₦airaland Forum

Aigbofa: Ok my friend. No matter how many airports you have in the east, it will not stop people who have reason to visit Lagos to suddenly make a detour and head for Enugu! Maybe Onlytruth can do that though, just to spite Yoruba people.

So, you think that this is about spiting Yoruba people? Why do you think that? Hmm. Maybe free_soul has a point about your fear.
Why should sighting of international airport lead to a leap of logic into your REAL FEAR?
If you read my earlier posts on this thread, you would see where I stated that I DO NOT BOARD LOCAL FLIGHTS IN NIGERIA.
Now why should I detour and head anywhere, when I'm looking to board only INTERNATIONAL flights in Nigeria?
You seem to have missed the entire idea behind my thread, or that you were too scared to face them? So, which is it? lol

Aigbofa: This is why your honesty will always be in doubt. Twice already you've overlooked what is quite obvious, latching on only to what you want to see. I would have lost nothing even if you have an airport in every city and village in the SE. None of my business.

What is "quite obvious"? And since when did vision become a crime? I bet you that if all progressive humans adopted your philosophy of "what is obvious", the earth would still be flat! lol
The only thing that honest folks do is to test hypotheses (set of assumptions) and determine whether they are true or not. For example, there is this hypothesis that at least 40% of all travellers using international airport at Lagos are Igbo whose trip may actually origin or end in Igboland. That can be tested by unbiased (and unfearful) researchers to find out whether international airports in the SE would reduce that number. But I doubt that you are an uninterested party. lol
If you are, what are you doing here. hehe!

Aigbofa: We know that he lied big time, just like you are doing right now. I wonder if your pants and indeed your laptop is on fire right now!

Mr man you are here fuming and trying your best to change the subject and start another tribal mudslinging.
Answer my question. What do you lose if we have these airports? Speak the truth for once in your life!
What do you lose?

alj harem: Who told you yorubas hate you living in the west ? Where did you get that from ?

I am sure their only complain is you claiming that the west is Igbo land, apart from that, all is well

About the north, they do not only kill Igbos but even northerners, More like Abegros in the west. These people killing are touts that are meant to have been rehabilitated long ago by our government.

Although I see your reason for self determination and I respect that but again 3 is too much

The hate is there and shows up in so many ways. I'm not saying that it is CRITICALLY so. No it is not. But "alaye" troubles can never happen to a business man in Onitsha. As for North, the hate is mainly religious and has led to thousands of deaths through the years. I don't want to discuss that more. All I know is that if we have international airports, it would DEFINITELY reduce the number of our people moving out of SE to the North.

About the 3 being "too much", let PRIVATE investors determine that. I personally think that it is not.
Let the federal government demand a study from the private investors before approving them.
We need to stay in our own corner of Nigeria and DEVELOP according to our own ambitions, not according to imposition from outside our region.

Aigbofa: I offered my opinion regarding your three airports, it may or may not be what you want or need, but I did not lie to support my position. I am not angry at all, but I find it strange that you guys will lie so easily just to make a point. Somebody even said Onitsha has the largest market in west africa! I am sure you know the difference, but did you correct him? Absolutely not.

I hate LIES with a PASSION, that is part why I chose a username Onlytruth.
I cannot make a finding that Onitsha is the largest market even in Nigeria talk less of West Africa. The reason is because nobody has ever conducted a credible survey to reach that conclusion. All I have done has been to make my proposal based on present and FUTURE prospects of Onitsha as a growing commercial city. That is all.
If you notice, some of my Igbo brothers here are only advocating ONE international airport, and they are entitled to that opinion. I probably may agree with them later if I see that one airport is operational and has satisfied all the needs of SE (which I doubt). So everybody is entitled to his opinion, but let them be honest about it and support it with credible logic. I am supporting mine with PRIVATE initiative. You better believe that no private investor would put his kobo in a "white elephant project". So, if they bite, then there must be money to be made, and the infrastructure may be sustainable afterall. Don't attack it just because you mistake it for a government project. It is not.

alj harem: I notice how you could not Object to my suggestion. Mazi Eze, you need to think things through more before suggesting it to your followers.

I have thought it through (believe it or not). I happen to have BIG BOLD ambition for my region and my people.
My people Ndigbo are like a crawling plant (yam plant, bean plant etc); we MUST climb, whether you like it or not. If you allow us to build stakes on which to climb, we will produce food for everybody. If you deny us stakes to climb upon, we will crawl and choke every plant in the farm, and you would have a TERRIBLE harvest.
Nigeria is yet to lean this lesson. That is why you keep attacking us in your North and yoruba's hate us living in the west even though they tolerate us. We are not supposed to live in such large numbers outside our region. What you see is a product of that denial of our rights to build stakes for ourselves. That is why every lover of justice, peace and truth must support us Ndigbo as we build those stakes. If you don't, we will likely disintegrate Nigeria, or fight a war in those regions where we live in large numbers. You have no choice. So, choose peace, fairness and justice because everybody wins. Nuff said.

@Aigbofa

You accuse others of lying but you are the one really lying here and trying your best to deflect the truth behind this thread. If you are interested in TRUTH, you would want to know why you are so riled up against these projects that has NOTHING to do with your region; projects that a governor in your region is also pushing for his own state (the lekki international airport). If a private sector funded lekki international airport is good for Lagos, why is Onitsha international airport, or Enugu international airport, or Owerri international airport, irking you so much? Why are you so angry at this idea since you apparently are unaffected by it? When did it become a crime to envision a bold and aggressive future for my own region? When you answer these questions, you would see that your concern is NOT about the viability of the airports?

I believe that all liars are hell-bound (if that means anything to you).

And when you see certain people coming here to poopoo the idea, it simply tells any intelligent Igbo that they are REALLY afraid of what they WILL lose if these airports come to be.
That is why any sane Igbo should be determined to have these airports up and running.
Our future is in OUR hands!
Nuff said.
I'll be back later.

And since the federal government is not expected to fund it, I wonder why some Nigerians can't just support the idea.
I would guess that if private sector is allowed to bid for them (after being so designated) they would conduct REAL survey to determine whether they would make profits on them or not. If they won't make profit, they would not invest in them. That is the main reason why I decided that this should not be a federal government project.
The viability will the determined by the investors. So, all these attempts to lament at the number is missing the point.
Let the designation happen first, and let things take their natural course.

alj harem: You support the 3 airport as well ? LOL

alj_harem, you claim you are educated and you know Nigeria well, but when you ask certain questions, you come off as goofy.
I'm trying hard not to use words that would put you down on this Sunday.
The SE is the HEART of commerce, manufacturing and innovation in Nigeria. Personally, going by Nigeria's history, I would guess that the zone is the only one which has demonstrated an ability to do things that others have never done internationally, starting from being the zone that gave Nigeria her first world boxing champion, to first olympic gold medal, to first African champions cup, to first local auto manufacturing. I just listed a FEW.
That zone has about 30 -40 million people who are eager to move into the 21st century. It is not acceptable to us that Nigeria, a country of 160 million people has less number of international airports than countries with far less population. If SE where a separate country, the three won't even be enough!
So learn to share in our dreams and aspirations. We all don't have to be backwards in vision and development.

Anyway, I don talk my own.
I'm out.

A typical example of what is possible, is that one of our own is actually being promoted as a possible president of the world bank. Now, the big deal there is not that she may get the job (honestly the job has nothing to do with Nigeria financially), but that one of our own is acknowledged intercontinentally as a qualified candidate for the job.
For me, that is enough. She has already made me proud as a Nigerian.
Would that have been possible if Nigeria continued with "born to rule" idiocy? OF COURSE NOT!

Our destiny is in our hands if we decide to reject mediocrity and enthrone meritocracy. The sky is not the limit.
Nigerian leaders must at least be VERY EDUCATED. No more, no less. All these other talks na balderdash!

The unity can only be possible if and when people start to acknowledge their limits as humans, and allow others with more capabilities to lead, instead of scheming them out and killing their aspirations, and in the process killing the aspirations of the entire black race. Do you know how many dreams the Nigerian nation has destroyed simply because she is afraid of the Igbo nation?
Africa and indeed the black race will remain in chains and under bondage until they free EVERYBODY to pursue their God given potentials. If they insist on being together, fine; but let those who are more equipped (read educated and skilled) be allowed to lead. If not, let everybody answer his father's name. All these attempts to blame others for the problems we inflict on ourselves is beginning to get irritating and quite boring.
Now, let me be the first to acknowledge that for the very FIRST TIME, the Nigerian nation is actually supporting one of her own (Innoson) in auto manufacturing. If she did this 20 years ago, Nigeria would have become a major industrial nation today. But what happened was that someone came in the middle of the night and carted away Dr Ezekiel Izuogu's auto models and killed it!
Now we are starting afresh! I am only hoping that nothing changes Nigeria's new found sense of sanity in supporting her own going forward.
Meanwhile, illiterates should be barred from leading Nigeria henceforth. It has nothing to do with foreigners. It is as simple as Nigerians telling the less qualified to sit down and wait for his turn when he must have become educated enough. Simple solution.
Africa's problem is simply that a secondary school product wants to dictate the fate of Harvard graduates. Let us stop looking for the boogeyman outside. He is firmly at home!

Is this stoopid thread still alive?
The OP is one of those rare re.tarded animals: a green goat.

afam4eva: Why should we adopt swahilli and not English or french? Why not Igbo, hausa or Yoruba? At times i baffle at the way some Igbos reason. Everyone is trying to put their language on the map and here is someone with a username "Igbo2011" telling us to adopt a language from another African country.

How do you know that the OP is Igbo?

If a private company is now in charge of surveilance and patrol of oil installations in the Nigerian territorial waters, I wonder what the Navy does.

[size=16pt]Tompolo’s Contract[/size]

By Obi Nwakanma

Unease continues to trail the Jonathan administration’s decision to cede the control of Nigeria’s strategic waterways to Global West Vessel Specialist Agency, a private company owned by Government Ekpemukpolo, known more generally as Tompolo.

The implication of this move is dramatic and not a little troubling. It amounts to ceding a strategic national security environment and a protected statutory function to privateers; a move which undermines the function, validity and in fact relevance of both the Nigerian Navy and the National Maritime Administration.

But more precisely, it is a move that makes Nigeria more vulnerable to national security risks and incidents. Of course the federal government has tried to allay the rising fears and dismay of many Nigerians angered and worried by thisill-advised and clearly schizoid decision.

Last week the minister of Transport, Mr. Idris Umar spoke to journalists in Abuja about it.He was quite antsy at the hint of national dismay. Many Nigerians, Minister Umar noted, have been insinuating a devil’s compact between the Federal government and the militants of the Niger Delta.

“This is irritating!” he fumed. “This is absolutely wrong.” Nigerians are not properly informed about the situation at hand, or the nature of this deal, the minister suggests. Nigerians ought not be worried because Nigeria’s national waterways have not been “concessionned to militants.”

Leased, perhaps, is the word the minister might want to use. Yet the minister did describe the deal between an agency of the ministry he runs, the Nigerian Maritime Agency, and Global West Vessel Specialist Agency (GWSA), a company of privateers, in a twist of logic and doubletalk, as “strategic concessionning” – that word irritates the hell out of me.

But Nigerians love such abstract neologisms that meanhardly much, very often uprooted from their natural environments – usually the rhetoric laboratories of New York’s Madison Avenue where they shape the daily lingo for the free marketers on Wall Street.

Soon enough such words gainsome sex appeal, and no sooner picked up by Nigerian ventriloquists ever busy quarrying strange, mysterious language from the books and journals that paint far removed worlds they can only live in by sheer imaginative propinquity. Such a word “concessionning” is one such that gained currency in the frenzy of the other word, “privatization.”

Perhaps “concessioning” pretends to add some sheen of gravity to an ordinary word. It means conceding – that the federal government has simply conceded – that is, granted as of right, Nigeria’s strategic national waterways – a high security environment to a private citizen to manage and operate for profit.

I’m sure most thoughtful Nigerians find this, the sheer implication of this kind of deal as brazen as it is unnerving. According to the Transport minister Tompolo’s contract is mere “wet lease.” Global West Vessel Specialist Agency will act only under a partnership with the National Maritime Authority.

Its contract is basically to build and provide platforms, jetties, security vessels, and surveillance equipment as well as expertise that would man and secure Nigeria’s strategic national waterways and of course collect rent. Nothing in the contract, the minister says, suggests that the personnel of this private company will bear arms.

Only the Nigerian Navy, the other institution in this awkward contract will continue to handle the arms. This, Mr. Umar insists, does not amount to conceding – “concessioning” – Nigeria’s security to a private contractor, it is “strategic.”

But to cede the surveillance and control of Nigeria’s territorial waters to such a private contractor, particularly one like Tompolo, one of the commanders of the private armies that rose recently in the Niger Delta is a dangerous move.

It demands both scrutiny and review. There is good sense in restricting the management and control of Nigeria’s strategic waterways to only the disciplinary oversight of the Nigerian Navy, for which it was formed in the first place. A well trained, well-deployed, and well-equipped National Naval and Amphibious regiment will do a better job of securing the strategic waterways – particularly against the background of the fluid situation in the delta.

The Naval Act of 1964 empowers the Nigerian Navy to that task until it is repealed. It seems to me that in granting this concession to a private security contractor, the president has done two things (a) He has possibly overstepped his executive mandate.

It might require a legislative mandate to grant the kind of wide-ranging concession made to Tompolo and his Global Vessel Specialist Agency (b) he has whittled the statutory status of the Nigerian Navy and turned it into something of a “Siddon Look Navy” which merely guards the doors while the real business of national security is done by Tompolo and co. It gives people like me uneasy comfort.

Nigeria’s Maritime Environment is far too strategic to be conceded to an independent contractor. I have heard the argument that under “Northern overlordship” such a wide-ranging concession was made to Yar Ardua and Atiku Abubakar’s Intel, and that this is an opportunity for “Niger Delta nationalists” to reposition that strategic imbalance.

There is in this kind of thing a rather narrow, short term gain. I think that the National Assembly must do its duty to the nation by calling the administration to order on this matter urgently.

The Ministry of Transport, even with the backing of an executive order cannot, or to put it differently, must not be able to singly undermine, reduce, and parcel away the statutory privileges of a national institution like the Navy, particularly in these times.

We also cannot, indeed should not trust Tompolo, doubtlessly a “reconstructed militant” with a strategic security gateway such as Nigeria’s waterways. Nigeria’s foreign trade depends on the security and maintenance of its strategic waterways.

The protection of its oil facilities; the deterrence against the theft of national oil resource depends on the strategic security and surveillance which must remain with the Navy and which must never be conceded to a privateer.

The Nigerian Navyneeds review and upgrading, that is all. It must be re-engineered towards more capable deployment. The Nigerian Navy has so far no capacity for shipbuilding, or for developing its own naval equipment, including surveillance capability.

It has so far proved itself too much of a deadweight against the nimbler insurgents of the Niger Delta. But the president of Nigeria must not play politics with such a veritable Nigerian institution with Nigeria’s national security at stake. Tompolo’s contract does raise that stake, and something of a red flag.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/tompolos-contract/

So, knowing Nigeria well, and the convoluted mindset that dictates things there, is there a chance that the core North can be kept out of Nigeria's presidency for at least 40 more years (till they up their levels of education)? I say that chance is almost non-existent. Heck I already see some southerners itching to hand Nigeria back to the rule of illiterates! Therefore, a camel would have to pass through the eye of the needle before I drop my hope for a nation for my region: a region of similar educational levels, culture and religion.

The region that is BY FAR the least educated, must stop producing Nigerian presidents. Simple and short.

It is a prayer that God will answer; and if he answers it, THERE IS NO POWER ON EARTH that can stop the inevitable, be it Nigeria's greatness, or total disintegration. ONE MUST HAPPEN.

I pray to God everyday, that the region that produces the least JAMB candidates (the whole core North produce less JAMB candidates than Imo state alone) would NEVER lead Nigeria again. NEVER.

In fact if that is achieved, I am willing to drop my secession option.

Olodostein: That is where the real problem lies. Our Eastern leaders are sell outs. It is time for a grass root movement to restructure things and to call them to order. Without such action, we will remain stagnant with no concrete infrastructure. We need to start scrutinizing them thoroughly, from the House of Rep members to Governors,etc.

It is going to be a tough battle, the question is, are we ready for the fight ahead?

I think that most of them are SELFISH. They are all angling for one political position at the center or another.
I read somewhere here that Peter Obi and Rochas Okorocha are being prepped for either Presido or VP in 2015 or beyond.
Meanwhile while they wait for that political elevation, our people keep dying on road accidents and armed robbery attacks along Lagos-Onitsha and Abuja -Onitsha routes.
We the youths of Igboland need to keep ourselves informed about who is doing what to better our collective lot.
Every governor keeping quiet over these critical infrastructure should never be allowed to represent us at the center.
If they cannot stand for us in need, they would NEVER be able to stand for us when they get there.

@Bliss4Lyf

I like the airports. For that quality of airports to happen in SE, we need PRIVATE capital. The only thing the FG needs to do for us is to designate those airports as international and then leave it to the various concerned states/areas to find concessionaires who would develop those types of airports and manage them for agreed number of years.
Let me tell you, if private investors are involved, it would soon become clear to everybody that those airport would end up being the busiest in Nigeria; all of them!

Sam_Ikenna: I'm in shock. Dude, you're too smart for this. I dont always buy into your line of thought but I sure know you have some brains nonetheless. This stuff you posted above is a huge quantum drop from your usual high level of intelligence and I do hope you're joking. Are you serious? You mean Yoruba is the force stopping East from actualizing Biafra? Do you know the implication of what you said is that the East should see Yorubas as enemies because they are now the East's Pharoah. Yorubas want a better life just as everybody else so why would they now turn into the new Egyt of the day? The last time I checked the leaders of SW were clamouring for regional integration, so whats that?

My brother, even if what you said was true, why would Biafra be a threat to you? Do you derive joy in living with someone who is not interested in you? West and East, while they may be related, there is no shred of evidence that shows they have the same political destiny. West and East are like French and British, British and Germany, France and Spain, France and Italy, or Spain and Portugal. Those Europeans are related yet they dont live in one nation. [/b]Remember they're the ones we copy from, they are the people that tell us we're better as one but when it comes to them they're ready to kill the whole Europe including the rest of the world just to maintain/retain their distinctiveness/identity.

Dude, [b]you're too smart to think Biafra is your enemy or that Bonny is the issue. Even if they were, dont you think the people of Bonny or Biafra have the right to decide their fate? Why not question the statehood of Israel too because the last I checked Isreal used to be mixed with Arabs in palestine but still deemed it fit and just to carve out their own nation, they were about 800,000 when they carved out that nation. Now tell me, is East not bigger than Isreal or is it not even more different from West and North than Israel is to Palestines to stay on their Bonny or Biafra?

I dont get the obsession with Biafra. Personally I dont worry myself about Oduaa because I know they're smart, mature, and strong enough to cater for their people should they decide to leave Nigeria. Every man has the right to decide his destiny and its pure hypocrisy to cry and worry over a right thats not yours. CIA or no CIA, the people of the East know whats best for them and that should be your joy not worry.

For starters, please folks drop the idea that the OP is "smart". The OP is arguably one of the most stooopid and paranoid/cowardly posters on this forum. He has an obsession with Igbo, and actually believes that he cannot survive without the Igbo nation. Call it inferiority complex, call it whatever you want.

@First bolded: GBAM!

@Second bolded: GBAM GBAM!!

@Third bolded: huhh, did you mean TOO DUMB?

@Fourth bolded: GBAM GBAM GBAM !!!

My people, the dynamics of the future demand that we have THREE international airports. We must have ENUGU as promised. It is NOT there yet!

We must have one at Onitsha or Asaba because it would serve Anambra business at Onitsha, Nnewi and the new oil infrastructure at Otuocha amongst others.
We need one at Owerri to serve Imo, Abia and even parts of Anambra and Rivers states. I really hope that my Imo and Abia brothers would take up this agitation because I don't want to be advocating for something they may not be enthusiastic about, or need. Apart from Dede1, I have not seen any strong input from my Imo brothers on that. Abagworo is only interested in proving that Anambra state and Igboland is the most densely populated areas in Nigeria; but when it comes to supporting the idea of international airports for these populations, he balks! I need my Imo/Abia brothers to join me in this agitation, else I would be forced to drop the idea of Owerri international airport because our message has to make sense.

I decided to focus on airports within SE geo-zone because I don't want to hang the fight on people who may not be as enthusiastic as I in demanding them; or people who I cannot pressure due to their being in difference geopolitical zones. I, for example, know that PH is there in the same East, but I am yet to see Gov Amechi in strong business partnership talks with Imo and Abia for example. How do I know that a PH international airport capable of serving Imo and Abia in the new era would ever materialize? That is my point! If I see that, then I would know that I can agitate for PH knowing that Amechi would take up the gauntlet and take the fight to a conclusion.

Basically, I want to hand Ndigbo back their destiny, and defeat this old scheme to keep us dependent on others, and hide our true potentials in Nigeria.
We should be LEADING development in Nigeria because of our level of education and enterprise. We have no business following anybody.
We cannot lead if we don't have international airports which link us directly with the outside world.

If Delta state slacks even for a second, I would start advocating for that INTERNATIONAL airport at Onitsha.

Sai Jonathan 2015!
Sai Jonathan 2019!!
Sai SE 2023!!!

Sai Middlebelt 2031!
Sai SW 2039!!

Aboki can migrate to Northern Sudan.

Abagworo: 1) Anambra is clearly more populous than Imo.

2) Imo is more education minded than Anambra at least in recent generation.

3) The JAMB statistics is based on State of origin and not State of residence. That is why the figures for Abuja and Lagos are too insignificant.

4) If a census is done based on State of origin, Anambra is very much likely the most populous State in Nigeria followed closely by Imo, Akwa-Ibom and Delta.

But Delta is closer to Anambra in enrollment and population than Imo. You are right that Imo is very close to Anambra in population. That is the only way the figures would make sense. IMHO.

Revenue allocation should be by JAMB enrollment and similar statistics. They are closer to the truth than some arbitrary figures manufactured in the dead hours of the night to maintain unproductive advantage over states that are actually capable of lifting the country to greater heights!

kettykin: I susbcribe that Revenue Allocation should be done not based on the Population of a state but based on the Population of Primary , Secondary , University Enrollment ,infact the Census should factor in these statistics ,it will help stop fraud of tripple, double counting during census and it will further push northern states to send their children to school and Boko Haram will be short of people to use.
Alternatively RMAC should get another 3% allocation for educationally advanced states to prevent the states will use this to create jobs and prevent their graduates from going into crime

Again Imo State Governor Should look at way of Building More Universities in Imo state to absorb these 123000 jambites or atmost increase the capacity of Imo state university . Imo State can create an industry out of this high education index.

GBAM!

koolboi: Imo state this year is a special case. The rise in applicants this year is due to the free education policies of Rochas

Yes I think you are right about that to some extent.
Bear in mind that the free education is for Imo State University only(if I'm not mistaken), which just received about 43,353 in enrollment preference (and I'm sure it is not only Imo students that chose it) . So, inevitably, majority of Imo students (at least 80,000) chose other schools.
So, that cannot explain all of it.

But by far my biggest shock of these is that NAU is now the second most popular school in Nigeria, second only to UNILAG.
When did this happen?

Ejiné: The fact that IMSU, a state school (which, being a state school, naturally has fewer spaces than the average federal school) has been so overstretched to the point of appearing above the likes of federal schools like UI in terms of demand? I think that state needs more universities, honestly.

It's also worthy of note that it's the only state school mentioned in those highlights.

Exactly! Honestly I strongly believe that Imo state is being undercounted population-wise somehow. My statistical hunch tells me that the state is actually more populous than it is being credited with.
These figures are powerful.
The gap between Imo and Anambra (in enrollment) is almost 40,000; yet Anambra is about 1.8 times the population of Imo (per the official population figures!).
I know that Anambra is not as education minded as Imo, but not by that much. Honestly I don't know any Anambra kid THESE DAYS that is not sitting for JAMB even if there is no money to pay for the university. Before it used to be that kids just chose trading, but these days, they would pursue education first before returning to trading.
What the published figures say is that Imo kids are about [b]4 times [/b]more likely to enrol for JAMB than Anambra kids. I honestly don't believe that.