₦airaland Forum

wesley80: My dear you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The level of scaremongering adopted by NEMA would be leading to serious litigation in advanced climes. People were given the impression of a Clear and Present Danger!

There was no scare mongering. NEMA stated the fact. Sometimes, we don't give our local efforts enough credit.
I was in Ondo at the time, and at least 6 families around me were displaced. There was heavy flooding all over the place. Snakes found their way into people's homes. The danger was indeed clear and present. So much so, private property owners began digging/ clearing their drainages, the State Govt began dredging the rivers around residential areas and kind neighbors provided temporary shelter for those displaced.

NEMA prediction for SW:

In the South West geo-political zone, the prediction revealed that Saki and Ibadan in Oyo State; Ondo and Akure in Ondo State, Ijebu Ode in Ogun State are expected to experience excessive rainfall.

Did it happen?

https://www.nairaland.com/1450926/24-hours-nonstop-rainfall-ondo

https://www.nairaland.com/1450894/torrential-rain-paralyses-activities-ibadan

[quote author=Bandit C.]Simple. Let Akanu Ibiam International Airport be the entry point for all Southern Nigerians and from there, the yorubas can find their way back to wherever they are heading to and by so doing, yorubas can sustain local flights.

Igbos and other easterners/ south southerners have tried and sustained it for God knows how long. Let the yorubas give it a try.

Funny how the shoe hurts when it is on the other foot.[/quote]Very true.
I served in Ondo State, and the only time you can get a flight out of Akure is when Mimiko is traveling, because he pays for the unoccupied seats.
You think they're not bothered when they realize Enugu has an international airport? Or that the FG is embarking on several other ports in the Eastern region? You think the Detroit example doesn't scare them? Brother, it does. More than you think.
All these media reports are efforts to serve several baits to Government, hoping one hooks her gill.

This is quite revealing. It's interesting how this guy attempts to rationalize a stoopid POV. FFK mentioned that recent crashes had to do with 'the nature of the person we have as minister'. You can now see the paranoia against a segment of the Nigerian state.
A section of the media has sworn to make the SE appear small and of no consequence in these matters. To achieve this, they either report distasteful news ( Punch claiming Enugu is too dirty to host an international airport), or ignore the progress made there altogether.
Nokia Lumia is a case in point. Tech blogs simply touted Nokia's efforts as desperate and ignored the smartphone. Those who didn't, said bad stuff about them: Android /Apple wannabe, too little too late, and harped on about its shortcomings. The result being that majority of people simply assumed Nokia Lumia was a sub-par phone and avoided it.
My point is, create your own buzz. Create your own media. Conform to the dog-eat-dog politics. Oduah has shown herself too gentle and too eager not to be mired in controversy, hence opting to set the records straight? Has it quite helped?
If you wanna hang a dog, any rope will do.

* apologies for the dog metaphors; I actually don't hate them in real life *

By Kola Amodu

The drama of fury apparently sought to test her public relations credentials. A crash had occurred. The general public went wild with condemnation. They called for her head. She should pay for the embarrassment. She should be held accountable for the flip-flops that occasionally lead to loss of lives.

She understood the reason for the people’s pains. The buck must stop at someone’s table. That was true. But she followed the path of conventional wisdom. A tree cannot make a forest, she reasoned. Something may have gone wrong. But a system must remain a system. It is a network, a chain of beings and units, which can only make a whole when everything is taken together. To make a valid submission, therefore, we must evaluate this team as a whole, not as a unit. That way, we will get the hang on whether issue that is agitating us. This informs her submission on shared responsibility.

That was Princess Stella Oduah, the Minster of Aviation. She had come under fire, following the October 3 crash of an aircraft, belonging to Associated Airlines. She may have been angered by the largely misplaced fury but she did not fly off the handle. She, instead, took us through the logic and common sense of the issue with a view to having us suspend judgment. I think she struck the right chord.

The Associated Airline incident was, for many, a sad reminder of the June 3, 2012 air crash in which a Dana flight killed all the passengers on board. The Dana incident had a throwback effect. It took us back to the dark days of aviation disasters in the country, which peaked between 2002 and 2006. Significantly, Nigeria appeared set for safe skies until Dana played the spoilsport. Apart from the human cost of the tragedy, it cast a slur on the recognisable effort of Princess Oduah in the improvement of Nigeria’s aviation industry.

Regardless of the drawback, the industry under Oduah has continued to upgrade and improve the facilities at the country’s airports. Today, a good many of them have been brought up to acceptable and appreciable standards. If all things were to be equal, Oduah should be reveling with tales of triumph. But because the affairs of the world hardly admit of one to one mapping, certain unseen hands and variables must necessarily play a trick on man’s efforts.

In the face of this fact of life, those who believe in and appreciate Oduah’s efforts held their breath when the latest crash took place the other day. They went into rational analysis. They sought for reasons and explanations. In fact, a certain airline pilot came on air to draw our attention to certain possibilities. Having been in the industry for decades, he pointed out that air safety goes beyond the facilities and state of the aircraft. He brought psychology to bear on the situation. A pilot who spends the greater part of the time in the cockpit thinking about existential issues like unpaid salaries and unsettled bills at home, he said, is a grave danger to air safety. His panacea was that the regulatory authorities should revoke the Air Operating Licenses of airlines that do not meet their obligations to their workers.

Reasoned interjections such as this were yet to be assimilated when the howlers, in the usual Nigerian fashion, seized the stage. Some of them called for the resignation of the Aviation Minister. Some others introduced fetish asides into the drama. In the face of all this, the beleaguered Minister, after taking a hard look at the genuine efforts aimed at bailing the aviation sector, remarked that air crashes, sometimes, may confound human imagination or comprehension. That was a philosophical interjection coming from the Minister. I shared in her sober reflection. But because most Nigerians, under the present circumstance, will hardly have the patience for deep reflections, the minster’s remarks have been visited with undiluted belligerence. Some are poised to draw the Minister into the arena of verbal pugilism. The minister obviously recognizes the needlessness of this engagement and did not therefore bother much about the brickbats.

But relief was to come her way days later. The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which swung into action immediately the accident occurred, came up with a preliminary report. In it, human error and a faulty engine were cited as the reasons for the October 3, 2013 crash. According to the report, a preliminary analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recorder indicated that the crew received an automated warning that suggested that the aircraft flaps and the right engine were not in order for take-off but the pilot ignored the warning. The report noted that the standard call to show that there was problem as the flight was taking off was made by the First Officer, but the call was not heeded by the captain. The plane eventually crashed while taking off, killing 15 persons including the captain and the First Officer.

The insistence of the captain to fly an aircraft that was obviously faulty takes us back to the point we earlier made about the state of mind of certain pilots whose imagination and sense of proportion have been befuddled by human problems that are clearly surmountable. Why will a normal human being embark on a suicide mission especially when such an act also involves the lives of others? Why will someone who has a responsibility to save lives willfully throw caution to the winds and endanger the same lives he is meant to protect?

Psycho-analysts will have a field day trying to decode the reason for such willful actions. But let us for the purposes of our analysis here rely a little more on existential worries. It would appear that the Nigerian environment has conditioned the imagination of many into engaging in sharp practices. The people appear used to taking a chance. Their conducts are no longer governed by rules and regulations but by sheer instinct. Once your instinct directs, you throw the rules to the dogs. If we accept this as part of the problem affecting the Nigerian system, then we must appreciate the fact that dealing with the problem will be as serious as re-orienting the entire Nigeria. This is certainly not a job for one day and for one person.

This is where Oduah’s theory of shared responsibility comes in. Even though she was initially misunderstood over her “act of God” declaration, the fact remains that she has been as realistic as possible in dealing with issues relating to the latest crash. No one arm of the aviation industry can do the Job. There must be synergy for security and safety to be achieved. As she said, the regulatory agencies, management of airlines, the operators and other stakeholders, all have a role to play in aviation safety and security.

It is also not right to discredit the efforts made so far in putting the aviation industry in Nigeria on the right pedestal. The renovations and provisions of modern facilities which the ministry is embarking upon at present should be commended and sustained. They form part of the things that we must do if we must ensure a safe and secure atmosphere for flying. It certainly cannot be for nothing that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently rated Nigeria above the global average.

Nigeria, we are told, scored 65 percent and was rated as the 12th safest globally. I do not think that these ratings were done in error. But we can bail the industry out of bad stories such as the one we are facing now if we focus attention on real issues instead of throwing stones indiscriminately. While we continue to strive to establish our level of culpability in this matter as a people, we must commend the AIB for acting fast and decisively. The preliminary report we are relying on was released within one week of the crash. We have never been this responsive in emergency situations before. It is also significant that we, at least, have an idea of what went wrong.

Nigeria has a history of air crashes whose causes were never really established. But this time, we have something to rely upon until full investigations into the air crash are completed. However, we must learn something urgent from our latest experience. Due diligence is imperative in the aviation sector. The regulatory agencies of the sector, in conjunction with the ministry, must close ranks. At moment, certain things appear to be taken for granted. Significantly, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it will carry out fresh audit of all local airlines operating in the country. The recertification will cover financial, operational and mechanical audit of all the airlines should be a continuous exercise.

The rules here should be strictly enforced. It is better to ground as many aircraft as possible than embark on a suicide mission such as the Associated Airlines pilot did recently. If we share the responsibility as Oduah has said, we will discover, ultimately, that the worries, arising from our failures should be everybody’s affair. It is not and should not be the business of one person.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/back-page/oduah-aviation-worries/

It was a tragic end for a father of four and his lover who were found dead naked in a room, at Ago-Iwoye, in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun state yesterday. The man, identified as Akeem, believed to be in his 50s was a father of four children living in his one room apartment with his wife. His wife and three children were said to have travelled to Imodi Imosan to celebrate sallah with his families and he used the opportunity of their absence to invite his lover home.

It was alleged that Akeem had brought in the lady (whose identity was unknown) on the night his wife travelled with his children. In the morning, both of them were found dead in the room, with the man lying naked on the bed, while the lady’s body was on a two-seater couch.

According to investigation, Akeem and his legal wife was both fashion designer. They both own Alubarika Fashions located at Atomotele compound in Igan road, Ago Iwoye.

“Akeem brought his lover to come and stay with him over the night, since his wife and children were not at home,” said a neighbour, who identified himself as Idowu Odunsi.

According to him, when other tenants did not see Akeem in the morning, somebody hinted them that he saw him with a lady inside the shop previous night, prompting them to go to his room.

Idowu said after several knock on the door without any response, they forced the door opened, only to discover the dead bodies.

“We were shocked and dumbfounded to see him naked on the bed and the lady on the chair,” he stated, adding: “We cannot say precisely what caused his death and that of his strange lover,” he stated.

Landlord of the house, where the late Akeem was living, 70 years, Pa Oluwakemi Odunsi, explained that deceased had slaughtered his Eid -el Kabir ram that day, after which he informed him that he wanted to retire to his shop.

He said: ‘’it was this morning (Wednesday) around 10a.m. that I ordered that his shop door be forced opened, when we did not see him throughout the previous night and we behold the gory sight,:

Divisional Police Officer, Ago Iwoye Mr. Peter Idenhe, who led police team to the scene of the incident, said: “I suspect generator fume because we found some evidence of generator n the same building where the deceased were.”

He however stated also: “Though I cannot categorically determine the cause of the death until autopsy is carried out, preliminary investigation shows that they might have died from inhalation of generator fumes.”


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/lover-found-dead-naked-ogun/

INNO18: You cant blame me, that wasnt what i read. In the light of the above, i retract my statement. D'alu so

Nsogbu adiro.
O bu aka-oru ndi ofe , ndi kopuru nku anya si na ha ga-abu ogbatughie nyere umu Igbo.

INNO18: and to think that that efulefu called Ekweremadu, was among those that called for her head... Leaves much to be desired of the simpletons that 'represent' us @ the National level. sMH

I'll just re-post an earlier post of mine:

News reportage is like story telling, everyone tells it their way.
And, context is everything. This particular news deliberately failed to give the full text of what Ekweremadu said, preferring rather to let readers reach the logical conclusion that he is calling for Oduah's sack.
Truth is, he isn't.

Here's the full text:

The issue is that in some places, when something like this happens, people take responsibilities and resign. But as such things do not happen here, we will keep repeating ourselves. The problem here is about safety standards and not just the plane because the standards are same everywhere. There is the need to ensure that those responsible for the regulation of the industry do so,” Ekweremadu said.
Restating the reasons for the summon, Ekweremadu said: “We have tried a number of things including investigation, but the time has come to consider invoking power 67, Section 2 of our Constitution. We are inviting the Minister to brief us on the situation. It is not to indict anybody but to know what is happening in the aviation sector and how we can help to ensure that this does not continue.

We also need to make our roads and waterways safe and all these could be done if we do our works well

Next time, don't always resort to your primal instinct to call people names.

cashkid18: we hv kenyatha for building materials
timber mkt for timbers
mayor for agricultural produce
evn garriki mkt

True, I almost forgot those.
Well I'm for anything that makes our cities saner.
Ogbete no doubt needs a makeover, perhaps an overhaul.
I just wanna be convinced when I say it.

cashkid18: it is nt only movin it bt demolishin n building a new bigger n more organised ultra modern mkt sum wia in emene.
reason is dt d mkt population is increasin everyday wic is leadin to more congestion within dt area.oda reason is dt,d mkt is dirty n evn rubbishin d entire main road n dt place is a contact point for pple cumin into enugu wic wil gv d visitors d wrong impression abt 042

Per your second point, that's ESWAMA's issue.
IMO, Enugu needs more markets. Government should relocate particular sections of the market, if they must. We need specialized markets eg agricultural produce market, building materials market, etc.
That way, Ogbete can be decongested.
That's how Artisan market was decongested when the meat market was relocated.

Segeggs: give me an ultimatum after chest beating, sickman.

Dude, what's with you?
Is this the sort of reverence for elders they teach you at the University of Okitipupa?

Smh.

Segeggs: ...and SEners keep running to lagos(london).

I can't relate the above to my post.

Are you okay?
I ask because I'm genuinely interested in your mental well-being.

This Bala Moh'd guy is clueless!

How does this yeye gate benefit the SWner who can't afford Oloyin beans.
Schoopid Awusa men r.aping the country silly.
Mtcheww.

@ centje, cashkid:
Why do you think Ogbete should be relocated?
It's about the only big market in Enugu.
And, 20 years ago, that area was probably the fringes of the city.
In 20 years time, development would probably encircle the new Ogbete even if it's moved to 9th Mile.
And the solution then would be to move it farther, say to Aguobu-Owa?

I believe the city's population is increasing.
More markets need to cater to this population.

Classic!

@ OP:

My own bible opened to 2Pet2:22

"The dog returns to it's own vomit.
The washed sow returns to her wallowing in the mire"

Nigeria sha!
Tomorrow, if any court's ruling doesn't favor me , the next line of action would be to blackmail the judge, and raise fresh accusations of favouritism against her (even though that's why I'm in court in the first instance). Inundated by my propaganda, may be she'll break down and cry.

Oladeji of the sophisticated tribe of Nigeria, I dey see ya sophistication ojare!

This Kayode man is as cantankerous and grumpy as a woman on hormone replacement.

He must always have the last word.

Apparently, his former wives had to leave the whiny, annoying man. Who wouldn't?
Neediness and bitchiness are qualities considered off-putting in a man.
His third wife must be from a planet where grumpy men are thought to be se.xually attractive... Quee.r thing, Kayode.

Ngwakwe: You see, sometimes people like Ekweremadu will ingratiate oneself with someone by making obscene statement.

It all politics, he tends to projecting a false principle as unbiased leader but can never try it with Aganga or any Yoruba or Hausa minister.

You really shouldn't say that.
News reportage is like story telling, everyone tells it their way.
And, context is everything. This particular news deliberately failed to give the full text of what Ekweremadu said, preferring rather to let readers reach the logical conclusion that he is calling for Oduah's sack.
Truth is, he isn't.

Here's the full text:

The issue is that in some places, when something like this happens, people take responsibilities and resign. But as such things do not happen here, we will keep repeating ourselves. The problem here is about safety standards and not just the plane because the standards are same everywhere. There is the need to ensure that those responsible for the regulation of the industry do so,” Ekweremadu said.
Restating the reasons for the summon, Ekweremadu said: “We have tried a number of things including investigation, but the time has come to consider invoking power 67, Section 2 of our Constitution. We are inviting the Minister to brief us on the situation. It is not to indict anybody but to know what is happening in the aviation sector and how we can help to ensure that this does not continue.

We also need to make our roads and waterways safe and all these could be done if we do our works well

Those who speak of what they know find too late that prudent silence is wise - Phantom of the Opera.

centje: where's the tunnel

I can't quote the picture.
The first and second pictures under the post titled 'Enugu 2' by Ujoinme.
I believe it leads off New Haven, just adjacent to Ascot Hotel, passes underneath Abakaliki Rd, and terminates at Thinker's Corner.

Those who defend sectional leadership know nothing about nationhood. The sectional leaders themselves are guilty of same. Nigeria did not become a Nation so that each people will sit in their zone, complacent. Apparently, Igbos have romantic, even fanatical ideas about one Nigeria which lures them to seek shelter in even the remotest crevices.
. A generation ago, Akintola whipped up anti-Igbo sentiments to win votes. Today, Femi Kayode insists, paraphrased, "I'm Yoruba first, then Nigerian". The Northern Assembly found nothing better to discuss than how to dispossess Igbo hotel owners, how to stop selling land to Igbos, the Northernization decree and suchlike. Seeing as that tenet constantly plays out in real life, one wonders whose ideal of the Nigerian nation seems quirky.
Remove that clause that grants me admittance into your territory (as the self acclaimed Mayor of Lagos is currently suggesting), and we might as well be different nations.

So how can the North and West purge their land of Igbos whilst remaining one indissoluble nation with them?

That's a million dollar question.
@Mayor of Lagos: the day you find an answer is the day I sell you my Nigerian citizenship for a kobo!