₦airaland Forum

tomakint: Na lie Mr Fashola, na today? It's either he is eyeing the Presidency or Senate, you can quote me TEACHER MY FOOT!

Are you saying he will do as Tinubu says?

I hope not oo. I want to learn flower planting and okada clamping, and he is the most qualified to teach me.

ShyM-X:
^^^^You should know the ideology from the manifesto.

However, the one I've seen is just so vague and redundant that you can't really tell what their ideology is.

That is what you get when you shamelessly copy from the competition, rather than maintain originality; that is what you get when PDP rejects such as Audu Ogeh, Tom Ikimi et all are party chieftains in 'progressive' APC. When a bunch of opportunist join ranks with fraudsters and schemers, this is what you get!

Nigeria: APC Copied Our Manifesto - PDP
By Henry Umoru, 20 April 2013
NATIONAL Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Saturday accused the yet to be registered All Progressive Congress, APC of copying its manifesto, just as it stressed that opposition political parties were in deep slumber.

The PDP also said that it was not in any way afraid of the probe of the activities of its leaders since 1999, but was quick to ask the opposition to "prove its self by taming the regime of corruption in the few states it controls as a demonstration of its fidelity to the anti corruption cause."

In a statement signed yesterday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP noted that what the APC has put in place as a manifesto was a duplication of its own manifesto.

The PDP however boasted that the opposition APC will wake up eve of 2015 only to discover that the PDP has won the election, adding that it was laughable that "the opposition thinks that victory which only hard work begets will now cheaply be offered them by chance and perhaps, media bombast."

Good one Fashola,
I sure want to learn the storied art of flower planting and how to clamp down on okada riders.

Please which party again is ACN? I thought they are now APC?

Timehin: Hhmmn?....He say dem dey shoot gun anyhow and u wan make im go record wit phone, sey u go accept responsibility if im die of accidental discharge U dey mischievious pass chidi Lloyd sef

lol
You dey mind the guy. Later dem go dey form to know!

torkaka: could you be kind as to let us know what this transformation agenda refers to?

It is not hard to see - even the blind testify!

- The rails are back
- Power has improved, and still improving
- Road are much more better, and still improving
- Democracy is working, as elections are fairer
- As we speak even terrorism is been tackled with improved security apparatus and civilian co-operation
- Our airports are better
- Agriculture is working
- The banking system/economy is stable
- Democracy is working
- Government is transparent i.e. we know what is going on.

And if that summary is not enough, here is an interesting piece:

Transformation Agenda: The Milestone

By Olisemeka Obeche

PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s government has made good its promises to use the plethora of projects and programmes conceived under its Transformation Agenda to significantly grow the economy and improve the living standard of the citizens. Barely one year after President Jonathan made that solemn transformational pledge of ‘promising less, but delivering more’, his administration has recorded landmark achievements in all aspects of national life.


Read it all here:
http://derlimited.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213&Itemid=15

Not enough? Try this:
http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Transformation-Agenda.pdf

OAM4J: Rather than PDP supporters disturbing the formation of the new APC Nairaland chapter with their sentiments and reservations; how about you PDP supporters start your own thread and create PDP NL chapter to harmonize your thoughts, ideas and vision.

I might even make sticky the 2 threads in politics section.

I will love to organise many debates between the two groups in the nearest-future as soon as your structures and leaderships are put in place. Also provide avenue for NL members to meet and discuss with major stakeholders and candidates made available by each camp.

Personally as I have always said, the coming on board of APC is good for the polity. Whichever party in power knows it has to perform else there is a strong and capable opposition ready to take over. Overall Nigeria and Nigerians can only be better with the coming on board of APC.

- Moderator

I am sure PDP members will consider your request. But if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't bother - at least not until 2014!

Nigeria election is not won on cyberspace; and any organization paid agents of APC can muster online, will most likely be outmatched in the real world by the PDP. To engage in shouting contest with APC is a pure waste of time largely because the PDP is a behemoth while the APC is a mere ant - given to ranting. APC should cut their teeth with the likes of APGA, and Accord Party - those are truly their mates, and when they become an ideological based party, perhaps then Nigerians will pay heed to them.

We have seen PDP win elections in Nigeria - they do it by landslide, in grand style, so I surmised that PDP strategists are actually better served delivering on the ground to real people - winning their hearts and minds , than waste precious time engaging collective children of anger who have no ideology other than to fantasize on Tinubu 'power grab' schemes! Nigerians are not deceived - they know what was, what is, and what will be! APC are bunch of self serving noise-makers; they are certainly not what Nigeria need in 2015!

That said, I believe that PDP members in the house, still reserve the rights to take respond as they deem appropriate to your request. As for me, I know where I shall thumbprint in 2015; it's looking likely I shall continue to support the 'transformation agenda of GEJ' - not PDP!

MAYOWAAK: Segun Adeniyi wrote on March 2nd, 1997 in his weekly column, The Verdict According to Olusegun Adeniyi, then published in The Sunday Concord newspaper: "While Saraki Tinubu is neither the Chairman nor Secretary of the CNC, his word is law just because he holds the nebulous title of a 'National Leader'. He calls meeting and issues statements on behalf of the party most often without recourse to the Chairman, Dr. Abel Ubeku Bisi Akande. He has been able to do this because he supplies the funds for running the party." [s]My take: Won't be wise to erase Saraki and write Tinubu, erase CNC and insert ACN, then erase Dr. Abel Ubeku and put Bisi Akande. Try it and you will see that the statement is still valid even now. The Progressives![/s]

Fixed.
And like you suggested, makes perfect sense. History has a way of repeating itself!

Fortunately, we know how this is all going to end.

Some people will waste their time and money, and come back to bite their fingers. Their principal will first descend on dogs and baboons, soaking them in thick blood, after which he will go to court.

When the court process is over, confirming him yet again as a serial loser, he will weep profusely. He will rave and rant at every given opportunity, establishing himself as nothing more than a sectional leader. This has been the story of Gen Buhari of ANPP, CPC. And that will be his fate in the APC, without any iota of doubt.

Nigerians know that APC is nothing but a 'power grab' initiative of Tinubu, who is preying on Northern 'born-to-rule' sentiment, and will respond accordingly when the time come.

So let these goons continue to waste their time and money on Tinubu and his schemes!

I dont like this idea of no primaries for incumbents, but because of his comparatively better performance, we - coalition of over 22 million Nigerians who voted for GEJ last time, together with those who are enjoying the transformation agenda, are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Ride on Mr. President, you have over 22 million people behind you. No shaking!

tsalam: I hope this account put to rest the lies of ishebe and his propaganda children. the people with malnutrition symptoms are not igbos but efik, ibibio etc. end of discussion.

The third marine (which he was part of) never operated in the Igbo area according to him. So how could he know if they had kwashiokor or not? Was he everywhere, all the time? Best he restricts himself to what he is sure of.

If Nigerians really yearn for this old man why then is he always coming short at the polls - at every attempt? The reality is that Nigerians know this old relics is past it; he belongs to the museum! No one use 20th century tool to tackle 21st century challenges. Buhari should mentor the young ones, thats if he has anything other than fundamentalism to pass on.


Goodbye Buhari!

Unfortunately, and contrary to the suggestion of the writer, the Northern elite are more interested in wrestling power from the incumbent rather that alleviating the problems of the region.

I agree with the writer position that the (core) North does not need power; (core) North need to empower their future generation to compete in the modern world. I think it should start by abolishing the almajiri system, and embracing modern (formal) education wherever they could find it[s], even if it means sending their children/wards down south. [/s]

The harm Nigeria does to the North
July 9, 2013 by Azuka Onwuka


Last week, the National Teachers’ Institute announced that about 80 per cent of teachers in Northern Nigeria were not qualified to teach. Just before that, the Federal Ministry of Education had announced the cut-off marks for admission into the Federal Government Colleges, known as Unity Schools, with the shocking piece of information that while the cut-off mark was as high as 139 for a Southern state like Anambra, it was as low as two, yes two, (out of a possible 200 marks) for pupils of a Northern state like Yobe.

According to the Federal Character Commission, “In 1954 when Nigeria opted for a federal form of government, the concept of Quota System as a policy was adopted in the recruitment of persons into the officers’ corps of the armed forces and the police as well as in admissions into educational institutions,” to promote a fair representation and close the existing disparities among the parts of the nation. On the surface, it is a good idea, because it ensures that no single area gets into federal establishments to the detriment of other areas.

However, over the decades, it has dealt a heavy blow on the psyche of Northern Nigeria. Man is naturally competitive. Man performs at his peak in times of difficulty: the maxim “necessity is the mother of invention” captures it. The collapse of communism bears testimony to this. Remove competition among people, provide amenities for them equally, reward them equally — no matter their individual contributions — and the will to excel evaporates. Even though the Federal Character policy was established with good intentions, those who created it and those who still support its continuance are indirectly not wishing the North well.

In the 2007 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Imo State produced more candidates seeking admission into the universities than all the 19 Northern states put together. That is not just shocking but dangerous. The top five states with the highest number of candidates were Southern states. They are as follows: Imo 93,065; Anambra 64,689; Delta 61,580; Edo 57,754; Akwa Ibom 47,928; while the lowest five states were Northern states as follows: Sokoto 3,925; Taraba 3,832; Zamfara 2,904; Jigawa 2,541; and Yobe 2,516.

The trend remains virtually the same year after year. For example, last year, the top three states were Imo (123,865 candidates); Delta (88,876); and Anambra (71,272); while the last three states were Northern states.

Last month, UNESCO released a report that ranked Nigeria as the country with the most number of children out of school: a whopping 10.5 million – the population of Portugal! No doubt, a larger proportion of these children would be from the North. Some blame the almajiri system for this. It is a system that was created to offer young boys the opportunity of being groomed and tutored by a religious leader, so as to grow into exemplary members of society. But it has gone awry, making these young boys roam the streets begging, with nobody to direct them, and then growing up into angry youths that can be used to cause mayhem at the drop of a hat.

Right from birth, the Northern child is disadvantaged. While his Southern counterpart grows up attending school, the Northern child does not. Through education and entrepreneurship, the Southern youth grows up with more opportunities in life. He knows that he can only succeed in life through excellence. That drive makes a southerner successful and he trains his children in good schools, instilling self-reliance and competitiveness in them, thereby improving the chances of the children even succeeding more than him. The average Yoruba person does not want an Igbo person to beat him in any field of human endeavour and vice versa; that spurs both sides to excellence. The average Urhobo person, Efik person or Bini person does not want an Igbo person, or Yoruba person or Ibibio or Ijaw to beat him. So there is healthy rivalry among them, which leads to excellence and success.

On the contrary, with no education, no artisanal skills and lack of competitive spirit, the Northern child grows up with extremely low chances of success. He cannot secure a decent job; he cannot even offer specialised services of an artisan; he is afraid to start off a small-scale business because he virtually has nobody to understudy. The only available job is the most difficult and yet the least remunerated: the work of a labourer. He supplies water in 25-litre kegs to people who live on the fourth floors with no elevators for N50 per keg. He uses a wheelbarrow or tub to move sand and concrete at construction sites; he stays around markets to help those who have bought heavy items like tubers of yam and bags of rice to move these items from deep inside the market to their vehicles or even home. And for all this hard labour, he gets paid pittance.

As he renders this poorly paid service to people, does anybody expect him to be happy with the successful people around him? It is impossible.

The Northerner is not less intelligent than his Southern counterpart, neither is he weaker or less creative. How many people can beat the business acumen and creativity of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, or the automobile design ingenuity of Jelani Aliyu, or the academic intelligence of Nasir el-Rufai, or the resoluteness of Col. Abubakar Umar and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, or the football skills of Tijani Babangida and Daniel Amokachi, or the musical talent of Innocent Tuface Idibia, or the organisational and leadership abilities of Sir Ahmadu Bello?

Some would claim that Islam is the reason for the North’s poor embrace of education. If that were so, why is a predominantly Christian state like Taraba found among the states with the lowest literacy rate? Saudi Arabia, the headquarters of Islam, is very education-focused with a literacy rate of 85 per cent, ranking 116th of 194 countries. Indonesia, the most populated Muslim country in the world, is education-savvy with 92 per cent literacy rate. The United Arab Emirates has 90 per cent literacy rate. Nigeria has 72 per cent literacy rate, but should actually be in the 90s.

The danger in having the North lag behind is that Nigeria has to always move at the pace of the North or put appropriately, lag behind with it. Nigeria is a unit and cannot move and leave some parts behind. Again, the more the South moves ahead of the North, the more conflicts will arise between the North and the South. While the North will feel that the South is cornering the joint resources of the nation, the South will feel the North is pulling it backwards.

One other factor that has worked against the North is its long years of ruling the country. T[b]here is a form of complacency that comes from the feeling of “We are in charge.” At such periods, you let your guards down; you don’t complain so as not to overheat the administration of your “kinsman”. But when your brother is not in charge, you feel left out and thereby complain the loudest of marginalisation. Those in charge bend backwards to satisfy you with different projects. [/b] The North should de-emphasise its focus on the presidency. Forty years of Northern presidency – civilian or military – have not offered the North any tangible advantage.

Those who hate the truth would rise in righteous anger, seeing this treatise as the work of an enemy rather than digesting the hard truth and finding solutions to a worsening problem. And those who love ethnic bashing will quickly see it as advantage to start shooting at the North. But the truth is that the progress of the North will serve both the interest of the North and South.

There should be a two-way approach to this problem. The North should set up a 20-year target to catch up with the South in education and entrepreneurship. The Northern states must make it an offence for any parent to deny their child education. The state governors and local government chairmen need to start a programme of sending as many Northern children as possible to Southern states for their secondary and tertiary education. The new Northern youths need to leave their comfort zone: compete with their Southern counterparts, interact with them and imbibe some of the ways of the Southern people.

The second aspect concerns uneducated youths who may no longer want to go to school. Lack of education is no impediment to success. The Northern governors and local council chairmen should start an intensive skills acquisition programme for the youths. A labourer cannot train another, neither can he rise much in life if he continues as an unskilled labourer. But someone who has learnt masonry, tiling, sewing, vehicle repairing, generator repairing, painting, plumbing, etc, can grow to a level where he will have apprentices. Massive construction takes place non-stop across the federation. Nigerians have an unquenchable appetite for cars and fashion. So, they need these services. That way, the number of skilled workers increases; the earning power of the people increases; and such people can afford a better life for their children, gradually changing the face of their community.

Quota system or federal character is derogatory and has worsened things for the North. Every Northerner who loves the North must tell Nigeria to stop insulting the North with this federal character bait. The North must refuse anything offered it on a platter: it is either a Greek gift or a poisoned chalice. The North should save itself by rejecting this insulting Unity Schools’ cut-off marks that cut it off from development and modernity.


http://www.punchng.com/opinion/the-harm-nigeria-does-to-the-north/

Obiagelli: And you know so much that you had to go tribal on the topic

If you know anything about Nigeria politics, you will realise there is a world of difference between 'tribal' and 'reality'. And the reality is that no matter how much Fashola is hyped by folks such as you, he CANNOT become the President of Nigeria in 2015 ; and most important reason is because Yorubas, REPEAT , have had their turn in Obj; and Fashola is Yorubaman. Tinubu knows this; and well as Buhari, Rochas, and even Fashola himself.

Power has to rotate among other ethnic groups to maintain any semblance of balance in Nigeria - something every child, let alone ardent student, of Nigeria politics already know.

There is simply no political permutation that will throw up Fashola for Presidency in 2015 - well, except of course for some delusional Nairaland commentators, for whatever 'non tribal' reason they may want to allude. While they nonetheless dream on, pragmatic politicians know where the fruit will fall, and it won't be anywhere near Fashola! You may however continue to ignore the reality to shout tribal, as long as it rocks your boat!

Obiagelli: Tribal hate sure tickles your fancy.

Coming from a girl who knows next to nothing about Nigeria politics. You can only wish!

Obiagelli: Tribal view as usual.

Whatever tickles your fancy!

@ Minister, we know these resources exist and that the potential for power production is huge. What we want to know is how and when you are going to translate the coal to power. Action, Mr. Minister, not words!

Yorubas have had their 'turns'; ably executed by Obj. Make no mistake about it, this is Nigeria, and there is no way a Yoruba man will lead Nigeria in 2015! I doubt if he can even get as close as VP.

So forget about this Fashola nonsense, it's just a pipe dream!

“How did Boko Haram start? We know that their leader, Mohammed Yusuf started his militant and the police couldn’t control them and the army was invited. He was arrested by soldiers and handed over to the police.
“The appropriate thing to do, according to the law, was for the police to carry out investigations and charge him to court for prosecution, but they killed him, his in-law was killed, they went and demolished their houses.
“Because of that, his supporters resorted to what they are doing today. You see in the case of the Niger Delta militants, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua sent an aeroplane to bring them, he sat down with them and discussed with them, they were cajoled, and they were given money and granted amnesty.
“They were trained in some skills and were given employment, but the ones in the north were being killed and their houses were being demolished. They are different issues, what brought this? It is injustice”.

- Buhari, comparing apples with oranges; defending Boko Haram.

Interesting perspective.

In anycase, our desire to leave Nigeria has nothing to do with oil (abundance or scarcity). There are quite a number of countries in the world without oil and several of them are developed. So oil or no oil, many Igbos will still prefer the Igboland to Nigeria, any day.

Nonetheless, your suggestion is well taken; Igbos are ready to leave Nigeria, even NOW!

Who expects more from rascals?

Xriss: All the pictures displayed does not show up to 5km of road.......
Even my Local Government Area has about 7km of good roads.....
Travel on the road to see the true state

True @bolded. Bur factor in the distance it took the vehicles in the picture to accelerate to their 'blur' speed, and the distance it will required for them to grind to a halt. Those vehicles couldn't be doing anything less than 130km/h.

No further confirmation than the 'blur' on each side of the road, representing cars traveling at break neck speed. You can only do that when you are sure of the state of the road.

Good work GEJ!

It’s a struggle and not a fight. Don’t give elbows and knuckles as free gifts just to enter the bus.

Nice one op.

Indeed Lagos na wa!

lol,

A clown you mean?

Standing5: ^^They travelled down there to buy stuff from the borno people, not reside and sell there.

And that made a difference? Or that suggests that Yoruba don't live or do business in the North? Some of you have real issues!

Some time in the past, and perhaps even as we speak, a few misguided elements - bigots, mainly from SW mocked Igbos as been generally and specifically targeted by boko haram for various reasons their hate filled minds can conjure up; they harangue them all over the cyber space, at times crying louder than the bereaved . They claimed, rather mischievously, that it was the Igboman penchant for doing business in another man land that was responsible for those needless loss of lives of enterprising young men. These maliciously bigots failed to appreciate that as Nigerians you are free to move around, reside, and do business in any part of the country - not just in your 'village' .

Boko Haram is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Those who rejoice and incite Igbos when their sons and daughters are fell by this wicked scourge hopefully now know better.

Rest in peace Seye Adegboyega, Jelili Popoola, Ojo Mosobalaje, Fatai Kareem, Femi Oyetunde, Ninalowo Saheed, Saburu Lanlehin , Lekan Oladokun, Sola Adeoye and Nurudeen Lawal.

May those who committed this wickedness find no peace, on earth and in the afterlife!