₦airaland Forum

Mandelaguy: @Ndu_chuks. Tank for the compliment and the subtle correction,but I made the statement about direction because it is evident from content of the bill( Atleast the part this day high lighted) that this administration has the zeal for change and sanity to be restored in the sector. Mind you,all of us are seriously watching and will pass judgement if the bill fails to deliver on it's promises when passed into law,bearing in mind the key areas pupita tried making us take more note of,it cannot be changed overnight. On the issue of BH,I am very aware that the war against terrorism,especially urban terrorism is not an easy war to win,but definitely,it will be won if the elders,youths,uncles,aunts,wives should join hands together and fight with govt. I have no apologies if I sound like a sycophant,I said what I believed in because all these negative press is not helping the national cause at all.

The main point in my last post was that the kudos to GEJ may be premature. ThisDay wrote that the new version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, stated that International Oil Companies (IOCs) will get a better tax deal and many the contentious issues on fiscal regimes and domestic gas pricing, were re written to favour local and foreign investors who had kicked against the original version of the reform bill.

This does not sit well with me and does not warrant any kudos to GEJ, until we know what the details of the bill are. BTW constructive criticisms should never be summarily dismissed without full consideration for their values. I maintain that you are bright enough to engage in meaningful dialogue, without being disagreeable. I am quite sure that you know fully well that your kudos to GEJ in this case was premature.

Noting do you sha, so carry on.

virgo: Beaf is a PDP tool? Heard that rumour o! Where is Beaf now? Come and clear your name.

But on a more serious note, he has admirers here too. Why would he think a forum with several anonymous characters is a tool in the hands of PDP or GEJ. We have lots of GEJ and PDP haters here.

I think you, like a lot of folks, have misread what El Rufai wrote. The misinterpretation is due, for the most part, to prejudice and pre conceived notions about El Rufai's motives. What he said was that PDP and others are using Nairaland as tools. That is quite different from saying that Nairaland is a tool in the hands of PDP, which implies some sort of NL control by PDP, as you stated above.

As I stated earlier, PDP, ACN, and others should use NL for their benefit, not doing so is actually foolish. Fact is these political parties have agents on NL and many of their members are NLers. You'd be surprised who reads and patronizes NL.

Mandelaguy: The new petroleum industrial bill will definitely resolve the controversy over Fiscal regime and gas pricing. This will enhance equity participation in the oil and gas sector and tackle the issue of corruptin that has bedevilled that sector since the discovery of oil in this country. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/new-pib-resolves-controversy-over-fiscal-regime-gas-pricing/119099/. Who actually says this GEJ administration lacks direction and focus?

GEJ is the current President of Nigeria and all Nigerians should wish him success. When the details of the PIB becomes public, we'll have a chance to properly review it and the NASS will try to improve upon it before passing its final version.

What some people find objectionable with posts such as yours is that they do not discuss the issues at hand but tend to focus on the person of the President. For instance, you make a statement about the proposed PIB without having read the bill or having any idea what the final version will look like, and then magically reach the conclusion that your statements mean that the GEJ administration has focus. You fail to see that the new PIB may very well be a watered down version designed to appease the usual suspects.

Most Nigerians believe that the primary focus of the administration should have been the complete victory in the BH war and bringing the fuel subsidy thieves to book. There is no wonder you are fast developing the reputation of being a sycophant. I believe you are bright enough to make more meaningful contributions on NL without giving your readers the opportunity to think that you are one of the paid agents El-Rufai has been talking about.

You sir, are better than what your posts project.

For once I will come to the defense of Beaf's. The boy is not Reno Omokri. I set several rat traps for him which Reno would have falling for, but he didn't.

Additionally Beaf(olodo) is not a lawyer like Reno, Beaf is an overfed ordinary programmer in Europe who is still looking for a way to escape to the USA. His programming expertise is limited to web development programs normally mastered by teenagers. He also knows how to use paintshop.

Do not make the mistake of asking him any programming questions related to Expert Systems, Artificial Intelligence, or Neural Networks.

Given the composition of the traffic on NL, it would be foolhardy of parties such as PDP and ACN not to have their agents on NL. The jobbers I pity are the ones who are not paid for their harlotry

This thread warrants the education of some of its posters. The following historical facts should help many people put things in proper perspective.

The stateowned Defence Industries Corporation (DIC), established in 1964, geared up to produce ammunition during the civil war. By the 1970s, its facilities in Kaduna produced West German-designed HK G-3 rifles, BM-59 and PM-12 handguns, and 7.62mm and 9mm parabellum ammunition. Lack of financial and management support, however, impeded further progress until the DIC was reenergized in 1984 by then army chief of staff Babangida. After becoming president, Babangida expanded the DIC to increase Nigeria's selfreliance .

In 1977 the army decided to standardize its infantry weapons with Belgian FAL assault rifles, Browning GP pistols, and MAG machine guns. In 1978 licensed production rights were acquired, and in 1980 the DIC's facilities in Kaduna were adapted and upgraded by Belgian technicians to assemble these weapons. Production began in 1983; full production capacity was achieved in 1987; and the next year the DIC was reported to be relying entirely on local raw materials and to be producing all the basic rifles and ammunition the army and police used. Its annual production capacity was 15,000 FAL rifles, 9,000 to 10,000 GP pistols, and 1,000 MAG machine guns. The FAL rifle entered service in 1989 as the NR-1.

In addition to the small arms and ammunition factories at Kaduna, newer facilities for the assembly of armored fighting vehicles and light tanks were under development at Bauchi in 1990. Austrian Steyr 680M 4x4 tactical military trucks were reportedly assembled there, and it was also planned to produce Pinzgauer light tracked armored vehicles and Steyr 4K 7FA tracked armored personnel carriers. By 1987 the DIC employed 2,000 to 3,000 people at its Kaduna and Bauchi plants. Indications of a nascent commercial defense industry included a manufacturer in Anambra State whose inexpensive jeeps included military models being tested by the army; a local service industry to supply uniforms, accoutrements, and selected ordnance matériel; and increased domestic souring for aircraft and naval ship components and maintenance services. Local assembly of West German MBB Bo105 helicopters for the air force was also contemplated. Further progress hinged on the availability of foreign capital and technology, joint ventures, and export opportunities, especially for rifles and ammunition.

On its silver anniversary April 22, 1989, the air force unveiled and conducted a test flight of a prototype of Nigeria's first domestically built aircraft, the Air Beetle. Jointly built over two years by the NAF and a West German Kaduna-based firm from the design of the United States Van RV-6 sport aircraft, the Air Beetle had the unique feature of being able to fly on standard automobile fuel. This two-seat, single engine airplane was intended to be the primary trainer for the NAF, replacing the aging British Bulldog trainers. The production program called for sixty units by 1992 and eventual development of an improved version, the Super Air Beetle. In early 1990, the first export orders were reported, and forty aircraft of the first production run were scheduled for delivery to foreign customers.

Lets not go overboard with this news. The first locally made Armoured car was built back in 1990.


NOTE: DIC is still in operation and weapons are still manufactured there. In February this year, two suspected Boko Haram members were arrested by the Nigeria Army at the Defence Industrial Companies of Nigeria (DIC), Kakuri, Kaduna.

One would hope that some of the subsidy monies diverted for wrongful purposes will find their way into Dasuki's control to be used for proper easing of meaningful dialogue, immediate ceasefire, and retraining of the marginalized youths in the troubled areas.

Friendly Advise:


In civilized societies, you'd first set up committees made up of the best qualified among you, based on their pertinent skills, to come up with proposals, which would then be discussed among the whole group.

You people may want to consider doing that. Throwing issues out on the table without focus will only invite chaos. Its time we come out of the bush and do things right.

One is not surprised at this method considering the fact that Onlytruth and PointB are the leaders of this group - these are the worst of you NLers. Where are the likes of Odumchi, violent, Eziachi, Dede1 and other qualified people? PointB is a known dullard on the forum. Dalu o.

@Bizbooks, when you are criticized by Awo apologists and Ironsi apologists alike, you should be proud and know that you are on to something beautiful.

Beaf: The simple fact of Nigeria is that Abdulsalam, Abacha (and Buhari) and IBB illegally gave 85% of indigenious oil blocks to a few men in the core-North.
These men numbering less than 100, earn in a year from "our oil" more than twice what the entire Niger Delta gets. The licenses for those oil blocks expire between 2016 and 2018 and the "owners of Nigeria" are scared to the bone that GEJ being an ND man, will let justice reign and spread the licenses equally across Nigeria. That is the real reason for boko haram and the bitter politics we are witnessing.

Those people are the inner core of what we call, the cabal. If you family is not involved, then you are a willing slave and a fool.

You don't have to tell tall tales to make a point and you are not entitled to manufacturing your own facts and use same, to fuel bigotry and hatred for the entire Northern region or whatever you call core North.

Please give us facts to support that 85 percent of Nigeria's oil blocks which are licenced to 100 or so men will expire between 2016 and 2018. According to current laws, Oil Mining Licenses/leases are for a duration of 20 years. If we are to believe your lies, the licenses issued to the so-called Northerners were issued or renewed between 1996 and 1998. Again, according to your lies, these Ex-Generals and Politicians are concerned about their oil block licenses which are going to expire between 2016 and 2018.

So please tell us which blocks are affected? We have very public information on all blocks.

Before we go off on the tangent of PDP being a Northern political machinery and the tangent of zoning, you should freely admit the obvious fact that PDP does not preserve any so-called Northern interest but the interests of the thieving elite from all geo political zones of Nigeria.

Do you or do you not accept this glaring fact? After you provide your honest answer, we can discuss the other issues you mentioned. You are not known to dodge issues or be afraid to state facts as they are.

[quote author=Dudu_Negro]GEJ is coming out of Presidency and Sambo, his VP will succeed him. . . .

This stewpid man wasted the Southern vote and opportunity. Is this the slowpoke that PDP count on to snatch SW from ACN? PDP is dead in this country! Sambo is just as clueless as Jonathan, what's he going to do when he gets in? He will possibly follow in Jonathan's footsteps and extend amnesty payout to criminals that hold the country hostage.

VOTE PDP OUT OF YOUR CONSTITUENCY, THEY DO NOTHING BUT PRESERVE THE NORTHERN INTEREST!![/quote]I wholeheartedly welcome your call to vote PDP out of our constituencies. There is however a disappointing flaw in your reason for voting PDP out. You, of all people, should know that the vast majority of Northerners have not and do not benefit from the current or any other PDP controlled government, whether national, state or local. PDP beneficiaries are made up of the corrupt elite, criminals, and looters, who hail from every geopolitical region in Nigeria.

PDP does not preserve any so-called Northern interest but the interest of the thieving elite I mentioned previously. Leave the average Northerner out of these beneficiaries, the Northerners are actually the most marginalized Nigerians and statements such as yours only feed the misconceptions of the gullible ones among us.

@Mandelaguy, would you happen to know a guy by the screen name Beaf? He's been unusually absent from NL. He too is a very vigorous defender of Mr. President.

Mandelaguy: he answered what he was asked,what is your beef?

I have no beef. I suppose are were proud of the President and his answers. If you aren't too timid to answer, what was his most impressive response and to what question, if I may ask? Thank you sir, in advance.

Are there some "educated" Nigerians who were actually impressed by the Presiden'ts performance yesterday? If so, they have my sympathy.

Did I miss something? Did the president really say "I don't give a damn" dring the chat?

Mekusnwa: If this is your assessment of that interesting media chat that left everybody hearty and cheerful including the lady from CHANNELS, then you need tutorials on English comprehension

Its safe to conclude that you too, are a dullard. olodo

I'm sorry to disappoint you people but after this performance by the President, it is safe to conclude that Mr. President is a dummy.

Whatever their interests, whatever their motives are irrelevant to me. All I know is that we must stop them.
GEJ on BH 06/24/2012

[quote author=9ja_I_hail]Sharap Ndu_chucks, reading your comments always get me annoyed,what is wrong with you man,must you call Gej in every madness that your northern elite started?

If Gej give order to security to destroy north like OBJ destroyed Odi all of you goats alike will ask for his head.My advice to you is talk to your brothers BH or learn how to live with it.Whatever evil men does live withing him period.[/quote]You have my sympathies. I didn't realize that you are one of the emotional weaklins who get all twisted out of shape by reading NL posts. pele o

This is an embarrassment to the President, lets hope he addresses the development in his "chat" tonight.


An Account

Eze Onlytruth, you have finally come to your senses, but before I congratulate you, let me point out that I have started nothing less than 5 threads on the issues raised in the article you posted. Those threads were meant to offer friendly and constructive criticisms. Your reaction and those of other Igbo NLers has been to dismiss my suggestions as a 'divide and rule' strategy, to your own detriment.

I suppose the fact that article you posted was written by Obinna Akukwe, allowed you to be comfortable with accepting the points raised. Either way, you have shown for the first time that you may have what it takes to lead, though you have a very long way to go. Keep conversations like this coming, we all have a stake in the development of every region. We see the injustice meted out to Ndigbo, but Ndigbo must put its own house in order first, before the monster is defeated. Dalu o.


[quote author=Dudu_Negro]Our political leaders take marching orders from Oyo, not from Lagos. Tinubu is in synch with dictates from Oyo.[/quote]Without derailing this thread, please give me an example of an order carried out by Tinubu and ACN leadership, which came from Oyo. By Oyo, do you mean the Alafin, if not, which entity in Oyo calls these shots?

Onlytruth: Since we are in Nigeria (where only the feds can build it by law per se), and since the federal government of Nigeria treats the whole thing like a zero sum game where only the most qualified (in terms of need or business) gets it, hence Kano got it; why did kano get it ahead of Enugu which handles more air traffic? The federal government funds used to develop Kano airport cannot be used to develop Enugu international, can it?

I'm sorry for being too fast for you. Let me slow down a little.

Why don't you stop being lazy and present your case with cogent indisputable research evidence of why we need an international airport in those towns. Armed with good marketing research data, you'd be able to make demands and shame the authorities who continue to ignore you. Even powerful Igbo officials will no longer have an excuse to keep denying you the airport. One thing is certain, no one will build you an international airport simply because you want one.

Onlytruth: What feasibility study was conducted before making Kano an international airport, though statistics show that Enugu is the busier airport?
Is Kano a busier business city than Onitsha?
If you are honest, you would answer fairly.

If you are ignorant and do not have an answer to my questions, then say so. Stop trying to join unrelated issues. The issue here is not about Kano or Lagos, olodo.

It is prudent to support your case with facts and cogent marketing research since noboby will build you an international airport simply because you want one. The least you should be willing to do is support your interests with verifiable facts. Have you seen any feasibility study or financial justification report which supports locating an international airport in those towns?

Beaf: End of story:

Indeed. The story may end after Azazi testifies.

Beaf: No mofo can summon the President. Period.

This is not an adversarial act, anyway he has already been summoned.

bayooooooo: It's not really a war. It's all politics. What will GEJ tell them that NSA or Defence Minister can not say? It's more practicable to summon Ministers or Head of Agencies than to summon GEJ himself. That type of summon is inherently adversarial.

Tell the hundreds if not thousands of people who have died as a result of the insecurity that its all politics. Your time is running out quickly- just in case you work for these incompetent government officials. There is nothing adversarial in the summons and the President is not above the law. Period.

You and the commander-in-chief who seems AWOL at the moment can trivialize the current situation all you want. To the rest of us and others who have been personally affected by the bombings and indiscriminate killings by JTF, we are at war. shi kena

Let us pray that bombs will not explode in your neck of the woods.

Onlytruth: Okay, what of Onitsha or Owerri(to serve Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi)? I know you would argue that Enugu is a "civil servant city". Is Kano airport busier than Enugu? Your hypocrisy is getting too much.

Can you make the business case for loacting an international airport in any of those places? There is nothing wrong with having airports which can handle 747 e.t.c, but I'm yet to see a viable business case for locating a profit making airport in any of those towns. Do you know of any business research or feasibility studies to support your case?

bayooooooo: The bolded got me laughing. My whatifs are not far from reality. You mentioned closed door meeting without defining who would be present or absence. Are you saying Ndume does not have a right to be present at any of such enlarged closed door meeting?

As per NASS members on National Security and Intelligence Committee, they should , if not already, be carried along. But if the president declines, what trouble awaits him?

The President can refuse to honour the summons and try to fight its constitutionaly and claims that it encroaches on his executive authority e.t.c. That to me, is simply not the most prudent way to handle this. NASS can respond with impeachment proceedings or in other ways. Why start another war with the legislative branch at a time that Nigeria is at war with BH?

mens dept: No city/region can be considered world class without an international airport

There is a different between airports who can handle big airplanes such as a 747 and others used for international travels, and true international airports.

I agree that you need an airport that can handle the kinds of planes I mentioned in Enugu, but I am not sure that you can make a business case for locating a true international airport in Enugu.