₦airaland Forum

redsun: This is the peak of human development.A state of Self actualization,not cheap stealing like nigeria elders who havent even attain the basic stage of human development,a stage of overcoming hunger and all the basics.

Tusky44: "The Excess Crude savings, a component of the reserves, was also used to stimulate the economy at the height of the global financialcrisis to the tune of about $1 billion (or 0.5 percent of our 2009 GDP). As a result, Nigeria is one the few countries in the world that didnot seek assistance from international financial institutions."

Really? Seek assistance from what international financial institution? Of course there was no need for that cos the mallam at the CBN foisted the local banks with some 600 billion naira loan after he alleged the economy would collapse as a result of the global financial meltdown. Soludo authoritatively told us we were insulated from the 2008 crises cos we were running a cash-based economy therefore, a credit crunch as it was called, had nothing to do with Nigeria's economy.

Maku just like his clueless boss GEJ, though i support him for 2015 ... is a very local breed. A local unintelligent mongrel, a glorified local champion like sincere9gerian.. That notwithstanding, GEJ for 2015 - 2019 in case you were already thinking i have changed my mind.

http://saharareporters.com/sports-page/controversial-egyptian-referee-booted-africa-cup
Posted: January 27, 2013 - 22:06
By SR Sports
Egyptian referee, Ghead Grisha, who was at the centre in the Group C match between Nigeria and Cup holders Zambia in Nelspruit on Friday, has been sacked from the 29th Africa Cup of Nations.

Grisha hugged the headlines on the negative side when he awarded a highly controversial penalty against the Super Eagles four minutes from time. The resulting goal enabled the champions to draw level in the game at Mbombela Stadium.

A top official of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on Sunday that the 36-year old, who became an international referee in 2008, will take no further part in the on-going championship in South Africa.

“He has been sent home. He will have no further action at this Cup of Nations. His decisions did not tally with best practices of the refereeing profession and we would not allow anyone to start re-writing the rules of the game here,” said the official.

CAF’s decision came as the Super Eagles settled down at their Hunters’ Rest abode in Rustenburg ahead of Tuesday’s must-win final Group C clash with the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.

If Nigeria wins the tie, it will move into the second round of the competition.

ayox2003: Op, where and how did he lambast GEJ? SMH

Uk's economy is on the decline. Their GDP is at -0.3% while ours is at 6.7%. So Cameron doesn't have any right to lambast our country.

If not for the mess they created, we should be at par with Singapore by now.


Frawzey

J12: The choice for the best ever Nigerian president is now very subjective, just like the greatest footballer ever or the best rapper ever.
To me, I regard Sani Abacha as the best president Nigeria has ever had and OBJ as the worst.

Chamber10: Nice one from Anambra. I actually watched the tour and I was impressed by Obi's performance and accountability notwithstanding the small allocation and revenue generation of the state.

jmoore: The Abia state commissioner of information said that T.A. Orji is to Abia state what Nelson Mandela is to South Africa.
He said this on radio describing T.A.Orji as a liberator of the people of Abia state. He blamed the current condition of the state on the former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother who held the state under spell.
The commissioner said what T.A.Orji is doing now is laying a good foundation for future governors of the state.


Listening to this commissioner comparing T.A.Orji to Mandela was like a big insult to the people of South Africa and those who know the life of Nelson Mandela.
What did T.A.Orji achieve in his first term? F9
Laying good foundation? Everytime a governor comes in he/she will start a new foundation..smh

Warri _Pikin: The ediot that did this comparison should immediately apologize to Nelson Mandela and all black people in the world for this insult!
T.A Orji is only comparable to LAWRENCE ANINI. Anini is even better because he never hid the fact that he was a professional armed robber.

ijcu: is this really true
Pls also improve security so that we can freely visit ??
If u are really working sir, then GOD bless u, anambra needs a good leader.


Mod pls frontpage

Sincere 9gerian: Labaran Maku, Nigeria’s Information Minister, writes a rejoinder to a keynote delivered by Oby Ezekwesili at the 42nd convocation of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and published on PREMIUM TIMES.

The recent statements by Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili at UNN’s convocation ceremony on January 24, 2013, betray a surprisingly limited understanding of government finances. These statements are even more curious in light of the fact that she has held senior positions in government, and more recently, a position as a Vice President of the World Bank. However, rather than speculate about her motives, we would focuson the facts.

The statement by the former WorldBank Vice President that the governments of Presidents Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan have squandered $67 billion in reserves (including $45 billion in external reserves and $22 billion inthe Excess Crude Account) left by the Obasanjo Administration at theend of May 2007 is factually incorrect. At the end of May 2007, Nigeria’s gross reserves stood at$43.13 billion – comprising the CBN’s external reserves of $31.5 billion, $9.43 billion in the Excess Crude Account, and $2.18 billion in the Federal Government’s savings. These figures can be independently verified from the CBN’s records.

The figure of $67 billion alleged in her statement is therefore clearly fictitious.

However, since President Obasanjo left office, the reserves have experienced fluctuations, rising from $43.13 billion in May 2007, peaking at $62 billion in September2008 during the Yar’adua/Jonathan Administration when oil prices peaked at $147 perbarrel, and falling subsequently to a low of $31.7 in September 2011. This fall in reserves was a result of the vicissitudes of the global financial crisis which caused CBN interventions in the currency market to defend the value of the naira.

The Excess Crude savings, a component of the reserves, was also used to stimulate the economy at the height of the global financialcrisis to the tune of about $1 billion (or 0.5 percent of our 2009 GDP). As a result, Nigeria is one the few countries in the world that didnot seek assistance from international financial institutions. It should be noted that the fiscal stimulus used to shore up the economy during that period was shared by all 3-tiers of government, including commitments of about $5.5 billion made under the Obasanjo Administration for power projects.

On the use of reserves, it is fallacious to say that the nation’s external reserves were dipped intoor misapplied by the Federal Government. It is important to note that the Federal Government cannot dip its hands into external reserves. Like in other countries, the management of external reserves is one of the statutory mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Section 2 sub-section (c) of the CBN Act (2007) states that the Bank shall “maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency” – in other words, to defend the value of the Naira.

No President since the democratic dispensation has contravened this Act.
Other uses of the reserves are to settle both public and private sector foreign currency obligationsof Nigeria, including the importation of goods such as equipment for power sector. Whenever a ministry or agency of government needs to incur approved expenditure in foreign currency (e.g. payment of goods and services, settlement of externaldebt, etc) it must provide the naira equivalent to the CBN before the Bank sells the required foreign currency. As a former World Bank Vice-President for Africa, surely, Mrs. Ezekwesili must have known this.

We also found Mrs. Ezekwesili’s interrogation of the educational system somewhat disingenuous and borderline hypocritical. During her tenure as Minister of Educationbetween 2006 and 2007, she collected a total sum of N352.3 billion from direct budgetary releases. In addition, she received about N65.8 billion under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Fund, and over N40 billion from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) during her time as Minister of Education. In view of these humongous allocations, a few legitimate questions arise. What did she do with all these allocations? What impact did it have on the education sector? One wonders if our educational system would have been better today if these allocations were properly applied.

No one disputes that Nigeria still faces challenges, most of which were built up over a long time. But we need to acknowledge the significant achievements of this administration in the aftermath of difficult but necessary macroeconomic and structural reforms being implemented in the country.

http://premiumtimesng.com/opinion/117413-ezekwesili-got-it-wrong-by-labaran-maku.html?wpmp_tp=1

Techwriter: The smartest president Nigeria ever produced with a very interesting sense of humor

take dat: Except the bootlickers of the Villla and few gullible youths, I doubt if any sensible person takes O'Mockery serious!

JomoGbomo2: No, the title should have been OBAMA ORDERS NIGERIA'S INTERVENTION IN MALI

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111670:obama-backs-nigerias-intervention-in-mali-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559
SATURDAY, 26 JANUARY 2013 00:00 FROM LAOLU AKANDE, NEW YORK NEWS - NATIONAL
PRESIDENT Barack Obama has thrown his full weight behind the Nigeria-led African International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).

The US President, who resumed his second term in office last Sunday, is calling for prompt international action to fully establish the Nigerian-led African force

This is as the United Nations Security Council had pondered on the same issue at least twice during the week at the New York headquarters of the global body.

Although Obama did not announce specific measures, The Guardian learnt that the US has been playing strategic role in facilitating the movements and logistics for Nigeria troops.

A White House statement released on Friday night disclosed that both Obama and President Francois Hollande of France spoke earlier in the day over the situation in Mali, among others and they actually “emphasised the need to rapidly establish the African-led International Support Mission in Mali.”

Nigeria’s Major-General Shehu Usman Abdulkadir leads the force.

The outcome of the Obama and Hollande’s telephone discussion released by White House caps what has, in fact, been a raft of international actions on Mali and Nigeria’s role in it, as one of the major international players.

Nigeria is taking the lead in quelling what is clearly a contagious crisis laced dangerously by terrorist networks from Boko Haram, Ansaru and the terrorists’ rebels in Mali.

UN officials warned, over the weekend, that, “as developments unfold in Mali, the risks for infiltration and destabilisation are real in some of the countries bordering Mali.”

This was, as illustrated “by the efforts of neighbouring countries to tighten security along the borders,” Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, told the Security Council in a briefing on Friday.

For instance, in an interview with the CNN and Al Jazeera earlier in the week, President Goodluck Jonathan made the connection between Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria and the rebels in Mali, saying in one of the media chats that Boko Haram trains terrorists in Mali.

Besides, at the UN, Secretary Ban Ki-moon wrote to the Security Council on Monday, that Nigeria and other nations in AFISMA would need international support, a theme Obama and Hollande repeated on Friday.

Fielding questions from the UN media, Ban said his letter to the Council outlined, “options for a UN logistical support package to AFISMA.”

“In order for AFISMA to become operational and implement its mandated tasks, the force requires critical logistical support,” he said.

On Tuesday, top UN officials told members of the UN Security Council at a meeting that Nigeria had already suffered an attack for its perceived role in Mali.

According to Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs, while addressing the UN Security Council on the Mali situation, told the members that, “Nigerian troops on the way to Mali had been attacked on 20 January in northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram.”

Specifically regarding Mali, the White House said President Obama “expressed his support for France’s leadership of the international community’s efforts to deny terrorists a safe haven in Mali.”

President Hollande thanked President Obama for the significant support provided by the United States to this effort, while “the two leaders emphasised the need to rapidly establish the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, as well as the importance of the Interim Government of Mali establishing a political roadmap that will lead to elections and restoration of democratic governance.”

The UN Security Council also received reports from the deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Sarki that “Nigeria had commenced the accelerated deployment of 1,200 troops to Mali.”

Sarki disclosed that ECOWAS Heads of State and Government had also recently endorsed Nigerian Major General Shehu Usman Abdulkadir as Force Commander of AFISMA, adding that the role of President Jonathan, as an Associate Mediator in Mali, was another reflection of Nigeria’s deep concern and interest in the security situation in Mali and the region as a whole.

But there are challenges. The UN Secretary-General himself noted that, “humanitarian agencies are working to meet the growing needs of a crisis that has forced 350,000 people to flee their homes.”

While Nigeria deployed a battalion, other troops were being mobilised from Benin, Senegal and Togo, the agreed envisaged AFISMA strength of 3,300 personnel still had to be increased if it was to engage effectively in offensive operations and enhance force protection, the UN official said.

Feltman disclosed that, “AFISMA is currently facing critical gaps, including communications capacity, air mobility and medical capabilities.”

As President Jonathan warned in his media chats this week, Mr. Djinnit, who heads the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), said the situation in Mali has heightened the overall terrorism threat in the sub-region, adding that the international community must remain mindful of the limitations faced by Mali’s neighbours, and enhance support in the areas of border control and counter-terrorism, among others.

Afam4eva: Like Obama, Like Goodluck Jonathan. Do you know what these two people have in common? From the get go, majority of people especially from majority groups have been praying for them to fail. While Jonathan has heeded to this call, Obama hasn't. Very soon they'll tell obama to resign for drinking a coffee that was made in afghanistan. This people are sounding like the opposition parties we know in Nigeria.

Sincere 9gerian: I wish they could hand them over today. I have seen govts come and go but the govt of GEJ, in my opinion, is God sent. I am SO EXCITED about privatization of PHCN.

Virgin Finder: I just don't see this merger pulling through.
Even if it does, they'll have to field a Yoruba presidential candidate (which I strongly doubt) to get the SW's backing otherwise they would have been engaging in a futile academic exercise.
Yorubas never play second fiddle.
We'll rather support GEJ!!!

watchinglagos: The federal government in the 70s and 80s established estates in Lagos from Gowon and Shagari estates in Ipaja, Festac town, satellite town (with many multinationals building estates there, notable shell, Chevron, flour mills etc including CBN estates 1&2).
After moving the state capital to Abuja these estates were abandoned and have been left to rot. Residents of these areas have claimed they cannot pay tax to the Lagos State Government because it was built by the FG. The same FG that has neglected them. Festac for example is having some roads fixed by the Amuwo LGA whose secretariat is situated there but the little they are doing isn't enough as some roads remain unmotorable.
The questions many have been asking, who is responsible for the maintenance of these estates?
Over to you nairalanders

http://www.watchinglagos.com/2013/01/who-should-fix-federal-estates-in-lagos.html

ROSSIKE: STOP CALLING IT ''POOR OFFCIATING''.
CALL IT WHAT IS IS: FRAUDULENT OFFICIATING PERPETRATED BY CRIMINALS IN THE CORRIDORS OF POWER AT CAF, IN CAHOOTS WITH THEIR BACKERS AND COLLABORATORS.

ajbabs: Wait,what of ife- ondo road dualisation, ife- Osu - Ilesha. Ilesha- oshogbo among others. y hate for no reason?

danjohn: Demdem please dont be too quick to say that. In 2011 GEJ won 99% in Abia, 99% in Anambra, 98% in Imo, 95.6% in Ebonyi, and 98.5% in Enugu. In total GEJ got 4,985,246 votes in the Southeast while Buhari got 20,335 votes. GEJ netted 4,964,911 votes in the Southeast alone.

On the other hand in the Northwest, Buhari got 6,453,437 votes while GEJ got 3,395,437 votes. In the Northeast, Buhari got 3,624,919 votes while GEJ got 1,832,622. In the Northwest Buhari netted 3,057,713 votes and in the Northeast he netted 1,792,297 votes. Combined, in the Northwest and Northeast Buhari netted 4,850,010 votes (excluding Taraba and Adamawa which are not Buhari strong holds, Buhari netted 5,207,166 votes in the NW and NE).

The point I am trying to make is that the Southeast alone allows Jonathan to neutralize Buhari's advantage in the Northwest and Northeast. Hence, the future opposition candidate must work hard to win votes in the Southeast. As you can see, the biggest advantage that PDP has is that even when they lose states in a Presidential election, they are always a respectable second place finisher. While the opposition can win the Presidential election without winning the Southeast, it cannot win without at least 20% or 25% of the votes in the Southeast and the Southsouth.

Demdem at the end of the day, we cannot make dismissive remarks about a region where we need to attract votes.

Vanguard investigations show that deep craters and gully-like potholes have resurfaced at several sections along the expressway, causing unprecedented traffic gridlock. The palliative repairs by the Federal Ministry of Works and its agency, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, which involved pouring laterite and granite on the bad spots, lasted only a few weeks before they were washed away by floods.

Commuters who plied the road a few days to the Christmas, literally went through hell as a result of the traffic snarl which was aggravated by the worsening state of the road and the rush by importers to clear their goods from the ports before the public holidays declared by the Federal Government to mark the festival.

Vanguard gathered that the road would not have gone into its present state of disrepair if the Federal Government which rakes in over a trillion Naira as revenue from the ports, had reacted promptly to various pleas by the Lagos State Government.

Mkpotu: In Lagos State,
1. Maintenance & Reconstruction of the 3rd Mainland Bridge.
2. Reconstruction of the Apapa/ Mile 2/Oshodi Express way
3.Celebrating & Recognising MKO Abiola potentials thus renaming Unilag in favour MAULAG
4. Public Private Partnership
5. Rehabilitation of the Lagos Airpots
6. A whole lot of others.

cjfavour: GEJ does nt have anything to do with onitsha owerri road. On onitsha inland port,dts laughable. Is there anything like dt nt to talk of completion? GEJ did nt start it and they'v nt finishd it. How many ships have anchored there? Are u aware dt they'v nt dredged d niger river? PO and GEJ sold us a donkey when GEJ came for commisioning. My anger is why d N/A have nt askd question where all d money d govt have bn expending there is going. It beats me. That structure have bn like dt since OBJ era. Meanwhile tell ur brother dt onitsha ds nt enjoy electricity s they used to b4 he came on board.

Paul John: ~Resurrection of the Nigeria Railway (oshogbo terminal)
~Dualization of Oshogbo,Ikirun - Kwara boundary(hoping the state gov would be paid back I.e. It's a federal road)
~ still thinking.... (Nothing more)

Josh090: But I've seen on many occasions where they are given live animals. Maybe its because these are cubs, but the older ones are given live goats.

Ijebulogic: Assessment of being articulate is relative to one's level of education , background and standards. It therefore will not be progressive to debate that here.
However i fault our dear commander in chief on two points:
1. Power has NOT improved in the eyes of the average Nigerian as claimed. Over the last quarter i have spent more on diesel and petrol that any other household expense and the PHCN office in my area has almost become a meeting place for residents every evening as we queue up to complain.

2. Major change in Power supply by the end of the year? How? where is the Gas, how long does it take to procure, import and install transmission lines and activate the DISCOs and metering systems? Very untrue sir.

taharqa: What are you saying? Its not a must that every person should comment on every issue plz

ROSSIKE: You have to give it to the Jonathan government..
It's a government of Action like we've not seen in a long time in this country.
I mean, there are noticeable improvements in Power, Rail, Communication, you name it. The economy is on the upswing. People are making money. Clean money with the power of ideas. The airports are being renovated. The federal roads are being fixed throughout the country, with very little fanfare.
And now, who in their right mind can doubt them when they say they're setting up a befitting national airline for the country?
You'd be absolutely crazy to doubt them, because when they say they'll do something, they generally deliver.