I do not know what is wrong with Ola. When you think that he is on his way to Damascus, he will write things that are very outrageously constructed and delivered. It is unfortunate what this guy is doing to himself in public fora. It is personally disheartening that an individual of his own caliber will put in writing a total gibberish, that even the perpetrators of the ills in the country would be ashamed of supporting is beyond any human comprehension. Pronto!!! Idowu "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel http://www.bezalelskills.com --- On Wed, 3/2/11, Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jbi8@cdc.gov> wrote: From: Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) < jbi8@cdc.gov> Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] RE: RE:Ola_ Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister To: NaijaElections@yahoogroups.com, dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com, nowa_o@yahoo.com, naijaintellects@googlegroups.com, nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, nigerianid@yahoogroups.com, edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com, afenmai@yahoogroups.com, usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com Cc: naijaelections@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 8:10 AM Thank you Idowu for summarizing Dr Ola Kassim take on our clamor for developing Nigeria's basic infrastructures as the "Blaming the Victim" psychology. In Kassim's own words, he said: "Yet the average Nigerian still holds onto the false belief that he or she lives in a 'rich' country because we can drill and sell barrels of crude oil on a daily basis. The reality however is the opposite." This is a very DISAPPOINTING and MISLEADING statement! Nigerians only want the Govt to do its part, which is to build the basic amenities and infrastructures, and Nigerians will take it from there. Nigerians are even making do of the worst frm of a situation by surviving under the present deplorable conditions. Dr Kassim resides in Canada, one of the industralized nations in North America and the modern world. All the North-South and East-West highways in the Americas are not private initiatives; essentially all were Govt coceived and\or brokered to come to reality. The leaders realized that the establishment of these basic infrastructures is a sine qua non for the national development. Obama's recent State of the Union Address underscored this POINT as follows: """"We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled. That, too, is what sets us apart as a nation...................... So yes, the world has changed. The competition for jobs is real. But this shouldn't discourage us. It should challenge us. ......... What's more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea - the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. That is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. .......... The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can't just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement" Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age. Now it's our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit, and reform our government. That's how our people will prosper. That's how we'll win the future. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how we get there. The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be, or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn't know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do - what America does better than anyone - is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We are the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesn't just change our lives. It's how we make a living. Our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. But because it's not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout history our government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need. That's what planted the seeds for the Internet. That's what helped make possible things like computer chips and GPS. Just think of all the good jobs - from manufacturing to retail - that have come from those breakthroughs. Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we'd beat them to the moon. The science wasn't there yet. NASA didn't even exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn't just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs. This is our generation's Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the Space Race. In a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We'll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology - an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people. That's what Americans have done for over two hundred years: reinvented ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the Allen Brothers, we've begun to reinvent our energy policy. We're not just handing out money. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund the Apollo Projects of our time. .............Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America's success. But if we want to win the future - if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas - then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.................... We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair; that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline. ."""Unquote Prz Obama Societal advancement has ALWAYS been rooted in Leadership Vision, and the foundational initiatives and roadmap provide the incentives and impetus for private and public-private enterprises. Even the hard crust of Capitalism knows this and practices it; why not Nigeria? Why is Nigeria still waiting for unrealistic private and private-public enterprises to initiate and extend the vision for Nigerian development? It's NOT going to happen; IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED ANYWHERE! Finally, I would advise that we have to be restrained in our temptation to apply certain convinient and seemingly Western cliches that superficially present the developed and progressive society as a faceless, blood-drawing Darwinain domain. The existential realities and FACTS about the development of industrialized nations revealed otherwise.....in fact, they are all Govt Welfare States. Look around! Take care. Joe Igietseme "There are approximately 150 million mouths to feed, clothe and house in Nigeria. It goes without saying that the government cannot do it all. It can not run our households."-Ola You must be suffering from maladministration battered people syndrome with symptom of mendicant mindset. It is time to blame the victims (Nigerian masses), when you have the so called leaders wasting our resources and looting the treasury with impunity. If you in Canada squanders your resources, you and your family will be homeless. The problem with Nigeria poverty is greed and corruption. To be blaming the people for the ills of maladministration is beyond pale and very disappointing. Nigeria has more natural and human resonances than most of the countries in the top financial status in the world. Time Magazine of 1970 front page pegged Nigeria as a possible Super Power in 10 years, but since then with terrible leaders and Nigerian elites with your kind of mindset, Nigeria is in doldrums and spinning fast into permanent hole of disillusionment. I shake my head for your mindset. Pronto!!! Idowu "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel http://www.bezalelskills.com --- On Tue, 3/1/11, OlaKassimMD@aol.com <OlaKassimMD@aol.com> wrote: From: OlaKassimMD@aol.com < OlaKassimMD@aol.com> Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister To: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com, nowa_o@yahoo.com, naijaintellects@googlegroups.com, nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, nigerianid@yahoogroups.com, edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com, afenmai@yahoogroups.com, usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com Cc: naijaelections@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 4:19 PM "In summary, the government of Nigeria is not rich enough to provide all that each and every Nigerian needs in a lifetime. Nigeria at best should aim at developing a robust capitalist economy with a strong social conscience. The private sector should be allowed to fill in the gaps wherever the government (s) is/are unable to provide the available amenities. But first we must stop day dreaming! Nigeria is not a wealthy nation; she is also not a middle income nation. As painful as it is to admit Nigeria is one of the poorest nations in the world. Currently we are close to the bottom 1/3 of the ladder in the annual per-capita income and Wellness Index Statistics of Nations. Nigeria has a potential to be a rich and great nation in the next 25 years if we start turning things around now! However we won't even get started if we do not jettison the entitment mentality that is currently a burden on our national psyche. Our ancestors not only survived they managed to build robust empires without a having access to a single drop of oil. The idea that the government owes me this and that and everything is a recent phenomenon that dates back to the early 1970s. We must regain self reliance, one family and one person at a time. There are approximately 150 million mouths to feed, clothe and house in Nigeria. It goes without saying that the goivernment cannot do it all. It can not run our households !" Ola Kassim --excerpt from below Aside from the rampant kleptocracy which siphons most of the funds that could be designated for public infrastructure projects into private pockets, It would appear that the basic ideas underpinning the planning,financing, construction and maintenance of public infrastructure projects is completely lost on Nigerians, the leaders and commoners alike. Nigerians have a split personality relationship with our governments at all levels. At once each and every Nigerian wishes that the government could provide all that he or she and his family would ever need during their sojourn in life--a yearning for that could be likened to a wish for a cradle to grave welfare system. Such cracle to grave welfare systems which exist in countries like Sweden and Switzerland come with high rates of taxation--sometimes edging close to 80% of the taxable income. For the amount of taxes paid, those in government promise to deliver to all bonafide citizens all the amenitiess of a welfare state to the citizens during their lifetimes. Now switch back to Nigeria and Nigerians, where our people especially those who can afford to pay loathe to pay taxes. They will rather pay up to 50 to 75% of the taxes owed in bribes so that the Internal revenue officers could issue them some fake tax receipts. The overall effect is that the only people paying taxes in Nigeria are government workers, those working for medium or large registered corporations and market men and women who are taxed at their stalls either by LGA officials or the area boys. Yet the average Nigerian still holds onto the false belief that he or she lives in a 'rich' country because we can drill and sell barrels of crude oil on a daily basis. The reality however is the opposite. . Nigerias high GDP relative to other sub-Saharan countries (with the exception of South Africa), translates to a per capita GDP of only about $900-$1000.00 per annum which means that the average Nigerian citizen survives on less than $3.00 US per day. The raw deduction from such a low per cpaita GDP is that the FGN of Nigeria which is funded primarily with resources from a mono-economy- the crude oil --cannot afford to provide every amenity that would be needed by each and very Nigerian during his or lifetime--even if by a magic wand or a decree of the Almighty God corruption is completely eliminated in Nigeria tomorrow. One would be hard pressed if asked to state categorically which kind of economy we run in Nigeria. Is Nigeria pure capitalisst economy, a pure socialist state or a mixture of both? After experiencing daily the failures of of government to provide for amenities in all facets of life, the average Nigerias dreams, or aspires and occassionally for those with means succeeds in becoming a pseuo-government for himself and his household. He becomes his own NEPA to provide electricity through generators or by tapping power illegally from NEPA lines; he becomes his own Public Works department by drilling boreholes so he could provide wholesome water for his family; he becomes his own department of education by sending his or her childrne to private schools. He or she abandons the killer roads and takes to flying around the country just so he.she could avoid deadly road accidents and keep safe from the kidnappers and the armed robbers. For security he hires either body guards or me guards. This is the way things are in Nigeria. Probably less thna 20 to 25% of Nigerians really live what one would describe as a healthy life style--one that is not only free of disease but also free of the stress of having to worry about little and simple things that are taken granted in other regions of the world. How does a country like Nigeria ameliorate some of these shortcomings, even after we have taken some corrective measures to curb corruption in our public and private lives. We might begin by first facing the reality--that Nigeria is in aggregate a POOR and for empahasis I repeat a POOR country, even though our land is blessed with abundant natural resources and a large population which we can put to good use--but which we are not! Successive generations of Nigerians are becoming less well educated notwithstanding the numerous newly created public and private universities. We must admit that the government cannot provide all that the peoples of Nigeria need for a healthy life in the 21st century. This is where Public Private Partnerships--a cooperation between the governments at all levels with domestic and foreign private sector companies become important in solving some the problems posed by our infrastructure deficits: a) reputabl;e and well financed privately owned corporation hardly ever willingly go into businesses in which they would lose money. The Benin-Ore Highway and other major arterial roads in Nigeria should be built by a private-public sector continuum and leased at competitive rates to a company that could successfully maintain the road for at least 50 years. A major problem with roads in Nigeria is the lack of a maintenance culture. We do not believe in the adage that a stitch in time saves nine. Little cracks in the asphalt or cement roads could be fixed for small amounts of money if they are discovered and fixed in time before they become bigger pot holes. The construction and maintenance of the roads should be financed through Tolls which will be paid by the users of the road, with both private and commercial motorists paying for the segement of the road that they use on a particular journey. b) paying Tolls might be considered as hardship on the poor --but the greater hardship comes with not having safe roads. As road transportation becomes more expensive with the payment of tolls, the railway transportation option will become even more attractive. As the rail system takes off, more traffic especially heavy duty truck traffic will be diverted to the railroads--where such transportation will be cheaper. The commericial rail transportation would in turn stimulate the resurgence of passenger cross countyry rail transportation.. In summary, the government of Nigeria is not rich enough to provide all that each and every Nigerian needs in a lifetime. Nigeria at best should aim developing a robust capitalist economy with a social conscience. The private sector should be allowed to fill in the gaps wherever the government (s) is unable to provide the available amenities. But first we must stop day dreaming! Nigeria is not a wealthy nation; she is also not a middle income nation. As painful as it is to admit Nigeria is one of the poorest nations in the world. Currently we are close to the bottom 1/3 of the ladder in the annual per-capita income and Wellness Index statistics of nations. Nigeria has a potential to be a rich and great nation in the next 25 years if we start turning things around now! However we won't even get started if we do not jettison the entitment mentality that is currently a burden on our national psyche. Our ancestors not only survived they managed to build robust empires without a having access to a single drop of oil. The idea that the government owes me this and that and everything is a recent phenomenon that dates back to the early 1970s. We must regain self reliance, one family and one person at a time. There are approximately 150 million mouths to feed, clothe and house in Nigeria. It goes without saying that the goivernment cannot do it all. It can not run our households! My query is directed to the ENTIRE NIGERIAN LEADERSHIIP FROM THE 1970S, not JUST PDP Govt you are focusing on! The conditions are still the SAME from the military to civilian. There is no single major city with mass transit in Nigeria; it is not because it is not needed or there are no funds to actualize the dream. There is no single City, town or village in Nigeria that can boast of regular pipe borne water, sewer-waste management system or regular electricity. There is no single direct North-South or East-West Highway in Nigeria. Nigerian cannot be dreaming about meaningful development without these BASIC UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURES. The rampart cash and carry business and the relentless pursuit of personal generators, boreholes, and fleets of used Tokunbo vehicles won't make it in Nigeria. Reliable basic amenities/infrastructures are what will sustain the personal wealth. That is the TRUTH of History of societal development. So somebody(ies) should say HABA in Nigeria!!!! NIGERIANS should initiate DAILY MASS PROTESTS until the goal of building the BASIC UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURES is achieved. Over to Prof Wole Soyinka! Take care. JUI The next thing they will do is to import froeign experts to manage the roads and infrastructure budgets. They are all failures, what we are hearing and seeing are symtoms of a failed administration with no one in charge. Pronto!!! Idowu "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel http://www.bezalelskills.com --- On Tue, 3/1/11, Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jbi8@cdc.gov> wrote: From: Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) < jbi8@cdc.gov> Subject: [Naijaintellects] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com, NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com, "Nowamagbe Omoigui" < nowa_o@yahoo.com>, naijaintellects@googlegroups.com, nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, nigerianid@yahoogroups.com, edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com, afenmai@yahoogroups.com, usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com Cc: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com, naijaelections@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 10:56 AM """"How can Dr Ogiemwonyi come out and be telling us about Private – Public partnership that has failed and has not worked previously. Tell me any sane private sector investor stupid enough to go an invest in such a scheme like this having witnessed what happened to Ajaokuta and other assets previously privatised and renationalised with the coming of a new regime? Why on earth are we saying that Benin-Ore is too costly yet we have N30 billion to budget for a new road? When will it be that only palliative care strategy we can manage for the maintenance of this road.? I'm really sorry for Nigeria."" UNQUOTE John Ebohon Are we really over-rating our Brothers at home? Some of them just recklessly drop these terminologies and clichés (PPP, PCP, best practices, PUP etc) and expect praise-singing and claps, which they get to grease their egos at home. Meanwhile, they consistently blow the opportunities provided by their positions to achieve something for the Common Good! Apart from amassing unneeded personal wealth at the expense of projects that benefit the majority of the citizens, the society they manage suffers considerable neglect and depreciation in living conditions and development. It is weird how a serious leader sees the future of his/her personal wealth in such an abused and neglected society. Besides, is it not surprising that a bona fide Edo son is making excuses for the neglect of the Lagos-Benin Highway, the main artery linking the South West to Eastern region and the North? This Highway has been suffering these fledging and spotty neglects and broken promises since the early 1980s. It is STILL THE SAME! That is the consistent story of Nigeria……VISIBLE NEGLECT OF PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT THE PEOPLE & FOR THE COMMON GOOD. It is a REAL SHAME! Take care. JUI Could not have been said better. It is not the day infrastructure fail that one begins to articulate how to put it right, it is the very day that it is commissioned. If the billions that were collected before the too gates were taken down had been saved or used to constantly repair the road, the level of deterioration would not have become so unmanageable to now be talking about total rebuild. The used the road for political patronage, awarding toll gate contracts to party affiliates and special interest groups. Even now look at how much is collected every day at Murtala Mohammed international airport or the Benin airport for that matter – who collects these monies and any indication of how much is collected monthly or annually. How can Dr Ogiemwonyi come out and be telling us about Private – Public partnership that has failed and has not worked previously. Tell me any sane private sector investor stupid enough to go an invest in such a scheme like this having witnessed what happened to Ajaokuta and other assets previously privatised and renationalised with the coming of a new regime? Why on earth are we saying that Benin-Ore is too costly yet we have N30 billion to budget for a new road? When will it be that only palliative care strategy we can manage for the maintenance of this road.? I'm really sorry for Nigeria. These people are NOT SERIOUS about developing Nigeria! It is a FACT that there is no SINGLE direct North-South or East-West Highway in Nigeria; and these people dont consider that a SHAME for a nation in a hurry to develop like Nigeria. It would have been encouraging to say that the FG will partner with State Govts to build the much needed road networks in Nigeria. How much will a private firm charge motorists for toll from Lagos to Benin City to be able to service the bank loans for such a project? Meanwhile, there is enough money for Constituency allowance, chartered jets to fly Govt officials and various expedient projects that wont cut it for the Common ?Good. God Help Nigeria. JUI
From: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Nowa Omoigui
Sent: Mon 28-Feb-11 7:52 PM
To: Nowamagbe Omoigui
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister
Written by Uchechukwu Olisa
Nigerian Tribune, Ibadan. Tuesday, 01 March 2011
The Federal Government may consider using Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the full reconstruction of the Benin-Ore-Lagos road, the Minister of State for Works, Chris Ogiemwonyi, has said.
The minister added that the rehabilitation work being currently undertaken on the road would terminate at Ofosu, the boundary town between Edo and Ondo states, and would be completed by November, 2012.
Ogiemwonyi, who spoke with journalists in Benin City, said the Federal Government decided to embark on the project in phases because of the high cost.
According to him, "what we are doing is a palliative measure. The remedy for the Benin-Ofosu-Sagamu road is a full reconstruction because of the age of the road. It is an expensive project.
"Government alone cannot do it, which is why we are lookin g at Public Private Partnership in the reconstruction of the road."
Ogiemwonyi said private sectors that partner with the Federal Government on the reconstruction of the road would be allowed to operate toll gates to enable them to recover cost expended on the road. |
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