₦airaland Forum

chyz:
True. Also remember that in the 2007 elections Rochas Okorochas came second to Yaradua, so that speaks alot of volume. [/b]If not for rigging,which clearly 70% vote was ridiculous, we would have had an Igbo president.


[b]QUICK NOTE, GET READY FOR DERAILERS TO ENTER

Gbam.

You know, I'm sometimes amazed at how we can't even see what is self evident. Believe me, it is in our best interest to present one candidate to run for us next year.
All we need to do is give him a base by voting massively for him. He can go to other parts of Nigeria with that backing. Anything is possible from there.

I think Utomi might be it!

chyz:
Who are some of the Igbo leaders you would suggest if that were to happen?

You mean the best Igbo candidate for presidency? Well, we have many of them , but I'm only interested in those who can for example communicate important information to northerners using Hausa proverbs, and Yoruba things using Yoruba proverbs, and of course Igbo things using Igbo proverbs, just as a way to demonstrate his deep understanding of the issues facing those voters in those major tribes. Nigerians are not fools as people may think, and I still believe that people would vote for someone who would solve their problems. We have largely made ourselves unavailable for the top position heading towards next year. I no longer think it is a good idea.

Ability to speak all major languages is one of the areas where politicians these days are completely dwarfed by those of the 60s.

So, back to your question, someone like Emeka Anyaoku (though I think he may be too old to run the required campaign, and may not be able to speak in other major languages) comes to mind. There are others of course who meet those conditions I set earlier. Even Soludo would meet that if he can speak in Hausa and Yoruba. The man is a bundle of charisma.
The most important thing is that the person must be of impeccable character. Someone Ndigbo can trust.
Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state would also command that Igbo trust, but I don't think he is charismatic enough for this job, and I don't believe he can speak Hausa and Yoruba.

Bottomline is that we must find that Igbo man to run for us next year. He is out there.

Let's go get him!  

Kobojunkie:
I am so glad the Ibo governors have at least announced they will be doing no such thing this time around.

I understand what the Igbo governors tried to do. They really tried to give Jonathan a chance, but I'm not convinced anymore.
Jonathan is not someone to make such sacrifice for. He is too weak.
The governors also wanted to keep the south east calm. Well, we can still do this under APGA.
APGA is calm. So we can field a candidate under APGA.

I remember that even Ojukwu who is not that popular in Nigeria came second to Obasanjo in the presidential elections, even though the election was rigged. That should tell us something.

Now imagine what would happen if we decide to fight for our votes.

I've just come to the realization that the best thing politically for the Igbo next year is to field a powerful presidential candidate under the umbrella of APGA.

All we need to do is to find that intelligent and eloquent Igbo man who can speak all three major languages : Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa fluently, he can actually rattle the race. The worst that can happen is what is already happening, which is the marginalization of Igboland.
President Goodluck Jonathan is more interested in not upturning the northern apple cart, and is ensuring he gets northern votes by pampering the north even more than a northern president.

I think it is time we make a political statement in Nigeria. If we can come together under APGA (because it remains the party Igbo trust most), field an energetic, charismatic and intelligent young man (someone between 40 and 65), someone who can mount a nation-wide campaign tirelessly, and someone who commands the major languages plus English, I truly believe we stand a chance.

We can win majority of the federal and state legislative positions as well as governors in all the five south east states and have people who would represent our interests in place . If we can do this, and I know we can, we would start a real political revival in the south east. We need that revival to nurture our political ideology. Without an ideology, we would be stuck in the one created to marginalize us. At least we can use our own ideology to free ourselves even if others reject us, which I doubt. But we lose already if we don't present any ideology at all.

We are a majority tribe in Nigeria.

No one should treat us like a minority tribe in Nigeria. Heck even minorities are treated better than us in today's Nigeria.

The good news is that we can do something with our 40 -50 million population.

Yes we can, and now is the time!

I'm beginning to think that it may be best for Ndigbo to adopt a single Igboman and vote only for him next year.

I'm losing trust in all those lining up for the presidency next year.

We can at least use the opportunity to show our numerical strength in Nigeria.

Ileke-IdI:
I pray so. . . . as long as the youth are taking control.

I'm tired of them old useless thieves.

Some of the so called youths are worse than the so called old brigade.
I know that people like Bankole and David Mark can be classified as youths, but look at what they are doing at the national assembly.
Some of the worst leaders we have in Nigeria are the so called youths.

I want someone who can fix Nigeria's problems or have the courage to call for a sovereign national conference.

Yes, I believe that next year's presidential elections will be decided by the south east.
Though I think the only way to do that is by ensuring that we don't split our votes. Ndigbo should adopt one candidate and vote massively for him.
We can vote anyone who will deliver for us, or we can vote for an Igbo presidential candidate just to make a statement, to show the world our true population in Nigeria.

[size=16pt]2011: ‘Igbos’ll Decide on Presidency’[/size]

Enugu

Despite the withdrawal of the five South-east governors from the presidential and vice-presidential contests in the 2011 elections, a socio-political organisation in the zone, the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), has said the Igbos will decide on who they will support presidency in 2011.
The group’s National President, Elliot Ukoh told newsmen in Enugu  that prominent Igbo leaders would soon meet to take a final decision on whom to support for the next general election, noting that until then, nobody should speak for the zone.

“God has designed it that the entire episode will play out in the South-east next year. Our leaders will meet soon and Ndi-Igbo will make careful decision on who we’ll hand over Nigeria to govern from 2011 onwards. Until then, hungry hustlers can keep busy; we rationalize their activities because we understand the economic situation in the country,” Ukoh said.
He therefore urged Ndi-Igbo and the Nigerian people to ignore completely the “shenanigans of hired mouths, hungry fellows and all shades of hustlers who are currently pretending to form emergency Igbo groups six months to the election”.

“These people flow around every four years especially few months to elections and they disappear immediately after the elections. The trade mark of these emergency organizations is that they are all either against or for zoning which suddenly has emerged as the biggest and most lucrative industry at this time.
“All these emergency Igbo groups are completely ignorant of the great work God did in Igbo in and between 1999 and 2002, a period we describe as Igbo renaissance. The great awareness created by MASSOB, IYM, Ohaneze, and the impact of this awareness on the psyche of Ndi-Igbo.

“Most of these hired groups which are really agents of Northern retired military generals still see Igbo land as a playground of the hungry where all you have to do is to shake the bag of coins and purchase the conscience of the people,” he noted.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=180072

Pafuri:
@ Ajanlekoko: objectivity, finally.
@jude330: Thank you.

Some of us would rather run to Ghana to make money, forgetting that Ghanaians are not unaware of what our leaders are doing to us. So, when the likes of businessman Gbawe, (great investor in Ghana's economy, and a man who has an axe to grind), gets to Accra with his arrogant strut and the people of that country show displeasure, he cries discrimination. The people of Ghana are not like Nigerians. I bet you guys also 'spray' money when you hold parties in Ghana, so culturally-insensitive are you! Tell me how long the Lebanese, Syrians, Morrocans, Greeks, Italians, French , and now Chinese have been ripping off the nigerian economy. Nigeria does not even know how many citizens of those countries live within her territory. Now that we have an African country that is trying to do things like we don't, we complain. Does Nigeria have the right to dictate Ghana's policy? Does Ghana have to be as carefree as Nigeria is? I leave the response to you.

By the way, why don't these Nigerian businessmen invest in Nigeria? Why create jobs in Ghana and not in Nigeria? And if Ghana says 'no, thank you' to Nigerians' benevolence, is there a law that they have to accept such benevolence? [/b]I do not know what line of business Gbawe is in to, and I wish him luck; however, he cannot deny the fact that some Nigerians have, through their illicit activities, damaged Nigeria's reputation to the point where Nigerians risk being killed in almost all parts of West Africa. [b]So, Nigeria helped those countries when Nigeria had the means? Good, that shows you that money cant buy respect. Nigerians should get over their arrogance, invest in their own country and stop blaming Ghana for everything that seems wrong in Nigeria.

@ Ranoscky: I hereby name you Chairman of "Gbawe for President 2011".

Frankly, I agree 100% with everything you said.

That is why I will do everything in my power to keep Innoson in Eastern Nigeria.

I'm drafting a letter to Governor Peter Obi today, and when I get home I will head to Innoson's to meet the man himself.
Please notice that I said[b] Eastern Nigeria[/b], no where else.

Henry says:
August 5, 2010 at 3:21 pm

This movement if true and determined and if not bought over by the people that benefits from the status quo is what is required for the country to start not even move forward. In his book (Because i am invloved) Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu said that Nigerians are afraid of unity, the unity he is talking about is not this “unity” we have now but a unity we can achieve by knowing whom we are, that we are different but can have a common goal this is called unity in diversity. It can only be achieved by letting different people, different ethnic groups and states grow and progress at their own pace, with this arrangement, there will be no need for federal character, no need for zoning and no need for all this winner takes all in the presidency. Look at the American and German arrangement of true federalism, people are more interested in what happens in their states, what affects them locally, not which zone should have the presidency. Switzerland have 26 counties and 24 tax authorities, government there is very local and no one is even interested in what happens at the centre, very few people know who the prime minster of Switzerland is, they have lived as a confederation since the 13th Century, same for Gemany as a federation since the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when whe Bundesrepublik (Federal Republic of Germany) Deutschland was formed. The state of Bavaria is the richest state in Europe, richer than Greater London with an economy bigger than that of the whole of Scandinavia, states like Saarland (by French boarder) are poorer than any state in the German Republic…I can go on and on and on but the issue is, when people are diverse as we are in Nigeria, the best arrangement is True Federalism or Confederation!!! I wasnt born then but someone called Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu proposed a confderateral arrangement during the Aburi Accord, “Nigerians” rejected it but it looks like if we are not able to achieve true federalism then a conferderation is our next best alternative!!! We need to sort ourselves out and move with the rest of the World, even the Kenyans are sorting out the presidential power , the whole world will not stop for us, they will keep moving and it is left for us to do it or remain behind. There is a consensus that the main reason we have corruption and looting and lack of petriotism in Nigeria is because there is a belief that there is no contry to be honest and patriotic to!! so we need to find and arrangement for a country, what we have is not working!!!

fon says:
August 5, 2010 at 1:37 pm

The future stablity of nigeria can only come after the conclusion of all the ethnic sovereign national conference. To ingore the wishes and inclusiveness of these sovereign nationalities is to postpone the evil day.

Ayodele Aiyelabola says:
August 5, 2010 at 1:58 pm

Thank God other nationalties apart from Afenifere are begining to see the need for a Sovereign National Conference. Only a truly federal system of government can save Nigeria. For now Nigeria is a federation only in name. Our founding fathers laid a good foundation for us when in their clear understanding of the issues at stake opted for a federal parliamentary government. We lost it when we allowed the military to hold sway and thro up the OBJs and IBBs.

Oghenekaro Obaro, USA says:
August 5, 2010 at 2:18 pm

I reserve my comments. Why? Because this was the very way ex-Governor James Onanefe Ibori of Delta State-the “Odidigborigbo” of Oghrara Kingdom started with the agitation for resources control, and all of us thought there was steam in the struggle, but before we knew what was happening, it was all empty threats from the South South Governors-419. Please do not use our heads (poor peoples’ heads) to break coconuts again O! Lookup the names of the summiteers first before you evaluate the substance, if any, the proclamations coming from this group.

I am a Niger-Deltan to the core who believes that the issue of the Nigerian union should be decisively resolved once and for all. There’s no need for these leaders to pander to the leaders of unproductive North for any renegotiation on of any genuine new Nigeria, it is a fallacy; nothing will materialize from negotiations with the North. They should call a spade a spade and do the right thing. There are standby Armies in the region, so what are we waiting for? Until the oil wells all run dry? Please excuse me, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is there now, and it is an open door; let’s do the right thing or else, the North will slam the door in our faces.

Comments from Vanguard readers:

Umu Oke says:
August 5, 2010 at 4:05 pm

An Addendum.-from Mazo O.O.-Germany.
The North is playing the political chess game well with some Southerners that are flitting about with them from place to place, from party to party, from election to election, giving Africa and the world the impression that when a free and fair democratic election is in place, all will be well with Nigeria,- as though a free and fair election are what the ethnic people are asking for. The above public notice is coming from many ETHNIC Organizations, in the east and mid-west regions, it symbolizes huge dirt under a carpet and has an important salable point to Africa and the world, whose supporting powers the ethnic organizations badly crave for, seriously, if they want to pin the North down to a SNC.

To Nigeria, these ethno-groups stand out clearly like tumors on its body, to the North, they are parts of the huge dirt it is used to, since decades ; but to an observer from the civilized Africa and the world, these ethno-groups are clean expressions of the people’s will as such as being important blocks in nation-building and so their concents matter most.
No how the North looks at the grounds for SNC they will certainly find benign reasons to bring themselves to an acceptable agreement for a stronger and more respectable union with the south.
There is a mountain of dirt in front of everybody’s eyes, one can’t close one’s eyes and pretend, not seeing it. Let’s make hay now. A true Federalism and resource control are what the people want.
All ethnic groups have divergent human relation factors that need crystallizing into a definite mould.
But will the north agree to compromise its position on the resource control issue? This is the moot point needing to be addressed in a SNC,

^^^

Wonder what those have to do with firing a rifle accurately.

Some of the best Biafran soldiers ( as I heard) were women, and I doubt they were ever subjected to such "training or punishment".

Mai Suya:
My deepest condolences to the bereaved . . . however, did I hear 3.3km? I wont describe myself as athletically inclined, but I have personally done about 4km before. I doubt they were in the best physical condition before they started the race, and to think a hospital had given them a clean bill of health.

They are training to become soldiers; a profession that demands the best physical state. Its only logical that the circumstances they will face when (if) they eventually assume duty be equivalent to the rigors they are made to undertake during the traing process.

If it is 10km, then that probably was a bit too extreme.

I'm laughing.

I personally do 3.5 Miles which is 5.6 Kilometers almost on weekly basis.
I even think the 10 km should be for the soldiers.

Everything is upside down in Nigeria.

Anyone who is not physically fit ( and I don't mean on paper by doctors office , I mean really practically fit) should never go for such recruitment exercises.

We mustn't all be soldiers.

Next year's election might be putting the cart before the horse.

[size=16pt]Groups advocate meeting of ethnic nationalities before Oct 1[/size]

WARRI — ETHNIC organisations in the lower Niger territory, under the auspices of The Alliance, yesterday, called for a sovereign meeting of all the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria, before the 50th anniversary of the country on October 1, to negotiate, for the first time, the re-working of the constitutional arrangement for the distressed Nigerian union.

The self-determination organisations of the Anang, the Edo, the Efik, the Ibibio, the Igbo, the Ijaw, the Ilaje, the Isoko, the Itsekiri, the Ogoni, and the Urhobo and other ethnic nationalities in a statement at the end of a meeting in Warri, said: “Our position is that, elections, even if free and fair, will not address the fundamental questions facing Nigeria at this time, especially as exposed in the on-going angry debate over zoning, which finally lays bare the falsehood of “One Nigeria”.

The statement was signed by Fred Agbeyegbe, chairman of the Lower Niger Congress and President, Itsekiri Peoples Congress; Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Tony Nnadi, Movement for New Nigeria, Alfred Ilenre, Ethnic Minority and Indigenous Rights Organisation of Africa; Efe Okpomo and Prince Kingsley Oberuruaria, both of the Urhobo for Change; Razak Amatoru, Ijaw Youth Council; Mr. Rex Anighoro, Niger Delta Christian Youths Movement; Comrade Mark Olise, Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Front; Engr. Alex Nonyelum Ayatolamuo, League of Good Governance in Igbo Communities and Apostle Kalada M. Jene of the Vicar, Great Commonwealth of the Niger Delta.

Said the group: “As we approach the 50th anniversary of the hoax called Nigeria, in place of elections that only exacerbate the situation, we demand that the proprietors of the Nigerian state should immediately convene a sovereign meeting of all ethnic nationalities of Nigeria before the 1st October, 2010, to negotiate, for the first time, the re-working of the constitutional arrangement for the distressed Nigerian union”.

“Accordingly, we warn that should the proprietors of Nigeria prefer to proceed heedlessly into another election without first resolving questions of the terms of the Nigerian Union, we will not hesitate to mobilise the masses of the Lower Niger to reject the election and its products and thereafter the 1999 constitution itself,” they said.

“We would also like to correct the erroneous impression being peddled around in certain quarters that the emergence of Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan as President of the Nigerian State will not deter groups such as ours from agitating for the restoration of the sovereignty of the various component groups within our Alliance”, it added.

It warned that if the advice was not heeded, the organizations would “take steps to reverse our slave status in our own God_ given homelands in exercise of our right to self determination as enunciated in the United Nations Declaration of the Right of Indigenous Peoples”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/05/groups-advocate-meeting-of-ethnic-nationalities-before-oct-1/

Dis Guy:
to me the presidency is different from being the CEO of the NSE, why was he accommodated on the Board as a vp in the first instance, I dont care if he is the President of the NSE or im just happy this personal battles are being kicked out-something that should have been done a long time ago when the banks were obviously shown to be cooking and manipulating the books

in fact madam should have been gone since[b] the incident of capoil and Afroil,[/b] how companies with no financial or business transactions for several years could be listed on the NSE beats madam PhD Holder!

What happened in those incidents? I'm not following. .

Dis Guy:
Ernest Ndukwe's tenure was over he did his two terms already he wasn't removed!! and Madam PhD Holder tenure was coming to an end this August/Sept, she cant be there forever


no he's not my attack dog but since this is becoming a tribal thread then he might as well be here to give you want you want- a tribal debate!

Well I would soon group you with the  m0r0n and ignore you as well. Let the owner of the site deal with you.

Back to my question: What did Ndidi Okereke Onyiuke do that she must be disgraced out of office?
She built that exchange almost single handedly.
Why is the Nigerian anti-corruption machine dead when it comes to the real criminals who steal billions of dollars?
Why is it only those who served well that are disgraced from office?

The exchange was fine until Dangote started eying its presidency.

Dis Guy:
You guys are not even debating why she was removed or the several incidence that have been going on in the NSE all you care about is the bloody tribe wtf

All I know is that since Dangote showed interest in assuming the presidency of the NSE (something I think he is not qualified for ), all has not been the same at the exchange.
Must the north head everything in Nigeria including things they have no clue about?  

Dis Guy:
Not its not any clearer, that's like saying Cecilia Ibru, Atuche were all sacked by the president through the CBN

When the customs Service Comptroller General was replaced with an Igbo/SS person, no qualms, when the NCC was replaced by an Igbo/SS person no yawa but when a Muslim sounding name gets in there it become northernisation /marginalisation abi?
totally weird


_{As long as a southerner is there all is well   -  great where is bk/brooklyn boy when you need him}

I don't know that there is something wrong with replacing him with a south easterner.
That is how it is done in Nigeria, isn't it?
Since when did we start practicing merit?
Are these replacements better than those they replaced?

I never knew that slowpoke was your attack dog.

And Jonathan better remember that south east is still the most marginalized in terms of federal appointments. He must not forget that. Soon he would start claiming that he plays no roles in appointments to federal positions.
But he plays roles in removals, especially when it comes to Ndigbo.

rebranded:
The Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Ndidi Okereke-Onyuike has been fired by the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Presidency sources told SaharaReporters that the controversial DG was fired through a letter of the Director General of the Stock Exchange Commission.

Source: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/controversial-director-general-nigeria-stock-exchange-onyuike-okereke-fired-aliko-dangote-

Dis Guy:
Please change the Title it is SEC that sacked the two not Jonathan

Mrs 'I am a PhD Holder' is gone at last, let her go and manage her own business with her PhD, she can always come and list on the exchange


http://www.proshareng.com/news/11652

The picture is clearer now.
I was alarmed initially that the president may have his hands on too many pies, especially as relates to private enterprise. That would be alarming indeed.

While they are at it, they must not forget that this woman built that exchange from under $2 billion in 1999 to over $100 billion last year.

My fear is that they would replace her with another Malam, and before you know it, the exchange would cease to be itself.
Not saying that we should tolerate crime, but I'm yet to see why Soludo was replaced with Sanusi.
I've followed Nigerian leadership history long enough to know that merit is alien to us. If by pure chance we get one ingenious leader in a position, like Ernest Ndukwe of NCC and this woman at NSE, why should we always scheme to oust them, only to replace them with mediocres?
I'm watching this one.
NO MALAM REPLACEMENTS PLEASE!

For the first time, I'm forced to think that Becomerich might be right.
At least this gives me something to think about.

Despite all the noise from the north, Jonathan's biggest political enemies are in the south.

Can the president of Nigeria sack the president and the director general of the Nigerian Stock Exchange?
Please can someone educate me on this. I thought only the board of the exchange can remove those two?

If the president couldn't sack the NFF chairman, how can he sack the top officials of what is supposed to be a private enterprise?

Does the Nigerian government still own the NSE? I thought it is a private enterprise?

Please someone educate me!

lol. The usual "patriotic" suspects have derailed this thread already.  

I think the point of this thread is that Nigeria is NOT counting the numbers right. Even worse is the fact that the population distribution is deliberately skewed for political reasons.

Big population, small population is not the point.

[size=16pt]Count the damn thing right![/size] [size=16pt]Prepare an honest census and show the country's population as is![/size]

Show where the money should be going (for development, schools and infrastructure), instead of dumping money in the desert.

Without proper demographic distribution, you cannot plan well.

Bottom line.

Onlytruth:
[size=16pt]Nigeria’s population may hit 300m, says UNIDO[/size]


He added: “Nigeria never wants to look at its population statistic properly and has a realistic number of what people are now and what they will be in the next 20 years. Without proper demographic distribution, you cannot plan well. What you are doing is adhoc. In U.S., Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, they take the population number serious, because it influences where industries should be, where infrastructure would be placed, not for the sake of politics but for the survival of the nation. If people are hungry and poor, they would become desperate.”
On the situation in the Niger Delta, he noted, “When I was here 10 year ago, I used to warn about what was going on in the Niger Delta that it would explode and they should be careful with it. But what I was told then was that it is impossible. Nigerians refused to listen and it has exploded.”
He added: “Nigeria’s future should anchor on value addition to its product. It needs to diversify from oil and gas to fertiliser, to plastic like other countries that are endowed with oil and gas. Nigeria should make use of the end product of its oil and gas and develop.”

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19001:nigerias-population-may-hit-300m-says-unido-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Who will help me [size=20pt]SHOUT[/size] this message!

[size=16pt]Nigeria’s population may hit 300m, says UNIDO[/size]

A REPORT released by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) yesterday indicated that Nigeria’s population would double in the next 30 years, hitting 300 million.
UNIDO warned that the country might not have the capacity to cope with the situation unless it pays more than lip-service to the industrial sector of the economy.
Director General of the organisation, Kandel Yumkela, who raised the alarm in Abuja, called attention to the need to revamp the agriculture sector.
He urged Nigeria to borrow from countries like India, which faced same situation and took advantage of it
“We projected that the Nigeria population will double in the next 30 years and over 30 per cent will live in the urban area/cities. Abuja is listed among the mega cities in the year 2020. Lagos is always among the top six cities. Imagine Lagos with 30 million population and 70 per cent in the informal sector not employed let alone enjoying electricity.
“It shows you the challenge that Nigeria faces. This should be converted to opportunity like India by looking at the population dividends and not the challenges. The growth in population will increase the workforce because the age 18-40 always falls within the force,” he said
The UNIDO chief, who visited the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, noted: “Nigeria’s population will double in about 30 years to about 300 million. The United States’  (U.S.) population hit 300 million about a decade ago. But the question is can you feed yourself; can you take advantage of the ecological opportunity, which God has given you? This country is endowed with agric resources and other potentials that you can use to feed the country and Africa as whole, but you are not making good use of it.”
He added: “Nigeria never wants to look at its population statistic properly and has a realistic number of what people are now and what they will be in the next 20 years. Without proper demographic distribution, you cannot plan well. What you are doing is adhoc.  In U.S., Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, they take the population number serious, because it influences where industries should be, where infrastructure would be placed, not for the sake of politics but for the survival of the nation. If people are hungry and poor, they would become desperate.”
On the situation in the Niger Delta, he noted, “When I was here 10 year ago, I used to warn about what was going on in the Niger Delta that it would explode and they should be careful with it. But what I was told then was that it is impossible. Nigerians refused to listen and it has exploded.”
He added: “Nigeria’s future should anchor on value addition to its product. It needs to diversify from oil and gas to fertiliser, to plastic like other countries that are endowed with oil and gas. Nigeria should make use of the end product of its oil and gas and develop.”

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19001:nigerias-population-may-hit-300m-says-unido-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559