Long but very comprehensive read predicated on a thorough, measured and deliberate look at the claimed 'achievements' of GEJ. The bleak revelation as per virtually every sector reveals what dispassionate observers know to be the truth beyond all the emptily cheery spin and propaganda.
Group Scores President Jonathan’s Administration Low Posted: July 20, 2013 - 01:06
Independent Service delivery monitoring group, a transparency advocacy organization, has scored President Jonathan’s administration low on transformation programs saying nothing on the ground to match the achievements recently flaunted by many ministries.
Rising from a one-day forum organized to assess the mid-term report of the administration, the group noted that the “midterm report did not show any correlation between the amount of money spent and the impact on the lives of citizens in relation to the claims of economic growth.”
The Communique reads: The Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group convened a Civil Society Forum on the Midterm report of the Nigerian Government in Abuja on Monday July 9, 2013.
Background In the past few weeks, the Nigerian public has been inundated with claims of ‘unusual’ achievements by the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan using the ongoing platform of the Ministerial Midterm Report packaged by the administration through the Ministry of Information.
The Midterm Report by Ministers is following on the heels of President Jonathan's presentation of his two-year scorecard on May 29, 2013. While presenting his two-year scorecard, the President challenged Nigerians to develop a ‘marking scheme’ by which his achievements and scorecard can be judged. However, since that challenge was made, Civil Society was yet to pick the gauntlet thereby allowing the administration and its agents the free reign to rile Nigerians through the media with wide, one sided and unsubstantiated claims of performance.
It was against this background that the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group thought it necessary to organise this forum to provide a platform for civil society organisations spread across Nigeria to engage and dispassionately assess the claims of achievements of the administration using government’s own benchmarks.
Participation and Presentations There were panel discussions on four ministerial reports followed by general discussion, and questions and answers.
[b]Panelists and participants were drawn from civil society organisations spread across Nigeria. The Participants at the forum included:
1. Dr Nasir Isah Fagge - ASUU President 2. Dr Chima Amadi - Executive Director, ISDMG 3. Adeola Soetan-Project Executive, Feed Nigeria Initiative among others. 4. Dr. Sofiri Joab-Peterside - Executive Director, Centre for Advanced Social Science 5. Lanre Arogundade - Executive Director, International Press Centre 6. Jaye Gaskia - Convener, United Action for Democracy (former country Director, Action Aid) 7. Barr. Mahmud Abdulmumin - President, Public Interest Lawyers League 8. Hajiya Zainab Abdullahi Mohammed - National Coordinator, Transition Monitoring Group 9. Kyauta Iliya Giwa - Coordinator, Community Action for Popular Participation 10. Ben Adoga - News Editor, Pilot Newspapers 11. Ezenwa Nwagwu - Former Vice President! Transparency in Nigeria 12. Oluajo Babatunde - National Secretary- Zero Corruption Coalition 13. Abdulrazaqque Barkindo - Publisher,The Road Newspapers 14. Prof. Emeka Ezeonu - Lecturer NAU, Awka. 15. Okechukwu Nwanguma - coordinator, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria 16. Faith Nwadishi - National Coordinator, Publish What You Pay and Member, NEITI Board 17. Adeola Soetan - Project Executive, Feed Nigeria Initiative among others.[/b]
Panellists led critical discussions on reports by four Ministries: Education, Health, Transportation (aviation, road, water and rail transport) and Agriculture, in the first instance, to see if the achievements listed in their reports correspond with the objective realities on ground.
Participants contributed through free and robust debates, comments and questions to the panel reviews and generally examined the activities of the administration during the period under review to ascertain if they meet the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 1. Participants welcomed in principle, the idea of a midterm report, but doubted the sincerity of the Jonathan administration in coming up with its own midterm report.
2. The remark by President Jonathan that he should be judged on a marking scheme highlights the deficiency of the midterm report.
Transformation is embedded in development; it is a visible thing; there would therefore, be no need for any assessment to determine whether the government has performed or succeeded in its transformation agenda.
3. Participants observed that the regime has been in office for more than four years beginning from the late President Yar’Adua administration of which Goodluck Jonathan was an integral part, first as Vice President and later, Acting President, before the last 2 years when he became substantive President following the demise of President Yaradua.
4. Participants also noted that the regime has been a continuous one rather than a break from the past 12 years that the PDP has been in the saddle.
5. Participants noted that virtually all the economic policies being pursued by the Jonathan administration are a recycling of the same old World Bank and IMF dictated policies founded on a neo liberal philosophical and economic paradigm which previous administrations including Obasanjo had implemented, but which had not worked for Nigeria.
6. Participants also observed that the figures bandied by the various ministries in their midterm reports as indicators of progress did not provide baseline information and data, as well as failed to reveal whether the projects which various ministries claimed to have completed were initiated within the two years since Jonathan has been on the saddle or prior to it.
7. Participants observed that the midterm report did not show any correlation between the amount of money spent and the impact on the lives of citizens in relation to the claims of economic growth.
8. The midterm report presents a picture of lack of coordination between and among the various sectors. It presented no sense that sectoral targets feed into an overall socioeconomic picture and goal, and nothing to indicate that the sectors are interlinked and that progress or lack of it in any one sector affects progress in other sectors.
EDUCATION SECTOR 9. With particular regard to the education sector, participants noted that contrary to the claimed achievements in the midterm report, there has been a near total neglect of the education sector reflected in poor annual budgetary allocations to the sector. Allocation to the healthcare sector as a percentage of the annual national budget has continued to decline while capital votes have been consistently below 25 percent of healthcare annual budget.
10. It was observed that government has failed in its responsibility to provide quality education for Nigerians in line with Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution which mandates the state to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities for all and to strive to eradicate illiteracy.
11. Participants noted that in seeking to justify the recent ridiculously low cut off marks for admission into federal government colleges (unity schools), which in some states in the North, was put at as low as 2, the ministry of education premised this ridiculous decision on what it called ‘collective intelligence of all students’ while also saying that ‘the students do not necessarily have a low mental capacity to grasp concepts’. The Minister of Education however, went further to admit the real causes of poor performance among students when the Minister said ‘perhaps, we should note that a major reason why the students score so low in examinations is that the state of education in Northern Nigeria is poor, a serious lack of competent teaching staff, corruption in the management of education, lack of adequate educational plan; poor implementation of educational goals; and demographic problems.
Yet each successive state government has done little more than nod in agreement to the identified issues.’
12. Participants however observed that while poor state of education in parts of the North may represent the extreme, the reality is that education in all parts of Nigeria is in total state of decay.
13. Participants noted that government has abandoned its responsibility for ensuring adequate and quality education to private merchants whose primary motive is profit. The effect is that, using Lagos as an example, private schools currently account for 57 percent of all enrolments in Lagos as reported by the DFID in its Lagos Private Schools Census 2010 – 2011. Abandoning education to private merchants is not the way out of the rot in Nigeria’s educational system, rather the way forward is to prioritize education and see it as an investment in the nation’s human capital without which its much avowed developmental aspirations cannot be attained.
14. Participants also noted the trend towards abandoning the funding of education and educational development to interventionist agencies. They cautioned that interventionist agencies remain largely interventionist and are not a substitute for the duty of governments at all levels to fund and commit the needed resources to education. 15. Participants asserted that while interventionist agencies like Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has done a yeoman’s job in its effort at stabilizing education at the tertiary level, government at all levels must be alive to their fundamental duties of investing in the education of Nigerians.
16. Participants further observed that the administration's midterm report listed achievements by interventionist agencies such as Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and TETFUND as part of its scorecard. While some of the interventionist agencies have done quite a lot towards revitalizing education, the continued abandonment of the primary duty of funding education by government at the various levels have not made the impact of these agencies felt as it should have been.
17. Using TETFUND as an example, participants observed that properly focusing interventionist agencies rather than abandoning its primary duty to fund education by government at the state and federal levels can help such agencies make more impact in the efforts at stabilizing education and ultimately improving standards.
18. Recalling that TETFUND was the product of sustained agitation by ASUU for improved funding of education through the collection of an Education Tax, participants noted that the historic 1992 strike by ASUU culminated in the establishment of an Education Tax Fund to be administered by a Management Team set up by the General Babangida military junta.
19. Participants observed that between 1992 and 1999, nothing much could be ascribed to this agency. But by 1999 the Obasanjo administration revamped the fund at the prompting of ASUU. Between 1999 and 2007 this agency was merely handing out palliatives to beneficiary institutions which cut across all levels of education in the country. The structural and institutional framework of the agency was a major setback to its effectiveness sits and this led to calls for its scrapping. However, by 2007 and with a new government, a new Management Team headed by Prof. Mahmud Yakubu was appointed to refocus the Fund.
20. The law establishing the Fund was amended which mandated it to restrict interventions to only Tertiary institutions. This move restored the original concept of ETF as initiated and negotiated by ASUU and FGN in 1992. Between 2007 and now, the refocusing has enabled the fund to be consolidated for impact in the following areas-
• Allocations to beneficiaries increased manifold. Prior to 2007, the highest amount ever allocated to any University in normal intervention was N58.5m. By 2012, however, each University received N595m in normal intervention. The allocations to the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education also increased astronomically.
• In addition to increased normal allocation, the Special High Impact projects were also introduced under which select tertiary institutions on the equality of geopolitical zones were given special allocations of N3b per university and N1b per Polytechnic and College of Education (based on the 2.1.1 sharing formula enshrined in the Act). Each year, 6 universities, 3 Polytechnics and 3 colleges of education benefitted (i.e. One university and a Polytechnic or College of Education per zone) benefitted. This is a continuous intervention which is meant to continue until all institutions benefit in the long run.
• Until 2008, the highest amount ever allocated for postgraduate staff training by ETF was a one-off N1.75m (one million seven hundred and fifty thousand Naira), an amount that was significantly inadequate. The refocusing of TETFUND made it possible for this sum to be increased substantially to about N80 million resulting in over 6,000 lecturers benefitting. This is the highest number of lecturers from Federal and State tertiary institutions sponsored for PG studies within a 4-year period since Nigeria's independence in 1960. This is in addition to over 7,000 lecturers who have benefitted from Conference Attendance (CA) initiative introduced in 2009.
• The fund also initiated a National Research Fund for the education sector with a seed grant of N3b approved and earmarked to support research for national development in critical sectors such as power, security etc. This is in addition to the Book Development Fund introduced to support the revitalization of Journals (beginning with those of professional/scholarly associations). So far, over 100 journals have benefitted from the sum of only N5m each out of a N2b seed grant. In addition to journals, the seed grant of N2b is also used to support the publication of tertiary levels textbooks, including outstanding PhD theses submitted to the universities.
21. While conceding that TETFUND has done a good job in its effort at stabilizing education at the tertiary level, participants observed that the same cannot be said of other levels of education. Participants therefore, called on the government to be alive to its fundamental duties of investing in the education of Nigerians and not abandon the funding of education and educational development to interventionist agencies, reiterating that interventionist agencies remain largely interventionist and are not a substitute for the duty of governments at all levels to fund and commit the needed resources to education.
22. Participants noted that children of most public servants and privileged Nigerians are either in private schools or attending school outside the country thereby leading to capital flight.
23. Participants noted that the NUC, rather than focus on and take seriously its statutory duties of oversight and ensuring quality delivery in university education through the full implementation of national minimum standards, has rather preoccupied itself with wasteful and spurious activities such as organizing irrelevant conferences and usurping the powers and functions of university senate in many respects. Participants also noted that the struggles of ASUU over the years have bordered on the duties that the NUC ought to play under the law establishing it but which it has failed to perform.
24. Government's decision to establish 12 new universities across geopolitical zones when it has failed to adequately fund existing ones is a mere political maneuver that will not enhance access to education but has the dangerous effect of promoting disunity. Our youths will be restricted to their immediate environments and prevented from moving out of their states of origin or birth to mix up and interact with their peers in other parts of the country.
25. Government has over the years demonstrated lack of honour to abide by and fulfill agreements reached with ASUU on most of the issues plaguing the educational system. This is a clear testimony to its lack of commitment to improving the state of education. No country achieves development without placing high premium on education.
HEALTH SECTOR 26. Participants noted, with respect to the health sector, that government’s claims of achievement in this sector are not supported by verifiable evidence on the ground.
27. Contrary to government’s claimed achievements in the healthcare sector, Nigeria has been consistently ranked within the category of low human development index in all UNDP Human Development Index reports. Other recent reports have also ranked Nigeria as the worse place to be born, one of the worse places to be a mother as well as one of the countries in the ‘serious’ category- the one but last category in the Global Hunger Index. All these combined or taken in isolation, make it difficult for Nigeria to achieve the levels of improvements in the healthcare sector as it claimed in the midterm report.
28. The high levels of joblessness, insecurity, hunger, homelessness, poverty, lack of access to portable drinking water- all jointly and individually impede access by the majority of the population to quality and affordable healthcare and general wellbeing. This is not to talk about the lack of availability of quality healthcare facilities.
29. Participants noted that the transformation agenda vision- to save one million lives by 2015 was launched in 2012 as Nigeria government’s contribution towards saving 6 million lives of mothers and children globally by 2015. Participants however observed that the Global Health Index with a score of 15.7 ranked Nigeria 40 out of 79 countries with a score higher than 5 thereby contradicting the federal government’s claimed achievements in the key performance indicators for the healthcare sector.
30. With regard to the 4 pillars enunciated in the National Strategic Health Development Programme with focus on expanding access to basic services in the areas of maternal, neonatal and child health, Nigeria has consistently ranked low among low Human Development Index (HDI) category of countries from 2010 to 2013. Life expectancy has also continued to lower from 51.9 in 2011 to 41.4 in 2013.
31. The most significant indicator of the decline in the state of healthcare over the years, and particularly, in recent times, is the fact that state dignitaries, as well as other privileged personalities including high profile business persons, continue to seek medical treatment outside the country for all manner of ailments from the most common to the most complex.
The Nigeria Medical Association has stated that the country loses over 600 billion naira annually to what it calls ‘medical tourism’.
TRANSPORT SECTOR 32. Participants observed that transportation is one of the many keys to economic and industrial development.
33. Participants further noted government's acceptance in the midterm report that the growth of the transport sector has been marginal. Between 2010 and 2012, there was a mere marginal 0.8% percent growth of the sector from 6.71% in 2010 to 6.79% in 2012. 34. In terms of contribution to GDP growth, transport accounted for 2.67% in 2010 and 2.66% in 2012. Thus in 2012, the contribution to GDP declined by 0.1% in 2012.
35. With regard to railway, participants observed that the achievements of the sector outlined in the midterm report do not show any strategic investment beyond the rehabilitation of dilapidated rail tracks the management of which is in the hands of the politically controlled and inefficient Nigerian Railways Corporation. Whilst the report highlights rehabilitation of rail tracks and wagons as achievements, it makes no reference to the passenger capacity utilization within the sector and how many passenger seats the rehabilitation of wagons has created.
36. Participants noted that while the current cosmetic make-overs of the airports are laudable, such cosmetic reform does not address the capacity utilization weaknesses of the aviation industry. Only the Murtala Mohammed International Airport operates beyond design capacity; scarce public funds are expended on airports with little passenger capacity. There is no consideration for the development of manpower within the industry. The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria still remains the manpower training centre for the aviation industry. Viewed against the near dilapidated state of that college, it is not hard to see why manpower remains the challenge of the industry.
37. Participants also raised questions of transparency and accountability over the manner contracts for the redesigns of airports were awarded, and noted that many critics of the government have alleged that contracts were awarded without recourse to due process as stipulated by Section 16 (1) (c) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 which provides that ‘’subject to any exemption allowed by the Act, all public procurement shall be conducted by open competitive bidding; in a manner which is transparent, timely, equitable for ensuring accountability and conformity with this Act and regulations deriving therefrom’’.
38. The poor aesthetic designs of some of the airports, particularly the Abuja airport, give fillips to the criticisms that the manner in which the redesign contracts were awarded was all but competitive and transparent. The new look Abuja airport isn’t close to what a modern world class airport should be. And it is even worse that only recently reports of incessant power cuts at the Abuja and Uyo airports were reported in the media. The power cut incident in Uyo was even more ludicrous. The media reported that the airport staff responsible for ensuring that the alternative source of power that light up the airport left after the close of work with the keys to the airport’s generator house.
39. Participants noted that there is clear evidence that the transport environment has not provided enough returns to investments considering the declining contributions to GDP growth. Participants also noted that the policy framework has not been effective and efficient and there have been no real improvements in the sector as the government claims.
40. The dismal performance in this sector is evidenced by the poor state of infrastructure, low budgetary allocation, low investment, poor performance, poor maintenance culture, corruption and waste, lack of due process and accountability, no growth and blame trading between the federal and various state governments on major road repairs.
AGRICULTURE 41. With regard to the Agriculture sector, participants noted that the performance of the regime in review has not been satisfactory to this vital segment and the resultant effect is the persistent rise in market prices of foods.
42. Participants observed that the midterm report presentation was not a sober reflection of the true state of Agriculture and food security in Nigeria and the Minister of Agriculture’s extravagant romance with questionable statistics, like many of his predecessors in office, might have beclouded his rational appraisal of the gravity of the challenges faced by farmers and other stakeholders in the sector.
43. While noting some achievements recorded in the sector in the period under review, participants observed that much more could have been achieved if the implementation processes of these policies and programmes were decentralized and be more inclusive to include farmers’ organizations in the local council areas and states of the federation.
44. Participants noted that before the nation arrives at the envisioned commercial, large scale mechanized agriculture, the small scale farmers that presently constitute over ninety percent of Agricultural workforce and contribute over eighty percent to domestic food production should be the central focus of the transformation agenda.
CONCLUSION 45. Participants commended the transport ministry for sending representatives to defend their report, and particularly noted the commitment by the ministry representatives to henceforth open a website for the ministry where members of the public can access information from and about the ministry's activities.
46. Participants noted and condemned the failure of other ministries to send delegates and interpreted this as a confirmation that they could not defend and substantiate their touted achievements as reported in their sectoral reports.
47. Participants were unanimous in their conclusion that taking overall, the performance of the current administration in the four sectors so far assessed during the forum was far below average, unsatisfactory and did not meet the aspirations of Nigeria. The claims were not supported by the realities on the ground.
Transformation is embedded in development. It is visible. Therefore, was no need, in the first place, for an assessment, to determine whether or not the Jonathan government has performed or succeeded in its transformation agenda.
Signed: For Communique Drafting Committee Okechukwu Nwanguma National Coordinator Network for Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN)
Oluajo Babatunde National Secretary Zero Corruption Coalition
Coming from sahara reporters I don't expect anything different!
From the beginning of d report it is clear where they are going.....and that is do not find anything good!
When critics says GEJ administration has not done one single commendable project, I immediately ignore and take them unserious, cause mathematically or rationally it is not even possible!
In this report they said GEJ establishing 12 new universities is just political maneuver! Haba! This are the same people that will complain why there are large number of nigerians not securing higher institution admission every year!
Even with the internationally acclaimed success and positive news we hear about the agricultural sector this alleged report still labeled it a monumental failure....and you tell me this people analyze with conscience!
My kind advice to GEJ is to keep working his genuine intention for nigeria ignore all criticism he hears but pretend he hears them!
Because if he thinks he can fully please some of these opposition/critics then we should be reading his obituary before long.
You are speechless? Anyway please look at the list of the participating panel members, noting their status and positions, to see that this is a report that objective Nigerians should take very seriously. I have always said it is only on land of spin Nairaland GEJ is doing well. On the ground Nigerian intelligentsia, political analyst, technocrats and heads of society are virtually all virtually unanimous in agreeing that GEJ is a failure. This report is another proof that Nairaland spin merchant of GEJ are wasting their time.
Participation and Presentations There were panel discussions on four ministerial reports followed by general discussion, and questions and answers.
Panelists and participants were drawn from civil society organisations spread across Nigeria. The Participants at the forum included:
[b]1. Dr Nasir Isah Fagge - ASUU President 2. Dr Chima Amadi - Executive Director, ISDMG 3. Adeola Soetan-Project Executive, Feed Nigeria Initiative among others. 4. Dr. Sofiri Joab-Peterside - Executive Director, Centre for Advanced Social Science 5. Lanre Arogundade - Executive Director, International Press Centre 6. Jaye Gaskia - Convener, United Action for Democracy (former country Director, Action Aid) 7. Barr. Mahmud Abdulmumin - President, Public Interest Lawyers League 8. Hajiya Zainab Abdullahi Mohammed - National Coordinator, Transition Monitoring Group 9. Kyauta Iliya Giwa - Coordinator, Community Action for Popular Participation 10. Ben Adoga - News Editor, Pilot Newspapers 11. Ezenwa Nwagwu - Former Vice President! Transparency in Nigeria 12. Oluajo Babatunde - National Secretary- Zero Corruption Coalition 13. Abdulrazaqque Barkindo - Publisher,The Road Newspapers 14. Prof. Emeka Ezeonu - Lecturer NAU, Awka. 15. Okechukwu Nwanguma - coordinator, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria 16. Faith Nwadishi - National Coordinator, Publish What You Pay and Member, NEITI Board 17. Adeola Soetan - Project Executive, Feed Nigeria Initiative among others.[/b]
Responses of stakeholders to this story also confirm a departure to spin and propaganda seen on Nairaland daily. Obvious this is a report no one can spin given the calibre of those who indicted the GEJ government for "low" performance it tries to hide with propaganda :
Submitted by Danboyi Gomsuk (not verified) on July 20, 2013 - 06:02. The govts all over the country are just there to share money amongst the various political and appointed leaders, from the president down. Working for the nation and the citizens who voted them is just at the backburner or at a distant last in their consideration! The fact is already a hackneyed news.
reply JONATHAN?
Submitted by Salih (not verified) on July 20, 2013 - 04:58. No wonder there's a lot of noise from the administration. Maku the parrot, Abati the soil ant, and Okupe the piano have been barrating the media with lots of vocabulary to claim the government is working. What the nation is seeing looks like “the well constructor”. As he dug deep down he feels he's progressing.
reply @Crumbies: Please give us an update on GEJ's 2011 promises.
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on July 20, 2013 - 04:03. No tales by moonlight stories of "Buhari ati Tinubu", "long republic of SS$SE" and other nonsense from the crumbies. Let the Crumbies tackle this communique on point by listing Dumbo Jo's achievements here. To help the Crumbies, below is a link to GEJ's 2011 election promises with dates and location, please give us an update on each promise. No digression, no story !
You can leave out the northern states as you have the ready-made excuse of Boko Haram but how about Yoyo, Ogun, Ondo, Bayelsa, Otuoke, Rivers, Anambra, Edo among others ?
reply Low as in zero or low as in
Submitted by KS (not verified) on July 20, 2013 - 03:16. Low as in zero or low as in low mark?? Should be the former!!!!!
reply Correct
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 20, 2013 - 02:01. Nothing basic is working. No adequate power, unemployment, high cost of living, e.t.c. Indeed any Nigerian leader who does not want to fight corruption head on has no business sitting on that seat.
The group began from an obviously biased point by stating:
"In the past few weeks, the Nigerian public has been inundated with claims of ‘unusual’ achievements by the administration of President.."
Could a group that started out with the biased mindset that the achievements are "unusual" had come up with any thing different? It is obvious the group was out to achieve PRE-DETERMINED objectives. People with such biased mindset couldn't have produced anything different. No wonder the outcome of such charade could only find a space on Sahara Reporters and company.
Anyway, it is left for the Nigerian people to judge the mid-term report. If the group likened the "unusual" achievements to a half-empty cup, some other unbiased and fair-minded Nigerians may liken the achievements so far to a half-full cup.
Sincere 9gerian: The group began from an obviously biased point by stating:
"In the past few weeks, the Nigerian public has been inundated with claims of ‘unusual’ achievements by the administration of President.."
Could a group that started out with the biased mindset that the achievements are "unusual" had come up with any thing different? It is obvious the group was out to achieve PRE-DETERMINED objectives. People with such biased mindset couldn't have produced anything different. No wonder the outcome of such charade could only find a space on Sahara Reporters and company.
Anyway, it is left for the Nigerian people to judge the mid-term report. If the group likened the "unusual" achievements to a half-empty cup, some other unbiased and fair-minded Nigerians may liken the achievements so far to a half-full cup.
Lame. Predictably lame. Can one expect anything else from an Insincere9gerian? Did I not predict you would come here and try to small-mindedly discredit the messengers, a very competent panel in this case, while ignoring the message? Lo and behold, this is precisely what you have done. I have no doubt you will call the Pope a liar if he scores GEJ low for performance.
Lame. Predictably lame. Can one expect anything else from an Insincere9gerian? Did I not predict you would come here and try to small-mindedly discredit the messengers, a very competent panel in this case, while ignoring the message? Lo and behold, this is precisely what you have done. I have no doubt you will call the Pope a liar if he scores GEJ low for performance.
What competent panel? A competent panel that started from a biased point of view? Some of the names on that list are well known un-repentant, DESTRUCTIVE critics of the govt.
What do you expect from a group that started off by calling the achievements "unusuall"? Its like pronouncing someone guilty even before investigation. The whole report is a deceitful NONSENSE.
You are speechless? Anyway please look at the list of the participating panel members, noting their status and positions, to see that this is a report that objective Nigerians should take very seriously. I have always said it is only on land of spin Nairaland GEJ is doing well. On the ground Nigerian intelligentsia, political analyst, technocrats and heads of society are virtually all virtually unanimous in agreeing that GEJ is a failure. This report is another proof that Nairaland spin merchant of GEJ are wasting their time.
You will believe anything thing dat is anti GEJ but disregard anything that is pro GEJ even if they are from d same source! Nonsensical human being
Nigeria is making progress whether a million of ur type agree or not!
Sincere 9gerian: What competent panel? A competent panel that started from a biased point of view? Some of the names on that list are well known un-repentant, DESTRUCTIVE critics of the govt.
What do you expect from a group that started off by calling the achievements "unusuall"? Its like pronouncing someone guilty even before investigation. The whole report is a deceitful NONSENSE.
You keep repeating this, like a broken record, when it is moot point and totally in keeping with your small-minded style of avoiding issues with obdurate pedantism. "Unusual" to most observers would simply indicate 'achievements' no one sees and feel. Hence the obvious choice of the word "unusual".
They have not prejudged anyone and I am surprised you claim to be a medical Doctor because were that the case then one would expect you to always operate with erudition that mean you can appreciate that the comprehensive body of the article lends itself to a chronicled deliberation-based analysis of why and how conclusions are reached. A genuinely academic person does not/will not engage in fatuous pedantism because such disgraces the knowledge-based approach you personally should be obligated to embrace as a solutions provider with a professional penchant for inquisitiveness and information.
You should not be pettily clinging to one word, post after post, because this makes you appear rather uncharacteristically flimsy. Tackle the observations of the panel if you can because your nonchalant and pedantic dismissal of weighty and clearly enunciated negative indictment of your messiah reeks of insincerity and dishonesty.
As one example, how do you find it easy to dismiss specific observation such as that below when one of the panellist is Dr Nasir Isah Fagge i.e ASUU President? Why host ASUU (Academic Staff Union) when ungracious sycophants like you will only be rude about the input of the head of such a pivotally important organisation?
25. Government has over the years demonstrated lack of honour to abide by and fulfill agreements reached with ASUU on most of the issues plaguing the educational system. This is a clear testimony to its lack of commitment to improving the state of education. No country achieves development without placing high premium on education.
You keep repeating this, like a broken record, when it is moot point and totally in keeping with your small-minded style of avoiding issues with obdurate pedantism. "Unusual" to most observers would simply indicate 'achievements' no one sees and feel. Hence the obvious choice of the word "unusual".
They have not prejudged anyone and I am surprised you claim to be a medical Doctor because were that the case then one would expect you to always operate with erudition that mean you can appreciate that the comprehensive body of the article lends itself to a chronicled deliberation-based analysis of why and how conclusions are reached. A genuinely academic person does not/will not engage in fatuous pedantism because such disgraces the knowledge-based approach you personally should be obligated to embrace as a solutions provider with a professional penchant for inquisitiveness and information.
You should not be pettily clinging to one word, post after post, because this makes you appear rather uncharacteristically flimsy. Tackle the observations of the panel if you can because your nonchalant and pedantic dismissal of weighty and clearly enunciated negative indictment of your messiah reeks of insincerity and dishonesty.
As one example, how do you find it easy to dismiss specific observation such as that below when one of the panellist is Dr Nasir Isah Fagge i.e ASUU President? Why host ASUU (Academic Staff Union) when ungracious sycophants like you will only be rude about the input of the head of such a pivotally important organisation?
I have stated my position. I dont have time for a USELESS report that lacked fairness and balance. If there was any iota of balance in the report, I would have started my analysis from there.
By the way, the mid-term report of GEJ is not meant to be assessed in isolation. What the president said during the presentation of the mid-term report was:
“I plead with those who want to write and assess to prepare a marking scheme COMPARE with PREVIOUS governments, TWO years of an administration, develop your marking scheme and mark us,”
The mid-term report cannot be assessed in a vacuum. Compare with the first 2 or 3yrs (if we stretch GEJ's tenure to 2010 when Yar Adua died) of Yar Adua and that of OBJ. That is the assessment that makes sense. That is the assessment that is OBJECTIVE and fair.
Why is COMPARISON important? It is important because it factors in the challenges and limitations of the presidency. I can seat here and criticise the president for not building bullet trains in 2yrs or not killing every corrupt person but if I'm made the president today, the reality of the situation will dawn on me.
Anyway, the report is a good propaganda tool for you. I wish you luck. End of story
In as much as the government of president Goodluck Jonathan has been found wanting in some areas as rightly pointed out by the group, we should all join hands and move the country foward, instead of going parties line, CPC, ACN would not have done better, if given the opportunity @ the aim of affairs, the president should try and look into some of those sectors that are lacking behind like education, agriculture etc and direct the ministers of those sectors to work in line with his directives, for the growth and development of the country @ large.
Gbawe: Long but very comprehensive read predicated on a thorough, measured and deliberate look at the claimed 'achievements' of GEJ. The bleak revelation as per virtually every sector reveals what dispassionate observers know to be the truth beyond all the emptily cheery spin and propaganda.
billante: Coming from sahara reporters I don't expect anything different!
From the beginning of d report it is clear where they are going.....and that is do not find anything good!
When critics says GEJ administration has not done one single commendable project, I immediately ignore and take them unserious, cause mathematically or rationally it is not even possible!
In this report they said GEJ establishing 12 new universities is just political maneuver! Haba! This are the same people that will complain why there are large number of nigerians not securing higher institution admission every year!
Even with the internationally acclaimed success and positive news we hear about the agricultural sector this alleged report still labeled it a monumental failure....and you tell me this people analyze with conscience!
My kind advice to GEJ is to keep working his genuine intention for nigeria ignore all criticism he hears but pretend he hears them!
Because if he thinks he can fully please some of these opposition/critics then we should be reading his obituary before long.
1- Name one good "Brand New" single commendable project Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 2- Name one Brand New University Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 3- Post a link to the internationally acclaimed success in the Agricultural sector 4- Name one "Brand New" Airport Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 5- Name one "Brand New" sea port Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 6- Name one "Brand New" Hospital Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 7- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Road Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 8- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Bridge Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 9- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Wired Telephone Network Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 10- Name one "Brand New" Internet Network Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 11- Name one "Brand New" Power Station Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 12- Name one Corrupt Politician that has been jailed under Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 13- Name one implicated Corrupt Politician that has been suspended by Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 14- Name one thing Patience Jonathan has done to the benefit of Nigerians and post verifiable links 15- Name one thing Jonathan did as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 16- Name one project Jonathan completed as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 17- Name one low cost housing estate Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links 18- Name one Primary or secondary school Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links
Now just for reference and to see what service delivery from a competent President is like watch this video :
Now please note that the President in that video does not have any formal education talkless of a Ph.D. Also note that the above president came into power after Jonathan did and yet has achieved so much even though Nigeria earns more than his country.
Lord have mercy!! Just see 'report'... I read tru d whole tin and for those sectors they 'evaluated', they actuali pointed out and agreed with the improvements (only cos they had to) but immediately 'found' another stu.pid reason to dismiss it. For in stance, after calling d improvements in d Airports 'cosmetic', they went ahead to commend it yet dismissed same with d bizarre reason that Govt had not solved 'capacity issues' ie d No of persons using d Airport! How do you judge a Govt UNDERTAKING serious improvements in a previously DEAD infrastructure (which you just grudgingly acknowleged and commended) and still dismiss those improvements only just cos 'people had not yet started to use the infrastructure with is still in d process of improvement, in full?'. What sort of logic is that? They also did same thing with d Rail sector: acknowledged the improvements there, yet dismissing same cos according to them 'd Govt report did state how many goods and persons were been lifted by d Rehabilitated Railways'!!They used exactly d same 'methology' in Every other Sector they 'evaluated': agree and even highlight d improvements/projects d Govt presented in d report, but dismissing same with a sillly reason...... This was not an Evaluation Report; but a hacket job with PREDETERMINED objectives. Full stop
1- Name one good "Brand New" single commendable project Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 2- Name one Brand New University Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 3- Post a link to the internationally acclaimed success in the Agricultural sector 4- Name one "Brand New" Airport Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 5- Name one "Brand New" sea port Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 6- Name one "Brand New" Hospital Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 7- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Road Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 8- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Bridge Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 9- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Wired Telephone Network Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 10- Name one "Brand New" Internet Network Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 11- Name one "Brand New" Power Station Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 12- Name one Corrupt Politician that has been jailed under Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 13- Name one implicated Corrupt Politician that has been suspended by Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 14- Name one thing Patience Jonathan has done to the benefit of Nigerians and post verifiable links 15- Name one thing Jonathan did as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 16- Name one project Jonathan completed as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 17- Name one low cost housing estate Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links 18- Name one Primary or secondary school Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links
Now just for reference and to see what service delivery from a competent President is like watch this video :
Now please note that the President in that video does not have any formal education talkless of a Ph.D. Also note that the above president came into power after Jonathan did and yet has achieved so much even though Nigeria earns more than his country.
Who has time for your nonsense. The youtube video link in your post didnt fall from heaven. Use the same Google to search for the answers to all those questions. Google is your friend.
taharqa2: Lol..@playmode, you hv just shot yrself in d leg by those SPECIFIC questions you asked. Very, very wrong move...
How so? Please elaborate and next time spell out your words ,this not BBM.
Sincere 9gerian: Who has time for your nonsense. The youtube video link in your post didnt fall from heaven. Use the same Google to search for the answers to all those questions. Google is your friend.
Funny not a single video of Jonathan's completed brand new Projects on Youtube.Care to educate us Sir since you don't have time for nonsense? Put your money where your mouth is otherwise your silence will indicate admission of Jonathan's failure.
Sincere 9gerian: Who has time for your nonsense. The youtube video link in your post didnt fall from heaven. Use the same Google to search for the answers to all those questions. Google is your friend.
You dey mind nonsensical people! give them links and pictures, they will still ask you in another thread to show them pictures and links!
Sincere 9gerian: Who has time for your nonsense. The youtube video link in your post didnt fall from heaven. Use the same Google to search for the answers to all those questions. Google is your friend.
OLODO! Answer his question. Convince us about this GEJ for once!!!
You know what, I did what you asked, and Google informed me, that the only achievement to Goodluck's name is that, he is the most insulted president in the world.
1- Name one good "Brand New" single commendable project Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 2- Name one Brand New University Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 3- Post a link to the internationally acclaimed success in the Agricultural sector 4- Name one "Brand New" Airport Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 5- Name one "Brand New" sea port Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 6- Name one "Brand New" Hospital Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 7- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Road Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 8- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Bridge Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 9- Name one "Brand New" or "old " Wired Telephone Network Jonathan has completed or finished renovating and post verifiable links 10- Name one "Brand New" Internet Network Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 11- Name one "Brand New" Power Station Jonathan has completed and post verifiable links 12- Name one Corrupt Politician that has been jailed under Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 13- Name one implicated Corrupt Politician that has been suspended by Jonathan Administration and post verifiable links 14- Name one thing Patience Jonathan has done to the benefit of Nigerians and post verifiable links 15- Name one thing Jonathan did as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 16- Name one project Jonathan completed as Governor to improve the lives of bayelsans and post verifiable links 17- Name one low cost housing estate Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links 18- Name one Primary or secondary school Jonathan has built as Governor or as President to improve the lives of Nigerians and post verifiable links
Now just for reference and to see what service delivery from a competent President is like watch this video :
Now please note that the President in that video does not have any formal education talkless of a Ph.D. Also note that the above president came into power after Jonathan did and yet has achieved so much even though Nigeria earns more than his country.
Sincere 9gerian: The group began from an obviously biased point by stating:
"In the past few weeks, the Nigerian public has been inundated with claims of ‘unusual’ achievements by the administration of President.." .
Why do you find the phrase derogatory? Afterall, the government have been going on the media advertising what they termed "uncommon transformation". It is these "uncommon transformation" that the panel called 'unusual' in their report.
It is not an unknown phenomena that you avoid the truth and chase shadows. Instead of deliberating on the points raised by this panel of refined gentlemen of impeccable standard, you are chasing shadows.
Why do you find the phrase derogatory? Afterall, the government have been going on the media advertising what they termed "uncommon transformation". It is these "uncommon transformation" that the panel called 'unusual' in their report.
It is not an unknown phenomena that you avoid the truth and chase shadows. Instead of deliberating on the points raised by this panel of refined gentlemen of impeccable standard, you are chasing shadows.
Indeed. Citizens are usually able to see and feel genuine "transformation" if such has actually been delivered.
How so? Please elaborate and next time spell out your words ,this not BBM.
Funny not a single video of Jonathan's completed brand new Projects on Youtube.Care to educate us Sir since you don't have time for nonsense? Put your money where your mouth is otherwise your silence will indicate admission of Jonathan's failure.
Another 'medieval ignoramu' talking about BRAND NEW projects?
Even though GEJ govt has initiated a some brand new projects, he's not out to impress kids like you with "brand new" projects, thereby compounding and adding more to 12,000 abandoned projects he inherited. GEJ does not play to the gallery nor engage in governance by drama. The goal of the current govt is to complete as many abandoned projects as possible and initiate only new projects that can be completed within the tenure of the govt.
Anyway, I still advice that you should help yourself with Google.
Its pertinent we agree that the main focus of the thread is to counter the challenge President GEJ dished out to critics . .Lets refresh our memory . . .
I plead with those who want to write and assess us to prepare a marking scheme compare with previous governments and so on and so forth. Develop your marking scheme and mark us,” the President said.
Having established the fact. We shall proceed to the main topic
Participants observed that the regime has been in office for more than four years beginning from the late President Yar’Adua administration of which Goodluck Jonathan was an integral part, first as Vice President and later, Acting President, before the last 2 years when he became substantive President following the demise of President Yaradua.
Kudos to the authors for their seeming attempt to import a biased variable to support their thrust. In Nigeria, the boss i.e The President/ Governor/L.G.A Chairmen run the show (Governance) full time while the Vice are usually peripheral.
Its on record that the late President Yar Adua systematically reversed/stalled most of OBJ laudable projects for personal reasons and there was absolutely nothing GEJ could do about it.
Its also on record that GEJ after his empowerment as the Numero Uno of the FG towed a different route to his predessessor. GEJ resurrected, revamped, reworked and rejigged those stalled projects by Yar Adua , with most bearing decent fruits as we speak.
The Reports clearly states a Mid term report addressing the period of May 2011 - May 2013. Another baseline clearly established.
EDUCATION SECTOR
Participants noted that in seeking to justify the recent ridiculously low cut off marks for admission into federal government colleges (unity schools), which in some states in the North, was put at as low as 2, the ministry of education premised this ridiculous decision on what it called ‘collective intelligence of all students’ while also saying that ‘the students do not necessarily have a low mental capacity to grasp concepts’. The Minister of Education however, went further to admit the real causes of poor performance among students when the Minister said ‘perhaps, we should note that a major reason why the students score so low in examinations is that the state of education in Northern Nigeria is poor, a serious lack of competent teaching staff, corruption in the management of education, lack of adequate educational plan; poor implementation of educational goals; and demographic problems.
Apart from the federal character nonsense responsible for the establishment of the unity schools. The sole blame should go to the state Governors and L.G.A admins who are majorly in charge of administering quality basic education to their inhabitants.
Allocations to beneficiaries increased manifold. Prior to 2007, the highest amount ever allocated to any University in normal intervention was N58.5m. By 2012, however, each University received N595m in normal intervention. The allocations to the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education also increased astronomically.
GEJ was right afterall, the marking scheme of the panel defaulted here.
While conceding that TETFUND has done a good job in its effort at stabilizing education at the tertiary level, participants observed that the same cannot be said of other levels [/b]of education
Other levels majorly at the hands of State Gov and L.G Admins . . . Another defaulting stance from the panel . . .
Government's decision to establish 12 new universities across geopolitical zones when it has failed to adequately fund existing ones is a mere political maneuver that will not enhance access to education [b]but has the dangerous effect of promoting disunity. Our youths will be restricted to their immediate environments and prevented from moving out of their states of origin or birth to mix up and interact with their peers in other parts of the country.
The panelist are indeed very crazy, what sort of flimsy reasons are they giving . . They should simply tell us it negate the Federal Character hydra headed Monster that is plaguing our society.
A situation that will warrant a student in Yobe who scored 2 to enjoy preferential admission status than an intelligent chap in the Southern hemisphere who scored 100+.
HEALTH SECTOR
With regard to the 4 pillars enunciated in the National Strategic Health Development Programme with focus on expanding access to basic services in the areas of maternal, neonatal and child health, Nigeria has consistently ranked low among low Human Development Index (HDI) category of countries from 2010 to 2013. Life expectancy has also continued to lower from 51.9 in 2011 to 41.4 in 2013.
A huge lie,Life expectancy as we speak is 53. , though it's still low.
Participants however observed that the Global Health Index with a score of 15.7 ranked Nigeria 40 out of 79 countries with a score higher than 5 thereby contradicting the federal government’s claimed achievements in the key performance indicators for the healthcare sector.
I perused through the voluminous link above but failed to see the actual source of the panel.
The panel is required to be specific cos the Global Health Index Statistics has a multi dimensional approach than the simplistic inference the panel arrived at.
With regard to railway, participants observed that the achievements of the sector outlined in the midterm report do not show any strategic investment beyond the rehabilitation of dilapidated rail tracks the management of which is in the hands of the politically controlled and inefficient Nigerian Railways Corporation. Whilst the report highlights rehabilitation of rail tracks and wagons as achievements, it makes no reference to the passenger capacity utilization within the sector and how many passenger seats the rehabilitation of wagons has created.
The core issue here is that the hitherto dead railway tracks has been revamped and working as we speak ferrying passengers . . Though More needs to be done but it is still progress against the previous situation when they were dead.
GEJ was again very correct, His admin relative to his predecessors did very wery in a space of two years . . .The panel attempt to water this feat down though salient doesn't invalidate GEJ claims.
Only the Murtala Mohammed International Airport operates beyond design capacity; scarce public funds are expended on airports with little passenger capacity
But most loud critics on cyberspace kept yelling on the FG to enact those multibillion dollar Airport facilities in Dubai and China to receive commendation.
I disagree with the panel here, there are airports other than the Murtala Muhammed International who deserve/merit the on going renovation exercise.
Participants also raised questions of transparency and accountability over the manner contracts for the redesigns of airports were awarded, and noted that many critics of the government have alleged that contracts were awarded without recourse to due process as stipulated by Section 16 (1) (c) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 which provides that ‘’subject to any exemption allowed by the Act, all public procurement shall be conducted by open competitive bidding; in a manner which is transparent, timely, equitable for ensuring accountability and conformity with this Act and regulations deriving therefrom’’.
Another aimless rhetoric from the panel. They should come out with potent proof than leveraging on seeming rumour.
Can the panel earnestly tell us the following roads listed below failed to fulfill the part in bold as alleged by the panel.
Participants also observed that the figures bandied by the various ministries in their midterm reports as indicators of progress did not provide baseline information and data, as well as failed to reveal whether the projects which various ministries claimed to have completed were initiated within the two years since Jonathan has been on the saddle or prior to it.
Following the political will from President Jonathan and not any state of emergency, the Federal Ministry of Works under the leadership of Arc Mike Onolememen gave these roads and many others astonishing succour. Motorists who used the Benin-Ore-Sagamu expressway, the Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway and many other highways have been short of words in lauding government’sintervention which some have equally described as a dose of ‘fresh air’in the road sector.
[b]Since road developments are tangible for all to see, Nigerians based on what they have seen have appreciated efforts at improving all the nation’s major road corridors. Impressive records have been achieved on the dualization of Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road in FCT and KogiState and the dualization of Kano-Maiduguri road in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe and BornoStates. As at 2011, these roads awarded in 2006, were already wearing the garb of abandoned projects. Because of the drive to have unbroken dual carriageway across the six geopolitical zones, Arc Onolememen gave the fillip for value-added work on them.
Works have also started on the dualization of Lokoja-Okene-Benin road alignment in Kogi and EdoStates,which is described as the ‘missing link’ in the comity of dual carriageways in the six geopolitical zones. It is hoped that in the next two years, Nigerians will be able to drive from Maiduguri to Lagos on an unbroken chain of dual carriage ways through Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Lokoja, Okene, Auchi, Benin and Sagamu to Lagos. It is the same from Kaduna through Abuja, Lokoja, Benin, Asaba, Onitsha, Enugu to Port-Harcourt!
A critical section of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, from Ijesha-Beachland Estate in Lagos State is now wearing new looks and the Trailers’ Park, intended to keep over 400 trucks out of Lagos roads is nearing completion.
There is also the ongoing works on Loko-OwetoBridge, over River Benue with approach roads in Nasarawa and BenueStates and the dualization of Suleija-Minna Road in NigerState.
Apart from these, a record of 32 other roads have been completed in the past two years. Among them is the dualization of the Section I of Ibadan-Ilorin road, (from Ibadan to Oyo), repairs of Third Mainland Bridge (Phase Two) which was completed 10 days ahead of the scheduled date, Otta-Owode road in Ogun State, old Oyo-Ogbomoso road in Oyo State, Omuo-Ifaki road in Ekiti State, reconstruction of the Lafenwa Bridge in Ogun State, Gbogan-Iwo road in Oyo State, Ijebu Igbo-Ajegunle-Araromi-Ife-Sekona road in Ogun State and Rumukurshi-Chokocho road in Cross River State.
The Ministry has also rehabilitated the Uba-Mbalala road in Borno State, reconstructed and commissioned the Vom-Manchok road in Plateau State,repaired the Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto road (from Gusau to Talata Mafara) in Zamfara and Sokoto States, Katsina-Daura road in Katsina State, Anka-Daki-Takwas-Gummi road in Zamfara State, Langtang-Lalin-Tunkus-Shendam road in Plateau State, Numan-Gombe road in Adamawa and Gombe States, Mararaba-Pambeguwa road in Kaduna State, Jebba-Lafiaji road in Niger State, Takai-Albasu-Gaya road in Kano State, Nafada-Gombe Abba Road in Gombe State and Hong-Mubi road in Adamawa State.
The dualization of Onitsha-Owerri road with Onitsha Eastern bypass, in AnambraState was also accomplished by this administration. Other newly completed roads such as the Obiozara-Uburu-Ishiagu road in Enugu and EbonyiStates, the Abakaliki-Mbok (Ogoja Junction) road in Ebonyi and CrossRiverStates, Owerri-Aba Road in Imo and Abia States, Okpala-Igwurita road in ImoState and Ikom-Mfum Road in CrossRiverState are great landmarks in the history of road development in Nigeria.
The Ministry has also done very well in responding to wash-outs and gully erosions that have eaten up many federal roads in the recent past. Three wash-outs along Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway in Anambra and EnuguStates, the collapsed sections of Wukari-Mutum Biyu road in TarabaState,wash-outs on Gombe-Potiskum road in GombeState and the massive gully erosion that cut off the Okene-Benin roadin Auchi, EdoState were all reinstated in record times.
Flooding occasioned by global warming also had adverse effect on many roads and the Ministry quickly intervened to bring succour on the Kano-Katsina road in KatsinaState, Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway in EnuguState, the Yenegoa-Kolo-Nembe-Brass road in BayelsaState, Shendam-Yelwa-Ibiroad and Langtang-Lalin-Tunkus-Shendam road, both in PlateauState. [/b] Part of the transformational agenda is to link all economic centres with good roads. As a result, the ministry completed the rehabilitation of access road to Kaduna Refinery in KadunaState, access road to Warri Refinery in DeltaState and the access Road to OnnePort in RiversState.
The novel Operation Safe Passage of 2012 which has remained unparalleled in the history of road development was aimed at recovering several deplorable sections of our major roads to ameliorate the sufferings usually experienced by road users at the end of the year when there is massive movement of people across the country for festivities. Some of the roads rehabilitated by the Ministry under the Operation Safe Passage include; Lokoja-Okene road, Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Tegina-Kaduna road, Suleja-Minna road and Lafia-Makurdi-Aliade-Oturkpo-9th Mile road.
Others include the Jalingo-Kona-Lau road in TarabaState, Kano-Zaria-Kaduna road, Kano-Bichi-Katsina-Jibia Niger border road, Enugu-Okigwe-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt road, Aba-Ikot Ekpene road, Odukpani-Itu road, Okene-Auchi-Benin road, Irrua-Ilushi road, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan-Ilorin road and Apapa-Oshodi road.
On resumption of office in July, 2011, Onolememen quickly proceeded to upgrade the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit to a full department. As a result, Nigerians are on the verge of benefiting from PPP for road development since budgetary allocations alone are grossly inadequate to satisfy the nation’s appetite for modern roads like other nations of the world.
maintenance and vegetation control in the past two years. FERMA has maintained a total of 1, 980 km of road corridors in the past two years.
With numerous new policies aimed at efficient service delivering abounding at the Federal Ministry of Works, both contractors and staff alike are upbeat that work is ‘good to go’ as the youthful Arc Mike Onolememen parades new ideas to improve the road sector like never before. He has again sounded it to contractors that money will only be released for permanent works like asphalting and no more for ordinary earth works as in the past. This is another way of checking the short-changing of government through project abandonments and endless request for augmentation occasioned by washouts by contractors. It’s a new test of true patriotism at the federal ministry of works indeed.
Let me add my little contribution: the projects I personally have seen is benin-ore-sagamu road, I am in my mid 30's and I can say that I remember the nightmare that road used to cause, some slept overnight on that road because of how bad it was, I drove on that road in April and May and I could nt believe how goood it was, did benin to Lagos 2.5 hrs, and it was this govt, that did it.
On the airports, I have landed in some of the best Airports in the world but seen how terrible our airports have been, and I always ask myself is there anything wrong with us. But I have been impressed with the total makeover going on in our airports.
Then concerning agriculture, I can categorically say that this present agric minister Akinwunmi is one of the leading lights of this administration with his policies. By 2015 Nigeria will be rice sufficient, there presently springing up 13 rice mills in the north, talkless of other parts, last 2 weeks, there was a confrence on agric revolution in Abuja hosted by the Rockefeller foundation, one of the biggest investment funds in the world, this kind has never been done b4, infact no administration before has taken agric sector serious like this present one.
Then concerning power a lot of overhauling is being done the way OBJ did telecomms own but power infrastructure is very challenging and capital intensive, coupled with corrupt PHCN cabals, but soon power issue will be a past occurence.
On the education field, suffice to say that one of the biggest problem bedeviling this sector is outdated, acheic, obsolete system, especially the tertiary institutions. Majority of the lecturers are outdated, and the good ones have all been taken abroad, only chaffs are left here. Most of these phd has nothing to offer, no research, etc. That is why the quality of graduates been churned out from most of these university are below par. So as government has a role to play, the citizens have their role to play also.
Lame. Predictably lame. Can one expect anything else from an Insincere9gerian? Did I not predict you would come here and try to small-mindedly discredit the messengers, a very competent panel in this case, while ignoring the message? Lo and behold, this is precisely what you have done. I have no doubt you will call the Pope a liar if he scores GEJ low for performance.
God bless you Gbawe. He never cease to amaze me, he always find excuse to discredit just about any one that disregard his paid masters. It is moronic to leave the message and attack the messanger. If the panalists have stated the obvious, it is ideal to counter them by bringing out facts that suggest or revealed that government claim of performance is tangible and factual, whipping sentiment without facing issue is dellusional. The panalists had made an important revelation, but all of these is unnecessary, we see these glaring failures on a daily basis; on d street, in d market places, and in many homes. Only sold out clown like one insincere9eria will offer their souls to d devil for a momentarily pleasure of crumbs from d master's table.
