₦airaland Forum

It is far too early to move on these things. The PDP should first an as a matter of expediency clear the deck and reboot the party machinery. The vestages of the Goodluck leadership must be completely buried before anything can be built.

Secondly there must be a 'reason(s)' for Atiku to want to leave the APC (which is/are not yet there). Without a 'reason' he will not have 'accomplices', he will not be weakening the opposition and he will not have wide public support. He is a cunny politician, not so astute but not stupid. He will not do it anytime soon.

But you've got to hand it to the Nigerian system. Always elevating 'undesirables' or to put it more plainly, leaving us with no choice at all. It is the game that is faulty, not the players.

Decryptor:
What is stylish about it?

By the way, i have noticed that the Buhari Loyalists have decreased and the likes which their comments usually gets which used to soar as high as 200 likes per post have drastically reduced to about 30-40 likes ever since that Shamsudeen of a guy warned yorubas that they will not allow Tinubu to "Yorubanize" the incoming administration. My yoruba brothers can vex for this kind of thing and this has made a number of them withdraw into their shell and the withdrawal can be immensely felt in Nairaland.


Una never see anything yet! The next 4 years of Nigerian politics will be soooooo interesting with the South-East and South-South watching with our Kunu and Pop-Corn on the sidelines

Hmmm. Seemed to have noticed that too but I thought it was the hangover after the election victory when the lightning rod of criticism is gone and the fear of equal responsibility to the incoming administration looms. People want to hide, sit on the fence so that they are not associated with any challenges, any negativity the new government may experience. This sad situation is because government has been over-personalised at the expense of institutions and Nigerians do not share responsibility with government in nation building. I didn't see the article by the said Shamsudeen which if true is very unfortunate but not entirely unexpected or atypical.

skullbaba:
It time to start critisizing my amiable general if we really want his success. Why is it that it is an Oyinbo that is piloting the copter, it time we start Nigerialisation

There is plenty of time for that. Once he is sworn in, indolent Nigerians will blame him for everything under the sun. These are the closing stages of fame, trust me.

megpita:
no mater how u waste money there ur shit go still they smell

Trust me. They are working on that one.

artisticallyart:
Retaining 13 players that is very good. We are on to building a great team that would win the world cup.

That is the key to success, longevity. For these guys there is no talk of blending. They are pre-cooked.

I just like this gaffer. Makes the job look so easy. No heavy weather with him.

Gold digger? So Oshiobabs has gold eh? Interesting.

Just a waste of time abeg. GEJ was unpopular period. They should instead focus on what dissed the electorate and make amends at least at state level.

More fuel for Tompolo's gunships, more bombs for Asari's bazookas. We can see what Nigeria is all about. Then some dumbo will talk about cancelling the contracts of militants. I'm just sorry for this mish-mash called a country.

lygn19:
ignorance dae really disturb most of una, u go just dae talk wetin u no know, even Asari go beg if Buhari start, if like doz Niger delta militants haven given up in 2006 by now d population of d entire ss wud have reduced, d only thing dat differentiated d Ijaw militants from d Biafran soldiers was dat they refused to surrender despite d time given to them, but d Ijaw militants wen they gave them dat same offer they weighed d odds and had to surrender. If not....******

You don't just get it. Even the Asari's and co. pay out a lot of money to keep this peace. NDDC pays, the Ministry of the Niger-Delta pays, the IOC's pay. The drop in crude oil funds is already causing much disquiet there as much as in the government and then you want to take it all away and give their adversaries, the Nigerian State. Hmmm

luvinhubby:
It is only unwise fellows that do not reason outside the box & you just expressed yourself as one.
Why was there clamour for state police?
What did you think escallated kidnap & oil bunkering in the niger delta, you think it was just the millitants?
Where was those security agencies when oil production dropped from 1.9mbd to 700k bd?
What have your security agencies done to ongoing vandalisation & bunkering in Arepo & Ogun state environs, including Ikorodu axis?
Wisdom is broad & not narrowminded like yours.

We are stating the obvious, the reality and they are just talking crap. Shell and co. will just declare force majeur on its contracts and evacuate its personnel via choppers leaving the soldiers to man the platforms and flow stations while fighting an unseen enemy. The entire armed forces numbers not more than 300,000 active combatants. There are 3 million youths with access to those creeks, there are hundreds of flow stations, thousands of miles of pipeline. Where do you want to start.

luvmijeje:
The militancy was successful because we all thought they were freedom fighters...... They have the sympathy of Nigerians and the world in Nigeria because we all they they have a point in the face of degradation of their environment.

Years after, NDDC came in, 13% derivation was passed into law, amnesty came in. Still on the strength of that Jonathan became the Vice-president and later became the President. And yet you are still asking for more. What have you done with the one given and earned by you?

The problem of the Niger-Delta and Nigerians in general is the failure of the people to hold their leaders responsible.

So if they want to go back to the Creek, they are welcome but they will not have the support of well meaning Nigerians.

So hold your leaders accountable first. Lead by example. But you can't can you. And you know it. Everyone just wants to get a piece of the oil. They look at Danjuma and the rest of the oil oligarchs living in affluence and safety earning billions for nothing and they want a piece of that. Catch those first, make an example of them by hanging them in the public square to send a clear message to Tompolo and co. then go after them with a sledge hammer. The real, knowledgable Nigerians will then get your sympathy. My dear, Tompolo and co. are not your problem. They are not the ones who have ruined Nigeria and you know this.

Gbawe:
Call me what you want. Fact is that your kind always end up frustrated losers because you run purely on the fuel of prejudice, self-deceit and egotism. This leaves you unable to confront and accept the truth. The fact is that it is your leaders at State and regional level who have let you down the most yet you prefer a 'romanticised' version of events where all your folks are innocent victims of the "evil machinations" of other Nigerian ethnic groups.

You do not even have the honesty or integrity to confront the fact that GEJ has led Nigeria for 5 years while the people of the ND and the region itself did not benefit at all from having their 'son' as President whereas militant warlords, mercenaries and gun-totting thugs all became billionaires courtesy of the patronage of Jonathan. Those are the sort of reality that shows that you and others love deluding yourselves.

And your leaders that led since independence has made Nigeria Hong Kong or England. Talk of delusion. Yet you see nothing wrong in what they have done to bring the country including the Niger-Delta to its knees. What did Buhari see or what did he do in 1983 about the Niger-Delta problem when the likes of Asari and Tompolo were in pampers. That is what they call vision or in this case a lack of it. All they were concerned about was their thirst for power and the glories around it sonthey maintained the status quo of maximum rule. As Petroleum minister did Buhari ever go down to see the ugliness and devastation of the creeks. What did he do about it. As PTF Chairman what did he do about the source of all that money he was distributing. He is a farmer. Did he ever check on the hens or was just collecting the eggs. What did he say when his Oga hung Saro-Wiwa and lit the fuse to this conflagration. Nothing.

It is now they know they are losing money. It is now they realise the hen sick simply because the eggs have reduced. It is the fact that Niger-Deltans are making money at their expense that worries them. Pity. Nonsense people.

gfullmoon:
Army within Army,Navy within Navy,Police within Police. Then Nigeria within Nigeria. I think I like this policy thrust!

He headed the PTF within the Ministry of Works, Health, Education, etc, he is used to setting up parallel institutions, all goverments do.

luvmijeje:
The status quo is legally, politically and morally unacceptable in the face of unimaginable high level of oil theft. To add insult to injury nobody has and could been held accountable.

Nigeria has no choice. It is the price we have to pay for allowing the situation deteriorate to such levels. Buhari has just two choices, return to the 'legal' status quo of 2004 when militancy raged on or run a two track solution of 'carrot and stick'. The military is not the solution. You don't go into a gasoline station with a flame thrower to eject illegal occupants if you depend solely on the fuel that is stored there.

Hope you know a large proportion of these payments to Tompolo and co. goes for settlement to 'the boys' living in those areas who see millions of dollars worth of oil flowing literally by their doorsteps daily and can barely resist getting their hands on it.

Nigeria should just find alternative sources of revenue to oil but in the meanwhile completely privatise the industry. Through the PIB the IOC's should be permitted to negotiate directly with host communities to secure their assets and pay whatever they deem fit for proper accountability. This is the model in all other parts of the world, not Nigeria where individuals use the power of the state to bypass their obligations towards their hosts.

I say again to every Nigerian out there. Can you allow that in your town, your village, your home.

babyfaceafrica:
whhy are they building and buying properties abroad..they should invest in Nigeria not necessarily Delta..they are guilty of the same thing they accuse politicians and cabals of!!!!

Exactly so why deny them their fun in the sun. Its their time. There is something that always baffles me about Nigerians concerning this matter. Leaders from other regions have collectively vandalised this economy, enriched themselves and usurped the Nigerian started. You guys say and do nothing. They are there again some having re-invented themselves and we are okay with that. It is the militants that is our problem. Do you know or do you care how much TY Danjuma alone strips from this country on a daily basis and has been doing virtually since the end of the civil war (his only credentials and rights to such). Start there first then your campaign will be more credible and persuasive to the peoples of the Niger-Delta. If the oil is for all, it is for all, if it is for some then you have no right to decide to whom it goes, period.

luvmijeje:
First of all, the Nigeria police force, other security operatives and generally the justice system should be restructure and well funded.

Secondly, Buhari must show sincerity of purpose by implementing his plan for Niger Delta thereby making the criminal elements redundant while bringing the people who matter most to his side. He should do that by employing the right people to head NDDC and other like minded agencies.

Finally, he must be transparent, open and honest. He must take the people along in every decision process.

All these will take time and are only possible if there is peace. Reforms don't take place in times of conflict. To change gear you engage the clutch not turn off the engine. Reform yes, but ease off the status quo ever so wisely. May Buhari's supporters not push him to taking rash decisions or he will face similar problems as he did in the eighties.

[quote author=Bluetooth2 post=33785773]The Niger Delta will only be militarized and nothing more. You know what happens after such venture.[/quote

Them the economy will tank, simple. And by the way, there are several places in the Delta Nigeria simply doesn't have jurisdiction over. Ask DHQ. Soldiers just don't go there. And you can't force them to.

babyfaceafrica:
I don't know wy some people are supporting this millitants ,all they do is collect federal money and cary it abroad to invest,tey do absolutely nothing for niger deltans,they are not different from the politicians demselves....this millitants just milk dee people dry

And why are you supporting a Nigeria that refuses to find other sources of income apart from oil when it clearly has others. Will you permit this in your own village. Oil is not a renewable resource. When it is gone it is gone. When will the Niger-Delta reach the equilibrium in all indices of development like other regions....when the oil is gone. You guys are just not fair. Affirmative action means that a disproportionately higher amount of money should go to the peoples there. The poor should attain the same levels as the poor in Lagos or London (where the shareholders of these IOC's are domicilled) and the rich should attain the same levels of wealth as the rich in Lagos or London. Yes. The educated should be offered the same quality as other regions and the graduates should have equal opportunity in industry.

But you sit there with your imperalistic attitude and scorn indigenous people making it rich from oil when the oil moguls are present besides you in Lagos and London, people you idolize. Tell me what they have done to earn their wealth. Is there any state in Nigeria without a billionaire oil tycoon. But Tompolo is your problem. Nonsense. They steal oil and build mighty farms, ranches and estates. Show me where to build those in the Delta. Are your idols not having their cake and eating it as well.

einsteino:
I am a deltan. I would say revoke it but he as a general should understand that he has to thread very carefully in matters like this. he wouldnt want to cause problems that would distract his government for the next four years. inshort announcing such before his swearing in, would give the boys heads up and enable them prepare for a face off. You don't do such, it is unwise.

Remember Tompolo has upgraded from a mere warlord to a mentor for many, he enjoys undisputed loyalty. Asari may be nothing but a noisemaker but tompolo is someone that commands d respect of even law abiding citizens, he deliberately abstains from public glare and is the only warlord that has a charity foundation. i don't think Tompolo would want any trouble either, but a man like him thaf is so quiet and looks gentle is hard to predict.

Forget the propaganda ameachi and o'tega are trying to sell, in reality the Niger delta is almost wholly anti APC, so buhari lacks political influence in the region, even worst he is from a tribe that is viewed as an oppressor. So he has to thread carefully but we certainly cannot keep up with this contracts. diplomacy is key here, take away any credibility that would allow militancy to thrive. By reaching out and building some trust via an overwhwlming visible FG Presence in the form of developmental projects. that is the easiest and safest way to disarm the ticking time bomb

Best answer so far. A further escalation of the situation is not wise. The Boko Haram insurgency is still raging, tying down a lot of military real estate and some think opening another front in the delta against a graver threat is the right thing to do. If we think solving the Niger-Delta problem has no costs then we should think again. It will be protracted and expensive just because so much damage has been done by the Nigerian state for so long, damage that people simply cannot wish away. Nigeria created the Asaris and Tompolos. Whether they want to create the next generation or upgraded versions is entirely up to them.

luvmijeje:
Nice one...... They must also fashion out ways to mop out ammuntions which are in the hands of these boys.

I agree. So what ideas do you have.

. Conventional security agencies. Comedy Central this weekend starts....now.

That is why 3rd party insurance is not good. Ask any agent. Your marraige was an accident waiting to happen.

Joel3:
how I just can't wait for Jonathan to go back to where ever he came from. i am tired of bad news every part of the country.

29 fast approaching.

So what will you say or do if this continues beyond 29th of May. The army we have is the army we have. It belongs to Nigeria not any politician or political party. I'm afraid you are just setting up yourself for an emotional rollercoaster. This war cannot be won by force of arms alone and as long as the short term possibilities are no more than containment, there will be casualties. Or do you think there is some residual capabilities only available to the incoming government. You must be joking.

....Lets get ready to rumble!!!... Presenting, in the blue corner, fighting out of Ibafo, Ogun State with a record of 40 wins no losses with 28 via knock out, the undefeated male chauvanist of the world, the hemp smoking, ethanol guzzling, son-of-a-gun.....Ayomeeede 'the beast' Yakuuuubuuuuuu....

Disgusting. Abuse is inevitable with dire consequences. I'm sure its a doctor that came up with that idea.... I mean to fill up his consultancy.

ramdris:
Nothing wrong with the act if the structures are illegal. Same thing is happening here right now in New York where am staying.

Hmm. Did the PDP lose elections there too.

musicwriter:
Osinbajo, don't join them o!

He practically has no choice. In 4 years time his reputation will range from 'sit and look' to 'complicity'. There are few choices before a politician. Once at the top floor there is only one direction the elevator goes.

cramjones:
It is definitely a lot of adjusting to do for my amiable Pastor, Prof Osinbajo - forced to discuss with thieves that has wrecked the country.

-CramJones

Democracy is not a fashion parade. You must dine with the devil if needed. It is the cutlery that matters.

Which one be indigenous armed robbers.

utytill:
i know aliyu and lamido will one day look up to ss and se for help and i hope they will not be forsaken.

I believe that will be the power axis to challenge at the poles in 2019. It will be interesting to see who the principals will be but I anticipate a fifty-fifty split between old PDP and defectors from the APC. Also watch out for flamboyant governors who have amassed massive war chests, the likes of Akpabio to strive at some stage.

They don't need to leave the PDP and if they don't they will have proven themselves true democrats. Personal losses are insignificant to the polity and country in general as long as democracy constantly wins which it has done since 1999. The APC will go through the same process of boom-bust because the only constant thing in life ironically is change.