₦airaland Forum

Maybe the hot tropical sun has an impact on ones ability to think!! Maybe, just maybe!! But if that were truly the case, Singapore would not be where it is today!!

All these folks feeling bad for Aganga, y'all don't know what you talking about!! The new Ministry for Commerce and Investments is top class and is exactly where he fits! All Public Private Partnerships would be under his purview. This government is looking at using PPPs as a vehicle to drive infrastructure development.

Aganga's job description would include pulling funds from all the investment hubs across the globe to fund our infrastructure projects! He also manages the Sovereign Wealth Fund which is the excess accruable from our non budgeted oil revenue. At current prices, that equated to about 25% of all our oil revenue.
This is exactly where his experience at Goldman Sachs plays out.

The finance ministry is for the likes of Okonjo that have a better understanding of development economics and policy implementation!!

This new boko haram has nothing to do with the original boko haram. This is a political boko haram!! The earlier we take out the politicians behind them the faster we solve the problem!!

@poster
From the replies to you post, I can confidently and without bias conclude that your article is a failure!!

If you fail in just writing an article, what moral justification do you have to describe someone who has one of the most difficult jobs in the world as a failure.

The guy hasn't even started his 4 year term and you adjudge him a failure. You wey don fail woefully  in writing just a 5 line article finish get mouth to judge!!

Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone!!!

Very powerful list. Super impressive. Looks like we are in for a great ride!! List is filled with super technocrats.

I don't see Ajumoguobia on the list. What happened to him.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Finance Minister

Alhaji Bukar Tijjani (Borno)

He is the National Project Coordinator, Third National Fadama Development Project, the World Bank funded project which has made tremendous impact in the country's irrigation scheme.

Mr. Obadiah Ando (Taraba)

Ando is the immediate past minister of water resources.

Senator Idris Umar (Gombe)

Umar, a lawyer by profession, was a member of the sixth senate. He earlier indicated interest to contest the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in Gombe, but was prevailed upon to withdraw for Ibrahim Dankwambo, who won the gubernatorial poll.

Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama (Yobe)

A banker by profession. His last known position was a director in Diamond Bank Plc. He also worked in First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the course of his banking career.

Hajia Zainab Maina (Adamawa)

Former President of the National Council of Women Societies

Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi)

Immediate past FCT Minister

Dr. Mohammad Pate (North-east)

His the executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

Ambassador Bashir Yuguda (Zamfara)

He was Nigeria's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He represents Zamfara State in the cabinet.

Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman (Sokoto)

Sulaiman was born on January 30, 1963. He was appointed Minister of Transport on April 6, 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his cabinet. He obtained a B.Sc degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1986 and MBA from ABU in 1989.

Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufa’i (Jigawa)

Rufai is a Professor of Education and former Dean, Faculty of Education at the Bayero University. The Jigawa State born lecturer is a former Commissioner for Health and Commissioner for Education and Science in Jigawa State. She was Minister of Education before the dissolution of the last cabinet.

Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman (Kano)

Usman was born on September 18, 1949 in Garangamawa area of Kano State. He was the Minister of National Planning, Chairman of the Steering Committee on Nigeria Vision 2020 and also a former Minister of Finance.

Alhaji Mohammed Musa Sa’ada (Katsina)

This Katsina born politician, if cleared by the Senate, will bring to bear his political experience as President Jonathan settles to take the country to the next level economically.

Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed (Kebbi)

Born in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital on October 9, 1945, Mohammed held the following positions before venturing into partisan politics - Lecturer, ABU, Zaria; Commissioner for Agriculture and later Commissioner for Education in the then Sokoto State between 1977 and 1979. After his stint as minister, he was elected National Vice-Chairman of the PDP, North-west zone. In March 2008, he clinched the position of the Deputy National Chairman of the party.

Prof (Mrs.) Biola Viola Onwuliri (Imo)

Onwuliri, a professor of biochemistry, was the PDP deputy gubernatorial candidate in the last election. She is 54 years old.

Prof Bart Nnaji (Enugu)

Nnaji, who is the chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power and former Special Adviser to the President, holds a doctorate in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States. He was a professor of computer integrated manufacturing and robotics in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, also in the United States.

Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi (Anambra)

Oduah-Ogiemwonyi is the chairman and chief executive officer of Sea Petroleum and Gas (SPG). She was born on January 5, 1962 in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi)

Chukwu, who was the former Minister of Education, is a renowned professor of medicine with a post graduate specialist training in orthopaedic surgery. He is a fellow of West African College of Surgeons and a fellow of International College of Surgeons. He was born on April 22, 1962 in Yaba, Lagos.

Emeka Wogu (Abia)

Wogu was the former Minister of Labour and Productivity. Prior to his appointment, he was a Federal Commissioner representing Abia State in the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (South-east nominee)

Okonjo-Iweala, who is the current managing director of the World Bank, was the former Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs. It is to her credit that Nigeria exited from the debt net that had tied her down when she held sway as finance minister.

Mr. Mohammed Adoke (Kogi)

The immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was a Kaduna-based legal practitioner before his appointment as minister after the post-Umaru Yar’Adua cabinet reshuffle. A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adoke was born on September 1, 1963 and was educated at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi (Kwara)

Abdullahi, the immediate past Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Kwara State, is a former editor at THISDAY newspapers. Abdullahi was born in 1969. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.), Second Class Upper in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a Master's (with distinction) in Governance and Development from the University of Sussex.

Mr. Labaran Maku (Nasarawa)

Maku, immediate past Minister of Information was one-time deputy governor of Nasarawa State. He started off as Minister of State for Information in the Umaru Yar’Adua administration before his reappointment by President Goodluck Jonathan. A former student union activist from the University of Jos, Maku was a senior editorial staff of Champion newspapers before his appointment as Commissioner for Information in his Nasarawa home state in 1999.

Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi (Niger)

A holder of LL.B and MBA degrees. She is the founder of Utopia Foundation for good governance Advocacy, and Chairperson of the Niger State Shea Butter Agency. She is also Vice President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

Dr. Jonah Madugu (Plateau)

A former Minister of State for Agriculture during the Obasanjo administration. Madugu hails from Plateau State.

Comrade Abba Moro (North-central)

A former students’ union activist at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Moro had the unique credential of serving as Chairman of Opokwu Local Government Area of Benue State for four consecutive terms. He was director-general of the David Mark Senate re-election campaign organisation. Moro is currently pro-chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

Mike Onomememen (Edo)

Mr. Mike Oziegbe Onolememen is a scholar, politician, teacher, architect, and project manager. He cut his teeth in public service as executive member of the Interim Management Committee of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) supervising the Directorate of Project Management of the then PTF. He went to the Walden University, MN, United States of America where he read a Ph.D in public policy and administration, specialising in public management and leadership.

Prof Ita Okon Bassey (Akwa Ibom)

He hails from Oron Local Government of Akwa Ibom State and is not a known politician in the state. He is widely believed to be from the academia with special relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan who is also from the academic extraction.

Tonye Cole (Rivers)

Tonye Cole, 43, is a founding director of Sahara Energy, a key player in the upstream and downstream oil industry. An architect with a masters degree from the University of Lagos, he helped to grow his company from a little known oil firm to a significant player in the industry.

Diezani Alison Madueke (Bayelsa)

Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was born on December 6, 1960. She became Nigeria's minister of transportation on July 26, 2007. She was moved to the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, and in April 2010, was appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources.

She studied architecture in England and then at Howard University in the United States, and worked in USA for some years before returning to Nigeria and joined Shell Petroleum Development Corporation in 1992.

Godsday Orubebe (Delta)

Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe was appointed Minister of Niger Delta on April 6, 2010, when the then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.

He was born on June 6, 1959 at Ogbobagbene, Burutu Local Government Area in Delta State. He is of Ijaw origin. He attended the University of Lagos and finished with a B.Sc in Political Science in 1985. Later he obtained a Masters Degree in International Relations from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in 2005.

Mrs Martina Odom (Cross River)

Mrs. Martina Odom is a retired permanent secretary from the Ministry of Information in Cross River State and hails from Yala Local Government Council in the Northern senatorial zone of the state. She contested in the last PDP primaries for a ticket to the Federal House of Representative and lost.

Dr. Olusegun Aganga (Lagos)

Aganga is the immediate past Minister of Finance. He was managing director of Goldman Sachs International, London before Jonathan before Jonathan appointed him to the cabinet last year. A thorough-bred economist, Aganga has previously worked with Arthur Young in Nigeria and Ernst & Young in London.

Ms. Olajumoke Akinjide (Oyo)

She is the daughter of legal luminary, and Second Republic Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide. Olajumoke was a senatorial aspirant in the last general election and a former special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mr. Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina (Ogun)

An Associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Agricultural Sciences Division, Adesina is a renowned agricultural economist with more than 20 years of professional experience in African agriculture. A holder of a B.Sc. in agricultural economics (first class honors) from the Universiy of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU), and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University, USA. Adesina has worked in senior research positions at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA), and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Erelu Olusola Obada (Osun)

The immediate past deputy governor of Osun State, was a senatorial aspirant for Osun East in the last general election. However, Obada later decided to drop her senatorial ambition and ceded the senatorial flag to then incumbent Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Mrs. Omobola Johnson Olubusola (Ondo)

A former Country Managing Director of Accenture, Olubusola holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Manchester and a master’s degree in digital electronics from King’s College, London. She was also an “independent director” of Diamond Bank Plc, a unique appointment that was based on the value that she brought to corporate governance as a result of her deep and wide ranging professional experience.

Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (Ekiti)

Olubolade is the immediate past Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Olubolade was a one-time military administrator of Bayelsa State.

Olugbenga Ashiru (South-west)

A consummate career diplomat, Ashiru was Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa with concurrent accreditation to the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland. Armed with a University of Lagos Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A) with honours in history in 1972.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/the-ministerial-nominees/94021/

Seun:
This is just an alarmist piece of garbage, but it suggests that investing in farmlands could be lucrative.

daroz:
@Poster I dont need to read all the crap u wrote, all I know is that its your entire Village that is mumu, not African at large.
I wonder why some pple, becos they think they  have freedom of speech, will think they are at liberty to say anything they like. What an obnoxious  title, knowing fully well that this forum is open to the world.
  NONSENSE!!!!

If you guys were privy to more information, you wouldn't say what you've just said.
One hectare is being sold out in many of these countries for 99 years at the cost of $5 per hectare. Do you have any idea what a hectare is? That is 10 plots of 100 x 100 land for just 750 naira!! And they have bought up 59 million hectares which is about the size of France. This by any standard should alarm anybody!!
If you've read what I've read, you would understand the use of the word MUMU Inc.

Southern Sudan sold out 9% of all its land to a texan investor. Cost: $25,000.
In Ethopia, a region sold out land which is more than 5 times the size of Lagos for $700,000.- That's the price a plot of land goes for in Lekki.
These are facts and they are alarming facts.

You can educate yourself here by downloading the complete reports here:

Ethopia
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Ethiopa_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url]
Mali
[url]http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_Mali_Land_Investment_report.pdf
[/url][/url]

Sierra Leone
http://media.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/OI_SierraLeone_Land_Investment_report_0.pdf

martinosi:
Bro i agree with you, my eye dey for Naija like Hawk now!!!,  [b]My Business Drive/model/motto is
to get fabulously wealthy from anything connected to the land and Resources in Nigeria and make my fellow Nigerians that i do business with in Nigeria rich in the Process Legally!!![/b]

That is genuis! With proper research and planning, You would make it definitely. That is exactly what I have recently ventured into. You would be amazed at the tremendous opportunities wasting away in Nigeria. These white folks have an eye that most Africans just don't have. Where we see problems, they see opportunities! I'm joining them for real and scooping up lands. Fine the lands in Nigeria are not knock off cheap like these African countries, but even down south you can get an hectare for below 50k!!

ShangoThor:
It's a simple strategy really, why export slaves and maintain them in foreign lands when it's cheaper to enslave them on their own continent!

Exactly!! What I keep wondering is why we Africans are not able to see these opportunities that these westerners keep seeing! For them to suddenly start scooping massive tracts of land just after the economic turmoil points to something. Are Africans I.Q just so low or what exactly is the problem.

For me sha, I have decided to join these folks- I have started the process scooping massive tracts of rural land here in Nigeria. I'm done complaining!!

I CRY, I SHOUT, I SCREAM AND I TIRE FOR AFRICA!!! Why all this mumuness?? Cant we farm these lands ourselves?? Can't Africa just wake up and realise that the we hold the aces!!

We(individuals) need to wake up and start thinking differently before these folks send us to another round of economic colonialism! Bad governance or not, [b]AFRICANS [/b]have to start thinking.

9% of all Southern Sudan land was purchased for $25,000!!

60 million hectares(About the size of France) of Land have been purchased in the last 3 years alone!! Scary!!

[size=14pt]US universities in Africa 'land grab'[/size]
Institutions including Harvard and Vanderbilt reportedly use hedge funds to buy land in deals that may force farmers out
 
John Vidal and Claire Provost
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 8 June 2011 20.18 BST


US universities are reportedly using endowment funds to make deals that may force thousands from their land in Africa
Harvard and other major American universities are working through British hedge funds and European financial speculators to buy or lease vast areas of African farmland in deals, some of which may force many thousands of people off their land, according to a new study.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from "land grabs" that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world.

The new report on land acquisitions in seven African countries suggests that Harvard, Vanderbilt and many other US colleges with large endowment funds have invested heavily in African land in the past few years. Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa's largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

Researchers at the California-based Oakland Institute think that Emergent's clients in the US may have invested up to $500m in some of the most fertile land in the expectation of making 25% returns.

Emergent said the deals were handled responsibly. "Yes, university endowment funds and pension funds are long-term investors," a spokesman said. "We are investing in African agriculture and setting up businesses and employing people. We are doing it in a responsible way … The amounts are large. They can be hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not landgrabbing. We want to make the land more valuable. Being big makes an impact, economies of scale can be more productive."

Chinese and Middle Eastern firms have previously been identified as "grabbing" large tracts of land in developing countries to grow cheap food for home populations, but western funds are behind many of the biggest deals, says the Oakland institute, an advocacy research group.

The company that manages Harvard's investment funds declined to comment. "It is Harvard management company policy not to discuss investments or investment strategy and therefore I cannot confirm the report," said a spokesman. Vanderbilt also declined to comment.

Oakland said investors overstated the benefits of the deals for the communities involved. "Companies have been able to create complex layers of companies and subsidiaries to avert the gaze of weak regulatory authorities. Analysis of the contracts reveal that many of the deals will provide few jobs and will force many thousands of people off the land," said Anuradha Mittal, Oakland's director.

In Tanzania, the memorandum of understanding between the local government and US-based farm development corporation AgriSol Energy, which is working with Iowa University, stipulates that the two main locations – Katumba and Mishamo – for their project are refugee settlements holding as many as 162,000 people that will have to be closed before the $700m project can start. The refugees have been farming this land for 40 years.

In Ethiopia, a process of "villagisation" by the government is moving tens of thousands of people from traditional lands into new centres while big land deals are being struck with international companies.

The largest land deal in South Sudan, where as much as 9% of the land is said by Norwegian analysts to have been bought in the last few years, was negotiated between a Texas-based firm, Nile Trading and Development and a local co-operative run by absent chiefs. The 49-year lease of 400,000 hectares of central Equatoria for around $25,000 (£15,000) allows the company to exploit all natural resources including oil and timber. The company, headed by former US Ambassador Howard Eugene Douglas, says it intends to apply for UN-backed carbon credits that could provide it with millions of pounds a year in revenues.[/color]

In Mozambique, where up to 7m hectares of land is potentially available for investors, western hedge funds are said in the report to be working with South Africans businesses to buy vast tracts of forest and farmland for investors in Europe and the US. The contracts show the government will waive taxes for up to 25 years, but few jobs will be created.

"No one should believe that these investors are there to feed starving Africans, create jobs or improve food security," said Obang Metho of Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia. "These agreements – many of which could be in place for 99 years – do not mean progress for local people and will not lead to food in their stomachs. These deals lead only to dollars in the pockets of corrupt leaders and foreign investors."

"The scale of the land deals being struck is shocking", said Mittal. "The conversion of African small farms and forests into a natural-asset-based, high-return investment strategy can drive up food prices and increase the risks of climate change.

Research by the World Bank and others suggests that nearly 60m hectares – an area the size of France – has been bought or leased by foreign companies in Africa in the past three years.

"Most of these deals are characterised by a lack of transparency, despite the profound implications posed by the consolidation of control over global food markets and agricultural resources by financial firms," says the report.

"We have seen cases of speculators taking over agricultural land while small farmers, viewed as squatters, are forcibly removed with no compensation," said Frederic Mousseau, policy director at Oakland, said: "This is creating insecurity in the global food system that could be a much bigger threat to global security than terrorism. More than one billion people around the world are living with hunger. The majority of the world's poor still depend on small farms for their livelihoods, and speculators are taking these away while promising progress that never happens."

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/08/us-universities-africa-land-grab
[/url]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/06/11/africa.land.report/


To get a complete report on these land deals visit www.oaklandinstitute.org

Pastor Chris was born with 2 legs, 2 hands, 2 eyes and a brain just like every one of his critics.
One difference between him and his critics is that  he believed something and dedicated his life to it.
By any count and any measure, what he choose to believe is working excellently well for him. By any count and any measure, he is an absolute Success!

Can his critics say the same of themselves Most of these critics are living their lives in misery expecting the government or their brother or the employer to help fix their lives. Pastor Chris on the other hand is helping fix other peoples lives.

Truth is the millions of folks that follow him are doing so because they gain tremendously from him. If they don't gain nothing they wouldn't follow him.

I am not a member of his church but I see him on TV  and I can attest from the words he speaks that the man is a huge encouragement to his followers. Listening to him has the capacity to break whatever limitation you had set for yourself.
I must add also that his impact is global. At a hotel in Switzerland, his book(Rhapsody) was at the reception desk for all visitors to pick freely. I thought to myself, this man don reach here!! Go to India, Brazil, South Korea, Hawaii etc and you will find Pastor Chris impact!!
For all I care, the man is extremely successful. His haters should go and achieve their own success and leave him alone.

Dictionary definition of success
1)The accomplishment of an aim or purpose

2)The attainment of popularity or profit

3)A person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity

If you read the article properly, you would have noticed that was either a typo or a poorly researched piece as the other data provided presents a pretty good case for the south south states. The 28% figure is wrong. And most likely a typo.

Whereas only 11 per cent of children of ages 5-16 cannot perform simple addition in the South-west, the figures for the other sub-regions are: South-south – 19 per cent, South-east – 21 per cent, North-central – 42 per cent, North-west – 61 per cent, and North-east – 73 per cent.

silami:
Guys really alarming and explains the trouble in the North and South-South!

Mr poster! Are U sure U read the article before posting?? I don't see anywhere in the article that points to a specific problem with the South South! The SS, SW, and SE are all performing fairly compared with their counterparts in the north which I think is what the article is trying to present.

You perception is affecting your realities!!

Excellent Piece!! You should write a book!! You already have the perfect topic Dear Guest, You Are Cordially Invited…but Haba It’s Not Your Wedding!!  Subscribing . . . . .

First speaker 1999. Buhari. Was swept away after less than 1month.

First speaker 2007. Etteh. Was swept away after less than 1month.

First speaker 2011. Tambuwal. Will be swept away after less than 1month.

Desola:
@kpogede,

I for one see Itsekiris as Yorubas. However, I am confused about the point you are trying to make here.

Is it that you are saying Itsekiris are not claiming to be Yorubas rather, its the Yorubas in Warri who are claiming to be Itsekiris?

What is your personal view about the Yoruba-itsekiri relationship?

The point Kpogede is making is very valid. In Warri, Yorubas claim to be Itsekiris to enable them get plum oil jobs in Itsekiri enclaves. Currently there is a huge Multi Billion dollar Chevron Gas To Liquid construction project taking place in Escravos. Escravos is an Itsekiri enclave. The project employs almost 10,000 and pays huge salaries. Itsekiris indigenes are given priority for jobs and contracts. It is the normal procedure in most oil producing communities.
Now because Yorubas have similar names with Itsekiris, they claim to be Itsekiris to enable them get jobs on this project. And a huge number of them are working there.

Itsekiris have no need to claim Yoruba. It benefits them nothing. It is Yorubas that benefit from being called Itsekiris.

I think the Council of State is fine! I see it as a ceremonial body that just appends signatures to decisions that have already been taken. They have no real powers so thats fine. Kinda like Buckingham Palace.

I noticed the real reason you have a problem with it is the fact that it is currently filled with ex generals. These guys we all loathe so much would soon all be gone. It is very unlikely that in the next 30 years there would be any Ex General left in the council of state.
Institutions exist for posterity. They are supposed to outlive a generation. The simple fact that the current occupants- IBB, OBJ, BUHARI et al are not exactly our heroes doesn't necessarily mean it should be scrapped!

As per SSS, the institution itself is a failure like virtually every other Government institution. It should not be scrapped but revamped. If the SSS was  living up to its expectations, it would have infiltrated the camps of Boko Haram and all the other bomb groups in the country. But I'm sure they would rather spend their time humping on some roadside CSW than do what they are trained to do.

As an aside, the US, which prides itself as a beacon of freedom has a secret service that literally spies on its citizens. So nothing wrong with Nigeria having one too!

This coming from Jeffrey Sachs!!! Then surely Nigeria is on the verge of something!!!
Jefferey Sachs is a topnotch Columbia Professor!! Great Dude!!

violent:
I think your reasoning is terribly flawed!. .

On the day of the London bombings, city of London police ordered O2 to turn off all networks within 2 kilometers radius around Aldgate to prevent further attacks, more than a million phone calls were blocked.

If this same procedure was conducted during the 50th anniversary, perhaps some kids might still have their fathers, discomfort is a very little price to pay where lives can be saved.

Be reasonable son!

Always on point!!

Don't understand how the topic fits what I think is a very brilliant article from The Economist.

When The Economist requested an interview with the president, we were asked whether we would contribute to his election campaign—or whether the president should pay us.

Funnily, the person that pays the most money to foreign media is our Super Performing Governor- Fashola himself. The Economist, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg et al have all at one time or the other benefited from the largesse of the Lagos Taxpayer. Its normal to use the media as a PR tool especially to attract investments. Just not for political campaign.

I sincere think whoever the writer spoke to was trying to make a point that the most important thing at that moment was a campaign for re-election and the interview he is requesting for would not be necessary except it would contribute to the success of his campaign. The writer simply didn't understand.

Albeit, the article is an excellent piece that potrays the hope Jonathan's presidency has inspired amongst the international community and investors alike which by any count is great news.

Nigeria’s chance

Few politicians do more than pay lip service to reforms. That could now change. On May 29th Goodluck Jonathan will be inaugurated as president. Mr Jonathan, a former vice-president, is relatively untainted by corruption and has the instincts of a reformer. As interim president, after his predecessor’s early death, he started to privatise the power sector and gave the election commission its first independent head.

Under him Nigeria last month held the fairest poll in its history. International observers confirmed the outcome, giving Mr Jonathan a strong enough mandate to undertake reform. He strengthened his position by pledging not to run again, lessening the need to buy support from cronies.

Whether Mr Jonathan has the will to tackle the establishment remains to be seen. He may only muddle through. But the door is open. This is Nigeria’s best chance in a generation to shed its reputation as Africa’s wasted opportunity.

It is impossible!! I hate the way figures are being peddled in Nigeria. Whoever released these figures is actually trying to capitalise on the inability of most Nigerians to reason beyond sensationalism! There is way Bankole can have 1 Billion dollars in his account except he has a very, very massive oil well!!

Ibime:
If GEJ doesn't pass this test (ministerial selection), his whole tenure would be a write off.

Let's see how many debts GEJ owes.

Totally agree!!!

However, this article is a pointer to the fact that he would get it right!!

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=677694.msg8410702#msg8410702 date=1306601677]US to expand business interest in Nigeria
FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2011 17:05 JOSHUA BASSEY   

United States of America (USA) ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley says the success recorded in Nigeria’s general elections has boosted her international rating and the US business community looks towards expanding its business interest in the country. He also mentioned the readiness of the US to partner with the Lagos State government in the area of job creation, improved security and the fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge.

McCulley, who spoke with journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting with Governor Babatunde Fashola at the State House, Ikeja, said the US’ decision to partner Lagos is informed by the strategic position of the state in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the United States is encouraged by the fact that democracy is taking its root in Nigeria as evidenced by the recent elections which he described as “one of the freest in Nigeria’s history.”

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/22178-us-to-expand-business-interest-in-nigeria[/quote]Very interesting!! All the international media I've read- WSJ, Economist, Bloomberg, Time, are so optimistic after what they term "the best election" Nigeria has witnessed. Yet some people wanted us to believe that we had flawed elections!!!

dejavus:
Good luck man, Best of Luck in your Travels, Most important thing is to secure the future of your kids, This (our) generation is a hopeless one unfortunately and seems everyone is contented to leave like this, Nigerian situation is as hopeless as hopeless can be,

The best way to secure the future of your kids is to fix the rot in your own sphere of influence. The leaders that have failed your country have one brain, 2 hands and two legs just like you. If you feel our generation is hopeless, my big question to you is: what you gonna do about it?? Are you gonna keep whinning or you are gonna find ways to make an impact??
The countries that are better today are that way because the generations of their fathers did for their countries centuries ago what you are failing to do for your country today.

Its true our leaders have failed. But that is possible only because we have allowed them to fail!!

@poster, I like your thinking!! I think we share the same philosophy on this issue.
I have observed that much of what we expect of Government, we as citizens actually have the capacity to solve by ourselves. All it takes is a different kind of thinking. A thinking that focuses more on the community and less on ourselves.

There is a non governmental solution to virtually all the problems we face in this country be it Power Sector, Agriculture, Security and the likes. We just need to rearrange our thoughts to see possibilities.

I see every existing problem as a potential opportunity. If we can create a solution to an existent problem, we would benefit financially from that problem.

The only hindrace to our ability to solve many of our problems is our inability to come together and create synergies!

I did research sometime ago and came out with a solution I termed Private Governance. In that research I realized the importance of Social Entrepreneurship in futhering the development of our society without much input from government.

Again, before opening this thread, I told myself to take a wild guess: It is from Sahareporters!! Lo and behold it is exactly what I guesssed.

No wise person pays attention any longer to news coming from Saharareporters!! Everybody already understands that they are not a reliable source for qualitative news!! They fabricate stories just out of thier own thinking!!

Only the jobless still reads Sahrareporters. I didn't read the article so I have no comment about it!

People have been calling Jonathan naive since he was deputy Governor. Some called him mumu sef. Na so the man dey use mumu face dey climb up and up and up and up.
My sincere opinion: Jonathan is one hell of an excellent political strategist!! Watch the events as they play out. His real choice would emerge at the very last minute when all the other blocks have finished fighting each other!

joecrack:
How can u leave out brilliant chaps like diezani and aganga,these 2 represent the best brains gej has got in his present cabinet.Politically,they might not be savvy,but they sure are hardworking and are development conscious,it would be sad if he drops them,which is much unlikely.these are all newspaper speculations.

Don't pay attention to articles like these. They are sponsored by politicians that are seeking these positions. Their goal is to influence the process to favor their principals. The fact that their names were not submitted by the PDP does not in any way indicate that they've been left out. First, they are not PDP members so there is no way the PDP would be submitting their names.

krixik:
Quoting Mr. Kingsley Kuku, the Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta. Kuku said that the Federal Government had recalled six out of the 38 ex-militants earlier sent to Florida, US, to pursue studies in Marine courses.
He explained the six ex-agitators, who were sent to the US about eight weeks ago were withdrawn from their training institution and recalled home over allegations of misconduct.
He said security agents had seized their travelling passports. The passports, he added, had been sent to the US embassy with request that their visas be cancelled. My question is why send these hoodlums abroad to tarnish our image when millions of graduates are out there looking for jobs or will all graduates turn to militants before their plight will be looked into?

Because they own the oil that pays the salaries of almost all Nigerians!! It runs in their backyard and for ages they've been denied the benefit. Right now we have to do anything possible to pacify them!!

blacksta:
A man with integrity cannot do business. While should i sacrifice this for an excessive ROI . Mr Poster look away from what you read in the papers what really matters is the reality on the ground. The truth is our environment does not encourage entrepreneurship. I once ran a printing company in Lagos not only was i contending with an excessive business environment, my staff were so corrupt that it was a better option to wind down the business or would have lost millions of Naira in machinery cost if i were to continue running the business at a loss.

I agree with you. The business environment is crazy. However the opportunities are immense. Winners think differently, where others see problems they see opportunities.
Let me use your post as an example. As you have rightly stated, one of the biggest problems in the country is the quality of the workforce. Corruption has eaten deep into the psyche of the average Nigerian mind that you can hardly take your eyes off your business venture even for a moment.

Now in that, a good entrepreneur would see a business opportunity. An opportunity to start up a training facility that would produce high quality workforce that companies like yours would employ for a good fee. Thats the thinking of an bullish investor. Investors that enter markets when everything is perfect make only marginal profits. It is those that come in at the onset in the time of chaos that reap the humongous benefits!!