Wesley80's Posts
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 Politics › Re: Constitution Amendment: Govs Oppose Lg Autonomy, Indigeneship, Single Term Tenur by wesley80(m): 12:10pm On Aug 11, 2011 |
^^^ No way, The entire thing should be rejected, the whole shebang! Afterall its the Nigerian way to throw the baby away with the bathwater. BTW LG autonomy should be discouraged as it seems to be the only means of asserting some sort of control and supervision over the LG's which are mostly out of control and only a little more than a waste pipe. LG's apart from a few in cities in certain states are virtually non existent and totally irresponsible why make them autonomous? |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 11:40am On Aug 11, 2011 |
^^^ I'm not trying to absolve the PDP of blame but I'm sure you know Privatization didnt start in 1999 right? About the ALLEGED squabble between the VP and Mark, I'm left to wonder if either of them should be calling the final shot when there's a bureau charged with doing just that, and as much as its convenient to blame the PDP, we also should be asking ourselves what is wrong wit our institutions. Why is the BPE nothing but a rubber stamp of the executive and legislative arms of govt when its duties are Statutory and fully backed by law? Why cant we press for the bureau to assert itself and accept the blame when it fails? Why cant we simply strengthen our institutions instead of focusing on the centre all the time? Just a thought. I'm sure the squabble if any really exists is a somewhat healthy one as there are arguments for both sides but what makes it seem really bad (apart from our collective cynicism) is the inappropriateness of the people involved to be makin such decisions let alone squabble over it. strengthen our institutions instead of focusing on the centre all the time? Just a thought. I'm sure the squabble if any really exists is a somewhat healthy one as there are arguments for both sides but what makes it seem really bad (apart from our collective cynicism) is the inappropriateness of the people involved to be makin such decisions let alone squabble over it. |
| Politics › Re: Jonathan: Cash Delays Take Off Of New Varsities by wesley80(m): 11:28pm On Aug 09, 2011 |
^^^  ?? |
| Politics › Re: Bpe Probe: $3.2bn Alscon Sold For $130m by wesley80(m): 11:28am On Aug 09, 2011 |
^^^ You arent just an uninformed observer but an Uninformed Cynic. There isnt enough information to arrive at your conclusion and unfortunately, the senators arent asking the right questions. It's obvious something went badly wrong and someone has been badly shortchanged but it is still too early to reach a conclusion. BTW the above report seems to be incomplete as the TV version says the coy was sold for $250m and the company was actually overvalued. |
| Politics › Re: Bpe Probe: $3.2bn Alscon Sold For $130m by wesley80(m): 4:02am On Aug 09, 2011 |
[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=730780.msg8883970#msg8883970 date=1312856304]How much debt/unpaid pensions/other liabiltiies did the saddle the company with? What was the next highest bid (I assumed that they auctioned it off)?[/quote]Exactly! It wld be hard to put the sales in perspective without complete information. Obviously, the dishonourable Senators do not know what they r doing, I can already forsee El Rufai dribbling them with all sorts of figures and clever diversionary arguments. |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 3:02pm On Aug 08, 2011 |
Gbawe:Okonjo Iweala soliciting for investment from George Soros and others only proves me right, Nigeria has failed to attract competent investors to her market! The reasons for that is another issue entirely, of course you can choose to blame GEJ and PDP for that but let me also remind you that privatization didnt start in 1999, Nigeria has got a long history of failures as concerns privatization. the fact that there hasnt been competent investors seeking to invest in our parastatals like Ghana had with Vodafone has only left us with the Indians and mostly dubious local investors which makes GEJ's idea of Monitoring and Sanctions appropriate. If you think GEJ is wrong I'd luv to hear your better ideas cos IMO it would take decades for NGR to attain the kind of level that makes Ghana and SA look attractive to such first class investors. Disagree? Our Development cant wait till decades so what's your solution? I'm a follower of Welfare economics so naturally, I'm not a big fan of Okonjo Iweala and I dont know how much she'lld be willing to concede to attract foreign investment. Yes we need foriegn investment and expertise, but I do not believe they MUST be present for Nigeria to make progress more so when we hvae to bend backwards to accommodate them. A week ago China overturned an investment of Google in alibaba ( a chinese online retail coy) when they felt they were about to gain too much of a foothold in the country. Google cried blue murder and it was pointed to by other investors as further reason why they mustnt go to China, but get the full picture; THEY PROTECTED THEIR ECONOMY. Question is; Would Iweala be able to do same to safeguard our economy or would we end up opening to our detriment in the long run? |
| Education › Re: ‘we Target 800,000 Students Entering Universities By 2016’ by wesley80(m): 4:33pm On Aug 07, 2011 |
[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=729521.msg8872671#msg8872671 date=1312712259]Top test takers should go to university. But for the rest, there is nothing wrong with a good technical education that'll prepare them for a career. Being a plumber, electrician, other such careers still can pay very well. The German model is the one we should adopt, not this useless American model of encouraging everyone to go to university by force[/quote]Good points but these are idyllic ideas that does not take into cognizance the reality on ground. Nigeria abandoned technical education years ago and HND holders are discriminated against by employers which further fuelled the rush for University education. I think the real issue here is what should be done to enhance the existing system since any wholesale change isnt coming any soon. We all have lofty ideas of how the system should be. |
| Education › Re: ‘we Target 800,000 Students Entering Universities By 2016’ by wesley80(m): 10:44am On Aug 07, 2011 |
@ekt_bear Just like you pointed out, borrowing to fund ones education does not guarantee success in life and neither would there be a guarantee that all beneficiaries of subsidized education will be successful. The decision of who should be liable for failures IMO is already equally shared between a subsidizing govt and the individual who's already living less than optimally, but in any case the decision is that of policy makers and there's absolutely nothing wrong with subsidizing education afterall the whole idea is to give her citizens a shot at making it in life. (BTW, last i checked some state Uni's in 9ja were collecting over a 100k for tuition so you can put 'subsidy' here in context) So my point is increasing the carrying capacity of our universities is alltogether good move that should be applauded. Disagree? |
| Politics › Re: Jonathan: Cash Delays Take Off Of New Varsities by wesley80(m): 10:16am On Aug 07, 2011 |
Kobojunkie: |
| Education › Re: ‘we Target 800,000 Students Entering Universities By 2016’ by wesley80(m): 10:06am On Aug 07, 2011 |
^^^ Your reasoning seems to be surprisingly narrow here. Education is not an end in itself but a raw material you can choose to use whichever way you like. If an engineer chooses to use his for year education as a cab driver, then that's his choice after all Aganga read Theology and ended up at the helm of a leading fin institution. For all the bashing our local system receives, there are countless success stories so why should anyone be denied an opportunity simply because there are no jobs ready made jobs for graduates? Are jobs supposed to be the essence of education? If you deny half a million people any sort of tertiary education do you make the society worse or better off? |
| Politics › Re: Good News - Nigeria's Oil Is Running Out: by wesley80(m): 9:29am On Aug 07, 2011 |
abouzaid:My friend will you keep quiet? Bakassi ko Issakaba ni. |
| Education › Re: ‘we Target 800,000 Students Entering Universities By 2016’ by wesley80(m): 9:12am On Aug 07, 2011 |
^^^ So you think slashing the number to say 200,000 with guaranteed jobs would be a better option? |
| Politics › Re: Howard University Faults Alison- Madueke’s Year Of Graduation by wesley80(m): 7:49am On Aug 07, 2011 |
Barely a year working after graduation she gets picked by Shell as a unit head and eventually rose to the position of ED? Clap! Clap!! |
| TV/Movies › Re: Big Brother Amplified (The Official Thread of BBA 6) by wesley80(m): 5:45am On Aug 07, 2011 |
Meanwhile, Oga Dele's obsession with Karen continues. thisdaylive.com/articles/karen-s-metamorphosis/96035/ |
| TV/Movies › Re: Big Brother Amplified (The Official Thread of BBA 6) by wesley80(m): 4:47am On Aug 07, 2011 |
^^^ Always felt your entire fork history was an ego boosting myth created by yourself. Guess you're just a content wankster! |
| Politics › Re: Jonathan: Cash Delays Take Off Of New Varsities by wesley80(m): 4:06am On Aug 07, 2011 |
Derided for initiating the universities in the first place, now they cant wait to see same 'unnecessary' universities takeoff? no wonder they are called 'detractors'! |
| Politics › Re: Nigeria’s Privatisation Delusion by wesley80(m): 4:15pm On Aug 05, 2011 |
I'm thinking while the issue of privatization is still on the cards, perhaps this should also make the homepage. |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 2:28pm On Aug 05, 2011 |
Gbawe:This kinda sounds self contradictory to me cos on the one hand you've completely derided the GEJ govt for being ruthlessly corrupt, dishonest and incapable of implementing even the simplest of policies while at the same time you've not failed to bash the govt for hesitating on its inherited Privatization programme, so what gives? Do you actually trust the govt enough to want them to start selling our nationally strategic parastatals immediately? Perhaps something you're never going to admit has changed between OBJ and now.  Gbawe:Dont be deceived, it takes much more than double digit economic growth and tremendous prospects to get foreign investors into a country. China for all the growth it has managed still has serious issues attracting investment from the West and maybe you've got to study the Asian financial crisis of the 90's to understand the dangers of opening up a market and transparency as required by most of these world class companies and investors. Ask yourself why Western investors are not rushing to the new frontier market with their monies even with all the problems currently bedevilling Western economies, fact is no one - and Nigeria shouldnt be the first - is willing to open up as much as they require to start poaching. I guess for now we are stuck with those we've got and the only solution seems to be what GEJ is proferring; Adequate monitoring and possible sanctions so pls put your ego aside and give him credit! |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 1:13pm On Aug 05, 2011 |
Gbawe:So do you agree that 'World class companies' have repeatedly shunned Nigerian companies and ignored our privatization programs? The 'why' is another topic entirely. Now if you agree that world class companies are averse to our privatization programmes, what do you suggest? Further privatization? Perhaps the unfavorable conditions are now favorable right? |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 10:58am On Aug 05, 2011 |
@Gbawe, You failed to point out which aspect i was 'lying'. Was it that Obj didnt go to London to canvass for investors or didnt he send emissaries to top international telecom firms esp Vodafone? Perhaps its the fact that leading companies have always shunned Nigerian companies that constitutes a lie right? So why not tell us how many top companies have had their attractive bids rejected, tell us how many have even bothered to place bids for any company. |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 10:12am On Aug 05, 2011 |
What we should be asking is whether or not our market is good enough to attract the so called international players. During the sale of the first set of GSM licenses, OBJ had to literally beg Visafone to come to Nigeria but they declined, though events have proven they made a bad decision, i'm not sure they completely regret doing it. A number of other parastatals that have gone under the hammer no matter how attractive have also failed to attract good international players - NITEL comes to mind - What we r left with are usually second grade coy's so its no surprise that the likes of Delta steel coy went to the Indians that stripped the company bare. While privatisation should not be discarded in SOME cases, i believe monitoring like GEJ said is the key to its success but rushing into it with a history as chequered as ours would be foolhardy. |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 9:29am On Aug 05, 2011 |
edit |
| Politics › Re: Privatisation Has Failed, Says Jonathan by wesley80(m): 9:27am On Aug 05, 2011 |
With the glaring failure of the different privatization programmes not just in the last 12years, i find it worrying that some on this forum (eg Gbawe) still point to the hesitation of the present govt to privatize parastatals as evidence of its failure. GEJ only stated the obvious and I hope people would start putting on their thinking caps before criticizing. |
| TV/Movies › Re: Big Brother Amplified (The Official Thread of BBA 6) by wesley80(m): 8:08am On Aug 05, 2011 |
hollandis:Was your comment borne out of plain foolishness or jealousy? How could u describe the one person that nearly single handedly kept this entire thread going with such uncomplimentary terms? Perhaps there's some history i'm unaware of if not i think u seriously need to stop hating and get a life. |
| Politics › Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by wesley80(m): 6:54pm On Aug 04, 2011 |
Good thing he wants to invest in his home state but i dont think building a hotel - allbeit a very classy one - is the best way to help his homestate or create employment as the hotel market in the state is pretty much saturated. Hotels that go for between 5-7k in other cities go for as low as 2,500 to 3500 in Owerri. The project may be viable in a town known for the ostentatious habits of her inhabitants but would further 'crowd out' smaller hotels and thereby losing most of the supposed benefits. Owerri i can tell you, does not lack good hotels. The leading 'industry' in Owerri is hotelling and anyone that has good money to invest ought to be considering other ideas. |
| Politics › Re: Reuben Abati On Tenure Elongation (before Before) by wesley80(m): 7:57pm On Aug 03, 2011 |
^^^ Monkeey want be Master. If you'd taken a second to read thru i'm sure u wld have noticed i wasnt the only one that asked for a source was i? With a little bit of sense in your head i'm sure u wld have concluded just like other smarter people that the OP MODIFIED his post only after the initial outcry. |
| Politics › Re: Reuben Abati On Tenure Elongation (before Before) by wesley80(m): 2:07am On Aug 03, 2011 |
@OYB In your madd rush to rubbish the image of Abati you obviously forgot to carry your common sense with you right? Or how else did you miss the quote below in thesame article? QUOTE 'Already, Nigerians are twittering, blogging and texting that Jonathan committed a Freudian slip, and that he plans to encourage an amendment of the Constitution to accommodate an extension of the tenure of Presidents and Governors. If he wants to so amend the Constitution, the same Constitution that he will swear today to uphold and defend, then he should not have been heard attacking that constitution three days to the event. “It is a constitutional problem”, the President stated. The problem may be worth debating of course, and it may well be a good idea to ensure that Presidents and Governors spend only one term in office: five years or six at most. I believe that this may even help solve the problem of cut- throat competition for Presidential and gubernatorial offices, and cure the mischief of Governors and Presidents spending their second terms in office doing practically nothing. But even if the Constitution were to be amended along these lines, it cannot take retroactive effect, otherwise President Jonathan would be accused of subversion and he would have damaged the historic opportunities of his government.' At least now we know why u were not so keen to post the link. Was this the best your inchoate brain could come up with? Pathetic! Your fellow simpletons are already celebrating. So glad this has already made the homepage. |
| Politics › Re: Reuben Abati On Tenure Elongation (before Before) by wesley80(m): 1:32am On Aug 03, 2011 |
@OP Are we to assume he whispered this into your ear before he took up his appointment? Where is your source? Provide a link or post the complete stuff so we reach our own conclusions, you cant just post an excerpt of an entire write up and expect to be taken seriously. Most writers speak both for and against the proposal and for all we know your quote couldav been extracted completely out of context, so please do whats honourable and provide a link. As an Mod you ought to know better than to post a flying quote! |
| Travel › Re: Studying and Working In South Africa by wesley80(m): 7:16am On Aug 02, 2011 |
^^^ I edited it out after a few days cos i didnt want it permanently displayed. Its #****.com . Thanks. |
| Politics › Re: Simon Kolawole On Proposed Single Term Bill by wesley80(op): 5:54pm On Aug 01, 2011 |
^^^ No time can be considered appropriate. If this had come any farther or closer to the end of his tenure then the opposition surely wouldav gone completely berserk. Better now than later IMO. I have absolutely no doubt the bill will scale any objective debate especially when analysed in the 'Nigerian context'. It obviously has got flaws and drawbacks but i think the potential benefits outweigh the possible pitfalls. |
| Politics › Re: Simon Kolawole On Proposed Single Term Bill by wesley80(op): 9:58am On Aug 01, 2011 |
Maybe I might as well have added the following from same article Quote "[b]Whether we like it or not, the single-term proposal has its own merits. There is nothing in life that is completely bad. In fact, I wrote an article after the April polls asking President Jonathan to do only one term. My argument is that when a rational human being has only one chance to make an impression, there is an incentive to deliver the goods. There would be no other opportunity to make amends. But if you know you have another chance, you can spend the first four years playing politics, appointing jobbers into your government to placate your supporters, and building up resources to win a second term by any means, hoping to correct your mistakes. Obasanjo performed poorly between 1999 and 2003. It was in the first two years of his second term that he began to get things right. But as soon as he started thinking about third term, he missed his way again. That is the danger of a second or third chance. In 2003, he thought he had only four years left. He wanted to leave a legacy. He went full-throttle. Then he started developing a strange taste for third term. He missed it.[/b]" |
| Politics › Simon Kolawole On Proposed Single Term Bill by wesley80(op): 8:40am On Aug 01, 2011 |
Blah blah blah blah blah. Amusing, I would say. If there is something I enjoy, it is listening to Nigerians argue over national issues. While I agree that the quality of public debate is very awful—there is too much name-calling, insult-trading and sick reasoning—the fact remains that we can’t be accused of being a country of quiet people. Goodness, we like to talk! Everyone likes to get excited, even over nothing. I joked with my colleagues at our editorial conference last Thursday that God loves journalists so much that he makes sure there is news for us everyday. No newspaper ever publishes blank pages. From post-election violence, we moved to Boko Haram, then to minimum wage fiasco and now one-term proposal by President Goodluck Jonathan. There is always something for the front page! The reason for the one-term proposal, according to the president, is to reduce the tension created by incumbents seeking re-election as well as bring down electoral expenses. He also said he was not going to be a beneficiary—reiterating what he had said that he would do only one term, meaning he would forfeit his right to a second term in 2015. My initial response to the proposal was: how would this work out? If Jonathan willingly gives up his right to go for a second term in 2015, what happens to the governors who would like to go for second term? Will the amendment be done in a way to preclude these governors? Will that be fair to them? After all, Jonathan is the one who says he is not interested in a second term. Those were my initial thoughts. When the parties started reacting to the proposal, I was maybe disappointed but certainly disgusted. Our democracy is not growing at all. It will not grow as long as we continue to shy away from robust debates that can enrich our practice and experience. Rather than engage in a decent debate by advancing convincing logic to oppose the proposal, the opposition chose the less intellectually challenging option: name-calling. You would ordinarily expect that every point raised by the president to advance his proposal would be torn to shreds by the opposition so that superior argument would prevail. Rather, what ensued was “roforofo” fight, symbolised in the main by threat. We need to grow up. , However, in my opinion, the opposition should first evaluate the proposal on its merit, without frenzy. Let the bill come out. Analyse it clause-by-clause. Look at the pros and the cons. Then take a definite position on it. I believe it smacks of incurable cynicism to tear a proposal apart before seeing it. If they believe there is a poisoned chalice in it, then they should take it to shreds. After all, the third-term agenda of Obasanjo was crushed even though it came with sweeteners that were intended to reform the political process. Nigerians saw through the whole thing and condemned it—and the National Assembly threw it out of the window in one of the most magical moments in our political history. I would suggest that if the single-term tenure proposal also comes with a poisoned chalice, it should be crushed like the third term agenda. , My overall interest in the single-term issue, however, is that it presents us with another opportunity to deepen democracy by arguing our case in a civilised manner. If you like the proposal, advance your points to convince Nigerians on the need to support it. If you are against the proposal, marshal your points and convince Nigerians on the need to reject it. There are very decent ways of debating in public without exchanging blows. We must learn to debate national issues with decorum so that public discourse can be palatable, enriched and exciting, thisdaylive.com/articles/debating-single-term-with-decorum/96006/ |
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