₦airaland Forum

The nigerian government cannot pay health workers who care for the nation's sick good wages but it can pay legislators and top government officials 30 million in salaries and allowances. @mrexcel...why don't you come an give me some figures and explanation on why the nigerian government can't afford to pay lecturer's and health workers better wages. Can't we afford that too?

Yesterday i reported on the decision of the joint health sector workers union nationwide to embark on a nationwide strike due to the federal government's decision not to obey the ruling of the national industrial court on better welfare packages for them.

Well, today the consequences has started hitting home as 15 premature babies incubated at the federal medical center, makurdi has been abandoned, mothers of the babies were seen crying and stranded not knowing where to go, the survival of the kids without incubation for a prolonged peroid of time is slim, other patients were also discharged without notice no matter their condition, some cried for help as they were stranded and others claimed they could not afford private hospital treatment. The same senerio played out at the UPTH and no doubth other federal health centers nationwide. FRESH AIR!!

http://leadership.ng/news/230813/health-strike-15-premature-babies-abandoned-federal-medical-centre-makurdi

Hours ago, i spoke with a friend who is doing her IT at the university of port harcourt teaching hospital, and she told me how wards are being evacuated. Patients no matter your condition are being evacuated. Babies in intensive care units, their mothers. She especially told me of a woman who gave birth to a premature baby and the baby has been in intensive care for weeks. She is poor and is strugguling to keep up with the expenses, and now she is being evicted because of the strike and she will have to take her baby to a private hospital intensive care unit, where will the money come from? What sort of country is this? The two main reasons government exist is currently shut down. Education and health.

With university students languishing at home and their government seem incapable of resolving their issues with ASUU, it seems sick people in federal hospitals around the country has joined the langushing as federal health workers nationwide embark on an indifinte strike.

The stike was called based on the federal governments refusal to honour the ruling of the national industrail court on improved welfare for health workers. A meeting was called by the labour minister to settle the issue between the health workers and the health ministry but the health minister refused to show up, the snub was the final straw and the health workers went on strike. Today patients in all federal hospitals in the country has been told to leave. This is an unprecedented development as currently two of the primary sectors of the nation, education and health are on strike and the government stumbles. Can you feel the fresh air?

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143275-federal-health-workers-embark-on-indefinite-strike.html?utm-source.=&utm_medium=twitter&utm-campaign=federal-health-workers-embark-on-indefinite-strike

Next rivers state government will release a pic of dame judith ameachi in aso rock abuja, and the first lady team will fire back. "she did'nt come into my bedroom console me".

Harbosede02: Well my baby doesn't tell me "do dis" or "do dat"..m nt dat stupid 4 a guy 2 order me around lyk a slave,i can sumfinz 4 my bf if he asks,bt if itz get 2 much,i wud be pissed..

good for you. But sadly not all girls are that lucky or smart/brave enough to take a stand.

maxwello.yg:
i gues sometimes us man tolerate more than we should all in the name of love regardless the status of the relation

face it max, even if some men suffer in relationships, the women who suffer are more.

There is a monumental and wide difference between dating and marraige. In marraige a wife is under obligation to obey and honour her husband and the husband has every right to know the workings and activities of his wife.
But when it comes to dating, it is very different, no girl has an obligation to her boyfriend. There is no binding document holding them together so it really pisses me off when boyfriends order around their girlfriends, demand to know their whereabouts, demand to know all their friends and even go as far as beating them. It is stupid and wrong. Why do guys think they have such powers over a mere "girlfriend" not a wife. And why do the girlfriends take it?

What a disgrace, so the reason for the entire revolution is now being free....what a spat on the graves of all the dead who fought in the revolution. Now the muslim brotherhood is the new enermy. Egyptians have just used their hands to destroy their great an comfortable economy, lives and society.

On the flip side their fall propelled nigeria to take their spot as africa's second largest economy.

And some simpletons tells me PDP will not loose a single vote in rivers due to ameachi. I taught ameachi is one inconsequential figure that will be dealt with soon enough. Apparently that narrative has crashed like the tower of babel..when godswill akpabio start running scared. You know something is up. Congratulations ameachi for standing up to forces ten times your size and still triumphing.

@excel..Why do you ignore the basic points on my post?
1.your estimate on how much it will cost is groosly overestimated, i just told you of califonia's 2.5 billion for the meader to bakersfield which by nigerian standard is lagos to port harcourt, i put my estimate at 5 to 6 billion.

2. Nigeria is planning to spend nearly 18 billion on airplanes and already billions have gone into the existing locomotives so how is the funds not there to fund it?

3. Yes, mass transist of people, goods and services spread wealth and develop economies. Since you don't know economics, let me luminate you. This singular reason is why the u.k is building a HSR from london to yorkshire, that is even the primary reason for the califonia HSR.

3.the cost outweigh the benefit? A smaller more connected country, mass movement of people, goods and services, less cars on the road, less road accidents, longer life span for our roads, increased revenue, over 4,000 construction jobs and about 2,000 permanent jobs and more? Really? The cost out weight the benefit?

4. Your estimate is groosly overestimated. It cost 2.9 billion to build the califonia meader bakerfiels line, i estimate nigeria's to be about 6 to 7 billion due to our disperity in power production to run the lines and other overhead cost. And if this money is carefully implemented in the nigerian budget in a span of years with cut backs to 30 million salaries and billions on planes,etc..it will not add a cent to our debt.

5. The per capital of the state of califonia is more than the average nigeria but the population of nigeria is tripple that of califonia with a faster rising middle class and consumer base.

6.my dear, there is no "califonia board" currently rejecting the idea. Prop 1 been voted and approved of by the people of califonia and gov. Jerry brown has already signed it into law. The project has already been fully payed for with califonia bringing a large chunk and the feds adding there's. Talks about debt and more cost are peddled by republicans who want no infastructural spending in califonia.

7.correction, califonia is not paying for it alone, the federal government is making and input because the network is so elaborate they are looking at 60 billion dollars to finish it. Nigeria is not going for a 60 billion dollars project. We are connecting the two commercial hubs of nigeria lagos and port harcourt which is a fraction of the califonia project that will cost them 2.9 billion. After that is complete, the rewards will be a determination if we go futhur. Simple.

Mr.Excel:
What you fail to understand is finance and sentiments DO NOT MIX, just like oil and water do not mix. Your hypothetical that it's a revenue boom is merely a fallacy which is nonexistent. You talk about air travel, does it ever occur to you why air travel is a enormously expensive is because of the

A. The cost of doing business (which accounts for more than 60%)

B. The greed factor (accounts for about 25%)

C. Other factors (other 15%).

My estimates were "CONSERVATIVE" meaning that these are unlikely scenarios and close to nonexistent. In our modern capitalist world, cost of capital is VERY EXPENSIVE, who will borrow you funds for 1% interest rate? What capital investor will invest in a project like these with 10% down from Nigeria? These are the "very unlikely" scenarios I was talking about.

Now if you account for costs listed above, my $300/ticket is more likely to be about $500/$600, is this the price people are willing to pay? You talk about China and India, these countries have "TRILLION $$$ GDP's and have a "STABLE" economic environment, Nigeria DOESN'T.

Until you're able to put forth calculations telling me how revenue will stream in, at least to justify the costs, all of these are mere speculations, it WILL NOT WORK. I calculated for you using simple calculations explaining costs, and how it's expensive without intervention like subsidies, you tell me how it works.

When you go to an Analysts office and ask for cost/revenue scenario, what I have written is 10% of what you will get. Realism and facts will hit you on the face, then you will know that Nigeria CANNOT afford it. China can afford a $14billion rail system over a 1,000miles because they gat the money, U.S., poor countries like US and Nigeria cannot afford it... SIMPLE.

Have you stopped to think why Lagos didn't opt for the HSR lines, I mean Lagos claims 17million people, accounting for about 20% of Nigerian GDP, Lagos by default is the perfect city/state model for HSR, yet, they went for the regular intercity metro rail. What does that tell you? Why is Lagos different? According to LASG, it will concession off the operations and lease ROW(Right-Of-Way) tracks to the companies who pay fees, besides, the KEY FACTOR is that Lagos Rail has a potential of eventually carrying up to 1million passengers daily. This is the estimated forecast, at least, the bigger number of riders will justify for the associated costs.

you has now narrowed down your premise to revenue. How much revenue will it yeild after it's construction but you fail to understand that wnen a government undergoes capital project, profit is secondary, the bigger picture, how it will impact the country is primary. You yourself said most countries who build HSR record lots of losses but why do they still continue and even expand it? Why are other countries adopting it? Because the real profit is in the nation's economy....quick mass transit of people will spread this country's wealth and economic activities to other cities, lagos will be decongested massively because i can be living in benin city and working on lagos island. Today the british government has flagged off plans to build a high speed rail linking london to yorkshire in the north of england. This is geared at moving wealth, commerce and population away from london and into the rest of the country.

Califonia will soon start it's HSR, they are spending 2.5 billion dollars for the intial phase which will run through meader and bakersfield in central valley which by nigerian standards a approximately lagos to port harcourt. This will create over 4,000 jobs and revenue by 2023 is projected at 22.9 billion dollars and mind you califonia is not half the population of nigeria but it is half the landmass of nigeria. Remind me how much nigeria wants to spend on planes, how much have they spent so far on locomotives? Facts don't lie.

Sincere 9gerian: @Mr Excel.., God bless you my brother for taking the pains and time to educate the 'medieval ignoramuses' and professional arm chair critics.

The fools who say unless GEJ builds HSR in 3 years, they'll not appreciate the ongoing railway reforms should please tells us how many HSR or standard guage railways was built by the in the past leaders in the last 5 decades?

most of the rail rehabilitation contracts were actually awarded by the obasajo and yar adua governments. But i expected the man with a "transformation agenda" to know that there is nothing transformational above rehabilitating colonial era rail tracks. And who says jonathan should complete a HSR in 3 years? If he completes a phase during his term, won't his succesors continue? Would'nt that be a great legacy to leave behind? At times live up to you name.

jmaine: Please kindly go back and digest Mr. Excelhypothetical figures[/b]and retweak your post . You made a mess of your comprehension skills here . .No offence . . . .

I don't see how his [b]$300 estimations equates to Nigerians paying just N5,000 per trip.

the 5,000 naira is my estimate which might vary depending on the class.(first class, buisness and coach) futher profit will be made from cargo transportation. Guess mr excel forgot to add that to his "elaborate estimate" there is no way a train ride will cost over 40,000, it is stupid and counter productive. It will be affordable to as to draw more customer and enhance it's primary goal which is making the country smaller and mass transport of goods and services.

Mr excel and his cronies focus on immediate profit but fail to understand that governments do not undergo projects for immediate profit but residual. Calculate what the mass movement of people around nigeria will do for our economy, the decongestion of lagos, increased accesibility to other cities. Right now the british government is thinking of decongesting london and moving more buisness and people up north and a high speed rail is the best medium is there pick and work will soon start, china's high speed rails has made a country so wide it is divided into provinces to be accesible to all it's citizens. Think friends....think!! Common sense ain't common.

Rossikk: Firstly, we don't produce shale gas. Secondly, it's pointless claiming we are the '6th largest' producer of oil on earth (we're actually the 10th), considering our population of 170 million means there is actually very little money around for anything. We are not like Kuwait or UAE who produce similar amount of oil for only 2 million population.



Oh please... Is Nigeria the only country where billions have been stolen or misappropriated? The same applies to other countries, so you really have to make 'allowance' for wastage when assessing nations, especially developing nations, instead of assuming everyone should be a saint. The world doesn't work that way. What we need to be doing is diversifying our economy and increasing the income base as opposed to being dependent on oil. That way we can offset the occurrence of wastage. Thankfully we are doing this. Banking on corruption to end so you can use that money to build paradise is a futile exercise. The only reason you care what Jonathan spends on food is because our GDP is only $280 billion per annum. If it was $5 trillion + per annum, nobody would care. Afterall how much can one man eat? Same as National Assembly salaries etc. So the key is to expand your income base/GDP. And that we're doing.

nigeria does not ndergo fracking but yet we have the 9th largest gas reserves on earth. I was only eluding to the possibility of how much that the country will make from shale gas, secondly, nigeria is indeed 6th. Go check your facts, plus unlike the gulf states. Nigeria does'nt only get revenue from oil and gas. There is also minning, taxation and a tipid agricultural sector, and lastly estimates have it that nigeria has lost over 400 billion dollars to corruption, that is four times our foreign reserve. Is that the "few" misappopraited billions you speak of? That is the GDP of some poor and oceanic nations. What could that money have done for this country? It's so shamefull that you openely rubber stamped theft. Says alot about who you are.

jmaine: Your emotional partisan retort is just another futile attempt to deflect focus on a very clear and concise task given to you.

All I demanded was for us to debate on the fact based Case Studies provided by those debating against your position.

They simply highlighted the paucity of funds against towing your line of reasoning, and the realistic approach of the FG in relation to current challenges as already specified.

My Amaechi injection was to bring you home, and to provide further flesh on the stvpidity of seeking an alternate route for the FG to make similar mistakes of Gov Amaechi.

Now, having revealed the pivot of my poser, can we safely assume you Will now furnish us with the much needed comparative analysis with Bro Maxi and Mr Exel facts based debates so far.

Thanks.



P:S Mr Excel prolly didn't respond cos your counter post was embarrassingly too weak and shallow.

To be honest with you without personal differences, your post did absolutely nothing to Mr.Excel excellent submission.

as of 2011 nigeria's oil revenue came up to 50.3 billion dollars. That is independent of gains gotten from gas, agriculture, taxes and out revenue incomes. Nigeria has lost 400 billion dollars to corruption and some fools on here are telling me nigeria cannot afford if mr excel's extimate is correct 15 billion dollars for a high speed rail. What idiocy.

Mr excel says nigerians cannot afford to pay 5,000 naira to travel from port harcourt to lagos with 3 hours or more. Is a flight ticket in nigeria 5,000? Yet the nigerian government is spending about 18 billion to buy planes because the ones currently cannot carry the passanger load, it cost 5,000 naira to travel by an ABC bus but it does'nt have the safety a train can offer nor the comfort,speed accident prone. How do people reason?

Boss13: Actually Private Universities are better than Public universities. They teach better. They don't go on strike. However, they have no social life. Businessday just concluded their writers awards and 2 students from covenant university were selected. The overall winner is from covenant university. I attended a public university and calling private university a glorified secondary school is a way of making ourselves feel better. But the truth is, many of us at that time could not afford the high school fees or maybe the stringent laws attached to private universities.

But to note, the lecturers are almost the same (many public lecturers facilitate their services in private universities).

i disaggree with your premise that private uni's are better than public. Especially in equality of lecturer's. Right now in the rivers state university of science and technology, serving judges and lawyers lecture their law students, can a private uni afford such service?

There is a current revolution going on in the nigerian judiciary. The law schools are angry that universities produce too many lawyers and the streets are littered with too many lawyers thereby making the noble practise cheap. So now law schools are not only frugal in how they admitt students they have now streached their claws in to universities faculty of law regulating how many students they admit and even the situation of classrooms and facilities used by law students.

My uncle is the DVC of the rivers state university of science and technology and he told me how hard they are trying to keep up with the law school demands. Before the cut off mark to study law in ust varied between 50 and 55. If you have cash or friends on top you can even get in with below 50.Today it has shot up to 62 to 65 and even he has no power to influence admission into the faculty. I really feel for you because it's not gonna be easy. I hate to encourage corruption but paying might be your only course of action.

jmaine: Mr Exel . . .Thanks for your potent, ruthless and very brutal response of facts .

You just illuminated the unusual nuisances of the OP and his ilk on this thread.

The OP which is a very dogged Amaechi supporter should kindly inform the house about the current monorail project of Gov Amaechi.

After which, he can now do a comparative analysis with the well laid out response of Brother Maxi, Mr Exel et al., so we can comfortably and confidently arrive at a logical inference on the subject matter.

sadly in the face of a broken nation with no clear part forward, citizens of that nation still play partisan politics with their future and that of their children.

I am not partisan and will never play politics in a sinking nation. A monorail is not what rivers state needs to grow or help it's masses anf ameachi was silly on embake on it. By the times he leaves office, i hope he is probed if money was well spent.

Funny enough, mr excel has'nt responded to my post but all you political tugs who want a broken political nation to be the legacy to your kids and grandkids have turned it to your rally cry.

Gh

TCUBE: I sometimes wonder if Lagos is still part of Nigeria. Isn't it interesting that foreign dignitaries now prefer to meet with a governor instead of the president of the country?

there is nothing new in that. Ambassadors and indeed countries seek relations with states because of buisness partnerships and securing state contracts for companies from their country. The prime minister of france visited rivers state last year. That does'nt undermine the supremacy of mr president who all ambassadors present their letters of credence to before resuming duty.

taharqa: You know you are PATHETIC, sha. So this beautiful thrash above is yr idea of a response to the Well research and written post by that poster, abi? EVERY SINGLE point you hv used to try to portray your argument here hv been drawn from an Unbelievably naive well of IGNORANCE; it cud hv been so damn surprising, if not that it is coming from you..

i don't need to exchange words with an empty headed fellow like you, if you poster feels my explanation is inadequate. Then he will respond and i will elaborate. You have been on the thrend since making stupid comments unlike others. Says alot about the ignorant one here.

It's so sad how pres. Jonathan has ignored the russia-nigerian relationship since he assumed power, guess his boses his washington has restrained him. Pres. Yar adua really created a powerfull relationship with the russians and even medvedev visited nigeria as president. There are a lot of russian billionaires looking for where to invest, what has the u.s to offer us than snubs?

Pataki: Wow, the trains only run twice in a week??!

Holy smokes, and this is what they call transformation agenda?! What are you people smoking

twice a week and each journey last almost two days. We need to get our heart in the right place, anything that is worth doing is worth doing well.

@mrexcel.....thanks for your cool write up but i won't go as long as you did. I'll surmarize my points in a few words. Nigeria has the population that is willing to spend money on mass movement. Air travel is very expensive even for the buisness man who uses it and the poor who don't so imagine a comfortable rail network that is fast and everyone can afford based on their class. It will be a revenue boom, it will make nigeria smaller, i can live in one city and work in another, buisness will flow, that is the parameter contries like china and india use when building stuff like this. They have the population that needs moving and that is why gulf nations with all their money don't build it because, there is no one to use it. The revenue from it will far surpass whatever was spent. All your figures are nice but they don't cut to the chase. We can afford it and the benefits both in revenue and optics will surpass the cost. I refer you to my above posts for futhur explanations.

Maxymilliano: Like I said, I made use the train recently from the station at Post Office in Ilorin to Ijoko in Sango Ota with just N700 for a seat in the second class compartment. Granted it was congested but hey, it was a worthwhile experience. The service was recommended to me by frequent users, and I never regretted patronizing the NRC.

Prior to this time, rail networks across the length and breathe of the country was almost non-existing, Obasanjo flagged off a rehabilitation of some sections but it was cancelled by the Late Yar'adua with no alternative arrangement. The extant laws that guide rail transportation in Nigeria, clearly confer monopoly on the operations of rail service on NRC.

That's why rather than waiting till the law is amended to create rooms for private sector participation, rail networks across the country is undergoing rehabilitation and modernizing, while provision is made for additional trains to aid movement of humans and goods, with the idling locomotive trains put into proper use.

You need to know how low the rail sector has sunk before you can appreciate the little effort by the current regime to revive and make it viable for potential investors.

This portion of your response to another poster is enough to disabuse your mind on some of the misgivings you have on the government approach to revamping the rail sector “he spoke so eloquently on the need for us to invest but there was nothing on ground for us to build on, we need a foundation, no investor will throw money into a mirage” .

There is need for a foundation to be laid before private sector participation can be encouraged, and from some of the informations I've provided in my previous post, you'll see how far the government has gone in putting the tracks back with more rail coaches to be added in due course as it progresses.

This things don't happen overnight bro, light and faster rail will sure come in due season but we gotta get the tracks laid across the country, even if it the least the government will do.

you don't get the fact that the money currently being spent on rehabilitation would have gone a long way in building the new mordern network. So after all the money spent now and tomorrow private investors seek a partnership with the government to build the network. Our government will now squeeze out new funds and all those tracks and locomotives they built and bought will be scraped because such 20th century relics can not be incorporated into such a sorphisticated network. So can you feel the waste.

Of course, high speed rail will come to nigeria, rome was not built in a day. Maybe it will come when other countries are leaving it behind or better means, afterall the one we are currently rebuilding is the one others are ripping apart and abandoning.

enigmang: Which money to build a high speed train.. ?? There are so many sectors that need urgent attention... If we had that much Money GEJ wouldn't have been in China last month....
The easiest thing is for the rail network is what they are doing. Once you revitalise it and show how profitable it can be ... Investors will surely come...
You don't have the slightest idea of how much it will take to build the high speed rail you are talking about

we don't have such money but our legislators earn over 30 million each, a minister can spend 2 billion naira on travels, our president is spending a billion on food......you folks keep giving excuse for idiocy. If all this frevolities are curtailed do you think nigeria will go borrowing? And what's the guarantee the borrowed money is'nt going where all have gone.

My dear, the government can keep wasting it's money on locomotives. No investor will splash money on locomotives that moves on twice a week, that's hot and uncomfortable. How many buisness men or sensible person will spend almost 2 days on a train going to kano when he can fly or drive. So where is the profit? The almajiri women who pay 100 naira or the agbero boys who forcefully enter the train?

Other sectors need atention? Ok, where has this government giving so much attention that we are now withnessing great rewards. Has nigeria hit 20 thousand mega watts, how many bags of rice, groundnuts or cocoa do you produce or export? This government is all over the place with their agenda. Focus on one thing first, the move to another. If it is agric, then put all you can at it. Don't engage in tipid actions like, cell phones for farmers, fertilizer distribution that has been done since 1999, where has that brought us? Buying tractors that disappera before reaching the farmer.

If they are serious, they will have a definite goal, by 2016 nigeria will produce enough rice to feed itself and we will cut all rice imports to 15%. By 2018, we will export our first bag. they will partner with farmers and posses their lands. Carry out massive commercial farming with all modern tools that will yeid big gains after sometimes hand the new farms back to private hands but the government is still a majority shareholder and the increased revenue from farming will help us afford other things like a high speed rail. It's pure common sense.

atlwireles: If you have the funds needed, help lagos state finish their rail project or Rivers state. Where funding is becoming a very serious issue, mostly the lack thereof. See, if you make any profits or not. Show me one multinational company in Nigeria loosing money? Talk is cheap, but you have to put your money where your mouth is.

those are state governments. They did'nt plan adequately. Funds is a major problem as they depend on the feds and they could'nt find able partnerships. Meanwhile, the project i speak of will be undertaken by the federal government, funds will not be their problem, this country has the money, but if you insist that it is too expensive, the federal government can borrow from any global agency or a fellow country. That's how things are done. Don't compare a state government to the feds.

atlwireles: There are hundreds of projects, waiting for private capital in Nigeria. That capital, people like you think grows on tress, but they are nowhere to found. Petrol chemical complex, Gas plants, Power plants are still waiting for billions of Naria of investment. The railroad you seem to like trashing is open for private investments. You and your equity partners can build a bullet rail system across the country, nobody is stopping you. Government is not made to do everything.

and you think investors will come into a country as uncertain as nigeria to dump billions without substancial assurances that there will be a profit. It does'nt work like that dear. This country has the money to fund a high speed rail network from lagos to p.h and when investors see how much profit is being made, they will be in line to be partners in the next phase, lagos-kano and they will pay through their nose to own the existing lines. That is how you encourage investment in an uncertain environment. And that goes for everyother part of the nigerian economy.

I was watching a BBC documentary "why poverty" and they showed the nigerian minister for agriculture having a meeting with potential investors in our agric sector. When they finished and the investors were interviewed they replied, "he was all talk and no proof". "he spoke so eloquently on the need for us to invest but there was nothing on ground for us to build on, we need a foundation, no investor will throw money into a mirage".........that speaks volums my dear.

Maxymilliano: How can you embark on something decent from the scratch when the present infrastructures is under utilized and suffering for lack of maintenance culture ?

Is this how myopic you are in you reasoning ?



Obiageli you really fall my hand. This post of yours betrays your lack of knowledge on the workings of rail transportation and the significance of locomotive train in an economy like Nigeria.

Alluding the attempt by the government to revamp the moribund rail system and put most of the idling locomotive train heads to use for the benefit of the populace as campaign tool for 2015 is just pathetic.

Going further to call it a useless project that has barely moved 50,000 people in six months is like dancing unclad in the market square unknowingly. Why not seek informations if you so desire rather than exposing your idiocy ?

I have no doubt or whatsoever that you never patronized the rail service for once to have a first hand experience, yet you come up here to criticize what you have no idea about. If you must know, I used the train from the Post Office terminal at Ilorin to Ijoko terminal in Sango Ota recently, and I can tell you it was a worthwhile experience.

As stated earlier, what the government need to do is to monitor closely the ongoing modernizing and standardizing of the rail network rehabilitation across the length and breadth of the country, to ensure it come to fruition and perhaps, make things easy for the users, who are mostly the commoners ...

when last did you take that train trip? I advice you to do it again that is if the train is still there or is'nt now consumed by tugs. A similar story was told by a man who droke to a train terminal in lagos, pack his car. Board a train to his office, and it was pleasurable. After a week of doing that, the whole thing collapsed. Is this the legacy that will be left behind after all the billions spent?

We can't keep decieving ourselves. This current rehabilitation project is rubbish. We are wasting money upgrading our rail network to a point other nations are running from.

I do not share your beaurucratic school of taught. This is a very simple preposition. The nigerian government decide they want to build a high speed rail system from p.h to lagos, look for partners to contribute, if they can't find any, do it yourself, even if it means borrowing. When it is done, do you know how cumbersome the revenue will be? Automatically air ticket prices will crash, bus fare prices will crash, there will be less cars on the road and fuel consumption will drop significantly. When the revenue is accumulating you start the second phase kano-lagos. At the end, when the infastructure is on ground, the government can then sell the company to private individuals for better managment. No posh nigeria will enter a jam packed train and travel accross the country for a single journey in days. And the trains run only twice a week. Is that money well spent?

iphy42: Smh to all you atheists and unbelievers who make a case against God. If u build a business empire from start to finish and have a family, will you allow your kinsman to vote among themselves to decide your successor? Why are some people simply foolish? How dare you? Where where you when God created the universe and everything in it including lucifer. If a man you brought from the streets and made somebody decides to take over everything from you, what would you do?

do you know how much work all those kings and dictators put into their countries to make it great? Then one day the people will revolt and say one man and his farmily must not continue to rule us. Our children deserve the right to aspire to rule their nation.

Longeria: What effort has Apc made to stop their senators and reps from partaking in stealing from the nation's treasury, at least to prove that they're better.

sir. In my entire article and subsequent post, i never mentioned any party here. I'm just a nigerian concerned about the future of my country.