₦airaland Forum

Fresh Air!!!!!

where do these lawyers draw a line?

Bankole should be able to raise 10b without resorting to the banks.

4get all these drama, Ojo Maduekwe will be the next SGF.
Okonjo Iweala will not touch that post in a million years and Ojo Maduekwe needs to be compensated as usual.
GEJ 's cabinet will have no surprises and this SGF appointment will be no different.

I am neither for centralization nor decentralization.
In the Nigerian system it makes no difference.
whatever the system, we must fashion a way to hold our leaders accountable.
That is the crux of the matter.

pls don't get me started on this topic.
it is not just a Nigerian thing, it is a black woman thing.
It is so disgusting and irritating.

Kobojunkie:
Quarter to his leaving? Someone please tell those jokers to go get a life already!

but he just took the loan quarter to his leaving too.
i hear the reps are asking the govt to intervene with the bank sos that their allowances can be paid.

^^^^
you will soon be called a hater and reminded how much they have in their bank account.

this is how we breed illegality.
tomorrow it will come back to bite us.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=665393.msg8309829#msg8309829 date=1305243808]Only way to eliminate corruption at stage #3 is to eventually remove the gap between how much the petrol costs (N65) and how much it is really worth (N130)[/quote]In the same breath you should suggest how you intend to deal with the homongous attendant inflation the removal of such subsidy will bring.
I don't even want to imagine the socio political dimension of such.

Katsumoto:
The problem with your position is that Nigeria doesn't have adequate fiscal and monetary policies. It is the job of the govt and Central Bank to draft flexible policies. At this point, there aren't any competent officials who can do that. You have to use an holistic approach when deciding on whether subsidies are necessary or not and if they are, where to apply them. Most oil producers have policies in place to not only ease the burden on the populace but also to stimulate the economy. How many fuel shortages are in Saudi, Libya, Qatar, UAE, ETC? There is a problem in Nigeria and it is called corruption. Tackle that first while formulating a long term fiscal policy.

Are you aware that a $10 rise in petrol shaves .3% off the GDP of any country?

then the problem might not be the fiscal policies.
the leaders we have are not interested in an efficient system but seeking ways to expand the frontiers of corruption.

Katsumoto:
The problem with your position is that Nigeria doesn't have adequate fiscal and monetary policies. It is the job of the govt and Central Bank to draft flexible policies. At this point, there aren't any competent officials who can do that. You have to use an holistic approach when deciding on whether subsidies are necessary or not and if they are, where to apply them. Most oil producers have policies in place to not only ease the burden on the populace but also to stimulate the economy. How many fuel shortages are in Saudi, Libya, Qatar, UAE, ETC? There is a problem in Nigeria and it is called corruption. Tackle that first while formulating a long term fiscal policy.

Are you aware that a $10 rise in petrol shaves .3% off the GDP of any country?

Can you clarify the bold part.
Is it just down to incompetence? I doubt that.
Sure it is not just something systemic.

^^^
direct your question to Orji Uzor Kalu and his egusi peeling mother.

Nokia Care:
Info from Redington ,Nigeria(Supplier Middle East, Africa)
"Both colors are out of stock"

Shame!!
Guess i will have to wait until it is back in stock.
Thanks Nokia Care.

Hello Nokia Care,
i considered buying the N8 recently but could only find the silver coloured one in all the shops i checked.
I want the blue one.
Could you point me in the right direction (within the country),please?

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=665643.msg8306145#msg8306145 date=1305209685]Ibos are just dirty and destructive by nature!

Give them NYC and they'll turn it into Aba in less than 24hrs!

Filthy, lying, deceitful, nasty pigs! As Evil as evil gets. Beasts![/quote]oh! not again.

i have to painfully admit that Abia problem is more spiritual than physical.
This is what happens when your leaders spend their time peeling and eating egusi.
Abia will remain same for the next four years unless the people do something that has never been done before.

Aba will only get dirtier.
try combining the dirt and the insecurity in the town!!

By Adebiyi Adedapo

12 May 2011

With the adoption of a tentative zoning arrangement for the in-coming administration, the race for the vacant position of substantive national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gathering momentum with the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Modibo Umar and former governor of Bauchi state, Adamu Muazu emerging as frontline contenders.

The position was vacant in January after the former national chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, resigned in controversial circumstances after the South East zone passed a vote of no confidence on him.

Following Nwodo’s resignation, the National Executive Committee of the party empowered his deputy, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed to take over in Acting capacity pending the election of a new national chairman.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has intensified the lobby for the South-East geo-political zone to produce the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, made this demand in an interaction with journalists at the party’s secretariat Wednesday in Abuja.

He maintained that the people of the zone had given the president an overwhelming support during the April 16 presidential election and should be rewarded for it. “APGA did not accept the present power sharing arrangement we are reading from the newspapers, power sharing in Nigeria is not a political party matter. It should not be left for one party alone,” he said.

Our reporter further gathered that party chieftains from the zone are already meeting to discuss likely successor of Nwodo and the former FCT Minister and former Bauchi governor are said to be on top of the list.

The likely choice of Modibo who has been a federal minister thrice and once Deputy Chief of Staff in the presidency is said to be predicated on the new trend in the country where well educated young men and women are taking over sensitive positions from the old brigade politicians. Modibo, like President Goodluck Jonathan holds a doctorate degree while the vice president holds a masters degree in Architecture. Modibo is also seen within the party as a loyal and committed party man who has remained steadfast in the party despite some challenges in the past.

The PDP source from northeast said after Modibo is Adamu Muazu who is in same generational range with Modibo. Muazu creditable performance during his two terms tenure as Bauchi state governor is said to be working in his favour as the PDP decides on who succeeds Nwodo.

Also said to be interested in the race is the out-going governor of Gombe state, Dr. Danjuma Goje. Sources at Wadata House confirmed that Goje who has just won senatorial election is already lobbying for the position after he lost out in the race for senate president to the North central zone.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/modibo-muazu-goje-eye-pdp-national-chairmanship/91213/

12 May 2011


The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, faces a stormy session as the House of Representatives Wednesday ordered a preliminary investigation into its alleged indebtedness to a commercial bank to the tune of N10 billion.

Moves to impeach him were launched Wednesday night, with strong indications that the proceedings may be taken a step further today, with the apparent inability of the House to pay the outstanding salaries and allowances of its members.

In a confidential phone chat Wednesday night, the member who does not want his name in print said: “We will not allow him to preside Thursday. He cannot be a judge in his own case. We are going to suspend him. If we have 240 members in support of the motion, we will go for outright impeachment, otherwise we will just suspend him and strip him of all paraphernalia of office, if he comes tomorrow he will not go back with his convoy of official cars.”

[b]There are speculations that the bulk of the loan went into the Bankole’s political campaigns in preparation for the just concluded parliamentary elections, which he incidentally lost.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that apart from deploying the bulk of the loan to fund his electioneering campaigns, Bankole allegedly purchased about 36 exotic Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) which he distributed to some prominent politicians, including state governors, to ensure that he retained his seat as Speaker in the next parliamentary session after he might have won his re-election in Abeokuta-South federal constituency of Ogun State. He failed to win the election.[/b]The resolution came amid tension and drama arising from the initial lockout of the lawmakers from the chamber and the move by some aggrieved lawmakers to confront the leadership on account of the allegations.

It was a session billed to have commenced at 2.00pm but the doors to the legislative chamber were under lock and key as at 2.35pm. Security men who kept vigil at the various entrances said they were acting on “orders from above” while lawmakers who had arrived early to take their seats were directed to go to the conference room of the Deputy Speaker where an impromptu closed door meeting was holding.

The Sergeant At Arms called for reinforcement of security before he opened the chamber at 2.41pm. Deputy Speaker, Nafada, entered the chamber along with other principal officers at exactly 3.25pm and at least nine security operatives guarded the mace, the symbol of authority of the House, throughout the tension soaked session.

The investigation will commence Thursday morning when Bankole, and the Clerk of the House, Mr Sanni Omolori, are expected to provide some explanations on the apparent bankruptcy of the lower house.

Bankole, the presiding officer of the House and Omolori, the chief accounting officer of the chamber, are expected to confirm the authenticity of the said loan, how the borrowed funds were spent and ascertain if such expenditure received due approval of members as required by the House Rules.

The decision to conduct an investigation into the finances of the House was taken yesterday at the plenary amidst rowdiness and tight security. Bankole was absent at the session. It was the second consecutive legislative sitting he would be absenting himself since the House resumed from the election break.

The resolution to probe the duo followed a motion of privilege moved by Hon. Dino Melaye seeking the intervention of the House on the issue of the non-payment of arrears of salaries and allowances owed him and five other legislators who were suspended last year and later re-instated through a court order.

In the motion, Melaye also alleged that not only has the House been unable to pay the recalled members, it has been unable to pay the salaries, allowances and severance package of the entire members of the House, barely three weeks to the end of the sixth session of the National Assembly.

According to Melaye, the insolvency of the House was not because the statutory allocations accrued to the House has not been released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, but that the funds have been seized by the commercial bank because of the indebtedness of the chamber to the bank. He urged the House to formally invite the Speaker to explain the details of the loan which, he claimed, did not pass through the due process.

He stated that so far, available records have shown that the House has not authorised any such borrowing, adding that no bank can grant loan or overdraft to an institution without obtaining a resolution passed by members of such an institution authorising the loan facility.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/house-members-move-for-bankole-s-removal/91214/

duduspace:
@tkb417

You were right, experience and know how won over in the end but next season still dey o. The legs are getting even more tired (VDS retiring, Giggs, Scholes and Rio one year older) and I still don't see top notch quality coming in though I'll make an exception for Hernandez, I hope he experiences a 2nd season syndrome next season.

coming from an Arsenal fan, dude you sure do have guts to spew such.

coogar:
giggs = js park
scholes = anderson
rio = smalling
vds = de gea, neuer, stekelenberg.

united are sorted. top notch quality is not coming through but rafael/fabio/evans/anderson/nani/gibson/smalling/hernandez have more glory than any arsenal player in the last six seasons.

I am a united fan but i refuse to accept that united are sorted.
how comfortable do you feel typing the bold part?

I hope this man does not use monopoly money?
His acquisitions do not make sense.

same line up as against chelsea,only difference is that EVra will replace O'Shea.
Fletcher has more chance of coming off the bench than Anderson.

Our best bet is to play our game while keeping it tight.
any strange tactic will backfire because it will breed inferiority complex.

^^^^
Anderson??
are you kidding me?

Irrespective of my manchester united afilliations, it is obvious that Pele talks a lot of dross.
The less the man talks the better.
this is a man who voted Nicky Butt as one of the players of the 2002 world cup.
How can you compare Messi and Hernandez?
They are not similar in any form or shape.
The man should just stick to hawking Viagra.

It is not an african thing, World football is more corrupt than an organisation in the world. From Blatter to the door man in the FIFA house in Zurich, corruption is institutionalised.
Just watch the game and ignore the politics.
money has ruined the game and the fans are the worst for it.

you have not even mentioned the don of FIFA corruption, Jack Warner.

By Ndidi Nwuneli


Some years ago, I was invited to a meeting between stakeholders in the Nigerian civil society community and Bill and Melinda Gates. A few weeks after the meeting, I received a letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a group photograph from the meeting, which I proudly placed on my office bulletin board. Whenever visitors came to the office, they would ask, “Who is that in the picture, Ndidi?” and I would proudly respond — “Bill and Melinda Gates.” In disbelief they would often say, “That cannot be Bill Gates. He looks so ordinary. His clothes look plain. His watch… Is that his wife, Melinda? It cannot be. She is the only one stooping. If it was really Bill and Melinda, they would be seated and then the rest of the participants would be standing around them.” After much back and forth, I would eventually convince them that Bill and Melinda Gates were actually the people in the photo.

It is important to point out that these visitors who commented on the photo were extremely intelligent people and this article is less a reflection on them and more a reflection on what Mr and Mrs Gates represent in the Nigerian context. For the average Nigerian, rich people should look rich. Their appearance should ooze wealth. One should not have to guess if the people in question are rich — there should be clear signs of wealth from their hair, all the way to their shoes. In addition, they should carry themselves as wealthy people would — never lift their own bags, arrive fashionably late, always have advance parties and entourages, and in all staged photos, NEVER be caught dead stooping.

This vision or version of what ‘Bill Gates’ should look like is not unique to Nigeria and is rooted in the ‘image/status trap’ that pervades many developing countries and low-income neighborhoods in wealthy nations. This mentality pushes people to put their limited income towards the purchase of expensive items, which may make little financial sense but provide more of a ‘prestige’ value. For example, a single mother who lives in an inner-city neighborhood in the United States may spend $200 on a pair of designer shoes instead of buying books or milk for her children. Similarly, a working mother in Lagos might spend her entire salary on an expensive cellular phone, hair weave, or aso-ebi, instead of saving a portion, buying school books for her children or taking them for their immunisations.

This trap pushes the average Nigerian to attempt to dress in more expensive clothes than a Hollywood star, and to compete with the rest of the world for limited edition bags, shoes and jewelry. Sadly, the pressure never ends as one moves up the income ladder — from my generator or cell phone pass your own; all the way up to expectations about club memberships; class of travel; holidays abroad; homes in the village; multiple cities in Nigeria and abroad; models of cars; boats; and even planes. This pressure often compels us to live way above our means, and in many cases, to cut corners and engage in corrupt practices just to maintain a certain image. Have you ever wondered why some of the ‘wealthy’ people in our society are often late in paying their children’s’ school fees, struggle to settle debts (ask your local banker or even your local gold trader if you do not believe me), and even pay for their business class tickets in installments?

I recognize how easy it is to fall into the ‘status/image trap’. I am sure that even Mr Gates is not immune. After all, unlike his friend Warren Buffet who has chosen a more austere lifestyle, Mr Gates lives in a sprawling mansion, uses private planes and enjoys numerous luxuries. The key difference between Mr Gates and us is that he can afford to live like a rich person, because he is! More importantly, as the photo indicated, he does not let his wealth define him. Instead, he has chosen to appear relatively simple and approachable, and to effectively allocate his excess wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which is making a significant difference across the globe.

For those of us who are not on Mr Gates’ level yet, resisting the status/image trap takes a significant amount of self-will, discipline, humility and sacrifice. It also requires surrounding ourselves with a few true friends who can hold us accountable and keep us grounded. Finally, it demands that we teach our children the value of money, the importance of hardwork and sacrifice, and the virtue of contentment.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/5698777-146/story.csp

bedshapped - keane

mind you i might choose another Keane song if you ask me again.

hillsate:
you need more? Read this by thesame liar, sorry lwayer

Malami said CPC could not sit by and allow electoral misdemeanours wreaking the very foundation of the country’s stability, prosperity and unity to continue unchecked forever

Invariably what he's saying is that '' we couldnt as cpc sit down and just watch things, we needed to stand up and register our displeasure by using historical antecedence"

your deduction is a bit cynical and misleading.
he ws obviously referring to the reason why they are pursuing the case.

phantom:
hopefully by may 2012, the first line(aggrey road to waterlines) would have started, that is if they dont get up and start tellin us stories about funding,

Amaechi said in a Thisday interview last week that he cant give a completion date as the project is currently facing a cash crunch.

AjanleKoko:
Lagos is some kind of humongous squatter camp, I tell you.
As per the projects being white elephants: Well, i think they are trying to find the money. I don't imagine it would be easy to find financing for those projects, run the state as usual, and still have some leftovers for the boyz. However, I honestly do not mind if they actually execute those projects. You can't build an airport, develop a free trade zone, and all that stuff, without creating some economic opportunities. So if they do it, I actually would lend them support.

the bold part would have been very funny if it was not painfully true.
i doubt if executing the project is the biggest problem.the crux of the matter is whether it is a pressing need at present?
While you might call it a product of foresight, considering that resources are limited,whether private funded or not, is an international airport what lagos needs?forget about the Lekki axis folks as the airport is not solely for them.
this govt will not build an airport while also building a rail system for public transport in this city.
it will not build an airport while also building the roads needed to open up interior parts of lagos to decongest mainland lagos.
in view of the need to allocate scarce resources, is an aiport the best allocation?
residents of lagos will say an overwhelming NO!!!

the ethnic jingoism on this site nauseating.
If you don't join a discussion early enough before it gets to page two or three, the tribal lords descend and that is the end of it.
It is just tiring.