₦airaland Forum

Osyfellaini:
Musa Jack Ngonadi, the son of former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has been released from a California prison after 22 years.
Musa was living in the United States with his mum, late Edith Ike Okongwu, when he was arrested in November 18, 1992 at age 23.
Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Customs Service arrested him for conspiring to import in excess of one kilogram of heroin. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the allegedly smuggling heroin from source countries.
NAIJ.COM TV

Stale news!! About 3 other threads have already been opened on the same subject, before your own...

Why don't you people check what other threads have been created on the same topic before you go ahead to start your own?? Enough of this 'copy-cat, follow-follow' mentality....

_*mtcheew

Is this a joke??

Here is some info on the on-going state of works on the rail project that Lagos State govt is executing along Lagos-Badagry expressway and other areas;

LAGOS RAIL MASS TRANSIT

Introduction:
The Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) network is a major component of the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) which has been developed to guide as a compass for the development of public transport infrastructures in the State. The STMP is a 30 year plan put together under series of intensive researches, studies and analyses of future transportation demands and needs of Lagos State as Nigeria's commercial and economic hub and one of the world's fastest growing mega cities.

COMPONENT OF LURN
The Lagos Urban Rail Network (LURN) is a network of urban rail-based systems covering seven major corridors of high commuter traffic demand within and beyond the metropolitan Lagos extending to border areas with States like Ogun and Oyo.

The Urban Rail Network consists of seven (7) railway lines planned along priority and high commuter demand corridors within the Lagos metropolis and farther. The 7 lines link the major population and activity centres in the state, as well as taking advantage, where possible, of existing transport corridors.

The network is fully integrated with planned and existing water transport and BRT routes. These lines are:
Blue Line - Okokomaiko to Marina
Red Line - Agbado to Marina via Iddo and Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA)

The Blue and Red Lines are priority routes, which are already at advanced stages for immediate development.

Other routes for development are:
Green Line -Marina to Lekki (Airport)
Yellow Line -Otta to Iddo
Purple Line Redeem to Ojo
Orange Line- Redeem to Marina
Brown Line- Mile 12 to Marina

The North-South corridor between Agbado and Iddo along the Nigerian Railway corridor; the Eastern corridor to serve the emerging development along the Lekki to Epe axis; and the western corridor along the Mile2 - Okokomaiko axis.
Others are: Marina to Lekki axis, Redeem to Ojo, Otta to Iddo, Redeem to Marina and Mile 12 to Marina route. The seven corridors will be connected by a central ring road between Victoria Island and Lagos Island.

Blue Line Rail Project: The Blue Line is a 27 km rail road with thirteen stations from Okokomaiko to Marina. The Blue Line is undergoing construction right in the middle of Lagos-Badagry Expressway which government is currently expanding and redeveloping into a ten-lane international gateway. Apart from rail, the infrastructure design also includes provision for BRT and multimode integration with Non-Motorized Transport [NMT] such as pedestrian walkways and overhead bridges for safe access by passengers to rail and bus stations.

Work commenced in August 2009 for construction of the Blue Line rail infrastructure, awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) as a design and build contract. CCECC prepared the detailed plan, design and construction works for the rail infrastructure. These works includes stations, roadbed, bridges, permanent way (P-way) tracks works, pedestrian ways and other associated fixed infrastructure.

All survey work, a proportion of the detailed design work and mobilisation of contractor was completed between August 2009 and August 2010. The fixed infrastructure is to be implemented in phases and actual construction work commenced with a ground breaking ceremony attended by His Excellency, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on 26th July 2010. Construction works are ongoing for the first phase section between National Theatre and Mile 2. The infrastructure for the first phase is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2014 while operation would commence after the conclusion of negotiation with the concessionaire, which isexpected to provide the rolling stock, operate and manage the rail line

Proposed Trains: The types of trains proposed for the Blue Line Rail Project are Electric Multiple Units (EMUs). EMUs are emissions free and therefore do not pose problems of environmental pollution usually associated with conventional diesel locomotives. EMUs are proven to be more efficient and easier to maintain than diesel locomotives.

Initially, the Blue Line will carry 400,000 passengers daily with capacity increased to 700,000 passengers daily when the rail route becomes fully operational. To incorporate the use of EMUs, a depot including power generating plant has been proposed for construction at the final western most station, Okokomaiko. The depot will serve as train maintenance and repair yard, sidings, final train destination, office complex and power station.

The selected concessionaire will be responsible for providing rolling stock, operations and maintenance for a 25 year period. These include station operations, staffing, maintenance, ticketing, cleaning, information, services kiosk, centres and all other services needed to provide excellent train services for passengers.

Once the Blue Line becomes operational, rail public transport will be incorporated into the integrated ticketing and fare systems making travel between different modes a seamless operation. This seamless approach will also be applied to provision of information about other transport modes and time tables between different modes [BRT, LRT, Ferry, etc] at rail stations to enable precision journey planning.
http://www.lamata-ng.com/rail_services.php

Aareonakakanfo:
I told you to sign the petition yesterday, but you declined.I don't even want you to tell me anymore, I'll find out myself.
and besides why you wan know sef

Egbon mi atata...... I'll give you the answer in like 3 months, when I have mastered the intricacies of Yoruba language.

Mo ti n'gbi yanju lati ko ede naa.

IlekeHD:
Jor na

Okunrin meta atabo. Ewure fifun laparo fifun. Esin elegan....jor oko wa.

I have the impression you are saying something naughty to him. Oya, please kindly translate....

Aareonakakanfo:
I'll tell you when you and laudate finally reveal your identities

This is so unfair...

Aareonakakanfo:
Laudate

I don't know if there is difference between comparative advantage and competitive advantage.I get it mixed up but the competitive advantage of the south-west is leveraged on its strategic assets of commonality of language, customs and culture among its peoples,a youthful population and most importantly huge human and material resources including a large knowledgeable Diaspora. vast arable land for agriculture,and the presence of extensive mineral deposits etc. Equally, The south-west has great tourism potentials due to the peculiarity of its history and distinct geography, and capabilities in ICT and other skilled professions

Thanks for your response. But how can each of these qualities or features be harnessed for the development of the region?? If everyone can brainstorm on this and come up with viable ideas, then such ideas can be put together in a document that would serve as a blueprint for the next line of action.

IlekeHD:
We mentioned agriculture, ICT and business in previous pages.

Yes, I remember, but I am more interested in how a methodology can be fashioned out to help the unemployed tap into these areas. First, they need information. As stated earlier, this can be provided through various community associations, trade groups, religious organisations, schools and media houses.

Next they need financing. Now CBN is offering the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), the Agricultural Credit Support Scheme (ACSS), the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) and Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) through various banks. But how many existing and prospective farmers have access to it?

These farmers need to submit documentation which most of them do not have, or do not have the educational capacity to put together in the prescribed format required by the CBN. This is where professionals at home and in the diaspora can come in.

If they can offer consultancy services to these farmers at a subsidised rate or for free, to help them package their documentation in the right way, then these farmers can access the funds through their banks.

Such services can be offered on a quarterly or bi-annual basis, similar to those medical missions that are often packaged by medical personnel working abroad, who fly back to the country once or twice a year to offer medical care to the poor and indigent folks in the hinterlands.

MayorofLagos:
Hello Everyone!

Economically each region has a comparative advantage. What is ours in Yorubaland? If we don't know it, the opportunity to define it exists now.

Im an advocate for process. We lack properly defined concepts and process for what to do or how to actuate drive for transformative projects on our land. Our Executives must use that as a foundation for their programs so successes can be transferred, improved and sustained.

What is Yoruba comparative advantage in the economy of Nigeria and the West African belt?

Ideas, anyone??

IlekeHD:
I think the common theme I'm witnessing is that information is not well spread out.

Radio Kudirat?

Yes, information can be disseminated through each of the radio stations/media houses in the South-West. They should devote like an hour every day to discuss such opportunities and point people in the right direction.

Another avenue for getting information across to the masses is through community associations, churches, mosques, schools and farmers' collectives.

tolex29:
Now, I have always been an advocate of rail transport in Lagos. No reasonable person, who's seen how rail transport works EFFECTIVELY outside Nigeria would not be a strong supporter of this. The young, old, men, women, rich and poor utilize this medium of transportation abroad thereby de-congesting the roads and it's a huge income earner for the government...huge I say.

The images below is a simple pictorial that clearly shows the different forms of land transport for a hugely populated city like Lagos.

I pick picture 3 because not only does it bring about less congestion, it has its own dedicated lane and therefore traffic gridlock is non existent. Ambode should revamp what we have now because the trains in Lagos are somewhat 'ol'skool'. We need modern rail systems (high speed trains, diesel and electric trains, etc) in Lagos as the most sane solution to our daily traffic problems. Imagine taking a fast train from Ikorodu to VI; now it takes nothing less than 3 hours with a car (that is if you leave your house early o), with a train it could take less than 30 minutes. Imagine if all those trucks going to Apapa had dedicated trains transporting their containers while the road is left for other vehicles around that axis, what would Apapa look like today?

Anyways, let me see your picks and reasons, not everybody will pick 3.

I challenge governor Ambode to make a choice too!!! Seun, oya over to you.

Where have you been?? Lagos State govt has been constructing a new rail system along the Lagos-Badagry expressway for a few years now. Work is still in progress....

Where is it located?? Does it have any issues?? Can it fly for =N=1 million??

Aareonakakanfo:
Lol 9jacrip looks like all those guys who used to sit down at the front row in secondary school

They don't pass chips and na dem dey answer question pass .They're always there to rescue the otondos at the back when teachers ask questions.

Iya agba I know you fall into this category people like iya agba were those type who all they do is roll their compass and draw lines till chips arrive

Dem they always get complete maths instrument

LOL! You used the word 'chips.' Did you attend Unilag, by any chance?? The first time I heard that word, was in that school. Back then, I actually thought they were referring to plantain chips!

But you sound like someone who went to Ife, though....

Aareonakakanfo:
Fayose Commends Odua Investment over N150 Million Dividend
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose
Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has commended Odua Investment Company Limited for paying N150 million dividend to the five states, which own the company.

Fayose said the N30 million, which Ekiti got from the money would go a long way at alleviating the sufferings of the people and impact meaningfully on the economy if well invested.

The governor, who spoke in Ado Ekiti said the payment of the dividend after about six years that the conglomerate failed to give anything to the owner-states was commendable and showed that the group still had the interest of the people at heart.

He said: "I am happy that the management of the conglomerate has been able to improve on the fortunes of the company. The N30 million given to each of the owner-states is an encouragement to the states to further support the company.

"The management was able to raise the revenue base of the company for the year 2014 and recorded some profits despite the tough economic terrain we are in. I want to implore the management not to rest on their oars. They must continue to raise the standard...

Good work. Odua Investments had one of the best textile mills known as Odua Textile at the border between Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, in those days. I don't think the textile mill is still functional, anymore. But I have been impressed by the efforts of the South-West governors to keep the Odua Investment Group functional for so many years. Their slogan has always been "sustaining the heritage of the people."

It used to be run by govt appointees in the past, but about a decade ago, the governors decided to run it as 'an independent private commercial venture by independent Board of Directors comprising seasoned professionals with vast experience in business and human resources management.'

They brought in skilled technocrats to manage the corporation, and invited enterprising Yoruba industrialists such as the late Otunba Jobi-Fele of Jobitex, Chief Ade-Ojo of Toyota etc., to serve as Chairmen and board members. The fortunes of Odua Group were revived, and today its' revenue is about =N=4.29 billion, out of which =N=150 million was paid as dividends to its shareholders.

superstar1:
The traffic on this Lagos-Ibadan does not have part 2.

It's 24 --. You cannot finish it.

They should just construct a tram or train to run parallel alongside that road. This should ease the traffic on that expressway.

new2020:
I'm listening to Radio Biafra right now and hearing the voice of the deputy director. You bloody yoruba liars. Go and focus on your Odua Republic... leave us SS and SE alone. JUST GO!

Ehn?? Don't allow Yoruba people to catch you, o! The federal govt will hack it again!

Arogunmasa:
I do not know wether under the current arrangement states can be alllow to generate, distribute and transmit electricity. Energy is pivotal to development, states must be allowed to generate and utilise their own electricity.

Yes, states can generate their own electricity using captive generation plants as Independent Power Producers (IPPs), but they need to sell such power to their people through the DISCOs - Distribution Companies, after signing Power Purchase Agreements (PPA). However, they need to get all the relevant approvals and licenses before generating and selling such power to end users via the DISCOs.

Wait, o! How many of you are advertising this vehicle on Nairaland?? Kindly see this: https://www.nairaland.com/2715164/nigeria-fairly-used-range-rover

Is this a 2-wheel drive or a 4-wheel drive?? Kindly confirm.

Raiders:
That's Gowon son. There are many people who name their kids another tribe name. just because Gowon is a strict Christian does not mean he didn't sleep around and have councubines.

Gowon did not have concubines. He dated Edith Ike-Okongwu, when he was a single man. They later broke up and he ended up marrying his present wife, Victoria. Do your research.

Candybob:
A madman! But of a calibre adequately depicted by your signature! One who fought for the freedom of his people, who were openly slaughtered by their countrymen!

Unfortunately, when a madman confronts a criminal of the magnitude of Gowon, the story changes to sorry!

You insult geniuses who are regarded as madmen because of their brilliant, unusual ideas, when you label Ojukwu as one. Nah! He led his people into a war he knew they could not win, and abandoned them at the last minute after lying that he was going to find a solution. Such an action is called 'cowardice,' in any language.

May the souls of all who lost their lives in that war, rest in peace.

Just curious. If Stanbic IBTC disposed of the software in 2012, why was it still paying for the same software from 2012 - 2015? To the extent that it was awaiting NOTAP approval in 2015 to enable it make the said payment?

Or are there two softwares under discussion here??

Orikinla:
He is older than 47, because he was born before the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970).
His mother Edith Ike-Mark Odu lived and worked in Nigeria for years.

Princess Edith-Ike Mark Odu, Nigeria's foremost female public relations manager holds a Ph.D in Public Relations and Government Affairs. She has been involved in information management activities in the private sector of the economy for over 20 years.

Her working experience has been characterized by many pioneering positions which include: First Scientific Librarian for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). She set up Nigeria's First Oil Library at the NNPC. She was the first female head of Administration, Lagos for Steyr Nigeria Limited, a Federal Government parastatal, before she joined Guinness Nigeria Plc, in 1986 as Head of Public Affairs.

She is both a member of the Nigerian Advisory Board of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), for Anglophone West Africa, a United Nations Agency for the advancement of women and a member of the African council on Communication Education. She is the Vice President of the Women Empowerment Movement(WEM), an organization engaged with structuring strategies for enabling women's entry into Policy and Decision-Making through political participation and economic empowerment.

Read more: http://www.onlinenigeria.com/people/ad.asp?blurb=112#ixzz3qX298e9D

Musa Gowon is not older than 47. He was born during the civil war. His mother was the late Edith Ike. She died in December 2003. After her affair with General Yakubu Gowon in the late 60s which resulted in the birth of a baby boy named Musa, she later got married to Dr. Okongwu. Unfortunately, that marriage did not last. And then after a few years, she was fortunate to meet Nze Mark Odu, who she eventually married.

She took Gowon to court over an article that was alleged to have been defamatory to her name. A soft-sell magazine known as HINTS published by True Tales Publications was also joined in the suit. Gowon filed a counter-claim against her and the suit eventually got to the Supreme Court in 2003. The case was eventually dismissed. http://lawaspire.com.ng/2014/08/general-yakubu-gowon-v-mrs-edith-i-ike-okongwu-ors/

In 2002, she was diagnosed with cancer and later passed on in 2003. Here is an excerpt from a tribute written in her memory by Reuben Abati.

Letter from Edith Ike Mark-Odu | By Reuben Abati | Friday, December 19 2003

THE death of Princess Edith Ike Mark-Odu, whose long struggle with cancer, had generated considerable public interest, was announced on Sunday, last week, about the same time that we all received the news that Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi strongman now turned US prisoner, had been smoked out of an 8 feet hole, and captured. The Saddam story predictably overshadowed the Princess story. Those who were privileged to know Princess Edith Ike Mark-Odu are bound to feel her departure deeply.

She was a strong personality, a vivid and exciting character, with a natural talent for life and living. In October 2002, while she was still on her hospital bed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), I had written in the Crossroads column, a tribute to the Princess. She not only read the piece, she managed in her characteristic manner to send a hand-written response, parts of which I reproduce below, as yet another tribute to this true princess, devoted intellectual, polygot (she spoke five languages) and loving mother of two sons, now a part of history. She was 56.

Ward E, LUTH, 26/02/03,

Dear Dr. Abati,

I am now well enough to begin to read some of the publications on my illness and myself and your contribution of October 27, an outstanding nay, most outstanding write-up is a masterpiece. As a matter of fact, the President of Champions of Women Development Foundation (COWDEF) of which I am National President" Consultants to USAID, USIS, UNIFEM, UNICEF on Democracy and Governance in the South-East who brought the write-up to my notice has promised to duplicate it for distribution at my father's funeral on March 21st. It will be on the other side of my profile which she has titled, "Princess Edith Ike Mark-Odu, Sir G.N. Ike's 3rd daughter who could not be here" her father's funeral."

I quickly approved of it because your treatise says it all - why I would be absent. I thank you very much for that wonderful show of friendship and fellowship. I can assure you that my funeral would be another 20 or 30-odd years; but whenever it does come, my children would endorse your write-up as a most befitting epitaph. I would like to make a few comments on the issues raised in your treatise.

There is no cancer ward in LUTH. Female cancer patients are in the female surgical ward where I am (E3) and the male ones are in the Male Surgical Ward.

My lungs were not affected by the cancer, but I had odium from a rejected transfusion. Both my lungs and pericardium (outer jacket of the heart) became flooded. I therefore suffered congestion in the lungs" it was very bad, as they had to be fighting the heart failure at the same time. All my internal organs (critical for monitoring cancer spread), are all patent.
You can see, it is not my turn to die - ha! Ha! Ha! (Halleluya!)

The yam festival - when I read your piece on that in 1998, I called you several times to correct the misconception which had been created by the naughty journalist from the Vanguard who told a lie about what happened both at the stadium and at the National Theatre, but you were never there when I called. Your not returning my call is an indication that you never got my messages called on by the Ikemba to go to the arena and carry out the "ritual". I was very surprised because I had not been warned. I was at the middle of a very long high table with about 10 "Igwes" on one side of me. I hurried out pleading with the Igwes to make way" i.e removing their heavy cloaks from the tiny space. I had to squeeze through.

When I got to the "Yam table" in the arena, a little man who had been sent by, perhaps, an Igwe, rushed up to the table to hold out to me an already cut roasted tuber of yam. That effort was to ensure that it will not be said that I cut the yam afterall, because anybody can cut yam that has already been cut/celebrated. I of course refused and pushed his yam away. He later reported that I even took the biggest yam tuber on the table. That was the source of their anger. I was not aware that any persons walked out. The media women (you know I am their consultant on Democracy and Governance) all rushed unto the arena and we all proceeded to eat the yam and dance - It was unbearable to most reactionary Igbo Igwes; The Eze Igbo of Lagos not exempted. Yet I am an Igbo Princess in Anambra and an Igbo Chief in Imo.

"Let them Eat Kolanut" was another beautiful piece in which you came out quite stridently to give our collective advocacy for women empowerment a robust support. The kolanut issue is very important to my movement because the grassroots women with whom COWDEF works in the East (South East) have identified it as critical to their empowerment, because that is where the youth learn that women are not really consequential. Of course you know that the Igbo woman is the most culturally marginalised. Indeed, almost all of the Igbo culture is predicated on how much each cultural situation or provision can denigrate women.

At the National Stadium, even as Special Guest of the occasion, I was refused the right as an Igbo chief to take my kolanut from the plate, by Peter Edochie who was chairman of the function (launching of Tony one-week's first album). My organisation UMUADA Forum had given Awards only four days back, to men and women who have been promoting Igbo women empowerment. Nze Mark-Odu got the Award for promoting the Human Rights of Women by promoting and advocating for, the offering of kolanut to women; i.e. supporting our advocacy in the grassroots.

I gave out the Awards as National President at our impressive ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel. How was I to accept that kind of indignity particularly as Peter made the issue public. I had quietly tugged at his cloak as he was standing by me instructing the MC who is Ike (somebody) who does the Igbo programme "Igbo kwenu" on NTA 10, to give the kolanut out to whom he named.

I informed him that he had omitted me. Instead of whispering back to me, he said it through the microphone that Princess wanted kolanut and that he was not going to give her because his ancestors would strike him dead that night if he did. I warned him that I would walk out even as the Guest of Honour - he dared me, so I did. The hall was full of mainly young Igbo youths, mainly from Alaba. It was very important that I demonstrated to them that we were serious in our advocacy to dismantle all the denigrating Igbo cultural practices against women.

Peter Edochie was a junior officer in NTA Enugu at the time I was already a General Manager of a government parastatal. He only sees me when I come for programmes at the NTA Enugu. He could talk to me because his wife whom he married during the war (when anything went) was my room mate at the Science School Lagos. Otherwise we had no meeting point until that occasion. I guess he was drunk with excitement to see himself sitting next to me and he had to pretend it was no big deal; and I say this with humility.

My more involved advocacy for women empowerment is expressed in my second book, "Widow Behind Bars" 1995 which debuted in Beijing, China under the auspices of UNIFEM. If I find a copy, I'll send it to you along these notes. Thanks for mentioning "Women on the Move..."

I am from the Royal Family of Aro-Ndikelionwu (Aguata) of Orunba North LGA in Anambra State. We are Aros originally from Abia State (Arochukwu). When the Aro kings made conquest, they posted out a son to administer the new territory. The Prince posted to the location where we now live is Ikelionwu and his location then became "People of Ikelionwu" which is what "Ndi-Ikelionwu" means. "Aro" used to be added as a prefix to indicate our "specie" of Igbo. The "aborigenes" in recent years protested that the town cannot belong to a single family and furthermore we are indicating that we are still Aro overlords by having the Aro prefix to the name of the town. A consensus was reached and the Aro prefix was dropped.

My father, until his death on December 30, 2002 was the Patriach of the Ike Royal family - because of his Western education and Christian upbringing (long story). He refused to be king, not to be messed up with the inevitable fetishism associated with such traditional engagements, particularly as of the time he could have ascended the throne. He had since crowned two nephews who wanted to be king - our late king and the current king. I do not choose to be called princess, I am a thick-blue-blooded Princess.

Yes, I did fall back on my inner reserve. I am not a good church-goer, largely because I do get exasperated with what happened in Churches for a long time now, but I know I am a good Christian. I held on to my faith believing very strongly that God will deliver me. He did. I am an enigma in this hospital because for as long as the pain could let me, I kept a smile on my face; since I know what my worried visitors did not know - I would live.

I begged God for strength and he cast me into a Rock. I went through the very difficult treatment processes like a soldier would. I did not know I had so much strength. God is really to be glorified.

These are some of the many "Angels" God sent to me to ensure my survival. And talking about "Angels", Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbunam had dazzled me with her concern for my life. If I should write of the miracles that happened through her intercession including the phenomenon of NONI (I shall discuss this later), I would need another page. For now, I would just say, as the Igbo would, "If you are my friend, when you see Ngozi (Ngo), hail her with a glass of wine - in gratitude." .
Read the rest here: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://kwenu.com/archive/abati_edithike.htm

May her soul continue to rest in peace.

Candybob:
Like father like son! His father was also a criminal who murdered millions, just so he could boast of been the Leader of the largest black nation. A fools dream!

...if his father is a criminal, what would you call the man who led his people to their death, and then abandoned them to run away to Ivory Coast??

BlackBaron:
Got any leads on helium gas?

No sir, am afraid not. We only trade in LPG for now.

IlekeHD:
I already know. And no, I'm not telling if she won't.

Aareonakakanfo:
Hmmmn i think its high time this mysterious laudate character reveals him/herself

We know you're not Yoruba but we want to know your tribe.

We want to know if you're male or female

You're as pro-Yoruba as everyone here

You're as knowledgeable as everyone here regarding Yoruba/South-west matters

I'm asking these questions on behalf of everyone here,please we need answers

We want to know you

Egbon! E jowo e sanu mi...have mercy! I spent my adolescent years growing up in the South-West....that's all!

A few state govts in the South-West have tried to offer some solutions to the challenges faced by farmers, but many folks do NOT know about their efforts, and efforts to publicise these offers are still like a drop in the ocean:

The state governments need to embark on a massive awareness campaign to get more people interested in the scheme.

You Can Get Govt. Land For Farming | by Emmanuel Onyeche, Damilola Okpetu and Seun Oladunjoye | December 13, 2013 | Agric Business | Success Digest Online

In Nigeria, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.

Yet, despite this nasty statistic, there exists at least one million hectares of government owned farmland available for farming in remote villages across Nigeria.

These plots of farmland are already being given out to local and foreign investors at very cheap rates. The farmland is being managed by the River Basin Development Authorities, Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) and farm settlement schemes. They are being leased at about N1, 000 per hectare for a period of about eight months.

Mr. African-farmer Mogaji, Chief Executive Officer, Xray Farms Consulting, is one man who has benefitted from this unique opportunity for over a decade.

He says, “I changed my name from Afi-Oluwa Mogajji to African-farmer Mogajji in 2005, legally published, and it reflected in all my documents. I started my agricultural journey over 16 years ago, and I stayed in the business on a small and medium scale in 1996, with Ogun/Osun River Basin Authority operating in Lagos.

“I was growing corn and vegetables (Ewedu and the likes). I had also stepped into bee keeping in year 2000, when I won NYSC Award for introducing bee keeping into Jigawa State and funding it successfully. Then in 2002, I farmed quite extensively, using the Ogun/Osun project in five states. I have used land as much as 250 acres”.

He adds that virtually all states in the federation have lands cleared for farming, and that majority of the lands are owned by the Federal Government and some by state and local governments.

Mogaji says, “These lands can be utilized by anyone - whether foreigners or Nigerians, because they are not being used, so the (River Basin) management embraces whoever shows up. Payment is by ‘Pay As You Go’, like using telephone recharge cards.

“Many Nigerians do not even know these lands are available, and when they do they are not keen on doing businesses in such remote places.”

Process Of Getting The Land

Mogaji says, “You just need to get there, tell them you want land – there are cleared areas, and if the area you want has not been occupied, you pay your money. They ask you what you want to plant, you fill a form; and if it is not late in the day, they take you to the land, and that is the end, after issuing a receipt to you”.

Mr. Abiodun Olorundero, Director, Abiodun Farms, Lagos and Oke-Odan, Ogun State, is another beneficiary of the scheme. He says, “Getting the land is a very simple process. What I did was that I headed straight to the Ogun/Osun River Basin in Abeokuta; from there I was told that there are two major sites in the state – one at Oke-Odan and the other in Mokoloki. Then, I had to choose Oke-Odan, because it was closer to me. I got there, met the project manager, and asked him one or two questions about getting the land; and I got my allocation, with a token of N2,500 for one hectare – which is 2½ acres.”

Mr. Seun Onamade, another farmer under the scheme says, “Just meet the man in charge in the person of Mr. Aare in Itiokin Farm Settlement. You have to notify him on what you want, because they have different areas for planting different crops. It just depends on what you want to plant. Further procedure is that you are charged N2,500 per hectare, and for harrowing and ploughing. Ploughing is the first stage, which entails clearing the land. For these extra works, you pay N5,000 for 20 litres of diesel per hectare, mainly for fueling the tractors. Though, if you can provide the diesel yourself, it is ok. The joy of it is that you can get the lands just a day after going through the process”.

Where are the lands?

Mogaji adds, “There are project sites in different states. In Lagos State, we have the project sites (about 500 acres), in Ogun State, they have in four locations, and in each of the locations, they have 100, 250, 300 acres and so on. They have in Oyo State, which is very large in four or five locations, with as much as 5,000 acres. They also have in Osun State, with 800 Acres. They have it in different states like that, so you choose which one is closest to you, or the one you like, based on what you want to do. For instance, I moved to Iseyin from Lagos; because Lagos was getting too choked up for me, and I was able to use 250 acres. From there, I moved to Sepeteri – I have been moving”.

Requirements To Meet

Mogaji says there are no requirements. “Though, they will ask you if you have farmed before, they are not concerned with that, you want land and they will give you. So, it is as simple as that. The usage of the land depends on the available spot per time. Your payment is renewable, so as long as you are really utilizing the land, you may be allowed to use the land for 40 years provided you are paying yearly, if not they will allocate it to someone else – you can’t just hold the land without using it”, he says.

Olorundero says, “There are no serious requirements like that. Basically, because of the high demand for land around here, you might not get allocation for more than one or two hectares of land for a start, and you must strictly plant annual crops such as cucumber, tomatoes, maize, cassava, among others”

Onamade says, “All you need to do is show seriousness and your genuineness. They need to notice that in you, before allocating the land to you. There are so many people that will just come and make enquiries and go without coming back. But, with your seriousness, they will work with you. Also, their own way of doing things is that they won't want you to pay and go away - they want you as the farmer to be on ground as much as possible”.

Price Of The Land

Mogaji says, “We have one part of the land called up-land, in the high areas; for this, you have to pay N2,500. It used to be N1,000 (for over 30 years) up till early last year, before they increased it. For 2½ acres, which is equivalent to one football field – or 15 plots of land - you pay this amount for a year.

When To Plant

Mogaji says, “You can’t plant anything from October; it is basically from February or March till October. This is because it is in February you take your decision and plan; and when one or two rains fall in March, you start preparation.

Policy Change That Opened Up The Land To Private Farmers

Mogaji says, “People didn’t have money to buy bulldozers to clear the land. So, government bought and cleared these lands. Before then, the River Basin Authorities were initially producing rice, cassava and garri massively, with different equipment to fry and process cassava to fufu; thus, making sure food was readily available. But, as you know how government policies work: along the line policy changed… that they should not produce again, but face water (Irrigation). So, they introduced the policy that farmers can come in to rent those lands, while they will be providing water and all other equipment, which are on ground. Every year, they add new equipment. So, they are just providing a platform where people, or interested farmers come and they make farming easy”

Period Of Usage

He says one can use the land for 100 years (and more). “It depends on you. It doesn’t have a limit. You determine that, in the sense that: if you are not farming on it after a year, they take it from you, to be allocated to someone else. You are renting”.

Challenges

Mogaji says there are no challenges that can crop up. “In this same Nigeria that people are complaining, nothing of such has been happening on those lands, which I have been using for 16 good years in four different states – Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos; and I have used four locations in three states. There is nothing like “Omo-Onile” or hoodlums called “Area boys”; rather the lands are just crying for people to use them.

For instance, there was a location in Oyo State called Igbo-jaiye. It was over 4,000 hectares, about 10,000 acres all cleared, and people were farming in every corner of it. But now, 50 per cent of the land has been occupied with trees, because of non-usage. I have operated on a location in Oyo State that is about 11,000 acres. The lands are there. I asked a question in 1996, when I was about starting, and that was what triggered me. The question was, “When Awolowo, Azikwe and Tafawa Balewa died, did they take the lands along with them?” “No! Then we have agricultural revolution. It means the lands were just lying fallow”, he says.

Olorundero says, “The challenge is that if you have to engage in irrigation yourself, it is very expensive because government support is lacking. like I heard, those that did the irrigation say it cost them about N41,000. This covers the cost of renting of the land, ploughing twice and it covers the cost of irrigation for the next six months. There has never been an issue of “Area boy or Omo-Onile” disturbing or invading the land. The crops are safe, no issue of theft, harassment and no violence”. Read more here: http://successdigestonline.com/articles/view/with-as-little-as-n2500-you-can-get-govt-land-for-farming

quimicababes:
It matters not what non-agriculture people think.I am thinking if you pursued some kind of agriculture training ..no it be because you have a passion for it? Agriculture is a field...all can't be in the office nor does all want to be in the office.A lot of agriculture graduates I know want their own farms but the cost of land is a huge barrier.Why not empower those who are interested in farming but because of land issues they can't afford it o.Not all farmers own the land but farmland on lease.If land is the issue...perhaps diasporas who have access to land or can buy land can set up co-operatives where the land is leased to those graduates at a reasonable price.

If it be fertilizers...why not educate them on organic farming etc especially as that's where the world is heading.Even in terms of mechanization...Asia uses low tech for their farming and they are able to feed themselves and export.No everything have to be about mechanization. Aren't there different levels of agriculture training in terms of certificate,diploma etc...may times some of those graduates feed into field workers.

I know the oyo governor was complaining the youths aren't willing to farm...but are they paying the youths a living wage? Tony emumelu released the list of their teep 2015 entrepreneurs and quite a bit of them were yorubas and many were agriculture/agribusiness start-ups.My thing is if the government is not giving those folks much support can't diasporas act as investors in those folks start-ups etc.Naija case also is the youths who are trying get very little to no support.

Eh...my philosophy is focus on those trying especially to ensure they don't lose it.

In Nigeria, access to land in the urban centres can be difficult, because cost of land is high in many cities. But when you move further into the villages, then the cost of land drops by a significant margin. One problem a lot of young folks face when they want to go into farming, is how to raise money to buy land, and also how to get enough money to process the title to that land.

Banks will not give you money without collateral, so what happens if you are unable to raise adequate collateral?? For those who have access to land, there are a few govt schemes through which seedlings, fertilisers, pesticides, tractor hire etc., can be obtained at subsidised rates.

Storage is also another problem. Construction of adequate storage right there in the farms to prevent foodstuff from rotting away still remains a challenge, because again a certain level of financing is required to achieve this. Some farmers' collectives or associations have been able to raise money to build mini storage silos or barns within their district, to prevent harvested foodstuff from going bad. Others have been able to liaise with processing mills, to process their grains and other types of tubers etc., for a fee in readiness for the market place.

Logistics is also another challenge. With the bad roads leading to most farms and the high cost of transportation, getting farm produce to the markets in a timely manner is something that has to be tackled speedily, to make farming more attractive.

Along the agricultural value chain, there are quite a few opportunities that can be harnessed to make farming more attractive. And this is where private organisations and govt agencies can step in, to make a difference. From provision of business advisory services, to storage, logistics, food processing, access to market and financing, there are opportunities for intervention by both the private sector and other state-owned agencies. Here is an article that illustrates some of the challenges that Nigerian farmers face:

Nigeria losing $1bn on fresh tomato wastage | by Louis Iba | The Sun Newspapers

Disconnect between farmers and processors
The last government of President Jonathan was focusing on agriculture with emphasis on farming and I think they got it right because of the high yields we were having on some of the target crops focused on. Our farmers are doing well. But then, what about the processing aspect of it? That I think was neglected and so there was a gulf. Today there is a glut of some of the foods or agricultural products our farmers are producing and only a vibrant processing industry can soak that up, which Nigeria lacks.

Contrast what is happening in Nigeria with India, China and Indonesia, which are some of the countries with similar challenges like Nigeria decades ago, and you will find out that they have developed their agricultural and processing industry to such an extent that as their farmers are bringing out their harvest, the processing industry is already stand-by to take it up, and store and process into various other products both for the local market and for exports. And this ends well for the farmers and the larger economy. In Nigeria, we are not farming fresh and eating fresh because of the absence of the requisite storage and processing facilities.

Some of the food items coming into Nigeria have been proven to be preserved using the same chemicals they use in preserving dead bodies, and this is causing a rise in cancer and kidney related diseases in Nigeria such that we have never witnessed in our country and for which most medical experts in Nigeria are now beginning to raise the alarm.

Problem with tomato business
Let me take you into tomato farming or business, which I know and deal with.

Nigeria is about one of the most blessed countries in the world with the right climate that can grow tomatoes in commercial quantity and also harvest it in two different seasons in a year and in commercial quantity. We are that blessed. No country in Europe can do that; and India and China cannot do so.

We have better land and our tomatoes have better nutritious value than any found in the world, and there are other agricultural products in Nigeria that experts will tell you we are equally so blessed above other countries. Yet, we waste about 70 per cent of the tomatoes harvested in the country by our farmers. They rot and waste away due to the lack of storage and processing facilities. Farmers get so little value out of their input into tomato farming and this is just too sad a story to tell. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/demo/nigeria-losing-1bn-on-fresh-tomato-wastage-umeofia/

Shymm3x:
I noticed a lot of Europeans and other countries are buying up lands all over Africa for agriculture - to feed their growing population. Hopefully, Yorubas won't sell any part of our lands to these folks. We're better off investing in agriculture and making profits via export.

Read this (very troubling):

How food and water are driving a 21st-century African land grab

We turned off the main road to Awassa, talked our way past security guards and drove a mile across empty land before we found what will soon be Ethiopia's largest greenhouse. Nestling below an escarpment of the Rift Valley, the development is far from finished, but the plastic and steel structure already stretches over 20 hectares – the size of 20 football pitches.

The farm manager shows us millions of tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables being grown in 500m rows in computer controlled conditions. Spanish engineers are building the steel structure, Dutch technology minimises water use from two bore-holes and 1,000 women pick and pack 50 tonnes of food a day. Within 24 hours, it has been driven 200 miles to Addis Ababa and flown 1,000 miles to the shops and restaurants of Dubai, Jeddah and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Ethiopia is one of the hungriest countries in the world with 2.8 million people needing food aid, but paradoxically the government is offering at least 3m hectares of its most fertile land to rich countries and some of the world's most wealthy individuals to export food for their own populations......

..."The foreign companies are arriving in large numbers, depriving people of land they have used for centuries. There is no consultation with the indigenous population. The deals are done secretly. The only thing the local people see is people coming with lots of tractors to invade their lands.

"All the land round my family village of Illia has been taken over and is being cleared. People now have to work for an Indian company. Their land has been compulsorily taken and they have been given no compensation. People cannot believe what is happening. Thousands of people will be affected and people will go hungry."....

Leading the rush are international agribusinesses, investment banks, hedge funds, commodity traders, sovereign wealth funds as well as UK pension funds, foundations and individuals attracted by some of the world's cheapest land.

Together they are scouring Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Congo, Zambia, Uganda, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana and elsewhere.....

"The biofuel land grab in Africa is already displacing farmers and food production. The number of people going hungry will increase," he said. British firms have secured tracts of land in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania to grow flowers and vegetables....

"This is the new, 21st-century colonisation. The Saudis are enjoying the rice harvest, while the Oromos are dying from man-made famine as we speak," he said.

...The reality on the ground is different, according to Michael Taylor, a policy specialist at the International Land Coalition. "If land in Africa hasn't been planted, it's probably for a reason. Maybe it's used to graze livestock or deliberately left fallow to prevent nutrient depletion and erosion. Anybody who has seen these areas identified as unused understands that there is no land in Ethiopia that has no owners and users."

Development experts are divided on the benefits of large-scale, intensive farming. Indian ecologist Vandana Shiva said in London last week that large-scale industrial agriculture not only threw people off the land but also required chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, intensive water use, and large-scale transport, storage and distribution which together turned landscapes into enormous mono-cultural plantations.

"We are seeing dispossession on a massive scale. It means less food is available and local people will have less. There will be more conflict and political instability and cultures will be uprooted. The small farmers of Africa are the basis of food security. The food availability of the planet will decline," she says. But Rodney Cooke, director at the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development, sees potential benefits. "I would avoid the blanket term 'land-grabbing'. Done the right way, these deals can bring benefits for all parties and be a tool for development."

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/mar/07/food-water-africa-land-grab

This is serious! The state govts (especially those in the South-West) need to be vigilant, and very careful about striking such deals with international agribusiness companies, as a second wave of colonisation would lead to dispossession of farmlands in many communities.

May God save us all.

Ibebe:
@shym3x

I'm a little iffy about this. There's an assumption that foreigners are buying up African lands to use as agricultural base to grow food for [not African people] their foreign lands.

Where does this lead to? Noe-colonialism and subtle slavery.

While we're discussing agriculture, we need to be cautious of foreign land grabbers.

Na true word you talk! But how can farmlands and communal lands be safe-guarded from these land-grabbers?? What legal instruments can be put in place to prevent this? Any ideas?

BALLOSKI:
this is why I said I was looking forward to your insightful contribution.

To be honest with you , I found more reason to learn from this post above than having to counter it. Maybe it's because I read geology in the university - you can understand my inclination.

Again, I want to know how possible it's for those crooks to present papers of their affiliatelion to a certain refinery in ivory coast and have things worked out for them at nnpc like it used to be? They have some blacklisted refineries who helped in refining stolen crude from Nigeria, so that one in cote d'ivore should be there among the blacklisted ones and considering what you stated above, they should be.

If owning a modular refinery is another criteria for getting off, doyiu know how many Nigerians own this outside of this country? Or are they going to claim ownership of such refinery overnight simply because we have a new policy in place? I guess Kachikwu knows those that have the capacity and requisite know-how when they call for bidding, himself having been in the system for such a long time.

Guy, you want me to reveal how these sharp practices are conducted?? I want to live long. I am not ready to see my name on anybody's hit list.

Kindly note that agreements signed with these offshore refineries are done in form of documents that recognise these Nigerian oil traders, as their clients, or affiliates. It does NOT confer ownership of the refineries, on any of these oil traders. If NNPC staff get those documents, all they do is send an e-mail or conduct their due diligence to confirm that those agreements were actually issued by the refinery, and are still valid. Do you get?? On that basis, they could assign a crude cargo to the local oil trader under the presumption, that the cargo would go to that specific refinery, without realising it could be diverted elsewhere.

Now, if that cargo of crude is loaded on board a vessel and it does not get to to the said refinery but it is directed to another refinery elsewhere, how would NNPC know? They might find out, but it would probably take time and it would most likely be discovered after the deed has been done. As for the Abidjan refinery, I am not aware that it was blacklisted by NNPC. When was this done??

Secondly, with respect to petroleum products, most of the vessels operating in West African waters have local crew on board. Sometimes, these vessels come into Nigerian waters and their documents are duly stamped on arrival. During discharge of the products, shortages could occur which are not recorded on the documents. Some local staff at the point of discharge could be made to turn a blind eye, for the right fee. But full fees are still paid by the federal govt/NNPC to cover the entire product, on the misguided assumption that full delivery of the specified quantity has been made. Now, if these shortages accumulate over a period of time, who turns out to be the loser?? The receiver which is the govt or NNPC.

Another scheme is bring the vessels fully laden with products into Nigerian waters, where it is officially inspected and the documents are stamped. Later, these vessels sail away without discharging their products, (or after only partial discharge of a nominal quantity) under some guise or the other. Such products are then sold to other buyers off-shore. Yet the relevant documents are stamped as being fully discharged into Nigerian depots, after money has exchanged hands.

Thirdly, another scheme is for some unscrupulous dealers to just forge the appropriate documents, and get them stamped without even bringing any vessels or importing any petroleum products. Such documents are then presented to PPRA, NNPC etc for processing and payment. Again, for this to occur, money has already been exchanged from the top to the bottom of the chain.

Finally, with respect to owning a modular refinery, I was talking of setting up such refineries within Nigeria, under a specified period of time. Niger-Delta Petroleum Company (NDPC) has a modular refinery in Delta State which it uses to refine crude from its own oil wells, to produce diesel. It is a small operation, but for now it serves their purpose and they are also able to sell part of the diesel they produce within the country. More firms need to be encourage to set up such refineries, to boost our local refining capacity.

Making Modular Refineries Profitable | by BY MICHAEL EBOH | Vanguard Newspapers, October 06, 2015 |

Nigerians await the coming on stream of modular refineries, operators and stakeholders in the petroleum sector have emphasized the need for a clear commercial framework, proper logistics, deregulation of the downstream sector and certain government guarantees.

They argued that without these, investors will face difficulties in recouping their investments, while the country will not achieve any meaningful benefits from the refineries.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in the wake of his administration granted licenses to investors to build 65 modular refineries in the country. This was after previous licenses issued by past administrations failed to yield any positive results, as only one, Niger Delta Petroleum Development Company, was able to install a modular refinery.

Stakeholders, however, attributed the success of the Niger Delta Petroleum refinery to the fact that it produces only automotive gas oil, AGO, popularly called, diesel, which is not a regulated commodity.

Commenting on the ways to make modular refineries profitable to investors and beneficial to Nigeria, Mr. Chijioke Nwaozuzu, a Professor of Petroleum Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, River State, emphasized the need for government guarantees to investors that it is possible to recoup investments made in private refineries. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/making-modular-refineries-profitable/

Aareonakakanfo:
Oh yeah i saw that too. These guys are just funny i swear .The whole thing looks like a comedy skit to me.You ban us,moved our thread,we called you out,you deleted that also.If they can delete that thread,why can't they move this to where it belongs

Honestly, awon 'mods' ti gba ib'ode!

ExInferis:
We're staying in the north. It's you people coming here to make a living.

If you're so concerned about children that died in a so called genocide 50 years ago why are you then threatening to condemn more children to death today with your violent predisposition to secession?

Abeg, help me ask them!!