₦airaland Forum

LOL. . . . . he met his [i]mis[/i]match. LOL. . . .

What can I say? Sapeleguy has said all there is. You can't fight against a system that feeds you.

But it won't be long, all these rants and raving of the Northern folks will reach an end. Reason will prevail over crude and senseless imposition of their stance on this failed state of ours. We're waiting and watching. This union will break up without the force of arms and all will be well.

Kobojunkie:
Oh please, tell us  stories of developments in yenogoa!!! Those of us who have not been in the state or through it for years would like to know how well things are in the state now. Better still, we would love to hear stories of how state money has gone to bettering the lives of millions of people in the society. Please include information on how this GLORY CASTLE has helped improve the lives of the locals. And I do hope that this will not be another session to regale us with stories how YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN NICE THINGS, and how that translates into development. Remember, all that glitters is not gold.

The taste of pudding is in the eating. Come to Yenagoa and see things for yourself. End of talk for you.

Kobo,
You and I are long time members of NL. And I try very often not to join issues with you. Last time our paths crossed is some 2 years or so ago.

Considering what you have up there, I'll say your write up is irrelevant to what we're talking about here.

Is the situation of things at the Federal level not paralysed enough? Did I say anything about diabolical influence or something similar to that in Bayelsa? More than 80% of whatever ''development'' you see in other places in Nigeria today have their roots on the proceeds of the sale of resources in Niger Delta Area.

SapeleGuy:
Aloy-emeka,

Interesting pictures, I couldn't help but notice that orji uzor Kalu or Elumelu were missing from your hall of fame. In addition, the champions of the halliburton scandal are also missing from your list. Perhaps this was just an oversight.

Brother, spot on observation. He did not even remember to include the godfather of Anambra Politics. The guy who gained notoriety for imposing his will on Anambra and their people, to the extent that Asaba (when Ibori was governor) became the home of refugees from Anambra. What's that his name again? Chris Uba .

Not complete photoset yet. Key names are missing.

My grand dad owns some properties at the Biogbolo-Epie end of Yenagoa. We should celebrate whatever development project (white or black elephant, green or blue) we have in Bayelsa State.

Up until the coming of Alamieyeseigha in 1999, Yenagoa was nothing but a very poor struggling town/state capital of Bayelsa. Today, when I drive through the very dangerous East-West road leading to Warri enroute Benin, and sometimes I branch off at Mbiama to see what's going on at grandpa's yard, I thank my God for the good things I see around Yenagoa today. It may not be like what obtains in Abuja or Lagos, but I tell you all, most people are satisfied with what they see in Yenagoa. Goodies will spread with time to other places in the state.

Now, to the CNN video. I really don't know what CNN is up to. But I will support Sylva's stride to make the world know that what we have in Yenagoa is not a concentration of swampy abode of militants and bunkerers, but a place where humans live and can do business.

Timipre Sylva should not be ashamed of anything. The people who should be ashamed of themselves are the people of the major ethnic nationality of this country who prey on the resources of the minority ethnic group of the country for their own selfish gains and development. Some folks worry that the wealth in Sylva's state did not trickle down to the common man in Yenagoa. Let them worry the more about the poor in their own state. Their case is like that of someone who has a log in his eyes and is worrying about the small speck in another's eye.

Sylva should hold his head high and be a proud Ijaw man anywhere. He should flaunt what proceeds he's got from what nature has blessed his state with.

Keep showing them what your state have got, Gov. Sylva. Keep it up.

Wow!

Too many great men have died this year:

1. Michael Jackson
2. Sen. Edward Kennedy
and now,
3. Gani Fawehinmi.

What a tragic year! Started with plane mishaps, MEND attacks, Economic downturn across the world, job losses. Terrible!

I am one big fan of Chief Ibori. You know, we humans are not perfect. We all have imperfections inbuilt in all of us - and Ibori has got his own share of that.

But by every standard, I know that Chief Ibori did so well in Delta State when he was there for 8 years as governor of that state. You may not agree with me, you may have some facts from sahara and other sites parading the thieves? in our society, but I still stand by what I (and quite a host of others) know.

Nice analysis. Fair deal indeed.

OK. Thanks for the links. But they're loaded to the brim with requests ! You might just help me with this one. Thanks.

Hello Monito_1,

Could you please help me get the Carfax report for this VIN? Thanks.

4T1BB46K98U034411.

Afam:
. . . . . . . . . . .However, usage of the words minority and majority should not be used to look down or insult anyone or group of people.

Well said, Afam, very well said.

@Sultaan,
How much will it cost one to ship the car from New Jersey/Pennsylvania area? - Still $1200?

Guys, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your discussions on this matter. JomoGbomo2 aptly captured my thoughts after reading through some interesting 10 pages of history and discourse. We need to move on.

Those of us from the Delta areas must move on from where Isaac Boro left the struggle - in a constructive, dogged and fearless manner - especially in the face of tyranny, oppression, hatred for us and everything that is ''US'' We must emulate Isaac Boro - a man who fought for what he believed in at a very tender age and bring the much needed peace and dignity the average Niger Delta person deserves.

I must thank Ibime, na_so, SapeleGuy, Dede1, Batubo and my friend Naijaking1 for a very exciting read.

I can now say that instead of JP Phillips making any sense with his outbursts and truckload of crap, Ibime has clarified issues succinctly. And for all those lover of truth and conscience, hear him. He obviously knows more than about the Niger Delta than JP Phillips.

I haven't taken time to go through all that JP Phillips wrote - simply glanced through the write up, saw some worthless stuff, and moved on.

I observed that in all of his write up, he never made mention of anything about the ND since the days of Oloibiri-1. He drew conclusions based on 'recent'' events in the country - since the days of OBJ. That's awfully shallow. He should go back to the very beginning. Until then, all of his write up is just another piece of crap.

He also talked about Port Harcourt like someone who lived there in the early 70's. My guy, many things dey shele for that place wey you sef, when you come around you go bow.

And talking about thieving governors during the OBJ presidency, he mentioned Ibori, Alams and co, as if they were the worst offenders at the time. We all know that OBJ was the king kong of his presidency. He was the alpha lord, who, as petroleum resources minister, stashed billions of dollars and other forex to resuscitate his moribound Otta Farm. He also used proceeds from oil block sales to build his ''hiltop mansion'' at Ibara in Abeokuta. It is a well known fact that he sold quite a lot of juicy oil blocks to his cronies and associates at the time.

Well, the link will do for now.

But I believe that funding FUPRE and making it work will in no wise harm their good intentions for the CPS, Kaduna.

I think the best thing to do here is to allow the two institutions to grow. No scrapping of the FUPRE and upgrade of their Boko Haram CPS. The funds to do this is very much available - abi?

debosky:
The scrapping of FUPRE was to prevent creating something that would either gain more attention/funds . . . . . . . . ,

debosky:
I am not talking about FUNDS - I am talking about FOCUS. . . . . . .

There, that's from you - funds and focus together.

You must realise that establishing a Federal University in Delta State at this time will go a long way to heal the wounds inflicted on that state as a result of the absence of one in there. While states like Ogun, Osun, Kaduna and Sokoto can boast of well ''nourished'' federal universities, Delta State, the second largest oil producing state in the country can not boast of any.  I quite agree that setting up institutions should not be based on mere sentiments and the likes. But the Delta State situation is one that really should attract the FG sympathy.

All these is just to let you know that the issue on ground is beyond the mere siting of the institution in Kaduna. There are more issues at stake here which the FG very much is aware of.

I've stated earlier that we need to see the policy document of the CPS Kaduna to really understand the intention of the Yaradua led petroleum ministry. Until then, all that has been said so far are mere speculations. But in all honesty, and sentiments aside, funding the FUPRE at this time and making it work will do far more good than harm to the polity.

debosky:
It is my view that the two issues are not directly related. The approval from the FEC was for the Kaduna institute, but the cancellation of the FUPRE project was in recognition that another degree awarding institution wasn't what was required in terms of development of manpower for the oil and gas industry.

The scrapping of FUPRE was to prevent creating something that would either gain more attention/funds than PTI thus denying us what we really need (technicians and technologists) and producing even more graduates, which, according to the actual manpower demands in the industry, isn't what we need. That is my understanding of it.

I can't believe you churned out the stuff above. How can the ''funds'' channelled towards the establishment of FUPRE prevent the FG from equipping the PTI for what it was set up to do? This reasoning of yours do not hold water. It's like saying that channelling funds to equip UNILAG will make the FG lose sight of what they set up YABATECH to do. We all know that the two institutions complement each other in educational terms.

As I see it, establishing FUPRE near PTI will make for easier progression of folks with OND/HND/Certificates to earn their degrees and Msc in FUPRE without having to travel several hundreds of kilometeres to the land of the Boko Haram. I see beneficial relationships to both institutions. In the end, we have even more qualified technicians and technologists becoming oil industry engineers. This would totally eradicate the ''half-baked-graduate'' syndrome we're presently experiencing in the country.

Do you work in the oil industry? Except you can put something on the ground here to convince everyone that you really know the staffing levels in the industry, I suggest you keep your ''facts'' to yourself.

Well, we aren't going to wait until the day the CPS becomes a degree awarding institution (along with training managers and executives) before some measure of action is taken.

Lukman's statement in there is instructive enough. Their intentions are very clear as the broad day light and I know what they're driving at. You can wait for your facts from today on end.

By the way, if the FUPRE will not have any counter productive effect on the CPS in Kaduna, why scrap it?

Could you please post the policy document for the CPS in Kaduna for all to see?

From what I have heard and seen in the news and also elsewhere, that school will metamorphose into a degree awarding institution. And the so called upgrade of the school is meant to ensure that all the needed infrastructure to achieve that are put in place. Remember how NDA started, before it was turned into a military university in 1985?

For me, in order to prevent the total hijack of what's dear to us in the Delta, I will state that every hands must be on deck to ensure that any institution that has oil and gas dealings in its programmes be located in any of the states in the Niger Delta.

Your reasonings haven't yet addressed the main issues here:

1. Is the upgrade at Kaduna geared towards producing more low - middle level manpower or not?

2. If yes, why duplicate what we already have in PTI at Effurun? Why can't they expand what's already on ground in Effurun to accommodate more people for the oil industry?

3. Is the upgrade at Kaduna aimed at producing high level manpower for the oil industry?

4. If yes, why scrap the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, which OBJ administration set up to train[b] ''high level manpower''?[/b]
Either way, the siting of a petroleum school in Kaduna, or anywhere in the North is an ill wind that will do this nation no good.

debosky:
Any such argument for/against institutes must be made on FACT and actual industry needs not on emotionalism or domineering sentiments. That is what we should call for, instead of the current misrepresentation of issues going on.

You said we have enough degree producing schools already. What we need to address the manpower needs of the oil industry are more ''low-middle level manpower schools''. Fine.

Is the upgrade of the CPS, Kaduna geared towards achieving that goal of ''producing more low-middle level manpower'' or not? If it's for ''producing managers'', then they should shelve that idea and leave that for the universities that specialise in producing high level manpower - abi? They don't want FUPRE anymore, right? Remember FUPRE was created to cater for managers in the oil business.

When I said that we should scrap the idea of another oil school, that was based on some of the reasons stated so far in our discussions. Which I think are OK. What other facts do you want to read here? - Plus I need to be emotional on issues about my people.  I doubt if you will not react same way if you were in my shoes.

Okay. I think the best way out of this is for the FG not to have any special oil schools at all - aside from the PTI. Period.

Yes, Edinburgh. Thank you. Yet Edinburgh is in SCOTLAND not ENGLAND - like you wanted everyone to believe.

The RGU - Robert Gordon University, another big oil people producer is in Aberdeen.

debosky:
3. It is not a given that 'maximal' gain will be obtained from siting 'high level' manpower training where oil and has is found in abundance - The best schools for studying oil and gas in the UK for example are Imperial College and Heriot-Watt - none is in Aberdeen the centre of the oil industry in the UK.

For your information, Heriot Watt is in Scotland, Aberdeen, and is recognised as one of the best Petroleum Engineering Schools in the world. As a matter of fact, Scotland has the largest concentration of petroleum engineering schools in the UK. And the reasons are not far fetched. Scotland is most proximal to the North Sea - the hub of oil activities in the UK. Please get your facts right.

In the US, the biggest of them all in terms of Petroleum Engineering is in Texas and Louisiana - University of Texas at Austin and Louisiana State University. Texas A&M is another big producer of oil men. They are all located in areas where oil activities are concentrated in the US.

I wonder why the Niger Delta case should be different.

debosky:
WHY do they want a degree awarding institute? Is a lack of graduates the problem of the delta vis a vis manpower in the industry? That is clearly not the case!

This clearly is the case - and I will not join issues with you on this one, Debo. No need to elaborate.

debosky:
There is no proof of this being clear - I believe the FUPRE was 'created' in name only to keep 'agitators' quiet and had no real vision or purpose.

Well, if that is the case, I suggest/posit that Yaradua should tow OBJs line of action - cos it's working dammit!

When I used the word ''mainly'' up there, I already have some things at the back of my mind not mentioned along with the upgrades. I also said ''and some stuff''. That's because, in deed and in truth, those other things you mentioned do not really add up to the desires of the people of Delta State (and Niger Delta in general) for the PTI. They wanted a degree awarding institution. Not a ''middle level manpower'' institution.

When it became ''clear'' to the OBJ administration that Nigeria needs both middle and high level manpower producer - sited in thesame location where the resources to do this are present, he set up the FUPRE in Effurun alongside the PTI.

If Rilwanu did not move anything anywhere, he should have simply proposed a scrapping of the CPS in Kaduna - with some wonderful justifications that should read thus:

1. CPS Kaduna is not located in the right environment for research and studies in Petroleum Engineering. Kaduna is good for NDA - there's plenty of land for keeping munitions and training war veterans. The place already have enough of federal presence.
2. Making FUPRE work at this time will endear the FG to the heart of the Niger Delta People.
3. The FG will maximally benefit from locating both the middle and high level manpower training schools in the areas where oil and gas is found in abundance.
4. Delta State will now have a federal university they can call their own.

LOL. That's right!

The PTI upgrade was mainly about facilities refurbishment, construction of new halls, office blocks and stuff. The issue of making the school a degree awarding institution has been on for years. Forces from within and without kicked against it.

The establishment of FUPRE in Effurun is the main issue. FUPRE is the Federal University that will be involved in everything oil and gas training and studies. That's what Rilwanu wants moved to Kaduna.

I'm in full support of anything/body that will blow up into smithereens all of the structures and interests of non niger delta oil moguls.

The facts:

1. A Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE was established by the FG during the Obasanjo administration some 2 or 3 years ago near the PTI in Effurun, Delta State. Of course, the Delta State Government supported the moves with some 250 million naira - food for thought for some misguided elements who believe the ND States government spend their monies turning themselves from pot bellied men to women in London!

2. The upgrade of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun has been on for more than 2 years now. In fact, the upgrade runs alongside the establishment of the FUPRE nearby the PTI. The upgrade is mainly around facilities refurbishments, construction of new office blocks or complex, hostles and stuff like that. As per the PTI awarding degree for their graduates, that's a different matter entirely, even though that was in the offing too.

3. The school in Kaduna -  The College of Petroleum Studies(?) has never been in the limelight, non existent or just another cash cow of some sorts.

4. Lukman Rilwanu only woke up lately to realise that the Kaduna school will fade into oblivion with the take off of FUPRE in Warri. All the elements to support the fledging FUPRE were there in the Niger Delta - right environment, access to research materials, industries, people, etc etc. So, the herdsmen in the north, who are BOKOs (lately) felt their grip on ''oil'' is fast waning and so resorted to cheap ethnic propaganda to make the Kaduna schools a ''High level manpower generator for the oil industry''

5. Before now, the issue of FUPRE (the Federal University of Petroleum Resources) did not generate any controversy, and was not brought into the limelight.

6. Truth is that this matter is about the FUPRE against Rilwanu Lukman's Kaduna Oil school and not PTI.