₦airaland Forum

mej67:
When I was discussing expanding the economy, I was talking about the role of State, and not for me to be fed. I was precisely discussing the 'environment' -the enabling environment, Sir.


There is a fundamental flaw in your pitch and I fear it may not be fixed b'cos I read you as a theorist.

For the umpteenth time, we allow the State to drift when we fail as a people in the role of civil society in shaping government action. We cannot leave them alone. We have to be part of policy debates, public presentation of draft statutes, public finance and appropriation reviews, etc. That is is how it works best.

In your first post, you said you failed to see the most essential ingredient being the role of the individual (You and I). I left it because it was unfortunate that you failed to see it in the ensuing act of engaging in debates that is capable of transforming public policy. If we had progressed to discuss rural development, perhaps the next commissioner for rural development could pick a few points.

But you chose to debate out of context. That is what, in the olden days, was termed op. Now op, especially here means original poster. I actually meant the old "out of point"

Now if you wish to switch the discussion to how individuals can excel, fine, but it is a different topic and I would most likely take a different pitch than asking Enugu kids to emulate Ford or George Soros when we lack the enabling investment plank form.

With hope that you will retool and refocus on what will be beneficial to very many, can we now discuss "the role of government which IS TO PROVIDE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT". Or would you, in your usual character, say it is entirely up to me? Retool and the discussion will become useful. How can government perform its role, which is, to provide the right environment for private enterprise to thrive? How can next government in Enugu State improve the overall competitiveness of the State in the global market place? And lets see whether the answer will be macadamized thoroughfare and patachy, overpriced made in China traffic lights basically dumped on hapless ignorant people whom you wish to continue to be ignorant so that the fleecing of our commonly owned wealth will continue endlessly.

mej67:
You know quite well that I decided to take it easy with you. Comparing apples to oranges is a crafty tool of disinformation.

Nothing, hear me loud, NOTHING, can substitute the role of the State. I was interested in how to better focus the role of State. Mind you, Enugu has an economy that is dominated by State. So better society is much plausible if those in charge of State craft are properly focused and primed to serve the people.

Now you have listed American success stories, which are naturally in America that has remained the world no 1 success story. Toyota brand named after the city of Toyota in Japan is agreat success story of Asia's greates success story, Japan.

In each of the examples you gave, there is a nexus with a government that is able to carry its own weight. For instance, would you also list out the number of schemes that US Govt has for supporting entrepreneurs and budding entrepreneurs, not venturing into a vibrant venture capitalism sector that basically hunts down upstarts with great idea. An earthquake occured in Japan, destroying major arterial roads and the over 200km road was fixed within a span of 10 days. Your government is still telling stories on East-West Road, Enugu-Onitsha Road, Okigwe Port Harcourt Road, etc. and your solution to it all is leave them alone.

Just like we were told then, as biafrans, that we could defeat well-armed federal troops with cutlasses and clubs. Bros, if you were part of Ojukwu's propaganda machine headed then by Chukwumerije with late ace spin doctor radio announver, Okon Okon Ndem, pls say so. But the shocker for you is that it is over 45years dated. It won't work in modern day society.

It will help for us to define and agree the role of the State. I do not agree with you that all we need to do is to leave government alone to do what it pleases. That is not what happens in the US. Get your facts right.

When we have a thread to discuss individual ingenuity and what people can do with their bare hands, we all head in and bring in beautiful thoughts. Right here, I was of the belief that the nice pics courtesy of goodman Spyder880 could be put in context, in the right frame as a lopsided effort of a team that could have done much better.

Now, you won't go far tutoring me or anyone about how to be self reliant. Reason, you sound clearly as a salaried worker and your examples are rusty -why pick the Rockyfellas, the Boeing and Microsoft when you can mention Peace Mass Transit that has over 2,000 buses on different routes all over Nigeria. Who are you trying to intimidate by your google search, eh?

Just pack well

mej67:
But just before we finally leave them, I give you a case study of two States -Akwa Ibom and Enugu. Of all the differences in their financial status, etc. there is one uniting set of factors. They are States where the incumbents have pursued pipedreams for their people and backed it with heavy meadi blitz. Akwa Ibom -uncommon transformation; Enugu -massive (Enugu) urban infrastructure upgrade. Meanwhile unemployment poverty rates in the States continue to sky-rocket. Elitist -Elitism, you choose. Whats the reward? When it was time to call on the people, the people were on the other side. How come the uncommon transformer is fighting in trenches trying to get a successor in and how come Chime of Enugu is failing woefully in holding an ordinary State Chapter of the Party intact. Go also to Ekiti and find out why a PhD holder sitting governor was upstaged by a man that started as a bus conductor.

The choice remains ours

mej67:
Yea, sure. This is quite smart. Instructive too. We should bring ideas of what we can do as individuals.

If you say that and mean we should leave government alone, I say, em em em. Well, should we leave government completely out? And me, ordinary me nwa Omeje begin to exploit coal deposits in Ezimo, Limestone/Cement in Amechi-Idodo, Gas in Ugwuoba and so on? Okay I get the drift -leave government alone... don't even utter a word and let them do whatever they like with our common wealth -like dealing with items that don't come anywhere near the real needs of the people. Perfect!

Well, crazy Amaechi once said that those in government steal public funds because we, the public, allow them.

Now I am confused. I thought it was global best practice for civilians (civil society) to hold government accountable. In fact before then, help in shaping policies and programmes of government.

Now it is clear that I have just been taliking to myself.

Ok. Let's leave them

mej67:
Why do you always miss the point? Unemad! Unemad!

Abuja is not Enugu nor Lagos nor Ekiti.

Abuja is the centre of the federation. A federation is made up of federating units. It is a federation of the federating units. Our federation is made up of States. They are the ones that should have their economy, you bozo.

Who gave you that phone or laptop? Or have you been smoking something, Unemad?!

In proper fiscal federalism, Enugu's revenue will be retained and a littlle portion sent to the centre. That was how we started in the days of the regions. It was the greed of the Housa/Fulani that led to over centralisation making the federal look like the action point.

Ordinary motor park touts (pigs by Spyder880) have it all arranged. The NURTW Ibadan branch has the resources. Enugu, Ekiti , etc. They retain their park collection dues and make remittances (small proportion) of their proceeds to NURTW national headquarters. That Office at the centre needs do nothing but appropriate what is remitted from the fringes (the federating units)

Let me tell you why you are a complete washout, not deserving of a biafran name:

1. "U talk of oil windfall. Let me ask u. How much is Enugu state budget?"[/i] Enugu State budget can be as large as we want it to be. It is small today because the bozos whom you serve and work with have no idea of how to grow local economy which is the recipe for higher IGR. If our IGR is N1tr, Enugu State budget will be N1tr plus what comes from Abuja.

2. "Our biggest natural resource we cannot touch."[i] I take it to mean coal, right? Why can't you touch it? Play by the rules of the land, onukwu! Anambra floated an Oil Company, not only got allocation of oil well right in the State but also got approval fro refinery. Are you there? Float a power plat, request for rights to your coal, dig it up yourself and sell power to fed government. How does that sound? Probably, you won't comprehend, cos you only know govt is working when a paver is moving up down your street pouring dust on you.

Meanwhile, meanwhile, who tells you coal is Enugu's biggest resources?? Our rich agricultural land is, buffoon.

Price of crude oil is crashing (instigated by USA), but price of PKO (perm kernel oil) is on the rise on international market. It take local indigenous technology to harness Palm oil and PKO. Google Malaysia right now and tell me what you see. Plam fuits taken from your papa's palm is what they have used to grow.

Summary, there is something called mass hypnotism. It is the cause of your jaundiced perseption and I won't lie to you. It is a difficult disease to cure. Ignorance and illiteracy are easier because its like starting from zero. Someone with that disease is like starting from minu 50, depending on how deep it is rooted.

Unemad, you lack grey matter and you are in advanced stage of that disease.
Is any of these Chimes or Chimas fault?

hayokunleoni:
@ Ops, do you have a faint idea of Macro Economics. I guess nay. National economics is not measured based on PPP but on real GDP (monetary value of goods produced and earn in a year) . And for ur info, the value of US economy is almost double that of China as at date. Yes, almost double. What PPP is saying is that assuming the goods are produced and sold under same price regime nd condition, what will the comparison be across the world. I believer I don't need to tell u that workers in the US and PRC earn different wages, are subjected to different conditions. Also the exchange value of the USD is far greater than the Chinese currency. In reality, it will take the next 50yrs for Chinese economy to be worth the US economy as at today if the US economy stagnate while China grow @ 6.3%. As at Q3 2014 the Chinese growth was sub 3%. Regards

2cato:
But a lot of the industries in china were own by the americans brithons germans japan and south koreans due to cheap labour and cheap infrastructures. Assuming these country decide to move away from china where do you think china will be.
Eg the android software been own and controled by google of america

Nigeria, most admired African nation in spite of criticisms

In spite of constant bashing Nigeria receives from its citizens at home and show of apparent cynicism and doubts on its potentials, the country has emerged as the most admired African nation in a survey by African Business magazine in partnership with Brand Africa, Brand Finance Africa and TNS.

The report, which listed 100 most admired and valuable brands in Africa, notes that Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa topped the most admired African nations mentioned spontaneously by Africans.

The report says the 2014 Brand Africa 100 is based on a survey among a representative sample of eight countries, covering the major sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions to establish the base top 100 most admired brands. These countries, Ghana and Nigeria (West Africa; Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (East Africa); DRC (Central Africa), and Mozambique and South Africa (Southern Africa).

Collectively, these countries represent 51 percent (477m) of SSA population and 67 percent ($1,065trn) of Africa’s GDP. Their countries’ brands are also often the dominant brands with a dominant influence and consumer base within their regions.

Presently, Nigeria has the highest population in Africa, and the recent re-basing of the economy ranked it the largest economy in Africa. Nigerian economy in 2013 received a total of $21 billion of foreign currency remittances out of $32 billion remittances into Africa.

In the report, pan-African telecoms giant, MTN, topped the African list as the most valuable and most admired African brand.

This was contained in a ranking of the most admired and most valuable brands in SSA by African Business magazine in partnership with Brand Africa, Brand Finance Africa and TNS.

At $5.4 billion, MTN is the only African brand valued over a billion dollars. Apple, at $105 billion replaced Samsung as the most valuable non-African brand, while Coca Cola retained its position as the most admired non-African brand in Africa. Coca Cola toppled MTN as the overall most admired brand in Africa.

The most admired regional brands are MTN (Southern Africa), Glo (West Africa), Tusker (East Africa) and Marsavco (Central Africa). The most valuable regional brands are MTN (Southern Africa), Dangote Industries (West Africa), Safaricom (East Africa), and Marsavco (Central Africa).

The report says non-African brands have continued to set the pace, commanding 77 of the 100 entries in the most admired brands and 99 percent of the most valuable brands ranking. While African brands have retained a similar number of brands among the most admired (23), African brands have not lost any value year to year ($11bn), as their brands have not gained any market share globally and their worth has declined in relative terms (from 2% of total value in 2013 to only 1%).

South Africa, with 11 of the 23 African brands, remains the most dominant branding nation, accounting for 91 percent of the value of the brands. Kenya at 5 percent and Nigeria at 3 percent round off the top three, which make up 99 percent of the value of African brands.

Established in 2011, Brand Africa 100 measures and ranks the brands that consumers admire and their corresponding value.

Daniel Obi

conyema12:
Nigeria doesn't have a single cultural lifestyle. This is very evident with different tribes in the country. An igbo man will not be comfortable having a Sultan in Sokoto as the ruler. ..I hope you understand what I mean

conyema12:
But our political structure (Executive Legislative and Judiciary) is not different from that of most western democratic nations that is less corrupt.

The difference to me still remains the people in this structures. These are the people that will enact policies that will eradicate corruption and move the economy. But these people (legislators) are corrupt themselves and their nefarious activities of enriching themselves at the detriment of the nations economy thrives only in a corrupt ridden society.

conyema12:
I will slightly disagree with you on that...
A typical example that readily comes to mind is the issue of our PIB where the law makers are been bribed by major oil giants in Nigeria not to pass the bill.

You will agree with me that the Bill is a major game changer that will instil the needed structure in the system

Secondly is the subsidy issue where the same law makers are being bribed to truncate the ruling( otedola and farook).

Its quite agreeable that structures when properly imposed will eradicate corruption in the system. However the polices for instituting these structures will be enacted by the same set of corrupt, egocentric, pot-bellied, gate scalers in the house of assembly that got to that seat through electoral malpractice.

So corruption presupposes all of them.

BlackTechnology:
Not all our reserve that should be used.

10% of $30b is equals to $3b


This can help

1) convert over 20,000sqkm of our land into agricultural fields generating so much raw materials that can crash the cost of doing agro-allied businesses thereby crashing the price of their finished products which will help reduce the amount of money leaving peoples pockets.

2) tap our other natural resources and process them.

3) produce/manufacture the products we import.

akoaki:
American economy is as rugged as the americans. If opec is thinking of outplaying usa in anyway, america will have the last laugh. Opec members should wake up and address the current problem with speed and utmost caution.

atlwireles:
Corruption will be better checked when people actually feel the direct impact of government cost. Just imagine 40 million Nigerians withdrawing monies from their bank accounts and paying taxes directly to FIRS yearly. Both the quality of our civil service and the people we elect will change overnight.

prettyboi1989:
Where did they get their facts from that the US shale oil boom won't last? The us has an estimate 4.8 trillion barrels of shale oil deposits so tell me how that's gona deplete so soon? The reason why us is still buying saudi's crude oil is because the quality is lower than the one produced in nigeria, hence they prefer buying low quality oil at a cheap price. Nigeria has stopped selling crude oil to the us since the beginning of this year. So basically the petrol we getting is what we send to us to refine and send back at a high price. Just like in the case of cocoa in other african countries.

Adminisher:
Another problem for Nigeria is that our competitors and customers are on an import substitution strategy. The US is not interested in exports of oil and gas even though they have started competing with us in LNG. What they want is a strategy to add value typically to petrochemical and for the first time in years, refineries in Texas have been having cheaper raw material coming from just next door the the Dakota's and Utah.
So Nigeria is competing with people who don't have to put oil on tankers to send abroad to the customers. Logistics cost savings alone will keeps the price differentials interesting. Advanced economies like Russia and US competing in the oil sector is very bad for us. Putin himself has started intense economic diplomacy this week to Turkey and India.

NafeesaAA:
Throughout the inferno, no troop abandon or ran away, they all stood and fought off all fire from Boko Haram. Them Boko Haram thought it was going to be like the initial successful attack they carried out last year December, in which massive destruction was melted on our security agencies. This time it was a different ball game, the NA really did great and made everyone proud, All my sources are saying Boko Haram left Damaturu with a hard lesson learnt. Many of them killed and many more arrested.