₦airaland Forum

@Kilode?

I do not know how possible your cultural revolution would be . Remember we are in a highly mixed nation that can not be characterized as one in any context be it language, religion or ethnicity. I know hybridity to be a problem but i doubt if it is as profound as you suggest.

passyjango:
@Kilode and @Yeswecan, I do not agree with your 'blame the west' arguments. India went through colonisation, same for Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. All these countries are ahead of us in all aspects of human endeavor. We need to take responsibility for our actions. It is our ignorance that has kept this nation in her pitiable situation. If our leaders are not coconut heads, they will not agree to every World Bank and IMF programme but push their own agurement, which I am sure IMF and World bank would have agreed to if it made sense. You can not criticize another person’s suggestion if you can not offer anything better. So, I still maintain that ignorance is our major problem. Coruption is a problem, but it is only an effect of a bigger problem of ignorance.

I wasn't playing the blame game- my point was to explain how western led-Africa policies was inimical to our growth hence we need to stop looking up to anyone be it IMF/ World bank or the entire west . To support this point i explained how the west and IMF created huge problems for us in the pretext of making us better. My point further explains why we have to follow an independent patter of development.

Economic is like warfare, a zero sum / selfish game . One should not expect another to teach him the tricks or show him the path - it is never that way hence we should debate the market rhetorics of the west like free market which obviously is not to our favor. One will always mantra free market is he prevails in the order.

When the first Japanese attempt to export passenger cars failed, free-market economists argued that this is what happens when a country, whose biggest export item is silk, tries to defy the law of comparative advantage and export things like automobiles. Japan’s nominal tariff rate on automobile imports was 35.9 per cent just to promote their industry - this was govt. intervention and this is how you promote industries. Today take a look at Japan cars.

We have foolishly opened our market to dumping in the name of free trade competition . . This is why Africans can only export raw material

America and Europe Farm Protectionism

In clarity of the present economic atmosphere, where the IMF, World Bank and WTO are clamoring for free trade - knocking on African’s door for the familiar Mantra, both by these international organization and western government are not signatories to this free trade agricultural terms.
Mark Malloch Brown, former head of the United Nations Development Program, estimated that farm subsidies cost poor countries about USD$50 billion a year in lost agricultural exports: "It is the extraordinary distortion of global trade, where the West spends $360 billion a year on protecting its agriculture with a network of subsidies and tariffs that costs developing countries about US$50 billion in potential lost agricultural exports. Fifty billion dollars is the equivalent of today's level of development assistance."

It is important to underline the hypocrisy of Europe and America giving lip service to free trade with respect to Agriculture while maintaining tariff barriers and paying subsidies to their farmers. The New York Times has once stated that African farmers are “rightfully outraged that a nation [the United States] that enjoys all the benefits of open markets for its industrial products keeps putting up walls around its farmers.” Some Africa countries are beginning to wake to this fact as South Africa played a lead role in recent WTO negotiations, with Uganda, Botswana, and Kenya also becoming vocal players. Four West African countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, and Benin—all called on the United States to cut the $1–3 billion it spends each year subsidizing American cotton growers. “The rich countries have a choice,” says Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, “either let Africa have real access to your markets for products, especially agriculture, or acknowledge that you prefer to keep us dependent on your handouts.”

United State is in the forefront of free market promoters yet spends the highest amount of subsidy on farmers that any other country on earth. In fact, after introducing reforms to reduce subsidies in 1996, the United States has since increased its level of protectionism. The 2002 farm bill further increased federal subsidies—to some farmers by more than 80 percent. Across the Atlantic, France, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal have resisted changes to the European Union’s broad agreement on farmer payments, known as the common agricultural policy (CAP).

Agriculture and fisheries subsidies receive over 40% of European Union budget. As the EU budget is around €120 billion, this means that €48 billion is spent on these subsidies, or about 0.3% of the entire EU's GDP. Since 1992, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy has undergone major change as subsidies have been decoupled from production. About €30 billion is spent as direct support for farmers (the Single Farm Payment). The next major reform of the CAP is scheduled to run from 2013. The OECD estimates that EU market price supports in 2002 exceeded $57 billion. EU producer support costs (in cluding subsidies, tariffs, and other protectionist measures) in 2002 came to over $100 billion, compared to about $40 billion for the United States. Oxfam recently estimated that British taxpayers alone pay £3.9 billion ($7 billion) per year to maintain the CAP.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture paid out over $12 billion in subsidies in 2002. The OECD estimates that the cost of U.S. market price supports for agricultural products—which include tariffs, quotas,and price guarantees—amounted to over $15 billion in 2002.

Currently, the United States pays around $20 billion per year to farmers in direct subsidies as "farm income stabilization" via U.S. farm bills. These bills date back to the economic turmoil of the Great Depression with 1922 Grain Futures Act, the 1929 Agricultural Marketing Act and the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act creating a tradition of government support.

For every dollar U.S. farmers earn, 62 cents comes from some form of government, with total aid in 2009 from all levels of government adding up to $180.8 billion.

Top states for direct farm subsidies in US include Iowa ($501 million), Illinois ($454 million), and Texas ($397 million). Direct payments of subsidies are limited to $40,000 per person or $80,000 per couple.

America operates the highest Agricultural protectionism the world has ever known. In the 2002, Farm Bill for every bushel of wheat sold farmers were paid an extra 52 cents and guaranteed a price of 3.86 from 2002–03 and 3.92 from 2004–2007. That is, if the price of wheat in 2002 was 3.80 farmers would get an extra 58 cents per bushel (52 cents plus the $0.06 price difference).

Corn is the top crop for subsidy payments. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates that billions of gallons of ethanol be blended into vehicle fuel each year, guaranteeing demand, but US corn ethanol subsidies are between $5.5 billion and $7.3 billion per year. Producers also benefit from a federal subsidy of 51 cents per gallon, additional state subsidies, and federal crop subsidies that can bring the total to 85 cents per gallon or more.
This is the type of Market Africa farmers with local equipment, no protectionism and few bucks tend to face if they are to compete in the global stage.

Nigeria Rice sector

Nigeria’s case is slightly from Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire, the Nigerian government has interfered in the rice sector over the past few decades. Public policy in this respect has neither been consistent nor fitting and domestic production has continued to lag behind demand when the policy does not protect them.

Nigeria has engaged in a variety of trade policy such as tariff, import restrictions, and outright ban on rice import at different times to check the activeness of local rice producer. Between 1961 and 1999, Nigeria had spent $4 billion on rice importation alone; the buck of the spending comes when there was an untied trade on rice import.

From a historical outlook, Nigeria’s rice policy can be discussed in allusion to three significant eras. These are the pre-ban period (i.e., 1971-1985), the ban period (i.e., 1986-1995), and post-ban periods (1995 – date). The pre-ban period is the era previous to the opening of complete restriction on rice imports. This changing rice policy by the Nigerian government has resulted to changing output performance of local rice farmers in Nigeria.
Before the liberalization of import policies with regards to rice, Nigeria was 99% reliance on home produced rice between 1961 and 1971, but during the pre-ban period (1971-1985) there was massive importation of rice between resulting in low price of domestically produced rice. The farmers couldn’t compete with importers, worst, Nigeria government’s involvement in the supply, selling of the imported rice with non-transfer of real costs of marketing to consumers but rather absorbed by government, was an issue of subsidizing foreign rice producers against home farmers – Nigeria rice farmers could not compete and simply went out of the market. Self-reliance ratio fell from 99% in the 70s to a merely 28% in early 80s.

Then came a policy shift in ban period (i.e., 1986-1995), it actually started 1985 when the importation of rice was banned. It was anticipated to stimulate domestic production through increases in the price of the commodity and this was seconded by the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) in 1986 toughened the ban previously placed on rice import. Under SAP, various trade policies were put in place. This was in addition to the reduction of the naira arising from exchange rate deregulation. The overvalued exchange rate had served as an implicit tax on rice producers as it cheapened imported rice comparatively. This was one case where SAP actually advantaged a sector in the economy.
I remember growing up with a plate of Nigeria grown rice, I remember this because there was a rice mill close to my school. The ban of rice came with a package of incentives for domestic farmers to leap up supply for home need. During the barn period, Self-reliance ratio climb to 80%, although the Nigeria government (military at the time) did not do much to improve the rice industry or try to seek market abroad which was suppose to be the case if development was an agenda. In the mid 90s there was a drastic urbanization and the demand for food increased – it was evident that the Nigeria local rice sector could not cater for the population because they were vulnerable and lack government assistance. At this time there was a test import, smuggled import and the Military government decided to liberalize the rice import from 1995 which stands liberalized until this moment.

Today, Nigeria is 98% reliance on exported rice; only 2% of the consumed rice is produced in Nigerian. Rice farmers could not compete with clean imported rice with sophisticated technology often lapping government companies. In the recent time, rice consumption in Nigeria has risen tremendously, at about 10% per annum due to changing consumer preferences. Domestic production has never been able to meet the demand, leading to considerable imports which today stand at about with 1.5 million tons yearly. The imports are procured on the world market with Nigeria spending annually over US$300 million on rice imports alone and listed as one of the world highest rice consumers.

If a Nigerian company would supply the nation her rice yearly we can imagine the improvement that would bring to the economy. Government can create incentive and place a rice embargo to get this done.

With tariff barriers removed, less expensive imported food flooded into countries, some of which at one point were nearly self-sufficient in agriculture. Many people quit farming and abandoned systems that had worked in their cultures for centuries. Traditional poor African farmers simply couldn't compete in the global food market against heavily mechanized, subsidized, and corporate agricultural systems. Rather than aid Africa's farmers, the emphasis on free trade undercut local food production for a quarter of a decade, according to the study, placing increased reliance on imported rice

It is obvious that getting back local rice production in Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire would require putting up tariff barriers on international trade to allow local producers to be competitive, better credit systems, improved roads, building local mills, and employing subsidies when appropriate.

Côte d’Ivoire Rice sector

Like The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire is a low-income nation where farming is central to the livelihoods of its populace and to state economy. Policies giving main concern to rice in state development go back to French colonial period. Even before Côte d’Ivoire’s independence, a system of price stabilization, a permanent price for producers, tariffs on imports, and the first savings in irrigation contributed to an import replacement program in food independence strategy. At independence in 1960, the country’s rice demand was met by producing 100,000 tons of rice and importing 30,000 tons, this was a good start for a new Nation.

With the creation of the state rice corporation (SODERIZ) after independence, Côte d’Ivoire reinforced its dedication to rice as central to national food policy. SODERIZ emphasized a Green Revolution approach, building dams for irrigation; training farmers; distributing high-yielding rice varieties; subsidizing; and providing credit, a permanent value for rice, and current manufacturing mills. In 1974, SODERIZ increased the price 132% for purchasing paddy. Farmers act in response with an enormous return, and imports dropped to their lowest level. This was a right part, though, because of mismanagement, SODERIZ failed in 1977. Succeeding its closure, SODERIZ remained for Ivorian farmers and policymakers an achievement of what is achievable for domestic rice self-reliance at the same time that its eventual crumple helped to sustain arguments for a neoliberal approach to national rice policy.

By the early 1980s after two decades of economic growth, world prices for Côte d’Ivoire’s exports had plunge. There were other economic problems and in 1981, Ivorian leaders responded to the economic troubles by obtaining a structural adjustment loan of US $150 million from the World Bank with the conditions that it stop government salaries, do away with some public enterprises, and take steps to reduce the state’s role in the economy. Over the next decade, a series of conditional loans led to reforms that very much changed the state’s relationship to rice, resulting in a steep increase in imports.

An economic examination of the Ivorian rice sector expressly recommended abandoning the goal of self-sufficiency and as an alternative paying for imports through revenue generated from crops with a comparative advantage, meaning cocoa, coffee, and cotton.

By the end of the 1990s, the 10 industrial rice mills built by SODERIZ with an estimated annual milling capacity of 550,000 tons of paddy were privatized. By 2002, none of those mills operated. Gone too were the fertilizer subsidy for irrigated rice, the state’s modern seed farms, the fixed price for rice, and controls on imports. Côte d’Ivoire rice industry has totally crumbled and the entire nation depended on imported rice.
SAP reforms sometimes abolish critical support systems for deprived farmers who had no car, no land security, made $1 a day and had their life savings of $600 hidden under a mattress, and end up supporting huge export companies to take over market of developing countries and wreck domestic production unit.

In as much as i detest World bank and IMF for their imperialistic functions in Africa, i have to agree with them on this one. We should stop thinking our problem (in Africa) is exclusive to corruption. corruption does not stop the young entrepreneur from excelling, neither does it stop the farmer from harvesting his products - the main problem with Africa is World Bank, IMF, Europe and America.

After independence Africa countries were moving faster that the west - with yearly growth rate of almost 10% until something happened.  I will focus on the hunger in Africa.

The UN estimates that a billion people in the world are going hungry with 200 million people extra added to the statistics over the past few years and Africans seems to hold the buck of the figures. It was never so even in the colonial period with no electricity and economic advancement Africans were identified to be good farmers – food was never a problem in Africa. So how did the freedom, GDP and all the nice economic instruments that Africans achieved reduced the food of the land?

Food crisis is usually blamed on population and backward technological rather than on a policy context.  IMF Structural adjustment, which led to a series of policy changes across West Africa in the 1980s and 1990s, privileged Asian exporters over West African producers. The removal of production subsidies in and moribund tariff barriers led to a flood of Asian goods on Africa local markets, disfavored local investments and led to the culture of import product reliance.

The persistence on free trade in the Agricultural sector is responsible for the lack of food in Africa – It was meant to spur economic growth, but instead weaken traditional agricultural systems that had worked for centuries, ultimately leading to a food crisis, which left millions hungry, led to food shortage when there is a shift in producing country.

Although market reforms were intended to improve food production, the net result was an increasing reliance on imported food and elimination of domestic producers.

A comparative study of rice production in Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria before and after liberalizing their economies shows the negative effect of opened economy on local rice producers.

Gambia Rice sector

Between 1966 and 1984, international development assistance sponsored pump irrigation rice projects on the Gambia River’s abundant alluvial swamps. The scheme intended to budge rice from seasonal to year-round farming, thus enabling two yearly harvests instead of one. One harvest was to protect domestic subsistence supplies, whereas the second offered a cash crop to lift farm incomes.

The program was however successful and Gambia before 1984 was able to supply home need and exported some for cash. Gambian rice production stood at 32,000 tons by 1971 and was enough to supply home demand.

The International Monetary Fund forced on the Gambian economy a series of Structural Adjustment Programs as conditions for loans in the mid 80s. Economic reforms eliminated subsidized inputs and the producer support price that had encouraged the domestic rice sector, hence, Market Reforms and Dependency on Imported Rice started in 1986.

The elimination of protective tariffs for domestic production well lowered the cost of imported rice. Within a period of 10 years, milled imports more than doubled, although the domestic rice sector stagnated and tried to survive. Today, only 10% of Gambian irrigated rice projects produce the two harvests originally conceived, and most of the rice remains in the region where it was harvested.

When Gambian government removed subsidies on their rice sector as imported by IMF, the country was receiving imports from countries were farmers receive subsidies. These people were asked to compete with some of the most efficient agricultural systems in the world, and they simply couldn't do it. Traditional poor African farmers simply couldn't compete in the global food market against heavily mechanized, subsidized, and corporate agricultural systems. Rather than aid Africa's farmers, the emphasis on free trade undercut local food production for a quarter of a decade.

@PhysicsMHD

You will do better if you kept mute, sometimes it makes more sense to keep shut.

@ dplordx- thanks for your post- it saved my typing time.

Lagosboy:
will never lead this country, get that into your impressionable head.

I remember engaging you in discussion on the Sanusi case and now you are tactifully back tracking . Stop this religous bigotry as it will lead us no where. Calling A former head of state and probably the best Nigeria ever had a terrorist shows your level of intellectual depth (forgive me please for this).

Try to be obective and the Sanusi scenario should be a lesson for you to retrace your steps. No on is asking you to vote Buhari but to lie against him and tag him an amputee advocate is plain disgusting.

Lagosboy

You don't remember poo.  post the link. I was never that active on Sanusi's  issue though i admit to have suspected the way he conducted his clean up duty. I made a case that was far from Sanusi been religious, my case was on his approach.

You read Ibime's post and decided to point on that.

Ab-dollar:
"not all Muslims believe in Sharia but the fundamentalist"  

I can't believe you are saying this.

If you want to be civil and constructive am game.  It is only an islamic fundamentalist that would invest in sharia course given the reality of diversity in Nigeria, hence it is safe to say your friend (Buhari) is one, to have chaired an event that calls for Sharia implementation.

If we decide to keep that apart - tell me on what bases do you endorse Buhari if you do? A man of almost 70 from the dustbin of military dictators that plotted a coup and discarded an infant democracy, is this the best we have? tell me. These shameless men (Buhari and IBB) should leave politics and do something else, they should drop the influence and allow young ideas into the scene - this is why i canvass Ribadu. I will prefer Gej to Buhari even though i know he is a disaster waiting to unfold. The idea of having a past dictator from resurfacing is just absurd.

Ab-dollar:
I find it hard for people calling Buhari a religous bigot and nailing his integrity on this. Any other info. about this man tha been a religous bigot.

You are safari SA . You are fooling no one leave this place .

safari SA:
@Truly

I had wanted to reply these guys, but your response are good enough.

But may I add:

Buhari was NNPC chairman and Minister of Petroleum when all the major refineries in this country were built- check records

What PTF achieved in 4years in terms of infrastructural development (I know so many roads in the southwest that still carry the PTF sign) cannot be rivalled by obasanjo's 8 year rule (Anenih).

2.8 billion and PTF - where is the report indicting him - never add of one.

These guys are just disgusting. Now I posted his interview on Sharia, which was their major focus before, now they are coming from the angle that can never hold water. even Obasanjo and the elites couldn't hold him on that

No one is saying Buhari is corrupt in any way - he is just obstinately attached to islamic faith that he lacks common sense. We cannot have such person leading a mixed Nigeria.

By this way, why Buhari? This guy is 69 years old, once a military ruler and a coup schemer from the northern ruling elite. Is this the best Nigeria can offer? from the dustbin of ex military rulers? What nonsense - Gej and Ribadu are the only options we have - Buhari is in the class of IBB both were once military rulers seeking power. He should take his fanatic self and give way to young folks with idea.

safari SA:
Yeswecan,

you brought your image slander of Buhari to this thread again. I will keep chasing you until you give up, bleeping religious bigots you are. Coward. what has Buhari's image got to do with this lovely article.

Religious psycho!

To examining resemblances between Nnamdi Azikwe - who was a Nationalist to the core- and a religious fundamentalist, a coupist like Buhari is an insult to common sense. I think i must have hit the nail on the forehead when i posted that . . LOOOOOOOOL. I do not have to read the post my issue is associating a founding father and a religious bigot that goes about lunching books on Sharia law. . .

If you are not a plain fool you may have understood that no sane person will vote for your friend except terrorists.

Ab-dollar:
"Sharia law is strictly for islamic fanatics. I do not oppose Buhari because he is a Muslim but because he advocates sharia law/ amputation of people's hand. How is he different from a Taliban?"

@Yeswecan- with the statement above, it show that you are not a muslim or you know nothing about Islam. Hw dare you divorce sharia law from Islam and even mentioning that Buhari chaired the sitting of sharia law and not the koran. So what is the source of sharia law?  the dictionary I think,
Better be silent than saying rubish. If you don't like the man, please face it and stop displaying your stupidity.

Who is this gay? You registered today - 2 post safari SA in a disguising name. Your terrorist friend will never lead this country, get that into your impressionable head.

Safari you came to this platform to preach Buhari yet you haven't made a case for him, apart from been an islamic fanatic, this guy is a coupist, a one time president almost 30 yrs ago from the same military gang in the plate of IBB and OBJ. Is this really the best we can offer? Why not canvass for Ribadu if you need a real change.

@safari SA

I thought you are off this place . . and to label me a 'Christian Fundamentalist' because i pointed out the fanatical trait in Buhari is not fair.

@Ibime that's not fair because we all suspected Sanusi from the way he conducted his duties.

safari SA joined 3 days ago and 100% of his post are rants for Buhari . At least he should have other interest like football, business, romance etc. I feel sorry for him because this is NL and we cannot be deceived.

cap28:
hmm i see what you mean, but dont you think we should give Buhari the benefit of the doubt rather than become judge, jury and executioner - do we have it on record that he advocated the imposition of sharia law on non muslims  in nigeria?

Don't you think Ribadu would do better?

hercules07:
yeswecan

Please go and read up on the Sharia, do not take what you read in the newspapers, read what the prophet says about it, you will know that every muslim is meant to believe in it, Buhari is not a religious fanatic, he is just an uncompromising man. Please seek out articles written by the CBN governor, he also supports Sharia because it is sacred to muslims but he also knows that it is impossible to practise it as a country in naija, by the way I am a Christian.

There is no need to state your religion. I am a Christian also - just said i wasn't to make [b]safari SA [/b]see reasons cus am not speaking as a christian but as a concerned Nigeria. It is obvious safari is either Buhari himself or part of his campaign squad - but i am yet to hear a lucid compelling case.

@safari SA

You have to close your case on me cus i got you butt wanting

safari SA:
Oh, you be Ogun Fundamentalist ! That makes you worse! How come you speak English. If you want to remain backward with ogun worship, you should have remained a totally native yoruba speaker, and close your mind to western influence.

You are either Buhari himself or a Sharia advocate fighting for a course. You have failed - you also labeled me a christian fundamentalist - funny dude

@OP

I will prefer Ribadu - he would be a breath of fresh air

safari SA:
Hercules 07

Now you can see how devoted this muslim called yeswecan understands sharia. I have lost hope on him. thought he was a christian hence i called him an christian fundamentalist. Now I don't even know where to place him.

What a hopeless mind who sees nothing beyond religion in this matter

I am not religious fellow. It is you who sees nothing beyond religion because you labeled me a Muslims cus i said am not a Christians. Does it occur to you that some people are just objective and refuse to see things tru religious lens?

hercules07:
@yeswecan

All muslims believe in the Sharia, they are just sensible enough to know that it can not be practised in a society that has several religions. Buhari chairing a book on the Sharia is a normal event, abi, if you are called to chair an event in which a book is being released on canon laws and the christian jurispudence as a christian you go say no?

The book was calling for the practice of Sharia and you think what?  Lets get down to the logic of this - i cannot be called to chair the lunching of a piece that promotes what i do not advocate. Buhari chairing a book on the Sharia is yes a normal thing because he is simply a religious fanatic. simple. Anyone that is sensible enough to know that sharia can not be practiced will not join to spread the course- especially a controversial subject like Sharia in a mixed Nigeria.

Religious fanaticism makes one unreasonable - so i guess Buhari falls into this category and not those who are sensible enough to know that it can not be practiced. And this is a presidential aspirant.

Sharia law is strictly for islamic fanatics. I do not oppose Buhari because he is a Muslim but because he advocates sharia law/ amputation of people's hand. How is he different from a Taliban?

I am not a christian - now you understand me more - - huh.  Your analogy is just dumb - he did not chair the lunching of a koran but a book on enforcement of sharia law, not all Muslims believe in Sharia but the fundamentalist. To compare the sharia law book and Bible shows your level of reasoning.

Are you re.tard or you are just blindly campaigning for this fanatic.

unipol:
comparing nigeria to south africa is like comparing a goat with a computer, or comparing life with death, both of them are not compareble.
the nigerian IG of police publicly anounced that he does not know how many policemen nigeria has. not to think of how many people we are.
a lot of death and violence is not recorded any where in nigeria. poeple miss every day. voilence is too much in nigeria. when i visited nigeria, i was afraid to answer my phone in public because of stronger men. i was afraid to drive in the night(from 7 pm). i was afraid to sleep in my own village. i was even afraid to put on best of my clothes. this is a national shame.

No you missed it. Violent and corrupt are two different concept - Nigeria is more corrupt and South Africa is way more violent. You were scared in your village because you have been feed with messages that seems to convey no real meaning.

safari SA:
@ Jarus,

You have said it all. I have never doubted Buhari's support in the North. Na beans to score 12 million votes from that side alone in 2003?

This tells the number of fundamentalist we have in the Northern part of Nigeria - no sane man would vote a sharia advocate.

safari SA:
@ Jarus,

PDP must just go. Nigerian people can only say Democracy is working if they can chase out the ruling party. PDP wins this and they know that their misdeeds can always be tolerated by nigerians

That is where we have an agreement - but your proposed replacement is worst to 4th term OBJ.

Buhari chaired the lunching of a Sharia book once in Sokoto - lets elaborate on that, no one would chair the launching of a book that promotes a course he disagrees with. This is common sense.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITI0dRDjD4 from 3.50 he agreed to head the lunch of a sharia book. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Is this the best spin you can come up with? he chaired the lunching of a Sharia book once in Sokoto -  lets elaborate on that, no one would chair the launching of a book that promotes a course he disagrees with. This is common sense my friend, you cannot get a someone to chair what he disagrees.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITI0dRDjD4   from 3.50 he agreed to head the lunch of a sharia book. Your struck me as a sharia advocate yourself.

cap28:
There is nothing wrong with using force if you are able to provide the people of your nation with a decent standard of living - Saddam ruled over his people with an iron fist but during his tenure his people enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the arab world.

OBJ used force to get rid of his political opponents and crush the niger delta militants but reduced the living standards of the average nigerian to a worse state than it was in before he was placed in office.

The chinese communist party operates a notoriously poor human rights track record but the chinese people's living standards are well above those of even many european nations.

I once thesis-ed on democracy been a messy process of getting things done as one problem with Africa. The question isn't the idea of force itself, its rather what are the people been forced to do? and i do not think imposing an islamic view on a mixed country is such a good one. Iraq is relatively an Islamic nation - so don't compare.

If the force is imposed for economic good backed not by religions sentiment - then am game.

@cap28

Your argument is limited to economics and i suspect you endorsed Buhari because you know he will never relegate economic questions to the west for answers. I also think so and i know Gej's govt will be a disaster in this sense.  Jonathan is apparently a western puppet - this best Nigeria will ever seen. I understand this argument but our problem transcend just economics, i hope you can see beyond economic terms.  Gej is a bad choice, but we are in a situation where there are only bad and worst choices.

@safari SA

Are you saying it is alright for Buhari to make such silly statements?  or you think those statements are not reflection of what he really is? i do not think so.

I do not want a PDP president either but i will prefer the status quo than having Buhari as president. Is this the best we can offer? why same folks keep recycling themselves.

I can't help but agree to Muza's theory that Ribadu could be an agent of GEJ to half the opposition and keep Atiku away from AC. We are in a position where there are no good options, just bad and worst.

I don't have to read this post to respond. To examining resemblances between Nnamdi Azikwe - who was a Nationalist to the core- and a religious fundamentalist, a coupist like Buhari is an insult to common sense.

Akhenaten:
Any person who supports Sharia is not fit to be president of all Nigerians.

Thanks my brother . . In a mixed country as ours where religion have always been an issue i wonder why anyone would support this fundamentalist.