It is called saving face.

They didn't see the wisdom in sticking with one lie for the next two years,  i.e. Yar'adua is still sick, after their unimaginable transgressions against our people. Now that they have brought him into the country they are trying to figure out how to walk in the streets, like a chicken that landed on a wire - neither the chicken nor the wire will see rest until it gets off. They are so daft in that corner they don't learn any lessons.

Expect more stupid stuff from that corner.

For what it is worth, for the upteenth time here is what is best for them, even if Yar'adua suddenly becomes fitter than a long-distance runner. Stick with one lie - fly him to Germany or somewhere for treatment or recuperation and let the Nigerian people know about it - but he should not declare himself back as president for the next, EVER!

So this is where your job topic came from 

Well, we can step back into the middle ages where the rest of our brethen are because the government knows how to collect money, but doesnt know how to organize the people and protect them. That would be progress indeed. We can start putting our cash under mattresses where the thieves can come and get it directly.

By retrogressively phasing out ATMs, Ohakim is simply telling thieves to look in other places, like the many other means you mentioned. It does not solve the crime problem.

Ikengawo:

GOVERNMENTS ARENT RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING JOBS
this is capitalism not communism. You think ATM machines is 'progress' because you see white ppl using them. its just one of many means to get cash, but many other means still exist and have existed that don't leave a trail of robbery.

there's is robbery pandemic in the east and im glad he's taking measures to curb it and because its a unique case im glad these measures are unique.
You can't say he's not doing anything to curb the crime and increase security when we are both arguing about a specific measure he took to curb crime and increase security. you can say you disagree with it, but you can't say it's not being done. There's a corruption in the culture in nigeria that sees fast money as the only type of money, and this is why there is so much orbbery (coupled with the HUGE youth population). The population and culture are 2 things that Ohakim can't control and doesn't have the mandate to control, it will take civilians to make a change in that department, all he can to is solve the porblems he has authoirty over such as the ATM situation.

Government is not responsible for creating jobs per se, it should be the joint effort of the private and public sector, but,

Government is not supposed to collect the proceeds from the nation's major resources and funnel it through an inscrutable system where it disappears into oblivion. When a government does that it not only prevents the private sector from doing its part, but also assumes the entire responsibility as well.

If you collect the resources, you take responsibility for the job. Simple.

@frosbel

I understand your frustration, but $200 billion only looks so big when you don't consider the size of our problems. Compared to what Nigeria needs $200 billion over 10 years is peanuts. That is why rather than digging up the oil and spending it, we need to come up with ways that we can get those people that are flushed with cash around the world to help us turn this into $1 trillion over 10 years, then we 'll be talking. Even our attempts to engage the Chinese simply hand them exhorbitantly priced projects in return for more oil.

Here is the base line:

$200 billion over 10 years = $20 billion a year.
Give each individual their share: At 150 million people and you get a paltry $133 per person per year
If you like, multiply that by 150 to get the Naira equivalent and you get about N20k

[size=14pt]That my friend is a paltry N54 per person per day.
It is an illusion, Nigeria is not really rich, only the kleptocrats are rich.[/size]

It is the disdain for understanding the "greek" of economic managment that causes our leaders to become bewildered when they promise 6000 MW twice in 4 years and cannot deliver. It is not just about the oil and the money if we are going to develop our economy. It is about the children, the worker, the teacher, the manufacturer, etc. But everyone is simply trying to get close to the oil funds.

That $200 billion is probably not enough to repair the damage done to the Niger Delta from oil extraction over the last 10 years.

I hope that helps.

frosbel:

I do not understand all this greek.

$200 billion in 10 years and 70% of the population live on less than a dollar a day ?

$200 billion in 10 years and the dilapidated infrastructure we have is collapsing all around us

$200 billion in 10 years, no constant light, water talk less of security.

Give me a break !

I won't say there is absolutely nothing to show for it because:

1. By 2007 foreign reserves had increased from $2 billion in 1999 to $43 billion in 2007
2. $18 billion was paid to get rid of our $36+ billion debt
3. The Federal Government & States shared a lot of money in those days, and salaries were increased.
4. Nigeria's GDP growth rate doubled

Beyond that
$16 billion was budgeted for power and nothing visible happened to power supply
There was definitely a lot of stealing

Nothing really self-sustaining was done with the funds, except the debt wipe-off which basically returns the interests that we would have being paying. The fact remains that Nigerians are effectively robbing Peter (Niger Deltans - destroying farmlands, taking oil without due compensation) to pay Paul (ourselves).

More than that we are digging up assets and turning it into spendable cash, instead of investible funds in education, technology development, power production, etc.

6. Fighting terrorism
Status:
March 2010 - 2 3-D Airport scanners installed in Lagos, others to be installed in Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt; security agency alert following "Nigerian Taliban" intention to widen fight; not sure what the National Assembly is doing; US cancels 14-country watch list to be replaced by intelligence-based checks for everyone coming to the US


@kobojunkie

Many thanks.

Kobojunkie:

I believe I read somewhere that 3 Scanners have finally been installed in Lagos Airport. Do not quote me please.

@marvix
Nobody said the north is just the problem. It is true that a state, like Lagos is doing now, can go a long way without the Federal Govt, but only so far. The powers of the Fed. govt. in Nigeria is enormous - controlling electricity, the money, petroleum, the most important roads, etc.

However, whatever point Ikengawo made was premised on terrible errors - claiming that most of those that have ruled Nigeria were Christian Middle Belters - where did he get that? Conveniently leaving out Shehu Shagari and replacing the real head of government in the first republic, Tafawa Balewa, with the figure-head Zik, he claims that Yar'adua was Nigeria's first Hausa/Fulani President. Then to ruin his entire argument he also lost the military who has dominated Nigeria's rulership for almost 30 of 50 years.

When you make these kind of glaring errors you can't blame anyone if they ignore the rest of your post.

marvix:

I think Ikengawo has a point d north can't just be d problem the presidency can't just b d problem Iwu can't just b d issue in our elections.

Onlytruth:

IBB is not vindictive, greedy, extremely selfish and cowardly. He does not empower criminals to work for him as special advisers. He believed in fairness across the length and breath of Nigeria. He never singled out any tribe for humiliation and vilification.

He is all of those things and many more.

Not cowardly? Did you see his 1993 broadcast when Abacha insisted it was his turn in the seat. He was sulky, deflated and certainly overpowered. He annulled an election in the middle of the night and gave no reason till tomorrow.

He does not empower criminals? He only encouraged the entire nation to follow a principle of the if the "price is right sell your soul".

Not vindictive? I am sure his bestman and his wife would have opinions on that if there is an afterlife.

Not greedy? Is IBB a farmer like OBJ? What was the source of his wealth? $12 billion to stop a war in Liberia. Are you kidding?

Not extremely selfish? Everything he does is about him and how he looks good doing it, unless he is forced to the contrary.

He listens to you only for your confidence, so that he can figure out your price.

He accepted the idea of option A4, but what did he do with it at the end of the day. What about the IMF loan, SAP, firing of University lecturers, the humiliation of Tai Solarin, etc? Abeg comot make I see front.

You better be careful of what you are asking for.

@Onlytruth

You certainly are joking, right? Everything Babangida did was for his ego, he doesn't care a hoot about you or me. Here is a good description of his nature:

One of the classic description for IBB is the following: He is the referee in a footbal match, but one of the teams is actually his own. However, IBB will not stop at refereeing the match and cheating for his team. No, you will find him on the field one hour before the game kicking the ball into an empty net and recording the goals for his team. Then at playing time he would declare that the other team has withdrawn from the match even though they are standing, ready to play, on the pitch.

This is coming from someone who at the time hung to IBB's every word. He could talk good talk too, but you believe him at your own peril. For example he once said: "we gave our today for their tomorrow" - now go ask him what he meant by that and whose today and tomorrow he was talking about. The only thing I know is that after the guy was forced out of rulership he has being living in a 50-room mansion above a hill in Minna. Whose tomorrow was he talking about?

Read this thread: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-423992.0.html#msg5817545

If you care to know IBB better below are a couple of the Machiavelli principles he subscribed to and ruled by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince

"Men must either be caressed or else annihilated; they will revenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot do so for great ones; the injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.” (37, Machiavelli).

Machiavelli notes that a Prince is praised for keeping his word. However, he also notes that a Prince is also praised for the illusion of being reliable in keeping his word. A Prince, therefore, should only keep his word when it suits his purposes, but do his utmost to maintain the illusion that he does keep his word and that he is reliable in that regard. Therefore, a Prince should not break his word unnecessarily.

"If he must harm a colony (take over a new company): harm the poor and dispersed."

"If he aquires a state (markets a product) he should absorb the surrounding(companies marketing this same product) and identify the enemies.

"Injuries (raising the price) should be performed all at once: so resentment does not develop, favors (deals, entertaining advertising, grants, charitable works) should be bestowed little by little."

"Whoever desires to found a state (company) and gives it laws, must start with assuming that all men (other executives, share holders etc.) are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it."

"A prince should have no objective but war." (to beat the competition)

" A prince (executive) who is not wise himself cannot take wise (financial)advice."

"Men will succeed as long as method and fortune are in harmony."

Onlytruth:

Not to sound too insensitive but IBB is one of the most patriotic Nigerian leaders I know. He was courageous and he was intelligent too.You wouldn't be ashamed to say that is my president. I remember how he used to intimidate visiting foreign leaders in Aso rock. I strongly suspect that he wouldn't have handed over Bakassi to Cameroun.
The guy was too clever to contemplate that idiocy.

He was interested in seeking public opinion everytime, which eventually led to the Option A4 in elections. He created the DMI, NIA,  FIIB, SSS and national guard. Under  this man, Nigeria was strong. He created states according to fairness and his cabinet reflected Nigeria well. He employed technocrats to man sensitive positions. All these would have paid more if he did them under a civilian arrangement.

An IBB, seeing the frequent killings in the north and the niger delta troubles and kidnappings in the east would have allowed state police. The guy is sensible! He may be a dictator in his day, but he listened more than civilian president Obasanjo would saw himself as a god, and introduced do or die elections and enthronement of criminals as political allies.

I can go on, but IBB is a better patriot than Obasanjo! I would trust him to preside over Nigeria's reconstitution through negotiations. 

@An0nimus
It is by default a removal because the 14 country list is no longer in use. However, it also means there is going to be more strict screening for everyone from everywhere, but especially those matching any available intelligence. In practice I think this means that the name of everyone going through the US would be run through a watch list, and in addition those matching any fragment of intelligence gets screened more. That is the way it should be. However, it removes the directive to stop all Nigerians irrespective of whether there is any matching intelligence or not.

In the immediate, it means that when Ag. President Jonathan visits the US this month no crazy screener can take advantage of the 14-country list to humiliate our president like they did to one Indian official a while back.

Nigeria was never on any terrorist list - it was always the mandatory screening list.

An0nimus:

I think the topic says 'US Mandatory screening list'

@Ikengawo
Seems you are the one who has it all wrong.

How can you forget to mention Shehu Shagari in naming Nigeria's Presidents. It is also disingenous to not count military rulers, plus he was right about Tafawa Balewa. He was the real HOS. If we had a presidential system back then, that would have been Tafawa Balewa. Zik was simply like the Queen of England.

The biggest grouse I have with your post is this: who do you blame for the military rulers? Who are these Christian Middle-Belters you refer to - Aguiyi-Ironsi(6 months)/Gowon(9 years), Muritala (6 months),  Obasanjo(31/2 years), Buhari/Idiagbon(1 year & 9 months), Babangida (8 years), Shonekan (3 months)/Abacha (5+ years)/Abubakar(1 year)? What records are you looking at?

Please keep Abiola's name out of your reckoning - his election was annuled by Babangida and he was killed by Abiola Abacha. How was that a good thing?

Only Obasanjo has really ruled Nigeria outside the north, and we know how that happened too.

You said "We the people of nigeria are given the right to speak, tribe doesn't matter." and then refuse to count precisely those that have determined whether you get to speak or not for our entire history.

You must be trying to tell a joke!

Ikengawo:

Correction from your post, Azikiwe was the first president, Taf Prime minister and that office doesn't exist anymore but would be more comparable to the head of senate like David Mark today.


anyways,you posted examples of military men keeping civilians from office, which is my point. In the military era the military wanted to solidify power for their own military cronies. corrupt yorubas middle belters fulanis ect, everyone but igbo due to history circumstance were in it together, but they weren't doing it for the sake or interest of the north, they were doing it for the sake and interest of themselves and their immediate friends and family.

but in your own examples, 2 men were expected to take the presidency, a yoruba, whom all nigerians supported, and an igbo whom most nigerians supported. None of these men could have reached their popularity playing a tribal game, they were national figures.


like Fashola today. If this man runs for the presidency north south east and west are behind him because we just want a good leader. It's when democracy is silenced that we get poor leadership and poor leadership makes everyone want to blame the poor leader ship on something, so they point to tribes when that's not the case.


there are igbo governors stealing from my very own igbo state, if Shagari is doing the same on a national level what sense does it make for me to make it a tribal issue?

There are two threads on this already:

See: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-423913.0.html and https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-423913.0.html

@Sun of god
I agree with you on this one.  G.W. Bush proved that it is not a developed or developing country problem, if you live off debt you will ruin your economy, at least eventually. That is why government should be the spender of last resort.

I don't know what "efficient" use the government can put money to - governments don't spend money well, anywhere. In Nigeria's case it gets stolen.

Yes, watch him very well. Being a good banker doesn't necessarily make you a good economic administrator, though one would expect that to be so.

The rest of his speech makes a lot of sense.

Sun of god:

He thinks Nigeria's debts are minute? Does he want Nigeria's debts on par with the US/UK?

NIGERIA SHOULD NOT BE INDEBTED TO ANYONE!!! Calculate the billions stolen and then calculate are national debt.

His every move needs to be watched and scrutinized.

Look beyond the fancy oyibo,

I don't understand your question here.

Does it not seem clear to people that the case you mention here is that of a deranged individual, not an organized system or group? Has anybody claimed to have sent him or associate themselves with him?

True, no incident should be dismissed, if only to figure out how bad security at our airports really is, and to make sure this is not connected to some group or develop into a trend. Afterall, those groups of terrorists might be group madness.

Having said that, it seems clear that this is a deranged individual, and comparing sleep to death is misses the point. In any case, we don't want to make one act of terrorism look "better" than the other, we need to see each case for what it is.

agathamari:

did this come before or after the nigerian taxi cab driver rammed a plane?

You may be right. Nigerian Passport holders never had it easy to begin with, but don't underestimate the power of official designations in the US context. Rather than being the law, which could be used as excuses for all kind of atrocities, we are back to the non-official condition of things before Abdul Mutallab. Things may never be the same, however.

OMO IBO:

Won't change a thing.

6. Fighting terrorism
Status:
March 2010 - Airport scanners being installed; security agency alert following "Nigerian Taliban" intention to widen fight; asking US to reconsider watch list; not sure what the National Assembly is doing; US cancels 14-country watch list to be replaced by more target checks for every one coming to the US

Napolitano says new checks set for travelers to US

By EILEEN SULLIVAN
The Associated Press
Friday, April 2, 2010; 10:48 AM

WASHINGTON -- Travelers from 14 countries that have been home to terrorists will no longer automatically face extra screening before they fly to the U.S.

Beginning this month, anyone traveling to the U.S. will instead be screened based on specific information about potential terrorist threats, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday. Previously, authorities needed the name of a suspect to screen against passenger names.

A person would be stopped and would undergo extra screening if he or she matches a description provided by intelligence officials. For example, if the U.S. has intelligence about a Nigerian man between the ages of 22 and 32 whom officials believe is a threat or a known terrorist, under the new policy all Nigerian men within that age range will receive extra screening before they are allowed to fly to the U.S. If intelligence later shows that the suspect is not a terrorist, travelers will not be screened against that description.

The new procedures replace those that went into effect after the attempted bombing of a jetliner en route to Detroit on Christmas Day. Those rules required extra screening, such as full-body pat-downs, for everyone from, or traveling through, any of 14 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The new terror-screening strategy is a result of a review ordered by President Barack Obama.

The intelligence-based targeting will be in addition to screening names on terror watch lists. The government's "no fly" list of suspected terrorists, who are banned from flights to, or within, U.S. territory, has about 6,000 names.

A Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been charged with boarding a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day with a bomb hidden in his underwear. One of the reasons the alleged bomber was able to board the flight in Amsterdam was that his name was not on a U.S. terror watch list. However, officials failed to even share a description of the suspected terrorist.

The new policy should significantly decrease the number of innocent travelers from the 14 countries who have been inconvenienced by the extra screening, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues.

In the past three months, senior U.S. security officials have been meeting with foreign countries to discuss how to improve aviation security, and many countries have adopted enhanced screening methods, including the use of body-scanning machines.

The U.S. does not have the authority to screen passengers in foreign airports. But if air carriers do not agree to follow the U.S. guidelines for international aviation security, they could be fined and potentially banned from operating flights to the U.S.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040200551.html

@ndu_chucks
Good to know that you don't support IBB's presidential bid.

The yardstick we need is not "could not be worse", but "much, no, light-years/phenomenally better than".

Not perfect, but the only northern politician I see with any possibility of making Nigeria better at this point is El Rufai. I wish he would come out with a serious agenda or else take his name out of the running. May be I am ignorant. If so, please provide more information as Nigerians should not be taken on another useless ride.

ndu_chucks:

Without supporting IBB's bid to become the next president of Nigeria, I venture to say that his presidency could not be worse that that of Yar'Adua's or even OBJ's.

Shocked at the crudity of some opinions.

The disease you seek to cure is deep inside your own mind. The other day a white man wrote that some Africans were saying "why is Obama sending children of slaves to us as Ambassadors". I thought he was a closet racist, but he was probably speaking truly.

Akata not smart? Would that be because your/my forefathers sold them as slaves to a foreign land? Or would it be because they are black - like you/me? No wonder, many African-Americans cannot stand Africans. Not only did their forefathers got sold as commodities, todays Africans not only don't take responsibility, some of them ask for reparations to be paid to Africans, and some continue to cast aspersions on today's African-Americans.

Sarah Palin suggests that seeing Russia from her backyard is good foreign policy experience - does that make Alaskans, Whites or Sarah Palin not smart?

EzeUche:

Does this surprise you all? He is an akata. Many of them are not smart.

@doyin13
Please read the replies in this thread: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-423992.0.html#msg5816333

IBB doesn't deserve to be given any leeway. He is done with being a major player if Nigeria is ever going to move forward.

doyin13:

I do not care for Babangida but those of us who have
been clamoring for ideology in Nigerian politics will be
heartened.

Parties might fissure along the lines of those willing to cede
power away from the centre and those determined to concentrate
power at the centre.

We all know Babangida's antecedents and he is not called 'Maradona'
for nothing. This might be an olive branch to the South where the calls
for federalism are loudest.

Whether if he wins the elections he will agree to cede powers is anyone's guess.

It looks like the US is about to get rid of the list of 14 nations - Nigeria's name finally comes off the watch list?

I am happy to see that they are going to be watching every passenger coming to the United States. As I recommended here ( [url]http://www.nigeriaanew.org/forum/index.php/topic,19.msg42.html#msg42[/url]) the US needs to watch everyone from everywhere (that is probably impossible, but there it won't cost much to run every name through a database with today's technology. Then matches can be followed-up in more detail)

US 'revamps air security checks'

BBC

The rules will apply to all travellers heading to the United States
The US will announce on Friday that it is to begin profiling US-bound passengers to determine who should get extra screening, reports say.

The measures would replace mandatory enhanced screening of all travellers from 14 nations, brought in after the failed attack on a flight in December.

Travellers will be picked out according to how closely they match intelligence on potential terrorist threats.

The new screening strategy results from a review ordered by President Obama.

"It is much more surgically targeting those individuals we are concerned about and have intelligence for," an administration official said, according to the New York Times.

"This is not a system that can be called profiling in the traditional sense. It is intelligence-based," said the official.

'No fly' list

The measures will apply to US citizens, as well as foreigners travelling to America.

The US government currently has a 6,000-name "no fly" list of suspected terrorists, who are banned from flights to or within US territory.

This will be supplemented by cross-referenced information that may see passengers subject to further screening even if their names are not flagged, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The screening will take into account characteristics like nationality, age, recently visited countries, and partial names, the newspaper said.

While the US does not have the authority to screen passengers in foreign airports, it can sanction air carriers if they do not agree to follow US guidelines for international aviation security.

'Higher-risk' nations

A 23-year-old Nigerian man - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - has been charged with attempting to destroy a plane after he allegedly tried to detonate a bomb on a passenger jet arriving in the US on 26 December 2009.

Abdulmutallab was overpowered by passengers and crew shortly before the Northwest Airlines plane landed in Detroit from Amsterdam.

In the wake of that incident new rules were instated requiring extra screening for passengers from, or travelling through Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Visit Nigeria-Anew at: http://nigeria-anew..com/ and http://www.nigeriaanew.org/forum/index.php

And here is another one of IBB's "unifying", true Federalism actions for your enjoyment:

OIC membership
Babangida (unilaterally, without consultation with other bodies)upgraded Nigeria's role in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), from a mere observer status to full-fledged membership. After public outcry and denial by Babangida, the John Shagaya panel was instituted to determine Nigeria's status in the OIC, subsequently confirming membership and making a recommendation for withdrawal from the body.

@ndu_chucks

Yes, IBB might win because of two things: 1) The confused populace; 2) Bootlickers who cannot make anything of themselves except by the grace of their tin god, IBB.  Please tell me one good thing IBB did for Nigeria. As for me here is my summary of his role in Nigerian politics:

1. He was a member of the Nigerian armed forces - a sacred profession to protect all, and to be loyal to the government of the people.
2. He participated in /conducted several coups - an act that in sane countries is met by the death penalty
3. When he saw his chance he made himself Head of State, and fancied himself some kind of tin god - declaring himself president.
4. Under his watch the statement of the day was "everyone has a price" - aka corruption became a way of life. Against the strict, though extreme, disciplinary approach of Idiagbon/Buhari, Babangida's regime stands in deep contrast.
5. Claimed to have spent $12 billion on ending the Liberian war. That same war had to be ended anew under OBJ and it did not cost $12 billion, even though it was a larger and longer operation.
6. Locked up Universities, one for 7 months. Fired the nations intellectual base.
7. Banning & unbanning politicians/parties he took Nigerians through a tortuous so-called transition program. He eventually was forced to conduct elections; Nigerians cooperated & did their part to produce the best election in Nigeria ever. IBB canceled it during the night, even though the rival to winner had conceded the election - another unheard action among Nigerian politicians.
8. He was forced to step down - thus killing his original intention to "transition" himself to life presidency. He is still sulking from that one.
9. Don't even get me started with the deceitful "home grown" SAP that allowed other countries to strip our educational institutions bare of valuable intellectuals and our hospitals of its doctors, while bringing inflation and lower quality of life to the populace. The same deceit was shown in taking the IMF loan.
10. Nor lets talk about how he executed those close to him under the rumor they were planning a coup -  his own master profession.

Give it to IBB, he has Nigeria's intelligence apparatus by the balls, and it won't come as a surprise to find he is in the pay of foreign powers.

IBB is smart, as in cunning. He is probably as smart as any general Nigeria has ever had, but beyond that he really has no clue. It is Xteristic of IBB to start some high-sounding, but meaningless, conversation.

Let him go on television and tell us what true Federalism means and explain how he is going to bring it to us. Moreover, why with all the powers of a maximum ruler and in his more youthful years he failed to bring it? Why is he going to be able to do it now that he is going into his 70s? Then watch him stammer into oblivion.

The man has no credibility - he is good at saying the right things, but if we learned any lesson from his years of misadventure it is that YOU CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT HE TELLS YOU. HE DOESN'T MEAN WHAT HE SAYS.

One of the classic description for IBB is the following: He is the referee in a footbal match, but one of the teams is actually his own. However, IBB will not stop at refereeing the match and cheating for his team. No, you will find him on the field one hour before the game kicking the ball into an empty net and recording the goals for his team. Then at playing time he would declare that the other team has withdrawn from the match even though they are standing, ready to play, on the pitch.

ndu_chucks:

While IBB is "hated" by most "educated" internet warriors, the truth of the matter is that, the man enjoys the support of a majority of the electorate (the voting public).  He is revered by voters from the North to the East, West to the South and is one of the few Nigerians who can win a free and fair election in a landslide victory.

Like him or hate him, IBB is uniquely qualified to take Nigeria to the "promised lands".  His ability to put the millitary and the "cabal under control is a big plus.  

IBB is saying the right things at the moment including, stating that fiscal federalism, state police and indeed a national conference are needed in nigeria.  He even enjoys the support of the USA and EU.

I believe if IBB decides to run for office in 2011, he may very well win, despite criticisms by internet warriors.

6. Fighting terrorism
Status:
March 2010 - Airport scanners being installed; security agency alert following "Nigerian Taliban" intention to widen fight; asking US to reconsider watch list; not sure what the National Assembly is doing

7. Niger Delta Amnestry Deal
Status:
March 2010 - Started out well; militant weapons collected; rest of deal on hold due to president's absence; recently revived by Ag. President; couple of attacks by militants

naijamini:

You have surely heard the phrase "strike while the iron is hot". In Nigeria's case that would be "make a lot of noise about striking the iron while it is hot", then do nothing anyway.

At wits end to get promises fulfilled, this is a "register" of Nigeria's unfinished tasks/promises. This list and the status of each task/promise would be updated from time to time:

1. Modify the constitution to address succession loophole during President and Governor absences.
Status:
March 2010 -  Passed by National Assembly; Yet to be passed by State Assemblies

2. 6000MW by December 2009
Status:
January 2010 - Sorry we failed; generation actually declined; newest argument is that new plants are being completed.
March 2010: US assisting IPPs to generate 10,000 MW by 2011

3. Electoral Reform
Status:
March 2010 - Edited report being argued at National Assembly; Changes being considered not clear

4. Resolve Jos Crisis
Status:
March 2010 - Several  committees and rounds of violence since 2008; Army &  police keeping watch - hopefully; Underlying causes unresolved

5. Working Refineries
Status:
March 2010 - Big ado about PIB; not passed; refineries on today, down tomorrow; petrol queues all over;

You have surely heard the phrase "strike while the iron is hot". In Nigeria's case that would be "make a lot of noise about striking the iron while it is hot", then do nothing anyway.

At wits end to get promises fulfilled, this is a "register" of Nigeria's unfinished tasks/promises. This list and the status of each task/promise would be updated from time to time:

1. Modify the constitution to address succession loophole during President and Governor absences.
Status:
March 2010 -  Passed by National Assembly; Yet to be passed by State Assemblies

2. 6000MW by December 2009
Status:
January 2010 - Sorry we failed; generation actually declined; newest argument is that new plants are being completed.
March 2010: US assisting IPPs to generate 10,000 MW by 2011

3. Electoral Reform
Status:
March 2010 - Edited report being argued at National Assembly; Changes being considered not clear

4. Resolve Jos Crisis
Status:
March 2010 - Several  committees and rounds of violence since 2008; Army &  police keeping watch - hopefully; Underlying causes unresolved

5. Working Refineries
Status:
March 2010 - Big ado about PIB; not passed; refineries on today, down tomorrow; petrol queues all over;

6. Fighting terrorism
Status:
March 2010 - Airport scanners being installed; security agency alert following "Nigerian Taliban" intention to widen fight; asking US to reconsider watch list; not sure what the National Assembly is doing

7. Niger Delta Amnestry Deal
Status:
March 2010 - Started out well; militant weapons collected; rest of deal on hold due to president's absence; recently revived by Ag. President; couple of attacks by militants

8. Deliver Credible 2011 Polls
Status:
March 2010: Except for PDP no party has its national acts together;IBB claims he is consulting;Buhari and others are forming a new party;Atiku seems to be returning to PDP too;Still the same old faces;Iwu must go protest by NLC;Counter Iwu must stay moves looking for 15 million signatures;Iwu's current tenure expires in June;National Assembly seems to be thinking about tinkering with the structure of INEC;No real preparations apparent with less than one year to elections;

9. Conclude High Profile National Embarrassment Corruption Cases
Status:
March 2010: Procastinating on the Halliburton Case - US says Nigeria has enough evidence (US Ambassador to Nigeria, Washington D.C, 04.09.2010 - ThisDay); Ibori has gone into hiding, while his investigators were attacked by gunmen; Bank Manager Cases before EFCC - involves more than 1/2 trillion Naira;

10. Infrastructure
Status:
April 2010: To finish East-West Highway by 2012 (Punch April 19 2010: The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, dropped the hint during the two-day inspection of the level of work done on the four sections of the road on Friday and Saturday.  In the next two years, by the grace of God, the road should be competed for the people of Niger Delta and Nigerians for use.)

Could Prof. Achebe be refering to the Ag. President's weak position, not as a weak person? I hope it is not the latter.

We all know that Ag. Presd. Jonathan had to tread gently due to the inscrutable mystery of Nigeria's power web - that is a weak position to be for anyone. Nevertheless, I took it personally that he made a promise to the people of Jos and failed, by omission, commission or circumstance, to keep it. Still, he is demonstraing his genuine intentions, while showing that contrary to appearances, he is not politically naive.

Any person, even with extensive preparations, needs at least a year before we can judge his overall performance in running Nigeria.

Blame Yar'adua if Jonathan fails! I am sure he would claim it in the history books too, if he succeeds .

In any case, we have the tendency in Nigeria to consider gra-gra as strength, but Prof. Achebe certainly knows the power of the pen/brain over brawn.

@solokay and poster

This is the way I see it. If you land 150 million ordinary Americans or Europeans in Nigeria as it is organized today, and change nothing at all or disallow them from changing a thing, in the way things work, in 5 or 10 years they will act & crook the same way.

Ask yourself this question: Who gives, transfers and handles the biggest bribes in Nigeria? Ah ah - Europeans and Americans! Have you ever visited a Nigerian government office? I went to a couple years ago, and one thing always struck me - they all use Siemens phones. The bribery case explained it all to me. Go figure.

It is not about the people, it the system, silly (Clinton said it, I only modified it - NL BOT changed the word, but you get the sense). People are the same everywhere.

The problem we face in Nigeria is that this system is now so ingrained that people have gone completely to the other side, what is more they are so unconsciously incorporated into the system that they resist change - even when it is for their good.

solokay:

This is so wrong. 94% of Nigerians are not adults, are u saying the kids are crooks too. so wrong

Let me add that the fact that a religion has a violent past or had violence in its primary tenets doesn't make it a rule for the 21st century. If this is the case, reform your religion - if you don't, it will be eventually reformed for you!

@prettyG
I think we are confusing issues. There are several ways to refer to religion. For example, one could distinguish between true Christianity or true Islam. One could also talk about the past history of Christianity or Islam. Finally, there is Christianity or Islam as practiced today, which can be further broken down into the various sects, both christian and Islam.

True Christianity does not preach violence, in fact this is what distinguishes Jesus from most of the other figures that form the basis of world religions - a complete abhorrence of violence in any form and under any circumstances. When you quote Joshua, you are talking about Judaism really and while the link between the two are tight there are vast differences.

I don't know too much about true Islam - yet to read a copy of the quoran I got ages ago.

Christianity as practiced at some point in the was violent, aka the crusades. Today, Christianity is largely violence free, although not in the original pure form taught by Jesus Christ. In fact those politicians who wear their Christianity on their foreheads were responsible for some of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century - but this were not really religious conquests, but politics mixed with adultrated religion.

Similarly, Islam had a violent past of conquests. Today, the practice of Islam involves a considerable amount of violence ranging from the deranged form by Osama Bin Landen to the talk of jihad every time there is conflict between Islam and some other religion. These, especially those mixed with politics, are in line to be responsible for the greatest atrocities of the 21st century.

The question for me is would Jesus call the LRA christian, if not then they can take the name all they want, they are simply pretenders. Similarly, would Muhammad call Osama Bin Laden muslim, if not then, they are pretenders.   

frosbel:

I told you your plan will not work,

Got a copy. Thanks.

@18 platoon
Only foolish people would label any ethnic group dumb, like some like to label others treacherous and so on. If Jang made those statements what should have been done is drag him to the Senate, the President, the Nigerian people so that we all recognize what is brewing beforehand.

Like I said what needs to happen now is not to sweep anything under the carpet. The last perperator of violence must always be held responsible. If the law enforcers are doing their job, then that last perperator would also be the first perperator. If by omission or commission someone gets away with violence and the victims retaliate they assume the role of the perperator, and so on and so forth.

In Jos, all those who have been arrested from the first incident to the last should be made to face swift justice, including the death penalty, and measures must be taken to resolve whatever issues are causing the fracas.

I still say that you cannot, and should not, declare an Hausa/Fulani Army within the Nigerian Army, whichever way you look at it. That is the equivalent of Jang's statement, and as we have seen two (or many) wrongs don't make right - only more wrongs.

18 platoon:

@naijamini, if you want i can give you a joke why everyone thinks fulani dumb, but they're not, they're calculating.

Certainly you are not suggesting that after you rid yourself of the "north" if some region within the south starts acting the same way you would simply apply the same solution. If not, then there is no way your solution can be reasonable in any way applied to the north. That is the problem with your solution.

There are other ways to achieve your independence all involving different degrees of violence. You cannot let your mind dwell on the most violent means, such an approach means that you would have neither peace nor satisfaction.

For states that are selfishly pursuing sharia, well an equivalent thing is to impose your own state law in your state. Start acting like an independent state in an equivalent way - explicitly create a state police to force the issue to the supreme court - call it a customary court but let it take over state security.

In essence, if dialogue is spurned you don't necessarily seek to destroy anyone, but please protect yourself - superbly enough that any potential attacker would think twice, and if they do attack, it would be their funeral. That is not the same thing as advocating destruction of any region or people - simply that if you like to swing your hand (to slap me) I have the right to protect my head, but I don't have the right to preempt-ly cut off your hand.

Really, we are better as one than many regions, if we truly learn to resolve our differences.

Sun of god:

Lets start by tackling the bigger problems. (The Northern Ideology)

And implement solutions that will have an effect as opposed to talk talk talk.(Blow up the place if the refuse to split or drop that sharia bullshit and become one with Nigeria again)

Most parasites 'hate' their hosts but cannot live without them. The host therefore must remove the parasite or face potential death.

Therefore I stand by my post.