₦airaland Forum

ow11:
Nigerian politicians always willing to personalise everything. Why can't Mr Osoba blame Mr George for actually stealing!

The mind does boggle. What is sad is that many people will focus on the petty fighting and won't actually focus on whether there were questionable actions or not. Kind of reminds me of Alams after his "trial", going back to Bayelsa state and doing thanksgiving, thanking God for saving him from yhe hands of his enemies. I guess no one in the congregation saw it fit to ask him if he actually stole.[b][/b]

mccloud224:
The people gaining from power generators and importation of fuel will NOT allow that to come to pass.Do you know these few people make between hundreds of millions to billions of naira every week from importing these commodities? Imagine the PHCN chairman recieving N100 million as kick back every month. . . lol. . . he will personally blow up the service stations to please his masters.

Hahahahaha

E go tay b4 we get lite 4 dis kwantry! ! !

Can we at least get some reliable material or report or whatever to back up such claims? This thread is beginning to have the credibility of gossip columns.

snowdrops:
Ohisng is a paid clown from the AC. All he does is ass lick Oshimh Ole. The jury is still out on this guy. His achievements for the past year is largely questionable.
Ohisng conviniently failed to mention the massive waste of public funds Oshiomh Ole has engaged in.
1. 2 billion naira as security budget for the first few months in office.
2. 450 million naira to support his partys campaign in the Akoko Edo LGA election.
3. 150 million naira for a swimming pool in the government house
4. 2 jeeps and an SUV for S.O. Ogbemudia , a PDP c[t]hief who is rumoured to be decamping to the AC soon.
5. Insecurity of lives and property the worst in the history of the state; Anini era was no way close to this
6. Employment of 4000 youth!! Guy you are having a laugh. Which youths? which jobs? These are thugs that the AC used to facilitate their entry into the government house. How many university graduates have been employed? Most of these thugs have been given uniforms to functions as glorified "agberoos".
7. Beautification of ring road ke. This is 0.0000000001% of the road network in the state. Over 90% of the roads is unmotorable. Anyone who resides in or recently visited Benin can attest to this. Tell me how much the beatification of these small portions of road has cost so far? 900 million for you information. And thats coming from his commissioner.
This guy is a master of deception and a mistake. He was sponsored by Lucky Igbenedion who ruined the state for 8 years and continues to do so under Oshiomh Ole. The same PDP thieves who were complicit in the destruction of the state under Lucky [Bob Izua, Godwin Edosa, Pastor Ize Iyamu, Igbafe, to name a few] have now moved to AC, and were gladly received in by the hypocrite Oshiomh Ole. These are the same people he has spent countless hours on TV and radio condemning. They should all be behind bars and not in government. They say show me your friend and i will tell you who you are.

You don't appear to be objective either and there are way too many holes in your own account. You throw around figures without explaining in each case whether it was indeed money from the treasury that was used. I would say you are also guilty of propaganda hence you don't paint an objective picture of what is really on ground either.

KnowAll:
SO I am guessing you are not going to address the issues I raised?


I have already address the issue of a blanket ban of Okada riders in my earlier post, I said the whole exercise is an aesthetic policy of no intrinsic value to society other than the authorities excluding and disregarding the yearnings, pain, and the wellbeing of  85% of the Society.  

To encourage what is clearly an elitist agenda to the detriment of society at large is not only going to spell doom and disaster for that society but clearly as we can see the early stage of the balkanisation of the Nigerian polity has already begun; it remains to see how far this rut will be allowed to slide before it is stopped.

I hope our clueless leaders will come to their senses and know that a flagrant pronouncement against the most vulnerable in our society is not governance but bullying and harassment. I sincerely hope our leaders will re-trace there steps and rescind all repressive and draconian laws which is anti-societal and apartheid in nature.

The Issue of Okada bikers involved in criminality can be addressed on a one to one basis, it is not any different from Danfo drivers involve in One-Chance. Should because Danfo drivers are involve in this social ills be banned from plying our roads. I am sure u can answer that.

I was going to give a detailed response but I thought it would mostly be a repeat of what I have said. What I do find amusing though is how you keep referring to this as an "elitist" agenda. True it is mostly people of lower income who patronise okadas, true it is mostly people of lower income who also run okada business. The same excuse can be used for illegal street trading which happens on the road and affects everybody. The okada menace is not an elite Nigeria problem but a Nigerian one, simple as that. It is not only the rich that are subjected to the wreckless display exhibited by okada rider which not only causes accidents but also adds to the whole traffic problem. Driving in Nigeria was already difficult enough. I am not necessarily against Okada in itself, but fiercely opposed to the Nigerian Okada culture. A culture which has lead to many people ending up in hospitals, losing limbs and sustaining serious injuries. Please do tell, what portion of the society is mostly affected by such injuries?

A more apt anoalogy for your argument would be a man complaining about traffic jams in lagos but being fiercely opposed to cleaning up of illegal street traders because they sell him gala while he waits in the traffic jam they had a hand in exacerbating. Isn't such a view myopic? Just because mostly people from a particular income bracket indulge in such ventures does not make it right. Just because poor and unemployed youths are arguably more likely to be armed robbers does not make armed robbery right. What seems a bit naive is the assumption that if there are viable alternatives people would stop using Okada. Do we speak of thesame Nigeria? A lot of people use Okada because they can carelessly and wrecklessly weave through traffic jams without concern for other road users, are we going to close our eyes to such indiscipline also and pretend that is not the case? Please.

ohisng:
About a year ago, democracy was restored in Edo State when the rightful winner of the gubernatorial election: Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was sworn in and the "illegal" professor of law was sent packing from Dennis Osadebay Avenue along with his cohorts and his master the one who calls himself "Mr. Fix it"
When the Adams Oshiomhole administration began,
1. There was massive unemployment
2. Insecurity of lives and properties in the state
3. Dwindling monthly allocation from Federal Government.
4. Exam malpractice was the norm in Secondary Schools,
5. Roads were in a bad state.
6. Ring road was an eye sore and am embarrassment to the state because of its dirty nature.
7. Internally Generated Revenue (IGR ) was at an all time low

However, less than a year later,
1. Over 4000 youths have been employed by the state
2. The security agents have been empowered and have reduced the level of insecurity
3. All secondary schools who engage in examination malpractice have been shut down by the ministry of education.
4. Roads in Edo State are currently being renovated.
5. No one would go to ring road today and not feel proud of the massive beautification in the state.
6. the IGR has been increased by more than 100%

All these and lots more in the midst of partisan politics of the legislative arm of government and other syncophants who want to bring down the government because the comrade governor has refused to allow them access to loot the state treasury.
In summary, Edo State may not be where it should be, BUT it is definitely NOT where it used to be.
Lets support the government and constructively criticize when necessary.

?? ?? ??
Sorry but your report card is TOO VAGUE. Point six seems to be the only solid point but would be more informative if we are actually told how the IGR was increased, cause if it is through more oil revenue allocation then that is not necessarily impressive. How have the security agent been empowered? All secondary schools that engage in malpractise have been shut down? What do you mean by that, you mean the students being part of it or what? I just don't get that.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind objective analysis of the situation on ground which shows improvement. If there is an achievement worth acknowledging then by all means acknowledge it, it is good to hear good news. However, this report card does not paint a picture elaborate enough from which conclusions can be deduced. When Peter Odilli was robbing Rivers State blind he also had such vague report cards that were void of any actual achievements. Just saying, if there are achievements worth acknowledging then you are selling it badly.

KnowAll:
^^^^^^^^^^


My friend I pray you are not cornered by one of those hoard of desperate men 120,000, those that have experience the menace and assault of these desperados will sing a with a different tune.

Those feeling the heat of these marauding mass of joblessness have already taking necessary step to correct the anomaly and that includes the FG, when they hit u where it hurts most u take notice of their plights, no wonder people like Boyloaf and Tompolo are feted in the highest office in the land.

SO I am guessing you are not going to address the issues I raised?

KnowAll:
why are u guys shouting, it happened in phc and abuja and all the okada men have found new jobs to do, some are taxi drivers and etc, and no body is complaining anymore.calabar has a more organized road network unlike phc, so it wont be a burden on the citizens, motorcycles are a nuisance and easiest way to broken limbs and death.



It is good to think outside the box, the problem with some of us is we are looking at the small picture, those irritating uncontrollable and unruly motorcycle riders bellowing polluted air into horizon; it is a good riddance to bad rubbish. What we have failed to realise is the net effect and the repercussion of the ban.

The obvious consequence of this ill thought and hastily endorsed policy in Port Harcourt is of 2 folds, firstly, kidnapping incidents in eastern region in particular and the whole Nigeria in general has increased by 1000%, secondly the size of the insurgency in the creeks has quadrupled.

It doesn’t help when States like Imo and Abia went down the same inglorious route by copying an ill conceived policy from Rivers State, what we now have is an endemic problem that is about to consume the whole nation.

Today the militants who use to be a few disorganize marihuana smoking crazed youths with guns have swollen in size and can now be classified as a brigade. A Brigade in military parlance means having between 4000 to 5000 men under arms in a command structure.

Naija delta militants are no more restricted to Bayelsa and Rivers State but have a western command that stretches all the way to Ondo State. I will not be surprise to know that they have even infiltrated the lagoons and creeks of Lagos State.

If this is not the wholesome effect of the ban of Okada bikers in PH, then what could be further from the truth?

What could have led young able men into a struggle which could culminate in the loss of their own life if not hunger, desperation and despair? 

I'm sorry but I would have to point out that you might be the one being short sighted in all of this (personal view). Yes, I agree that okadas fill a void in the transportational sector, some people call them a necessary evil. However you seem to paint a picture of people being born with their body attached to okada. You seem to paint such a vice as the only viable thing to do in Nigeria as opposed to being probably an easy business to set up. In a lot of instances there is no regulation whatsoever, you have a bike, you can start okada; that my friend is why such thrives. An en vironment that tolerates such indiscipline is also why agberos and thuggery has also become a viable "profession".

This is like the argument people were making for illegal trading in Lagos. People could just put together a rickety structure over drainage and set up market stalls on the road, causing huge traffic and wasted man hours as well as exacerbating the drainage problem, yet such was fiercely defended by some. The simple truth is instilling order might mean there are some casualties. The irony of this whole thing is I was recently watching a video on lagos whereby a former oshodi trader, when asked about how she felt with regards to losing her business, was actually understanding and said it was necessary; she had just lost her business!! When some traders were asked about paying their taxes, for the first time in a long while I heard people being/sounding patriotic, saying they saw it as a duty since they knew the money was being spent to improve the state.

I am not saying that this particular strategy of just banning without creating alternatives is the best, a better thought out strategy might be required. However putting such vices up on such high mantles in the name of humanity just sounds ridiculous considering they are a serious hazard. The irony of all those who claim such views are elitist is that the people who most patronise okadas are low income earners, hence guess which group most largely populates those notorious wards reserved for okada injuriies? That's right, people who a lot of the times can't afford to pay their hospital bills, people who cannot afford to lose a limb because they are the bread winners of their families. Do you now see why I called your argument a bit short sighted? You might argue that Okada is a necessary evil, but I say if it is, then it is one we should be working extrajudiciously to eradicate.

P.S. the okada menace has actually spawned robberies via Okada and has actually become a useful tool in kidnapping. It seems to be in vogue to blame everything on a vague character called poverty, where do we draw the line? When do we say people not being able to ply the Okada trade is not the reason there is kidnapping and armed robbery.

toshmann:
osisi,
remember what God told peter . . ''arise, peter, kill and eat'' calabar people cant afford goat meat and cow meat as much as they can afford dogmeat
infact, the call it 404, and police dogs even better. that one na 505

anyway, they like it, it's not killing them. and if it's man's best friend, u may want to ask, which man? american,british,efik?

Thank you abeg, dog no be my friend, especially those naija dogs that like to chase people down and bite. They don't seem to have a problem attacking their so called "best friend".

0sisi:
how about dogs?
yes ke
why should you eat them,you no get goats for ya place?
una no fit rear chickens and sheep?
nama no reach una side?
why dogs?
mans best friend
Tufiakwa!

Why do you assume I eat dogs? Let me ask you a question. Do you eat meat or fish? If you do then you really have no moral justification for looking down your nose at those who eat dog. Who made dog man's best friend? When was this meeting held where it was agreed by all that dog is man's best friends? So chicken no get friend abi? People wey dey name their chicken bingo nko. Those ones no go dey vex say you dey chop bingo mama come christmas time? Abeg make I hia word. Tufiakwa yourself too, imagine the hypocricy. Unless you be vegan comot for road abeg 

0sisi:
And Calabar folks have been riding Okada from time immemorial
akauke as they call it
They should also ban dog eating in Calabar while they are in this banning mode

?? Because dog eating harms who?

OAM4J:
I agree these commercial cyclists can be nuisance sometimes. But come to think of it, like someone said, they are necessary evil. How many people here can truly say they have not used okada before?

We have had many plane crashes, but it has not stopped us from flying on planes, we have had many road accidents, we still drive on those roads. The solution is not to ban (that is a cheap solution), but to improve them, put measures in place to reduce those accidents.

Those jobless commercial cyclists are potential armed robbers, kidnappers, etc. An idle hand they say is the devil’s tool.

Bad analogy. How many llives lost or injuries sustained have resulted from flying? Try to equate that to the havoc okadas cause. Don't get me wrong, okada exists because there is an unfilled void in the transport sector, simple as that. Let us just avoid getting sentimental about such and defending what is indeed a road hazard. Have you seen okada riders operate? I mean, really? What sane person would justify such a culture?

@mccloud I apologise for my lack of patience but I just don't see the need in posing the same question to you while you keep going off tangent. I really don't think I need to say anything new because it would simply be a repeat of what is in my previous posts. Go back to the post where I bolded the question posed to you. That was the focus, so why beat around the bush? If you cannot justify your earlier statement which I had a problem with then just let it go. There is no need continuing the discourse, I already see the futility in it. I am a bit tired and don't even feel like making an attempt at addressing your responses to my post which again kept going off focus. Anyways, no offence intended. Have a nice day.

If people could actually comprehend the dangers associated with Nigeria's okada culture, then they might see thigns differently. Anybody in Nigeria should go to their nearby hospital and get enlightmened. The number of injuries resulting from such wreckless culture which affects not just okada passengers but every other road user, is unecessary. A lot of people have lost their limbs because of such rubbish.

proudly9ja:
At least let us generate first. If we don't generate, we cannot distribute. Since the 80s, our generation capacity has remained stagnated at below 4000MW for a country of 150million people. Yet every year we hear BILLIONS of naira being pumped into power GENERATION with nothing to show for it. If we put that in perspective, I don't know the population of South Africa but they are not up to 150million yet they generate over 20,000MW. Experts have told us we need just 10000MW for constant power so my method of 500MW per state simplifies it.

When we generate it, we will think of distribution.

Surely that 10000MW figure is just for domestic consumption and not for industries.

mccloud224:
@Sky blue

The fact that you don't see eye to eye with my views is not a basis to disregard them as "not well thought out".The focus of the issue if i can still read well is "NIGERIA : POWER CRISIS AND PROSPERITY".I have been pointing out what i feel is the reason for us being the way we are and you have your views.I respect them even if i don't agree with all your points.You could try doing the same instead of taking cheap jabs.

Every foreigner that visited these lands was called a white man.Do i have to explain this to you man?

Please try and read more on the Bonny wars (Jaja of Opodo was taught in primary school).

Nuff said.

First of all this is not about differing views but about things that can be considered to exist in the realms of truth. If I say there was no such thing as World War 1, that is not differing views, that can be seen as fallacy. Yes the topic is about Nigerian Power Crisis and I quoted something from your posts to that effect. Because I call you out on a public post that can be attributed to you does not mean I don't respect your views. Apologies if you feel offended but if you can back up your claims then please do go ahead. Not trying to offend you, just want to clear things up, as I said, if you can't back up such claims just say so and let us move on.

I don't get the "every foreigner that visited these lands was called a white man", especially when I explained that I was referring to the Portugese accounts of what they saw in Africa. So what has that got to do with them being seen as all white?

I would implore you to read more about the topics you suggested I do too; Especially since Jaja of Opobo was at a point trying to stop slave trade and fighting against it, pushing for trade of palm produce instead.

mccloud224:
Your statement just proves what i have been saying.I'll use your example :

MADOFF : Got 150 years imprisonment (i think) and he's definitely not coming out of prison unless in a coffin.

BODE GEORGE : Gets 2 years in prison plus there is hope that he might not even serve out the full sentence.He stays in a "plush" apartment in kirikiri.He doesn't wear prison clothes, chooses what he eats and has "sympathizers" all over him every single day.


Do you see the big difference?Also the way Madoff and other's ripped money off people was "well thought out" and "really blue chipped" .That kind of scam must have taken professionals to uncover e.g auditors and so on.THEY DIDN'T LOOT THE TREASURY and send money off to foriegn countries.

LOL. Its amusing how you keep dodging the question or the crux of what I am saying. I used Madoff as an example to show that just because Madoff is white does not mean you can say "whites are corrupt". You can make such arguements with much more elaborate and well thought out points. Keep focus on the issue please and stop dodging, or just accept you were not quite sure of what you were saying and let it end there.

Again let me remind you of what I had a problem with. You pretty much claimed blacks had to be forced to stop slaving themselves. I said such generalisation was born out of ignorance and adoption of unimaginative propaganda, and asked you what percentage of the people actually had to be forced to stop slaving themselves to warrant such generalisations. Keep focus please. This is the same reason why if you read early account by most English explorers about Africa you would believe we were savages with no civilisation, however if you consider the accounts by the portugese, a different picture is painted. Again I implore you to keep focus on the issue and not keep coming back with vague arguments.

Too funny. Probably something like some hundreds or so people (not claiming that to be the exact figure range) went around capturing people and selling them towards the end of slavery, for their own economic benefit, and we are told to accept that blacks had to be forced to stop slaving themselves? The ridiculousness of such claims really does astound.

mccloud224:
Cold hard truth is always irritating my friend.I can understand that.Someone has to spill it out every now and then though.If i am wrong, prove me wrong.

BLACKS ARE YET TO GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER AND THEY MIGHT NEVER GET IT TOGETHER AT THE RATE THINGS ARE GOING! ! !

Shikena

LOL. Quite amusing. I was specific in what I was referring to. Sorry, but the whole "we" had to be forced to stop slaving ourselves, just seems to smack of ignorance. I really do hope you don't take offence but there is no other way I could put it. Again I ask with regards to that statement, what percentage of the people had to be forced to stop slaving themselves that you use such inclusive and generalising pronouns? Well? This is like some white guy saying "whites are corrupt because of madoff". How many madoffs are there? So how on earth is such the "cold hard truth" as opposed to adoption of such unimaginative propaganda? Again, if you are going to respond don't come back with some vague - blacks need to get their acts together - argument, you can see quite clearly what parts of your post I was referring to. Apart from that, you aren't saying anything new. We all know sub saharan Africa needs to get its act together, knowing such has hardly ever been the issue.

@mccloud44 I don't mean to derail the thread but the whole argument of - we had to be forced to stop seeling our slaves issue - you brought up was a tad irritating. I am just surprised that you bought into such propaganda and so easily that you defend it that much. Who is "our"? What percentage of the population were doing such that you use such pronouns that would make one think it was rampant and done by all? Sorry, just found such generalisations that feeds such propaganda quite irritating.

@post, funny enough I agree with you, with regards to economic prosperity I really do believe power is THE issue to tackle. Management, corruption and other things while very important, are just factors that need to be addressed continuously to reduce them. Power however, is something that can be fixed; something that when addressed would have a tremendous and immediate impact in the economy and would affect every person in the country. Businesses can grow becuase money not spent on running generators can be pumped back into the businesses to aid expansion, research & development, and growth. Do you know how much MTN budgets for running generators each year? It is ridiculous. But most importantly, small businesses which arguably form the backbones of economies can be viable, thrive and expand.

With regards to immediate economic prosperity, power is THE THING to fix. Corruption, management, etc, are more of a long term goal. Power needs to be fixed ASAP

kehindebad:
Hmmmm,  People should get serious abeg,
resign more like dudes want to be news worthy,
okay apart from nixon, which other president ever resigned? "rhetoric"

rather than focus on yardy resigning (which he prolly wont do),
we should focus on building institutions which would take on pdp in 2011
we vote and guard our votes,

and if you didnt vote in the last elections hands down & shut up!!!

Do your research before you make such claims.
http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2009/10/mongolian-prime-minister-tenders-resignation/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/world/asia/30briefs-MongoliaBrf.html

And the case is even similar. Resigning to face his health issues.

[quote author=Akanbi_edu link=topic=345048.msg4830094#msg4830094 date=1256913563]Reasons to support deregulation of the downstream sector:

Subsidy has been bastardized in nigeria. Government officials and oil marketers collude to inflate prices, which mean government is paying a lot into private pockets. Lets say the selling price of PMS is N80/litre and the pump price is N65 the government pays the N15 difference. But if due to corruption the marketers and government officials tell government it’s N90. It means N10/litre will be paid into private pockets. It could be worse because there are fluctuations in prices all the time, creating more room for corrupt practices. How is this supposed to be in the interest of the masses?

Our borders are porous, meaning we have been subsidizing not only Nigerians but our neighbors (Niger, Benin republic etc) through smuggling of petroleum products to them enriching private pockets in the process. The only reason for smuggling out of the country is because the product has been subsidized and thus cheaper.

It’s subsidy that is killing investment in local refineries due to sabotage.

I don’t think deregulation will add more to masses’ suffering. Yes there may be initial hardship, but I believe it will eventually subside later. These things have a way of creating more cash flow in the system.[/quote]Reasonable post

He kept dodging and prancing around the fundamental question of what the government had actually done; the interviewer could see this and kept trying to ask the question differently. Also, he told what I thought was a blatant lie. The federal government is trying to reduce the size of government and make it leaner and more efficient? So what about Ministry of Niger Delta?

BADLEE:
This is unfair, i am not saying that what Bode did is right, but why sentencing him to 2.5years jail term  while other criminals like him who stole in hundred of billion of naira are free and warming up to contest for election in 2011,

I smell political setup here than Justice.

Release Bode George or arrest IBB, OBJ, Sam Egwu, Orji Uzo kalu , Peter Odili, Igbenidon, Atiku, Iyabo Obasanjo, Patricia Eteh and others.

?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?
WOW!! Please tell me you are joking. One Nigerian judge finally has the guts to perform his duty and you want him to ignore obvious wrong doing because other judges have been slacking in their duties? Really? Someone -god forbid- rapes a family member and you are basically saying don't convict him even with rpoof he did it until you can catch all the other rapists? Really? Some arguments sef.

back2back:
This must be a joke.

It is not possible in 20years for Nigeria economy to outgrow South Africa.

SA uses 17million MW and Nigeria uses only 3,000MW.

How do Sanusi/Yaradull plan to raise 17,000,000MW in 20years?

OBJ spent $16billion in 8years and produced only 3000MW

These guys in Government have no CLUE!

FALSE!!! Please can we at least have discussions based on sound information? SA has a generating capacity of about 40,000 MW not 17 million. Come on. I doubt any single country in the world generates up to that. I would like to believe that was a typo.

I don't think Yar Adua would be stupid enough to postulate that 6000MW can sustain industries. Perhaps the 6000MW target is just for domestic consumption.

Sagamite:
I get your point and I think it is very valid but I will struggle to conceive how a law can [logically] allocate guidelines with such diremption in verdicts for one that is small scale and has an impact on a select few, and the other which dwarfs it by multiples and has an impact on a giant number of people.

Especially in a country crippled and brought to the brink by corruption in public office, where harsh punishments should be the norm to discourage corruption and save the country.

It also reminds me of the menial 6 months in jail allocated to Tafa Balogun for looting $80m of the police force pension. The evil of the OVERALL HEAD of police, in charge of checking corruption, stealing from his colleagues and leaving them to die in penury was punished so lightly.

Someone like Ajudua can get years in jail for fraud, whilst Igbinedeon loots his people multiple million pounds and gets a £14K fine and no jail.

Not right at all.

That is the Nigerian constitution for you. Familiarise yourself with it and you might be surprised at the ammount of non sense making guidelines in it. Is it not thesame constitution that has enabled things like quota system to flourish? The same constitution that has a public secret law which is the antithesis to the proposed Freedom of Information? The same constitution that does not allow states to generate their own power supply for their own consumption? Is that the constitution we are speaking off? I say till we get the specifics of each case, I rather have that than speculation.

Sagamite:
Im try and deserve a little bit of praise.

But how will you sentence someone that is involve in a less than N20m fraud to 120 years in jail but you then send someone involved in a N84bn fraud to 28 years in jail?

Where is the consistency?

You haven't provided the specific details of the two cases you compare. The guidlines provided by the constitution with regards to sentencing for the two cases might be different. I am just saying; way too little information.

KnowAll:
Haleluyah,

Kudos to Yardull,

at least one agenda is out of the way remaining six.

No offence intended but I really don't get some people sometimes. How on earth is this a completion of an agenda? I bet if this man signs shows interest on proposals to build a power plant some people would see it as a completion of the "power agenda". The whole seven point agenda has been the most laughable piece of trite in a long time. What a joke

texazzpete:
No one said anything about 'dying' before you can show you're patriotic enough to fight for your country and what you believe to be just. As i said before, the people who trooped out in the streets of Thailand, Iran and Ukraine, did they have two heads? Is their democracy even more free than ours?

I have long realized from my Aluta days in UNIBEN that Nigerians are not prepared for any action that may expose them to the possibility of physical harm. But when you consider other non-violent ways to register protest that Nigerians refuse to participate in, you cannot but agree with the 'sheep' designation. Here are a few points.

1. Over 70% of the people commenting here did not vote in the last elections, and many will not vote in the next elections. Some for trivial reasons like refusal to enter the hot sun, to those who have been convinced that their vote will not count - forgetting that only valid votes can be used in an electoral dispute.
Question: If ordinary Nigerians who were disatisfied with PDP's rule in Edo and Ondo state did not troop out to vote, would there have been enough votes to pass in Oshiomhole and Mimiko after all the illegal votes were discounted?

2. Within 3 days of any NLC strike, the news media is awash with Nigerians pleading with NLC to call off the strike so as to enable them resume their daily lives. Are we genetically inferior to the Ukrainians that sat down for a whole month in protest during the Orange Revolution?


Most of these posters here were the first to eulogize Gani for all his actions for democracy and Justice. Yet here they are saying that resistance is futile. Did Gani take up arms? Is it impossible to find a million Ganis who can fight for justice?

And therein lies the problem. Apart from being sheepish cowards, most Nigerians subscribe to the messianic culture - a system where we all sit back and wait hopefully for a champion who we can cheer on while we do nothing. This explains the Ribadu worship in Nigeria, where ordinary Nigerians were perfectly content to do nothing to fight corruption while lustily praising Ribadu for his every move.
No one is willing to fix anything in his own sphere of influence, preferring instead to wait for someone to rise up, take the heat and then to slink away in subdued and sullen silence when their hero gets it in the neck.

That sums up what Nairaland's politics section is made up of. The same generic posts and threads calling for a revolution and the same sullen, whiny people muttering about 'Rawlings solution' and the same ethnic bigots who cannot see beyond their noses.

That is all.

PS: I often criticize people heavily for generalization, and i sincerely apologize to anyone who finds the 'sheep' tag offensive. It was the best i could come up with at the moment

Interesting video

[flash=500,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/tUR6Y66VxmU&feature=player_embedded[/flash]

WOW. That video needs to be put in the main politics section.

udezue:
To even think of such nonsense shows the mindset of some of you Nigerians. That should never happen. I will vote for none. Instead progress we regress. Instead renew we recycle. DAMN SHAME

Cosigned. If Hitler was alive today it wouldn't be out of the realms of possibilities to see a topic on nairaland where we are asked to choose between hitler, osama and satan. Why must we settle to choose between such to begin with?

WOOOW. This thread has gradually opened my eyes to the characters that embody the people who are supposed to be 'enlightened' and part of the 'intelligentia'. I need help with this simple analysis. A good number of you have said you don't vote and don't intend to do so anytime in the future and you somehow expect what exactly? Really though, what? I can't see how people who do not even intend to vote have any justification whatsoever in shouting for electoral reforms or criticising the Nigerian government. I really, genuinely don't. I don't get it. You do not want to do your duty as citizens and expect government to automatically and magically transform? You expect the right candidate to just fall into the seat?

The excuse being used that elections are rigged anyway, hence making all voting futile is the most cowardly trite I have heard all year, really is. So how is it going to get better? By people doing nothing and coming on nairaland to whine about a president when they did not even attempt to vote? Can we hear ourselves and see how stupid such reasoning sounds? I genuinely believe that voting like paying taxes gives people a sense of shared ownership in the development of the country. If more people actually make the effort to vote then more people would be interested in what happenned to their vote and that right there is one of the key issues. If more people are interested in what happened after they voted and more people attempted to stay back and defend their votes that is surely a good thing, isn't it? Instead what do we have? I apologise if anyone is offended and feel free to berate after I have left but I geneuinely right now don't feel there is any other way I can say this but; what we have is just a bunch of whiney cowards seating at home and complaining on nairaland that their votes don't count and thinking they sound intelligent instead of actually going out to vote. I guess some people prefer to just come online and compain after the deed is done that votes were rigged and complain about the state of Nigeria and the state of the Nigerian democracy after doing absolutely nothing, even the most basic democratic act of voting.

Before I used to think that the problem with selection of candidates was mostly rigging, but to be honest if INEC chairman came out tomorrow and told me that the previous elections were 100% fair and transparent I won't be so hasty to disregard him. With the number of whiney "intelligent" people that don't vote after shouting to high heavens who they feel a better candidate is, it won't be a shock that Yar Adua who nobody knew anything about was able to amass the majority votes. If Hitler was alive today and wanted to run for presidency uunder PDP I bet people still won't vote but would definately come online later to give their award winning and all too precious opinions. How intelligent and enlightened

LOOOL. THis is just too funny, the timing couldn't be more perfect in the most twisted of ways. Is Obama now going to send the recommended 40,000 soldiers to Afghanistan now that he has won this prize or is he going to feel obligated to thread the other path?