₦airaland Forum

Tolexander:
What about the billions the the state Governor owes some of the students' parent, has he paid?

Yes he has.......

and if going by your twisted logic, the student should fulfil their end of the bargain, cos their lecturers whose salaries have the potential to hang in the balance will be paid from these fees

iyke926:
I will take Buharis fight against corruption serious when he gets OBJ, IBB, Atiku, Kalu and others arrested.

.....aside a statistic, you are who?

veacea:
It's their right to protest.

...and also to be stu.pid

TonyeBarcanista:
This is insane.

NSCDC is an institution of the State and not a property of Buhari.

What is wrong with politicians?

Why are you asking a question when the answer is obvious. Does Fayose come to you as someone mentally and intellectually fit to hold the responsibility of a governor of a state?

Jayk1:
i will drive it

me too

Bryan812:
Cuffs in a court room is not right nah......

Standard procedure. If the accused shows tendency of violence, then cuffs and/or chains are used as restrainst

KahlDrogo:

onexile: :
Who still listens to this old fool? Somebody who faced the same trial Kanu is facing now and compromised?


We believe in Kanu. Yes we trust in Kanu! Even if he is a fraudster, we still like him.
We like his type of fraud. A type of fraud that has established IPOB in 88countries of the world. A type of fraud that has established a functional Biafra embassy in Spain. A type of fraud that established Biafra radio that has dominated the Nigeria airspace etc.


We so much love this Fraud walahi

Biafra embasy in Spain? Who is the spanish high commissioner to biafra? Who is the biafra high commissioner to spain? You see, the many lies in this single post of yours is the reason Ralph said what he said.

Biafran Embassy in Spain

INTROVERT:
If you like refuse it in bad faith... You are out and done and dusted......

Mufasa27:
I feel for you bro, but I think there should be another option, if you don't wanna send money to a family member that would squander your hard earned money...

How do you embark on a building project here in Nigeria while you are away Is there any other way you could build a house here without involving snakes in your family


I need answers pls

Yes. There are registered companies that are licensed building contractors. You can also take your cash and buy a house outright.

Chosen1984:
AS STALE AS 1960!

Abi.

The guy should just STFU! Sometimes these diaspora folks vent stu.pid steamand come out sounding idiotic. These ill-exposed folks should know that the advent of internet has made the world move on.

1. Why send money, when you can manage your bank account yourself regardless of your location
2. Why not engage competent professional companies to build your house project, why send it to people you know will misappropriate it......

You see all the talk about snow, suffering, hardship etc..... he chose the path, so he should save me of all the fuss.

APC left it a little late in getting Bolaji Abdulahi. this one of the most brilliant young men in Nigeria. His narrative here is very strategic and pregnant with lots of meanings
1. After all negotiations and concessions, Saraki can probably sit pretty
2. Just like HOR, Lawan is rightly compensated
3. The party has come to a conclusion that the interest of the party supersedes, yet accommodates all personal interests
4. The party can now consolidate, concentrate of running the govt harmoniously and much more increase its foothold

Atiku2019:
KPMG I Failed your interview/assessment in 2009 as a Graduate trainee ... Well I'm gonna return soon as a Senior Manager

I love your spirit....... and it shall be for you according to your desire

JKisOK:
My friend, where are you from? Is this how you use to do? These are all lies you wrote here...crass lies! Kai! Bicourtney did nothing on that highway, until Jonathan (by popular demand) revoked the concession and funded its rehabilitation. Work was in top-gear on that axis as well as the Benin-Ore-Shagamu sector, which would have long been concluded if not for the change in government and PMB's unilateral suspension of work. Even Fashola acknowledged this progress when he newly came on board, praising GEJ as having done the most on the country's road networks in the last 20 or so years. Make you no dey lie like dis now!

If you care, see below and tell me how GEJ made progress

Bi-Courtney and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Posted By: Olusegun Kehinde on: May 26, 2016In: LettersNo Comments Print Email

SIR: A distinguished man of letters and former Nigerian ambassador to Germany, Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun, wrote about the sorry state of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in his March 31, column in The Nation.

The article, entitled ‘Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is jinxed’, came with factual and emotional dimensions. It is yet another page in a series of spirited newspaper commentaries on the troubled highway reconstruction project.

The article reflects the pains in the hearts of road users, but deflects from the fact that government is to blame for their woes, not Bi-Courtney Ltd.

Osuntokun stated: “The way things are going on in this country, we may die under the weight of irresponsible litigations.”

That statement would get any unprejudiced reader wondering what other options there are for an investor who had a partnership arrangement with the Federal Government (FG) to provide good infrastructure for Nigerians but lost over $300million, while government officials were blocking his every move to make progress on the project. It took the FG more than two years to even approve the design for the road. Then, the same government that failed to play its part well, turned around to terminate the concession agreement, and engaged a new concessionaire in a shady and unlawful manner.



The article further stated: “As for the lawsuits, there is need for out of court settlement… If out of court arbitration fails, this government should be strong enough to damn the consequence in the public interest. I mean heaven will not fall! The government which owns the land should declare the company a trespasser and build the road. Enough of Turenci!”

Declare Bi-Courtney as a trespasser? This is difficult to reconcile with Prof. Osuntokun’s insistence, elsewhere in the article, on doing things properly. If there were any trespasser on this project, it is government. Trespass, going by definition, is the act of being present on another’s land without lawful excuse. Bi-Courtney is the rightful owner of the highway by virtue of its concession that was purportedly terminated.

Events have shown that government is the meddlesome interloper and self-interested intruder on the highway project. The writer should have exposed the rot in the system and how the country is fast becoming a cemetery of dreams for investors.

Bi-Courtney, being a responsible corporate citizen, had demanded for arbitration; that’s a peaceful conflict resolution mechanism enshrined in the concession agreement. It’s meant to guard against the so-called ‘irresponsible litigations’, but the Federal Government shunned that demand thereby plunging the project into crisis.

While addressing the issue recently, the Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said: “Regrettably, while not going into the merits and demerits of the FGN’s cancellation of the concession, it sends a not-welcoming message to foreign investors if the decision was without basis or influenced by politics…

“If that was the case, as a foreign investor, I will be asking myself the kind of treatment that awaits me as a foreigner if the government does that to a citizen…”

Why is Bi-Courtney fighting for justice?



Some people seem to have forgotten that the FG made Bi-Courtney do palliative works, repeatedly, on the entire road for three years, and even reclaimed the completely damaged Aramed end of the road near Ibadan at a huge cost, while the company was held back by bureaucratic bottlenecks in the Ministry of Works.

While stating that it was not opposed to the reconstruction of the road, Bi-Courtney had noted, among other things, that it had never received a kobo from the FG or any of its agencies, unlike what the same government had turned around to do for another would-be concessionaire that was being paid N2billion monthly for the same project and was also provided with unlimited guarantee.

A guarantee was all that Bi-Courtney needed, and had asked for, but was denied in 2012, when its international partners – Group Five, were ready to roll.

There is danger ahead if we fail to expose the rot in our system and make amends. Government must be guided to do the right thing at all times.

Now that the FG is committing additional N40billion to the road project, there’s an urgent need to dialogue with Bi-Courtney, apologise to the company for all the unconstitutional actions by the FG, and work out modalities on how it can be part of the project. Shutting the firm out is not the way to go.

Olusegun Kehinde
http://thenationonlineng.net/bi-courtney-lagos-ibadan-expressway/

JKisOK:
My friend, where are you from? Is this how you use to do? These are all lies you wrote here...crass lies! Kai! Bicourtney did nothing on that highway, until Jonathan (by popular demand) revoked the concession and funded its rehabilitation. W[b]ork was in top-gear on that axis as well as the Benin-Ore-Shagamu sector, which would have long been concluded if not for the change in government and PMB's unilateral suspension of work.[/b] Even Fashola acknowledged this progress when he newly came on board, praising GEJ as having done the most on the country's road networks in the last 20 or so years. Make you no dey lie like dis now!

You are an unrepentant liar.

1. How and when did PMB suspend work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway?
2. Ask your GEJ how he paid RCC and Julius Berger and they abandoned work?
3. Where did Fashola acknowledge that progress was being made on a road abandoned for over 2yrs?

JKisOK:
My friend, where are you from? Is this how you use to do? These are all lies you wrote here...crass lies! Kai! Bicourtney did nothing on that highway, until Jonathan (by popular demand) revoked the concession and funded its rehabilitation. Work was in top-gear on that axis as well as the Benin-Ore-Shagamu sector, which would have long been concluded if not for the change in government and PMB's unilateral suspension of work. Even Fashola acknowledged this progress when he newly came on board, praising GEJ as having done the most on the country's road networks in the last 20 or so years. Make you no dey lie like dis now!

I don't think I need to engage you in a discussion because obviously you can't get it. You accuse me of lies on things that are factual, yet you supply blatant lies [see quoted report]. Meanwhile some facts are sancrosanct
1. GEJ revoked the countract and Bi-courtney went to court to secure an injunction, thus making the new concessionaire (Motorways) incapacitated
2. Bicourtney did start the project and did some work, but I had submitted that giving the project of that magnitude to a no-antecedent Bi-courtney (incidentally by Yar'Adua and GEJ as VP) was in itself a blunder

Government, Bi-courtney open talks on Lagos-Ibadan expressway project
By Chinedum Uwaegbulam | 05 April 2016 | 2:45 am


Following the legal twists and turns trailing the privatization of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project, the Federal Government may have opened talks with the former concessionaire towards finding a lasting solution to the imbroglio that is hampering the smooth execution of the contract.

The Guardian learnt that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing Development, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has begun talks with Dr. Wale Babalakin, the owner of Bi-Courtney Nigeria Limited, the former concessionaire in order to reach an amicable settlement that would allow the completion of the on-going construction.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has been caught up in two court cases in which an order has been made cancelling a financing agreement to fund contracts for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the road awarded to Julius Berger Plc and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) in 2013 at the cost of N167billion with a completion date of 2017.

Early this year, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited secured a court injunction, setting aside a new concession agreement granted to Motorway Assets Limited to finance the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and manage the road, which may have stalled the redevelopment.

The firm attributed the delay in executing its concession contract to the inability to get the project design approved on time by the Federal Ministry of Works.

It said itwould have completed the road project in record time if it had received the kind of support being given to the new contractors now, as it spent $300million to maintain the road, while it was under its care for three years.

“Out of the N167billion to be raised for the implementation of the project, the Jonathan administration provided the sum of N50bn for the concessionaire. This money was supported by a standing payment order of about N2.5bn payable every month from the coffers of the Federal Government,” Bi-Courtney officials alleged.

The Federal Government in 2009 signed a 25-year concessionary agreement with Bi-Courtney under a Public Private Partnership scheme, to reconstruct and expand the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and recoup the money invested on the road through tolling.

But in November 2012, government terminated the concessionary agreement due to alleged non-performance on the part of Bi-Courtney while in December 2012, government engaged contractors to carry out some palliative work on the road to ease traffic.

The Guardian also gathered that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing Development has commenced an internal review of the Federal Highways Act, with a view to making recommendations to the Ministry of Justice to consider and effect some changes that will ensure successful privatization process.

In the Act, it was discovered that current review shows that: “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act (ICRC) does not contain a “saving provision” with regard to other existing legislation. This means that the law is subject to other legislations that relate to concessions.

“The law makes no clear provision for the commission with regard to the approval process for PPP projects and the authority to grant a concession. This is obvious from the provisions of section 20 (a) – (d) of the Act which seems to vest the Commission with ‘monitoring’ and ‘advisory’ responsibilities rather than regulatory.

“The Act also does not make provision for alternative dispute resolution, which is a more efficient platform for resolving commercial disputes in contra-distinction from regular courts.”

The expressway traverse three South- Western states of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, which commences at Ojota interchange through shagamu junction, Ogere and terminates at Ojoo in the city of Ibadan; a distance of 127.6km. It is also a major artery that connects Lagos, the host of major Nigerian sea ports, to other states of the federation, and forms not only a part of the Trans-Saharan Highway that links Lagos on the Atlantic Ocean to Algiers on the Mediterranean Sea, but also part of the Trans-African Highway linking the Atlantic City of Lagos to the Indian Ocean city of Mombassa in east Africa through Cameroon and Central Africa, as the Shagamu Interchange separates the two continental highways.

Fashola hinted recently of the impending discussion when he said: “The past government did not act in good faith, or even compromised or was even negligent. The answer is not cancellation, if the contract is performing. The answer is renegotiation. I am not saying that government must not terminate non-performing contracts. Indeed these are rights that are standardly provided in all well drawn contracts.

“What I am saying is that contracts cannot be terminated or frustrated on trumped up reasons simply because a new government does not like the affiliation of the holder of the contract.

“It weakens the economy, it frustrates enterprise and leads to poverty and unemployment through job losses, loans taken from banks are endangered and the knock on effect is more than we often can see on the horizon, because the bad word spreads around the global investment community very quickly like wildfire.”
http://guardian.ng/news/govt-bi-courtney-open-talks-on-lagos-ibadan-expressway-project/

kross01:
Thanks a lot. You at least understands his mode of operations. My question is why the guy still keeps winning contracts even with such track record

When previous govt put patronage over professionalism you get things like this. In fairness Babalakin only needed to do so when on his first few projects and he would have built a reputation for himself, but I think these people had little background on running organisation of the magnitude of jobs at their disposal. Then you can understand how they run short.

kross01:
The truth is almost everything in this country has a political undertone to it but if i may express my humble opinion, to me babalakin was not performing. Go see the MM2 terminal extension in lagos that was awarded to them, same story of non performance. Don't know if they have settled the law suit on that when they tried to kick him out

Thing is Babalakin as a smart layer, gets govt to sign tightly worded contracts, to the extent that you can hardly get him out without seriously sweating and settling him. Previous govt blundered on the terms of contract they signed with him....... MM@ has hardly grown.

kross01:
Don't always sound bitter, you have a duty to humanity to be and act intelligent. Bi-courtney had that concession for how many years (right from the days of Obasanjo) and did not, i repeat did not do even a hundred metres of work on that road. Jonathan came, saw the importance of that road to Nigeria's economy, revoked the contract from Bi-courtney, broke the whole Road into sections and awarded them to Julius Berger and RCC-the current contractors handling the project. If he didn't take that step, Lagos -Ibadan express way would have been still there, a project in conception for ages to come

Jonathan made a move that turned out to be largely uninformed and largely counter productive. How can you unilaterally cancel a binding contract? Bi-courtney went to court to enforce the terms of the contract and the project was stalled for another 2yrs, till Fashola with the help of Osinbajo got parties to settle out of court

Iseoluwani:
And who told u, I haven't gone through it b4?

Good if you have.......that is why the poster put it there in the first place.

bettercreature:
Public private partnership is still the best solution to infrastructural deficit anywhere in the world
Construct the road,install toll gate,collect your money then remove your toll gate after few years
That is how its done in the developed countries,i actually dont know what is wrong with Nigerians

The issue with Bi-courtney saga for me is, how could a company or consortium or SPV led by an investor with no antecedent in the project of that nature, no veritable capacity to source for the needed investment capital be, win the project?

Lagos state govt gave the Lekki expressway project to a consortium as well and were smart enough to them out when the consortium could not raise the targeted funds and wanted to resort to using additional tolls as the source of raising capital. We should learn from some of these cases

XXLDICK:
If road should be built on PPP, how would the private enterprises get their money back? Would the road be tolled

If so, roads should be built strictly by governments.

Commend Fashola ko
Very ineffective minister. What am I even saying They are all ineffective

Brace yourself, Tolls are coming back

Iseoluwani:
Must u quote me!! !
By the way where does diligence come to play here!

OK let me keep it simple. He put the long thing for those who are interested in putting to use their thinking faculty and not those that are mentally and physically lazy

He does not expect you to read the "long thing". He left it there for those who are diligent

Iseoluwani:
How do you expect me to read this long thing

erico2k2:
It was, as I personal heard him saying it on NTA, That link posted there I see you ignored it fine, why dont you post me one to debunk what I just showed.Lets we forget vonorability is not exactly poverty

The credible source is the Party's manifesto. You heard it on NTA, give the link. As per the link you posted, the party had come out to deny that they never promised to pay 5k to unemployed youths

erico2k2:
plz paste the quote to ur assumptions
This si what he said
http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/02/29/despite-campaign-pledge-buhari-jettisons-n5000-stipend-to-unemployed-youths/
Now who is twisting things?

I am telling you, this is twisting of what was campaigned. 5k was never promised to youths..........

Enyimbamercedes:
Yes mum, i read it and the only condition is that they are poor and destitute

Then you have not, because if you had you will not only be writing the needless post, but you will be discussing how the conditions (chiefly School enrolment and evidence of immunisation for their children) are positive additions to the societal well being. These conditions were stated right from the days of campaign

Some of you guys are just ignorant and you don't know how ignorant you are

Enyimbamercedes:
In summary:
1. The 5000 naira is per household and not per individual
Yet again another poorly thought out intervention. This is not a Conditional Cash Transfer because i cannot see any condition the beneficiaries have to fulfill other than being poor and destitute in order to receive the 5000 naira. Ideally, A CCT intervention is designed to lift the household out of poverty by encouraging them to perform some sort of poverty alleviating activity in exchange for payment. 5000 naira cannot lift a household out of poverty!!!
A well thought out CCT programme would ideally have two components: A Basic Income Guarantee (B.I.G). This can be the 5000 naira given per household however after they have satisfied certain conditions i. e must have Children in school or must be involved in some income generating activity already. This can be given for 2 years or whatever duration of time and it basically guarantees the household a basic income...as the name implies. After 2 years, the second phase, a Poverty Reduction Accelerator Investment (PRAI) is given to households. This will be a bulk sum of money to be used to boost their business or start one. This could be a sure way of lifting households out of poverty...in theory

Have you read the conditions of the scheme before this your needless write-up?

Ten12:
Do I need to educate you again on non profitable organization such as churches,orphanage,NGOs.
Contrary to your views cac is not a regulatory body anyway

Where did I state that CAC is a regulatory body?

pressplay411:
Truth be told, the N5000 was promised to the youth during campaign.
Guess they realised it was better suited for the poor, bearing in mind youths inclusive.

The level of poverty sweeping across the nation is apocalyptic. Hopefully this project isn't mismanaged as usual.

N5000 was NEVER promised to "youth" during election. You lot just twist and modify facts. N5000 was promised to the "poorest" and the "most vulnerable"

Ten12:
Maybe to u but to me it does,,, a man woke up one morning tells u dat he has a Devine calling from God to be a pastor nd he starts a church....do you now regulate how God calls people or de duration of His calling

Bros,

1. There is absolutely nothing questionable when "a man woke up one morning and tells dat he has a "Devine" calling from God to be a pastor and starts a church"
2. When you go register that church with CAC, then you are invariably accepting to be regulated.
3. When you start collecting money from people for an organisation you register with CAC, then you are knocking the door of regulation.
4. Much more when that "church" are involved in other "ventures" (schools, banks, universities etc) then it even gets more interesting

MaziOmenuko:

Mosques and orthodox churches freely complied, but those Pentecostal churches called me to ask questions. They said: ‘This church is church of God and we are accountable to God.’ And I told them: ‘Very good, so you must take this church to heaven, you can’t operate it here’

This is why it's good to hear from both parties so as to have a balanced view and opinion. This dude is mean though, his comment above is both humorous, tact and straight-up sincere.

Very sincere. This is what developed (sane) countries are doing. Churches have explored lacuna in regulation.......good for them. One day regulation "wakes up" and acts.

Ten12:
How do u regulate what you did not create....we all understand that pastoral work at least in dis part of the world is a calling nd not a profession...at what point do u regulate the calling of a man....will dis same regulation affect emir sa'ad abubaka who has been the general overseer of all Muslims in dis country?

This your first line of yours makes no sense.......