₦airaland Forum

As a young pupil in a private primary school in Offa, Kwara state in the late eighties to early nineties, my favourite class, after Current Affairs, was Bible Knowledge(BK). Although a Christian school where BK was mandatory for all pupils, the school, arguably the best in Kwara at the time, was too reputable for our Muslim parents to resist sending us to.

Perhaps it was in recognition of the natural inclination of children to hearing stories that made our teachers regale us with biblical stories in virtually every BK class, which we listened to with rapt attention. One such common tale was the story of Moses.

Pharaoh, the story always began, was a powerful ruler who oppressed the Israelites with his power and might. He ruled with absolute decree. Foretold that a male child will be born that will put end to his fiendish reign, he ordered the killing of all male children born in his kingdom. When Moses’ mother gave birth to a male child(Moses) at the time, she was afraid, packaged the baby in a wooden box and left at the bank of a river. Pharaoh’s wife, having gone to the river to bath, saw the wooden object, opened it, saw the innocent baby and, out of rare display of pity, took him home to give motherly care to the baby.

She hired a woman - incidentally Moses’ biological mother- to take care of the boy and that was how Moses, who would later grow up to be used by God to deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh, was raised in Pharaoh’s own house.This interesting story sank in our (pupils’) minds, and we can narrate it like national anthem.

Shortly after we finished primary school, when our parents deemed it fit to give us Islamic education too, a local Islamic teacher(alfa) was hired for us to train us in our religion, and surprisingly to us, this story also featured in the many Qur’anic stories our alfa used to tell us. With Moses called Musa and Pharaoh Fir’aun in the Qur’anic account, the story we were told in our evening Arabic classes was almost exactly the same with the biblical account.



Now, what has Kwara got to do with this? In Nigeria’s political discourse, when Kwara is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is Saraki family. The family patriarch, Dr. Olusola Saraki, who lost a legislative election in 1964, and on coming back in 1978, has continued to hold the ace in Kwara politics. Nobody got to office in Kwara without the rubber-stamping of Olooye, as he is fondly called. He decided who got what, how and when. And that was how American political scientist, Harold Lasswell (1902-1978, defined politics. In other words, Saraki was Kwara politics and Kwara politics was Saraki.

In 1979, he installed NPN’s Alhaji Adamu Attah as governor. The man from Okene, having got to power, thought he can deploy his incumbency factor to outmuscle Saraki, but he was shown the exit door four years later, when the Ile l’ooke landlord backed UPN’s Chief C.O Adebayo to unseat him. In the shortlived third republic, he installed Alhaji Shaaba Lafiaji as governor, but his tenure was too short to know whether he too would have gone the way of his predecessors.

When, after the military interregnum, civil rule returned in 1999, Saraki pitched his tent with APP and produced Rear Admiral Mohammed Alabi Lawal as Kwara state governor. The retired naval officer gave Saraki what he himself described as the toughest fight in his political career, but when the dust settled, Saraki was still in control.

Then came Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was not only raised in Emperor Saraki’s house, but was Saraki’s biological son. The suave Medical Doctor son of Olooye rode to power on his father’s back. If other people he helped to power betrayed him, his son surely cannot. So thought Olusola Saraki, as he practically left the state’s political machinery in his son’s care. By a combination of factors such as old age, failing health and trust for his son, the man became politically inactive. His bubbling Ile l’ooke soon became deserted. He never knew what was lurking around the corner in 2011.

To many of us Kwarans, one man’s word being law was not only discomfiting, it was ignominious. Even the most pedestrian of analysts - some of whose states are even worse, like Oyo, commandeered by an unschooled amala and gbegiri politician, inspite of its claim to being home to many of Nigeria’s finest intellectuals - began to throw all manners of jibes at us. They called us all sorts of names, from illiterates, to animals, to mumus, you name it! It was sure Kwara needed liberation from Dr Olusola Saraki.

The liberation was not because Olusola Saraki was a tyrannical leader. No, he may be domineering but clearly wasn’t tyrannical. If anything, he was a cheerful giver, a man with uncommon magnanimity. But in a state(and country) where majority of voters are poor, vulnerable men and women, he was able to play on the psyche of these people to his political advantage. In any case, Kwara needed change, everybody agreed. But who will lead the change?

His son, Bukola, raised in his house like Moses in Pharaoh’s kingdom, offered to lead what eventually became the decisive break-away from Olusola Saraki’s fiefdom. But can Bukola Saraki, like Moses, take Kwara to the Promised Land? I have reasons to believe the answer is in the negative.

A close study of Bukola Saraki’s brand of politics reveals double-standard, self-interest, inconsistency and even more power-hungry than his father. In the run-up to 2011 presidential elections, Bukola Saraki teamed up with IBB and co for the emergence of a northerner as presidential candidate of PDP in line with the party’s zoning principle. Having failed, and knowing the alliance was destined for failure, he went back to Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-zoning group. I don’t know any other name for that other than political prostitution and quest for power at all cost. True, he has the right to any political association, but I fear men that lack consistency.

Bukola Saraki also strongly opposed his father’s selfish and daring plot to install his sister, Gbemisola, as his successor. Bukola opposed this, reportedly on the ground that it would be immoral to have his sister succeed him as Kwara’s no 1 citizen. Fine argument. But wait for it, Bukola Saraki, having lost in the presidential bid, quickly dropped the man PDP nominated to replace his sister, and picked the Senatorial ticket for Kwara central, replacing his sister. It is not moral for his sister to replace him, but it is moral to replace his sister in Senate. This is height of hypocrisy.

Bukola Saraki installed his protégé, AbdulFattah Ahmed, a political paperweight, as Kwara state governor. Why not support a stronger, more independent-minded man like Prof Oba AbdulRahman or Lagos-raised Bashir Bolarinwa as governor? The answer: with Ahmed, he will easily have full control of Kwara affairs, and if Ahmed dares him in 2015, he can easily show him his way to Share or Lagos; after all, the former banker doesn’t have any political clout to fight him. So what is the difference?

With the Kwara political structure now fully in Bukola Saraki’s hand, Kwarans are just starting another decade of one-man show. By the beginning of the second decade, I will not be surprised if the new emperor has become so daring that he would also root for his wife or son as governor. After all, his father also started this way. Mark my word.

So, while Kwarans continue to celebrate the extrication of their state from the stranglehold of Olusola Saraki, it is clear to some of us that read between the lines that it is not yet eureka. To me, Bukola Saraki is the not the Moses Kwara needs.

^^^

My bad. I always thought you supported Awos view WRT Democratic Socialism, No?

Princek12:
that is why people like you fail exams. Even the link you provided defines first-generation immigrant as "A citizen whose parents are naturalized immigrants."

what is the difference between an immigrant and a first-generation immigrant then? Please don't avoid this question again, for you have a pattern of dodging intellectually-challenging questions.

first-generation Nigerian whom we are referring to is not an immigrant, but born to immigrant parents. And if you rely on wiki links for your information then I am sorry you need to go back to school and learn. Why don't you go to a reputable website like the immigration services website of the United States to get data. I am sure you know how info is uploaded to wikipedia.

Also you have still not answered my questions.

You bad mehn!

There is a reason God created Jediots. They deserve our help, not our condemnation.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=666128.msg8318399#msg8318399 date=1305367774]Cosign on the calls for edo.girl to post more. She is very good (and has probably owned me in this discussion so far.) Still, I'd like her to respond to my earlier post before I throw rail out of the window.[/quote]Dont mind all these dimwits jare. You are doing just fine.

The point here is that if you stay back a little, and think on why different posters SEFAGO,Katz et al have antagonized you on various issues, it always about where the initial investment would come from.

Nigerians dont like taking on huge debts. They dont want to have to pay huge interests on any loan they take. As a matter of fact, they abhor indebtedness. If you were to take a look at some of Awos policy at the initial stages of AG formation, he was able to win people over, and effectively take control of the party because he argued articulately on the need to not embark on massive industriallizations that would make 'us' become indebted to foreign powers/companies. He advocated for what he called' cautious industrialization' that would inventually lead to nationalization

Thats is Edo girl's line, it is not new. It is exactly the same way SEFAGO and Katz and most Nigerians look at issues. The need to be in charge of our destiny without having to surrender our freedom to Uncle Sam.

So dont be surprised with people's reactions WRT your POV. You are used to being in-debt, they are not.

However, what they failed to realize is that what you are advocating may actually be the best for us in the long run. Because, when you look at MTN and the telecom industry in Nigeria over the past 9 yrs or so, it is just mind boggling. No one knew, at least not many Nigerians,  that the industry could take off as it has done. The GSM licenses were supposed to be auctioned for $100 million each to three carriers, instead of the $285 M ( N24.something Billion)  each license was eventually sold for. Looking back, the government, IMO, 'under-sold' the licenses, and that is beacuse, like Edogirl and the dimwits hailing her, they could not see beyond their noses.  MTN[b] alone[/b] ( minus Econet and Glo, and the landlines), over the past 9 yrs, have made a total of ( N1000,000, 000, 000. Yes 1 trillion naira. i made the calculation) in total profit after tax. Last year alone, they made N188 Billion in profit after tax.  Though the profit is huge, it really doesnt tell you everything about the market. The revenue, before tax , for last year alone was around N748 Billion. MTN Nigeria is now the most profitable MTN branch in the MTN conglomerate. And these figures are just from the MTN alone, now multiply those values by 2 and that is how big the market is. Combined, MTN and Econet have reaped huge profits with very very very very low down payment. Why? because the Government, going by NITEL's experience and lack of foresight and reliable data, grossly underestimated the market.

The same knowledge can be applied to this rail-line project. Edogirl and are 'mumu' followers are underestimating the project because, unlike you, they have no raw data and they have allowed their thinking to be taken over by what they see in their immediate environment, not hard facts. No one knows how small or big the SW market really is anyway. They do not know that the developed worlds, unlike us, use 'numbers'/data to think hard on difficult problems. As long as you do not cede your judgement to the invisible hands of algorithms alone, you will always come out more informed than Edo-girl and her ilk.

Dont forget that " If you build it, they will come." And in this cae, if you build the rail-line, the demand for it would come. The need is there and the powers that be know that.

Good transportation besides affording choice and making existing businesses become more efficient, also attract new business to the area.

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=666080.msg8320518#msg8320518 date=1305395015]Sorry, i meant liberian or nigerian liberian.

Um.[/quote]You are losing it

O ti n si ere tpiah

O ni pe ja si ta bi were Yaba

Your life is gradually winding down, in a bad way

I am sorry for your wretched life.

Adiue!

^^^

Stop working yourself up for nothing

I am in awe of her.

She is beautiful and I'd marry her if i could, even if i have to spend all my earnings on her.

She is adorable. just look at her skin. . . so white!

Who know like good thing'


White women are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better tha Nigerian and Yoruba women.


I'd pick a crippled Titi to an able bodied Tpiah, anyday, anytime


I love White women. they are the best

^^^

Whats the title of your husband's book?

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=665393.msg8317010#msg8317010 date=1305337047]Throw on top of that the claim in that Economist article about most of the benefit going to the wealthy, as well as various other studies one can pull up quickly. . . and it isn't hard to figure out who benefits more in Nigeria from fuel subsidies.[/quote]First of all, I am surprised that you are unable to see Katz's point clearly.

Secondly, The Economist article you posted was talking about the environmental impact of subsidies removal WRT to how much is consumed on a per leisure/unnecsaary consumption basis, not WRT to how much necessary/unavoidable amount consumed. Their point is that subsidy increases usage, which in turn adds to atmospheric carbondioxide. There was no analysis per se on the impact of subsidy-removal on the survivability of the poor man and its impact on job creation, and stimulation of the economy.

Their point if I am not mistaken is: remove subsidies and people would be forced to use less gas which will in-turn reduce pollution.

Anyway, I think even w/o data to back this up immediately, most people will agree that wealthier folk consume more liters of petrol  (either directly or indirectly) per capita [/b]than poor folk.

Well, like Katz said, this is nothing more than conjecture.

But even if it were true, on a class/social economic status basis, the poor, including lower middle-class,  definitely consume more liters of petrol than the rich, No? And, therefore, they, not the rich, benefit most from fuel subsidies.

Though they are often justified in terms of helping the poor, t[b]he lion’s share of the benefits—85% to 90%—typically accrue to those on middle incomes and the wealthy
http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2010/11/fossil-fuel_subsidies

First of all, the notion that 85%-90% of the benefits go to the wealthy is not true, at least not in Nigeria's.

Even if that was true, looking at the big picture, it is all good;  I'd rather have an Adenuga who has more money to hire personal drivers, pilots, and tons of college grads than an Adenuga who spends more on petrol,  but hire less.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-03/nigeria-aims-to-end-oil-subsidies-within-6-months-finance-minister-says.html


Nigeria to End Fuel Subsidies by End of 2011 at the Latest, Aganga Says
By Philip Sanders - Sep 3, 2010 11:30 AM CT


Nigeria’s government is aiming to remove subsidies on domestic fuel prices by the end of next year at the latest after investing in a mass transit system to ease the impact on the poor, Finance Minister Olusegun Aganga said.

“It is going to be sooner rather than later,” Aganga said in an interview in London today. Everything will be ready “by the end of 2011 at the latest. It could be this year.”

The subsidies will cost the government 520 billion naira ($3.4 billion) this year, compared with 1 trillion in 2009, central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi estimated in June. That compares with a federal budget deficit of 1.9 trillion naira this year, which Aganga said today he wanted to narrow in 2011.

[size=18pt]The abolition of the subsidy would increase gasoline prices to 115 to 120 naira a liter from 64 naira currently, Aganga said.[/size]

“If that happened, it would be a big shock to the system,” he said.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, imports more than 80 percent of its domestic fuel due to a lack of refining capacity, according to the country’s Petroleum Ministry. The government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., guarantees regulated fuel prices by paying importers the difference with market prices.

Mass Transit

Crude oil for October delivery declined $1.33, or 1.8 percent, to $73.69 a barrel at 12:14 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Nigeria’s budget estimated an average oil price for the year of $60 a barrel.

About 10 billion naira has been earmarked to improve public transportation and many buses have already been ordered, Aganda said.

The government is also in talks with labor unions to gain their support and avoid social unrest, he said. “I think we are making very good progress” in the talks.

[size=18pt]“Everyone accepts that there is no economic sense to maintaining subsidies,” Aganga said. “The question is, what would be the impact of removing the subsidy on those that you want to protect, the most vulnerable in society?”[/size]

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=665393.msg8316083#msg8316083 date=1305321089]Alright, so there appears to be some subsidization of petrol through these tax breaks. Yet, there are heavy, heavy taxes on gas I buy at the gas station. So aggregating these two effects, I don't think that oil is subsidized here. In fact it is heavily taxed.[/quote]Are you really sure of this?

Take a look at this:

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/67xx/doc6792/10-18-Tax.pdf

According to that report, capital investments like oil field leases and drilling equipment are taxed at an effective rate of 9.2 percent, significantly lower than the overall rate of 25 percent for businesses in general and lower than virtually any other industry.

What does that mean to you?

Katsumoto:
The CEOs of the top five Oil companies went before congress yesterday to argue against losing the tax breaks they receive for oil production. The argued that removing the tax breaks will result in an increase in price at the pumps. Subsidies whether for production or consumption, have the same effect - lower prices at the pumps which has a trickle down effect.

I was going to post the same thing exactly.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=665393.msg8315933#msg8315933 date=1305319322]I thought we are talking about subsidies for oil consumption, not production?[/quote]Well, so you are not opposed to subsidy for production?

^^^

So why is subsidy for oil production good for the US, but very bad for Nigeria?

[quote author=EzeUche_ link=topic=666814.msg8315870#msg8315870 date=1305318433]Igbos do not get presidency soon, we wont make idle threads like the Yoruba. Even when their own Abiola was thrown in prison. Nothing happened. . .

Even your own fellow Yoruba, OBJ was not your pick. I dey laugh![/quote]How old were you when Abiola was jailed?

Who is Abiola?

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=666210.msg8311876#msg8311876 date=1305277210]Lol

Man, then nobody should cause problems for me if I get involved in politics in Yorubaland outside of my state of origin if you all will let a man from Benin Republic be prominent too  [/quote]Well it all depends on your "Chicago" connection.

Do drugs in Chicago and Yorubaland is all yours.

enyojo:
MY CONCLUSION:

Many third world countries have recently found themselves in debt to the World Bank and IMF. Like all other banks the World Bank creates loans out of nothing, and then when the countries cannot repay the loans it demands that these countries give up their real resources in exchange.

Found it!

http://secret-of-life.org/the-World-Bank-and-IMF

enyojo:
MY CONCLUSION:

Many third world countries have recently found themselves in debt to the World Bank and IMF. Like all other banks the World Bank creates loans out of nothing, and then when the countries cannot repay the loans it demands that these countries give up their real resources in exchange.

Can you please provide a link to your 'quoted' posts?

Please it is really important. Some of the things you posted are really interesting, but then again, we need to guard against conspiracy theorists and theory that are made by air-heads seeking attention/notoriety.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=665393.msg8310098#msg8310098 date=1305247192]You are correct, there is a good chance that this $4.2 billion a year they spend on subsidizing petrol, at least a bit of it would be stolen. I wouldn't just remove/reduce the subsidy and leave the cash in the hand of the FG; if I had my way that would be distributed out to states/LGAs. I'd shrink the size of the FG, basically.[/quote]What does subsiding petroleum have to do with the size of the Government?

I am not an economist, but the way I look at it is that, take for instance, we have N100 for 200 people. If we spent the N100 to procure foodstuff in bulk, we would prolly feed everyone to satisfaction. However, if we should go with your idea, and divide the money equally among the people, with each person taking home 50k, it would be impossible for each person to buy enough food to satisfy him/her.

The aim of the subsidy is to:

Katsumoto:
Subsidies are meant for
1. Protecting an industry from foreign competition (think farmers in the EU and the US)
2. Reducing the burden on the populace for certain services. (think electricty and transport in the UK)

Just to add to what Katsumoto said, removing government subsidy would bring untoward hardship on the masses. It would be felt by everyone, but the ordinary people would suffer most. If you remove petroleum subsidies, the price of oil will go up,and not just that, everything else would go up; transport would go up, obviously; food would go up since they would have to pay more for transport and that would be reflected on foodstuff prices since it is only appropriate for the sellers to recoup the increased cost of transportation, and you can just imagine how that would affect all other aspects of life.

The moral is that, removing subsidy isnt the best thing for the country at this point. I sense some aloofness, on your part, from reality in Nigeria.

[quote author=aloy/emeka link=topic=666183.msg8310790#msg8310790 date=1305256435]The only thing I know about you is that you is gay and was dating DayoKanu before he cheated on you with Z-strangler and you are praying that one day, Z-strangler will strangle him in bed.[/quote]Leave my name outta your post and face your #1 lesbobo friend Tpiah

Will ya?

Igbo people, jealous of the Yorubas, but utterly afraid and terrified of the Hausas.

I think the Yorubas should start a pogrom against these leeches in Lagos, so they can respect and fear us for the rest of their existence .

They wanted the speakership position at all cost until the North backed the SW, now they say they'd accept whatever the North wants.

Yorubas should learn a lesson from the Hausas. Lets wipe them off the SW landscape. They hate us so much, yet always eager to come to our lands for business. Why?

OAM4J:
The one and only Cicero of Esa Oke

Harry Truman once wrote that "Many are indispensable, but no one is irreplaceable". The unfillable vacuum created by Ige’s death in Yoruba politics has proved the American soldier-statesman wrong.

Hmm, indeed!

jensinmi:
I apologize for my ignorance.

Abeg bros. no vex o. Who is the other Uncle Bola??

You mean the real Uncle Bola?

The real uncle Bola is none other than the indefatigable UNCLE BOLA IGE

^^^

I like him too

Too much charisma.

He is just too much. too much swagz.

Too bad they drove him out of ACN.

The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.

We will definitely be hearing from OGD in the future.

What an enigma.

The Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel has concluded arrangement to treat his successor, Ibikunle Amosun to a colourful welcome party on Saturday, May 28, 2011, NEXT gathered yesterday in Abeokuta.

[size=18pt]The party is slated for Government House Valley View, Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta.[/size]

Messrs Daniel and Amosun, who started out as political allies, are now political adversaries and the incoming government, led by the Action Congress of Nigeria, has promised to probe the activities of the state government. The party might, however, ease some of the tension between the two.

Some aides of Mr Daniel also revealed that the governor would commission some projects before finally leaving office on May 29.

Some of the projects to be commissioned include: the Ogun Property Investment Corporation (OPIC) building located at Oke-Ilewo area, Abeokuta, scheduled for May 12; commissioning of palace extension at Ijebu-Ode on May 14 and dedication of OGD Church on 22nd May, 2011.

Other projects earmarked for commissioning are Hostels of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode on Monday, 23 May, following which as Mini Power Plant will be commissioned

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5699424-146/daniel_plans_welcome_party_for_successor.csp

jensinmi:
At this meeting, all Governors will be reminded of the revenue sharing formula - The percentage of their allocations that will go to Uncle Bola's bank account, the mode by which Internal Revenue will be generated and collected using Alpha Beta Corporation or whatever Uncle Bola's newly formed company is called, plus the percentage of all road construction projects that will be awarded to Uncle Bola's HITECH construction company.

Life is sweet when you are in power.

All hail Uncle Bola.


Deep in my heart, I've always known - BOLA AHMED TINUBU WILL ONE DAY GO TO PRISON - We shall overcome some day.

Sadly true.

We only have one Uncle Bola, any other Uncle Bola is fake.

Please stop calling Tinubu Uncle Bola.