DO YOU AGREE THAT IT'S TIME TO 'BUILD , OPERATE AND TRANSFER NIGERIA?

I sincerely crave your indulgence to go through this advocating and interesting read by SIMON KOLAWOLE  on Nigeria and his proposals on how to 'Build, Operate and Transfer Nigeria'.

As Culled From Thisday Newspaper On Sunday 4 December 2016, Kolawole wrote:

Dearly beloved Nigerians, I have a number of proposals today that may interest you. Or upset you. One, I respectfully propose that we concession the Niger Delta to the Netherlands for 17 years. Do not change the revenue allocation formula. Do not increase the derivation formula; retain it at 13%. In fact, scrap the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta. Just hand over the Niger Delta as it is now to the Dutch and ask them to “build, operate and transfer” the region by 2033. Just a change of leaders. The same followers, the same land, the same water, the same creeks, the same share of national resources and the same 1999 constitution.

Let me fantasise: in just 17 years, the Niger Delta would have a massive network of well-built roads, electricity would shine bright everywhere, schools would be brimming with brilliance, quality healthcare would be within the reach of the people — and the lives of the Niger Deltans would be reformed and transformed. Let me fantasise further: skyscrapers, refineries, power plants and holiday resorts would dot the landscape. In fact, the bridge from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island would finally be built. Just a change of leaders. The same followers, the same land, the same water, the same creeks, the same share of national resources and the same 1999 constitution.

My second proposal. The south-east, in my view, is one of Africa’s most blessed regions in terms of human resources. Hand it over to the Japanese to build, operate and transfer by 2033. Don’t abolish quota system. Retain federal character. Forget confederalism. Don’t stand on any Aburi Accord. Simply hand over the place to the Japanese on a 17-year concession agreement. Just a change of leaders. The same followers, the same land mass, the same palm wine, the same kola nut, the same share of national resources and the same 1999 constitution. By 2033, you would swear you have mistakenly strayed into another country.

Join me in my fantasy. The first thing the Japanese would do is to come up with a policy that would make all south-east councils buy their official cars from Innosons Ltd. All south-east government vehicles would be from Innosons. All lawmakers would use Innosons cars. All official cars would be from Innosons. All contractors would patronise Innosons. You know what would happen? Innosons would be so overwhelmed with orders they would explode! Positive vibration! They would start assembling vehicles for export to Africa and beyond. Innosons would become our own Honda. Soon, Simonsons would spring up to rival Innosons.

What we know as the south-east today would become the manufacturing hub of Africa. Whatever you want to buy would be produced from there: mobile phones, electric kettles, shoes, bags, shirts, TV sets, computers, wallets, fans, air conditioners and photocopiers — all thanks to the Japanese. No, not that the Japanese would set up these factories. It is the same south-easterners (and foreign investors) that would be energised to troop to the region as a result of the leadership the Japanese would offer — easily discernible in clear vision, cohesive and intelligent policies, creative incentives, tenacity of purpose and an unwavering, genuine focus on development.

My third proposal: let us sign a 17-year lease agreement with the Dubai rulers to help us run the north-central. As usual, I am proposing different leadership only. Other variables would remain. The same followers, the same land, the same water, the same yams, the same mangoes, the same share of national resources and the same 1999 constitution. I will not even suggest modernising “our agriculture”. I am talking about travel and tourism. Look at Lokoja, Kogi state, the confluence of River Niger and River Benue. Picture the billion-dollar travel and tourism industry that Sheikh Al Maktoum could engineer there within 17 years!

Imagine what Al Maktoum can do to Jos — that beautiful, temperate city that used to be the home of expatriates! In 17 years, we would be discussing Jos in the same category as Marrakech, Pattaya and Cape Town as preferred tourist destinations. Imagine what Dubai rulers would turn Zuma Rock to in 17 years! This mighty mountain would play host to Nigeria’s own Disneyland. You would soon be seeing “Zoom to Zuma” commercials on CNN across the world, shortly after the airing of “Incredible India”! It would be a destination for local and international fun-seekers. And to think Zuma is just a few kilometres away from the Abuja international airport…

I’m writing just 1300 words, so space would not allow me to discuss concession opportunities for the south-west, north-west and north-east — or what could happen if we lease the federal government of Nigeria to Rwanda for 17 years. Let me now time take questions and observations so that we can close our discussion and shut down. Your first observation is that I’m being too simplistic. You said I make it look like it is so easy to build roads, fix electricity, provide quality health care, improve education standards, develop tourism and create a manufacturing hub. You said I am living in fantasy. Thanks for the compliments, but I am not fantasising.

Pack your bags today and pay a visit to Bonny Island, where the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant is located. You won’t believe you are in the same Niger Delta. The roads are perfect. Electricity is 24/7. Water flows without inhibitions. The schools, whether conventional or vocational, are of the highest standards. I am not talking about what would happen by 2033 — I am talking of what has been on Bonny Island all along, courtesy the NLNG. If you want further evidence of what oil money can do, you can also visit the Europe-like staff quarters of the multinational companies in the Niger Delta. Yes, it can be done! I repeat: it can be done!

Your second question is that I make it look like there are no ethno-religious and political problems inhibiting Nigeria’s progress, and I talk as if there is no need to change the constitution, ditch federal character, increase derivation to 50%, or break Nigeria to pieces.

No, Ma’am, you misunderstood me. I will never understate the political and ethnic problems plaguing Nigeria. I am not 100% naive. I see, feel and observe the complexities everyday. What I’m saying, Ma’am, is that in spite of these challenges, in spite of our “bad” marriage, we can still make progress! That is why I suggest, in my proposals, that we should change only one variable — leadership.

Your own question, Sir, is why a 17-year concession? Why not 10 years? Why not 50 years? It was deliberate, Sir. We have had an unbroken democratic experience since 1999, and I am saying that if our leaders are actually interested in developing this country, 17 years is enough to go very far. My proposal is for us to have a different kind of leaders for the same period of time with the same followers, the same climate, the same humidity, the same temperature, the same vegetation, and the same share of resources. The concessionaires would still contest elections every four years but no Nigerian politician would be eligible to run until after 17 years.

I can see that professor is unhappy with me. How on earth can I be asking for a re-colonisation of Africa by proposing that we hand over to the Dutch, Japanese and Emiratis? I’m sorry, Prof, I am only speaking in parables. I am saying if the Dutch could build a country on water, if the Emiratis could create an oasis in the desert, if the Japanese could develop without natural resources, then developing Nigeria would be a piece of cake! We are blessed with all the brains, all the resources to develop this country. Our leaders must use their brains — or lease one. Forget oil. Forget FAAC. With proper leadership, the needed billion dollars would flow in from all over the world!

I will take one more question and then go home. A Nigerian who lives in the UK took his family to Dubai for the first time in August and called me from there. “Simon,” he said, “these people have two heads.” We both laughed. So your question is: are you sure there is nothing really wrong with us? If these things are doable here, why are we not doing them? Professor Chinua Achebe famously wrote in The Trouble with Nigeria (1983): “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else.” #IStandWithAchebe.

ISSUES RESOLVED, SO ZAHRA BUHARI GOES HOME WITH HUBBY THIS WEEKEND!

After all the ‘news-frenzy’ which went around for a couple of days about the wedding of  Zahra, daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari ‘holding or not holding’, reports now as gathered from Thisdaylive have it that  come Sunday December 11 2016, Ahmed Indimi, the proposed groom and  son of oil magnate, Mohammed Indimi will be able to marry his sweetheart, Zahra and take her home  as bride as the coast is now clear for the marriage rites to take place.

It would be recalled that their highly publicised wedding which was slated for December 4 was deferred following a disagreement between Ahmed’s sister, Yataka Indimi, and security officials at the Presidential Villa on November 18 during the traditional introduction ceremony. Trouble started when Yakata insisted on taking her mobile phone into the Presidential Villa with a view to recording all the proceedings contrary to security protocol. The proceedings included the delivery of customized dowry boxes made by the French luxury brand, Louis Vuitton, valued at N44 million (using the official exchange rate) to the bride and the first family.

It was gathered that the disagreements led to almost physical exchange between the groom’s sister and Presidential Villa security officials was so embarrassing that it incurred the wrath of the president over the behaviour of the Indimis. The President was said to have threatened to return the boxes and stop the marriage ceremony. Even though he was prevailed upon not to make good his threat to return the boxes, the event scheduled to climax on Sunday, December 4 was deferred.The two families however met after the incident and resolved the issue.

Meanwhile, one of Indimi’s daughters is married to former military President Ibrahim Babangida’s son, Mohammed. This next weekend’s wedding ceremony involving the Buharis will be the second that the Indimis are having with a family that has risen to the highest political office in Nigeria.

DON'T LET THEM FEED YOU RUBBISH!! OUTSMART FAKE NEWS FEEDS ON YOUR FACEBOOK!!

Before social media became the ‘in-thing’, when we heard the word ‘NEWS’ the first thing that would come to mind is ‘TRUTH’ and not just gossip or some individuals who may just be constituting ‘nuisancy’, that’s if English would permit me that usage.

As a child, listening to news on the Tv or radio was most of the times 100% authentic or 97% at the most very authentic and verifiable.

But with the advent of several social media platforms, just about anything is put out there for public consumption whether fake, false, true or … you just name it. It’s all out there and it takes only a very sound mind to rational what is or what is not. The internet does a lot of misinformation and harm in one month than what simply gossip and ‘word-of-mouth’ has done in decades put together.

Having consulted with two communications experts, Dr. Melissa Zimdars, an associate professor at Merrimack College in Massachusetts and Alexios Mantzarlis, the head of the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute, CNN decided to published an article hammering on the notion that just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true.

It seems so simple, but if everyone knew that, Facebook and Google wouldn't have to pull bogus news sites from their advertising algorithms and people wouldn't breathlessly share stories that claim Donald Trump is a secret lizard person or Hillary Clinton is an android in a pantsuit.

First, know the different types of misleading and false news

1. Fake news

These are the easiest to debunk and often come from known sham sites that are designed to look like real news outlets. They may include misleading photographs and headlines that, at first read, sound like they could be real.

2. Misleading news

These are the hardest to debunk, because they often contain a kernel of truth: A fact, event or quote that has been taken out of context. Look for sensational headlines that aren't supported by the information in the article.

3. Highly partisan news

A type of misleading news, this may be an interpretation of a real news event where the facts are manipulated to fit an agenda.

4. Clickbait

The shocking or teasing headlines of these stories trick you into clicking for more information -- which may or may not live up to what was promised.

5. Satire

This one is tough, because satire doesn't pretend to be real and serves a purpose as commentary or entertainment. But if people are not familiar with a satire site, they can share the news as if it is legitimate.

Alexios Mantzarlis trains fact-checkers for a living. He says it's important to have a "healthy amount of skepticism" and to think, really think, before sharing a piece of news.

"If we were a little slower to share and re-tweet content purely based on the headline, we'd go a good way towards combating flasehoods," he told CNN.

Melissa Zimdars points out that even those who spend a lot of time online aren't immune to fake content.

"People think this (thinking) applies only for older people," she told CNN. "I think even early education should be teaching about communication, media and the internet. Growing up with the internet doesn't necessarily mean you're internet savvy."

For starters, here are 10 questions you should ask if something looks fake:

1. Does the story come from a strange URL?

Zimdars says sites with strange suffixes like ".co" or ".su," or that are hosted by third party platforms like WordPress should raise a red flag. Some fake sites, like National Report, have legitimate-sounding, if not overly general names that can easily trick people on social sites. For instance, several fake reports from abcnews.com.co have gone viral before being debunked, including a June article that claimed President Obama signed an order banning assault weapon sales.

2. Does the headline match the information in the article?

Mantzarlis says one of the biggest reasons bogus news spreads on Facebook is because people get sucked in by a headline and don't bother to click through.

Just this week, several dubious organizations circulated a story about Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. "Pepsi STOCK Plummets After CEO Tells Trump Supporters to 'Take Their Business Elsewhere'," trumpeted one such headline.

However, the articles themselves didn't contain that quote nor evidence that Pepsi's stock saw a significant drop (it didn't). Nooyi did make recorded comments about Trump's election, but was never quoted telling his supporters to "take their business elsewhere."

3. Is it a recent story, or an old one that has been re-purposed?

Sometimes legitimate news stories can be twisted and resurrected years after the fact to create a false conflation of events. Mantzarlis recalls an erroneous story that actually cited a legitimate piece of news from CNNMoney.

A blog called Viral Liberty recently reported that Ford had moved production of some of their trucks from Mexico to Ohio because of Donald Trump's election win. The story quickly caught fire online -- after all, it seemed like a great win for the domestic auto industry.

It turns out, Ford did move some manufacturing from Mexico to Ohio -- in 2015. It had nothing to do with the election results at all.

4. Are the supporting videos or photos verifiable?

Photos and videos can also be taken out of context to support a false claim. In April, the liberal site Occupy Democrats posted a video that purportedly showed a young woman getting removed from a bathroom by police for not looking feminine enough. This was during the height of the HB2 "bathroom bill" controversy, and the article clearly linked the two. "IT BEGINS," read the headline.

However, there was no date on the video or evidence that it was shot in North Carolina, where the "bathroom bill" was to be passed.

In fact, according to Snopes, the same video was published to a Facebook page in 2015, meaning it predated the HB2 controversy.

5. Does the article cite primary sources?

It's not just political news that can be bogus. Now8News is one of the most infamous fake-but-looks-real site, specializing in the kind of weird news stories that often go viral.

One such article claims Coca-Cola recalled Dasani water bottles after a "clear parasite" was found in the water. There was even an accompanying gross-out picture that allegedly showed the parasite, though some basic Googling reveals it is most likely a photo of a young eel.

Regardless, the article had no statement or claim from any company. Clearly this would be a big story. Dasani or any number of consumer advocacy groups would publish statements or news releases about it, right? There are none to be found -- because the story is 100% fake.

6. Does the story feature quotes, and are they traceable?

A favorite meme of Liberal Facebook groups features a fake quote from Donald Trump that is allegedly from a People Magazine interview in 1998:

"If I were to run, I'd run as a Republican. They're the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they'd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific."

This one is easily debunked if you take even a moment to think about it: People.com has extensive archives, and this quote is nowhere to be found in them.

7. Is it the only outlet reporting the story?

During this election season, Pope Francis was roped into three super viral, and completely false, stories. According to various (fake) websites, the Pope endorsed three US Presidential candidates: First, Bernie Sanders, as "reported" by National Report and USAToday.com.co. Then, Donald Trump, as "reported" by fake news site WTOE 5 News. Finally, another fake news site KYPO6.com reported he had endorsed Hillary Clinton!

In all of these instances, subsequent reports all circled back to the fake ones. It's always good to trace a story back to the original source, and if you find yourself in a loop -- or if they all lead back to the same dubious site -- you have reason to doubt.

8. Is your own bias getting in the way?

Both Zimdars and Mantzarlis say confirmation bias is a big reason fake news speads like it does. Some of that is built into Facebook's algorithm -- the more you like or interact with a certain interest, the more Facebook will show you related to that interest.

Similarly, if you hate Donald Trump, you are more likely to think negative stories about Donald Trump are true, even if there is no evidence.

"We seek out information that already fits with our established beliefs," says Zimdars. "If we come into contact with information we don't agree with, it still may reaffirm us because we will attempt to find faults."

So if you find an outrageous article that feels "too good to be true," use caution: It just might be.

9. Has it been debunked by a reputable fact-checking organization?

Did you know there is actually an International Fact-Checking Network (which Mantzarlis leads)? And that it has a code of principles? The code includes the ideals of nonpartisanship and transparency, among others. Sites like FactCheck.org, Snopes and Politifact abide by this code, so if you see a debunking there, you know you're getting the real deal.

10. Is the host on a list of unreliable news websites?

This is where things can get tricky. There's obviously a big difference between "misleading" news, which is usually based in fact, and "fake" news, which is just fiction disguised as fact. Zimdars' now-famous list covers both kinds, as well as satire and sites that capitalize on clickbait-type headlines. Snopes also maintains a list.

While Zimdars is glad her list has gotten so much attention, she also cautions that completely writng off some of the sites as "fake" is not accurate. "I want to make sure this list doesn't do a great disservice to the ultimate goal," she says. "It's interesting that some of the headlines [about my list] are just as hyperbolic as the ones I am analyzing."