TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
rotexonline's Updates
rotexonline's Updates
« previous 5


Niger Delta: Tippers or (armoured) tanks
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

I have lived in Umuahia over the past 11 months, the closest to the Niger Delta that i have stayed for more than a week.

While visiting the Federal Government Girls college in Umuahia a couple of weeks back, i discovered that the road that leads to the school from the main road was graded and apparently abandoned by the contractor.

While speaking to one of the teachers later on about this, she laughed and said, the contractor came to site and soon as they were mobilised by the Federal Government, but as soon as they commenced work, a group of fierce, armed to the teeth, young men stormed the site and requested for the communities''share of the federal government largesse (contract money). In all, they are asking for a princely sum of 7million naira in order for them to allow contractors to work on a road that is less than 0.5km.

As i write, the graders and the tippers have dissapeared, because of the subtle threat of comply or be kidnapped, the contractors have wisely abandon the project while they seek alternative means to pacify the youths.

This is just an example of what happens in communities across the niger delta, where after years of neglect, Government is beginning to concentrate on infrastructure development in the region (schools, roads, hospitals, power plants e.t.c.).

However, the youth and indeed, sometimes the entire community have decided to eat their tommorrow today.

Out of fustration, government is beginning to roll out tanks to deal with the very ruthless ones amongst these several gangs of militants in the Delta and the people are crying foul.

I cringe too at the idea of rolling in tanks on the people, they, in actual fact have suffered, their sons (Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 9) and several others have been murdered because they lent their voice to the struggles and pains and rape of their people and their land., However, the Niger Deltans are confused, i believe.

If not, who do they cry everyday for development, infrastructure and roads, and then go ahead to kidnap the very workers who have been commisioned to make this things happen in their society.

I am at a loss. I pity Mr. President. I am glad i am not in his shoes.

If i were, i am not sure i wont roll in tanks myself, to pave way for the tippers.

June 9, 2009 | 8:29 AM Comments  0 comments

Tags:


Omar, President of Gabon, and world's longest ruler is dead
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Africa yesterday lost one of its sit-tight leaders, Gabonese President Omar Bongo, who died of heart attack in a Barcelona hospital.

Bongo, felt to be one of the world's wealthiest leaders, became its longest-serving ruler when Cuba's Fidel Castro handed power to his brother last year.

A lieutenant in the French Air Force before joining the civil service, Bongo kept a tight grip on the oil-rich former French colony after becoming president in 1967.

He banned opposition parties until 1990, and elections held since stirred unrest and rigging charges. While greatly feared, Bongo governed without the sustained brutality characteristic of many dictators.

His security staff was said to number 1,500 while the entire military has just 10,000 troops.

Africa's history has been checkered by sit-tight leaders who dot the continent, a number of them still remain to include the President of Egypt who has ruled for 22 years, and president of Senegal who has ruled for 9 years.


June 9, 2009 | 6:08 AM Comments  0 comments

Tags:


host communities delay NIPP project
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The inability of host communities where the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) are sited to allow vital work on transmission lines has slowed down the pace of work, the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan - led Presidential Steering Committee on Power Projects has said.
The committee, which made this known at a meeting chaired by Jonathan and attended by six governors from the six geo-political zones in the country, and Ministers of Power, Finance, Justice and Petroleum, also lamented that even though there is over 4,500 megawatts available, constraints thrown up by inadequate gas supply, pipeline vandalism, inferior quality gas as well as security concerns had resulted in the delivery of just 2,500 megawatts as at today.
Addressing State House Correspondents on behalf of the committee in Abuja yesterday, the Governors of Kaduna, Namadi Sambo and Delta, Emmanuel Uduaghan, said the recent Niger Delta crisis involving the militants and the Joint Task Force (JTF) damaged one of the pipes that supplies gas to power the turbines.
The duo announced a 75-per cent average completion level of power projects in the country but appealed to host communities to allow vital work on transmission lines to continue.
The committee however, declined to name the restive communities, but said the committee members who divided themselves into four groups toured power projects in Calabar, Sapele, Afam, Egbema, Papalanto, Omotosho, Omoku and Egbenema.
Sambo said the tour revealed that 50 per cent of civil works had been done while almost 100 per cent of materials needed to complete the projects were on ground.
He said: “It is with pleasure that I inform you that the average completion stage of all the power plants is as at today 75 per cent. I must seize this opportunity to call on those communities that have the privilege of hosting these projects to continue to give their full cooperation particularly in the area of the transmission lines where we are having challenges with the communities.
“Work is going on in earnest and at today’s meeting we have reviewed the position and we are pleased with the amount of work; almost 100 per cent of the equipment are on site. The civil work in all the sites is over 50 per cent; the gas supply project is in progress; the substation and transmission lines are also in progress. But the challenges with the communities with regard to leeway and land areas are becoming great. And these services we are rendering are in the interest of first and foremost those communities that are hosting these projects.”
The Kaduna State governor said the cooperation of the host communities would lead to completion of the projects on time. “I am calling on behalf of the steering committee for the cooperation of all Nigerians to ensure that we complete these projects in good time. It is one thing to complete the plant; it is another transmitting. So we should allow the contractors easy and fast access in completing the projects”.
He said the governors of the communities affected were already negotiating with the inhabitants with a view to ensuring that the challenges were overcome especially as issues of compensation to them had long been dealt with.
Sambo also said the challenges with the communities as it concerned the NIPP projects, was not in any way affecting the target of 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December this year as promised by the administration.

June 8, 2009 | 11:30 PM Comments  0 comments

Tags:


Dora: Please reject information ministry and return to NAFDAC
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Yesterday, on my way back to Lagos by road from Abuja, i picked up the dailies and i saw the new ministerial list in Nigeria and their portfolios.

To my consternation, i discovered that Professor Akunyili, who had turned NAFDAC around has been named Information minister.

I think i speak the mind of many Nigerians if i say that asking Professor Akunyili to be information Minister is putting a right peg in a wrong hole and under-utilising her skills and talents.

Nigeria is in a precarious position: Falling crue-oil prices, education and health standards at its lowest, energy and power in a mess, we have passsed the stage where we just name people as ministers and expect that they stumble and learn on the job.

With due respect to Dora, who has earned the admiration of all Nigerians for a job well done in NAFDAC, i think that she needs to reject the information minister position, as hse has made impact and would continue to make more impact as head of NAFDAC than as minister for Information.

Dora, please have a rethink

December 19, 2008 | 2:48 PM Comments  0 comments

Tags:


Nigeria loses Bakassi to Cameroun
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

30 minutes from now, at exactly 11am, August 13, 2008, a major section of Bakkasi will become a part of Cameroun.

It is a painful process for Nigerians, especially the Bakassi people, who have lived, earned livelihood, spent Nigerian currency, has a local government of their own which is recognised and enshrined in the 1999 constitution, to now officially have their land and some of their people (if they choose to) to be ceded to Cameroun.

The road to this process has been a long and complex one. We went all the way to the international court where we lost the case. Nigeria gave her commitment to honour the court verdict by further signing a Greentree agreement at the United Nations several months ago.

No matter what happens, i salute the courage of our leaders for choosing peace instead of war in settling what could have turned into a diplomatic mess.

Bakkassi belonging to cameroun or not, its all about people. We need to ensure that the people who have lived in that region or their lives are comfortably resettled back in Nigeria, with little or no fuss at all.

On a lighter mood, i look forward to seeing what the new nigerian map would look like without bakassi, the shape of the map i learnt in my primary school is forever shaped in my memory.

August 13, 2008 | 5:33 AM Comments  0 comments



« previous 5


rotexonline's Profile

rotexonline's Friends


Latest Posts
Niger Delta: Tippers...
Omar, President of...
host communities delay...
Dora: Please reject...
Nigeria loses Bakassi...

Monthly Archive
September 2003
November 2003
January 2004
September 2004
July 2005
October 2005
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
December 2008
June 2009

Change Language


Tags Archive
bakassi dora nigeria peace politics

Friends
Mahcaiyah
ADEOLA OLUNLOYO
Ahmad Belal
Albert Manasyan
Aniekan Ekah
Ayodele
DONALBAIN IFEANYI OHANASIOBI
Esther Agbarakwe
EwaJesu
ibghandi....
Ibrahim Sulaiman A Kano
Ibukun
Iris Lea
Joya Banerjee
moyin adejuwon
Mutiu
Nabaraj
Olumide
oseeresidor
pythas
SOF-ElijahB
Temmy
Timothy Ogene
U.D.
VICTORY ASHAMOLE C


51726 views
Important Disclaimer