₦airaland Forum

I call for TRUCE in the spirit of the season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

taharqa: Our Broda 'Ndu-chuks' have gone MADT again, with his Lies and Innuendos....

I know you dodged my question to you on the other thread but please do not dodge this one.

Sir, what are your objections to free education for ALL Nigerians and the requirement that ALL Nigerian children must obtain at a minimum, primary school education with stiff penalties for parents who do not send their children to school?

DerideGull: Mr. Chucks,

I am not surprised you bought into all these goofy and feel-happy stuffs Nigerians are known. Even if Nigeria needs education, it must be a qualitative one. What Nigerians overwhelmingly need now is jobs, jobs, and jobs. What is the essence of education without the usage? APC can shove their idiotic talk of free education but concentrate on how to provide jobs or stand-up enabling condition for the creation of jobs.

Nigeria has a regrettable large number of ill-educated graduates that need hands-on-job experience. You can agree with me that most of the green graduates aimlessly roam this forum. I could have named names but that should be for another topic.

What makes you think free education implies there will not be comprehensive and rigorous jobs programs in place? You people have become accustomed to mediocrity to the extent that you believe that without jobs, free education cannot be provided. Well, we do not share your narrow mindedness. It is very possible to do both successfully and effectively and this is why we must get the current incompetent and seemingly corrupt government out of office.

Afam4eva: I thought some APC people said some years back that free education is not a sustainable endeavor when Rochas launched it some years back. Why the backsliding?

Did APC exist some years back? Its difficult to be against free education, most oil rich nations offer such to their citizens - it makes sense IMO.

DerideGull: @OP

I say enough of these junkyard talks of free education in Nigeria. Nigerians need jobs so as to take care of their education. Any society with availability of jobs might not ask for cheap handouts such as the deceptive programs of free education which is always in vogue in the jungle called Nigeria .

Mr. Gull, Nigeria is blessed with enough resources to provide free education, and create enabling conditions for economic growth and upward mobility. 10% of the funds currently stolen by your officials is enough to cover the free education costs. Good leadership, which we currently lack, will foster the environment for job creation.

berem: I don't think free education can work in state owned tertiary institutions controlled by APC government. I only suggest it should be subsidized. Using LASU as an example, it might not work.

It should be 100% subsidized as done in other oil rich nations, we have enough money to do this, don't be fooled. Free education means no one will be prevented from attending state owned tertiary institutions because of money. Specific ways to implement such a program can be worked out.

asha 80: not sure education is free in rivers state owned tertiary institutions.

When the program is fully implemented, it will be free at all levels.

Rivers State Government made free education compulsory to all children of school age in the state, Kano state Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso just declared free and compulsory education at all levels in the state during the presentation of 2014 appropriation bill to the House of Assembly revealed that the gesture would commenced from 2014 academic year. Education has been high priority in several APC controlled states.

Legislators in Kano are already working on a reciprocity law which would enable 'indigenes' of other states to enjoy this benefit provided that Kano State indigenes receive reciprocal treatment in those states with the limitation certain stipulations currently being worked out.

The details being worked out regarding the reciprocity mentioned, will become mute as APC will implement the free education program nation-wide. Additionally, the platform will require that every Nigerian obtains a Primary school education with jail terms for parents who do not make their children available for the said education. All 400+ Almajiri school initiated by the current government will incorporate convention educational programs in addition to Islamic teachings.

Funding this program should not be a problem once import waivers totaling N700billion in 2013 alone are eliminated, and corruption is put in check, as Ribadu and Buhari are known to be capable of doing. To those who do not yet understand that the ongoing effort to unseat PDP is very real and essentially unstoppable, and to the doubting Thomases among us, I say just wait and see what 2014 will bring.

For now, I say congratulations in advance to APC if indeed Free Education is included in its platform as expected.

RIP to the usual suspect.

vicent eze: ndu-chuks you are an educated illitrate...apc e-rat anwsering ibo name...poo

You registered Dec. 24 and you are already calling people names. ibu onye Oke mpki?

naijaking1: Excuse me Mr. Abe Lincoln, where was WE the people when Ibb, Buhari, and Obj were rap&*p,ing this cou try. Gej is not perfect, but the fallacy of your position is that you want him to correct a 60 year old corrupt culture democratically and overnight. He is not a military dictator. It takes time. Meanwhile I beg stop flooding the airwaves with unsubstantiated political allegation s of corruption.

This technique of yours has truly become quite old and ineffective. The alleged crimes of IBB, Buhari, or OBJ, have nothing whatsoever to do with today's criminality by current government officials, which Nigerians must question. Noone is asking GEJ to correct 60 years of corruption. We just want him to be accountable for his actions while he is our President. He is answerable to us.

You people have now resorted to classifying outright daylight theft , corruption, and robbery ads political crimes!! Wonders shall never end.

DerideGull: Mr. Chucks
Did you read the post from scipher before you posted the above crap? There is difference between Nigeriens and Nigerians.

Mr. Gull, You need to use your reading glasses when you read. The story does not say only Nigeriens fled, there were Nigerians and nomadic Fulanis among them..

How would you like to have a Skelewu dancing President




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I wonder why our 'President' did not mention this issue in his Christmas address - that is very un Christian of him. SMH

alj harem: APC the party of progressives, how do you intend to reconcile have the most corrupt individual in the SW as your party leader ?

You as a politician know the history of Tinubu, how he got to power, how he has properties all over the place. How do you justify these things.

aboki na, given the season we are in, and despite the fact that you are an Alhaji, I will use a very popular bible story to suggest how your issue with Tinubu may be handled.

According to the bible, a man named Saul is described as a rampaging wild beast in his hateful opposition to the disciples of the Jesus. Saul was said to participate in murderous threats, and carried out those threats by bringing about actual executions of followers of Jesus. Somewhere down the line, Saul repented and gave up his sinful ways, and changed his name to Paul.

If Saul had remained a Jewish rabbi, and remained in his sinful ways, thirteen of twenty-seven books of the New Testament would be missing and Christianity's early major expansion to the Gentiles would never have happened! Humanly speaking, without Paul, Christianity would probably be of only antiquarian or arcane interest, like the Dead Sea Scrolls community or the Samaritans - there essentially would not have been Christianity as we know it today.

Now, I am not suggesting that Tinubu changes his name, but you get the picture.

Ngwakwe: She doesn't report to the Opposition nor to the Mallams rather she is answerable to her employer in this case Mr President who bears full responsibility of any failure arising from so-called policy of which we the people will re-evaluate in the next poll.

Do you really believe that the Minister of Finance is not answerable to the citizens of Nigeria because they may belong to some opposition party? You say she is only anserable to the President, but you conveniently forget that the President is answerable to WE the people, whether we are in the President's party or not. We don't wait for 4 years to hold any elected official to account, your 'next poll' statement is ridiculous and very narrow minded.

Your mindset is the type which keeps Nigerians in bondage, once again shame on you.

You people have forgotten that your President is a Zoologist and by virtue of his position cannot go out and go to the zoo or the bush for the observation and enjoyment of the animals he loves. He therefore maintains his own Private Zoo within the villa. This zoo must also be secured and employees rigorously vetted. These things cost money na.

I don't believe this thread will receive more than 10 - 20 posts, GEJ is not particularly enjoying any goodwill from Nigerians at the moment. I dey sorry for de man, Okupe, Abati, Asari-Dokubo, Aninih, Patience, and others have ruined him.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi joined yesterday the raging controversy sparked by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former President accused Dr. Jonathan of training snipers and putting 1,000 Nigerians on a watch list ahead of the 2015 elections. Jonathan denied it all, saying Obasanjo should prove the allegations.

“I’m number one on the list. They want to kill me,” Amaechi told a huge crowd at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

https://thenationonlineng.net/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/PIC11-620x330.jpg

Source

How would you like to have a Skelewu dancing President




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taharqa: .....he told us that LASG didn't import the said cars, but had an arrangement with Cosharis motors who did d actual importation, to use d 200 cars for d Sports Festival and return them immediately d Festival ended, as long as d LASG wrote to d Finance Ministry so it can hv d duties on d said cars waved; that same e-RAT also told us about other Events where such Arrangements hv been used, including d CHOGM 2003 Commonwealth Conference. I remember stopping my criticism IMMEDIATELY I read this Explanation, and ackwoledging my mistake on that thread.

taharqa,

The explanation you were given by the so-called "e-rat" was enough for you to stop your inquiries cum criticisms and accept a practice that is potent with fraud, collusion, and abuse of power.

Well meaning Nigerians should not acept such an explanation. You, me, SR, and other well meaning Nigerians should say Enough is Enough, and use this opportunity to demand accountability and full disclosure from Ngozi Iweala and the First ladies forum. The exposure of this kind of abuse, if it is one, will help the nation. It should not matter whether Lagos State, or any other organization has been involved in such acts in the past, what we need to demand here is full accountability since the first lady is involved.

The said waiver issued to the First Ladies Forum was worth N560million naira!!! This is straight profit for Cosharis who still must have made additional N500million - N1billion on the sale of those cars. Can anyone justify the profit of N1billion - N2billion naira to support the said First Ladies forum? We all should ask the tough questions here instead of making this another partisan or tribal issue.

These waivers are routinely sold to car dealers by unscrupulous government officials. We should pressure our law makers to probe this transaction and others like it so that we can, at the very least stop abuses in the system and at most expose any fraud. I doubt you'd have any objections here, but if you deem my questions here as propaganda, then I can only say: Goodluck to you (in d Spirit of d Season)....

Given the accusations of GEJ's tacit approval of corruption and fraud by some of his cabinet members and other officials, this is an opportunity for the Presidency to come clean and disclose the details of the transactions surrounding this waiver. If there was no fraud and abuse involved, GEJ will certainly score points and sympathy among Nigerians. Unfortunately, his handlers may not be bright enough to see this.

taharqa: The list is already out, you DUNCE. It is on d Ministry of Finance Website. It was from there that SR saw d list, distorted the Info and came to serve OLODOs like yrself this sorts of 'news'. Got it?

In the spirit of the season and as responsible Nigerians, lets put aside the name calling and partisanship for the purpose of having a honest conversation. Lets assume that SR distorted the information it received from the Ministry of Finance. Now, we agree on the following because it came from Ngozi Iweala herself:

(1)Waivers are used as a stronger tool of economic development

(2)Information published by the Federal Ministry of Finance was a list of state governments, private sector organisations and other institutions, which were granted waivers to bring in vehicles for various events including sports festivals, conferences and workshops.

(3)Ministry of Finance listed the beneficiaries of the waivers for vehicle imports which include First Ladies Forum , which were granted a waiver for vehicles required for their event hosted by Nigeria

These facts are not in dispute.

Pertinent questions which must be answered before reaching the conclusion that SR distorted the information it received:

(a)Were the waivers issued to First Ladies Forum executed, if so, where are the 200 vehicles now and who or which organiation are they titled to?

(b)If the waivers were not fully executed, because some of the vehicles used for the First Ladies Forum were leased, where is the proof that the waivers were not fully executed?

(c)Cosharis has not denied receiving the said waivers, so where is the list of Chassis numbers of the vehicles it purchased on behalf of the first ladies forum.

Taharqa, since you've reached the conclusion that SR distorted the information it has, would you please try to answer the above questions to the best of your ability? No name calling please. I only seek a reasonable and mature discussion with you. I suspect that you are a decent person who is not a jobber, so please indulge me with a sensible response.

This is becoming unbearable. It has been one scandal after another, one theft with impunity after another, while people like Ngozi Iweala continues to cover up for the culprits.

Most recently, the First ladies Forum was granted waivers for 500 vehicles required for their event hosted last year. These waivers are some of the popular ways of duping Nigerians because they are routinely sold to car dealers. Ngozi Iweala now has the guts to tell gullible Nigerians that the First Lady did not in any way personally benefit from this waiver.

She continued that Nigeria has a nascent leasing industry and no company in the sector currently has the quantity and quality of vehicles required for such events. Madam Iweala, who or which company ultimately executed the said waivers. Secondly, the events are over, so where are the vehicles purchased for the event? If the vehicles for the event were leased, were the waivers returned?

Nigerians are wiser, these thieves must be thrown out of government, one way or the other.

Truckpusher: Op you probably don't understand what it takes to become industrialized and build a mega economy.

No country survives by virtually importing everything even the ones they can design,manufacture or assemble locally and once these policies are made and followed religiously the big guns in the advance economy will waste no time in coming in to compete and partner with the local industries thereby creating millions of jobs for the teeming population.

But in your greed simply because you can provide one useless tokunbo car that will contribute to green house effect we are already experiencing you feel we should always export even toothpicks .

Sometimes i still wonder where is your sense of patriotism and of course there will still be tokunbo for you but very expensive and if you wish to use money that was meant for five good cars to buy a tokunbo then be my guest it is your choice.

I'm sorry to say that in attempting to feel important and seek attention, you reached your conclusion out of ignorance and laziness to read. Making brand new cars affordable at N1 - N1.2million is obviously a good thing, if the cars are safe. My objection is to what the FG wants to do in order to make it happen. Please read my post here and here for perspective.

I tend to agree with the OP regarding what will essentially be a ban on importation of cars, in the name of promoting local manufacturing. The FG could promote these manufacturers by providing them with various tax incentives and subsidies. They can also provide them with outright grants and generous loans if necesary.

According to Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service Abdullahi Dikko Inde, the service could not actualise it's revenue target for the year 2013 as a result of import waivers and duty exemptions granted by the federal government which has hit N603 billion in the last nine months. Patience Jonathan alone obtained waivers to import 500 cars for her pet project!

If the feds simply curb the abuses in their waiver systems, they'd raise enough money to support automobile manufacturing instead of increasing tariffs on imported cars by 250% and putting small businesses, agents, dock workers, and others out of work.

I personally do not believe that this policy will be implemented as currently announced. NASS will get involved soon enough.

winteriscoming: Shouldn't this be in car section? Those guys know their cars. And they'll be able to inform us mere mortals about pros and cons.

There ia apparently a similar thread in that section, but the quality of posts on that thread is very poor comapred to this one.

@Mr. Gull, would you buy one of these cars?

eGuerrilla: So what happens to commissioners who are unaffiliated to either party?

Sir, there are no unaffiliated commisioners in Kano state.

ogayor: You are a funny species, most times we Nigerian expect or rather advocate for good policies from our leaders. unfortunately, whenever these leaders take some policy initiatives, we instantly kill it with premonitions. My question is, do we really know what we want as a nation?

I'm sorry to say that you reached your conclusion out of ignorance and laziness to read. Making brand new cars affordable at N1 - N1.2million is obviously a good thing, if the cars are safe. My objection is to what the FG wants to do to make it happen. Please read my post here and here for perspective.

Gamji007: This is plausible. The govt should also ensure that govt agencies starting from the presidential convoy, national assembly , judges, all parastatals use cars manufactured in the company. This will encourage the production of more reliable products and also increase the strngth of the company.

I agree with you on the plausibility of this project. What I do not understand is why the FG should increase import duties on used and new cars by 250% in order to actualize the project. If they must discourage Nigerians from importing cars, then they should start by announcing a ban on import waivers they issue to government officials, the first lady, and other government outfits, and require all government agencies to buy only Nigerian made vehicles.

I bet you that Nigerian automobile manufacturers will not be able to meet the demand of government agencies alone, for many years, so why stranglehold ordinary Nigerians when there are better ways of doing this?

See as dem dey take turn chair to hand bag like magic while stealing everything in sight. SMH


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jamace: OP, it seems you are a natural hater of GEJ? I will advise you as a brother to purge your mind of hate because whether you like it or not, GEJ is performing well. And for your information, GEJ has already outperformed your master .

I'm sorry you reached the conclusion that I hate GEJ because of my post, but you jumped into that conclusion out of ignorance. Making brand new cars affordable at N1 - N1.2million is obviously a good thing. My objection is to what the FG wants to do to make it happen. Please read my post here for perspective.

Imanuelle: op your opinion should be after that quote

It's not a good read this way

ok, I don take ya advise. I don rearrange am.

eeeeeee: Well no senator, DG etc uses tokumbo cars, what then is the difference.

Is it not the car u can afford that you will buy?

My apologies. I assumed that folks had been following all the announcements made by the FG rgarding this policy. Making brand new cars available to Nigerians, albeit, low end cars is a good thing. But for goodness sake, why increase the import duty for all imported vehicles by 250% to achieve this goal? The proposed increase in tariff on Tokunbo cars is quite foolish.

The consequences for each side of the sector, including ordinary low income earners, job and business losses are issues at stake. Importers of vehicles, big and small, and other stakeholders, including terminal operators, mainly Roll-on- Roll-Off (RORO) operators who are on 32 years lease agreement , stevedores, freight forwarders, are grave and quite negative.

If the Feds must increase tariffs, they should do so gradually. This dramatic increase in customs tariffs is not necessary to achieve the result of making cars available at N1 - N1.2million. How does the Feds plan to replace the jobs which will be lost as a result of this policy.

A similar policy was instituted to support local rice industry last year when importation of rice was banned. What has happened is that a bag of rice costs more now than what it was last year. As at last year, a bag of good rice sold at N6,500 and N7,500. But because of the policy, a bag of rice now sells between N10,000 and N12,000.

This people should think this through. Manufactures can produce cheap cars without the destruction of livelihoods of possibly millions of Nigerians.

The Federal Government, in a bid to ensure the successful implementation of its recently approved National Automotive Industry Development Plan, said it would encourage local auto manufacturers to produce less expensive models with price range of between N1.2m and N1.5m.

It also said it would collaborate with auto manufacturers, franchise holders, reputable motor dealers and selected banks to put in place an all-inclusive domestic dealership network through which a user-friendly vehicle purchase scheme could be funded by the National Automotive Council.

These are contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the NAC and obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.

The statement said, “Under market development, the NAIDP anticipated that higher-end expensive models will still be imported into the country in the initial stage, but the new strategy is to encourage local auto manufacturers to focus primarily on lower-end less expensive models with price range of between N1.2m and N1.5m; which is affordable to the middle class, coupled with other finance options.”

The statement added that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, had constituted two committees to ensure seamless implementation of the recently approved automotive plan.

The first is the Automotive Industry Policy Implementation and Monitoring Committee, with members drawn from broad-based industry stakeholders, including the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers/Assemblers Association and the Automobile Local Content Manufacturers Association.

Others are the Automobile Franchise Holders (Mercedez Benz, Kia, Suzuki, CFAO, Toyota, Volvo, Globe Motors, Dana, Balyn Motors, Metropolitan Motors), Used Vehicle Dealers Association, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Read the rest here

I am 100% certain that I wouldn't be buying any of those cars for any family member. May God punish these government official who would rather have us drive death traps instead of the luxury SUVs which they themselves enjoy.

I can bet my last naira that no DG, Perm Sec, Minister, Rep, Senator, or Economic Adviser will buy such a car for official use. Nonsense.

Back in 2010, people did not know that Becomrich4 is really Olusegun Musiwa.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan: In closing, let me state that you have done me grave injustice with your public letter in which you wrongfully accused me of deceit, deception, dishonesty, incompetence, clannishness, divisiveness and insincerity, amongst other ills.

I have not, myself, ever claimed to be all-knowing or infallible, but I have never taken Nigeria or Nigerians for granted as you implied, and I will continue to do my utmost to steer our ship of state towards the brighter future to which we all aspire.

eeyaah, this man is indeed a very good man but his handlers have ruined him. nwanne GEJ, the bolded which you call wrong acusations are unfortunately very accurate itemization of your characteristics. Get rid of those who are unable to tell you the hard truth but continue to feed you with lies. ndo o.