₦airaland Forum

Sam Milla: I agree that business owners should be paying tax. I do pay. But-

Asking spare parts dealers to pay 50k annualy is not a balanced action.
Some shops are worth 5 million naira while some are worth 100k or less.

If Fashola must go ahead, they need to evaluate shops, check employees, check incomes, and many more factors that will aid them in making rational decisions on how to deal with this people. Closing up shops is not the way, unless their plan is to chase more people away from Lagos...

Then how long will it take? 7 years?Let us stop all this,if they cant pay N50k/N100k a year which is N4k/N8k a month roughly then they should leave Lagos

aribisala0: Playing the victim card is not helpful . Every Nigerian insults each other and has done things they should not have done. Just as I cannot take responsibility personally for the wrongs of Nigerians against Igbos so also Igbos should not for their fellows.
Igbo people were wronged in the pogroms of 1966 by Northern Mobs in connivance with troops of Northern Origin and this is to be condemned. I agree, though NOT ONLY Igbos were killed they bore the brunt of it. I do not agree that fighting the war to stop Biafra seceding was wrong and there can be no agreement there.

It was a bloody brutal war and many more people died as a consequence than were killed in the North. Ojukwu must take responsibility. The obvious question is what was he supposed to do when his people were being killed in droves?Honestly I don't know but there is no doubt that he could have saved many more lives if he had surrendered much earlier.
I have read about and have met many victims of the war.Their stories are harrowing and not trivial but life is often not black or white their is usually a lot of grey in between. A small number of Igbos played a role in what befell their people in Northern Nigeria where there were documented cases of Northerners being taunted about their slain leaders in barracks /streetsand even a record made in that effort.The crises brewed over a period when an Igbo was Head of State and perhaps did not do enough to avert it or even contributed to it.Did that justify the consequences No but that is life. The same thing is happening today with Boko Haram is the solution secession? No.
The Truth is Nigeria is a creation of the British bringing together many peoples of different cultures in an arrangement that can politely be described as "difficult". It is dishonest to pretend that Hausas,Yorubas,or any Non-Igbo group has benefitted more than Igbos from Nigeria. From all Indications Norther Nigeria has benefitted the least from the arrangement. This is in contrast to Northern Elite who are able to steal directly the nation's wealth more than Elite from any other group. I am not one of them and I doubt you are. In that respect ordinary Nigerians are very much the same.
There is a particular burden Igbos carry and that is this idea of being more meritorious,the idea that if everything was done properly then Igbos would naturally come to the top and this idea is projected in ways that are far from subtle to ALL Nigerians. The truth is this problem is evident even outside Nigeria whether in Cameroun or Ivory Coast or Guinea or Cameroun. For all I know it may be true even. May be Igbos are better than all of us but you still need to learn two things
To swallow your pride
To see things from the other person's perspective.

How true is this idea that Igbos have been told they can't govern. Are Igbos more important than Edo,Igala,Tiv,Efik,Ijebu and many others who have not been head of state.

How many NON Military heads of state have we had in Nigeria for us to say Igbos are being marginalized?
So far we have had

Balewa
Shagari
Obasanjo
Yar adua
Jonathan
5 non military heads of state discounting Shonekan which was irrelevant. We can effectively describe them as 4 terms since Yaradua/Jonathan is one term
It is a fact than none of these 5 is Hausa,Kanuri,Edo,Efik,Tiv,Igala,Urhobo or Itsekiri. why are these people not screaming.Why do the Igbos feel more important than them? By all means let us have an Igbo President but none on the basis of some presumed special right for Igbo.
when people say an Igbo cannot be president this is not a constitutional issue but a numbers issue. To become President you need other Nigerians to vote for you

. The question is is this likely to happen based on how Igbos relate to other Nigerians? This is a reality based question. No amount of whining or playing victim will change that.You have no right to be trusted.You earn trust by respecting people and dealing with integrity if you believe you are doing so put it to the test at the ballot. Certainly the unending campaign of hatred against Yorubas only indicates poor awareness of self interest and how to pursue it.

Wow, just wow aribisala0. This is a very balanced view. Now I know nairaland has mature people . Once again take a bow.well articulated

Nigerian journalists are a bit lazy and dont put attention to detail. They shoould have followed this announcement and demand how this will be carried out, the procedure.Instead of attention seeking headlines

They should have defined what an abandoned car is? Good move

Billyonaire: Fashola will soon overtake Tinubu in terms of riches and glory. I cant understand why he borrows more money when the State Allocation and IGR is enough to handle these projects even when most projects in the Island are Public Private Partnership, we are all not stupid and I need to know why he has to take more loan when Fed Allocation and IGR can power these projects. I am saying this for the interest of us all in Lagos cos the moment another government inherits insolvent debts, then we are the ones to face the music of agberos and task forces and tax collectors from all angles. I like Fashola's style but he should be stopped from these continuous borrowing and eye service, Lagos was developed by Feds mostly he shouldn't act as if he has built monumental bridges in his tenure using the loans he has been randomly taking. Look at Abia, its fallen cos of bad loans collected by Chief sorry Thief Orji Uzor Kalu. Lagos no go spoil cos am here. More grease to his elbow, he is a pragmatic leader although not perfect, greed comes into our heads once in a while, am not saying he shouldnt chop, but am saying dont make it so glaring like Tinubu who has a file with EFCC and ICPC that can be read to him each time he wants to cough. We need a Fashola in Aso Rock after 2019 to complement the efforts of the GEJ led Government after 2019.

Not holding breif for the lagos government but state allocation and lagos IGR is grossly inadequate to fund all these projects. The blue line alone takes $1b( N160b and rising because of instability in building materials) , the Lagos- badagry 10 lane expansion takes N220b. Now I havent mentioned the mile 12-ikorodu (N60b) and other smaller projects but important projects littered across the state. Lagos IGR as at June 2012 was I think N23b, State allocation I think is N72b yearly(i think but not sure). Also remember that if lagos waits to take the tax, time will be going so how it is done the world over is use bonds, or loans(at low interest say 1% ) to fund porjects and pay at your conveninet on a monthly basis or so, which is what I think the man is doing. Fashola is no saint but I will personally prefer him in government compared to GEJ.

kenmaro: A 3 months imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 and seizure of the vehicle is on the high side for a traffic offense. Instead, i think a one(1) month social work or a fine of 25,000 with a mandatory 7days driver's re-certification and a non-seizure of the vehicle is OK. After all, the vehicle did not drive itself wrongly rather it was operated by a human. I tell you this country Nigeria does not have a fair judicial system for the helpless Nigerian citizen. If it was an elite citizen(the "who is who" in the society), do we think these kind of punishment would have been judiciously applied? Go around Lagos state to see a lot of siren blaring convoys driving against traffic in their quest to either catch-up a flight or etc and causing havoc to other road users. Some of these people in these convoys are members of the state cabinet and other top government functionaries. What has the government done to these set of people? Take the case of former speaker of the House of Rep(Salisu Buhari) who was convicted of a case of certificate forgery some years back, what was the punishment for his offense? A mere fine of 1,000naira. But i tell you, just a case of certificate forgery in the quest of employment in a company here in Nigeria will land a helpless citizen(who is a "Nobody" in jail with an option of a very bogus fine.
Fashola is really doing great reformations in the state and neither am i against his reformation policies but he should ensure that equal justice is applied to the high and low in the society.
Remember "What is good for the goose is also good for the gender".

That sounds good on paper . what if the guy absconds from communal duty, in a nation where we have no biometric data to link anyone, it is best he is jailed there for 3 months, his truck taken. Let him suffer so that next time he is opportuned to drive in lagos lai-lai he will not take one way

I will even advocate for fashola to go a step further and indict/penalise the companies who hires such drivers.When companies lose both driver and finance a few times, they will make sure their drivers are not a nuisance to people on the road. There should be a fine for the company in monetary terms inclusive of the present punutive measures. I will also advocate that half of the fee be given to the Task Force men and women enforcement Unit as a way to boost morale, while the other half goes straight into Lagos coffers.

Thumbs up for Lagos state and fashola. We need to drive this menace out of lagos. Imagine driving a trailer against traffic putting people's life at risk.

Eko o ni baje o

Actually , the first phase of the LRT will be from National Theatre to Mile 2( through Orile Iganmu- Alaba) , 4 stations all in all, this is what will be completed by June and it is very very feasible. Then the second phase will be to take the track laying to Okokomaiko. The rail services will initially start from National Theatre to Mile 2 , then from National Theatre to Okokomaiko(when it is completed), Once the lagoon bridge is done and fitted, then Marina to Okokomaiko will commence, which is still a long way of say 2016 at best. (See below). I will say however, I am disppaointed with the pace, but I know funding is a big issue. No one is even talking of the Red Line, which hasnt even started construction/rehabilitation yet. I will like to know from any Fashola people, what is the status of the red line

http://s405514592.websitehome.co.uk/...March-2012.pdf

Some people here are funny. There is an opportunity cost for every thing, Lagos has and had a lot of problems before Fashola and after him, it will still have problems. Fashola cannot solve ALL lagos problem on the meagre revenue Lagos has compared to the population of about 17million people. The main focus should be on infrastructure. The Blue Rail is ongoing(though it slowed down, i live there), the Badagry 10 lane is ongoing, The Ojota-Ikorodu expansion(i was in that area in dec) is ongoing these are major projects requiring huge budgets. There are some other small small roads(the oshodi rd, etc).. I can't mention all. One is not saying Fashola is a saint. But let us put emotion in the bin. The man is trying but when the problems are enormous and the funds are little(N499b...for a population of 17million is a drop by world standard, that is just $3.1b).So if he doesnt allocate to Health , i am glad as he has to be focused. The reason Fashola is noticeable is because he is focused. Something other governors should learn. Focus ! Most governors and GEJ are making one big mistake trying to transform health, sports, agric, transport, this and that on such a tiny budget .in the end the impact is not felt. But take one important sector and focus on really giving it a go, and see the knock on effect. Just before some one says ACN paid me N100m, let me say it so the person doesnt have to bother and waste his post/strength....ACN paid me more than that sef for propaganda fee. Satisfied?

The extra N540.3m($3.5m roughly )was what lagos got from the subsidy removal. I will like to see what fourth mainland bridge can be built with $3.5m in any country. That amount is just too small.

Kewt: 2013 is just a few hours from now. The current year had several leadership controversies, accusations and counter accusations in it's wake.

Several Nigerians took to twitter, Facebook, Nairaland and other social network and media sites and blogs to lash out and point to one or more misdemeanor of the GEJ administration. The truth however is, despite the criticisms, which seems to be increasing in geometric progression, only a few have actually taken the bold step of suggesting solutions on how to improve the infrastructural decay and lift Nigeria from the quagmire we find ourselves today.

Take it or leave it, Nigeria belongs to us all and the actions or inactions of our leaders today definitely have an impact on the incoming generation.

In light of the above, below is an extract of a write up and advise for President Jonathan on issues affecting our common wealth and how they can be solved.

Enough of arms chair criticism. Let's provide suggestions on how Nigeria can move forward hoping someone close to the corridors of power will see this and bring it to the knowledge of those that matter.

Please feel free to add yours!

Good solution but some will not be feasible. I will point out one. 70% Capital expenditure. It will be ONLY feasible when he sacks 1/2 the civil service, make the memebers of National Assembly sign a bill to cut their pay by 25%-40%. Now tell me, you really think that is feasible.

I will vote for Fashola, because he is not giving us what we want but what we need. Lagos is a really big slum, and he is modernizing it. We, have a lot of bad habits that will keep lagos behind, until we get rid of. Banning okada , while painful is the right thing, and it will only take some years b4 we realise it. Also remember he is working on a small budget, $2.1b for a population of 15million . People want lagos to be clean, good roads, good education, good transportation system but ask them to pay for it, they will talk something else.I am just a realist and i know if he has a bigger platform he will perform better for Nigeria. He who is faithful in small is faithful in much. Some people say he is demolishing here and there and i say do you want good and wide roads? if yes, how do you expect him to create that, in the air? lets be sincere, we need to demolish some places, because they are not conducive for people to live in .Just because some people are living there doesnt mean it os condusive.I could go on and on. Bottomline. Fashola for president

People please before jumping into conclusion, know what is happening. If you follow the banking industry SLS is doing the right thing. During Soludo's time in 2005, Nigerian banks were consolidated I.e both commercial and merchant banks were merged togther(like IBTC, investment bank and Stanbic, commercial) to follow the global trends in the US and Europe. However, the worldwide banking crisis in 2008 which led to the collapse of Lehman Brothers and other banks was as a result of commercial banks operating as Merchant Banks and risking people's saving.to make risky investment. As a result, the world started going back to the original way of Commercial banks I.e Retail banking and Merchant Banks being seperated. This is what SLS is doing now, he just issued 2 licenses to First Rand and FSDH to operate as Investment banking or merchant banking

When I heard of it yday. It just confirmed me that GEJ is worth all the insults he gets and mr president is not serious. So in his 48months tenure, at the 20th month(almost 2yrs) he turns around and yan dust. This is a sector that has kept Nigeria hostage for decades, and he doesn't see the URGENCY of sorting this out. A Nigeria where a whopping 70% live below the poverty line, it doesn't dawn on him the urgency of a quick resolution. This one decision can throw the gencos and discos privitisation in the bin, as these investors will develop cold feet and will no longer go ahead and pay the fees because of uncertainty. All GEJ can do well is smile that his useless smile, take photos and wear different attire. The man is good for nothing else. Imagine, we know GEJ can't solve all Nigeria's problem. At least get this sorted but no. God help us

Hello All,

There is no easy solution, because lagos is overpopulated and Nigerians love their cars and it is hard to change some habits. Here are my two kobos

First lagos stae government needs to CREATE a website that deals with transport accross lagos.They need to ENLIGHTEN the public that this site gives real-time solution to your destination. Lucky enough Gidi_traffic is doing a bit of that but nonetheless they need to have one that gives "how to" directions on moving from point A to B across lagos. Inform the public so everyone is aware especially the working/middle and wealthy.

Secondly the Central Business Districts/Areas i.e CMS, V/I, Lekki-Ajah, Ikoyi all these places with high density of business and worker (basically Lagos island and 3MB inclusive) should be run by ONLY BRT. Yes BRT. Now, All BRTs must be air-conditioned, even if you have to jerk up the price by additional N70. As opposed to queuing for them and wasting time. Let the BRTs be coming even say 10mins ( but during rush hour in the morning and evenings..5mins)and let all their routes pass through all the business areas(lagos island) and cater for transport on the island. They will terminate their tranpsortation into the mainland borders like oshodi, oworonshoki, yaba...include more.let All yellow buses, yes all..commute from these locations to all areas in mainland. These will reduce time spent on the road from the island because the yellow buses are too much and are a main sourse of traffic.

Impose congestion charges in these central business districts so only people who need to use their cars and probably it will encourage people sharing cars to the island to reduce the cost. Make it high say daily rate of N2k.(Not easy to sell)

Thirdly, enlighten , yes enlighten people across lagos on using the lagos ferry services. Organise the routes well (website should give details). Let safety jackets(life vest) for every passenger.

Fourthly all tankers,trailers moving combustile, cargo like(containers) should move during off peak hours. Enforce it and make sure they stick to it. This will ensure they plan and organise themselves. There has been countless traffic because of trailer or tanker breakdowns/ accident and they obstruct lagos a lot. Not to sound condescending most of thes Heavy duty drivers are not carefull on the road.(Probably Lagos can organise a training so they know how they will conduct their Heavy duty on lagos sroads)

Lastly fast track the light rail construction it is so vital to lagos
Two kobo

Hello All,

There is no easy solution, because lagos is overpopulated and Nigerians love their cars and it is hard to change some habits. Here are my two kobos

First lagos stae government needs to CREATE a website that deals with transport accross lagos.They need to ENLIGHTEN the public that this site gives real-time solution to your destination. Lucky enough Gidi_traffic is doing a bit of that but nonetheless they need to have one that gives "how to" directions on moving from point A to B across lagos. Inform the public so everyone is aware especially the working/middle and wealthy.

Secondly the Central Business Districts/Areas i.e CMS, V/I, Lekki-Ajah, Ikoyi all these places with high density of business and worker (basically Lagos island and 3MB inclusive) should be run by ONLY BRT. Yes BRT. Now, All BRTs must be air-conditioned, even if you have to jerk up the price by additional N70. As opposed to queuing for them and wasting time. Let the BRTs be coming even say 10mins ( but during rush hour in the morning and evenings..5mins)and let all their routes pass through all the business areas(lagos island) and cater for transport on the island. They will terminate their tranpsortation into the mainland borders like oshodi, oworonshoki, yaba...include more.let All yellow buses, yes all..commute from these locations to all areas in mainland. These will reduce time spent on the road from the island because the yellow buses are too much and are a main sourse of traffic.

Impose congestion charges in these central business districts so only people who need to use their cars and probably it will encourage people sharing cars to the island to reduce the cost. Make it high say daily rate of N2k.(Not easy to sell). This is because 80% of vehicles in lagos traffic are private owned. Of that 70% have only one passenger(I.e the driver and probably the owner)is in the vehicle. This charge will serve as extra income and a deterrent.
Also I notice that their are few alternative routes and where they exist they are really really bad roads. No one wants to ply them, so work on these alternative roads(the website will help people know of them).

Thirdly, enlighten , yes enlighten people across lagos on using the lagos ferry services. Organise the routes well (website should give details). Let safety jackets(life vest) for every passenger.


Fourthly all tankers,trailers moving combustile, cargo like(containers) should move during off peak hours. Enforce it and make sure they stick to it. This will ensure they plan and organise themselves. There has been countless traffic because of trailer or tanker breakdowns/ accident and they obstruct lagos a lot. Not to sound condescending most of thes Heavy duty drivers are not carefull on the road.(Probably Lagos can organise a training so they know how they will conduct their Heavy duty on lagos sroads)

Lastly fast track the light rail construction it is so vital to lagos
. There a lot more but these are immediate thing/policies that can be carried outTwo kobo
Lastly fast track the light rail construction it is so vital to lagos
Two kobo