[size=15pt]Lagos Calabar rail controversy : What everyone should know[/size]

There is an intense effort by some people to change the narrative regarding the controversial Lagos-Calabar rail project.

The current spin been sold is that SE&SS senators are against the progress of their people, so as to spite this administration, Also that the NASS is filled with bigoted northern senators who are out to disenfranchise the south with the southern senators doing nothing.

We can go on and debate what this controversy is all about, Spin doctors from both parties can continue to try to use this to further their political agenda, but in the midst of all this noise, it is important we put context to everything, look at the essence of this controversy and decide what the debate should really be about.

Let's start with the facts on the ground.

1. The presidency failed to submit this item in her original budget to the senate.
2. A minister tried to get the item in by approaching the senate
3. The Minster failed in doing so, given that at the end of the day, the executive discovered it wasn't added, hence all the controversy.

In between these 3 events, there are a lot of controversies, At this point it is important to put everything in context, focusing on the essence of what this controversy really represents.

The Fist Context is

1. We have an incompetent Executive - The current budget fiasco paints the executive as a bunch of confused people with no strong coordination internal and externally with Nigerians. Starting from a shoddy budget that went missing, the budget padding controversy and now the failure to adequately communicate what has really transpired in this Lagos - Calabar issue. Instead, she has chosen to throw blames as opposed to really taking responsibility and proposing a way to fix this situation. Committing gaffes upon gaffes for something very sensitive as the budget that powers the livelihood of over 200million Nigerians is a grouse sign of incompetence APC would never tolerate this from PDP if they were the opposition.

2. We have a disunited Ruling party - One of the key benefits of been the ruling party and also winning majority of seats in the House of assembly is that this helps the executive get things done. It aids easy communication and implementation of projects and visions of the executive because every member of the party understands that the success of the executive means the success of their party and them as well.

A dis-United APC is dangerous for Nigeria's progress, it's like APC is the ruling and opposing party. This is not what APC promised Nigerians. This should be the real subject of discussion, not the tribal bigoted crap that is trailing this debate.

APC should be tasked by Nigerians to get their house in other and deliver, as opposed to fighting themselves, allowing Nigerians that voted them in, to be the ground that suffers from their in-house shenanigans.

We need leadership yesterday, Nigeria must come first before party

3. SS & SE senators are not only to blame for their oversight and failure to speak up : The current spin by some Bigots is that the SS & SE senators in their bid to spite the Minister of Transport and the executive looked the other way as this project was omitted. This premise was established, Intentionally absolving the SW senators from any blame forgetting that this project will also benefit the SW. This is bigotry hiding under the facade of we are fight, for the interest of the SS and SE. While everyone know that you really don't care.

Ideally, all Southern senators are to be blamed for not standing and fighting for a project that will benefit their regions this is not a PDP or APC blame game this is the fact that our southern senators need to seat up and defend the interest of the people who put them there.

Your people must come first before the party.

4. Nigeria under the APC is becoming more disunited than ever: Truth be told the last election really did more harm to Nigeria's unity only topped by the civil war. The APC government instead of healing the wounds and uniting the nation is doing a much shoddy job that is further disuniting the nation, either through unchecked statements by the executive, the actions and inactions of the executive etc.

Allowing controversies like this to fester seems like the APC is comfortable been the party for the 95% as opposed to a party for all. The overall position and vibe of the Ruling party and her team of foot soldiers, tireless tries to drive home this fact.

That been said the real question is after the blame throwing where do we go from here as a nation. Will the APC seat up and truly provide the leadership this nation truly needs or will she continue to chase the wind for the next 3 years

I have wondered how it will benefit the SE more than the SW and even NC. I mean, a rail that long will pass through all these regions. I have asked again and again why the hate is being spewed on the SS/SE and other regions ignored.

As for the executive being incompetent and the ruling party disunited, I am even tired of discussing that. How many times have I had to buy new pens, my ink will always finish and yet the rubbish still stares us

On Point!

I completely align myself with you on this!

If all these controversies are being generated prior to passing this budget, then I begin to wonder the type of controversies that will follow budget implementation.


The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. - Dan Millman

#change

Hnmm

thanks

Op speaks the truth as it is

@OP
May your ink never dry, very apt and straight to the point. The presidency and their paid hacks are trying to blame everybody but themselves.

The minister of Transport who is from the SS, had the Kano rail included in the main budget but conveniently forgot the Lagos Calabar.

Who is Amaechi kidding, is this not the same Amaechi that cancelled maritime university in the ND because there was something similar in Zaria and Akwa Ibom.

Rubbish analysis by a bigoted PDP supporter

The article is very biased and an attempt at Wailing

The same APC government you accuse of incompetence and hatred for the SE/SS, made provision for a coastal rail infrastructure between Lagos and Calabar- benefiting several SE and SS states

The efforts of the government is being frustrated by selfish senators who want Buhari to fail

It is an effort in futility. Buhari will rule till 2023 whether you like it or not

hhhhhg...

that is it...
www.themafrica..com

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What we need to know is that when Politics is involved NEVER trust a Northern politician.
The Fulanis are astute political manipulators and the earlier the South understands that part the better for them.
Those politicians who removed it did not return the document from the House committee to plenary for further debate claiming there is a need not to delay it any further by sending it straight to Mr President for assent.

All wailers and even Zombies need to give kudos to Buhari this time for not assenting to the budget without asking for details. I have condemned Buhari several times but this time I doff my hat 'twale' for him.

SS & SE senators are not only to blame for their oversight and failure to speak up
This is purely a SW media spin carried on even to this platform to make the likes of SS Senators Ben Bruce and Akpabio look foolish.

OP, you are not being objective as you should be.. The NASS are solely to be blame. was the various subtractions, padding and additions they eventually did on the budget part of the original budget? Was it not after the padding and alteration scandal that PMB sent his ministers to confirm and correct the errors after many DGs have been sacked and many civil servants redeployed?

Was the video not shown of Amaechi's defense of the budget of his ministry and the Calabar-Lagos rail project discussed and even made a press statement on the project and was reported by Vanguard?

If their hands (NASS) are clean, why are they bent on insisting that PMB signs the budget without the details? The fact is that the NASS are full of corrupt elements and they thought it is business as usual.. They will fail!!

Ok

Writer like this OP is why I continuously wonder if the brains of over 99% Igbo on NL is not damaged

Matthewbriggs:


There is an intense effort by some people to change the narrative regarding the controversial Lagos-Calabar rail project.

The current spin been told is that SE&SS senators are against the progress of their people, so as to spite this administration.

Can anyone see how articulate the OP is with his post yet he does not have the intelligence to figure out the only senator that as spoken out on the inclusion of the budget is Gbenga Ashafa from the SouthWest. He can not comprehend every other senator that as spoken against the inclusion either through the back or front door as been from the SE/SS.

This OP can write so well but lack the intelligence to understand a northerner senator would have shut his or her mouth not minding the project was sneaked in tru the window or back door so long it is beneficial to his regions or tribe he'd support it.

Matthewbriggs:


1. We have an incompetent Executive - The current budget fiasco paints the executive as a bunch of confused people with no strong coordination internal and externally with Nigerians. Starting from a shoddy budget that went missing, the budget padding controversy and now the failure to adequately communicate what has really transpired in this Lagos - Calabar issue. Instead, she has chosen to throw blames as opposed to really taking responsibility and proposing a way to fix this situation. Committing gaffes upon gaffes for something very sensitive as the budget that powers the livelihood of over 200million Nigerians is a grouse sign of incompetence APC would never tolerate this from PDP if they were the opposition.

While this OP is clearly right about the gaffe from the president and the minister what happened to his medula that should remind him that the reason why we have the supplementary budget is simply because the gaffe in the initial budget were outrageous and untenable which necessitated the need for the now acceptable supplementary budget yet he based his argument on a document already discarded by the senate. A document which was aslo confirmed by the presidency as a fraud.


Will the OP claim he does not understand this I doubt and this bring us back to what exactly is wrong with the reasoning of some of the Igbo's on NL and why instead of appreciating what is beneficial to them would rather antagonize these laudable incentives just to spite Buhari.


While the OP might be right about the dangers of having warring faction in the APC it should be noted the party is bound to suffer more from any effect of their disunity than Nigeria. In fact I believe this is a blessing in disguise to keep the polilooters from both the APC n PDP in check. The adage only a thief can trace the footpath of another thief does justice to this notion.


The Saraki looting crew will always be mindful of every financial transaction it undertake while it continously seek space at disgracing any gaffe from the Buhari/Tinubu crew. Nigeria can only be the winner with such a situation.

Alll

I was expecting a very objective analysis and explanation supported with facts and figures but I am disappointed. The @op is highly sentimental and partisan. Can't we have robust debate in this politics section without getting this low?
@Seun,you need to audit your moderators. Many of them are not fit for the job. I am highly disappointed at the type of threads hitting frontpage these days.

Buhari is scam, kindergarten president

Naija eh..countries in a country.

Sai baba, sai budget! simple

Tired of the same topic abeg[img]http://gif.co/vfSx.gif[/img]

@Matthewbriggs how did the Minister failed if i may ask ? According to Senator Ashafa the Hon. Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, did inform the committee of the omission of the Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project and indeed sent a supplementary copy of the ministry’s budget to the committee which contained the said project..

So if i may ask again, how did the Minister failed ? Please explain

The Truth is that this government is an association of con men! They want to instigate the masses against the legislator whiles frolicking on the ignorance of the zombies!

Loo

The fact remains that the South senators don't know their major reason of going to that house is to protect the interest of this region. Even if the project was not initially added to the budget, their work is to force it on the presidency or remove that of the north. Imagine a budget that only consider the growth of the North as growth of Nigeria.

following.
d fact dat d so called lagos calabar railway line is not included in d original budget goes to show dat buari dullard is a sectional leader, who's better of as a traditional ruler. modern day governance is not his place.
furthermore d attempt by zombie elements to hide their cowardness n lack of boldness to face northern senators on ss, se senators for omition of lagos-calabar project is laughable. very shameful. una sw senators no talk, yet una dey shout say se, ss senators no talk comfirm acts of zombiesm n cawordise.
why d noise on dis lagos-cal project sef why not build sea ports in calabar i smell somtin fishy.

Following

Sighs

okay