₦airaland Forum

UrbanMystique:
you might be right to some extent.. Jonah is a good example.

You one tempt me ba?

Anyhow, well done.

-Lord

Masculity:
boss abeg help us rewrite our constitution because you really know our problem.

Oga, you sef know say to rewrite our constitution no go solve the problem. Not sure I know exactly what the nation's problem is but being from the SS, I know say our case special wela. Northerners own dey baffle me, them for ground no fit grumble against the impunity of the ruling class. Igbos no like each other. Yoruba own is complex.

In my own opinion, na federalism sure pass. Each region have their own peculiarities, what we want is competition so that each region can develop by pooling local resources with little friction; not dragging resources. The North has agriculture and minerals, the West has finance and industrialization, the South South has oil, the east has coal, other minerals and business acumen.

Rather than trying to usurp other regions, let us do our little to get things done in our own regions, one step at a time. So that the ND would not complain that their oil is feeding the nation, not remembering that the oil is free, dem no work for am. The North can stop saying we are ungrateful considering they feed most of the nation, the east cannot say they bring all the business and are marginalized and the west cannot say they keep the finance engine of the nation going and are not been noted well for their efforts.

USA is not just Washington DC and New York. There are much more in every region of the country, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas, San Francisco, Austin, Oklahoma, Tucson, Kansas, New Orleans, Pittsburg.

Same thing in Canada. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Quebec city, Saskatoon, Surrey.

In Europe, UK: London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff, Nottingham.

Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Bremen, Nuremberg, Dusseldorf, Dortmund.

In contrast, in Nigeria, it's as though we have just four, Lagos, Abuja, PH, Enugu, Kano. Of those four Abuja is a fake city built on bloated real estate prices and a pricey lifestyle. PH is reliant on the oil companies. Lagos, Enugu and Kano seems to be the cities that will withstand more shock of the five as is evident with the current recession. Even in these forefront cities, na only small part like city center make sense, every other part na wash.

But we can have a lot more in each region that are well developed, that will serve as beacon of civilization for nearby towns and communities. In the North, Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Minna, Makurdi, Zaria...
In the West, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ikeja, Ife, Akure, Osogbo...
In the East, Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, Abakaliki, Owerri, Nsuka...
In the ND, Calabar, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Warri, Benin, Yenagoa, Asaba...
In the middle belt, Lokoja, Jos, Illorin, Okene... and more

But because we are trying so hard to drag resources and marginalize each other, most of these cities are shadows of what they really should be. Every body should not troop to Lagos to make it. The FG can only do so much. The development we seek, in my opinion, rests in what the regions can do for themselves.

Solely my opinion.

-Lord

Ganjafama:
Na who Ayiri don help? Dude am an Itsekiri. If Ayiri is found to have stolen any govt fund he should face the music, shikena!

Guy, una two come from the same community? Ayiri na Lord for him community. You know how d tin b 4 Oghara, no body born u well mk u yarn rubbish with Ibori name for inside Oghara. Say una two na Itsekiri no be d tin, e get Urhobos n Itsekes wen no lyk Ibori.

The relevance of my statement is that the community will not be calling for his head if he had shared the money well.

Me I no send, when dem dey pay Tompolo N1b per month, he no fit even use small money start legit business wen go employ plenty people, na to go buy war ship. Mk e paddle e canoe, mk me paddle my canoe abeg...

-Lord

timilehin007:
I just like you, the way you tackle issues the way you respond are classical. Keep it up bro.

Always humble mate.

All the best.

-Lord

You must know that on the rankings of the ease of doing business, Nigeria is ranked 135 out of 190 countries.

Running a business in Nigeria is like fighting a david-goliath battle. All the odds are stacked against you. But perseverance and a good understanding of the business climate is the only way you can succeed.

-Lord

All this talk about loans. I wonder if it is not the same APC people that were complaining that there was too much loan under Jonathan.

Allah forgive them and punish Nigerians for believing their lies.

-Lord

Politicians all around the world are the same.

The always find something to use money for.

If it is not to share the money, it is to devote it to useless agenda. 1.1m plus 0.8m people that are not your citizens will share more than (13.1b dollars) what 16 states of your own 80m people will share (4.3b euros).

If I was a german, I will relocate elsewhere until this migrant crisis ends. The same people you are feeding with your sweat hates your gut. It doesn't get more stupid than this.

-Lord

9jatriot:
I prefer tackling issues from the root cause. On the ECA, it should not have gotten to them at all, it had nothing with being a saint or claim to be a democrat, the man simply did it to curry favor to contest in 2011. The consequence of that action is what we are all seeing today with no funds to fall back on in moments of scarcity. Even the little that was available is what we hear from the Dasukigate being in the pocket of a few people.

He did it to curry favor, does that give the governors the license to squander the money uselessly?

Dasukigate is mainly Abacha's loot. Please read the news.

-Lord

Jesusloveyou:
hahahahaha, what make d clueless corrupt goat to eat all d yam in his disposer without making use of it all because of his re-election bid, God punish d goat that ate all our yams

And Allah punish all those who said he did not do anything, when he left the country better than he met it.

-Lord

9jatriot:
On the electrical equipment found at the port after 14yrs, I am shocked that you are surprised. When Yar'dua started the probe on power sector, even here on nairaland, there was a lot of warning (2009) that the power sector was not like building a house where you see the rate of progress. Experts at that time said that most equipment were on the high sea and structure on ground will only begin to show when they arrive and are assembled together. Those equipments eventually arrived and began to earn demurrage at the ports and the contractors were not able to clear them.

I have to be surprised. OBJ spent a lot of money on power for only minute gains. Under GEJ we saw new projects and dismantling of the glut called NEPA/PHCN.

If we want to move forward, we have to appreciate the work that was done, and the importance of consolidating on it to go forward.

GEJ did not bury all of Nigeria's money in Otuoke, he used it to the best of his ability to better the fortunes of this country. One thing you cannot take from him is that he left the country better than he met it.

-Lord

omenka:
Wow. So Olisa Metuh "shared money to his people as they want".

How could I have thought Metuh wasn't so generous??

Thanks for the info bro.

My point is that no one in Nigeria especially groups do not support the "right" thing unless they have something to gain.

Why are the PDP members in the House of Representatives calling for Metuh's release if not because his staying in custody endangers the political careers of many of them.

I still maintain that if Tompolo had given the community like N6b of that N13b, we would be hearing of protests and placards not the community calling for him to answer for the money.

That I believe you should have known citing your experience in the nature of Nigeria's politics. The war on corruption is a lone war against mighty odds, PMB should maintain a firm resolve to pursue this war. If he is waiting on support, he would get very little, and most likely from those who want to be shielded from the war.

Let's call a spade a spade in Nigeria. Enough of the nit-picking.

-Lord

obailala:
I did not try to separate APC from PDP governors, you are the one who attempted to do that by placing the blame of sharing the ECA funds on Amaechi's head. I only pointed out to you that Amaechi was just one (1) governor out of 36 in the NGF, and majority of those governors were even in GEJ's camp.

Amaechi was the leader. You find it convenient to place all the problems under GEJ's administration on him, why is it wrong to place all the problems with the NGF on Amaechi. Moreover, APC and PDP governors agreed on the sharing, Osho did not speak against it, even Fash. So as I said, the separation does not stand

[s]I prefer a benevolent dictator to an ineffective democratic weakling. No great nation today in this world attained greatness by practising proper democracy. It takes dictators and autocrats to first clean the system before democracy can work. [/s]

I can't believe that there are people thinking like this in this 21st century. I am ashamed to share the same citizenship with you.

As for Buhari preaching marginalisation via his unfortunate 97% vs 5% statement, I can prove to you that even the democratic GEJ who you compare him to made a worse statement. Remember when GEJ stated that states where their governors are fighting him should not expect federal presence?... That statement was directed at the people of Rivers state to ensure they voted out Amaechi and his gang; this is a state where 98% of the citizens supported GEJ but because of his disagreement with one man (Amaechi), he boasted to starve the state of federal presence. And not only did he boast, he also made good his threat as evidenced in the lack of federal projects in Rivers state. Even the common airport renovations which other states (including in the north) enjoyed, the PH international airport still remains an eyesore and was recently rated the worst airport in the world, no thanks to you democratic, non-marginalising GEJ. In all honesty, between the unfortunate statement and actions of GEJ and PMB, in this regard, who do you think was worse?

Are you going to compare one's marginalization against two regions for one full tenure with one's marginalization against one state in less than one year? Are you also going to blame GEJ for the monorail project that Amaechi did not complete after spending billions of naira.

Are you saying in the few months leading up to the election, Amaechi did not receive federal allocation from the government? Are you high on some cheap drug?

About the bailout of states, 21 states of the federation were owing salaries and Nigerian masses were suffering so the FG had to intervene by bailing out the states with 'LOANS.' How can you possibly compare the justification of this bailout to the justification GEJ gave for blowing up the ECA reserves?

More than 40% of the ECA reserves was shared by states, the same states could not pay their workers and now need the federal government to bail them out, and yet you do not blame the governors but the ex-president. Which federal government civil servant is been owed 13 months salary? Why are you blaming the incompetence of the state governors on the ex-president?

You have made a very laughable defence trying to justify the squandermania that prevailed under GEJ. Did you just say GEJ used the money to work and that's why it was all depleted?... Which kind of manager would use his entire reserves to work and then plunge himself into misery when things tilt a bit?... How can you possibly try to justify a government not saving when there was plenty?

If you are christian, do you know about the parable of the three servants?

What happened to the servant that just buried the money given to him and did not invest it?

The FG did not use its entire reserves. Nigeria's infrastructural challenges is not something that can be solved by 5 years of using all our money, evident by the state of things. But it was better to use our money to achieve something tangible, which by the way is celebrated by the current government, than save everything and not do anything.

Now let me educate you on some of the misconceptions that GEJ's praise singers used to deceive you guys. For your information firstly, if there is any administration that scored the highest points in terms of economic growth, it is OBJ's government between 1999 and 2007.

- Nigeria's GDP growth rate in 1999 was less than 1%. It was grown to an average between 6-7% as at the time OBJ left office
- Nigeria's foreign reserve was less than $6bn as at 1999. It was grown to over $60billion (FR+ECA) as at the time OBJ left office.
- Nigeria paid off over $12 billion in external debts
- Nigerian banks for the first time joined international ratings.
- The boom in the telecommunications sector is obviously what pushed Nigeria ahead of SA as Africa's biggest economy. It is laughable when people deceive themselves that it was GEJ's efforts that did that.

Now what did GEJ achieve in terms of the economy?..
- Foreign reserves of over $40billion reduced to less than $30 billion even after he supervised a regime with the highest income ever in Nigeria's history. External debts also soared astronomically, in fact the FG even had to borrow early in 2015 to pay worker's salaries.
- GEJ maintained the GDP growth rate at between 6-7% through his regime but it crashed to its lowest of about 2.3% by the time GEJ handed over to PMB in May 2015. Is this what you refer to as stellar performance?...

Stop pulling figures from you a$$.

*Nigeria's growth rate in 1999 was 2.7%. By the time OBJ left office, the average growth rate for the period he stayed as president was 4.95%. http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=ni&v=66
*We paid off $12b while $31b was written off
*You mentioned Telecommunications and conveniently omitted movies and retail even though the contribution of services increased from 21% to 56% and telecommunications only contributed 8.7%. I am not surprised that you will blatantly try to misrepresent facts.

Next, you try to downplay GEJ's achievements by substituting with fallacies.

*Nigeria's reserves fell from $53b in 2008 to $35 in 2010 under Yaradua, and rose to $47b in 2012 under Jonathan. http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/nigeria/total-reserves. So you can see the falsehood you are spreading.
*Nigeria's external debt (borrowed by the FG) rose from $0 in 2005 to $6b in 2015. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/n12trn-debt-profile-worsens-nigerias-woes/. $6 billion in 10 years from 3 presidents. Whereas PMB wants to borrow $4.5b in one year. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35162111. You can see how you distort facts. Who is borrowing more now and plunging the country into more debt?
*So, you think it is fair to contribute the fall in oil prices to the slowdown in the economy under PMB but not GEJ. Most major economies including China, Russia, Norway, Canada suffered a slow down in growth. Are you trying to imply that GEJ should have performed magic. If so, why has PMB not performed the magic and moved us from 3% back to 7%? Stop speaking from both sides of your mouth, it is disgusting.

With that said, you forgot to mention that
A. Our rail sector was revitalized, supported by Amaechi, a GEJ critic
B. Power was consolidated at 50% according to Fashola, a GEJ critic
C. More roads were constructed by GEJ than any other president in Nigeria's history, according to Fashola, a GEJ critic
D. The agricultural sector was revitalized, as confirmed by the awards and fanfare received by the current AfDB president and former minister of Agriculture under GEJ
E. The automobile manufacturing/assembling sector become more robust, exemplified by the numerous automobile brands that set up shop including heavyweights like Hyundai, Nissan

These were concrete infrastructural developments that created jobs, sustained our growth rate and provided a buoyant middle class that saw the the growth of retail in Nigeria exemplified by Palm malls opening over 5 branches in the space of 2 years. Workers saw an increase in minimum wage to reflect the oil boom.

Compare this to OBJ who saved money and left us with half-baked telecommunication services with outrageous rates. What happened to NITEL and MTEL under his watch. NIGERIANS are an ungrateful bunch and deserve the slide in oil prices. Let the economy crumble, let us realize that when there is no oil revenue to fuel our growth, you would have to borrow in one year 75% of what we borrowed in 10 years to pay salaries and run a skewed welfare scheme.

Now with the above, how can any person possibly try to justify the zero savings of a government which enjoyed unprecedented high income?.... You claim money was used to maintain GDP growth rate but this same GDP growth rate still crashed to an all time low at the moment oil prices crashed. Ironically and annoyingly, even though you acknowledge that money is required in the system to maintain the GDP growth rate, you still go ahead to blame a Buhari government for not being able to maintain a robust economy even when you know there is no income and there is no savings?... In all honesty, do you think you are being fair in your judgement of the present regime?... Are you being reasonable in your comparison?

Can you reason logically? When the money was flowing in in bulk, our economy blossomed, now that it has stopped flowing, the economy has shrunk. Is that so hard to understand? Even a pre-schooler will understand this.

PMB is a slow, senile, illiterate cow rearer that has packed a bunch of visionless wannabes that think government is a game of passing blames. We have income and we have savings (don't be sentimental), what is killing our economy is his inaction. Tomorrow will make it two weeks into the new year, yet we do not know where the national budget for this year is. A budget that should have been passed last year, in readiness to tackle our many challenges.

Rather it took him 4 months to select ministers and 2 months to prepare a budget while oil prices sank to lowest prices since 2003. And you are here defending the weakling without a clear economic directive. All the present working economic policies are left overs from GEJ's administration, all the ones that are not working are his.

While the UAE and Saudi Arabia are cutting spending on welfare, the dullard wants to increase ours from N0m to N300m while budgeting N300m to replace good working cars. And you find it okay to blame a past government, or falling oil prices for your inefficiency.

Did you say Fashola and Amaechi called GEJ the best president?... What planet did you get that dream from?... Trentonline.com and IgbereTV?... Amaechi acknowledged he didnt know trains were working, how is the existence of refurbished pre-1960 rail lines and trains a sign that GEJ was best president?... Then the fictitious report that Fashola praised GEJ about building about 25000km of roads, please how many FG roads are in Nigeria and why did no mainstream media report that story except Trentonline and co?... Can you kindly name one road in the entire SE or SS or SW zone which was refurbished from start to finish under GEJ?... I agree that a deplorable and disastrous stretch of the Sagamu-benin road was repaired, but what percentage of the entire road has actually been fixed?

Gerrarahia mehn. Egbon oobailala, if you want the ex-presidency title you can come and collect it. You are busy supporting a shameless liar that did not know that trains were working even though trains operated in his state. If you called GEJ clueless, what do you honestly call Amaechi?

Why are you discriminating between media reports. Are you referring to the same mainstream media that did not report the hundreds that were killed in the COAS saga. Oga, hypocrisy is a curse.

I remember, we have had a similar discussion before. You are an ardent PMB supporter. That is okay. But for the life of me do not imply that GEJ was a failure. He left Nigeria in a better situation than he met it. It is now the turn of PMB to do what he can, time waits for no man. If you keep passing the blame and making repeated goofs then you all only prove us right that you guys were never ready to rule. That APC is a gang of marauding elements whose sole purpose was to pull down GEJ. It appears your obsession with GEJ did not end in May, it appears it will continue till 2019. For which I will continue proving to you guys that the obsession is misplaced.

-Lord

Oga, has Rochas paid the workers? Are you saying this because you are not been owed your Salary for months while the governor spent millions to buy the tallest Christmas tree in Nigeria?

-Lord

9jatriot:
Bros, wertin I do u na wen u wan deny me the right to vote??
If Fashola said it, he should also tell us the roads in terms of kilometers (However,I think it was sensational headlines that changed the statement he made). As for women, OBJ employed a lot of them. Remember Oby, NOI, Maryam Ciroma, Rita Akpan, Chinwe Obaji etc
GEJ also appointed for the sake of it, no difference. He removed one of the most performing ministers in his government (Barth Nnaji) whereas OBJ protect his core ministers (Soludo, Rufia, Oby and Ribadu) from different geographical spread also.

You must be joking right. A standing minister of works and a hardline critic of GEJ said GEJ made more contributions and you are asking about the roads. What more do you want?

OBJ also accepted the resignation of NOI, so I fail to see your point about Barth.

GEJ was a better president than OBJ. Nuff said!

-Lord

9jatriot:
The bolded is very true. My gross with the issue is not if the governors used it judiciously or not, my gross is he should not have succumbed to sharing it at all, but to have the moral right to do that, he ought not to have been taking from it on his own at all, that was what the governors held on to

Why should your grouse not be if the governors used their share judiciously or not? As I have said repeatedly, this is a democracy, you can't just go against the mandate of elected officials that made valid points because you feel you have a "moral right" to do so.

PMB can do that because he claims to be a saint.

GEJ is not a saint. He is human, he knows he needs humans to come together to help lift this country from the economic quagmire, and he gave them the benefit of doubt. Clearly, that was misplaced.

-Lord

Na wa. How this one tk affect d N300/$1 exchange rate?

These people should take a minute to ask Allah for forgiveness during their meeting for all the lies and propaganda they've promulgated.

-Lord

jpphilips:
Jonathan, Guard your tongue, buhari has been merciiful not stup!d. he is only respecting the office of the president not that he doesnt know you ran an Alibaba government.

Oga, forget that sh1t. If PMB has anything against GEJ, make him do him worst. GEJ no dey exile, he is in Otuoke.

If you guys have the balls, go and arrest him in Otuoke, toothless bulldogs.

-Lord

Proudlyngwa:
Is this about PDP, APC or about the right thing being done.
I ask again ,what if this group are credible.

Everything is about the motive.

In any case, I cannot find where I said Tompolo should not go for the probe.

I'm only saying if the probe finds that the N13b is fraudulent, the community should also forfeit its 300 million. All the money should be returned. Make me see if them no go change mouth.

-Lord

9jatriot:
All these challenges you have mentioned here were post 2011, the sharing of the ECA was around 2011. If your point is that GEJ along should not bear the brunt of the blame of the failure of the society, then you are 120% right, but for the ECA, I lay the blame squarely on his door step. If a staffs tells his boss that he wants all his salary for the year in one month, I am yet to see the boss that will agree. The best you will get will be a salary advance. No good parent would use a child's school fees to buy him a toy because he cried vehemently for it.

The boss can sack the worker. GEJ cannot sack the governors, they are democratically elected and represent the goodwill of the people in their states.

The money he was giving them was meant for the development of their states. If they did not use to develop their states, how is it GEJ's fault?

Is the boss to blame for a worker who used his salary to gamble away at a casino or squandered the money in a brothel? Answer!

-Lord

No mind that f0ol. GEJ lost in the imbec1le's local government and he has the temerity to talk on behalf of PDP. Mk thunder strike e scrotum!

All those asking for GEJ to speak know the road to Otuoke, make them waka go ask GEJ.

When COAS kill hundreds of peaceful people, PMB no talk.
When BH kill more people after Lai said they had been defeated, PMB no talk.
When scores of people were killed during IPOB peaceful protests, PMB no talk.
When scores were killed during the IPOB polls, PMB no talk.

Now you want GEJ to talk after he gave a Northerner money to fight war in his own region, and then the Northerner rather used the money to become father Christmas and buy houses worth hundreds of millions of Nigeria.

The thunder when go figure una still dey receive instruction from combined echelon of Zeus, Sango, and Amadioha.

GEJ flex on jare. Your haters no fit b lyk u.

-Lord

omenka:
Even though it is old news, can we see the maturity in other people.

While some are doing this, others are protesting for the protection of a criminal because "he is our brother".

Smh.

Guy, na because of say Tompolo no share the money give them as them want.

Do you think Ayiri's people will support Ayiri's arrest even if anyone proves that he got his money fraudulently? After him give full community free fuel?

Na Nigeria we dey, no dey reason like jew man.

-Lord

Proudlyngwa:
And how are you sure, its not credible people within the community that are filling this petition

Credible people kon, incredible hulk ni. Why them no file am since?

They are filing it now because they know the APC government is looking to score cheap points against PDP and would be ready to drag Tompolo to the mud.

Watch, even if them give them all the N13b, nothing them go use am do. Them go still beg government for road, water, electricity, schools, jobs; and their children will still work around with just pants and stay in latrines called houses.

Once chiefs don take their share, youth leader don take him share, boys don drink tombo, na to dey clamor for more free money from Ministry of Niger Delta, or NDDC, or DESOPADEC.

-Lord

It is only fair to assess them after this year is over. They are yet to receive their budgets, although the supplementary budget and the remainder of last year's budget should be sufficient for the serious ones to start making headways.

This Adeosun woman has a good chance to prove herself, but I worry that she would not be able to, and would be very instrumental to PMB's non-performance.

-Lord

Omololu007:
EMMANUEL UCHENNA UGWU IS A YORUBA MAN-SHINEDU

It does not concern me where he is from. There are Judases in every camp and tribe. There are Igbo people that campaigned and voted for Buhari, so let's lay this ethnicity hogwash to rest. One person cannot speak for a whole ethnic group.

An id1ot is an id1ot irrespective of ethnicity and status.

-Lord

Proudlyngwa:
Guy abeg no vex, elucidate this ya post.
Make we follow u yarn.

What I meant is that, the community people (if the story is true) probably are the people who filed the petition against Tompolo.

As you can see, their problem is not that N13b was used to buy land (an outrageous amount by any standard), but that Tompolo received the money and only gave them circa N300m.

So, if Tompolo had shared the money like they wanted, maybe 60% for the community, and 40% for him, they would not be supporting this probe. They probably would have been protesting the court's decision to arrest Tompolo like the people of Oghara when Ibori was arrested and sentenced.

And as I said, that is the problem with ND. The communities are like the NGF, with the motto: "Share the money". If you don't you are corrupt and have to answer, if you do, you are a true son of the soil and should be left alone.

Little wonder why development is scarce in ND. Look at Warri, a supposed oil city. Community people don pursue all the companies finish, no meaningful development even though the state receives the second highest allocation in Nigeria, generates one of the top 5 highest IGR in the country and has one of the largest debt profile of all states, because of share the money mentality. All those money wasted because of the myopic mentality.

Sources tell me the current governor, Okowa has up to 200 special advisers and assistants all receiving bogus salaries and emoluments, aside the commissioners and their aides, agencies and other institutions. The same thing in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, even Rivers, and some idiots will say the underdevelopment is GEJ fault because he did not do anything in the region. Wetin he for do, build house for everybody for each community...

#rantends

-Lord

9jatriot:
Despite OBJ's third term bid, he did not bulge on excess crude fund account. Am not sure if that led to the failure of that bid, I think we have Ken Nnamni (then Senate president) to thank for the failure of that bid. At least, that means that even the lust of power did not make OBJ agree to expend the cash. NOI's redeployment and final resignation was not cause of ECA.

A lot of people played considerable roles in rejecting the third term bid, and we and our progenies will be forever grateful to them. I applaud the amount saved up in the excess crude fund. Part of it was NOI's idea, and the ECA and buoyant federal reserves was instrumental to Nigeria weathering the 2008 financial crisis without entering into recession.

But you should ask yourself, Nigeria's oil may be exhausted in less than three decades time, the price of oil has risen and fell about four times in the last two decades, does it make sense to only save money and not use what we make to diversify the economy and create much-needed infrastructure and an enabling business environment?

Are you now saying that the NGF is anti-transformation? If yes, then whose fault is it, GEJ or you a Nigerian citizen who voted the a-holes to power?

GEJ was facing plenty of opposition in his government. The Northern Elite had said they would make the nation ungovernable for him. BH was raving. Piracy in the southern waters was raving hard. The glut in the nation's economy was becoming unbearable. He had an irresponsible opposition that thrived on lies and made unthinkable assertions like running a parallel government, and major opposition figures that never for once tried to help his government work even after been repeatedly invited. How many battles did you expect him to fight and win?

Fighting the NGF was useless, he needed their support to remove the subsidy, which didn't play out obviously. And the money requested by the NGF was supposed to be used to better the states, which would have been a right thing and would have helped the nation's economy. So don't play GEJ for being spineless, blame the governors for being brazenly corrupt, irresponsible, and been enemies of the people.

-Lord

obailala:
A very valid question has been asked, Jonathanians complain about others putting the blame on only GEJ's head however they ironically want to put the blame of the depleted ECA on Amaechi's head.

1. If you guys want to put the blame on Amaechi for the squandering of ECA, was Amaechi the only governor in Nigeria?... as a matter of fact, were there not much more PDP governors in Nigeria at that time?

2. If you claim that GEJ was arm-twisted to share the money by governors, was OBJ and Yaradua not also arm-twisted and even taken to court?... Why did it have to be GEJ who succumbed to pressure in just a matter of months?... Isn't that a clear sign of weakness and poor leadership as we have always pointed out?... Someone said GEJ isn't a dictator hence he fell for the trap, in that context, wouldn't it have been better for GEJ to be a dictator and save the nation from this present turmoil than be a wimp and put the nation in a mess?

3. If the governors were blamed for taking the ECA funds, the last time I checked, states will take only 40% while the FG would retain 60%. If GEJ was really proactive and willing to save, so what on earth happened to the remaining 60%?... From my calculations, GEJ met $20billion in ECA and shared $8bn to governors, so what on earth did GEJ do with $12billion?

1. APC governors agreed with PDP governors, so your attempt to separate parties is dead on arrival.

2. We have a dictator who disrespects court others and boldly preach marginalization, how has the economy faired under him? Is he not still sharing the money with NGF? What did he use to bail the states out? We run a democracy, you can't eat your cake and have it. A president does not have to waste Nigeria's money on court cases when the NGF should be partners in progress not foes. You cannot have a Putin and an Obama at the same time, or a Mother Theresa and a Beyonce in the same body. Choose one.

3. Have you stopped to wonder how the economy maintained its average of 6% growth rate under GEJ? GEJ had two options, get down to work which needed investing most of the cash we made or do nothing and accumulate money in reserves that amount to nothing. OBJ chose the latter, Yaradua chose the latter, GEJ was elected to do the former and he did. He has been vindicated by APC stalwarts like Fash and Amaechi to have made more contribution to Nigeria's transformation than any president in the history of the nation.

If he hadn't used the money, we would have still been living in the past. It takes money to make money. It is not his fault that people he appointed to help stir the economy in the right direction turned out to be economic saboteurs. At least, now we now know no ethnicity in Nigeria is a "saint" ethnicity. Jonathan is not the architect of Nigeria's problem, people like you that are quick to blame people for the failures of yourself, your family, your community, and your ethnicity are the architects of Nigeria's problem.

-Lord

9jatriot:
In over 8yrs of FAshola's administration the accusation against him is 130M for borehole and 78M for website totally 208M in 8yrs. Now to Metuh what state was he governor that he is being accused of between 400M to 1.2B and not even in 8 yrs. Like you said, he is a rare gem in Nigerian politics. Now to the claims that GEJ build more roads in Nigeria, I don't understand. third mainland bridge is acclaimed as the longest in Africa, tell me the one road that you claim GEJ build that is longer than that. Am not aware of any new road (I mean a road build from scratch) that was build by GEJ's administration. Most of the roads he attempted were already existing roads that were repaired, does that equate to building the highest number of roads in Nigeria.

In terms of appointments, OBJ ran a far more inclusive government that the claim from GEJ. OBJ even had ministers outside his party, so please don't buy the lie that he appointed more people.

Bros, read the news...

http://www.360nobs.com/2015/12/438561/

Na Fashola, Minister of Power, Work, and Housing nai talk am no be me.

I cannot speak for Metuh, same way you cannot speak for the APC chieftain that returned N100m

To the bolded, I hate to say this, but you shouldn't have been allowed to vote. Why? Because you are easily swayed by propaganda. I am very positive that your ilk were among those that said the rail sector improvements was a farce only for Ameachi to say he did not know that the rails were working.

OBJ appointed for the sake. GEJ appointed more women and people from more ethnic groups that had more privilege to enact transformation. The current AfDB president who was the former Agric minister was a Yoruba man. The former minister for trade and investment was a Yoruba. NOI was a ND. Nebo was a SE. He appointed service chiefs from the N to address the BH plague.

Be a true Nigerian, do your own research and don't fall for lies. It will do you more good.

-Lord

GOALGATE:
No. I hate Gej because he is a Terrorist..

Bring your proof or forever remain silent.

The real terrorist is the man that threatened that any attack against BH is an attack against the NE.

-Lord

9jatriot:
On the bolded, I agree with you. You can include Obi, Chime, Kwakwaso and a few others to that list

On being termed a dictator for saving the national money is not true. OBJ started excess crude funds saving for days like this when crude prices go down, that was why the bench mark used in budgeting was always lower than the prevalent crude price. If he had come up with a superior argument and probably resorted to the national assembly or even the courts to do it, he would have been applauded. Nigerians view politicians as thieves, so he would have been seen as protecting the ordinary people and not a dictator, NGF tried all these tantrums with OBJ, he refused and heavens did not fall. GEJ's lust for power without a spine was his undoing in 2011 and his undoing in 2015. Let me not even go far, do you really think PEJ would not have been able to say no to NGF and still win the election in 2011?

OBJ used the same tactics for the third term presidency and failed. OBJ did not come up with a superior argument, he ruled a one-man government and silenced opposition whenever he got the chance to.

Remember how Nebo found that electrical equipments purchased by OBJ stayed in the ports for 14 years till he found them. OBJ had no economic agenda, did virtually nothing in Nigeria, and left so much money in the reserves because he did not carry out any meaningful project.

As I said, GEJ ran an inclusive government. OBJ did not. Remember why NOI resigned even after helping us clear out $30b+ external debt.

I would put this to you, do you prefer autocracy or democracy?

The members of NGF are elected officers of the nation, they have just as much stake in the nation's government as the president. When 35 governors come together to ask for sharing, even Obama will accede to their request. Democracy is a government of the majority.

GEJ is not Putin!!!

-Lord

9jatriot:
Everyone knows they needed the money for them to have more to steal under the guise of providing more amenities, I am not holding forte for the governors but in this case GEJ was clearly wrong, he should not have accented but his lust for power would not allow him so he was easily blackmailed because he was lusting for power which the north felt at that time (2011) should come back to them. Poor leadership quality if you ask me.

If in 8yrs all the dirt you guys can find on Fashola is 78M, whereas Metuh who was not even a governor but a PDP spokes is hold between 400M - 1.2B, then I go say Fashola try then.

PMB elections was generally funded by donations from ordinary individuals. You remember one old woman that gave her last one million to PMB. I remember a nairalander posting his own window's mite contribution during the election and they were many others like that.

Do you know about the N130m borehole by Fash. And by the way, he is been protected by the fact that he is a member to the ruling party.

In any case, Fash's case is not the real deal. He looted, but he also performed, which is a rare trait in the Nigerian polity. If he can be celebrated, why can't GEJ. The reason is simple, because two regions hated the fact that someone from the minority led them for 5 years.

He built more roads than any other president, it was not enough. He maintained the growth rate of the economy at an average of 6%, first ever in Nigeria, it was not enough. He revamped the agricultural sector, it was not enough. He revitalized the rail sector, it was not enough. He revitalized the automobile manufacturing industry, it was not enough. What would he have done, send all 180m of us paychecks every month?

He appointed a Northern oligarch to head Nigeria's foremost security agency. The person used the opportunity to share money. He appointed military top brass from all the regions as service chiefs, yet they still found a way to accumulate over N1t in their accounts. What all this looting allegations show is that one man gave Nigerians of all creed and ethnicity the chance to help better the economy and they all failed woefully.

Whether you are from the ND, SE, North or West, someone from your ethnicity had a chance to better the commonwealth and instead robbed all of us blind. It shows what we are fundamentally as a nation. Changing parties does not change that fact. Tell me what other reason will prompt millions of naira to be spent to furnish a driver's lounge in Aso rock, or why hundreds of millions will be used to provide recreational facilities for the president.

No one is paying mind to the misappropriation going on in the states. Everyone is fixated on GEJ, because he chose to be inclusive in his government.

Allah forgive those that accuse a man for the sins of others.

-Lord

9jatriot:
If the governors in this country were performing, then people would not have noticed that much the failure of the federal government. I do not hold fort for the governors, actually for want of a better word, I hate most of them, however in this case, GEJ was clearly wrong.
I was not talking about his re-election, he shared the money when he was still acting president after Yar-dua had died, except my memory fails me.

The clout the NGF pulls in Nigeria is humongous. They are equal partners with the federal government in Nigeria, if they request for it to be shared, GEJ would do same or be termed a dictator.

Let me put it this way, Nigeria was growing at the fastest rate for the first time since the early 80s, what money do you think was used to fuel the growth. Some people don't think.

Was there looting under GEJ? Yes, whoever says no is high on cheap drugs. But the performance recorded by his government is unparalleled in the history of this country. If we had more Fash and Akpabio handling the states (even with their looting), the weight on the FG would have been reduced.

Everybody seems to fail to see the notion on which GEJ ran his government--INCLUSION of everyone in the government regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, and gender. It is absolutely no fault of his that those that had the opportunity to make impact with the privilege they had, chose not to.

-Lord