kk

k

Nairalanders pls help me I am Contestant 004 pls like my pics


https://mobile.facebook.com/SoulsCity/photos/a.526482857437894.1073741826.476026265816887/945571358862373/?type=3&__tn__=E


Pls use d link to like her picture.... It's important and also like d souls nations page also to make ur vote count..... Catherine. N. O

Show me love

Clear throat

hucienda:

This man is a gentleman and behaves with statesmanlike mien.
OBJ should learn this from him and President Shagari.

I the dobale for him jare

Progressive01:
That one no go happen bros. This is the politics board, it is meant for political talks.

Stop hating. If it's buhari you will shout change

Sibrah:
Math 6:3 concerning charity says : but when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Politician doing thing for men to see and hardly God. Sai baba intergrity you re scarce amongs this type of politicians.

Watin this one smoke

Do you want to tell us your sai baba is doing great in the secret. I can see it. The dollàr n naira even bokoharam. Baba is working.

**** stop hating see the real change

BEN BRUCE MAN OF THE YEAR

Pat Utomi was the keynote speaker at the recently held national conference on tourism convened by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators in Calabar. Along with other speakers, he proffered solutions to help resuscitate Nigeria’s ailing tourism industry, reports Demola Ojo

“In the quest for diversification, everybody is talking about agriculture, about mining but nobody is talking about tourism. Diversification is not an electric light switch. You don’t just turn it on and it goes to mining, or press the switch button and it goes to agriculture. Before the mining industry can contribute anything to our economy, it will take at least 15 years. So you have to look towards the low-hanging fruits.”

These are the words of renowned economist, Prof Pat Utomi. The former presidential aspirant was the keynote speaker at a national tourism conference convened recently by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) in Calabar on the occasion of NATOP’s AGM.

Other speakers at the event attended by major stakeholders in Nigeria’s tourism industry were the DG of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mrs Dayo Keshi and the President of NATOP, Nkewerem Onung. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade also spoke through their respective representatives.

The timing of the conference couldn’t have been better; it was a welcome reminder that practitioners within the industry are trudging on in defiance of the ‘body language’ of the current government which points towards tourism being relegated, or ‘orphaned’ in the words of industry commentators. The hitherto stand-alone ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation created in 1999 is no more.

Calabar was also deliberately chosen as the venue for the conference. Cross River State is unarguably number one in the ranking of states promoting tourism as a means of alternative revenue and employment generation.

It was the appropriate time and place to trump up the import and relevance of the tourism industry to Nigeria’s economy. NATOP President Onung acknowledged as much.

“This conference has come at the right time when it appears that tourism is not a priority on the agenda of the present administration which is demonstrated by the scrapping of the Federal Ministry of Tourism,” Onung said in his opening remarks.

“It is also necessitated by the fact that despite the potential of Nigerian tourism, our policy makers have not seen it as an alternative to oil with an earning capacity of over $7 billion. According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) records, $1.5 billion was spent on international ticketing in 2013 alone.”

Back to Utomi. The co-founder of the Lagos Business School was brutally blunt when he said, “The collapse of oil prices is a gift from heaven.” He has been an advocate of diversifying the base of the economy for years he asserted.

However, the convergence of two forces - the new change mantra pervasive in the polity and oil prices going south - presents another opportunity to chart the best way forward.

He went down memory lane to the fifties and sixties, describing how Nigeria’s federating units developed through a concept defined by some American scholars as competitive communalism.

All those gains came crashing down when “idealistic soldiers” took over the reins of power, just about the same time of the oil boom.

“We’ve systematically killed off what the country used to be,” he said, lamenting the death of the theatre culture in Nigeria. One of the surest ways back, he posited, is what he refers to as the commercialization of culture.

Prof Utomi has reached the top in several different endeavours, becoming one of Nigeria’s top managers in manufacturing before his 33rd birthday, reaching a presidential advisory position at 27; earning two Master Degrees and a PhD at 26, and professorship and global acknowledgement as a leading scholar in business, political economy and media studies in his forties. He has global leaders and policy makers as friends. He knows a thing or two about mining.

“Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals is a friend of mine. As we speak, he’s on his way back from the mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa. I was supposed to be at that conference. Later this month, I will be a guest of the government of Australia.” Top of the agenda is mining.

“The type of work we need to do before we even start to discuss mining; the time, the investment, the infrastructure, is such that to be obsessed with mining, thinking that we want to switch to mining is to misunderstand the concept of diversification.

“Even agriculture that we’ve lived with all our lives, will take a while. Akin Adesina who was minister of Agriculture did a lot. A couple of years ago, we had a marathon discussion of about five hours talking agriculture and the things that need to be done. He only scratched the surface of one part, the corruption in the fertilizer business. Then he began to set targets. Agriculture might move faster than mining, but there are lower hanging fruits, the area of - I like to call it—selling culture,” the scholar said.

“I’ve tried to get conversations going in that area over the years. More than twenty years ago, I propounded the idea that selling culture could earn Nigeria more money than oil. When I was talking about it, people said I was crazy,” he revealed. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is that we don’t realise how much more we can earn from this industry.”

Utomi touched on a few aspects that could help Nigeria generate revenue from tourism going forward. He zeroed in on Nigeria’s ample coastline, ‘’…stretching from Badagry all the way here (to Calabar).”

He continued, “Do you know the number of people that come from Europe to Gambia to sit on those beaches that are not half as nice as the beaches that we have here?”

He compared Gambia’s “bungalow airport” to the “monstrosity” called Murtala Muhammed International in Lagos. However the attitude of officials at the point of entry makes all the difference. The experience of most visitors coming through MMIA is enough to dissuade a repeat visit.

“Our immigration officers need to be helped. Airports need to be places of welcome,” he said. “A service culture needs to be built.” He emphasized the need to focus on delighting people, not making money.

Utomi enjoined tourism practitioners to creatively solve tourism problems. For example, traffic to TINAPA in Calabar could be increased by linking it to the Le Meridien Ibom resort through the river that links both points. The men can play golf, while their families take a refreshing both trip to what was conceived as a shopping and entertainment destination.

Still on ideas for TINAPA and Calabar as a whole, Utomi believes tourism will only take-off in earnest if Calabar is a regional hub that links West Africa to Central and East Africa.

“There should be 40 to 50 flights coming into Calabar daily, rather than the four or five we have presently.”

Still on the subject of ways forward, NATOP President Onung said, “We believe that Nigeria can have a visa regime that encourages tourists to Nigeria.” He continued by advocating for a “National carrier that is partially privatized and fully commercialized with a mandate for national development.”

In his remarks, Lai Mohammed revealed the position of government. “A key aspect of this administration’s policy thrust is the development of the non-oil sector of the economy which was hitherto neglected. I am therefore glad that this conference has been initiated as one of the platforms that will further the discussion on this issue.”

According to him, in other to boost tourism and give it the needed impetus to contribute to Nigeria’s GDP, government has decided to list tourism among the six priority sectors of the economy. Other initiatives include, a review of the National Tourism Policy of 1990, provision of attractive incentives for prospective investors, and launching of the Nigerian Tourism Development Plan.

“In the days ahead, we will be bringing all stakeholders together, also here in Calabar, to chart a definite path forward,” he promised.


source: http://talkoftourism..com.ng/2016/02/promoting-tourism-as-alternative-to.html#sthash.344mHys9.dpuf

Pat Utomi was the keynote speaker at the recently held national conference on tourism convened by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators in Calabar. Along with other speakers, he proffered solutions to help resuscitate Nigeria’s ailing tourism industry, reports Demola Ojo

“In the quest for diversification, everybody is talking about agriculture, about mining but nobody is talking about tourism. Diversification is not an electric light switch. You don’t just turn it on and it goes to mining, or press the switch button and it goes to agriculture. Before the mining industry can contribute anything to our economy, it will take at least 15 years. So you have to look towards the low-hanging fruits.”

These are the words of renowned economist, Prof Pat Utomi. The former presidential aspirant was the keynote speaker at a national tourism conference convened recently by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) in Calabar on the occasion of NATOP’s AGM.

Other speakers at the event attended by major stakeholders in Nigeria’s tourism industry were the DG of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mrs Dayo Keshi and the President of NATOP, Nkewerem Onung. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade also spoke through their respective representatives.

The timing of the conference couldn’t have been better; it was a welcome reminder that practitioners within the industry are trudging on in defiance of the ‘body language’ of the current government which points towards tourism being relegated, or ‘orphaned’ in the words of industry commentators. The hitherto stand-alone ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation created in 1999 is no more.

Calabar was also deliberately chosen as the venue for the conference. Cross River State is unarguably number one in the ranking of states promoting tourism as a means of alternative revenue and employment generation.

It was the appropriate time and place to trump up the import and relevance of the tourism industry to Nigeria’s economy. NATOP President Onung acknowledged as much.

“This conference has come at the right time when it appears that tourism is not a priority on the agenda of the present administration which is demonstrated by the scrapping of the Federal Ministry of Tourism,” Onung said in his opening remarks.

“It is also necessitated by the fact that despite the potential of Nigerian tourism, our policy makers have not seen it as an alternative to oil with an earning capacity of over $7 billion. According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) records, $1.5 billion was spent on international ticketing in 2013 alone.”

Back to Utomi. The co-founder of the Lagos Business School was brutally blunt when he said, “The collapse of oil prices is a gift from heaven.” He has been an advocate of diversifying the base of the economy for years he asserted.

However, the convergence of two forces - the new change mantra pervasive in the polity and oil prices going south - presents another opportunity to chart the best way forward.

He went down memory lane to the fifties and sixties, describing how Nigeria’s federating units developed through a concept defined by some American scholars as competitive communalism.

All those gains came crashing down when “idealistic soldiers” took over the reins of power, just about the same time of the oil boom.

“We’ve systematically killed off what the country used to be,” he said, lamenting the death of the theatre culture in Nigeria. One of the surest ways back, he posited, is what he refers to as the commercialization of culture.

Prof Utomi has reached the top in several different endeavours, becoming one of Nigeria’s top managers in manufacturing before his 33rd birthday, reaching a presidential advisory position at 27; earning two Master Degrees and a PhD at 26, and professorship and global acknowledgement as a leading scholar in business, political economy and media studies in his forties. He has global leaders and policy makers as friends. He knows a thing or two about mining.

“Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals is a friend of mine. As we speak, he’s on his way back from the mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa. I was supposed to be at that conference. Later this month, I will be a guest of the government of Australia.” Top of the agenda is mining.

“The type of work we need to do before we even start to discuss mining; the time, the investment, the infrastructure, is such that to be obsessed with mining, thinking that we want to switch to mining is to misunderstand the concept of diversification.

“Even agriculture that we’ve lived with all our lives, will take a while. Akin Adesina who was minister of Agriculture did a lot. A couple of years ago, we had a marathon discussion of about five hours talking agriculture and the things that need to be done. He only scratched the surface of one part, the corruption in the fertilizer business. Then he began to set targets. Agriculture might move faster than mining, but there are lower hanging fruits, the area of - I like to call it—selling culture,” the scholar said.

“I’ve tried to get conversations going in that area over the years. More than twenty years ago, I propounded the idea that selling culture could earn Nigeria more money than oil. When I was talking about it, people said I was crazy,” he revealed. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is that we don’t realise how much more we can earn from this industry.”

Utomi touched on a few aspects that could help Nigeria generate revenue from tourism going forward. He zeroed in on Nigeria’s ample coastline, ‘’…stretching from Badagry all the way here (to Calabar).”

He continued, “Do you know the number of people that come from Europe to Gambia to sit on those beaches that are not half as nice as the beaches that we have here?”

He compared Gambia’s “bungalow airport” to the “monstrosity” called Murtala Muhammed International in Lagos. However the attitude of officials at the point of entry makes all the difference. The experience of most visitors coming through MMIA is enough to dissuade a repeat visit.

“Our immigration officers need to be helped. Airports need to be places of welcome,” he said. “A service culture needs to be built.” He emphasized the need to focus on delighting people, not making money.

Utomi enjoined tourism practitioners to creatively solve tourism problems. For example, traffic to TINAPA in Calabar could be increased by linking it to the Le Meridien Ibom resort through the river that links both points. The men can play golf, while their families take a refreshing both trip to what was conceived as a shopping and entertainment destination.

Still on ideas for TINAPA and Calabar as a whole, Utomi believes tourism will only take-off in earnest if Calabar is a regional hub that links West Africa to Central and East Africa.

“There should be 40 to 50 flights coming into Calabar daily, rather than the four or five we have presently.”

Still on the subject of ways forward, NATOP President Onung said, “We believe that Nigeria can have a visa regime that encourages tourists to Nigeria.” He continued by advocating for a “National carrier that is partially privatized and fully commercialized with a mandate for national development.”

In his remarks, Lai Mohammed revealed the position of government. “A key aspect of this administration’s policy thrust is the development of the non-oil sector of the economy which was hitherto neglected. I am therefore glad that this conference has been initiated as one of the platforms that will further the discussion on this issue.”

According to him, in other to boost tourism and give it the needed impetus to contribute to Nigeria’s GDP, government has decided to list tourism among the six priority sectors of the economy. Other initiatives include, a review of the National Tourism Policy of 1990, provision of attractive incentives for prospective investors, and launching of the Nigerian Tourism Development Plan.

“In the days ahead, we will be bringing all stakeholders together, also here in Calabar, to chart a definite path forward,” he promised.


source: http://talkoftourism..com.ng/2016/02/promoting-tourism-as-alternative-to.html#sthash.344mHys9.dpuf

Lolz

Not only Unical o

Good

see Gobe

According to our dear President Buhari: Today Our country has the fastest GROWING ECONOMY IN AFRICA & THE WORLD.

President Buhari says Nigeria presently has the fastest growing economy in Africa and the world. Buhari said this at the public presentation of a book, ‘Nigerian Century’ written by Dare Babarinsa at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, 0n February 19th.His speech was read by former governor of Ekiti State and deputy chairman of All Progressives Congress in the South, Segun Oni who represented him at the occasion.

“Yes, our land is blessed by providence with riches in oil and gas, iron ore, gold, limestone and almost all the minerals of this earth. Our soil can grow almost any crop and our vegetation supports animal life as varied as creation can manifest. Our rivers and coast lines are rich with fishes and various kinds of life. Yet, despite these bounties from nature, I have no doubt that the greatest blessings of Nigeria are the people of Nigeria, the wonderful people that give expression to the grandeur and majesty of our beloved country. Today, our country has the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world. Our dominance is not so much because of our wealth, but because of the tremendous energy and resourcefulness of our people. How many countries of the world can parade the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka, Jay Jay Okocha, King Sunny Ade and Alhaji Aliko Dangote literally under the same roof?”he said. Can I have ur comments?

kkkkkk

As in

ssoftappless:
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

In Timaya's voice I concur

END TIME TATTOO

MissingBudget:
Rubbish

If Na BUHARI do this thing now you will call it achievement n tell us the change is Here

The eastern part of Nigeria, largely occupied by the Ibo tribe, is rich in culture, customs and traditions and one of the tenets that has survived the rage of civilization and modernization is the art of storytelling. Interesting and educative folktales which have been passed down from generations to generations from the ‘ancestors’ are told to children in the bid to preserve the norms and culture of the tribe, imbibe good morals and instill the spirit of communal love amongst members of their society.

These Igbo folktales which paints colourful pictures of spiritual life and traditional aspirations are regarded as fictitious, incredible, mythical and totally removed from real life situations. However, with regards to their functionality, these folktales exhibit elements of truth that translate into realism.

Obaledo

Usually accompanied with a song, this folktale tells of a young pretty girl who meets a great misfortune due to her defiance and decision to disobey her parents.

Set in a time when demons and spirits roamed around villages, the girl called “obaledo” was instructed by her parent before embarking on their trip, to remain within the confines of their home and eat just yam and snail when hungry. The parents asked that she roast the yam first before the snail, as the snail would eventually quench the fire. Unfortunately, the girl, being greedy and having a strong lust for meat, roasted the snail first and fire went off. Still hungry, she set out of her home, in disobedience to her parents, to get a matchstick from neighbors. On her way, she encounters a demon that steals her beauty and leaves her with his own ugliness.
Ekwe-instrument

The King’s Drum

This story tells about a greedy tortoise who ends up trapping himself in his own greed. The tortoise, envious of a rich king who had a drum that would produce food and great wealth each time it was beaten, set a trap for the king’s wife, and when she fell for it, he demanded the drum as his only compensation.

Unknown to him however, the drum only produced the luxury he has seen on certain conditions and was bound by a juju. Eventually, the tortoise and his children break the juju that was bound to the drum and instead of food and riches, each time he beat the drum, some men will emerge and whip him thoroughly. Defeated, the tortoise and his family made their home underneath the prickly tree, and according to the tale, that is the reason tortoises are always found living under the prickly tie-tie palm, as they have nowhere else to go to for food.


The disobedient daughter who married a skull

This tale narrates the story of a maiden who was so pretty she had suitor from around the world. Unfortunately, she was very picky and was never satisfied with any of the offers. A demon from the spirit world in the form of a skull , fell in love with her and was determined to marry her. He went round villages collecting body parts and became extraordinary handsome.

As expected, the maiden fell in love with him once she set her eyes on him and agreed to marry him. After the marriage, the demon took the maiden to the spirit world where she suffered. She was however very nice and helpful to the demon’s mother and in appreciation of her acts of kindness, the demon’s mother helped her escape and sent her back to her parents. On getting to her parents’ home, the father asked her to marry a friend of his, and she willingly consented, and lived with him for many years, and had many children.

Why a Hawk kills Chickens

More of a fable than a story, this tale tries to justify or give reason to why the hawk always attacks the chicken or steals the hen’s chicks. The story tells of a love story between the hawk and a pretty hen which was aborted by a desperate cock who was in love with the hen. After the hawk had paid the bride price of the hen, married her and taken her to the land of the Hawks, a desperate cock who encountered her fell in love with her and crowed beautifully when he accosted her.

Unable to resist the sweet sound of the crow, she absconds her husband’s house and returns to the land of fowls with the cock. Angry and feeling cheated, the hawk demanded for a return of his dowry as it was the custom, but since the hen’s parents nor the cock could pay him back, they took the case to the king of animals who then decreed that the hawk could kill and eat any of the cock’s children whenever and wherever he found them as payment of his dowry, and, if the cock made any complaint, the king would not listen to him. And so from that time until now, whenever, a hawk sees a chicken he swoops down and carries it off in part-payment of his dowry.

source: http://talkoftourism..com.ng/2016/02/4-amazing-folktales-told-by-igbos.html#sthash.e981FyjG.dpuf

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State recently said the success of his election was informed by his promise to restore Plateau’s economic buoyance in all its facets. He spoke to Journalists in Abuja on the strides of his administration so far, especially the need to make Plateau survive beyond oil. Onyebuchi Ezigbo presents the excerpts:

In view of the dwindling resources from oil, what is your blueprint for revamping the solid mineral sector in the state?

Before the dwindling resources from oil, nobody was bothered about solid minerals. We lost so much in the area because we left it to illegal miners. This is the time to look inward. Plateau was the headquarters of the Nigeria Mining Corporation. That should tell you the importance or significance of mining to the people of Plateau State. In those days when people were talking about groundnuts and cocoa, we were hitting our chest and talking about mining. That was why the name Jos became popular. When the prices of oil started falling we said we must go back to mining and agriculture.

I was very happy when the Minister for Solid Minerals Development came to Jos. He told me that the best inputs he got on ways of managing the solid mineral sector came from Jos. The day he visited Jos, I was having a wider stakeholders’ meeting with the people of Plateau and they were also part of it. That meeting shifted from all other things to solid minerals and very heavy contributions came from Plateau State and those contributions were what helped us at the National Economic Council meeting and that is what is going to form the policy thrust of the administration both at the federal and state levels.

So, to me, it is an advantage. Virtually every part of my state is rich with solid minerals. But the law was done in such a way that the states were disadvantaged. People come into your state after collecting license from Abuja, sometimes, they come with military and police escort, do whatever they want and give the communities stipends and you don't know what they are taking.

This time, the president has a change of attitude according to the change mantra. He said no, we must follow the law. States must also participate in the exploration and advantage of solid minerals in their states. To me, it is going to boost the economy and have serious impact on my revenue generation. We factor that into our retreat as to how to take advantage of the new policy on solid minerals in improving revenue generation.

What are you doing about tourism as a major revenue earner?

If you don't have peace, you can't have tourism. Plateau was known as the home of peace and tourism. I can still remember that when I was younger, people usually travelled from far and near to come Jos. I was discussing with Ambassador Jeta yesterday and he said Plateau was a tourist attraction for every American, who like spending their weekends and holidays in Jos. That was why many people kept their families in Jos even when they were working in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.

Suddenly, crisis came in and people started running away from Jos and the hope of making the place a tourist attraction was no longer there. So, when we came in, we made peace and tourism part of our policy thrust. As part of our five policy thrust, peace and security was number one. I had the challenge of first curtailing the insecurity that I inherited and I am sure that you know that in the last four month before we came in, Jos was a no go area.

So, we first concentrated on checking the insecurity in the state by ensuring there is mutual understanding between the Fulanis and the Berons. We went as far as establishing a committee to take care of their problem and quickly, I established a Bureau for Conflict Management. We have put in place a law to that effect. So, we have been able to curtail the insecurity in the state and those areas that were hitherto no go areas are now free areas for people. Having done with peace, we are now moving into other areas of attraction for tourism.

Although tourism is not the second pillar on our policy thrust, agriculture which is also the focus of the federal government; we are going in line with the policy of the federal government and the APC manifesto. So, we are following exactly what the President is proposing especially in respect to agriculture, commerce and industry. We just came back from a retreat where the five policy thrusts were discussed.

The Jos Wildlife Park is another tourist attraction in the state that has been left fallow. What are you doing about reviving the place?


Part of the suggestions from our retreat was whether we should continue to run the place through government effort or give it to private investors. We are now in the era of public private partnership, where government will only rock the enabling environment. We are also thinking about that. We want to attract people because wildlife is very important.

Apart from the Jos Wildlife Park, we also have the Pandam Wildlife Park, which is untapped. We also have the Wase Rock and even the weather on the plateau. We see tourism as an advantage to us and so, we are going to develop that tourism while concentrating on sustaining the peace and then go on to fulfill our mandate as contained in the five pillar thrust.

Do you have the cooperation of the people of the state especially from other political parties?

Plateau is a unique state – unique in the sense that when they want to do something, they do it without looking back. Plateau is also a very religious state. That is why you don't find many cases of corruption in the state. So, when the election came, we knew that something was going to happen – change was going to happen on the Plateau because we are united. Suddenly, an administration came that was almost dividing everybody along religious and ethnic lines and Plateau people said no, this is not the time for that; we must get a change.

Luckily enough, the change came through APC. Some of us were diehard members of the PDP. You know I was Speaker under PDP for seven years. But we realised that many things were going wrong in the party and that was why some of us left the party and joined the opposition. When we saw the opposition moving under a driver like the present president, Buhari, we knew that something was going to happen in this country and so, we followed that opposition and that was what gave rise to our election.

You said the PDP won everywhere. It is not everywhere they won. Some of the elections were rigged and the tribunal gave it to them. Otherwise, if it were true election, APC won in so many places and the governorship was very clear. It was the collective opinion of Plateau people and the hard work done by the then opposition.

When I won my election, everybody came on board irrespective of political affiliation. It was seen as a Plateau project and I am also managing it as a Plateau project. I can only manage and build the confidence of Plateau project, when I deliver the dividends of democracy to the people and when we see a change in attitude from what obtained before. That is what we are trying to do to bring unity to the people of Plateau State.

What’s your take about the fight against corruption being championed by your party?

I have said it many times that the fact that you are not hearing anything from the Plateau does not mean we are not fighting corruption on the Plateau. We have sent several cases to the EFCC and ICPC. My Accountant General just came back from the EFCC. They were called to come and give evidence as to the investigations that are going on. We have a lot of such investigations going on; we have also had so many arrests especially from the last administration and many of them are on bail.

At the appropriate time, prosecution will start. EFCC may be slow, but I know they will prosecute. We had a transition committee and we came out and told Plateau people what we inherited. Some may be genuine and others not genuine. Some of them we have submitted to the EFCC and others, we have commissioned a very reputable accounting firm, KPMG, who are currently auditing the state and at the appropriate time, when they come out with the result, you will hear what will happen on the Plateau.

We know that some states have not been able to access their bailout funds. What is the update on the issue regarding your state and have you been able to pay all outstanding salaries?

No, in my state, not yet! Before the issue of bailout came, we had already started paying workers in the state even with the backlog of problems we inherited. When the issue of bailout was announced, we applied for N10 billion which was supposed to be for the arrears of salaries for about eight or nine months. Even without the full bailout, we only received five billion. Today, I was in CBN, trying to pursue the bailout for Plateau State.

Plateau was supposed to get 10 billion for salaries and 10 billion for infrastructure. But we got only N5 billion and even with that, we were able to clear the backlog of salaries.

The Treasury Single Account is aimed at assisting in the fight against Corruption. Why are the states finding it difficult to implement the policy?

Well, other states may be finding it difficult, not Plateau. We are already implementing TSA. Immediately I saw the introduction of the TSA by the president, I called my accountant-general and commissioner for finance and told them they must implement. I am not an accountant and at that time, I didn't know the implication. But from what I saw about the advantages of TSA, I said let TSA be implemented in the state. I immediately set up a committee and today, it is being implemented in my state. I don't know why some governors will find it difficult to implement TSA. But for me, if wasn't difficult for me to implement and we are getting some reserved funds.

You said federal allocation to your state has reduced drastically and this is the complaint by all your colleagues, who have argued that they could not keep up with the minimum wage. Do you share their sentiment?

Initially, there was a misconception about what we were saying. At the Governors' Forum, we were appealing to the president to reconsider the position of the states so that people will be able to pay salaries. It is not about payment of salaries that we have as our responsibility. There are so many people on the street and so, you need to employ people and this was becoming very impossible and to pay salaries. So, we were calling for measures. Thank God that the president has introduced some measure.

For example, we are talking about solid minerals now; we are beginning to open the space so that we can use that to improve our internal revenue. I am not sure they got us right when they said we wanted to downsize. As far as I am concerned, it is going to be very difficult to say we will downsize on the Plateau. I am not thinking of doing that. What I am trying to do is to be able to retain what I have and be able to improve on it. That is why our concentration is on how to improve our revenue generation so that we can sustain the salary structure that we have, and if possible, employ additional workforce.

What is your view about criticism of President Buhari's foreign trips?

For me, I see nothing wrong in traveling. Today, I am granting an interview in Abuja and not in Jos. Sometimes, people say we governors don't sit down in our states, but travel a lot. Imagine, if I sat down in Jos, who will fight my bailout fund for me? We are concentrating on donor agencies, but they are in Abuja and always, they would want to meet with the governor. When I became governor, because of the insecurity, foreigners were not coming to Jos, but will only end up in Abuja. So, if you are looking for investors, they will say if you don't come to Abuja, we will not come to Jos.

So, I had to be coming to Abuja because if I don't, they will not come to Jos because in most cases, they will say we want to meet with the governor. Sometimes, they will refuse to meet with the deputy governor. In that case, you have to move round. That is what the President is doing. We are moving into attracting the private sector into doing business in this country and so, he cannot sit down in one place. So, I think we cannot undervalue these trips. It was not because he travelled that he had problem with the budget. Sometimes, whatever you are doing, there will be sabotage. Sometimes, you do your best. But the civil servants will always be smarter than you. You will trust everybody, but these things happen from time to time. So, I think that the President's trips should not be a thing of concern to us as long as the trips are bringing the benefits.

The roads in Jos are in a terrible state. What are you doing about that?

I am sure that the last time you were in Jos was last year. Those are some of the things I inherited and it was very glaring that it was going to be difficult for those of us who are going to be governors in such states. We inherited a debt of over N200 billion and an impending contractual liabilities of about N105 billion. Everything that was left in that state was N95 million and that was horrible. Uncompleted projects were littered all over the place including the main road leading into Jos. Contract was awarded and abandoned.

So, what I did in my own way was to say, these roads are for the people of Plateau state and so, must be completed. We are investigating the cost of some of the contracts, but that will not stop us from going ahead to complete them. It may interest you to hear that if you get back to Jos now, it will be a different story. There was a flyover bridge that was abandoned and nobody believed that we will complete the bridge. Right now, we have completed that bridge and all the main roads are under construction. I am hoping that in the next six months, if I am able to get my bailout, I will complete most of the projects that were abandoned and even engage new ones.

There are allegations that the President is under pressure to drop the anti-corruption war. Are you facing similar pressure in Plateau?

I am worried because of the kinds of complaints that are coming. I am also worried because of the impatience of Nigerians. If you begin to compare the state of the nation before the election, you will understand what the President is facing. Before 2014, what was the cost of a barrel of oil? At a stage, it was over $140, but today, we are getting back to less than $30 with the same budget and the same responsibility.

In my state, it is the same salary and every other thing. In the past, allocation to my state was between N5 billion and N8 billion, but today, with a salary bill of about N1.8 billion, we are getting about N2 billion, sometimes less. Last month (January), we got N1.6 billion. But the people will not understand. They will tell you it is change and since you said change, it should have been better. But they must also understand the economic situation we are going through. What we need to do is to be a little bit patient because the reforms that are going on are yielding fruits, but it will not be something that will be immediate. We will have to take out time. Let us give ourselves at least one year and see what the president is doing.

The EFCC chairman has accused the Judiciary and lawyers of being a problem to the fight against corruption in the country. As a lawyer, how would react to that?

If there are allegations against a profession like that, it is always good to be specific. We have had cases like that severally and each profession had a way of disciplining their members. We can't say that the law profession is a perfect one. We are not angel and that is why there are disciplinary measures against members. That is not to say that there are no members who are recalcitrant. There are ways of going about that and not to make a blanket statement like that. Of course, he did not say all, but some and I am sure that with time, he will name those lawyers.

It is better to name those lawyers and not to make a blanket statement against a profession like that. I hold the EFCC in high regard. I was also a guest of the EFCC. If you are aware, in 2005/2006, I was detained by EFCC as Speaker for more than 40 days. I was prosecuted and discharged. Those ones were during the Obasanjo era. It was complicated with desire to impeach the governor illegally, which some of us resisted. We were all detained and at the end of the day, we didn't do that. Many people who did it regretted it after.

My reason was not because I was defending somebody against corruption, I was following due process. Some people did it without following due process and at the end of the day, many of us were vindicated by the Supreme Court. What I am saying is that I respect my profession and hold it in high esteem. So, for anybody to say there are some that are bad, it is good to be specific. As EFCC, if you know some of these bad lawyers, you have a right to arrest, investigate and prosecute them because they don't have immunity. Even governors, who have immunity cannot go away from investigation.

This is the time to look inward. Plateau was the headquarters of the Nigeria Mining Corporation. That should tell you the importance or significance of mining to the people of Plateau State. In those days when people were talking about groundnuts and cocoa, we were hitting our chest and talking about mining. That was why the name Jos became popular


Source: http://talkoftourism..com.ng/2016/02/lalong-plateau-will-no-longer-depend-on.html

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