in the United States into which his personal funds and proceeds of businesses carried on by him and on behalf of some associates and family members were kept. Details of the accounts were as follows:

1. Ac No. 39483134 Citibank

2. Ac No. 39483396 Citibank

3. Ac No. 4650279566 Citibank

4. Ac No. 00400220 Citibank

5. Ac No. 39936404 Citibank

6. Ac No. 39936383 Citibank

7. Ac No. 263226700 First Heritage Bank

Much of the funds in these accounts were actually being used in money market operations, mainly securities trading.

In the case of United States of America v. Funds in Account 263226700 etc, the US government attempted to seize the funds in response to the suspicion of one Kevin Moss, Special Agent in the US Internal Revenue Service, who filed a 49-page affidavit in court stating that he had probable cause to believe that the funds were involved in financial transactions in violation of US Laws and should be forfeited by the US Government.

The Affidavit further disclosed that on 10/1/92, applications had already been presented to a Magistrate who, after reviewing the same and attached affidavits, issued seizure warrants against all the accounts. The total amount in these accounts was about $1.4 million. At this point, the warrants were yet to be executed and Governor Tinubu was not aware of the proceedings.

Official interest in the funds was in response to the report of investigation of a suspected money laundering and drug business linked to Messrs Adegboyega Mueez Akande and Abiodun A
brother, Mr. Martini Akande who was then working at Nigerian Ports Authority in Nigeria. Also when Governor Tinubu's wife was to have a baby in the US in 1990 or thereabout, she stayed with the Akandes in the U.S. as she was a good friend of Audrey Akande, the American wife of Mr. A. M. Akande.

The main connection between Akande and the Tinubu funds was however the fact that when Governor Bola Tinubu wanted to open an account at First Heritage Bank, Country Club Hills, Illinois in 1993, he obtained the required introductory reference from Mr. M. A. Akande who at the time already had an account in the same bank. During this period, Governor Tinubu was in the employment of Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited.

The Affidavit of Kevin Moss was followed by a Verified Complaint for Forfeiture filed by Michael Shepard, US Attorney. This complaint requested that the funds be proceeded against for forfeiture and that due notice be given to all interested parties to appear and show cause why the forfeiture should not be decreed.

The case (No. 93 C 4483) thus instituted by the US Attorney was a civil and not a criminal action and the Court Clerk has had occasion to confirm this. It was, in fact, an action in rem (i.e., against the property and not against the persons of the property owners) and, as already indicated, it was instituted on the basis of an affidavit filed by a Special Agent of the Internal Revenue Service who thought he had probable cause to believe that the funds were derived from financial transactions in violation of US law.

No criminal charge was ever brought or considered in conjunction with this lawsuit. It was a forfeiture action only and as no charges had arisen against anyone, no conviction or resulting sentence could possibly flow from such a civil law proceeding.

By an order dated 18/8/03, the US Marshall was authorised to execute the warrants of seizure and at this time, all interested parties were notified. As soon as notice of the warrants was given, the funds were claimed by Bola Tinubu who went personally to the US and warranted that he had exclusive right, title and interest to the seized funds.

As the proceedings dragged on, Bola Tinubu incurred huge legal expenses and was later advised, in view of the time, effort and expense required for long drawn out legal proceedings in the US, to enter into negotiations with the US Attorney for a compromise settlement of claims to the funds.

These negotiations led to an agreement whereby Tinubu recovered the funds in 6 out of the 7 accounts detailed above and earlier seized by court order. Citibank confirmed that the accounts were money market accounts and were used for trading in stocks and shares.

The terms of the settlement actually reflected the Tinubu's position that he was the righfful owner of the funds at issue and disputed the Plaintiff's allegation that any of the account funds represented the proceeds of illegal or wrongful activities.

In this respect, it is important to note that there could not have been a settlement agreement if there been any belief by U.S. authorities that Governor Tinubu or any of his family had engaged in any misconduct or violations of the U.S. Iaw. The settlement resolved all legal issues or disputes between the Tinubu and the Plaintiff. Tinubu made the claim to his funds in person and at no time was he arrested, charged, indicted or deported.

It was only to avoid substantial legal costs, which would have followed in the absence of a compromise that he agreed to withdraw his claim of entitlement to $460,000USD.

As a result all the funds in the 6 accounts in Citibank were released. Even the $460,000 retained was part only of the funds in First Heritage Bank. The amount was never proven to be the proceeds of any illegal acts and there was never any legal proceeding held to determine anything more than that the funds would forfeit to the government without contest as part of the Settlement Agreement. No admission was made that these funds were related in any way to wrongdoing or illegal acts.

It is worthy of note that the false story now being peddled about these events is based solely on the Afffidavit of Kevin Moss, which was never tested by trial or confirmed to be true in any way. Also, it is preposterous to suggest that Governor Bola Tinubu who was already working at a decent job in Nigeria at the time would use his own name to open and operate accounts for money laundering or other illegal purposes.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/02/02/20030202cov03.html

Ekt, I understand your concern, but don't assume that an opposition party like ACN will get any cookie point for supporting a PDP SW speaker. The advantage I was pointing to has to do with future schism within PDP itself.

PDP will fight over money and post, that is a given, they always will. It will benefit the ACN if they start showing themselves as a group that belongs to no-one and no zone but is ready to support and oppose central PDP policies as they seem fit.

BTW, I qualified my reference to "merit" by placing it in parenthesis because i know it means nothing within the present Assembly arrangement, but it sends a message that we will not play PDP politics unless it benefits us and our supporters/voters (I hope that is their mindset)

It also helps them to remove the political yoke of a regional party. Those are some of the strategic benefits.

ziccoit:
Is Beaf defending PDP? I thought he was only for GEJ not PDP?

LOL
[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=668139.msg8329847#msg8329847 date=1305541116]^-- I see, thanks for clarifying.

But if I'm reading things correctly, CPC and ANPP are subsuming their voices into the "Northern caucus."[/quote]Let them subsume their voice, it's Nigerian politics. On this issue ACN will score a strategic point by standing out as a party that values merit(whatever that means in this case) and due process, they have only 70 votes they won't influence nothing. But they create another public impression and open up future alliance opportunities.

If you are worried about a PDP retaliation, mind you politics is about give and take, there will be other opportunities to side with PDP, as long as they know when to oppose or support they will be fine. I say oppose this time around or at best, stand aloof and make a public show of it. It sends a message to future PDP or CPC factions.

What is the benefit of a Senate leader handpicked by OBJ and GEJ anyway? As opposed to one who owes his office to an ACN alliance(if they can influence that) I say oppose it jare, and make some noise about your opposition.

Beaf:
GEJ's camp has some master strategists, so I doubt the project will be abandoned. However, it will likely come with invisible, but heavy marine ropes attached. Lol!

LOL@ "invisible but, heavy marine ropes"

No worry, they have Ijaws, Ilaje, Ugbo, Ikale and other marine folks in Ondo State, they know their way around "marine ropes" whichever side it swings, they gain

BTW, I'm giving bros a few more months before I start asking you; How far?

Beaf:
Everything is speculation, but yes, some people raised eyebrows at the low turnout.
I don't believe the projects will be stymied, but strings are bound to be attached. . . Ok, maybe not mere strings IMHO (more like marine rope ). Its politics.

Haha, we both know it's politics, I'm actually hoping GEJ will ignore the project, I need to rub it on some people's faces in my neck of the wood, they thought I was "yarning dust" when I told them not to support GEJ and his PDP.

Olokola Project was one of the reasons they gave for their blind support. Lol

Beaf:
You posted a statement made by Deziani Allison Madueke at a political rally in Lagos and called it GEJ's energy plan. Does that sound right? It isn't, because[b] it is simply part of a nuanced campaign promise by Deziani Allison Madueke; IT IS NOT GEJ's energy roadmap.[/b]

In any event, I don't think you believe for one moment that a PDP campaign in the SW would reel out stuff they hope to be carried out in the SE, would you?

By the way, that promise might already have been torpedoed by the low election turn out in the SW, making the example invalid; I could have provided links, but I just can't be bothered because this thread is such a let down.

@The bolded, Are you saying you believe GEJ/FG/NNPC will no longer support the Olokola FTZ project because Jonathan's victory in the SW was characterised by low voter turnout?

The thing dey do me like say make I laugh. . . but I'll resist the urge.

The Minister also disclosed that the establishment of two new [size=15pt]Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG plants, in Olokola in Ogun/Ondo States and Brass LNG in Bayelsa state[/size], will create over 7,000 jobs and inject over $1billion into the host communities.

Jonathan re-assures on OKLNG project
Friday, 19 November 2010 00:00 Sunday Williams   

If Nigeria is to realize her ambition of being one of the 20 biggest economies by year 2020, the OKLNG Project must be part of that dream.
This assertion was made by President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit to the OKLNG project site in Olokola on November 12, 2010 as part of his two-day official visit to Ogun State.

The President said that, apart from creating jobs and spinning off businesses, the OKLNG project will generate huge income for the Federal government and other shareholders, and assured that the project will not just be a dream, but will become a reality.

Speaking earlier, Ogun State Governor  Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and his Ondo state counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who are joint hosts of the project through the Olokola  Free Trade Zone,  both described the President’s visit as a watershed for the project to move rapidly towards implementation and pledged their full to the project.

Welcoming the President to the site, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engineer Austen Oniwon said the OKLNG is a fulfilment of the vision to monetize the nation’s abundant gas resources.

He said when completed, the OK LNG plant will process 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day, producing in the process, 12.8m metric tonnes of LNG for export and supplying 500m standard cubic feet of gas per day for local consumption.

Speaking further, Engineer Oniwon said the project will employ 15,000 people at the peak of construction. According to a statement signed by Dr. Levi Ajuonuma Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, the President later commissioned the OKLNG pioneer camp before departing the site.

The Olokola LNG project is owned by Chevron, Shell, BG Group and the NNPC in Collaboration with Ogun and Ondo State governments.
http://dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6891:jonathan-re-assures-on-oklng-project&catid=3:business&Itemid=3

So, Seun and Mukina2, when will this one get to the Front page?

Abi these videos are not as relevant to the Nigerian discourse as "How many husbands one Nollywood vixen married" ?

Front page please.

Eziachi:
Hi Guys,
I am still reCovering from my op of last friday. But I couldn't resist to post and ask if its alright to say"I TOLD YOU SO?

I Quoted Eziachi's post on April 6 2011 with Respect and for Posterity, thought it will be nice to share it.

BTW, when those of you who truly desire and want progress for our people are ready, I'm sure y'all will seek out and find like minds to partner with. For now, since you chose to keep power in the hands of the establishment, status-quo, strong center, I- only-care-about-oil-money-sharing hawks, you'll have to live with it.

You were warned!

Eziachi:
My brother/friend, If I can tell you how really worried I am for the Igbo nation now you cannot believe it. This year/election alone whatever remain of Ndigbo in their so called Nigeria has been decimated.
First they pushed off ogbulafor for trying to say the truth and overnight they hanged a corrupt charges over his head and he went silent. In comes Okwy nwodo, willing and able to dance to their tune with the first music of zoning is dead and the rest is now history.
When they got their wish, Nwodo misunderstood his important when he tried to instill real democratic process against the mighty governors and he was immediately told that he was no longer needed. The governors made Jonathan and Jonathan promised them automatic ticket or the chance to choose their successors, so who is Nwodo and Jonathaan immediatly sacrificed him.
And Nwodo was handed out the most disgraceful treatment ever to be metted out to any NIGERIAN politiician since Shugaba.

So in just one stroke NDIGBO practically killed zoning, so a northerner get nwodo's position. Why not? after all zoning is dead and they will even get the biggest shock after the election because after all zoning is dead.

But don't get me wrong, I am not an advocate of zoning as a means of finding good leaders but this is NIGERIA, to survive you have to know how and when to play the game to survive. Now as we speak, Ndigbo is dead in PDP and what did the oppostion from Igbo land did courtesy of APGA? We don't have a presidential candidate- Jonathan is now one of us and he is our inlaw, he will get our 100% vote and Oheneze seconded with amen because as they madly believed GEJ will handover to them in 2015 and then went up north promising CIROMA and others, that by 2015, the presidency is there own for take.

whether this last gimmick by APGA/OHANEZE has the final blessing of Our IKEMBA, no one can tell as PETER OBI is now more PDP than Jonathan himself, how quickly people forget. So Ndigbo has succeeded in putting all their eggs in one basket and their is no backup left.

Compared that scenario to the Yoruba's. Love them or hate them they understood the politics of crooked Nigeria. If Buhari is to win, hurray! they are number two without asking. If Jonathan winS, Obasanjo is still in charge. No matter what happened in this election, both Buhari/Jonathan has vow not to be involved in 2015 and if their words is to be kept, the YORUBA has a standby and untainted gold bar like candidate positioned for 2015 in Fashola.

If this election is to end up in a run-off, ACN populated by the Yorubas will be the bride and meanwhile there is every chance that they will recover everything they lost in 2003 in Yorubaland because JONATHAN dare ot rig there as he is desperate to get their vote to upset Buhari, so any rigging like that of 2003 is a dooms day for him, so he was willing to sacrifice the likes of Gbenga Daniel.

Look at even our backyard in Akwa Ibom, ACN is well positioned today to snatch it away from Akpabio/PDP and only few months ago, there is no such thing as ACN over there. What stopped APGA harvesting what ACN is now reaping in Akwa Ibom? Bad politics and bad leadership. What stopped Peter Obi becoming a Tinubu in Igboland when our icon is ready to do anything for him? Lack of foresightedness.

So after this election, whatever remained of Nigeria, Ndigbo may find themselves where they were in 1970 despite what my generation has suffered and endured for this generation and if Ojukwu finally is to die? Its not even worth thinking about.

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=665641.msg8309744#msg8309744 date=1305242666]yes it did.

the op wants his woman to brush and floss, so he came on nairaland to abuse everybody together.

way to go, and that's brilliant.


i guess his girlfriends have fangs so he's afraid to tell them directly.







me and my chewing stick back in the day:

[img]http://www.thegambiajournal.com/thumbnail.php?file=girl_chewing_stick_to_clean_teeth_sean_sprague_sudan_cropped_231206145.jpg&size=article_medium[/img]




after some years [when i was grown]:

[img]http://74.54.19.227/GHP/img/pics/88280989.295.jpg[/img][/quote]You are too much jare. Nice pics!

Pako sabi floss die!

enyojo:
All these 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 150,000,000th Crap!

For all I care, the structure looks like this:

  PRESIDENT                        SENATE PRESIDENT               CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA
      I                                                 I                                                I
VICE PRES                              SPEAKER                                 APPEAL COURT PRESIDENT
      I                                                 I                                                I
    SGF                                    DEPUTY SENATE PRES                 JUSTICES OF SUPREME COURT
      I                                                 I                                                I
MINISTERS                                DEPUTY SPEAK                         JUSTICES OF APPEAL COURT
      I                                                 I                                       
MINISTERS-OF-STATE               SENATORS           
      I                                                  I
PERMANENT SEC                      HON REPS
      I                                                   I
DIRECTORS                                   CLERKS
                                                           I
                                               SERGENT-AT-ARMS


[size=14pt]REMEMBER THAT THIS SET-UPS ARE THE LEGITIMATE HIERARCHY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
NO MATTER YOUR PRESENT MOOD, THE TRUTH IS THAT BASED ON THE SALARIES OF THESE PEOPLE, THE CHART ABOVE IS VERY TRUE[/size]

My sister, You are being too kind, this is the real structure:

1st. ALL ELECTED POLITICIANS (regardless of Ethnic group)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
,
.
.
.
.
150,000,000th (Last) Nigerian Voters


Y'all Remember that great quote from Dora Akunyili's letter to her colleagues when she left the FEC last year?

I quote: "You are my constituency"

Those who voted for the same-ol-same at the federal level, should not expect anything different. They don't give a damn about you, your tribe or your ethnic affiliations.

Deal with it!

Till you try again in 2015, hopefully with better judgement.

You were warned

Soldiers squash Ekiti student protest
By Ayodeji Moradeyo
May 10, 2011 01:17AM 


A part of Ikere-Ekiti community, in Ekiti State was yesterday taken over by armed security personnel following a protest by students of the College of Education Ikere-Ekiti over outrageous tuition fees introduced by the management of the institution.

Carrying placards of various inscriptions, the students brought commercial activities in the second largest town in the state to a halt.

They called on the state governor, Kayode Fayemi to urgently relieve the College’s Provost, Titilayo Ogunmola of her appointment for allegedly disobeying his directive that students would not pay outrageous fees during his tenure.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5698776-146/story

Fayemi sacks heads of educational institutions in Ekiti

By Ayo Moradeyo
May 12, 2011 02:19AM
   

The Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, yesterday fired the Vice Chancellors of the three state-owned universities and the provost of the only College of Education in the state.

The government said their removal, which was with immediate effect, was in preparation for the commencement of the repositioning of the education sector in the state.

Mr Fayemi, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mojeed Jamiu ordered the vice chancellors to hand over to the most senior professor in their universities.

Those affected include the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), Dipo Kolawole, who had just spent two out of his five-year term in the position. Others are the vice chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti (USTI), Samuel Oye Bandele and that of the University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti (TUNEDIK), Akin Ogunlade.

The acting Provost of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti has also been replaced Francesca Aladejana of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife , Nigeria in the sweep.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5699445-147/fayemi_sacks_heads_of_educational_institutions.csp

https://nigerianhealthjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Dr-Fayemi-PM-News.jpg

[quote author=aloy/emeka link=topic=665338.msg8302603#msg8302603 date=1305163311]Where did Ekiti get the N5.1BN?. This figure is unrealistic; it is like Nigerians claiming that IBB stole $20BN.[/quote]Allocation in June 2010 was about N2.4 Billion, just one month, so it's possible.
http://www.fmf.gov.ng/ViewExternalLink.aspx?id=downloads/FAAC/CurrentFaacDetail/State_goverment_detail.pdf

This is a shame, Oni should be jailed like Bode "Elewon" George.

^^ Your Grand Uncle left so many memorable quotes

I now see where you humor came from.

. .For some strange reason, this thread reminds me of this funny comment by the late Aare Ona Kakanfo:


. . . Awon bi Asikiwe, Mbadiwe, b'oo ba d'iwe, awon Ekiti o ka oo -Samuel Ladoke Akintola (1910-1966)

Bump! with no apologies

[quote author=EzeUche_ link=topic=665199.msg8301491#msg8301491 date=1305144781]When did a fisherman become my kinsmen? [/quote]Mazi, What happened now?



Anyway, A lot of Nigerians outside the Southeast believe anything beyond Benin city is Igbo, It will be hard to convince them otherwise o, very hard

I'm sure OBJ is making that argument clear to GEJ as we type.

^^haha yea I remember Arodan very well, I've been on that wild goose chase a few times myself.

Arodun ke? I think Katsumoto is truly half-Japanese

johnie:
I couldn't have voted for CPC because it is built around an individual, a man who would have problems functioning effectively in the democratic context of present day Nigeria. What Nigeria needs is not a strong man but strong institutions.

Ribadu was not an option at all. Events I hope recent events have shown his supporters that he was merely a pawn in a political chess game.

Yes, you are right, but what Obama didn't say when he made that statement in Ghana was; Weak leaders don't build strong institutions. even J. Rawlings had to go RADICAL for a minute.

I agree It's good to learn how to compromise, but you must have the strength of purpose and a strong character to be effective and not bend to every opinion.

For us, maybe when get an empowered population, freedom and equity, then we will all demand and maintain strong institutions.

For now, we only have a few strong thieves, several weak willed leaders with no coherent ideology, Millions of docile and oppressed people and zero institutions.

Keeping with the topic: Cabals love Nigeria, Just ask Shell, Chevron and Mobil, they've had a ball!

To be a strong Cabal, all you need is to get close to the Strong thieves and ensure strong ideological leaders with political will and people empowering ideas don't rise up.

^^ Walahi, Ijongbon e ti po ju!!  ~you are too troublesome~

chines4:
Every day that witch cry, baby die. Do we need anybody to tell us that the witch kills the baby?. Can you say that Buhari/CPC is innocent of the violence

But this arguement is hella funny tho.

I wish a lawyer will use it in the US supreme court with Antonin Scalia on seat. 

Justice Scalia is well known for his notorious ability to ridicule lawyers and their arguements.