₦airaland Forum

kinguwem:
Governor Sule Lamido is an astute politician and a relatively better Governor than most of his colleagues.

He is no astute politician. just a glorified clown who is shining because the political space is mired in thick darkness.
In decent societies, the likes of Sule Lamido should be seen and never heard.
He talks utter rubbish every time he opens his mouth.

Like i have said in the past, there is something inherently wrong in a system that throws up clowns like these into positions of leadership.
Men like Sule Lamido should be seen and never heard.
He never makes sense when he talks and leaves you pitying the poor folks of Jigawa.
We must reconstruct our political space such that men who have an idea what governance is about find their way to power and these clowns remain in the circus.

Like i said earlier, i will be hugely surprised if Fergie does not bu ya left back to challenge Evra.
He seems to have gone to a land of no return.
There is no need fretting over Rio,he will be off to MLS in the summer.
Evans knows the truth,it is over for him.Never again.
Unfortunately, this defensive unit will be overhauled again in the summer,considering that the midfield is yet to be overhauled, it leaves too much work to done on the team.
I feel for De Gea,playing in front of such an unsettled back four will pay a pain for VDS talk less of a kid just out of teenage.



Irrepsective of what happens in the rest of the season, i swill tand by the assertion above.

Monday Morning:

Mrs Ferguson: C'mon, Alex dear. It's time to get up. It's Seven already.

Sir Alex: Eh, What, ugh, What, How the hell? What, have they scored another one?

Maybe we are not as good as some claim we are.
At least Anderson had a reason for being shyte. His ideal partner was still missing due to injury.
David Silva is proof to what is missing in our midfield.

By Olawale Ajimotokan



A new twist has been added to the Samson Siasia saga after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) asked the embattled Super Eagles coach to accept a substantial pay cut, among other conditions, if he wanted to keep his job.


Siasia’s future has been in the balance since he failed to guide Nigeria to next year’s African Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon as specified in his contract.


Despite a waning public trust, the coach is particularly keen to retain his job and be given a second chance even when the odds are stacked against him.


The NFF Technical Committee has asked for the employment of a foreign coach.


Siasia met with NFF chairman, Alhaji Amimu Maigari on Tuesday to iron out his circumstances and re-assure the federation that he is the right man to take charge of Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign which begins in June next year.


Though the NFF board is yet to convene to consider the committee reports, we learnt Thursday night, that the federation intends to draw up a new contact that will bind all the parties, more so that Siasia has failed to fulfil a benchmark clause in the current contract which bound him to take the Eagles to the semi final of the Nations Cup.


It is in view of the legal implications that may arise from the federation offering Siasia a new deal when the current contract is still subsisting that has prompted the federation to pressure the coach to put in his resignation letter.


On Wednesday, Maigari paid a visit to the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, led by Hon Godfrey Gaiya, to update the members on the national team issues as well as to shore up support for the board if it eventually decides to sack the Eagles coach and opt for a foreign coach.


Some of the key conditions the NFF has been trying to force on Siasia is to accept a new monthly salary of N3million as against his current take home package of N5 million.


The future of Siasia’s Dutch assistant, Simon Kalika is also under discussion as NFF has made it clear it intended to dispense with his services as he is now considered surplus to requirement.


Kalika, who joined the back up staff last December, is regarded as the Eagles match strategist in the light of his ability to read matches and dissect the opposition.


He has been Siasia’s confidant since both of them first came into contact in 2005 during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland.


The coach, who is of Surinamese descent, is next to Siasia in the ranking order and is on N3million monthly salary.


The federation is also toying with the idea of limiting Siasia’s free hand in all matters bothering on his programme which is now to be scrutinized and vetted by the technical committee before final approval.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/eagles-job-nff-offers-siasia-pay-cut/100987/

Frendys:
Rt. Hon Amaechi has demostrated to me in his first three years in office that money is really not our problem in this nation but leadership.

what exactly is the meaning of this title?
i find it nauseating and outrightly egotistical.

related to the issue of SWF is the subsidy removal.
Ordinarily the fed govt has a case and would be supported by any sane person but there are a few issues that unless addressed will make the govs look like geniuses.

1. how do you talk of saving (SWF) without addressing the present waste? GEJ seems oblivious to the waste his govt is indulging in and how contradictory it is to the whole subsidy removal and SWF talk.

2. subsidy removal is all good but who is going to hold the savings gotten from subsidy removal? The same fed govt that has its hands permanently in the cookie jar?

3. Why is it so impossible to name and shame these cartel that has impoverished us via the fuel subsidy? i have a nagging feeling that it may be same powers behind the throne of Aso rock.

4. the public are unwilling to believe grammar of how our lives will be bettered with removal of subsidy because this govt and previous ones have never matched their words with action.Why will it be any different now?

5. As long as NNPC remains arguably the most corrupt govt agency and the fed govt remains powerless in addressing the endemic corruption in that place, all these talk subsidy removal and SWF will be akin to treating cancer with ring worm medication.
the fed govt needs to grow balls, balls that have been so far absent.
As long as these balls remain absent, these govs will continually find an audience.

the same man who went to visit a lifeless Yar 'Adua and refused to speak to the public about it,claiming it was a private visit?

2mch:
When in such a religious country as Nigeria, pastors should be the one leading the revolution, they are the ones fearing it. Make everybody face their job until the time come.

I agree with this part of your post.
Look at most Latin countries, the catholic priests are in the fore front of fighting for change.
Even in South Africa, a retired Tutu is a pain in the backside of the ANC.
Here our pastors have an even greater clout but spend their time praying for looters, arranging private security for themselves,using state security resources as private traffic escorts,compiling pilgrim lists and fronting in the corridors of power for business men.
For all his faults, at least Bakare did something.He formed SNG, you might not be a fan of his candidacy with Buhari but for all his faults (and their are many), i'll rather listen to him than these men.
Either in secret or in the open few felllow pastors identified with Bakare and organisations like SNG,they all seem interested in defending their bellies, forgetting that the church belongs to God and not any man.

can we move this to the literature secton?

she might be attending Finishing School in Switzerland.

Pifa:
I learn quite a lot just by coming here. Thanks for answering my question. But surely, you must be joking about the [i]SA on Comedy affair[/i]s. . .are you?

does this look like the joke section?
the state in question is Imo state.

How can a serious govt in this 21st century be sponsoring people to Israel and Mecca?
scrap the damn thing!!!

i am not bothered about SWF and fuel subsidies.
until the federal govt takes concrete steps to address the cost of governance in this country,i will remain unimpressed.
with 42 ministers and the cost of maintaining the NASS unattended to,the govt has no moral right of preaching SWF and removal of subsidies.
all these PA and SA thing are disgusting.this democracy is getting too expensive and i seriously doubt if it is worth it.
until the cost of governance at the center and subsequently the states are addressed, i don't care who the Finance minister is,we will keep dancing on the same spot.

There is no non-perfroming gov in PDP,so they would all be given a second term.

make una make space for the long bench for me \___________________________/
me sef wan sit down look.

just read through the blog where this was culled from.
the blogger is very good.
Naija satire at its best.

i hope this Jones experiment in midfield will not be repeated again.
each time i saw him,he looked lost,wondering who to mark and where to be at that particular point in time.
if he is not playing in the middle of the defence or at right back, just stick him in the bench.it is not a crime.
I am just not comfortable with Smallings at right back. he himself is not comfortable with it,so i hope Rafael returns in the next 3 weeks.
I have thought through it and that line up seems to make a bit of sense.
if Giggs had a bit of trust in De Gea's instructions and stuck to the wall,we might have pulled it off.
Fergie wants a fresh team to win in Otelu (without excuses) and win against city.
in the scheme of those 3 matches, i think he assumed Liverpool was the one worth gambling with and he almost won the gamble.
Vidic will return for Otelu,pairing Jones and Rio will return for City.
Anderson will return for both and probably have his twin brother,Tom to enable him succeed (carrick will start against Otelu, Tom might come in as a sub).
Rooney and Little Pea will pair for both.
Young will be rested for Otelu,with Nani and Valencia providing the width,then Young and Nani will return for city.

Respect to Mode.
He is good.
I wonder why folks are surprised by Ice?He has never been much good.where exactly is this high expectation coming from? I have always wondered.
I would have liked to see Phero and Terry da Rapman instead of Ice.
Even Rugged would have been a good addition. He would have been not been close to Mode but his Nigerian flavour and on point delivery would have been good.

harpo:
i listen to alot of songs, one song that is killing me now is
Keane - somewhere only you
If u ar a rock(soft) and u dont know this song look for it and listen, twill make u feel good

look for Crystal ball album by same band.

the Mods should send this post to the jokes section.
it is too funny to be believed.

it depends on my mood.Presently,

Genre: South African Jazz
Song: MOUNTAIN SHADE by Moses Molelekwa

All these fraudsters called traditional leaders, i am sure they have since changed camp.
shameless thieves.

Tobbie9:
Sirs i'm just curious how much does a fresh graduate earn in Nigerian hospitals(i'm a medical student in OAU) is it worth 7 years in university.

it is not worth it.
try Nursing.

I really don't want to get into the argument of whether it should be legalized or not.
My concern is that legalization will not work.
The simple reason is that prostitution is not an orginsed trade in Nigeria. it is rarely practiced as a profession.It is often practised as a hobby or part time trade.Its legalisation will rarely regulate it because the practitioners who will be subject to its regulation are a very minute portion of the the practitioners.So whether legalized or not, it makes very little difference. Hence,instead of expending energy in this regard, their are more productive initiatives that can be pursued by the NASS and Mrs. Fashola.

i like most Etisalat adverts.
they are often well thought out.

I like the Genevive 'Luna milk' advert.

oakcha:
Indomie "Mama he too good ooo, he too good, mama he give us indomie, he too good", No mama be like me, No Noodle be like Indomie, Children and Adults love this stuff

the problem with the tv version of that advert is that it seems they just played the radio ad over the video.
There seems to be no sync between the audio and the video in the tv advert.

Why can't he stop the funding now?
This senseless waste is ungodly.

I am still trying to get my head around why anyone expected anything better from Ice.
He has always been lyrically challenged.
why would there be a sudden leap in a full album?

09 Oct 2011
Font Size: a / A

Simon Kolawole Live!: Email: simonkolawole@thisdayonline.com


Anytime I hear our governors pontificate about “true federalism” in an attempt to get the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) abolished, I shiver. Haven’t we been here before? Do we ever learn any lessons in this country? For the uninitiated, SWF was first established by Pharaoh of Egypt as narrated in the Bible. In his dream, the Egyptian king saw seven fat cows being eaten up by seven lean cows. The interpretation by Joseph was that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The way out, he said, was to conserve the surplus in the prosperous years. And in the seven years of famine that followed, Egypt would have enough in its inventory to survive. In other words, don’t eat everything in times of plenty. Save for the future! That is the sense in SWF.


So what are the governors saying? Their strongest point, from their public posturing, is that SWF is unconstitutional. Pardon me! I challenge all the lawyers in Nigeria to come and point to any single provision in the Nigerian constitution that forbids the states and the federal government from co-operating to save money for the future. Right, the law says all federally collected revenues must go into the Consolidated Revenue Account from where they would be shared. Tell me where it says all federally collected revenues MUST be spent! Show me where it says “the federal government and the states shall NOT agree to save for the future”. Show me! It is a self-serving argument that comes up whenever the interest of the future generations is a topic of discussion.


The first question I would love to ask our constitution-hugging governors is: where in our laws do we have any provision for the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, otherwise known as the NGF? How come the governors are not seeking to abolish NGF because it is “unconstitutional” and against “true federalism”? Of course, they won’t. The platform serves their personal interests best. It is when you ask them to think about the future that they shout “unconstitutional”. (By the way, I am not against NGF. I do not believe it is unconstitutional. For as long as the constitution provides for freedom of association, nobody can stop the governors from floating a forum.)


Some governors say states should be allowed to save the money by themselves. For me, that is fine as long as they will actually save the money. But how many states are saving as we talk? Save for the central port of Excess Crude Account (ECA) which has been serving us for years now, I am not aware that individual states have dedicated accounts for the future (I know of Rivers, only one of 36 states, which means Rivers is commendably making double savings—one at the federal level, the other domestically). If the fears of the governors are about transparency in the management of SWF, is every state not on the board of the Fund? What else will suffice?


I’ve also heard a different form of argument. We’re told the states need the money to attend to the needs of the “poor citizens” who are yearning for the dividends of democracy. You would think our governors love the poor so much. ECA, the precursor to SWF, had $20 billion in reserve until sometime in 2009 when the governors started agitating that the money should be shared to address the needs of “the poor”. In fact, there was a global food crisis then, and our governors were quite humorous, promising to use the money to address the “food crisis”. The account went down to less than $300 million along the line.


And you know what? When Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala got President Olusegun Obasanjo to set up the ECA in 2003, all hell had been let loose as the governors kicked and kicked, asking that everything should be shared “to address the needs of the poor”. As far as they were concerned, the idea of savings is criminal. I agree that Obasanjo was wrong not seek to get the buy-in of governors before establishing the fund, but how many Nigerians know that this was mainly what saved us from a horrendous economic calamity in the last few years when crude prices fell from the height of $147 per barrel to $40 in 2008? If Obasanjo had shared everything as the governors were agitating then, what would have happened to Nigeria in those tough years between 2008 and 2010? Where would the governors have got the money they later shared to address “food crisis”? Wouldn’t they have resorted to foreign loans?


Let me refresh our memories a bit. Before we hit sudden oil wealth in the 1970s, Nigeria was essentially a fiscal state. The federating units raised money mainly through internal sources—taxes, levies, and sensible management of resources such as cocoa, coffee, oil palm, groundnuts and coal. But the 1970s brought oil money in maddening proportions following the Arab-Israeli war. Crude oil prices rose by 400 per cent between October 1973 and March 1974. In fact, from an average price of $3 in 1973, oil was selling for $12 by December 1974. From modest oil earnings of about $200 million in 1970, Nigeria earned $32 billion between 1973 and 1978, averaging over $6 billion per year. It was crazy.


But crude oil prices began to take a tumble as the consuming world devised strategies to curtail their appetite. The result was a moderate decline in crude oil prices by 1978, by which time Nigeria had become entirely dependent on oil. Agriculture and tax revenue had become insignificant and neglected. Everyone thought the rain of petrodollars would pour forever. At least, Obasanjo, as military head of state, built external reserves. By 1982 when oil prices crumbled again under the Shehu Shagari government, Nigeria was on its knees. We had $10 billion in reserve as at 1980; by 1983, it was down to $1 billion! The result was that government could no longer pay its bills! Because our foreign reserve was down, we could no longer import basic commodities because our guarantee was gone!
Have we forgotten that the states and the federal government were taking foreign loans which enslaved us for years in the jail of Paris and London Clubs? Have we forgotten so easily that civil servants, especially teachers, were being owed salaries for months? Have we forgotten, for goodness sake, that payment of salaries was a major public event in those days? If government was going to pay one month out of eight-month arrears, it was a major news item on NTA. Have we forgotten that we were queuing up to buy rice and milk in those days because the open market could no longer import as a result of the state of the economy? Have we so easily forgotten that President Shagari rolled out “austerity measures” in 1983 as the economy continued to slide following the fall in crude oil prices?


But for the savings that President Obasanjo started building again in 2003—fiercely opposed, though—we would have been in another serious mess in the last three years. Salaries would definitely be owed. We probably would have been queuing up to buy rice and milk again. Even the small projects we are seeing here and there today would not have been possible without foreign loans. Thanks to those savings, we muddled through. That is why I still find it very difficult to understand why governors would be seeking to abolish such a critical lifesaver as SWF in the name of the “poor”.


As we talk, Ghana, which recently hit oil, has made laws—even before drilling the first barrel—that the money would be saved in a special fund and can only be spent on intervening in critical infrastructure such as education, health and roads. Botswana did not spend its diamond money recklessly—it provided safety for its finances by targeting the resource wealth at critical infrastructure. Norway has over $400 billion in its SWF, which it says is for future generations as the oil belongs to both the born and the unborn. We want to be like Ghana, Botswana and Norway without wanting to pay the price by doing things the sensible and intelligent way. The way to go is to spend less of this oil money and focus on developing alternative sources of income—as well as plugging loopholes and waste in public finance.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/governors-are-making-a-mistake/100027/