₦airaland Forum

Saying the EFCC is biased is one thing, but trying to defend thieves based on that arguement is simply another. It is quite disheartening and discouraging to see a thread on news about someone stealing funds meant for development turning tribal, it really is. I don't care if the north or south or wherever ruled for the next whatever years if it will guarantee 24hours power, good roads, good public infrastructure and ammenities, a viable economy, security, health care, good education and working institutions, freedom, respect for my human rights, etc. If some people here are so focused on this whole tribal thing then you know what? Why don't they practice it in their lives? When next someone you know is robbed or you are robbed, forget the fact that it was made easier because there probably was no light when the thing happened  due to the fact that people "ruling" the country stole, looted, and wasted all the money meant for electricity, forget the fact that the person is probably robbing you due to the obscenely high rate of unemployment due to the fact that the government is not tackling any of the real issues like creating good environment for industries to bloom, etc, forget all of that and before the robber leaves your house, ask him kindly "oga abeg, where are you from". If you and him are fom thesame area then don't report him because he is your "brother" after all. Don't bother calling the police to report your so called "brother" who robs you, the funny part is that the police will probably not respond because they have no weapons or vehicles or any means of communication to prove themselves useful in anyway because some people who were meant to be leaders used all the money meant for such in throwing owambe. People should even be ashamed to come from thesame area as some of this thieves and yet instead of that it is turning into solidarity? A so called brother who robs and murders his family? Most in Nigeria are affected by thesame issues, turning it into something tribal just completely misses the point. If they had not stolen then would there be any need to dish out the so called "selective justice"? So Odilli, Ibori, Alams, Lucky, OBJ did not steal anything? So they are all saints and did an amazing job that added value to the lives of Nigerians is that what we are now saying? If this is the line of thinking then is it any wonder that the country is the way it is? Is it really?

I really don't understand where the praise for EFCC doing a good job is coming from. Could thesame not have been said when they "arrested" Ibori and is he not walking free today? What about Lucky, is he not walking free? This is ludacris especially the rejoicing at the fact that they have "iron clad evidence". So there is no "iron clad evidence" to go after OBJ and the whole of Nigeria is blind except EFCC? What about Odilli? People were rejoicing about EFCC when the whole Etteh thing happened, isn't Patricia Etteh still in the house of Reps? People please we all want Nigeria to progress (i hope and assume),  but let us not start calling black white and let us praise when praise is actually merited. How many politicians are in jail today as result of EFCC investigation? Anyone please? Anyone? Even Alams that was released after the investigation because he was kind of in "jail" for 2 years according to EFCC, was it not house arrest? People keep throwing praise at EFCC and i keep asking simply, what have they done to warrant praise? Maybe i am blind and missing something, so in all honesty and genuity i ask, someone please educate me, what am i not seeing that everyone else seems to be seeing? Or are people now watching or reading "special" news that i am not aware off? SOOO many big time crooks and broad daylight political thugs and thieves walking and ruling and retiring in oppulence and EFCC go after who? Yahoo boys. I am just speechless. How many people have died as a result of the Power situation? Wasn't there a big thing about people dying when they were putting fuel in their generator and using there phone as torch light? When they got a phone call and they answered it, because of electrical signal in the phone and the fumes from the petrol, people where basically roasted on the spot. $16 billion apparently spent on power and nothing was done even with that alone, has EFCC investigated? Has the house even invited OBJ for questioning? And EFCC is doing an amazing job? How many politicians are in jail today due to EFCC? And we are praising EFCC for what? For holding some people in custody and not being able to find Iyabo? a whole Senator and they can't find her?

@Kobojunkie, won't it be more valuable for Africans to fight their battles for our own good as opposed to, for 'saving face' and because the world is watching? I rather Zimbabweans stood up for themselves because they peronally are ready for a change and have had enough, than because they are tired of being embarassed or viewed a certain way by the world. Won't it be more meaningful then? Probably sounds like me picking something out of nothing, but genuine development and change will come when we know and realise that it is for our own good and not just because we are embarassed, which is what i think and hope is going to happen in Zimbabwe. As for Nigeria? lol

@redsun yes africa was raped, pillaged, etc, yes there was and still are injustices caused by outside forces, i will not take away from the validity of that arguement because it is concrete. But the simple truth is this, we are where we are and our future is in our hands. So what are we going to do about it? If your answer is continue to complain and focus on the past and use it as a guiding beacon to our future then what exactly do you think that will accomplish? Is it going to develop the country and the continent for us? Is it going to curb corruption? Is it going to provide security and infrastructure? Is it going to develop and build the economy? What exactly is this focus on the past going to achieve? We s can aknowledge the past without turning it into our future. Last time i checked, and using Nigeria as an example, the people holding us in slavery are our so called leaders, keeping the masses slaves to poverty and corruption. So Mugabe should stay in power just so that Africa won't 'lose face'? Isn't that just plain selfishness and inconsiderate to the masses of people suffering under Mugabe? So the majority who voted not to have Mugabe in power should be ignored? What exactly is your arguement here cause i don't get it and i am asking genuinely. And what on earth does Mao have to do with a dictator in Zimbabwe who has destroyed his country's economy and is unwanted by the people?

I am genuinely interested to know what Amaechi has achieved? What are his so called laudable achievements, holding meetings? If it is holding meetings or forums or committees that make good governance then i am sure that all governors and the president, in fact everyone will pass with flying colours. Governors and commisioners, and house of rep members etc, hold meetings all the time, they hold meetings to discuss how to share money meant for development among themselves.

Just imagine the impact all those projects would have had if they were completed. It seems to me that committees are simply an arrangement and vice that senators and house of rep members use to make money and waste the money of the Nigerian masses. All those trips that have been taken in the name of causes are they new? Weren't such trips taken during the last regime? And what was learnt or how did it add value to governance or the nigerian situation? Very soon you will soon start hearing of senators taking trips to germany to see how people sweep their houses there (all expenses paid of course). If certain individuals are not investigated and if found guilty, prosecuted by the end of this year (at least Iyabo, Odilli, Ibori), then Yaradua should not even open his mouth about any rule of law or due process anymore because that would really be nothing less than a spit on the face of Nigerians. If this whole story is true it would mean that Iyabo, even after the whole contract fiasco of last year has not learnt any lesson or gained any sort of moral or ethical fibre in what seems to be a non existent concience. And why should she, we all keep hearing on a daily basis how corruption is destroying Nigeria and that it is the cancer of the country and yet please someone educate me, has anyone in the history of this so called democracy been genuinely punished for corruption? If Iyabo is not properly investigated even while she is still a senator, won't expecting her not to steal again in even 2 months time be nothing more than wishful thinking?

The basic problem people might have against capitalism is not necessarily what it is in its purest form, but how it affects the society, the things it is associated with and what it leads to and has come to stand for in the mordern world. Whenever someone thinks of capitalism, it is normally skyscrapers, corporate organisations, "the man" or "the suit", corporate structures which see some people earning a ridiculous ammount while the majority slave to eek out a living. One thinks of busy lifestyles where people don't really have time for their children but are slaves to work to sustain the culture. All money goes to bills, etc. This unfortunately in mordern times has come to be the results of a capitalist culture. It might not be what capitalism in its purest form stands for, but it is what has been understandably associated with capitalism, a society were profit is the key factor in everything, a culture which seems to be anti social. Compare france and england. England has a greater capitalist culture when compared to France and the french love their lifestyle of longer holidays, more flexible hours, etc, a more social system. That has meant the UK has a more dynamic economy ,than france but at what cost? The cost of living is higher in england anyway. They have what can be seen as a more social culture when compared to England where all the money you make goes to bills, taxes, etc. Compare again UK and Canada, thesame thing. The whole point is that people see capitalism as a compromising culture and lifestyle and system. Do we really believe the whole world can live that lifestyle at a sustainable pace? People see capitalism as something that comes at a great cost, it is just a matter of if we think the cost is worth what is perceived as a capitalist culture.

It is very easy to push the blame to the federal government. Was peter Odilli also working at a federal level? We know he stole well over a 100 billion naira right? What could that money have achieved? And that is just Peter Odilli, what about Ibori, Alams, etc? I am not saying the region has not suffered neglect, but to ignore the white elephant in the room and say it is the fault of the federal government is not admitting the truth or being completely sincere. Don't the so called "freedom fighters" know where Odilli lives? But they rather unleash terror on innocent citizens and we are really going to defend that under the umbrella of "freedom fighting"? Think about it for a second please. This just smacks of dirty politics and Odilli and co must be brought to justcie for the terror they have unleashed, then we can start talking of federal goverment. So are we really saying the looting and robbing of the state by Peter Odilli and his PDP gang, the gross mismanagement and incompetence, thuggery, bribing, and every other adjective that describes corruption which were all part and parcel of Peter Odilli and co's government is to be ignored? Is the federal government now to answer for the gross incompetence of Odilli, Ibori and Alams? Have you not read reports and news of the house Odilli owns in abuja? One of the biggest construction that went on in rivers state that stands as a testament to Odilli's 8 years in government was the rebuilding of Government house port harcourt. The former building was already quite huge, had its own teathre, etc, but i am guessing he thought OBJs third term and hence by extension his third term will succeed and wanted to live in more oppulence in the midst of suffering, so he built a more extravagant building with furnishing inside hinted with gold all over the place. In front of the building a sign reads, "finally something the people of Rivers State can be proud of". By the way his house in abuja is apparently even better than the government house in Port Harcourt. When Alams was arrested wasn't there a huge group that were crying "selective justice"? What a paradox!!!! I am not absolving the federal government of any blame in the matter, i am simply saying we should not absolve the state government of their hand in it either, and to be honest, they carry well over half of the blame if not all.

At least no one is coming to defend this with the guise of 'feedom fighting'. What happened is simple, politicians (Odilli and co) armed the youths of the state and hired them during elections to serve their evil deeds and now the authorities can't get the weapons back. Effectively, they created an out of control monster that is threatening the stability of the region. I really can't wait till the ridiculous and highly questionable ban the court placed on the EFCC stopping them from arresting Peter Odilli is lifted (his wife is a judge by the way). Was it not in the news a few weeks ago that a pipeline was found which ran from a refinery in Rivers State to a house owned by Tom Ateke? People have to go to filling station to get fuel and this guy could just turn on a tap and get crude oil? And the government or the refinery did not know about the pipe? And the government did not know about this? And he is being called a what, a 'freedom fighter'? Should we not start calling a spade a spade? Whenever i speak to people in Port Harcourt, i don't get any sense of solidarity with these militants because they are being a menace to the state and if there ever was anything noble about this fight, surely it has been lost and possibly destoyed by the armed robberies, bunkering, killing, kidnapping of children, terrorism, etc that has been unleasehd on the region, hasn't it?

@Nigeria1 i don't care what "region" a president or vice president or any other come from as long as it is a good president. All this seperative ways of thinking just need to stop. As long as the president will hold the vision of Nigeria as his priority and act in the best interest of Nigeria, i really don't care where he comes from. I am sure if people were all enjoying 24 hour light supply, good roads, health care, security, a growing economy, job availability, industrialisation, etc, people won't have time to analyse issues such as where the president came from.

@Big B1 and Depilot, you guys have stated that the EFCC is more organised and effective now and focused, and i keep asking for evidence of this or what has been the result of this increase in efficieny? What has been done that you guys are aware of that i am not? It is a genuine and sincere question. Do you want us to just take your "word" for it without questioning? I mean, this is Nigeria we are talking about so i may be forgiven for asking for evidence of this so called "effective" actions you speak of. As long as i don't have that, i will rather state my observations which is that the EFCC at this point in time is in a situation where a muted organisation to begin with has been further muted if not killed already. It doesn't matter wether EFCC is supposed to instigate the culture of transparency or not, they may be needed to become part of this culture but that is not the issue. They are supposed to investigate and bring to light corrupt practices of public officials as well as prosecuting them and getting them to answer to justice. Ribadu's time might have been marred with ineptitude and all that, ok, no one might argue with you. But if the so called inept officer could put some ammount of fear in the life of some public officers with all the flaws and ineptitude and inefficiecy we all accept, what has this so called much more "efficient and effective" EFCC achieved? Is the price of this efficiency inaction? You can't say they are being held back by the law and due process because the law gives them power to carry out their activities. I stand by my unwillingness to praise inaction and even sub par mediocrity. I am sorry, but i won't praise this effectivity you speak of that i am yet to see. It is like saying PHCN has become more efficient than NEPA, but is there light? So what are the fruits of their labour, so that we can judge for ourselves?

@Nigeria1 i think you are giving Nigerians too little credit. So you are saying Nigerians living in Nigeria can't be in pivotal positions in Nigeria and make a difference unless they have had some "western exposure"? Where did you draw that conclusion from? I mean, what about Dora Akunliyi? Did she have any of this "western exposure"? So we cannot be trend setters in anything or progress without using common sense? So people would need to have lived abroad before knowing that good roads are needed (south africa even has better roads than england)? That hospitals are needed ? That we need money supposedly "invested" in power supply to be actually invested? Are we talking rocket science here? If that was meant to be a defence for Yaradua then ironically it has come out as an insult on his intelligence, lol. To be honest though, after reading his so called reasons for returning the budget yet again, if they are the real reasons then i find it amicable i really do. But this is ten months into government now, so please can we just stop making excuses for him? Really. I hope the budget is passed soon so that it can begin implementation, but until then i am not going to praise a lack of performance on any front, for even things that don't need a budget to be passed.

@Big B1, EFCC is very active and "functioning effectively and efficiently"? So what have they achieved since the removal then? Genuinely not trying to be a pain but i rather be fed with substance. If you are saying they are doing their job and we just have to what? Sit down and trust that this is happening? I am sorry but i just don't buy it. There should be transparency in government and until the usual suspects who have raped Nigeria are arrested and prosecuted, going after small time scammers won't fix the problem. You can't arrest robbers who work at night and leave the glorified daylight ones and serve that as any useful deterrent to the crime. Of course EFCC was always going to attract attention, they are/were supposed to be dealing with corruption which is a fundamental problem in Nigeria and are we now asking for a behind the scenes treatment whereby an unspecified ammount is "returned back" to government? The more open and public the shaming the better, as a deterrent for would be future offenders. I think it is high time we should just start sayin we no go gree. Transparency doesn't have to come at a compromise to effectivity and efficiency.

I think he means touts and criminals in the mould of Ibori, Odilli, OBJ, IBB, Adedibu, Igbinidion, etc and surprise surpprise, they are all from PDP. I won't call them untouchables simply because it makes me feel like i am glorifying these common tout, motor park boys and agberos in some way. But if we really think about it the much lauded fight on corruption in retrospect has turned out to be a very distorted shadow of the revolution people were claiming it to be. Think about it, the prison system in Nigeria is full of a lot of people who have not even been convicted or found guilty of any wrong doing simply rotting away. Now a quick question, and think hard, how many people "arrested" by the EFCC are in jail today? Justice will not be served until this problem is addressed especially when you look at it from this perspective: these people were not only guilty of stealing from their people and practising daylight thuggery, murder, armed robbery, you name it, but they also robbed Nigerians of 8 years of progress. In those 8 years, people whose only dream was to see the nation grow and progress instead saw the opposite, they stole hope, aspirations and the trust of the citizenry. In those 8 years, offices which were meant to be positions at which the highest patriotism is meant to be displayed in the sense of service to one's country, were instead occupied by the most unpatriotic of Nigerians. Simply put, it is painful. Why do people wonder at the alarming rise in armed robbery and chaos when people in power have shown that crime pays? Everything else seems like a distraction and detraction from the main event until these wrongs are addressed.

It is in the news that Yaradua has for the second time, returned the budget which the house of assembly passed because he did not agree with some things. The first time the budget was returned was because the house of assembly adjusted the budget to take into account the fact crude oil has been selling for a much higher price (about double) than what the original budget factored in. The budget was to a much higher figure for different projects as well as revealing lots of apparently hidden accounts which were discontinued. The budget was returned to Yaradua to pass but he said it was too large and might cause inflation and sent it back to the house. The budget was adjusted and reduced quite significantly by the house and returned to Yaradua and now he has returned it again because he does not agree with it. It is amicable to see a president who seems concerned with the implications of budgeting and seems to take budgeting serious. However, it would have remained amicable only if this budget being passed was for his four year term. It is not. It won't be such a big deal if this to and fro passing of the budget between president and the house took shorter sessions, perhaps days to resolve. However when you actually realise that the time period between the budget being presented to the house by Yaradua and then returned to Yaradua returned back to the house and reutrned back to Yaradua and now again returned back to the house has taken a period of no less than 6 months, one begins to wonder. In that time period, federal roads remain a disgrace and a death trap, the education sector remains a much distorted shadow of what an education system should be, power supply, a much credited factor in building of industry and expansion of the economy remains a pipe dream etc, basically insert any other promises being made for the past year. And this is the budget for one year? So when are all these projects going to be executed then? It is understandable when people say we should give the man time to move and build. However let us not be so quick to assume that real progress has to take a decade per step. Are we then going to be subjected to a third term bid by the PDP in order for Yaradua to complete a year's worth of solid work? He hasn't got eternity to move at the pace he is moving at, the factor being the urgency in our situation. Yes, our situation is urgent, power supply needed for us to compete and excel on an international scale, good infrastructure needed for development, etc. Our situation is urgent, so can we keep on at this snail pace as a response to such urgency?

I do believe a lot of people on this thread have simply jumped to conclusions without even researching the effort that is being made by lagos government to tackle the public transport and traffic issue. I did not contribute because i am not in lagos so i cannot speak about the experience. People have talked of the issue with roads not being taken care of, however are any of those people in lagos? I have been following developments in lagos and it is not difficult to go on the Lagos transport authority site to discover that a lot of work has been carried out since Fashola got in on rebuilding and maintaining new roads all over Lagos. It even shows you before, during and after shots of these projects LOL. And the work is still going on. As well as rebuilding and beautifying roads and a contract issued for road maintainance to private companies (which many here failed to state) As well as the BRT, there are also planned simultaneuous developments on ferry routes with new ferries being added, and also currently now, Fashola is apparently shopping for investors to come and develop a light rail system which has already been preplanned, with planned stations, routes, etc already defined. The BRT at first will of course be congested seeing that this is only the first phase and there are mor routes that are going to be opened and there is going to be expansion as stated by the Lagos government and on sites around the place. This means the service will become less congested with time and these seem to me the pains which are inevitable with trying to put order into the chaos that is lagos. Even with that, if you experience the chaos on the london underground and the london buses during rush hours, you won't be complaining about standing. It is normal that the service will be saturated at peak times.There have been and will continue to be inconveniences to road users as the work is being done, but it is necessary and when it is finished i hope and believe that the state will benefit greatly from it. Someone was talking about money government spent on BRT and the issue of maintenance, if you did research, you will realise that the government simply put the infrastructure in place. the buses were donated by some organisations. The government provided the infrastructure such as the demacations, bus stops, and bus depots with underground facilities (fuel dispensers, gas tanks etc which has been completed already). The point i am trying to get at is that many here should not have been so quick to jump on the band wagon without actually checking out the information first. It is not difficult to come by LOL. I am not even from lagos but i am impressed with the work Fashola is doing, or would all of us have wanted a Yaradua style of governance and take on things?

@bawomolo Nigerians should have asked Yaradua for his proposals when campaigning? LOOL. Did he campaign? Someone who did not even plan to be the president. I hope people are now beginning to see some of the reasons the presidential election should have been annulled. When we are not even allowed to choose leaders because of all the rigging and electoral violence and non existent elections how on earth are we going to get leaders that are answerable to us? Wether he would have won or not is not the issue, but what is the issue is the ethos behind it. And yet when the election tribunal ruled in Yaradua's favour and hence telling us that the elections were perfect and not flawed some people came here to rejoice. Some of those same people are now coming to complain, hilarious. How on earth will parties practice policy based and debate based electoral campaigns? When they know they can just jrig elections, that is why even IBB could go and pick up a party ticket. Hence elections are no longer about which party can produce candidates with better and more intelligent policies. Look at America. Obama or Hilary or McCain will make good presidents and people in Nigeria were having to pick between lesser of evils. This thing goes back as far as the elections and now people who wanted to take short cuts, do you see were it has gotten us? The only thing now left to do is to find a way to change the system instead of making excuse for obvious inaction. What plans does this guy have? Have we all of a sudden woken up to find we have no power? So what is so complicated? In the decades we have not had power, books tailor made to our situations have been written about the problem in that period, and we still need to be looking at panels of people with questionable standings? No courage and Spinelessness has a lot to do with our current situation. Yaradua still worships the ground OBJ walks on and will not even see the man and others of his standings (the Iboris, Odillis, Alams, IBBs and co) in any bad light, people who joined to ruin the country, talk of instigating any real probe. The people on the panel inquiring about the power situation had no spine to actually ask the governor who came in for questioning any real questions, still sucking up to him with all that big man nonsense. No SPINE to stand for what is right and just. I only hope Yaradua is just being quiet but has plans of his own, and even if, he is the president and this is not the time for him to be "shy". Till i can see any better i will say spinelessness, there is no way i will praise or excuse lack of any visible progress because with the state of affairs of Nigeria, at this crucial point in time (it has been crucial for how long now?) lack of progress is actually equivalent to taking steps backwards.

The excuses get more pathetic everyday. If we are saying he hasn't done anything to checkmate the wrong of OBJ, IBB and co because of "vested interest" then let us call a spade a spade and simply come out and say he has no courage, he has no liver, he holds the interest of such people above the interest of Nigeria. Ok, so now we have said he has no courage and does not want to probe anybody so that "his friends won't stop playing with him" then what is he doing to move the nation forward if he wants us to forget about those who continue to be the rut in the progress of the nation? Let us for a moment pretend that the problems are so "complex" as some want to claim. If the problems are so complex, shouldn't that warrant a more urgent take on it if there is a will to develop the nation? If we keep on sitting down with our "complex" problems and beating around the bush is that going to reduce the complexity of the problems? Budget has not been passed till now, FOI bill has not been passed till now but motion to increase salary of members of the house and president was passed in a matter of days. How very "complex", or is complexity in our case just a euphemism for corruption, no vision, greed, selfishness, etc?

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of how to cause change is the House of Assembly and the other houses. How many of us come here discuss politics? I am sure some of you will know people who know people who now senators or house members. The house is meant to be a representation of the will of the people in a normal democracy. But we all know that the elections that brought a lot of people into the house was not even an election in most cases, my suggestion is that whenever we are given a chance to stand for what is right and true, let us stop choosing the wrong. If we know leaders in some way, it could be anything from a local government chairman, to a senator, let us engage them in serious political issues. Call and pester them and have serious discussions with them, have debates or whatever. the point i am trying to make is that if we can in some way change the outlook of a good number of people in the house in some way and wake them up to their duties then this could actually spread in some way. I know the house is full of 419ers and people of questionable standing as Aliyu claimed before. But if we can effect change in a local government chairman who will use money allocated to his area to actually execute projects for the people, or even members of council or even the house, surely that is a start. Why don't we get proactive in this, Nigerians would have to change Nigeria so we will have to start somewhere. Anyone know anybody in the house, then ask why FOI bill has not been passed for this long yet a motion to increase their salary was passed in a matter of days. Any of us good writers? Bring to the spotlight the politics of Nigeria and discuss and engage the youths with articles. Any of us know people who work in T.V in Nigeria, let us find a way to get serious and critical debates on the air as opposed to the political butt kissing that seems to plague the air waves in Nigeria. Why don't we get proactive in this because i believe we can make a difference, call me naive if you will but i rather be naive than sceptical.

But to be honest, you can't blame this on lack of advisors i mean come on. So has the man suddenly lost touch from reality now that he is in aso rock? Can we stop using the excuse of "he is surrounded by corrupt people" to justify this lack of any visible progress? So he needs people to say there is no light you need to build power stations, the roads are bad you need to build roads? This is just, i just don't know. If we were at a stage were we needed rocket science politics to fix things then fine. But the basics is just logic, so do we really have such an uncreative president that can't see things a 5 year old might be able to see? After hearing that NEPA took light three times during a speech he was making about a week or so ago, i thought he would take things more seriously, but have we heard anything yet apart from forming panels to discuss the problem?

@4 Play, regional competition might not be a panacea to our problems, however what it represents is what is most important. Every part of the country striving to move the country forward instead of the nonchalant attitude that has come to symbolise our current disposition. With a more serious approach towards nation building do you think there will be tolerance for corruption? It is about what it represents, people finally waking up from sleep to develop the nation and trying to change it in the areas they are or in the areas they can as opposed to getting cosy with poverty and corruption. When people are working towards a common goal do you think there will be as much tolerance for a few who want to spoil it? And you are still saying it is the worst thing ever that could happen?

@4Play, ok i think we are getting into a cycle now, LOL. Everything that i need to say i think i already have but let us just clear things up. The money that we make now, is it being used to develop the country? is it being used to build power stations, to create jobs, to create an environment that is appealing to investors, to improve education, to promote industrialisation? Is this happening around the country? If your answer is no then why is it? Could it be that this money is going into the pockets and private bank account of leaders? If the figures you claim are right, then is the problem with revenue generation or government and leadership? If the problem is with that then isn't the solution not really about resources but making sure that whatever money is obtained is used to develop the nation? If you could give Nigerians just 24hour power supply that even ghana enjoys and good roads and security and water, do you think Nigerians all around the country (south, east, north and west) will wait for anyone? So shouldn't the real problem be with holding people in power accountable? So what have we been arguing all this while for?

@4Play, i don't believe there is anywhere on this thread i was talking about shifting resources about. Wasn't the north producing some food for the country decades ago? So why can't they go back to agriculture? Why are we so quick to jump unto the whole splitting up thing? If Nigeria was well run would we be calling for a split? I hope we are not confusing our hate for the Nigerian leadership with our hate for Nigeria. Of course if you develop an area people will flock there, it is only natural. But if you spread the development, which can only happen simultaneously in our current disposition if states start working instead of waiting for oil revenue, then there will be development and growth in more areas. Hence population won't just flock to one area, but can flock to more areas, and even with that more people compared to now can carve out a career in their own regions instead of thinking they have to go to lagos or abujja to "make it". if we had competition between regions, this could drive economic development.

@4Play, you are making it sound like 'turn by turn' development. So you mean we all have to get cosy with the situation of having only two functioning cities? Then why on earth won't those cities be overcrowded? So cities can't develop simultaneously? If government of regions are serious about generating revenue then they will. I have asked before, so what were we doing before oil, waiting for oil? If we have at least 5 more functioning cities and development driven by competition, then that won't make a difference? Has government gotten so lazy that each regions government's job is just to wait for money they did not earn to spend it? But let us not lose sight of this, it is not about moving funds to a region or whatever. it is about whatever fund we have being actually spent to improve Nigeria. This is not happening at the moment and hence it does not matter who gets what money. And states can't keep on being lazy. This should be a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic one

@ 4Play, now if we had other states trying to develop and create jobs and generate their own revenue (which isn't that difficult), instead of this comfort with mediocrity while waiting for pay check, people won't all have to rush to lagos, they can develop their own areas. That is an advantage of competition between regions and areas.

@ 4Play If you read through my posts you will see that i have been encouraging autonomy of states, but what i am saying to you is that you are assuming that the money spent in the north was used for development. If money is not that important then why are we bothered about what happens to foreign reserves? Those states that got all that money are still the way they are because the money was not spent on wisely on the people but instead went into pockets. If the money was spent to generate power for the north, provide good water, you are still saying their lives won't be improved? In an ideal situation states should strive to generate their own revenue and be more active instead of waiting for money, money which if used wisely can make a difference

@ 4Play So if the money is actually used by government to complete projects like power plants etc, to provide water, to provide good roads so that vehicles don't keep needing mechanic every three weeks hence leaving money for other stuff that won't improve the standard of living? Won't "good looking" environs attract investors that would pump money into the place, creating more jobs for people? I do believe that until we hold leaders accountable all this giving states money won't achieve anything. But your arguement that the money won't change anything? I simply don't understand where you are coming from

The thing about the getting angry collectively is not really about the anger, but what is done as a result of it. The anger will be a sign of actually waking up and will hopefully spell an end to the numbness that the political elites have been exploiting. When we get to that enough is enough phase then i won't have to even bring suggestions, people will take it from there and there will be very little tolerance for all the rubbish we have been seeing for the past how many decades now? And yes you are right, politics isn't the only way to make a difference, but that might be more pronounced in an environement were you can actually get electricity, water, security and good roads. Then with the natural creativity of Nigerians things can take off. Read up on the french revolution and see what injustice can drive people to, it is in these people's best interest to stop this cycle of babarism, greed and inhumane behaviour beause when people really get mad it won't be pretty for them. As i have said earlier, all the armed robbers going after innocent Nigerians, don't they know where these people live?

The simple fact is that it does not matter who we give money to anyways if we don't hold leaders accountable. We could even have $1 trillion dollars in foreign reserves, all it will translate to will mean we have politicians turned trillionaires in Nigeria and that my friends is the real "motion without movement".

Patriotism might add to the solution but i don't believe it is the solution. When we collectively get angry (and rightly so) as a nation at the way things are, at the jokers past leaders and crooks have taken us for, at the gross level of corruption, and we get mad, then and only then things will change. With the way things are you would have thought this would have happened already but i am surprised that people are still satisfied. Change has been ours for the taking but we keep refusing it and refusing the things necessary to cause that change and instead keep choosing poverty. Someone robs a state blind and patches a road after 8 years in power and you get people come online and say "he tried", so i just don't know anymore. But this "change" we speak of is a choice, it is our choice if we are brave enough to go for it. When people were even scared to nullify a fraudlent election i don't even know when that level of bravery and vexation will reach.

And why can't states generate their own revenue? The state of our affairs is so heart breaking and frustrating because it is mostly common sense that has just failed to prevail. So what was everyone doing before oil, waiting for oil? We should be encouraging competition between states and zones because it fuels growth and development. Instead what we have is people who have just become dependent on one area and hence a very monotonous economy. Like a 45 year old still living at home with his parents. So if an alternative to oil was found tomorrow would that become the end of us?

Complex? The only complexity that i can see is when tribal affiliations take precedence over common sense and hence we don't have a single voice against this common evil. I really am trying hard to see the complexity in building roads, power stations, providing water, etc. the most insulting part is that these people are called stake holder. What stake do they have in the nation? Do they experience NEPA, do political thieves experience lack of health facilities? The only stake they have is not in this country. If they knew that the roads they will be driving on everyday to work was broken down won't they fix it? If they knew they would not be allowed to fly abroad to treat headache won't they build hospitals? that whole "stake holders" thing is nothing short of insulting. All the armed robbers terrorising innocent citizens are targeting the wrong people, that is all i can say. If you look beyond what is right now and see what could be (even with not too huge an effort) then you will see that far from doing nothing, it is not hard to believe that past leaders might have actually gone out of their way to hinder progress out of greed.