Demdem:

The first step is for us to accept and admit the fact that we need it and things will fall in places afterwards. An all-emcompassin SNC that will involve all nationalities, leaders, traditional rulers even professional bodies etc whose final decision wont be debated on but actualized is needed. i admit that there will be challenges in determining who and who however they arent insurmountable.
U cant ask an ethnic group to join a union they arent interested in. left to me any ethnic group should be able to veto against any union that isnt in their interest even if the majority wants it.

Like i said earlier, we need to recognize the need and other ideas from Nigerians will flow in on how best representation can be made. A new constitution is needed that will reflect the wishes of the people it governs and not this current one which is highly flawed.

calcal: the guy don't know what is saying!

Afam4eva:
Nobody is arguing about the status of Lagos. It's the finaancial and commercial capital of Nigeria and the west African sub region but unlike a lot of cities like the ones you cited(New York, London etc), Lagos did not build itself. Lagos has always been given a special treatment by the British, the federal government and this was the root of what Lagos has become. if the same treatment had been given to Akwa Ibom for instance, the same results would have been achieved over there.

Now, my point is, one cannot separate Lagos from Nigeria because the resources of Nigeria is the lifeline of Lagos. You think because Lagos is booming, that it will continue like that should oil dry up. Most things you see in Lagos are directly or indirectly as a result of Nigeria's commonwealth which stemmed from the colonial days. Since oil is currently our mainstay, the demise of oil will also lead to the demise of Lagos and some other cities in Nigeria. Lagos will definitely decline but maybe not like Port-Hacourt, Akwa Ibom or Yenagoa because unlike these places where oil is the beginning and the end for them, Lagos has managed to some little extent to shift a little bit from total dependence on oil. But that's not enough to keep Lagos at the same level it is now should oil dry up. That's why Lagos should start seeking other forms of generating revenue and stop bragging about tax that's an ofshoot of the national resources.

edo.girl:


I don't believe I suggested that if oil runs out Lagos will remain at the same level! I made clear it would sudder, but that it would survive. Now let's move on.

I still don't get the differentiation you are trying to make between Lagos and say London. You made a rather curious remark about 'Lagos did not build itself.' What does that mean exactly? How did London build itself? Many would argue that London is what it is because of the wealth/resources repatriated from the great colonies of Australia, India, the Caribbean, and Africa centuries ago. Yet, when during the Olympics, the Mayor of London said London was the greatest city on planet earth, no one stopped to say erm,,, hold on, but London was build on the back of slave trade and resource repatriation, as such you can't claim it is the greatest.

Lagos is what it is. People should quit being over sensitive to statements alluding to its greatness/success and constantly reminding us of how it got special attention as a result of being the Federal capital, more than 20 years ago.

It's like saying, Hussain Bolt should not proclaim itself as the fastest man in the world, because had God not given him those long legs and super human lungs, Mr Lakashegbe from Ogbomosho will have run faster. It just doesn't make sense.

edo.girl:


I don't believe I suggested that if oil runs out Lagos will remain at the same level! I made clear it would sudder, but that it would survive. Now let's move on.

I still don't get the differentiation you are trying to make between Lagos and say London. You made a rather curious remark about 'Lagos did not build itself.' What does that mean exactly? How did London build itself? Many would argue that London is what it is because of the wealth/resources repatriated from the great colonies of Australia, India, the Caribbean, and Africa centuries ago. Yet, when during the Olympics, the Mayor of London said London was the greatest city on planet earth, no one stopped to say erm,,, hold on, but London was build on the back of slave trade and resource repatriation, as such you can't claim it is the greatest.

Lagos is what it is. People should quit being over sensitive to statements alluding to its greatness/success and constantly reminding us of how it got special attention as a result of being the Federal capital, more than 20 years ago.

It's like saying, Hussain Bolt should not proclaim itself as the fastest man in the world, because had God not given him those long legs and super human lungs, Mr Lakashegbe from Ogbomosho will have run faster. It just doesn't make sense.

DaLover:

Honestly speaking, I desire a true federation but I suspect that convening an SNC will be a waste of time...

I dont think so.

As I am heading to the conference with tots of true federalism, someone else is head there with tots of a unitary government where he can use his large population numbers to determine how revenues are appropriated in this country....

Did u see where i stated earlier that population may not be the key to have ur way. Each etnic group should have the right to veto whatever decision that they feel doesnt favour them or not in their interest. U simply cant force anyone to a union. If that will lead to a break-up, so be it. if the rest of the country wants to be together but the middle belt says it doesnt favour them then so be it. Let them crave their own country from the rest. The bottom line is let the people decide their destiny.


If we were initially divided countries like europe..it would make sence to say...ok, since I cant agree to your terms or you cant agree to mine, then lets call off the whole thing, or better still what compromises can we reach without giving too much...

But in this situation we are already one country, laziness and parasitic behaviour have taken over peoples reasoning abilities, if I dont agree to your terms, nothing can be done (remember the constitutional confab organised by OBJ)..the SE and SS walked when resource control could not be agreed on and nothing happened...except for increased militancy~!

Its still very well possible and will be wrong for u to even conclude whats in other ethnic group mind before the conference itself. By the way, those regions u termed parasitic are because the present structure encourages them to be. Before Oil, they were never parasitic so what happened afterwards. The potentials are all there. the first step like i said is for us to agree to the need of this soverign conference. Please, dont bring OBJ's confab here again. we have once debated this. OBJ's confab, representation and retrictions to specific issues whose terms will still be subjected to the NASS is not in anyway similar to what we are talking here.

Afam4eva:
Nobody is arguing about the status of Lagos. It's the finaancial and commercial capital of Nigeria and the west African sub region but unlike a lot of cities like the ones you cited(New York, London etc), Lagos did not build itself. Lagos has always been given a special treatment by the British, the federal government and this was the root of what Lagos has become. if the same treatment had been given to Akwa Ibom for instance, the same results would have been achieved over there.

Now, my point is, one cannot separate Lagos from Nigeria because the resources of Nigeria is the lifeline of Lagos. You think because Lagos is booming, that it will continue like that should oil dry up. Most things you see in Lagos are directly or indirectly as a result of Nigeria's commonwealth which stemmed from the colonial days. Since oil is currently our mainstay, the demise of oil will also lead to the demise of Lagos and some other cities in Nigeria. Lagos will definitely decline but maybe not like Port-Hacourt, Akwa Ibom or Yenagoa because unlike these places where oil is the beginning and the end for them, Lagos has managed to some little extent to shift a little bit from total dependence on oil. But that's not enough to keep Lagos at the same level it is now should oil dry up. That's why Lagos should start seeking other forms of generating revenue and stop bragging about tax that's an ofshoot of the national resources.

kettykin:

This is very laughable and a good joke , will lagos take 100 % revenue for a port it did not build , lagos can as well take 100% of the airfare from MMIA

If lagos does that all the coastal local governments from bakassi to ondo will be filled with ports .
Lagos has no economy take it or leave it .

The banks/ Media houses are owned by Delta igbos and south south , the oil the oil companies drill by Niger delta, the telecom companies by foreign investors infact a good number of the SMEs are owned by outsiders and non yorubas .
Fashola should just apologise for the gaffe to apologise for gaffes is normal.

aribisala0:


THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR LAGOS'S PROSPERITY IS ITS LOCATION BY THE SEA.A lot more has been put in Abuja and much quickly but Abuja will always be a financial burden taking rather than giving.Lagos's location by the sea is UNIQUE in Nigeria everywhere else from Ogun,Ondo to Cross River is hostile to Large Vessels.Lagos pays its way in terms of VAT,duties and Ports revenues(sea and air) to the Nation and was a huge earner of revenue before Independence.
Aba and Onitsha more deserving of what?? How much money has Aba contributed to Nigerian Government accounts

aribisala0:
Exactly what do you mean by "special treatment" ?That is got more than it deserved or contributed? DO you have any data or is this the usaul beer parlour assertion.What do you mean Lagos did not build itself unlike New York or London.Do you know the history of these cities or are you just sounding off. Lagos became what it has become because it is the most important and strategic point of access to the sea in Nigeria in that regard it has no rival. If you have a choice of spending money to fix your eyes or to fix your teeth it is a false choice .That is how important Lagos was to the British and that is why the United African Company ,Cadbury ,Flour mills and virtually all the manufacturing in in Lagos.Why did they not give the same "special treatment" to Kontangora or Abakaliki.
On the flip side was Lagos a Net Contributor to the British Exchequer or Not.Did the British bring money in or take money out of Lagos.Same question for Nigeria.As I showed earlier Lagos is giving 40 billion plus every month in VAT alone to the federation account.How much does Abuja contribute??

tinkinjo:

I don't think you've gotten my point. Granted Lagos have this and that, or is this and that,or pays this and that. But the point I'm making is: Lagos is what it is because of what it was.
At the risk of repeating myself and FYI the seaport, airport, etc were built by the federal govt and with OIL money. Or would you rather list the things that Lagos have achieved with its own funds that other states have not or even more?

I repeat all that Lagos is including its population is as a result of the attration it held as a Federal Capital
Full stop.

And to answer you question: Aba and Onitsha are more deserving because of their industry. And before you start it, I'm not Igbo.

Tony Spike:

Lagos will always be the choice port-city as long as Nigeria exists. In my opinion, it is the closest port to most West-African countries, and by default to the world, in terms of maritime convenience. Also, its location is very strategic and closer to most areas of Nigeria's hinterland!

kettykin:

This Assumption is at most highly exaggerative , while not disputing the importance of Lagos , a Sea port in PH/Akwa Ibom will be a game changer because of the high growth rate of the Niger Delta States and adjoining SE/MB states

kettykin:

This Assumption is at most highly exaggerative , while not disputing the importance of Lagos , a Sea port in PH/Akwa Ibom will may be a game changer because of the high growth rate of the Niger Delta States and adjoining SE/MB states

babyosisi: What is he waiting for?
He should set a good example and stop collecting oil money for his state
Walk the walk not just talk the talk

Afam4eva:
Lagos is not the only city in Nigeria with access to the sea and not all cities with access to the sea are as developed as Lagos.[/b] Take the coastal towns in the Niger Delta for example. So, this clears the misconception that once you have a body of water automatically development will locate you.

When i cited New York and London(oversight), i was just trying to say that[b] no concerted and deliberate effort was made by the federal government to develop these cities. They developed using their own manpower and resources[/b]. But in the case of Lagos, it was developed by the British and the Federal government using the commonwealth of Nigeria. Even after the British left, Lagos was still the capital and even after that it was considered a special territory, so it benefited immensely in no small measure from the national purse. You say, Lagos brought money, pls what part of the country did not bring money? Can you prove that lagos brought money and others did not? Whatever money Lagos contributed is very irrelevant to the height that it has attained today. All those Manufacturing companies you listed came to Lagos because the foundation had already been laid for them by the FG, so you don't expect them to head to Ado-Ekiti or Abakaliki. The truth is there for everyone to see and i find it hard to understand why you guys deny these things.

aribisala0:
When was the seaport and airport in Lagos built?
How do you know it was built with oil money
The seaport as it exists can easily be rebuilt.It does not cost a lot of money.The fact is under our constitution Ports are on the Exclusive list as are airports. You cannot run an International airport without Immigration ,Customs etc and so the FG must agree
So if Lagos state was authorised to build a seaport they would have done so Long ago.It is the location of lagos that makes its seaport valuable.Tinubu tried building one and OBJ blocked it Now They are going into a joint venture with the FG and an investor 20;20;60, Government will not put one kobo . So the issue is not which money was use to build it; airports were built in Kano ,Jos PH etc why are they not as profitable. These things can be built with private money as businesses and taxed. There was no need to use oil money. But Lagos is the place where such deals are most likely to succeed
I really don't know what industry are in Aba and Onitsha you see the thing about logic is it completely confounds sentiment.How much electricity is consumed in all the 16 states in Southern Nigeria excluding Lagos before you start talking of industries in Aba and Onitsha are these SOLAR POWERED INDUSTRIES?

NAME these industries Please
How many of Dangote's businesses are in Aba and Onitsha or how many of these industries are on the stock Market.
I really like to discuss with facts not emotion

basty:


Walk the Walk,she you go school, Omo Ibo too bad, only money, money, money.
Simple Grammar you cannot construct.

Work the Work, corrected.

tinkinjo:

When I say Lagos airport I mean MMIA. Please take no offense but I think you've totally lost me.
Let me help you.
1. Lagos can now survive without oil money. (That was never in dispute).
2. Lagos can now survive because of the structures that oil money through federal presence have help put in place.
3. Without being the former federal capital, most of what give Lagos the leverage over other states wouldn't have been established in Lagos in the first place.
4. The companies, population,and the attendant commercial activities in Lagos all came by way of it attraction as a federal capital city.
5. ...and so on!

Again the Kano and Port Harcourt airports can't be like Lagos' 'cos they aren't Federal Capitals.
(Believe me had Nigeria practiced true federalism, there would've been places with better airports than the federal one in Lagos).
And when I said industry I mean entrepreneurial spirits as exemplified in the mentioned communities. (note that these communities are almost 100% indigenous)

Afam4eva: @aribisala
You're limiting it to oil money. We're talking of our commonwealth right from the time of the colonialists and not just oil money.

aribisala0:

My words again:"it is the most important and strategic point of access to the sea in Nigeria" I believe that this is quite clear so I am not sure what you are talking about.The coastal terrain in the gulf of guinea is such tha after Lagos from Ogun to Cross River the coast is swampy,deltan and affords very poor access to large vessels in contrat to Lagos Cotonou Lome Accra Badagry.

Firstly Lagos state is NOT a city it is a State.A part thereof was the Federal Capital and developments germane to the Capital were built there.

there are other parts ot the State that have attracted investment which are business oriented. The Seaport was built by the British as was the tarmac for the airport at Ikeja before independence.These were later upgraded but Nothing to do with the FCT namely Ikoyi,Lagos Island. Ikeja was the state capital of lagos and was built by the State government.In fact it was PART of THE WESTERN REGION.


Why do you like to make assertions with no knowledge or evidence. You speak first and then try to find a rational argument later.The UK has a unitary government and expenditures in London by government have come in various forms. London is a metropolitan City of boroughs in administrative structure while Lagos is a state with metropolitan parts and a largely rural/riverine community.
Festac town and Other infrastructure was built to host Festac(THE BRITISH SPENT £10 billion on the Olympics).There is no underground network comparable to London's elsewhere in the UK and London receives more government spend than Birmingham,Manchester,Liverpool,Edinburgh and Glasgow put together. London before the idea of Greater London was quite small and grew based on government investment which has often been close to 20% of National spend.
You imply that there was a concerted effort by central government to build "LAGOS".The federal government of the state?? Remember before 1966 MUSHIN was in the WESTERN REGION and thereafter LAGOS STATE.The FG built in its FCT and the WESTERN GOVERNMENT were not sleeping .Thereafter there was a LASG .Please try and talk about those things which you have knowledge.

edo.girl:


I don't believe I suggested that if oil runs out Lagos will remain at the same level! I made clear it would sudder, but that it would survive. Now let's move on.

I still don't get the differentiation you are trying to make between Lagos and say London. You made a rather curious remark about 'Lagos did not build itself.' What does that mean exactly? How did London build itself? Many would argue that London is what it is because of the wealth/resources repatriated from the great colonies of Australia, India, the Caribbean, and Africa centuries ago. Yet, when during the Olympics, the Mayor of London said London was the greatest city on planet earth, no one stopped to say erm,,, hold on, but London was build on the back of slave trade and resource repatriation, as such you can't claim it is the greatest.

Lagos is what it is. People should quit being over sensitive to statements alluding to its greatness/success and constantly reminding us of how it got special attention as a result of being the Federal capital, more than 20 years ago.

It's like saying, Hussain Bolt should not proclaim itself as the fastest man in the world, because had God not given him those long legs and super human lungs, Mr Lakashegbe from Ogbomosho will have run faster. It just doesn't make sense.

Afam4eva:

Is it every place that has a strategic access to sea that's as developed as Lagos? And are there no cities without a body of water that are very developed? How can you attribute the development of Lagos to it's strategic access to the sea.

Those other parts of Lagos that have attracted development did so as a result of the spiral effect of what was already on ground in Lagos Island. It's for the same reason why some outskirts of Abuja are currently getting some dividends of being close to the nation's capital. It's also for the same reason why the borders of Ogun state are attracting industries and estates. You cam't deny that the foundation of Lagos has already been laid and in the next 50 years, it will still be developing and it's development will aalso be attributed to the preferential treatment it got. If Lagos was not our capital and it did not get a preferential treatment then the population of it's manpower, industrial power will not increase.

If you has followed my post, you'll realize that my mentioning London was a mistake. London and Lagos are the same thing. Good examples of cities that developed themselves are mostly in America.