₦airaland Forum

Khd95:
when would u grow balls to start questioning ur leaders on how they spend our common wealth

Anyways thats my opinion,fvck off with urs

I think the question should be rather reframed back at you as " When will you grow brains to have the capacity to comprehend basic things".

and......Of course it is your opinion, no wonder it is so shallow....

sosy25:
Mr Jagaban you were in support of "true federalism" but now APC is in power you are silent about it. Even if (as you said) Sarahi and El-Rufai had allowed you to be Vice President you would not have been able to sell "true federalism" to President Buhari. You are "National Leader" but you are unable to influence President Buhari to accept stuff like "true federalism" that you believed in. If you cant get your way from outside you would also not be able to get your way from inside.

I believe he is still in support of true federalism. What he abhors is using true federalism as deception (Remember his accusation that "Jonathan served us deception a la carte". Secondly he's getting us to bid our time, to attain a level of maturity so that when we go true federalism, all sections of the nation will have a base to be viable.

seunmsg:
I don't know the genuine intention of Saraki or El-Rufai but the truth is, a Buhari -Tinubu ticket would have failed in 2015. Religion still plays a very important role in political decisions in Nigeria and for this reason, all serious political parties seeking for power must find a way to balance their ticket. Again, the PDP already labelled APC has an Islamic party that was sponsoring boko haram to distabilise the government of a Christian President. APC flying a muslim-muslim ticket would have easily played into the divisive narratives of the PDP.

Tinubu should take solace in the fact that the vice president is a shining light in the current administration. His choices for most leadership positions have always performed considerably well and that says a lot about his person, a leader that can identify talents to implement his vision. That is one quality most great leaders lack.

The interest of the country should always be put above personal ambition when necessary and that kind of leadership is what Asiwaju displayed in the run towards the 2015 election. History will be kind to him for the role he played in deepening democracy and mobilising to uproot the most useless, corrupt and incompetent president in the history of Nigeria's democracy.

I think Tinubu is a focused strategist and a good chess player. While he's entitled to his ambition, he knows how to bid his time. He played the card, hoping the Muslim-Muslim ticket can be re-enacted like the days of June 12, but Nigeria is not matured yet for it.

Tinubu is still playing his card. First off, he chooses smart guys and get rid of the "ordinary one". No wonder the likes of Senator Afikuyomi is almost in oblivion and people like Fowler, Ogunbiyi, Osinbajo, Fayemi, Fashola are in the fore. His disciples are in strategic places in building the nation.

Jabioro:
That's power play, Tinubu your maturity among the politicians is second to non, you have played a political Stewart holding your ground..

Honestly this is wisdom. Especially how he maneuvered his supporters from not putting a condition to support PMB. Tinubu has been shouldering a lot for politicians since the days of Fashola

Mr. Abubakar said the stories were not true and that Mr. Adetayo allegedly denied authorship of the story on the president’s ill-health, owned up to wrongdoings about his limited contribution and “pleaded for leniency, promising that he will not repeat such ‘grievous’ mistake.”

“On the lead story in the Sunday publication of the paper, subject stated that he was not the author of the story but was only asked and pressurised by his editor to get the State House reaction to make up the story which he did by enquiring from the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina.

“However, when asked to put his explanation and plea into writing, he maintained that what he wrote on the Satrurday column was based on his observations,” Mr. Abubakar said.

The CSO said he met Mr. Adetayo on Monday in the presence of the chairman of the State House Press Corps, Ubale Musa.

Mr. Musa, a Deutsche Welle reporter who was himself ejected from the State House in the last days of the Jonathan administration, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Adetayo verbally apologised, but that he was not privy to the content of his colleague’s written statement to the CSO when asked if he, indeed, denied authorship of the Sunday story.

“I don’t know what he wrote in his statement,” Mr. Musa said. “I only know he apologised.”

Aside from the fact that there are two sides to every story, this is a challenge from Mr. Adetayo and Punch to either own-up to these part of the allegation or refute it.

I am always careful to be totally on the side of Nigerian journalists, knowing some of the under-table deals they cut and penchant to report what they had no knowledge of

sarrki:
Woke is 100%;better than that thug called fayose

We can see infrastructure in rivers

Fayose us busy with that criminal in kuje

Can someone show us what school, hospital, water projects that Fayose has done?

omohayek:
As others have mentioned, revitalizing the railways is crucial for the economic health of the nation. My problem is with how this government is planning to carry it out, by borrowing $5.8 billion. What guarantee is there that this money will be efficiently spent on the railways? And once the railway projects have been completed, will they be operated in a self-sustaining manner, and allowed to charge commercially viable rates, or will they continue to be poorly run by the government, like every other Nigerian parastatal in history, e.g. Nigerian Airways, NEPA, NITEL, etc?

These questions you asked have answers embedded in the write-up and in the public domain

1. Guarantee that the money will be efficiently spent? The Chinese, the executor of the project are the ones that would access the funds and do the spending. It will transit from the China Exim bank to the Chinese company doing the project. Even the FG's equity contribution is paid into an holding account controlled by the bank and the SPVs over-seeing the project. This is the model we should have adopted years ago

2. Operated in self-sustaining manner? - It will be "concessioned", hence the "concessionee" have the objective even beyond self-sustainance, to make good profit from it

rafindo:
With a transport infrastructure gap of great magnitude, Nigeria need more than 10 billion dollar to reach the standard of India 20 years ago.The truth be told our past leaders failed us in the area of transport infrastructure. We need to aggressive develop our railway system which in turn will increase productivity. Haters thinks railway development is akara and pap money.

We need not worry too much about catch-up with India and the likes. I believe Nigeria has an innate ability to accelerate development when we get committed to it. I mean look at Lagos 18yrs ago and compare with today.

We need to start, and that is very important. We will get to a near self-sustaining tempo say in 5-7years

otokx:
They should just handover our railways to the Chinese to build - operate - privatize after 100 years with privatization to involve listing on the Stock Exchange both in China and Nigeria.

We can't do that. Even if we make little progress, we should let our children the chance to progress better than we'll do. 25-30yrs concession is enough, that time to allow processes like technology transfer, institution building (universities and politechnics or specialised schools for railway technology and management, structures in government and private sectors) and business development

Listing on stock exchange should even be a prerequisite to concession and on the NSE before any foreign exchange

Khd95:
Borrow borrow make me shine,but this herdsman no fit shine.

What happens to all the recovered loots,have theu been relooted

It is unfortunate for NL that when topics that should stimulate intellectual discuss are posted on NL, daft reactions like this comes first

nkemjacob2:

Garrithe1st: :
When people complain of hardship they're fond of looking in the direction of FG. Meanwhile the FG has done a lot to assist states both APC and PDP to meet up with their obligations.

Those who complain do not ask what their Governors are doing with their allocations. They're not calling on their State Governors to free the Local Government from their Satanic grips. The LG which is meant to bring governance to the grassroots has been hijacked by most Governors while the mumu followers look like hypnotized sheepies.

Rivers State budget of 2016 and 2017 is only known to Wike and his gang of Ex Militants called honourables in the State Assembly.

God Bless Buhari and APC for all they're doing to help the States and their numerous strides in alleviating the sufferings of ordinary Nigerians AKA the masses.

God Bless Buhari...

God Bless APC....

Thunder fire all our yam eaters..

do u no how ur governor spend his?

I can tell you how my governor spent his

[b]Osun: How Aregbesola spent N34.5 billion bailout funds - Labour, Banks

The labour unions in Osun State and banks that received and disbursed the N34.5 billion bailout funds on behalf of the state government have exonerated Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the deployment and utilization of the money.

The labour union leaders and bank officials and others who appeared before the House of Assembly during the probe of the bailout fund said the money was used for the payment of arrears of salaries and allowances of workers in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN's) guidelines and directives.

The Chairmen of Osun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Jacob Adekomi, Joint negotiation Council (JNC), Mr Bayo Adejumo, and the Nigeria Union of Teacher (NUT), Wakeel Amuda, told the House that they monitored the disbursement of the fund and insisted that the money was used to pay salaries and allowances.

According to them, the labour unions and the state government agreed on how to spend the bailout fund and the government respected the agreement by spending the fund in line with the CBN guidelines.

The labour union leaders explained that pensioners were not supposed to partake in the fund but the benefited because they were considered owing to magnanimity of the Governor Aregbesola.

The House of Assembly in a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, had summoned the labour leaders and recipient banks to appear before the House as part of the probe.

The representatives of the banks, Adebayo Yakub (First Bank), Musbau Oyeniran (Wema Bank) and Ola Adedeji (Zenith Bank) also told the House that the money was disbursed appropriately.

Presenting the analysis of the fund, the Accountant-General said, the state government had requested for N64,327,492,947.01 to cover salaries, allowances, pensions and gratuities, but the CBN approved only N25,871,920,000 to cover just salaries and allowance, leaving out pension and gratuities.

"No fund was released for pension and gratuity despite the fact that we included it in our letter to the CBN. We explained this to the pensioners repeatedly but they did not believe us."
The labour unions in Osun State and banks that received and disbursed the N34.5 billion bailout funds on behalf of the state government have exonerated Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the deployment and utilization of the money.

The labour union leaders and bank officials and others who appeared before the House of Assembly during the probe of the bailout fund said the money was used for the payment of arrears of salaries and allowances of workers in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN's) guidelines and directives.

The Chairmen of Osun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Jacob Adekomi, Joint negotiation Council (JNC), Mr Bayo Adejumo, and the Nigeria Union of Teacher (NUT), Wakeel Amuda, told the House that they monitored the disbursement of the fund and insisted that the money was used to pay salaries and allowances.

According to them, the labour unions and the state government agreed on how to spend the bailout fund and the government respected the agreement by spending the fund in line with the CBN guidelines.

The labour union leaders explained that pensioners were not supposed to partake in the fund but the benefited because they were considered owing to magnanimity of the Governor Aregbesola.

The House of Assembly in a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, had summoned the labour leaders and recipient banks to appear before the House as part of the probe.

The representatives of the banks, Adebayo Yakub (First Bank), Musbau Oyeniran (Wema Bank) and Ola Adedeji (Zenith Bank) also told the House that the money was disbursed appropriately.

Presenting the analysis of the fund, the Accountant-General said, the state government had requested for N64,327,492,947.01 to cover salaries, allowances, pensions and gratuities, but the CBN approved only N25,871,920,000 to cover just salaries and allowance, leaving out pension and gratuities.

"No fund was released for pension and gratuity despite the fact that we included it in our letter to the CBN. We explained this to the pensioners repeatedly but they did not believe us."[/b]

Blue3k:
You people are truly lazy didn't read anything but feel need to comment because u want front page likes. Lol saying good to wasteful spending and opaque fiscal polices.

You guys missed bolded section that said the federal government isn't keeping state government accountable and still handing out cash. Lol partisan politics make yall dumb. Maybe yu guys just want attention at all cost.

Legally, the money belonged to both the Federal and state govt ab-initio, as such it was going to be shared anyways. To forestall occurrences like this in the future, we need frameworks (legal and procedural) that will address how bailouts should be utillised and deterrence processes for misuse

Blue3k:
The federal government are failures you handed the states a bunch of money without scrutiny. They blatantly disregard conditions and transparency rules and you rush to hand them more. Honestly it's insane how alot of Nigerians worship their Governors and don't seem concerned with the lack of transpency they give with their tax money.

Now the states need to be forced by law to give account of their funds. The state assembly are a bunch of stooges alot of the time. Bowing down like in Benue groveling to their demi god governor.

Everything in Red explains why curruption is so strong despite a war on it.

Bailouts from 2015-2017
N338 billion
N575 billion
N92.18 Billion
N7.85 billion
N3.6 billion
N117.3 billion
N522.74 billion

There is a legal angle you "conveniently" overlooked. The law actually prevents the FG from "dictating" how state funds are disbursed once it hits the state accounts. The FG's power stops at the point where the monies still resides at Central Bank. This is the lacuna most states explored.

The FG had their banks against a wall, in the face of backlog of salaries unpaid, that brought hardship on people. So they had no choice but to release tranches of the bailout. It is the people that will suffer if the go too hard, hence the option of releasing the bailout and hope to catch those governors and their cronies through relevant institutions and process.

But we should ask ourselves. How many of the governors that accessed the bailout had published details of its use? How many had welcomed the idea to be audited? If they do not have skeletons in their cupboard, why not publish the details like Aregbesola did?

SalamRushdie:
What does EFCC need a 24 billion naira building for even though it's clear the figure has been padded by a million percent

They may deserve it, if it can be truly shown by the details......that is why I think we need the details. The cost-benefit can be argued considering how much has been fleeced from this country in the last 6years, but I believe we need to be assured that such project will better equip the EFCC to do a more thorough job and deliver greater value

krispycash:
The real question is why build a new hq when u can restructure the old one Why pull out a fresh contract worth billions of naira for building when other things are in dire need of attention?
The people in power obviously have no knowledge as to how to run a country... All they talk about is money... When they can help people get jobs... And improve the educational system which is presently a joke... But a corrupt man talking about fighting corruption? Na.... They are all one and the same... It is always the corrupt ones that seek to fight corruption

Bros,

In situations like this, I will rather we find out more about the details of the contract, rather than make statements that are uninformed. If the contract was valued at N18b+ as at 2010, what was the details? How did we allow such an humongous value without knowing the details? In fairness it might be that the huge cost comes from sophisticated technology, for example satellite links and stuffs. On the other hand it may be that we signed a "mugu" contract. Good enough the contract was awarded to JB, as such can be investigated

It is a shame that a contract that was awarded in 2010 and was supposed to last 3years is now being resuscitated 7years later, hence a N5b variation. All in all, we should get the details and get a clearer perspective

kenonze:
I personally don't have problems with that.
It's not just the building but the equipment needed

Now we are getting to the see sensible reasoning

HeroicMeastro:

seunmsg: :


No regime can beat Jonathan when it comes to corruption. The EFCC headquarters contract was awarded in 2010 by GEJ for a sum of N18.8billion and should have been completed since 2013. N18.8billion for the construction of office complex just for an agency is nothing but criminal.

Worst part and for reasons that we don't know, the project was not completed and the Buhari government just increased the contact sum by N5billion due to foreign exchange fluctuation. By all standards, the project is criminally overpriced.

Guy, na u knw book pass.
All others were commenting cowardly.

....idiotically you mean

westchase007:
When the government was silent for decades, the local government passive at best on community issues, poverty, crime and drugs, This Present house (The Dome) and Freedom Foundation, under the leadership of Dr Tony Rapu engaged the community, provided welfare, counselling, rehabilitation programmes, and other initiatives to help the people in the community, taking on some of the government's fiduciary duties to the people (which they are quick to remind us of during elections).

Rather than being encouraged by the government, a campaign is being waged which is entirely political, wrapped in greed and shrouded in self interest. The government's new campaign is to grab land at will. Makoko and Otodo Gbame are examples of government's destructive influence. Now they want to add Itedo to that as well as a church that has influenced and is influencing the Lekki community on all ends of the spectrum.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Yetunde Onabule who serves as a special adviser to the Governor. Her desperation comes from a plan to develop the "Lekki" Banana Island, called Orange Island (which they are currently sand filling) and provide access to Admiralty road. However, because the church stands in between, it has created a challenge. Rather than creatively think of a solution, they do what they do best, BULLDOZE their way through.

The worst thing to do is to justify a wrong doing with excuse that is out of the context. Is the supposed good deed done by the church a justification to disregard and disobey the law?

sshalom:
Pastor Tony Rapu is a respected and highly cerebral man of God. I am sure he will not deliberately flout the Laws of Lagos State on building regulations.

The Church in Nigeria must continue to champion all that is GOOD, ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT will of God in all circumstances.

My tots exactly.... I am waiting for a credible defense by the church

naptu2:
You still don't understand what I was referring to. I'm not referring to whether they have a legal right to that building or to what the courts would say. I'm referring to the fact that they put up a structure without the required building permits and that they have been building on that site since the middle of last year.

So how do we know if the structure is sound? Who has inspected it? Who certified that it's safe to build that structure there? What if we had a repeat of the Lekki Gardens or Synagogue episode between then and now?

Good perspective......

momentarylapse:
Cheers to where?


You have still not shown me where I called him a christian! A run around mallam now means muslim in your lexicon? Even people call me mallam and I am a christian! Someone got sacked for being incompetent but you are here trying to engage in semantics by telling us his background proved he was capable! Name some of the innovative administrative steps he initiated and applied during his tenure as the SGF and let us see how his background looking at circuit boards prepared him for that!


This is how many of you just jump into posts and end up embarrassing yourselves then start claiming read and understand status before running off by saying "bye"!

That is why I "jumped out" because you penchant to interpret things "southwards" is bewildering. I do not intend to go on unnecessary "venture" that I can see will lead to nowhere.

naptu2:
There's absolutely no sentiments in my post.

In my first line I was making it clear that the church demolished its earlier structure and started building a much bigger structure last year (presumably without the required building permit).

My second paragraph refers to my belief that the government should have stopped work on the site since last year. Anything could have happened on the site between then and now.

Let's take the second.... Last year, this year what difference does it make in the context of building without permit. The sentiments I referred to in your pose is this. The law will not consider the amount you spent or that someone should have stopped you earlier. There have been cases when someone built on land only to discovered the land is in dispute. The courts awarded such cases to the land owner with valid title, regardless of the time the case was brought to court or a consideration that the case should have been raise earlier.

In this case of TPH, from the perspective of law (Regulator and Law) there is contextually no difference between now and the past when they should have obtained permit

Gpcseeds:
Which big church do u think the hungry revenue collectors wouldn't have brought down(b4 now) if they (had). erred?

I am tempted to believe you do not understand the situation on ground.....as simple as it is? Is this about big or small church?

Gpcseeds:
Look, i'm not justifying d wrong of the church, they probably have their faults too, in this matter. But let dis so called govt officials do d right thin at d right time. You will see that at d long run d church wil remain there, d pple who stopped it wil collect money n approve it cos thats their motive.

We c it happening everyday, they dont stop work at foundation, rather almost finished buiding wil be cancelled only for dem to b 'settled' and matter die down.

...so that makes me ask, what is the objective of your drift? to exonerate the church or chide the govt? because to me the church should not have been caught in this situation, while there is no law that stipulated when govt should place a stop work order. Besides in this context, it became an issue when the state govt found out the fence of the church encroached on an about to be constructed road, among the offenses.

What I have observed is, many of us take the risky route of commencing a project, while processing or not having processed permits. We patronise govt workers who line their own pockets, yet we erroneously interpret these ones to represent govt as an institution. The truth is that we are all responsible to make govt as an institution to work and it begins with doing the right things, rather than lay excuse on the other.......

Interesting15:

Afam4eva: :
This is a step in the right direction. Religious bodies should not be seen violating existing laws. But i hope Lagos state will extend this to other big churches.

And mosques too?

Fashola (a muslim) pulled down the mosque inside state secretariat Alausa. Let's not get overtly sentimental and attach religious connotations to things

Gpcseeds:
My anger is, Nigerian laws, especially in lagos are there to generate revenue. Were they on leave when d constructn started? Where were they while work was in progress?
Have u ever seen a lastma official trying to correct a driver who is 'ABOUT' to take wrong way when there is nothing to notify him/her. We still have a long way to go.

....but the bigger question is that is the church filled with ignorant people not to have known that a permit is a prerequisite to erecting a building

naptu2:
They demolished the church building and started constructing an even bigger building early last year.

My only question is, why did it take so long? They've been working on that site since last year.

Bros,

1. Unfortunately, sentiments has little place in the face of the law.
2. The question should also be asked of TPH, with all the number of lawyers & Civil servants in the church, they built a first and started a second building without building permit?

jerseyboy:
Tony Rapu is a good man.

....that did something not good in the eyes of the law

abhosts:
Lagos State Government can say anything when someone is a "Target". I remember when they accused one estate in Lekki of not having any approved Planning. It turned out to be a lie and the estate was unsealed after some protests.

What estate?

Gpcseeds:

quote author=Afam4eva

:
This is a step in the right direction. Religious bodies should not be seen violating existing laws. But i hope Lagos state will extend this to other big churches.


Even if those big churches do nothing wrong, abi?

....after you just read what they did wrong....

Jaideyone:
smh we Christians are the only group that can islamise Nigeria. too many conflicting doctrines and beliefs.

You may be right with the bolded......the laziness to many so called christians who attend church services but never open the bible is the bane.

momentarylapse:
Who called him a christian! I said run around mallam...it is a code in northern politics! It is like a christian who acts like a muslim and intercede with christian political groups on behalf of a muslim politician! In the north mallam is used for everyone as a snide comment sometimes! And yes his post was based on nepotism and not any competence!


Or is it due to his competence that he is now without a job? He went their only concerned about enjoying the perks of his position and not about how to direct his friends govt. In the right direction! If you can't get that na you sabi! I worked with inec for 8 years conducting elections across all zones of naija before I left to enter the game myself! Don't try to talk to me about knowing politicians

In fact, I won't try to talk to you about knowing politicians, neither will I bother to get you to put things in intelligible perspectives. I am not sure where the borderline is with all you laid up here that makes no valuable bearing to the discurse......but that said

Cheers!