₦airaland Forum

Let us be reasonable. Is the issue really money being spent on the power sector or wether the money will actually be used efficiently and effectively on the power sector? We keep on going on about wanting power etc, such will not magically materialise if the federal government is to fix the situation. Yar Adua's problem as far as I am concerned would not be spending money on the power sector but effectively communicating what his ideas and plans for the sector are.

Apart from doing pretty much nothing, communication has been one of Yar Adua's problem with regards to governance, people see no action and then hear nothing from the man who is supposed to be the president of their nation. What are they supposed to do? Although not everything requires money and a lot can be achieved by making sure contractors who had money released to them during OBJ's regime get the job done or return the funding received, money would at some point need to be spent and it won't be cheap if we are talking of power required to provide electricity for both domestic and industrial consumption. So should the complaints be about Yar Adua spending money or Yar Adua not telling the people how he plans to spend their money or if the money will be spent on the power sector?

FINALLY, ABOUT TIME! The dance of deception became patronising and condescending in less than a month from the beginning of this whole rubbish, now all this trite about "missing" EFCC documents can be put to rest, like there was ever a plan to prosecute. Next Yar Adua should just come out and say he does not plan to do anything and intends to join with PDP to rig the next elections so that people can begin to make preparations, instead of all this beating around the bush and child's play. In fact the EFCC should just let all the corrupt officials go and stop embarassing themselves and wasting tax payers money on so called "cases", it is quite embarassing. How many of these high profile cases have seen a succesful prosecution? Yet if it is some small yahoo yahoo boy operating in oshodi they will do commando and bourne identity in making sure the guy is caught and thrown in jail while taping it and posting it on youtube. At current the EFCC does not intend to prosecute any high profile corrupt officials and INEC is not interested in running credible presidential elections in 2011. Now we can all start preparing.

tpia:
controlling crime is extremely difficult in Nigeria not only due to bad eggs among the police officers but also by the free pass given to ritualists who kill, maim and get a free pass to do anything they like. A high percentage of an extremely gullible populace which will readily believe a cat or bird will turn to a human being in broad daylight, and that the unseen supernatural is more visible than the natural, are some of the things which lead to what you're complaining about.

Yet when people are talking they ignore all that.

We are talking about crimes commited by the people who are meant to be controlling crime, so what has someone turning into a cat got to do with officers shooting at citizens because of twenty naira? I see what angle you are trying to come in from, i just don't think it correlates with what is being discussed in this case.

JustGood:
I dont want to join issues here but the highlighted are not exactly true if you find out.

I was being puprosely being vague and did not really go into the specifics that were highlighted in the case because i wanted to simply poitn out there was more to it and it was not just some blind shooting. Simply put, a man was running through the london underground, the police thought he was running from them after previously wrongly identifying him as someone else. The point i was driving at is that while unfortunate it was understandable especially when put in perspective of what was happening in the city during that period of time. True or false?

[quote author=i_laugh link=topic=259488.msg3706985#msg3706985 date=1239207851]Y'all are leaving in fools paradise

in 2005, a Brazilian was shot dead - at point blank, with onlooking tube train passengers - he was innocent, he did nothing wrong, his brain and body was blasten with over 17 bullet shots, what verdict did the IPC give - the police marksman was not guilty, he committed no offence. Two years ago, a well known Naija man was being restrained in London, in the process, the Naija guy died - what verdict, no guilty verdict, and many more cases - I am begining to think people have their brains locked up when they come to their computers.[/quote]I hope the officer gets disciplined and considering we are speaking of a functioning country i am more confident it will happen compared to if the incident occured in Nigeria. However i am just still at a complete loss at the way you choose to draw your comparisons. Please you might have to repost again so I know i am not getting things mixed up; i mean, are you actually seriously comparing the shooting in the train that occured during a time London was on high alert as a result of the terrorist attacks, to a police officer in Nigeria killing someone over twenty naira bribe? I mean, seriously though, are you joking? What happened to the brazillian was very sad and indeed unfortunate however put it in context instead of just saying a brazillian was shot. A man was running from the police for whatever reason through the london underground during a period when the city was on high alert as a result of terrorist attacks, the man was carrying a bagpack and he was shot. Compare such an incident to a driver in his car seat being shot because of twenty naira; compare that to citizens being flogged ALL THE TIME because they can't clear the road on time for police officers during one of their frequent trips to their local mamaput that seems to warrant use of siren; compare that to innocent people on a large scale being accused of armed robbery if they haven't got enough money to pay. Trust the Nigerian police force, if you have money you are not an armed robber but if you can't pay the bribe you are. Should i go on?

There were serious riots in Greece that resulted in loss of property and brought the country to international attention when a 15 year old boy was killed. A simple example that highlights the difference in mindset when compared with a country like Nigeria. On one hand you have a people who are not prepared to tolerate such rubbish and are willing to demand justice and demand that things be put right, on the other hand how many people have been killed by the Nigerian police and what have the consequences been? A police officer in port harcourt shot at a bus full of people about 3 years ago because the bus driver did not pay him his "fee". A preganant woman who was a passenger in a taxi was shot dead "by accident" by a police officer as a result of the taxi driver refusing to pay the police officer 20 naira. The accident was that the police officer meant to shoot the driver. Does one have to go on listing instances?

[quote author=i_laugh link=topic=259488.msg3706628#msg3706628 date=1239204838]@SkyBlue


Did I hear you say anything worth listening to? Let me wear my glasses properly.


@Mustafar

I am yet to see any meaningful posting you have made, this one inclusive - is the story untrue or what are you barking at? Your teeth must all be fallen out now for the way you have just barked in here - stupid goat with head twisted one side like the butt hole of a horse.[/quote]Yes the story is true, is that really the issue though?

[quote author=i_laugh link=topic=259488.msg3704079#msg3704079 date=1239172727]A man who was not even part of the G20 protest gets beaten by police and dies 5 minutes later - this is police brutality at its worst - at least this is not in Nigeria - where are the apologists?[/quote]However what does the highlighted part mean? It is one thing to state a very obvious fact that even a baby will know which is that bad things happen everywhere and hence Europe and America are not paradise. It is however another thing to use such obvious observations as a justification for comparing a country that has a functioning government, development, prospects for its citizens, a functioning police force, working institutions, etc, to one that can't even provide power for its citizens as a result of corruption on all levels of government which has left the riches of the country in the hands of a few. Could you even hold a protest in Nigeria? People can't even express displeasure at governance in groups in public without being beaten so again, what are we actually talking about? When did speaking the truth become equivalent to being an apologist? Or has there been any lie in what i have said?

And how many people die each year as a result of the trigger happy Nigerian Police Force who slap on charges of armed robbery unto every "suspicious" looking person in a 500m radius when they get bored? How many youths have been in jail for years as a reuslt of some silly reason and how many were kept in jail as a reult of not being able to pay "thanksgiving" to officers? You have reported cases of officers raping women, videos of officers beating up people for not clearing the road for them, etc. How many public office holders have been succesfully prosecuted after it had been found out that they were guilty of corrupt practises? Won't it be easier to count how many haven't been prosecuted? The former govenor of delta state was an exconvict who was convicted of stealing from the hardware shop he worked in while in the UK if i am not mistaken. Apparently James Ibori still runs things in Nigeria, so an ex con, ex shopplifter is one of the people in charge of the way things are run on the federal scene in a country of 140 million?

Does one really have to go on? So what are we talking about here and who is really being the apologist? I am yet to see a post on the forum where someone regarded living outside Nigeria as being heaven on earth. There is no place like home and simply no place like Nigeria hence where the frustration of how much better things could be seeps in. However let us be realistic and not defend what shouldn't be, if we are to make suitable comparisons to Nigeria in terms of the way the country is run and the effectiveness of the country's instituions like the police, army, universities, etc, maybe we should start making comparisons with congo to start with, it might make you feel better.

Now if the various institutions in society upheld their end of the deal would corruption be as rampant a vice as it currently is in Nigeria? All that is needed is just a couple of examples to point at so people know that justice is probable hence as has been stated continuously enforcement is the problem hence should the question not be - "how do we ensure better law enforcement"? What examples can we point to in Nigeria whereby corrupt public officers have been thrown in jail? NOT ONE, and I stand to be corrected (please don't mention Alams, he did not see the inside of a Nigerian jail and was under "house arrest".

Imagine if the police force and its officers where subjected to discipline in law courts, etc, and punished under the law, would such behaviours that have become synonymous with the Nigerian Police Force flourish as much as they currently do? The Nigerian society does not tolerate justice and to get justice you (the people) need to demand it. Such a thread will continue to ask thesame question ten years from now and for eternity unless the understanding begins to take root that there is no way around the people getting more involved in the way they are governed and hence fighting for their rights.

Nigeria: Judge Orders Police to Pay Driver N2 Million

The Lagos police command is to pay N20 million as damages for the illegal detention of one Mr. Olalekan Ifonlaja, a taxi driver who was nabbed by the police for allegedly carrying guns concealed in bags of beans.

Justice Mufutau Olokoba of the Ikeja division of the Lagos High Court handed down the order Wednesday. Mr. Olalekan Ifonlaja was arrested in November, last year when men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the state police command searched and found guns concealed in bags of beans belonging to a passenger he was carrying to Berger, an outskirt of Lagos. The purported owner of the bags of beans bolted away while the search was going on and the police subsequently arrested Olalekan.

He was paraded before the media as a dealer in arms and was detained by the police at Alausa, with no proper charge brought against him. In an affidavit contained in a motion ex-parte seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, his counsel claimed Olalekan was exposed to health hazards, regularly beaten up by inmates and tortured by policemen who were bent on forcing him to own up to the crime. In the motion ex-parte filed before the court, Olalekan sought a declaration that his continuous detention by the police from 10 November, 2008, till date was unconstitutional and unlawful. He also prayed the court to compel the police to pay him N20 million as damages for the inhuman treatment he was subjected to since his arrest. The plaintiff based his demands on the premise that he did not commit any offence that could warrant his detention, degrading treatment and parade as a criminal before the media.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200903130317.html

Nigeria election reform 'U-turn'
Nigeria's cabinet has rejected reforms that would have empowered the judiciary to pick the chairman and board members of the electoral commission.

President Umaru Yar'Adua's cabinet insisted he should retain those powers.

Democracy activists called the decision a U-turn and said it raised fears for the fairness of the next federal elections, due to be held in 2011.

At the same time the commission will be revamped to allow the participation of the media and civil society groups.

President Yar'Adua promised to reform the electoral process following his election in 2007.

Most observers said those polls were characterised by vote rigging, voter intimidation and ballot-box stuffing.

A panel led by former Chief Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais had recommended the presidency be stripped of the power to appoint the head of the country's election regulator.

But Information Minister Dora Akunyili said on Wednesday the "separation of powers" prevented the executive from relinquishing the power to appoint the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec).

'Terrible effect'

Emmanuel Ezeazu, of the Alliance for Credible Elections, said there would be a "terrible effect" on democracy if the head of Inec continued to be appointed by the president.

"During the last elections Inec acted as an extension of the People's Democratic Party," he said.

The result of the 2007 election was announced by Inec chairman Maurice Iwu, hours before all the votes had been counted, according to opposition party members.

It was the first time a civilian government handed over to another since the country emerged from years of military rule in 1999.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7939139.stm

Tonim:
First, you said:

[b][/b]


then, later on you are saying this:


If you do not see any 'selective justice' by the EFCC as you stated, then how does the issue of "the leaders in a particular area being easier to single out" arise

Both of these quotes were statements made by you.

Perhaps you can help explain why you are speaking from both sides of your mouth

Again it seems you are hell bent on taking a soundbite approach as opposed to actually looking at what was said on my path, i don't know wether this is out of genuine misunderstanding or wether you are just trying to be annoying especially since you continue to quote my posts and slap on whatever meaning you want.

Sky Blue:
Apologies if you were offended, so why don't we look at where this all began. Someone posted an article and claimed there is selective justice being perpetrated against the members of a particular ethnic group. I posted a general statement based on observations. You decided to reply to my post specifically. You claim your posts are quite clear and unambigous but i don't believe your point was clear, I mean, what do you mean by the highligted part of your statement which you iterated in your earlier post? That single line I highlighted is shrouded in ambiguity and is quite contradictory especially when the EFCC had gone after people like Uzor Kalu, Odilli and Ibori. So are all those from same place? The irony is that here lies the issue: the actual effectiveness of the EFCC in successfully ensuring the conviction of corrupt public office holders. How many of the ex office holders are actually in jail? Instead of stating the obvious that the EFCC has been a collective failure towards the fight of corruption in Nigeria, period - it becomes a case of "they are focusing too much on my brother"? 

I am not saying this is the case, but could it be possibly because the leaders in a particular area aree corrupted to the point that they are easier to single out? Do we actually have to do statistics to justify prosecution? Perhaps this could be another area where federal character comes into play. Hence EFCC is only allowed to arrest one person from each group even if for whatever reason there might happen to be more obvious corrupt practices in say a particular region. So is this the point? See what I mean by your points aren't necessarilly supportive with the ideals you proclaim? So would a push to have convictions display more "federal character" satisfy? Though I find such a premise quite ludacris these are genuine questions. We could actually go further with this but it is obvious you took some offence at my last post so please don't feel the need to reply, just ignore my postings and have a nice day : )

What is most irritating is that someone who does not seem to be able to see beyond ethnicity is alluding to me sharing those views based on "text bite" approach. The huge irony is that you seem to be unveiling the inability to see beyond ethnicity while you are trying to paint me in same light. After a series of questions I asked which was written in a 'thinking out loud' style just to highlight how confusing your post was, all you could see in a post with the part you keep highlighting is ethnicity. Why don't we play a little game? Why don't you point out the part of my post where I explicitly alluded to ethnicity as opposed to quality of governance?

This is like people being banned from raising the issue of oil when they speak about the Niger Delta like we are all supposed to pretend oil is not there. How could oil be linked to governance you might ask? Well, higher oil derivations hence more money to use for development or steal, oil companies, environmental degradation, insecurity which would mean most of the spending is on containing such insecurity, etc. How could the geographical position of the north influence governance there? Pretty much no oil in commercial quantities have been discovered, less oil derivation, more leniency towards agriculture which means less money, however a historical leniency on the federal government, contracts, historically lower school attendance hence less people to fill up any possible growth in higher level work force, quota system etc.

The issues raised in the previous paragraph ARE THE FACT in Nigeria and I am sorry but I don't believe in trying desperately to be politically correct to the extent whereby I am asked to be blind because such seems like foolishness. It is like asking people to be colour blind when we are actually different colours. The irony is that if you analyse the examples I have used, it has a logical flow to it (flow that is logical to me anyway) and in all of it I consider the opportunity that defines the magnitude of corruption because I am working on the assumption that if everybody was to steal or develop a particular region then how much money would be available to them and what obstacles are there towards development.

However it seems all you saw was ethnicity. If you didn't understand you could have asked me and I would have larified things and sorry to dissappoint but I do not see everything like you do, I treated all regions as being NIGERIA. The only reason I am taking time to actually respond to your seemingly mischevious post is because you keep quoting me and slapping on whatever agenda you want on my posts and again I beg, please leave my posts alone, you do not have to address me. Again sorry to dissappoint but I would definately not be loosing any sleep over the fact that some person I have never met and only engaging with for the first time who wants to be known as "Tonim" and has an 'f' next to their name thinks they have figured out my "mindset". I hope I have been able to clarify a few points not necessarily to you but to anyone who might have had similar 'confusion' over the post. Have a nice day : )

Tonim:
The bolded part confirms my earlier claim about you. Now that I understand your mindset, it makes sense how you choose not to reason
with me and just keep writing endlessly.

Have a nice day !

Interesting, a question I was asking in obvious speculation which was followed by other questions all in an attempt to reason with you and point out the ambiguity in your posts and the huge room it left for a lot of questions becomes conclusion? A question that was preceded by the phrase "I am not saying this is the case"? Guess you are going for the soundbyte approach? You highlight a question out of a whole set which included some jest about federal character that was purposely written to highlight what was an ambiguous proposition on your path that perhaps showed your post was not as clear as you thought it was? Well, good thing I am about done, not indulging you any further and really not bothered what "mindset" you think you "understand" about me or whatever conclusions you have reached cos my life is not defined by such LOL. Have a Nice day too and please abeg feel free not to address my posts again, it is not by force and I am not interested in any online spats, take care : )

Tonim:
All right then, what part of the country are you from ? Please i am all ears.

I stand by my words that, it is hard for you to see that yorubas are being singled out because it is not your tribe.


Again and for the umpteenth time, the EFCC can go after all yoruba corrupt people, all I am saying is that, they should go after others too !!!!!
Don't just single out the yorubas.

It seems you just like writing for the sake of writing. Who is protecting the corrupt ? Where in my post have I implied that ?

Next time, please read my posts carefully before responding. I think I write pretty clearly, but whatever difficulty you are having
understanding my posts, do not hesitate to point them out.

I went to school in Nigeria when our educational system was top notch. A diploma from UI, UNN, OAU, UNILAG etc was well
received around the world. I don't know if it is our school system that has failed you because I think my posts were pretty
clear that I don't have a problem with corrupt yorubas being prosecuted, I only feel they should go after others and not
just single out the yorubas. I think that was pretty straight forward.

How you arrive at me protecting the corrupt eludes me. Anyway, I can go over how to read and comprehend sentences
with you if this is what you need help with.

Apologies if you were offended, so why don't we look at where this all began. Someone posted an article and claimed there is selective justice being perpetrated against the members of a particular ethnic group. I posted a general statement based on observations. You decided to reply to my post specifically. You claim your posts are quite clear and unambigous but i don't believe your point was clear, I mean, what do you mean by the highligted part of your statement which you iterated in your earlier post? That single line I highlighted is shrouded in ambiguity and is quite contradictory especially when the EFCC had gone after people like Uzor Kalu, Odilli and Ibori. So are all those from same place? The irony is that here lies the issue: the actual effectiveness of the EFCC in successfully ensuring the conviction of corrupt public office holders. How many of the ex office holders are actually in jail? Instead of stating the obvious that the EFCC has been a collective failure towards the fight of corruption in Nigeria, period - it becomes a case of "they are focusing too much on my brother"? 

I am not saying this is the case, but could it be possibly because the leaders in a particular area aree corrupted to the point that they are easier to single out? Do we actually have to do statistics to justify prosecution? Perhaps this could be another area where federal character comes into play. Hence EFCC is only allowed to arrest one person from each group even if for whatever reason there might happen to be more obvious corrupt practices in say a particular region. So is this the point? See what I mean by your points aren't necessarilly supportive with the ideals you proclaim? So would a push to have convictions display more "federal character" satisfy? Though I find such a premise quite ludacris these are genuine questions. We could actually go further with this but it is obvious you took some offence at my last post so please don't feel the need to reply, just ignore my postings and have a nice day : )

Tonim:
This is because it is not your brethren that are being singled out.

Listen, no one is saying they should not probe, arrest and prosecute agagu or any yoruba if they are indeed corrupt. All we are saying is -
don't just go after the yorubas; yorubas are not the only ones stealing govt money in Nigeria.

Like I said earlier, you fail to pick up on this because it is not your tribe being singled out. Either that or you don't believe there is tribalism
at play in Nigeria.

LOOOL. How amusing, so what exactly do you know about me? Do you know for a fact that my "brethren" are not being "singled out" or do you even know what part of the country I am from? Yep, "brethren" that sacrifice the development of a whole state due to their selfish ambitions and interest, what amazing "brethren" worth protecrting. Even considering that people would tow this line is pretty frsutrating especially when you see a lot of whining about corruption and the state of things on nairaland. No offence to anyone and permit me to hold my views but it is quite irritating, tomorrow same people will come and shout that there is corruption and underdevelopment in their state and "discuss the issues", lol. Do you think ,doing "brother brother" with crooks will serve as a detterrent? For crying out loud what message is actually being sent out? You think these same "brethren" had your best interest at heart when they were pillaging the funds of their states and raping your resources to have more money to buy that extra private jet while the ordinary citizens could not even afford ehalth care? I mean. . . . ? How amusing, pardon me @Tonim but really no need to reply unless you want to have the last word cos I think I will pass on raising my blood pressure this morning. : )

Gosh what a country, the corrupt are protected by nthe citizens under some sort of "brotherly code" they did not consider when they were stealing hope and dev.elopment from their people whle the people won't mind shouting down performers and all the while same people are shouting "underdevelopment". Gosh what a country LOOL.

Should the question here really be wether there is a conspiracy to arrest only corrupt public officers from a particular ethnic group or wether the person has things to answer? Your relative steals from you and kills your children and you are mad at someone else for scolding him? Gosh, how ironically 'unafrican'. EFCC abegi please, if the govenor of my state steps out of line please met out some 'selective justcice' on him so that the next guy knows the score.

Although I am yet to see this 'selective justice' the EFCC practices considering no ex public office holder is in jail as a result of EFCC, what really surprises is that people choose to believe that the punishment of corrupt officers is detrimental in some way to their states, it really does baffle. Instead of people alerting the EFCC to the actions of their state govenors when they step out of line people are complaining about 'selective justice'. It just seems so upside down and counter productive. If the people of a state really really want development then does it have to go beyond 'your state govenor was corrupt' before people are actually satisfied with an arrest if in fact there are questions to be answered?

I guess Nigeria might need to descend to the very point where everyone in it earns no more than a dollar a day before people begin to realise that underdevelopment, lack of opportunities and corruption has no ethnic affiliations. Perhaps then people will start willingly handing over the bad eggs in their states as sacrificial offerings to the alter of the common good. This really does baffle to the point of amusement. A possible thief is arrested for questioning - gosh how unfair, is there no justice in the world? LOL.

Fisay:
Am sorry, I didn't inform the house that I am a new to this facility, my membership is is less than six hours old, I therefore knew nothing about NDM, nevertheless, I have an idea of what it might stand for, going by what Bhola said.I am not under any illusion that I am the only one who is thinking of seeing a new Nigeria, I know for sure there are millions of great and wonderful citizen of this great country scattered all over the world.I will to know more about NDM, and its activities.

To Blacksta and people of like minds, you are in for a shocker, failure has been expunged from my dictionary, soil on which others fails is a fertile ground for me.I know mind of great number of fellow citizens has been programmed not to see any good ideal succeeding, though past experience might be responsible, but this remain the area where our national problem is resting

I am not out to registered an NGO but to network with people like minds to exchange ideas on how to positively influence our nation genuinely devoid of selfish agenda, where nothing but absolute truth would be the fulcrum that our nation would be rested.

You can familiarise yourself with the nairaland NDM thread. This movement goes beyond nairaland and nairaland was simply one out of other forums and sites we posted on.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-230880.0.html

blacksta:
Please let me hear word. Others have tried and all have failed just ask the most recent one " Nigeria development Movement" You no get stamina

NDM is still very much alive and we have about 80 people registered so far, innactivity on nairaland does not mean we are not doing anything and we are actually working on registering as a non government organisation (NGO). I do not say this for your benefit but for the benefit of others who might read such a comment you made, I say it to inform others that for change to be instigated people have to get involved. I have not participated in nairaland discussions for a while now because of two main reasons; NDM is taking up time which i don't regret at all and secondly i have become quite jaded with simply relegating myself to posting "social commentary" online, such postings will continue and such frustrations will trive for years to come if we don't actually do something. Just talking about issues without working to change it seems old fashioned to me now.

The whole issue of Nigerians in diaspora being able to vote was an issue that was actually instigated by an NGO that started online, the whole BA fiasco which finally led to Yaradua getting involved was elevated by online groups. Whether you agree with the goals such NGOs achieved or not the issue is they saw something they did not like and worked and acted to change it and for that I respect them and even hope to join hands with them when goals might be similar. Among us we have dedicated people who know we are in this for the long haul. Because people don't post on the nairaland thread anymore does not mean there is no work going on, we have our dedicated forum and we hold meetings, etc. @blacksta no need to respond to this, this was not a means of honouring your comment cos it seems to me you have already made up your mind about failure and that is your prerrogative, this was just to inform and enlighten others. Have a nice day all.

debosky:
There is some truth in there, albeit tinged with a large dose of bitterness.

Oil won't 'plunk' below $1, it may get cheaper in the short term due to economic problems but it will rise much more soon. But then again, that isn't the core of your post, I just wanted to mention that.

I don't think many people are waiting for oil to be found so they can start claiming derivation. If anything, lots are praying oil is NOT found, so they don't encounter the fate of the ND people.

Oil can lead to development - we have gotten it wrong in many areas, but that should not lead to us closing that door or making oil equivalent with all the problems we have. Governments that learn from history can use oil to boost other parts of the economy and spur growth. Negativity about past mistakes should not result in us not making the best use of whatever resources available INCLUDING oil.

Regarding importing refined products, Iran and a number of oil producers also import refined products, so it isn't a peculiar Nigerian issue.

People shouldn't get their hopes up too much anyways - this will not be anything more than a 'small field' as it stands. At it's peak, I'd be surprised if it yielded more than 40,000 barrels/day - compared to the 1.8-2.0 million barrels/day produced by the rest of the country, it is miniscule - remove development costs and profits, not a whole lot will be left over anyways.

You didn't need to address my post. Bitterness is not a word I would use to describe the post rather frustration and irritance seems more adequate. I was not insinuating that oil will ever drop below $1 but using hyperbole to highlight how sensitive the whole economy of a nation is to oil prices simply because it is practically the only thing exported. Neither did I say Oil cannot bring development rather the sarcasm was aimed at the fact that OIL is not equal to DEVELOPMENT unless you want to claim it is, do you live in a house made of oil? It is how you manage and use the resources you have that matters. How many countries can we list that don't have oil and are more developed than Nigeria? I don't even think I need to name countries that fall into such category because I am stating the obvious and for some reason I think you should know better.

Nigeria is too reliant on OIL. You say people don't care much for oil and pray for it not to be found yet stories circulate in the news papers of how so and so was bribed with oil blocks? Then comparing Nigeria to Iran as a means of some bar to measure up to and be proud, why don't we compare ourselves to congo or somalia while we are at it since such might make us feel better and perhaps more content with our present situation. The issue is that for a country that seems so heavily dependent on oil to rely so heavily on imported fuel bought at an obviously higher price than the crude oil they sell, for all these years and decades is simply foolish. And please let us not pretend as if such was a result of prefference, how many defunct oil refineries does Nigeria have? How many plans have existed to start oil refineries? What sector of the country is actually functioning even with all the oil wealth? LOL, I'm done.

LOL, funny country, the country can't generate employment, stimulate an economy or even sustain one, accomodate development of indigeneuous innovative products or designs in any fields, nah, the country prefers to wait an eternity for what would seem like an equivalent to mana from above.
Very soon you will get people selling suya and bole inviting oil companies to come and "explore" their own 2m by 2m square of real estate to check for oil and then all that is left to do upon discovery is sit down and wait for oil derivation and at the end of the day citizens can drive home in their cars made of oil on roads made of oil to their mansions made of oil and settle to an evening of oil cocktails with a selection of hors d'oeuvres made of oil, even have baths in oil and the children will go to schools made of oil and read books made of oil. Because oil is development.

A country with people doing no work and being completely unproductive, can't even refine the oil taken from their land, others buy that oil refine it and sell it back to them at higher prices and the people think they are "clued up"? Even market women sef will soon start learning derivation formula and start having 'enlightened discourse' on the benefits true federalsim would bring. Gosh how amusing it would be when the price of oil plunks below $1. That would be a real eye opener and perhaps that day can't come any sooner. What does the country Nigeria bring to the global table apart from oil?

Mowire:
Why do I think you critics are unduely hasty?
I read the original article and I see "they won't stop coming back to say thank you with huge, ". May be you guys ca't see that you cannot prosecute anyone for coming with a thank you offer after executing a job. I don't know Gov. Obi so I can't atest to his honesty but I know that if he rejected the gifts the useless contractors will pocket it and the people would not have had anything out of the balance of bloated contracts.

I understand the point you are trying to make and i saw the text you referenced. However critsicms are not necessarily directed at the article but at the responses it is generating. Some people are basically saying it is ok to accept bribe as long as you "give back to the community" while others are using the excuse of not just "everybody does it" but also "everybody would do it" to justify such stances.

Even if we have to address the article, perhaps a more conservative fiscal approach would suffice instead of the common practise in Nigeria of giving out over inflated and unecessarily padded contracts which seem to consist of on the spot made up figures devoid of any competitive tendering or price searching. Perhaps then contractors won't have to come back offering "gifts". And please let people not come back with lame excuses like "it happens in the US", we are speaking of government money, we are speaking of Nigeria and sorry to break it to those still in doubt but Nigeria is poor. Any money being "saved" by the government is actually simply being wasted because there are things to be done, infrastructure to upgrade, hospitals to build, economic schemes to instigate, power to generate, industries to facilitate, etc, therefore such a wreckless approach to government spending should not be encouraged.

If at the end of his tenure all Yar Adua can show is "saved money" with retrogression in terms of development or none at all, it would not be any favour on Nigeria's path because all it would ammount to is more wasted time and hence delayed progress. It is even more scary for instances whereby the actual money spent on the project is not known and then people come bearing gifts. The 50,000 naira pure water with 5naira change analogy still stands until such information is known.

jamace:
No doubt, am not an angel.

You know too well that to create an abrupt change in present day Nigeria is suicidal. He is contributing to change in a subtle way through wisdom. I can bet that all of you condemning his action will collect and pocket the money and if possible do thanksgiving that God has prospered you. There is nothing as cheap as criticising.
Let me educate you that change in Nigeria has started in a gradual way and Obi's effort is just one of those efforts, though not yet recognised by critics.

Oh please, its always amusing and sometimes a bit irritating when people do this. Just because you would steal the money and stifle the development of the people you are meant to be responsible to does not mean everyone would walk thesame road. Please don't let guilt or whatever feeling you might have lead you to be so quick to throw thesame blanket on everyone by assuming that everyone would do thesame as an excuse for your own questionable standings. Doing so just seems to show you know that such a stand is selfish, immoral, corrupt, bankrupt and bereft of compassion. Money is not everything to everybody. So please speak for yourself : )

yarodin:
Well if he does not take it someone else will. At least his doing something, what about those that take and pocket every single penny?

Pardon me but with such a take on things do you genuinely feel you should ever criticise the Nigerian government or 'lament' at the position corruption has put the country in? Good thing for freedom of speech if not no offence but some people should be barred from complaining or lamenting at "the state of things". You can't have your cake and eat it. You can't make excuses for corruption even to the point of almost commending it and then expect it to go away. You can't shout development and progress from the roof tops then find ways to morally "tolerate" blatant corruption and bribery. You can't shout and demand  that foreigners respect the green passport and see Nigeria as "developed" when corruption is so openly accepted and even commended if a cut of the stolen wealth (the people's money) is used to build a road or two. How impressive, someone went to the market with 50,000 naira of your money, bought a bag of pure water and gave you 5naira change, how noble of them.

Redman44:
Ok mates, I have just registered for consideration as a member of the Nigerian Development Movement [ NDM ].

I want to plead with Nairaland Moderators that this thread should be put on the first page of Nairaland. I have directed a lot of my family members and friends who are Nigerians to the NDM site and Nairaland. My prayer is that this movement will not die out. It is a solid idea that can change Nigeria for good. I have some suggestions for the organisers of the NDM-

1. NDM memebers should start meeting face2face. Online activities should lead to physical meetings as soon as possible.

2. NDM members in Nigeria should start doing individual low key campaigns by telling members of their family about the movement and its objectives. Those who can afford it can print flyers and leaflets and distribute in their churches and social clubs.

3. 2011 is around the corner. We need to start laying concrete plans for the elections in about two years time. The corrupt piliticians have started buying armoured vehicles and are currently arming their private armies for 2011. We need to start having serious meetings and campaigns as a soon as possible.

4. The NDM should not act like a secret organization. We need to have leaders who will talk to the Nigerian Media and willing to be interviewed in The Print Media and on Television.

5. I see this movement becoming very strong as the days go by. There will be attempts to hijack the NDM by undesirable characters who might be on the payroll of our oppressors. The organizers of this movement should be careful. They must remain true to their original ideals. They must also not be corrupt. Corruption and lack of set objectives could kill this vision which I believe was given by God.

6. A good logo should be created for this Movement. It should be a logo that is catchy and that has a deep meaning. Let the graphic designers among us come up with logo ideas.

7. Selfish motives need to be cast aside if we want to get anywhere. I am glad to be a member of this movement. and I don't want to see this dream die. Honourable members of the Press like Reuben Abati, Louis Odion, Nosa Igiebor, Yemi Adebisi etc etc should be contacted about the activities of the NDM. If someone like Reuben Abati writes about this movement in his CROSSROADS Column, a lot of publicity will be generated. We should also try and write about the NDM in our respective blogs and Websites. We can also write individual and collective articles to National Dailies and Magazines in Nigeria on different development topics but with NDM cited in the articles.

I will come up with more ideas as time goes on. Cheers.

Nigeria will become great again.

Thanks for your interest. We invite you to partake and contribute in the dedicated forum. There are already set up avenues so people can easily get involved in committees and join in the work ahead that is geared towards making a positive impact in Nigeria.

NDM - Get Involved

bilms:
sky blue, thanks for giving this information on the conference.

it was painful that i missed the conference due to my network. but By God's grace i will be present in the next conference.

i am really working on the progress of the movement and i pray God be with us all.

so what is the next move you guys have put in place cos i really want to be carried along.

I believe you are already registered, only bringing that up because it is important to note that this is not just about the conferences serving as a footnote with nothing but empty space between them. Committees are now established so such have the opportunity to meet when it is convenient for them, to focus on their own goals. Conferences only serve to bring all committees and the whole group together to consider the direction the whole group is heading and see what has been achieved, as well as getting feedback, etc. Keep up to date on the forum because that is the dedicated work space and serves as a place to trade ideas, hold meetings and basically focus on the work before us. The work goes on everyday so get involved : )

At current membership stands at 62

NDM - Get Involved

@bilms, that is a very long write up and it might be more adequate to post it on the ndm forum, perhaps in the governance and corruption section? A shorter and more concise article might suffice for the nairaland postings.

Yesterday there was a general meet in the public chat room and Bhola and I gave a basic intro. There were a lot of questions. After about an hour we went into different committee rooms. Basically, in each committee goals of each committee were defined, hence work is going on with regards to designing strategies to work with to realise the set goals. There was a basic summary again in the public chat room and after that people lingered for quite a while. It was good to see people take such an interest in working towards progress and speaking for myself I was pretty pleased with the inputs by all, hence a dedicated group of people is beginning to form. The plan is to make the forum a workspace and a market place of ideas. Work is being instigated behind the scenes to set up a web site, we will put basic updates on different sites including this thread. Again, invites are open to those who share the vision of working towards progress and making a positive impact in Nigeria. It is about involving the people, you and I.

NDM - Get Involved
(Progress through Unity and Equality)

Ok guys. About 10 minutes to conference. Please log unto the forum and click on "THE GENERAL CHAT ROOM" on the top. Log in and go into the public channel. We begin in 10minutes

Naijex:
)Jensen
2)percussive
3)Keens
4)Charlesmud
5)LaTeX
6)Naijex
7)Young's
proudly9Jae
9)Busy body
10)Ampex
11)acreage
12)Agata123
13)innocent oh
14)sashbaby
15)B.O.S.S
16)Bernelle
17)hatches
18)Sky Blue
19)cube
20)Homeric01
21)Bola
22)Sam Millay
23)Brien
24)Fe32
25)Sanger
26)juju
27)Moves
28)PAPABrowne
29)superb
30) Oink
31)abdurrazaq
32)gongo aso
33) Gilgee
34)Kola

I recruited Kola and added his name to the list because he not a nairalander

just make sure he mails and registers on forum

PollMaster:
Thank you poster. At least u r one of those actually looking 4 solutions and not just running others ideas down - mr a town,kobojunkie,etc.
I think you are quite smart.

#

The solution has and is still increasing power generation capacity and quality of distribution. Hence, build more power plants and invest in power lines, transformers, etc.

I don't even know wether this is a joke, LOL. Such analogy using ghana requires information like population of ghana, power generating capacity in ghana, size of the indutrial sector, number of cities, etc. With all of that considered this seems a ridiculous premise. How can people save what they do not have? Industries are run on generators, TINAPA has its own power supply system and hence does not rely on NEPA, even if we shut down all industries the domestic demand cannot be met, i mean how many houses have generators in Nigeria and won't it be easier counting houses without generators?

South Africa with a population less than a third of that of Nigeria has a generating capacity of about 40,000MW and they still have some power problems. Then you now look at Nigeria with such a population only managing at best to squeeze out about 3000MW on a very good day and you think the issue is energy conservation? Gosh it is soooooo embarassing, LOL. Even MTN and Glo had to invest heavily in generators, meaning money spent on equipment which pollutes the environment and runs on imported fuel in a country that is the 8 largest exporter of crude oil. CHEY, it is embarassing, LOL.