trillville: Apart from the early 70's when Gowon built most of our infrastructure, the price of oil had never been as high as it was during the Jonathan era when adjusted for inflation. Even babangida's golf war oil windfall prices weren't this high.
Jonathan was the worst president Nigeria has ever had. Madam iweala knew that the price of oil was going to fall as far back as 2012, yet rather than saving money and allowing our currency to appreciate during the good times, Jonathan's administration spent on bogus programs that yielded next to nothing for Nigeria. Pdp's insistence on government having no business with business blinded jonathan from investing directly in power and technology infrastructure.
Obasanjo had a fraction of Jonathan's income, yet Obasanjo grew our external reserves and our excess crude account. Our currency appreciated from 145 Naira to the dollar to 118 Naira to a dollar between 2004 and 2007.
Why do you think all the major politicians decided to support Buhari in the last election? They could see clearly the long term damage Jonathan's actions had already brought upon Nigeria.
Ps. I have given specific facts with numbers. You can use google to research and verify what I have said if you have the free time.
[size=13pt]You are thoroughly misguided.
Do a simple google search of construction of transmission power lines (national grid) across the country, no government did what Jonathan did since Gowon. That's a huge capital intensive power (electricity) infrastructure, my friend.
Do same for road construction plus railroads.
Jonathan created 12 federal universities.
These things cost serious money.
You can do better than what you have been hearing.
Just sitting down and copying and pasting oil prices is like someone taking his payslips and calculating millions he's been earning since he started working and concluding that he is a multimillionaire whereas he doesn't have much in his bank account, that's foolis.h.
That's the kind of foolishness that birth this present government. Unfortunately, they are rationalizing their situation with further foolishness.
Jonathan's problem was because of his minority status. Gowon had the same problem too, as you can see, several years after he was bitterly overthrown, 'because of corruption' as they claimed then, you are still referencing his achievements. [/size]
247Dior: I really find it difficult to understand most of u here and the type of brain u people possess... this has shown that this woman is a true Nigerian who Wants de best for Nigeria.. our economy is in a very bad state and she voiced her concern and people are here commenting rubbish, this is what she did in de last administration...... Does it mean that no one should talk when things are not going well? or did the woman lie against Buhari government?
[size=13pt]It's all about her inconsistencies.
Chibok 'girls' have not been found yet, and she has remained very 'inactive' compared to her 'hyperactivity' during the immediate past administration.
People normally see through motives. Many people feel, rightly or wrongly, that she helped bring down the last government in anticipation of something, and now that she has not even been considered close to '300th eleven', she is bitter.
Do you sincerely expect people not to talk about someone who is talking about other people? That would be delusional.[/size]
Phame: she's comparing our economy with what it was in the 80s and she said this 5 months ago. And gej was the president then. Are you saying BUHARI should take the blame for our economic woes?
disloman: All I'm seeing here are goats commenting without using their brains.This news was about 4-5months ago.Those trashonline 1st published this news and the worst newspaper(vanguard) now did.Wailers are so daft that whenever they are fed with trash,they will still take it in.What a set of trashy.
[size=13pt]Has the situation improve since 4-5months months now?
If they have to fine a single company over $5b to raise money for their programs it should tell you that the situation is getting more precarious.[/size]
madridguy: It is me that suppose to kick your balls for your comment. Madam Oby and his group saved Nigeria from shame. GEJ never believed some girls were missing despite the fact that the raiding was written bold everywhere. So if not OBY and her BBOG what do you think Malala of GEJ great granddaughter age will be saying. I be die hard APC and I won't abuse the woman for saying the truth and everything should not be looking from opposition angle. PMB need to get it right and that is all.
[size=13pt]Per your disclosure, your are not expected to express a contrary opinion.
Nevertheless, please tone down on promoting your personal company now that you are a father to all. Except you are saying the company is going to be owned by everyone through listing on the stock exchange, which is not highlighted in your piece.
Try and work for a level playing field where all companies/businesses will have access to opportunities while not jeopardizing your own personal interest. You will achieve more through multiple entities than a single one. Some of the conflicts between leaders and their followers have economic undertone bothering on personal accruals.
free2ryhme: There is not a single post by punch newspaper online or in print which relates to the above quoted opening post anywhere. why lie about the link behind the post? Google search through up a lot of similar post and interestingly none has punch.com to it.
is it that moderators don't verify post before moving it to frontage or are reluctant to verify the links beneath the post?
Seun pls look into this
[size=13pt]What network are you using and which village are you?[/size]
Babzrockman: Wike should have accepted his faith and agree to re-run. Supreme court may remove him and place Dakuku as governor without any re-run. I hope he will not regret his appeal to d apex court.
[size=13pt]This is a different appeal, Baba Oyo.
He hasn't filed the appeal for Saturday's judgment yet.
obailala: Lol.. Like I said, criticising the present administration when they goof should never be misconstrued as 'regret' for not returning the last disaster of 2010-2015. If I fallout with the present administration and start lambasting them, it does not in any way mean that I regret kicking out the last mediocrity, try not to mix these things up.
And again, this is a clear pointer to the fact that most of the vocal people who supported the emergence of PMB are not bootlickers or irredeemable sycophants. When the administration messes up, we are the first to acknowledge and lambaste it; unlike what we had in the days of Jonathan and his Jonathanian flock.
[size=13pt]lol...
It's all about political appointments.
This same guy was busy talking 'nonsense' when Ibe Kachikwu was appointed as NNPC GMD just some weeks ago.
Having waited for crumbs (Fura de Nunu) from Daura and nothing seems forthcoming, he has to be pretending that he is doing some 'activism'.
'They' might find 'something' for him. And we would know if he is boot-licking or 'Sai Babaing'[/size]
[size=13pt]Whose responsibility is it to give the Fulani education?
Kwakwanso was governor of Kano State for 8 years, how far did he go in giving the Fulani that needed education in his state?
What was primary school enrollment figure when he governed Kano State?
Are the Fulani the only uneducated people in Nigeria? Are they the only itinerant? Does the fact that they go on rampage all over 'Africa', killing and destroying people's property, mean they should not be challenged?
Kwakwanso should have at least apologized for the many atrocities - murders, kidnapping, farmland destruction etc. - of his kinsmen before threatening people in Ibadan and hanging his responsibility on others.
Is it the duty of the Yoruba to send the Fulani to school?
It is very unfortunate that the governor of Oyo State was represented at that occasion and no single reply was uttered to this utter arrogance of Rabiu Kwakwanso. [/size]
[size=13pt]How much will this 'good Samaritan' make up artist pay this accident victim for 'using' her condition for publicity stunts? This is not altruistic, for there's nothing to suggest she is raising any fund/awareness for her plastic surgery or whatever, it looks rather opportunistic.
It exposes this young lady to unsolicited public intrusion in her private life. To what end is wearing a 'makeover' for a victim of tragedy of this magnitude only to wash off after 24 hours (maximum)? Or will the artist do this for her everyday? Without a plan to make this young woman have a semblance of her former look beyond a 24 hour ephemeral 'make-up', this stunt can only elicit unnecessary pity for her.
Taking advantage of the vulnerability of a tragedy victim to 'advertise' a make-up artistry is cruel, it's inhuman. [/size]
stickncarrot: Cockroach Rochas I challenge you to deny issuing fake cheque to workers in the name of salaries. The Rogue haven't paid anyone, instead, he slash their salaries by 50% and issue fake cheque to them.
If we have press men in Nigeria, they would have verified this claim.
PassingShot: No probs. Let him win honourably. He has plenty blood of innocent souls on his hands and he couldn't have ruled with that charade of election.
[size=13pt]800 innocent people (including youth corps members from your native Osun State) were slaughtered by bastards chanting and displaying Buhari's name in 2011.
onatisi: Nigerians are the easiest people to fool on this planet,just tell them something sweet that they want to hear and they will start jumping around like a grog. Smh
[size=13pt]Politicians and clergymen love vulnerability.
[size=13pt]The imminent devaluation of the naira and the attendant rise in inflation rate would wipe out the 'gain' of the 'planned' petrol pump price reduction.[/size]
koreskbv: what about Salisu Ibrahim a onetime speaker of house of representative, and his forged university of Toronto certificate, was he punished. Pls let equal measure be used for everyone. To me the chap is a first time offender as such he should be treated with leniency, he is far better than most of these politicians.
[size=13pt]Salisu Buhari (not Ibrahim) was convicted for forgery.
He was granted a presidential pardon by Obasanjo for being 'remorseful'.
That was before 'they' changed the minimum qualification for electoral contest to possession of NEPA bill (photocopy). [/size]
ISpiksDaTroof: Does the OP understand how budgets work? You can't blame anything on Buhari until this time Next year. You just exposed another of GEJ's ineptitude.
[size=13pt]Professor of budget well done.
Meanwhile, we read this on July 21, 2015
Insurgency: Nigeria borrows $2.1bn to rebuild North East - Vanguard
Image123: Okay, so President Buhari was interviewed by Mehdi Hasan in the Al-Jazeera English programme "Upfront". Mehdi Hasan is a 36year old, British Indian political journalist that has had work stints with BBC1, Channel 4, the Huffington Post, and of course presently Al-Jazeera English. He's known for his courtroom like, brash and maybe harsh style of interviews. Recall he was the one who interviewed Oby Ezekwensili in that Head to Head programme(Head to Head - Nigeria's future- Failed state or African superpower) still available on YouTube, where he was trying to get her to say that Obasanjo was corrupt. She did say her fair share of "listen to mes" during the interview. It's therefore some kudos to President Buhari and his team that they are not shying away or afraid of speaking with and to the press both internationally and locally. It's not easy to speak on BBC's Hardtalk, or with CNN's Christine Amanpour or Al-Jazeera's Mehdi Hasan. In my assessment, President Buhari did excellently well in taking the questions, and even the interview in the first place. He's shown great poise, class, intellect, and a fairly good view of the issues discussed. I'm certain many newspaper reports will be coming and have started coming from the things said and unsaid in the about 12minute interview. For the benefits of a wider coverage and reading who can easily access NL and read, as against watching on Al-Jazeera or YouTube, here is the transcript of the interview. Thank you for thanking me
Mehdi Hasan: President Buhari, thanks for joining me on "Upfront". Earlier this year, you became the leader of a country facing a huge drop in the price of its biggest export oil, with corruption out of control, and with boko haram still massacring hundreds of Nigerians month after month. Is it fair to say that your country is in a state of crises?
PMBuhari: Yes certainly, we have being going through crises which we properly articulated during our campaigns, and we properly identified security, problem of economy, unemployment and corruption as you've mentioned. But since we were sworn in, I believe positive actions have been taken and the results are very clear to us here, and to those who are keenly observing our development. We have been able to re-organize the military. They are being trained, they are in the process of re-equipping, they are certainly taking and gaining grounds against boko haram.
Mehdi Hasan: Let's talk about boko haram, whose brutal campaign of violence has led to more than 20,000 deaths. Since 2009, more than a million and a half Nigerians displaced from their homes in the North of the country. You've told your army chiefs I believe, that you expect boko haram to be defeated by the end of this year, by December. Surely that's completely unachievable, that's a fantasy deadline.
PMBuhari: Well, you're entitled to your own opinion. When I gave the service chiefs the target of end of December, it's because I'm physically on the ground. And maybe you'll like to recall that we have got Lake Chad Basin Commission comprising Cameroun, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin. And it's known that Nigeria is the main battleground. And we have agreed among ourselves to dedicate a number of troops in certain places by the end of last month, so that with the coming of the DRY SEASON by the end of the year, there will be a spontaneous move against Boko Haram in their area of operation in the subregion.
Mehdi Hasan: You say you want them defeated by December. They've spent the past week blowing up targets in Nigeria, in Cameroun, in Chad. more than a thousand people have been killed by boko haram since you were elected President in March of this year. Things don't seem to be getting any better, Nigerians don't seem to be any safer.
PMBuhari: On the ground, physically, things are getting better. I've just mentioned that after the re-organization, we put new service chiefs. Troops that were in the front were pulled back, re-trained, re-equipped and sent back again. And if you are observing clearly, the area of operations. The two states, mainly Borno and Yobe, boko haram is MAINLY reduced now to using IEDs(Improvised Explosive Devices).
Mehdi Hasan: Mr President, a thousand people dead since you were elected President. That doesn't sound like Nigerians are safer from boko haram. PMBuhari: Well, at least we're being honest about it. Whenever there is an attack, there are casualties, we mention it. We don't hide anything from anybody. But definitely, in terms of occupying ground, we are gaining ground, and boko haram is virtually being confined to Sambissa forest. And with night operations, well coordinated, they are really disorganized. And as soon as the rainy season(caveat, he obviously meant dry season and said so earlier, and every Nigerian knows so about the coming harmattan/dry season at the end of the year) comes, which is by the end of the year, coinciding by what promise we made, boko haram will virtually be out of their main stronghold. And that will be the end of it. But what we cannot guarantee really, is the question of using IEDs(Improvised Explosive Devices) in public places. That operation by boko haram MAY continue beyond the target that we gave. But articulated attack by boko haram on townships, on military installations will certainly stop.
Mehdi Hasan: And if you don't meet your December deadline what will you do, will you apologize, will you resign, what's the repercussions if you don't meet your deadline? PMBuhari: Well, one thing you will certainly remember, I will not resign. I will be determined to stay and fight it out.
Mehdi Hasan: Okay, and it's been 18 months now since more than 200 Chibok school girls were taken captive by boko haram, they are still not yet been found. When you were running for President, you said to Al-Jazeera that the then government knew where they were, and you attacked your predecessor for not given a quote "cohesive reason" as to why he couldn't rescue the girls. Now you are in charge of the government, so why haven't you been able to find them yet?
PMBuhari: We have an idea of where the girls are. Our main problem is, and what we promised to the constituencies of where these girls were abducted is that we want to rescue them alive. There are boko haram leadership that wanted us to discuss, but we have to prove that they are bona fide. We want to make sure, they have to prove to us that they are alive, they are well, and then we can promise them and negotiate with them.
Mehdi Hasan: So you will negotiate with them, you will do a deal with boko haram, offer them money or a prisoner exchange. You're willing to do that to get the girls back?
PMBuhari: Yes, we said it, and we meant it. If we are satisfied that the girls are alive.
Mehdi Hasan: What will you offer, what will you offer if they are alive, money or prisoners?
PMBuhari: Well, it depends on the negotiation with the leadership of boko haram.
Mehdi Hasan: The Nigerian military hasn't just failed to defeat boko haram, it has also carried out massive human right abuses in the process. The U.S States Department, the European parliament, human Rights Watch, Amnesty International all documented extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, burning down of homes, plenty of abuses by the Nigerian military. What are you doing as President, and as a former General to stop all of that from happening?
PMBuhari: We promised to investigate and punish all those that are responsible.
Mehdi Hasan: You say you're going to investigate and prosecute. Amnesty International opened an office this week inside of Nigeria. but have you done what Amnesty have recommended? they've given you the names of several senior military officers who should be investigated for war crimes. You've sacked a couple of them, but have you actually investigated them, are you going to prosecute those 9 named individuals that Amnesty International have given you? (Caveat; O fe ko igbo si Baba lápo)
PMBuhari: I haven't received that report personally.But the re-organization of the military is part of the compliance with the observation raised by Amnesty International. If I get those documents, the way you seem to be so confident that we have received them.
Mehdi Hasan: They're available publicly online, they were published a month after you took office. Your spokesperson acknowledged that he's read the report, names are out there, and you haven't investigated or prosecuted anyone as far as we know. Are you going to prosecute the offices who were accused of committing war crimes?
PMBuhari: It's very difficult for me to start prosecuting people based on a newspaper publication. I made an undertaking that if I get that report, I will take action. the person you said my spokesperson said I have seen the report. I don't think any of my spokesperson, my bona fide spokesperson has given me that report and I just put it in the waste basket or somewhere.
Mehdi Hasan: Mr President, this is not a new report, this has been on for years. John Kerry the US Secretary of States talked about Human Rights violation by the Nigerian military in 2013. human rights watch documented the burning of homes, torture in 2014. This is not a new allegation?
PMBuhari: What I want, I want us to go beyond talking. All you are telling me, that the United States Secretary of State have talked about it, Amnesty International have written... And I have told you that I haven't received these authentic documents that you are referring to. When I get that document, I read it, I assure you that those that are guilty will be identified, they will be punished according to Nigerian laws.
Mehdi Hasan: Okay well, the Human rights group have put the evidence out there for several years now. can I just clarify with you. boko haram claim to support what they call "Sharia law". They stone women to death, they cut the hands off of thieves, do you yourself. I know you're a Muslim from Northern Nigeria. Do you support the imposition of these types of punishment across Nigeria, because there's a quote from you from 2001, where you allegedly say "God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country". Is that still your view, Mr President?
PMBuhari: Nigerians by their constitution have the right to pursue any religion that they want to. But there is a fundamental issue here, No religion advocates hurting the innocent. Boko haram are finding it difficult to get volunteers voluntarily now. Because they can't go and slaughter children in their sleep, kill people in churches, kill people in mosques, in motor parks,(Mehdi cuts in) in markets and shout 'Allah akbar'
Mehdi Hasan: Mr President, we all agree on,,, I'm asking about punishments?
PMBuhari: Will you allow me to finish please. they can't kill people, innocent people and shout "Allah akbar". they either don't believe God is great, or they don't know what they are talking about. This clearly, nigerians in the constituency where boko haram are executing people, cutting hands, stoning them as you mentioned, have understood that. Boko haram is anything but Islamic. This is very clear, we've said it, we put it in writing and we've mentioned it.
Mehdi Hasan: You are very clear on that and I think we all agree that boko haram are not the godly people that they claim to be. I'm asking you about the punishments, that do you support the stoning for adultery, or cutting of hands as part of Nigerian law across nigeria? Some say you support it.
PMBuhari: NO, Nigerian law does not allow for that.
Mehdi Hasan: And you don't want to change the law to allow stoning or any of these more brutal punishments to be brought in?
PMBuhari: I cannot change it, I haven't been voted by majority of Nigerians to change the Nigerian Constitution.
Mehdi Hasan: Just before we finish, one last question. You ran for on a campaign of CHANGE. You were the CHANGE candidate. Many people will say that you are a 72yr old ex-general, military ruler, military dictator in the 1980s. How are you the change that Nigerians want, that young Nigerians are so keen for, and can you guarantee that you won't be a dictator again?
PMBuhari: Under this system, I cannot be a dictator. I have just told you the system we are following now. The people I wanted to be in my cabinet, i have to send them to the Senate. And it's up to the Senate to find them suitable or unsuitable to be in the cabinet. Whateverthe Senate broughtr back by the constitution of our country, I have to act on it.
Mehdi Hasan: Do you regret your rule in the 80s, you were accused of human rights abuses, of being a dictator, of clamping down the press, do you regret that period of your life now that you're a democrat?
PMBuhari: If there is any injustice that can be proved against me when I was there, I will gladly apologize. But trying to stop corruption and indiscipline is not an injustice. And in fact, my coming back now under a different system is because of my performance in the last time, where I was been accused of dictatorship. Because people have seen the discipline, accountablity, order. And therefore a majority of Nigerians now voted me back under a different system.
Mehdi Hasan:Mr president, I believe we've run out of time, you have to go. thank you so much for joining me on Upfront.
Business › Re: Our Economy Has Taken A Nosedive – Ezekwesili by porka: 9:34am On Oct 29, 2015
What a tradition! 
