.Nigeria Is Open For Business! Truly!

[Robot]

Nigeria Is Open For Business! Truly!Says, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance MinisterBy Paul I. AdujieLawcareer@msn.comNew York, United StatesI witnessed genuine euphoria, enthusiasm and exuberance in the past several days.These are not customary ...Read the full article.

[Unregistered]

Here we go again!
One week off work to accompany the FG delegation everywhere and someone says you are not a paid agent of the Obasanjo regime? And how is the 1-mile radius around Manhattan "every corner" of New York City. Did this delegation visit Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, any community roundtable or townhall meetings with Nigerians (not handpicked bootlickers like you)?

Nigeria has been closed for business and will remain so as long as Obasanjo remains in power. They have no clue how to open a nation for business, because these morons thinks, it is not government's business to build a nation.

Your warped views and bootlicking articles have no credibility and I am sure you know it and everyone here at the NVS knows too well!

[Hakim]

The skeptics will soon come here and do their usual liguistic gymnastics in a futile attempt to convince some of us that nothing good is going on in Nigeria. They forget that before this administration virtually everybody had given up hope on Nigeria, people were openly talking about secession and war, the country was teetering towards total colapse.

This is 2005 and the discourse is no longer about war but that of building Nigeria and making it a better country, that to me is a great achievement because the line between anarchy and peace is very very thin.

[Unregistered]

So,no one is talking anymore about war and secession?
In 2005, there are too currencies in Nigeria (Naira and Biafra Pounds).
Hmmm! There is a thin line between deranged optimism and the reality. You can feel good all you want about Obasanjo's Nigeria. but the reality is that things are really bad on the ground. All the UN reports on poverty, human development and standard of living bear us all witness.

[I Love Nigeria]

Mr.&Mrs. Unregistered,

You are aware of the verifiable truth that there were open invitations for several weeks here at the Nigeria Village Square spanning two threads.... and if you and some others chose to ignore such open invitations.... in preference for your ceaseless pessimism and cynicism? what can anyone or I do about it?

There were events where the presidential delegation made passionate appeals to those Nigerian who bothered to so up and at one point, some persons like you, were very noisy and disorderely, and I was forced to remark that they were inattentive as to the progress being reported by the delegation, but soon after, guys like you would disregard concrete evidence and facts that were being reported....in preference for beer parlor/pepper-soup joint rumors and gossips!

On my part, I made a determination that attendance was important and I am glad that I participated and I sacrificed one week pay, no biggie!

And on behalf of the silent majority of Nigerians, I told those wonderful delegates that we love them for the excellent work they are doing on all our behalf.... They are passionate about Nigeria and their roles in it, that much was clear from their articulations borne of clear conviction!

My attendance meant a lot to me..... the meaning of Nigeria to me is... PRICELESS!

Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States

[Hakim]

If anybody is deranged here it's got to be Mr. unregistered. You people hide behind computer monitors to spew out ignorance. You naively expect a virtually collapsed country to become industrialized within six year, how realistic is that?- You *****.
Some Nigerians are smart enough to know that the right steps are being taken and if the cart is not upturned by short sighted idiots like you, the country might just make it.

Biafran currency ?.... Why don't you just come out and say what is biting your ass. Hight of ignorance, if some fools want to exchange their goods and services for a worthless currency, what's that got to do with rest of Nigerians.

[Unregistered]

Mr. Hakim:
You sound very bitter! what a way to express optimism. Regarding the biafra pounds the last time I checked, it had higher value than the naira. The naira, courtesy of the FG delegation you worship has less value than the paper upon which it is printed.

You want to hear more? The last time they ("the super intelligent FG delegation") tried to print more money in higher denominations of N1000, they forgot to put the naira sign in front of the 1000. Now, all that money is wasted. Too sad you guys will never learn. Now you know who the morons are or is!

[Hakim]

I have absolutely no reason to be bitter. Next time you send money to Nigeria ( if you live abroad) ask your relatives to collect the money in biafran pounds.

[I Love Nigeria]

Hakim,

Your points were poignantly made!

Let them put their hard earned money where their mouth IS!

Let them call Western Union or Money Gram and instruct payment in Biafra Pound ONLY!

That was hiarious! Your point is well made!

[Hopeless case]

Well, they seem to be making all the right noises. But so did IBB and Abacha.
Mr PAUL ADUJIE, in the one week u spent with your high power delegation, how many business cards did u hand out. I see u are trying very hard to get ur share of the national cake. ONE WEEK OFF WORK TO LISTEN TO TALK ON NIGERIA. You are part of the problem. Your week off will have been better spent in Nigeria.

[Unregistered]

The major problem we have as a country is that anytime someone tries to talk about the progress our leaders are making in terms of reforms and stability,some of you talk about stupid stuffs like "agents of Government" "paid for this or that".Mr Adujie attended events about our economic reforms and advancement and that automatically made him a government agent.Mr Adujie is a proud nigerian and that's that!
The president and his team are doing a wonderful job and the only people who think they are not are the same people who wrote him off even before he became our leader.You have been praying for this administration to fail and unfortunately,he has defied all odds.I love my country and i am impressed with where we are and where we are heading to.
Thanks Mr Adujie for keeping us informed.

[Unregistered]

The major problem we have as a country is that anytime someone tries to talk about the progress our leaders are making in terms of reforms and stability,some of you talk about stupid stuffs like "agents of Government" "paid for this or that".Mr Adujie attended events about our economic reforms and advancement and that automatically made him a government agent.Mr Adujie is a proud nigerian and that's that!
The president and his team are doing a wonderful job and the only people who think they are not are the same people who wrote him off even before he became our leader.You have been praying for this administration to fail and unfortunately,he has defied all odds.I love my country and i am impressed with where we are and where we are heading to.
Thanks Mr Adujie for keeping us informed.

[Unregistered]

To the last commentator.


Yes there is progress in Nigeria when you can't have a good night sleep when you travel to Nigeria because the police can't secure lives and properties.

Yes there is progress in Nigeria when you cannot get uninterrupted electricity for 24 hrs

There is progress in Nigeria when patients self medicate because hospitals are not capable of seeing to the sick.

There is so much progress in Nigeria and the roads are death traps.

Yet, it is progress when you voice your opinion SSS are right in your face. Count how many political deaths have occured.

Yet the progress is so much, foreign airlines are the advisers to govt as to when to repair airports.

If perchance there is another voice on FRCN with " I, Brigadier " I want my national cake", the progress is so much that you would not see the so-called educated nigerian students jumping unto the streets to celebrate.


Yes, that is the Country that you want foreign investors to come into?


Nonesense.... Look, do your praise-singing but allow others to voice their fears.

[Omoba]

Mr. Adujie,

You would have done your paymaster a lot more service if you had supplied facts to back up your claims of the progress the country is making. the last time i checked, all the indices of progress in a nation is loooking southward for Nigeria.

electricity, Education, Road, Health, Water, and infact all the metrics for measuring improvements in the standard of living are worse off today than they were in 1999. So who is the bigger *****?.. The sychopants or the fools in government??

[antiobj2007]

At the New York presentation,the Minister said: "It is not about Obasanjo, or Okonjo-Iweala or Rufai, or anyone, but about the processes and institutions," What a farce? . She is the Finance Minister while the President is on rampage on the" processes and institutions" The President had just spent over $200 million on the energy sector without approval from the Senate. There are strong indications that the Federal Government would not meet it's target as stipulated in the 2005 budget approved by the Senate. The Minister is in charge of the Finance Ministry, when the Federal Government flouted the Supreme Court ruling on the Local Government funding in Lagos State.Processes and institutions have been violated on her watch. Obasanjo's acolytes have bagged various oil licenses and they are always willing to pour money into the OBJ PROJECT. They supported his library project .We talk about due process It's all about Obasanjo and nothing else.Obasanjo did not get the approval of the House of Assembly to fund the Sovereign National Conference he dips his hands into another account to fund it. Again we say it's all about processes and institutions.
Few days after Madam Minister was sworn in to office she quickly sent in her letter of resignation because she was duped. The department of budget and planning was moved from the MOF to Presidency.Ministry of finance not overseeing the budget and planning? She finally succumbed to pressure to withdraw her letter. The Ogapatapata failed to return the department back to MOF. You wonder why the budget gets out late like after the 1st Quarter of the year.
While Madam minister was doing her presentation in New York Tom Peter, a renowned Company management consultant and business transformation leader was cancelling his engagement in Nigeria because he was advised it's not safe. No big deal
Obasanjo the corruption Czar fired Chief Vincent Azie a hero for his bravado and sense of patriotism for rendering an embarrassing Audit Report public for our digestion and scrutiny. His replacement up till today has not made public his own reports available. He is busy serving Obasanjo and not his country. He changed from being an Apostolic leader in his church to a Baptist because his Oga is a Baptist. We are changing! He has not ordered to carry out his assignment.
The Freedom of information act has not seen the light of the day because Obasanjo won't allow it sail through the house. He knows the Power of that act is greater than that EFCC and ICPC combined. If we have such an act at least we should be able to find out if Obasanjo makes 300million monthly from his farm and how much he pays in tax. Fighting corruption? More like window dressing. Soon Tafa Balogun would be left of the hook if he is able to refund all the money he stole.I thought they had the bank details and have followed the paper trail. The EFCC had to plea bargain because the rumour is Tafa is pregnant with information that could cause a bad eruption. You wonder why EFCC is not going after Nzeribe the man who helped distribute money on the floor of the house when they were calling for Obj's impeachment.He confessed to it. Why do we have so much stench coming from the JDZ Sao-Tome/Nigeria deals? Yet all we hear is we are fighting corruption.



Recently the Finance Minister and the President gleefully announced to the world their Paris club deal to wipe out Nigeria's debt. We are told $6 billion would be paid by September.It was extended .The Senate did not deliberate on this disbursement as required by the constitution. We are now in November nobody knows if this part of the agreement has been met. At least we've not been told that the House passed a bill to pay the money.The constitution gets brushed aside yet it's not about just ONE man it's process and institutions. Unfortunately we have an impotent House of Assembly OBJ should have been impeached for violating the constitution so often.
We take consolation that he would soon leave come 2007.
Paul in one of your write-ups you promised to buy OBJ a private jet if it was not approved by the House. The tickets to the moon are quite cheap this days, you can buy one way tickets ,the Russians would be too happy to help two Nigerian celebrities along.
Well come to Obasanjo's Nigeria the heart beat of SPIN.
anti obj2007

[WAFI]

A country still faced with incessant power supply, insecurity of people and properties, the current democratic drama and all other forms of corruption you can think of.........
Do you really think we are open for business??????
Abi which kind of business (Carry-and-Waka, Abi na Ghana-must-go consulting type????)
Well, its good to be optimistic, but the government needs to address the basic issues first.

Someone needs to tell the Nigerian government that one or more of the ingredients for development/ business is missing.
Power fuels any industrialized economy.
Why will I site a factory in Nigeria when power is so expensive, cost associated with bureaucratic bottlenecks and insecurity is still not solved?

I think we should identify and revaluate our fist goal/ objective for development before singing praises.
Maybe someone is only looking at one corner of the pot; remember that you will turn the whole soup before serving from that pot.

[WAFI]

Hey Mr Paul,

Incessant power supply????? What an irony. Well, my bad. I meant to use the phrase, "INTERMITTENT POWER SUPPLY".

I don't think that's too difficult for any one to figure out, when it concerns NIGERIA.

Just to share a recent experience: A few days ago, I was at a restaurant with my wife and the power/ lights went out. My brother, unconsciously, I said NEPA to her.
It was actually in NYC.

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity of traveling around the African sub region on business trips. Even the smaller countries have the basic ingredients required for business.
Nigeria has lots of those ingredients, only that the main ones are missing!!!!!!

[Ajuri]

Hey! 'even the jungle is open for business' Tarzan can tell you that. Did all those who attended and participataed ask madame Ngo what her goverrment assotiates are doing ab out electricity? Darlings! there's no business without power period. 'Thanks for the intiatives but no thanks'.