₦airaland Forum

Jonathan is no f0ol, smarter people always knew there was much more to the controversial pardon, even the US had to backtrack from their earlier stance when the facts were laid before them, only the ignorant and those inspired by the airheads in the ACN kept yapping.

Former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, said yesterday that the state pardon granted to him by President Goodluck Jonathan was actually the completion of a process that started during the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. In a chat with journalists in Lagos, the former Bayelsa State governor said those who are condemning the president were doing so out of ignorance and that the president’s action was in order. He said the pardon is a “brokered deal”, and that he has fulfilled his own part of the deal. “The deal started during late President Yar’Adua’s administration. It was a pardon that was negotiated. People who don’t know what happened are the ones talking. But if I open my mouth, those who are talking will keep quiet. President Goodluck Jonathan was part of the negotiating team. There is no one in this country that knows issues surrounding Alamieyeseigha better than the president. He was my deputy governor and all that transpired were known to him. I am already writing my memoir. At the appropriate time, you will know. Without Yar’Adua, I would have died,” he said.

dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/news-news/54976-my-pardon-was-approved-by-yar-adua-alamieyeseigha

The "respected" elder statesman seems to find it impossible to mouth the words "BOKO HARAM". It's ok to condemn terrorists and religious fanatics but who's going to tell the Haramites Buhari was referring to them? Me?

Insurgency in parts of the country was created with the aim of undermining the economy and development of Nigeria, former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday in Daura, as military operations continued elsewhere in the Northeast against insurgents. Buhari spoke in his hometown which came under bomb and gun attacks that left 3 soldiers dead last Thursday. “The insurgency was a deliberate move to scuttle the security and development of Nigeria. Take for instance Kano and Borno states. The economy of the people in the two states was completely wiped out by the activities of insurgents. Nothing economic is moving in the two states,” said Buhari, who spoke while on a sympathy visit to the Emir of Daura’s palace. “No nation in this world can develop with this kind of insurgency. It is unfortunate that activities of insurgents are on the increase in Nigeria,” he added. Buhari said also no religion will condone the kind of terrorism taking place in Nigeria. He urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for the restoration of peace and harmony in the country. The Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouq Umar Farouq, told the former head of state that he opposed the conduct of house-to-house search in Daura town by the military in the wake of the attack.

dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/top-stories/55005-buhari-insurgency-hatched-to-destroy-our-economy

By Tony Edike ENUGU
– THE South East Zone has fared better under President Goodluck Jonathan than any period since the First Republic. This is the verdict of the National Vice Chairman, South East zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Colonel Austin Akobundu (rtd.), who added that the decision of the zone to give the President total support in 2011 was the smartest political move by Igbo people. Speaking in Enugu Friday ahead of Saturday’s official flag-off of the remodelled Akanu Ibiam International Airport by President Jonathan, Colonel Akobundu thanked the President for fulfilling his election promises to the South East, which he said makes his endorsement for a second term by South Easterners a foregone conclusion. “Previous administrations, military and democratic, paid lip-service to developing the South East but the Jonathan Government is actively laying bricks and reconstructing roads in a sustainable manner. I am confirming that the Transformation Agenda is alive in this zone and changing the lives of our people. “Today, the President will officially flag-off remodelling work on the Enugu Airport which has been upgraded into an international airport. This means a lot to us, the South East being the only zone denied an international gateway by successive governments, until now.
When you consider other development initiatives of this government in the zone, especially its investments in transportation, education, health and roads, you will agree with me that we are better off under the Jonathan administration and PDP. “People talk about APC as an alternative platform but we ask those behind the party to show their report card for scrutiny. They have no track record of caring for our people. When they managed PTF, the marginalisation of our zone continued. It is clear that the future of South East economic and infrastructural development lies with supporting the Jonathan administration”, Colonel Akobundu said. The National Vice Chairman expressed satisfaction with the quality of the ongoing redesigning of the Enugu airport to suit it new status as an international airport and praised the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah for her visionary and dedicated leadership which has repositioned the nation’s aviation sector. He expressed confidence that the Administration would tackle other outstanding projects in the zone, especially the second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and erosion control projects with similar vigour and assured the President of the zone’s continued and sustained support at all times.

vanguardngr.com/2013/05/s-east-has-fared-better-under-jonathan-col-akobundu/

Laughable how suddenly these nonentity posters have suddenly come alive because the tables are turning in favour of GEJ. The usual hopeless El Rufai / Tinubu online mob feel their jobs are threatened and they are about to let their numerous monikers create an air of balance so they can keep living their fools paradise. Nigerians are smarter and can now perceive your stench of deception from yards out. Try harder.

splashbaby: See your puff puff brain...since the oil subsidy strike, your ugly faced clueless leader lost the trust and support of many Nigerians. It is only few people like you, powered by avarice that still consider him a good leader.

Ewu, your opinion does not count. Jonathan does not need the support of thugs and airbrained homos that aren't ashamed to use monikers like "SplashBABY".

Seun is in the best position to answer the question. Uneasy lies the head that bares the crown and in the period I've been in Nairaland, no Mod has left the sit without appropriate reasons and Seun's explicit explanation, this should be no exception and more so with a statement as that from the resigning Mod. Aishatu left because of her love for Buhari, Jarus quit over Afam's appointment, the debates brouhaha and primarily cos he was too busy and now Ikenna's leaving because? See the vacuum?
Seen is in the best place to give an answer because it is IMPERATIVE that posters here understand that they aren't being taking for a ride and this forum is free from any sort of BIAS or INFLUENCE. Ikenna's words indicts Seun directly, and he's got some cleaning up to do that's how I see it.

I actually do question his "competence" sometimes.

Speak for yourself, Ewu.

The poster above me should use his thinking faculty and stop spewing rubbish.

^ That mentality is exactly why Nigeria is stagnating in terms of real development - our collective willingness to accept the status quo without questions. There's an economic concept called "Creative Destruction" where new and better ideas are allowed to evolve by questioning and improving the present why doing away with the old way of thought and behaviors. It is how serious societies evolved. Must keep questioning and challenging till we get the best possible and even so, keep questioning. Mediocrity is never an acceptable option.

My first attempt in posting this lasted the better part of 5 Seconds B4 someone Deleted the thread, Well hoping for better luck this time.

... Its just that there are things i cant associate myself with, as long as i still breath. Let me leave it at that. - Ikenna

A few months ago during the petroleum subsidy debates the likes of Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi Lamido, Oshiomhole et al were invited to make their case for and against petroleum subsidy and in the entire debate which I followed with rapt attention, the most significant statement IMO was totally ignored like it was never said! The Edo state Governor and former labour leader Adams Oshiomhole had mounted the dais and in a simple sentence, rubbished the integrity of otherwise reputable audit agencies and no one seemed to notice or care to notice. He'd said (while questioning the audit reports of a leading audit company auditing transactions at the downstream sector) "we all know that when it comes to the petroleum sector and when the amount involved is big enough, EVERYONE HAS A PRICE"! There was no response from the Auditing firm, ICAN/ANAN, Accountants/Lawyers, the debates ignored it, the dailies did'nt care and nowhere was there an attempt to draw attention to a statement that indicted those that may be the greatest beneficiaries and aiders of blatant corruption, it simmply was perhaps "Too big to be significant"!

Well, here we go again. Sometimes it worries me the ease with which we overlook the most "significant" statements especially when they stare us naked in the face. Ikenna just threw in the towel and the quoted above is the only reason he gave but no one seems to have noticed instead the threads opened are filled with the usual Nairaland nonsense and the inevitable flowery words and jabs.

Every community (Nairaland is one) has a core irrationality, some belief about itself that no amount of evidence or experience can alter - and a blindness to the need to insist we are treated with respect by those in authority ( Seun I'm looking at you ) seems to be ours. Of course posting here is arrogating certain rights to the owner of this site but does that mean he can do and undo without as much as a whimper from the people that make Nairaland the respected community it has grown to become today? I think not so. I believe Seun owes Nairalanders an explanation of the circumstances leading to Ikenna's resignation, those words were not just posted for effects. Seun, what gives? He was doing a great job and now suddenly cannot be associated with you and his erstwhile job as long as he lives! What changed?

There's a Kenyan girl, Pendo, I think she might help. You'd be better served in the Travel section I think.

... Its just that there are things i cant associate myself with, as long as i still breath. Let me leave it at that. - Ikenna

A few months ago during the petroleum subsidy debates the likes of Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi Lamido, Oshiomhole et al were invited to make their case for and against petroleum subsidy and in the entire debate which I followed with rapt attention, the most significant statement IMO was totally ignored like it was never said! The Edo state Governor and former labour leader Adams Oshiomhole had mounted the dais and in a simple sentence, rubbished the integrity of otherwise reputable audit agencies and no one seemed to notice or care to notice. He'd said (while questioning the audit reports of a leading audit company auditing transactions at the downstream sector) "we all know that when it comes to the petroleum sector and when the amount involved is big enough, EVERYONE HAS A PRICE"! There was no response from the Auditing firm, ICAN/ANAN, Accountants/Lawyers, the debates ignored it, the dailies did'nt care and nowhere was there an attempt to draw attention to a statement that indicted those that may be the greatest beneficiaries and aiders of blatant corruption, it simmply was perhaps "Too big to be significant"!

Well, here we go again. Sometimes it worries me the ease with which we overlook the most "significant" statements especially when they stare us naked in the face. Ikenna just threw in the towel and the quoted above is the only reason he gave but no one seems to have noticed instead the threads opened are filled with the usual Nairaland nonsense and the inevitable flowery words and jabs.

Every community (Nairaland is one) has a core irrationality, some belief about itself that no amount of evidence or experience can alter - and a blindness to the need to insist we are treated with respect by those in authority ( Seun I'm looking at you ) seems to be ours. Of course posting here is arrogating certain rights to the owner of this site but does that mean he can do and undo without as much as a whimper from the people that make Nairaland the respected community it has grown to become today? I think not so. I believe Seun owes Nairalanders an explanation of the circumstances leading to Ikenna's resignation, those words were not just posted for effects. Seun, what gives? He was doing a great job and now suddenly cannot be associated with you and his erstwhile job as long as he lives! What changed?

Jeez, never knew Seun had his own special breed of "attack dogs" also, see how they are all over the OP for pointing out an issue reasonable folks find sickening.
Truth is the daily duplication of Linda Ikeji's blog by Nairaland is classless, lazy and utterly stupid. I'm not Linda's biggest fan but I respect what She does and so should reasonable folks esp those in some form of competition with her. Her stories - no matter how mundane are deliberately hunted down by the Supermods and yanked to the frontpage and Yes without any form of credit to her - Afam knows this.
Nairaland can and should do better, Seun and Mukina should have some class and respect other folks intellectual properties (no matter how you look at it, thats what it is). Nairaland became what it is by carving a niche for itself and it's not going to be what it can't by duplicating other peoples sites, I go to Linda's site to get some other kind of gist and visit Nairaland to get some other kind also. Smarter folks should now how to exploit their areas of strength and not jump into a bandwagon. Nuff said.

mapet: Honestly Naptu beat me to this topic and you've done justice to the topic with sound envidences. I'm too sleepy tonight but tomorrow I'll add some few things.

Those images and ideas are impressive - granted, but of what effect are they on the majority of the poor populace? sadly, very little. The Niger Delta region has got loads of these Skill acquisition and rehabilitation centres dotting the entire region but they're are nothing but prestige and chest thumping structures for state govts and the oil companies that built them, nothing more - ala Lagos.
Perhaps you guys haven't been to these areas - these slums to see first hand how non-existent govt presence is. Perhaps you're yet to understand how immense govt assistant would transform the lives of thousands just by constructing say non - existent drainages, these areas are a complete mess purely out of neglect. The irony is that same govt. is painting roads , planting flowers and fixing street lights in the opposite side of town while in areas with millions crammed in, have not even the most basic facilities.
Those are the issues I expect you guys to be addressing not pictures of rehabilitation centres for area boys that are a menace to the elite - yes, I've not failed to notice. Impressive non-theless.

Impressive.

naptu2: 1) So, do you now accept that the settlement is illegal and an environmental hazard?

2) The fact still remains that many people (though not all) take up these causes for ethnic or political reasons.

3) I will score the government highly when it comes to poverty alleviation. Out of all the governments we've had in Lagos, this government and Jakande's government have been the best with regards to poverty alleviation and taking care of the poor (the worst and worst government inn the history of Lagos was Oyinlola's government a.k.a. "No bitumen" ).

The problem is that the media prefer to report grand and spectacular projects, rather than projects that will improve the lives of the poor. They would rather report about Eko Atlantic City, than report about Lagos HOMS, they would rather report about the cable stayed bridge than report about Tekunle. These things exist. The fact that you don't hear noise about them does not mean that they do not exist.

In fact, the government is doing exactly what I thought would be necessary to turn Lagos around after the madness that was military rule. That is, the carrot and stick approach. Give them the carrot, but those who refuse to take the carrot will be beaten by the stick. The act of beating with the stick is more controversial, so it will take up more column inches in newspapers, but there's an alternative. . .there's the carrot.

In the face of such compelling arguments, it really is difficult to keep arguing with you. I honestly would've thrown in the towel if I had'nt taken out time to do some study on the issue I'm arguing here. Truth is I know what I'm saying just as you I believe you do. Fashola might hae done some things but he has'nt done nearly anything for the poor compared to what he's done for the rich. I'll leave it at that for now and enjoy your pictures.

^ Me too, uhm well! *shrugs*

^ Do you have any sense at all? How do you "get rid" of slums without creating an avenue for improving the lives of its occupants? You think demolishing ghettos and rendering people homeless would solve any problem? You guys are just darn impossible SMH.

Rossikk: Why not? Are the farms dead? How is farming worse than what they're going through there? In their villages they have homes. A well built hut in the village is a lot more liveable, comfortable, dignified and hygenic than a shack built of nylon and cardboard hanging over a lagoon.




Excuse me. I'm sorry but not everyone can wake up and say they want to move to Lagos. If you can't afford it, stay back in your village or move to a nearby town that's cheaper. It Is GREED and NAKE.D DISREGARD FOR THE LAW AND FOR DECENCY that makes people leave wherever they are to go and live in Makoko.

Coming from someone that journeyed to the States washing dishes and preparing corpses for burial, I have to say your hypocrisy stinks. Why did'nt you stay behind in Naija to farm and be productive? Why did you "check out" to stay in the frigid north despite the odds? Ok that was an analogy.

zetdee: God I hate this type of thinking, there is nothing good about slums, getting rid of them should be the top priority of any city. If a city's ecosystem requires slums to be maintained than it should not exist at all. Slums are what give a country the statues of being a shithole.

emiye: I have one statement for all the fallacy you have stated up there.

THE POOR DOES NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN SLUMS. !

zetdee: God I hate this type of thinking, there is nothing good about slums, getting rid of them should be the top priority of any city. If a city's ecosystem requires slums to be maintained than it should not exist at all. Slums are what give a country the statues of being a shithole.

Sadly, neither of you got my point. I wasnt advocating for the continued existence of ghettos but only trying to point out the economic significance of having those considered to be less well off existing alongside the very rich. My reference was to highlight the danger of tearing down and depopulating ghettos (Fashola style) without recourse to their economic significance, dats all!

emiye: What do you then mean by "this line of thought about "Ghettos not supposed to exist" shocks me to the marrow"

I mean you have to understand you're talking about PEOPLE living in subhuman conditions because they have little or no choice.

How do you harness the potentials with very limited funds,if the bulk do not pay tax, they are a burden !,

Wrong, wrong, wrong. They contribute their quota to the State's economy through their productive activities and creating a huge market for consumer and other products. Without some of these Ghetto dwellers, Guinness, Star and others would struggle, no?

depopulate is simply to reduce the population of those living in the slum, the Millennium development goals has 8 goals, 21 targets nd 60 indicators. Goal 7 , target 7.10 focuses on depopulating slums.

Depopulate in the MDG sense does not mean knocking down peoples houses and forcing them back to their villages like you and Fashola seem to favour. It entails giving people better alternatives in terms of outlook and living conditions, it's imperative y'all understand this.

i said breed like pigs, a metaphor indicating having more children than they can cater for, a smart man can move away from a slum after a brief stay and proper planning, a slum is not where you plan to stay forever!

How would you feel if I said you were thinking thru your anus? Of course I'm being metaphorical arent I?

Stop talking nonsensical shiit, i am an environmentalist, I am as ignorant enough to educate you. What do you understand by the ecosystem, introducing filth in to water bodies is a way to balance the ecosystem in your ignorant mind, most of the fishes and aquatic organisms in those water bodies are filled with heavy metals like lead, and not particularly okay for human consumption.

Yeah, you saved the best worst for last didnt you? You really had to prove you're a nutter? SMH.
Yeah you're an environmentalist and I guess that explains your abysmal level of understanding of developmental issues - sorry pal. I wasnt really making reference to the "ecosystem" in an environmental sense when I mentioned it, I only tried to demonstrate the relationship in a society between the rich, middle class and the poor by likening it to the same kind of balance an ecosystem needs to thrive and flourish. The society needs a level of poverty to thrive - yeah quote me! The menial jobs and the low wages would only exist if there's a group willing to accept whatever is on offer, it's how the greatest nations on earth were built so when you speak of "depopulating" ghettos in the sense you and Fashola appear to favour, you'll be altering that naturally thriving balance the society needs to grow.

naptu2: One of the reasons I feel very strongly about this issue is because I remember how Lagos was before the military governments decided to ignore planning laws. There was a time when it was impossible to find traffic jams on Victoria Island, because it was a quiet residential area. This was a time when you wouldn't find rubbish being dumped on the roadside.

The military came and ruined everything. You had people building anywhere they wanted. Lagos was touted as the dirtiest city in the world. Pictures of filthy Lagos was broadcast around the world. A government that wants to restore sanity has come to power, but some people (mostly for political and ethnic reasons) do not want it to do its job.

I understand the seniments you've shared and cannot fault your desire to see a better planned, clean and organized city, I also have thos dreams but it's quite sad you'd reduce all this to the bolded above.
There are many issues I wld go down that "Political" or "ethnic" road for but sincerely, this isnt one. We must separate the issues for this to be worthwhile -the Lagos state govt has ignored it's poor populace and that's a fact. It's acting like the proverbial woman that intends to cover her pregnancy with her hands. While the grounds on which you fault the construction of a well intended slum school may hold true legally - granted, the issue is what has the state govt done to reduce the inequity and help balance out the shocking level of contrasting advancements between the rich and the poor? A govt that has been seen to help the poor and disadvantaged would have no difficulty making a case if it chose to demolish whatever it chose but not in this case. These people have been ignored and assumed not to exist and just as a ray of hope appears, the govt rushes out to extinguish it. While their action may be legally right, it is morally wrong. Development specialists have always judged societies and govt's not by the scale of opulence or economic aggregates but sometimes by the way they treat their most vulnerable citizens - those without a means to defend or assert themselves, how would you score Fashola?

emiye: Yes, ghettoes are not supposed to exist !!!!, it is an eye sore to the state, all over the world attempt should be made to depopulate slums,and not expand slums, even the MDGs recognises that in goal 7, target 7.10.

Many of the slum dwellers have no business staying in urban lagos, they also do not make wise decisions, they breed like pigs with no concrete plan for the offsprings thereby enthrenching a vicious cycle of poverty, hopelessness and an expanding slum.



Yes the population is one of the greatest asset, but it can also be a curse, most especially when majority do not pay tax and create a nuisance value. You talk about govts poor development plan a cause of the ghettoes, i agree with you, but the biggest blame goes to the FG at the centre, and many other state governors not stemming the tide of rural-urban migration, lack of employment opportunities across the nation e.t.c

If you re-read my post I'm sure you'd finally understand I never said ghettoes were desirable but only pointed out that they are a natural consequence of skewed development and govt inattention. As for who should actually shoulder shoulder the blame, I also mentioned it was'nt entirely BRF's fault didnt I?
A growing - booming population can only be a curse if its potentials are not harnessed, the ease with which you throw words like "depopopulate" and your likening slum dwellers to breeding pigs leaves a lot to be desired, such uncharitable words gives you up as being crassly ignorant and unfit to discuss the issues herein. Do you realize a huge area like Ajegunle would fall into the "ghetto" class if a threshold were set? Would you recommend de-populating Ajegunle? If you say Yes then I have to ask if you understand the concept of the "Food Chain"? Those Ghetto dwellers are now a part of the Lagos ecosystem, take them out and you disturb a level of that chain that balances the Lagos ecosystem and the resulting negative domino would leave you running away from Lagos! It's one thing to sit your butt down and proffer ignorant policies, it's another thing to know what you're talking about.

^ I just dont get people like you, this line of thought about "Ghettos not supposed to exist" shocks me to the marrow. Do you know "jack" about Lagos state? Like really do you even have a clue? How do you define a Ghetto? Is the population of Lagos state an asset or a liability? If you were to fashion out an economic policy you mean you'll recommend de-populating Lagos to say the size of Abuja? To what end if I may ask?
This whole line of thot has been circling on and on and you all are beginning to make it sound like population is the problem of Lagos rather than the obvious case of "skewed and poorly co-ordinated development". I put it to you that the population of Lagos is her greatest asset and those shanties and ghettoes you say should not be allowed to develop are just a natural consequence of the govts poor development plan.

aniiii: You mean hollywood?

and who is tonto dikeh?

im half nijarian , very ignorant of my country i must say,
until my room mate introduced me to nairaland

Perhaps you should first learn how to spell the name of your country.

^ Such a great piece deserves better comments than you two have been able to muster.
@OP, I could'nt agree with you more. Just this morning while doing some urgent research on the correlation between Population and Economic Growth, I stumbled on an interesting article written by a Reuters reporter titled:
Will Nigerian boom babies feed prosperity or entrench poverty?
The piece kind of summarises the fear of every Development economist - Nigeria and Lagos state in particular may be recreating India!
Now India used to be the classic example of inequity, a reference point in how to achieve economic growth without concomitant Economic Development, a paradox that economists in the developed world had to embrace with the shocking reality India presented, a nation with the most stark levels of poverty amidst unquantifiable opulence and globally recognised economic growth. That was then, Inequality seems to be brewing a new poster face - Fashola's Lagos!
As part of research conducted by South Africa's Standard Bank, a research referred to in the piece I cited above, it was discovered that "93 percent of Lagos households were in the poorest category, with monthly income lower than $390, compared with only 38 percent in Johannesburg." This may not necessarily be BRF fault but his policies - I'd love to add here that they seem to be quite DELIBERATE - are aggravating the situation and widening that gap without as much as a care.
I could go on and on but I hope Nigerians wake up soon and realize what's happening in Lagos. Lagos has no business competing with New York, Dubai or Jo'burg, we've got real problems - human problems and the way Fashola is headed, we'll only end up competing with Calcutta!

naptu2: But how do you know that won't happen?

Every society needs order. Rules and regulations are enacted to create that order. The people must follow these rules and regulations so that there will be order. Therefore, the first question is, did the builders follow the rules and regulations?

Secondly, even if the government will eventually dialogue with the builders and provide an alternative, the government must make the point that people must follow rules, otherwise people will go out and build all kinds of structures and demand that they should also be given exemptions. The result will be chaos (the type of chaos we witnessed in the '80s and '90s when military governments ignored planning laws).

Oh come on! What rules are we talking about in a city with one of the most expensive real estate in the world where thousands still have no choice but to live on shacks built on lagoons and drinking from same water they poo on? What rule permits the existence of that kind of inequality?
Someone steps in the gap trying to do what the govt. ought to be doing and its termed illegal simply because Fashola is trying to build a city that PRETENDS not to have a poor populace and you think you can justify it? Come on now!

naptu2: I think the builders should sit down with the government and find out if they contravened any rules and how to regularise their operations. That's what the 1004 company did. It took months, but they succeeded.

But should'nt a govt. bogged down with shoccking a level of inequity and poverty be more disposed to helping the poorest people in the land? Why isnt the govt trying to dialogue with this NGO to provide some sort of alternative and acceptable site for such a laudable idea from a foreign funded NGO? Why are they more eager to destroy than see poor children educated?

[quote author=K,k]Like I said 7months ago. " Its cool but dangerous"
I would not want my kid floating on a 3 storey building.[/quote]Why? Cos its not called "The Queen Mary", Lagos Sunburn Yacht or some other fanciful name with elegant designs and airconditioned rooms or branded a "Cruise school"? Make una try get sense na!