Nigerian Roads For Sale!!!

[Bajoga]

Assalamu Alaikum

Toooo yan Nigeria gafa dama ta samu, don gwamnatin tarayya ta kudiri niyyar sayar da manyan hanyoyin sufurinta. But wannan abin gaskiya it's not good and kuma ba adalci bane yin hakan.

Kamar yadda aka fadi a gidan radio na bbc jiya da rana, mataimakin shugaban kasan ta Nigeria Jonathan G. shine yayi wannan jawabi kuma ya jaddada hakan da cewa wai shine hanyar da za'a cimma buri a Nigeria wajen kula/gyara hanyoyinta.

Kamar yadda wasu masu maida martani/wadanda akayi hira da su akan wannan lamari suke cewa-wannan abin dai sun kira shi da cewa kawai zalunci ne, gaskiya basu nuna jin dadin hakan ba, hasalima dai -  an taba fara irin wannan lamarin wanda ba'a cimma nasara ba, sa'annan kuma yanzu ance za'a cigaba. Anya kuwa kwalliya zata biya kudin sabula????

Kamar yadda wani mutum yayi bayani acikin radio (wanda ba'a fadi sunansa ba) yake tambaya cewa wai shin menene hanyar da talaka zai ci gajiyar gwamnati?  Misali:-

1. Akwai Asibitoti
2. Akwai ruwan sha
3. Akwai wutan lantarki
4. Akwai tsaro
5. Kula da hanyoyi
6. Samar da aikinyi
7. Ingantaccen ilmi

Da dai sauransu, yake cewa kuma gashi ana ta sayar da abubuwan, to talaka ya zaiyi nekan? Gaskiya wannan tambayar abin dubawa ne idan akayi la'akari da irin yadda kasar take a yanzu.

Allah dai yasa mu dace da ayyukan kirki/na gari.

Amma nasan akwai wadanda suka fini sanin wani abu akan wannan lamari, may be they can help us to have more light about this issue.

[IBB]

I'm sorry to say that this may be a good idea. NIgeria always has good policies but the problem of implementing them aswell as the problem of abiding by the laws guiding the policies.

[HUSNAA]

I'm sorry to say that this may be a good idea. NIgeria always has good policies but the problem of implementing them aswell as the problem of abiding by the laws guiding the policies.

Anya kuwa IBB? I have a bad feeling about this. This is not good at all. Remember the time da a ka sayar da toll gates? What happened? Wa 'yansu ne kawai suka rika kwasar kudin jama'a every time mutum passed the toll gate, amma hanyoyin titin (Kano - Kaduna for example), ba abinda ya canza. Potholes din da ruts din da kwabbabun hanyoyin were still there. Wa'yanda suke da toll gates din never bothered to utilize the money to repair the bad roads.
Ni abin da na hango shine if public roads din da mutum zai taka ya tafi wani wuri are sold, then wa'yanda a ka sayar wa, will erect toll gates at every road wai don mutum yabiya, yabi ta kan hanyar, tunda hanyar tazama property dinsu ba ta al umma ba. Kuma wa zai ce ba su da damar cin tarar jama'a din? Kuma ai sai sun ga dama su gyara hanyar ko kuwa? tunda gwamnati ba hannunta a ciki. Gaskiya wannan tsantsan zalunci ne.

[manasmusa]

If Iam to advice my dear coleagues onliners, I would advice all of us to "hada karfi da karfe" mu saya.

Ko yaya ku kace?

[Muhsin]

If Iam to advice my dear coleagues onliners, I would advice all of us to "hada karfi da karfe" mu saya.

Ko yaya ku kace?

LOL, how much are you gonna contribute?

Realistically speaking am with Aunty Husnaa. This idea is really bad one. think of it critically people.

[IBB]

Anya kuwa IBB? I have a bad feeling about this. This is not good at all. Remember the time da a ka sayar da toll gates? What happened? Wa 'yansu ne kawai suka rika kwasar kudin jama'a every time mutum passed the toll gate, amma hanyoyin titin (Kano - Kaduna for example), ba abinda ya canza. Potholes din da ruts din da kwabbabun hanyoyin were still there. Wa'yanda suke da toll gates din never bothered to utilize the money to repair the bad roads.Ni abin da na hango shine if public roads din da mutum zai taka ya tafi wani wuri are sold, then wa'yanda a ka sayar wa, will erect toll gates at every road wai don mutum yabiya, yabi ta kan hanyar, tunda hanyar tazama property dinsu ba ta al umma ba. Kuma wa zai ce ba su da damar cin tarar jama'a din? Kuma ai sai sun ga dama su gyara hanyar ko kuwa? tunda gwamnati ba hannunta a ciki. Gaskiya wannan tsantsan zalunci ne.

Madam Hussna I agree with you. But if you look back to what i said ealier i said it may work if the institution responsible for regulating the activities of the individuals involve would operate effectively.

Unfortunately thats not the case in Nigeria. So what you say I have no disagreement

[Bajoga]

Anya kuwa IBB? I have a bad feeling about this. This is not good at all. Remember the time da a ka sayar da toll gates? What happened? Wa 'yansu ne kawai suka rika kwasar kudin jama'a every time mutum passed the toll gate, amma hanyoyin titin (Kano - Kaduna for example), ba abinda ya canza. Potholes din da ruts din da kwabbabun hanyoyin were still there. Wa'yanda suke da toll gates din never bothered to utilize the money to repair the bad roads.Ni abin da na hango shine if public roads din da mutum zai taka ya tafi wani wuri are sold, then wa'yanda a ka sayar wa, will erect toll gates at every road wai don mutum yabiya, yabi ta kan hanyar, tunda hanyar tazama property dinsu ba ta al umma ba. Kuma wa zai ce ba su da damar cin tarar jama'a din? Kuma ai sai sun ga dama su gyara hanyar ko kuwa? tunda gwamnati ba hannunta a ciki. Gaskiya wannan tsantsan zalunci ne.

Madam Hussna I agree with you. But if you look back to what i said ealier i said it may work if the institution responsible for regulating the activities of the individuals involve would operate effectively.

Unfortunately thats not the case in Nigeria. So what you say I have no disagreement

Lol! wannan is good idea gaskiya.
Kawai dai zalunci ne tsantsa, But GOD dey.

Allah ya taimaki mai gaskiya.

[Tsmagiya]

I hope Yar'adua is just not a repackeged Obj. At the beginning I thought he was going to be very different from the leaders we had from IBB to Obj minus Abacha (PTF made him shine better), particularly if his performance in Katsina is considered. Alas I am beginning to doubt. Since IBB it has been Government disengaging from social services as preached to them by IMF and world bank (Kalu idika Kalu to Ngozi Okonji Iwela, who manned or womanned our Minister of finance were on IMF or WB payroll). They insist private sector should be the prime mover of the economy. While in the US and Uk highways, public schools etc are still being constructed and managed by public sector, we must privatise ours.
Of course everybody is sure that Government's purpose is to provide enabling evironment, security for the lives and property of the citizens and improve their living conditions through job creations. But alas in Nigeria Governments now provide all these for our servant-leaders (polititions) and their families.
Well with over 50billion Us Dolar Foreign reserve (servicing developed conuntries) Federa  Government has to seek private partners to construct or maintain our roads but Obj can compete with IBB and Abdulsalami in erecting Hill-top mansions, or build conference farms/hotels and universities. Unless Yar'adua  start to provide for the upliftment of the ordinary citizens of this country by contructing new infrastructures and upgrading/maintaining the old ones we may soon be gathering Sand dune to erect Hill-top mansion in Katsina!

[Dan-Borno]

Sannu da zuwa Tsumagiya, bulali babba, bulali yaro!!!!
But Government has been spending too much on public
property and at the receiving end its the public servant
who diverts the money into his private pockets.

Auntyn Muhsin and those familiar with the Lake Chad
Basin Development Authority can bear me witness as the
the huge amount of money the Federal Government has
pumped since its creation and where is it now?

So many other sectors suffer the same since independence
not only of recent.  It seems government has shown its
readiness not pump money were it has no guarantee that
it will be of benefit to the ordinary common man.

Institutions like NEPA are still being funded by the Federal
Government with money running into billions of naira, but
yet here in Maiduguri, you hardly get 2 or 3 hours light in
24 hours - then what is the essence of government spending
money on this sector?

Apart from the not-for-all private schools, Federal Government
Colleges are now the best institutions where you will get a
qualitative education.  Tell me what is our State Governments
doing with their state owned public schools?

Dont blame His Excellency for what is happening today, because
it started the day before yesterday, and it will take us time and
resources to come back to track.

[Tsmagiya]

that is it Dan -barno. If money spent is not making any impact on the common man it is bacause it it is not being spent to benefit common man. when it was being spent for the common man common man's child could get free education from primary school through millitary academy free of charge. Indeed part of their allowances cuishion the economic hardship of their parents at home. But today when money is spent for the  servant leaders' benefits of course nothing can work.

[sheriff 05]

I am an unrepentant and ardent supporter of a free market based economy as the primary driver for "continual" development for any society. Because if governed on the principle of "truth", then such economies will not require "stringent" regulation, but will through itself and its advancements, find a balance and reward all parties in relative measure.  It will also provide an "incentive" (which is the single best feature of market based economies) for investors and consumers alike, to push for and drive improvements in quality, efficiency and ultimately productivity and value for all. In an ideal free market economy (in theory), everyone wins.

HOWEVER, I am by nature, a realist, an hence, realistic enough to know two very important things. First of all, a free market economy is not absolute and will not work for the interest of all, in all sectors of any economy, irrespective of first world or third world. two examples will illustrate my point. The American primary health care industry is facing huge problems, massive deficits and potential meltdown, because it contains some inherent flaws. Based on (privately obtained) Insurance and individual private funding, the cost of medicare is very high and is afforded only because wages are relatively high as well, hence those in low paying jobs and/or jobless situations, suffer the brunt of the problems within the sector. The second example is in the UK where health care is available FREE, to citizens, students, etc, and is funded by the government via compulsory tax deductions from salaries. While its not perfect, the health sector works very well in comparison to the American system and remains accessible to all irrespective of status in society. The Americans went for Market based health care procurement, and it's failing miserably, while the British are adopting a government controlled system and it seems to work relatively well.. My point (as I am sure you have began to wonder) is quite simply that NOT ALL SECTORS OF ANY ECONOMY SHOULD BE PRIVATISED. As the consequences, could be dire.

I object to the roads being privatised mainly because, publicly utilised infrastructure like roads provide a means through which macro economic development can be inspired on a neutral basis. Privatisation removes the neutrality and puts the destiny of a collective lot in the hands of a few. Where market incentives will drive innovation in other sectors, for roads, it will lead to exploitation, simply because the owners will acquire "ABSOLUTE SCARCITY POWER", since the number of roads that can be built are very limited. Scarcity power creates monopolies and allows providers to drive up asking prices at the collective detriment of we the masses. So for roads, I am against privatisation.. AT LEAST FOR NOW..

Secondly, while the end we advocate for is a free market based, private sector driven economy, the primary limitation of such economies is that they are especially prone to the single greatest problem of humanity, GREED.  Individual greed, a trait which can never be eliminated from any society, can severly destroy the "fairness" and "balance" which a free market economy needs to flourish for the benefit of all. Herein lies the CRITICAL function of Government (with all its 3 arms).

Government must serve as a balancing factor, building institutions that regulate the activities of individuals and groups within the economy. Such institutions, include an efficient unbiased Justice system, promulgating appropriate laws governing activities, effective regulatory bodies for the various sectors, etc... with these institutions, any member of society can effectively seek justice when wronged and be confident that his rights will be protected always.  This second point is that the privatisation of the roads will have been acceptable if we had an efficient regulatory body to ensure certain "standards" are met and certain privileges of you and me are duly protected in a manner providing fairness and balance to all. This would be similar, "in theory" to the function of the PPPRA in the petroleum sector or the NCC in the telecoms sector. At the moment, such a body does not exist in the works sector.

Finally, I give a simple analogy. We don't give our children cars to drive, because we feel (at a certain age) that they are too young. You give them what they can handle gradually, while you have a plan for them as they grow. Is that not so?

Our economy must be viewed along those lines. We require a development plan with milestones, showing our path to economic development. This will have to capture the necessary infrastructural development that is needed to sustain a free market economy that works for all. Certain infrastructure are absolutely crucial to prevent exploitation. Education, transport, infrastructure, justice, law and order, these are absolute essentials. They provide the necessary bedrocks from which everyone, irrespective of the status, tribe or religious inclination, can gain a level playing field to compete pro-actively within a free market economy. Devoid of any of these, then the economy will not be a truly privatised one but will always be skewed for the reserved benefit of a few, as we have seen through Nigeria's history.

We risk, like many other things we have implemented in this country, taking a very good idea and implementing it in a manner that would cause us more harm than good. But then again, with the type of leaders we parade, what else do we expect?

[Tsmagiya]

Mallam Sheriff Iagree totally. You have given not only the ABC of the matter but also its XYZ. If we privatise road now we should not be supprised they if they are caniblized and sold as NITEL is being done now!

[Bajoga]

Well!! as i was always saying, i will still keep saying it!!

Allah ya taimaki gaskiya da mai gaskiya, amin.

Amma dai gaskiya lamarin wannan kasa tamu kam sai dai du'a'i.