Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
Mobolaji ALUKO
Prof. Aluko,
Are you suspecting this initiative is ingenious?
Ohima Agans-Oliha
--- On Thu, 1/27/11, Mobolaji ALUKO <alu...@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Mobolaji ALUKO <alu...@gmail.com>
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
To: "USAAfrica Dialogue" <USAAfric...@googlegroups.com>, "NaijaPolitics e-Group" <NaijaP...@yahoogroups.com>, "ekiti ekitigroups" <ekiti...@yahoogroups.com>, "niger...@yahoogroups.com" <niger...@yahoogroups.com>, "NigerianWorldForum" <NIgerianW...@yahoogroups.com>, "nigerianobserver" <nigerian...@yahoogroups.com>, "naijaintellects" <naijain...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 10:16 AM
Dear All:Ha....was this a "secret" Manhattan Project? When was this TOKTEN project for Nigeria announced?"The Nigerian professionals are coming from Asia, France, United States, Russia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Japan, Cuba, and other countries."
If you get 900 people to be part of a project, maybe 2000 applied! So how did 2000 people get the information, and who else did or did not? What crtical areas are these, aand how are the people distributed?The experts are drawn from the economic, technological, iron and steel, agriculture, social, medical, and other fields, according to a Presidency source.
Okay...Salary nko?‘’No salaries or honourarium will be paid to them but the recognition by their motherland and the United Nations sponsorship are to serve as motivation,’’ the source said.
Wonderful! Maybe this is what Bianca will administer?Too many questions, too few answers that inquiring minds want to know....Bolaji AlukoShaking his head_______________________________The Origins of TOKTEN:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) introduced TOKTEN in 1977 to help reduce adverse effects of the “Brain-Drain” phenomena or "reverse transfer of technology" in many developing countries. TOKTEN offers a window of opportunity for expatriate nationals with lengthy experiences in their fields of specialization to return to their home countries, for an agreed period of time. TOKTEN modality is considered as an efficient development intervention as TOKTEN Volunteers can merge their acquired learning with their familiarity of local culture and language in order to effectively transfer their knowledge and skills.
TOKTEN has since being expanded to more than 30 countries including: India, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam, Lebanon, Syria, Senegal, Nigeria, among other countries. In these countries, highly skilled expatriate professionals have provided technical expertise, policy advice and research to governments, private and public sectors, universities, and research centers in various fields.
UNQUOTENine Hundred Experts Return to Fix Critical Economic SectorsDaily Independent
TOKTEN: Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
Posted January 24, 2011
By Mark Mayah and Adeola Yusuf , Lagos
Some 900 Nigerian professionals living abroad have agreed to return home to provide technical assistance in the critical sectors of the economy, including power.
They are expected to arrive by February 24 to participate in a consultancy scheme jointly organised by the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The scheme – which agreement was signed in Abuja in October last year – begins in March and ends two years after.
But the returnees will work for between two weeks and three months at a time.
The scheme, called “Transfer of knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals’’ (TOKTEN), has $1 million (N150 million) provided for it by the UNDP for the travelling and living expenses of the participants.
The experts are drawn from the economic, technological, iron and steel, agriculture, social, medical, and other fields, according to a Presidency source.
‘’No salaries or honourarium will be paid to them but the recognition by their motherland and the United Nations sponsorship are to serve as motivation,’’ the source said.
The UNDP will monitor the scheme through its project services office while the Ministry of Finance will implement it.
The Nigerian professionals are coming from Asia, France, United States, Russia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Japan, Cuba, and other countries.
The source disclosed that the UNDP had appealed to ministries and parastatals to identify Nigerians abroad who can fill on a temporary basis critical gaps in their operations.
“The scheme, which is a bye-product of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Power Reforms, will be implemented over a period of two years and if successful, there is great scope for expansion.”
The UNDP advised the Presidency to appoint for the scheme a Coordinator not lower than the rank of a Deputy Director.
TOKTEN aims to reduce the adverse effects of the brain drain, with expatriate Nigerians coming back home to provide advisory services at low cost.
They will have their work cut out, particularly in the power sector, where it has emerged that electricity generation has dropped about 300 megawatts (mw) to 3200 mw in less than one month after hitting 3,500 mw.
The Power Task Force disclosed this in a document obtained at the weekend, which stressed that this makes imminent the full implementation of the power sector reform.
Power generation notched 3,500 mw December last year, and the task force, headed by Bart Nnaji, declared that it is now “obvious that power generation has not developed as required” and “there exists ample investment opportunities in the power generation sector.”
The power generation gap of 26,561 mw is expected to be closed by 2020, the report enthused.
“Consequently, an annual growth of approximately 3,000 mw is required. Post-2020, it is projected that the annual growth will reduce to approximately 1,500 mw, up to 2033.
“It is planned that this growth will be driven by the private sector. It is expected that the growth will be supported by a robust commercial market.”
The report noted the need for the refurbishment of existing power stations and subsequent expansion, as well as construction of new generation plants, provision of operations and maintenance services, and human capacity development.
It detailed power generation into the three sub-sectors: existing government facilities, Independent Power Projects (IPP), and National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).
It noted that the Kainji power station built in 1968 with installed capacity of 760 mw, is generating 480 mw, the Jebba power station built in 1985 with installed capacity of 540 mw, is generating 450 mw, while the Shiroro hydroelectric Plc built in 1989 with installed capacity of 600 mw is generating 450 mw.
According to the document, Egbin built in 1986 with installed capacity of 1,320 mw, currently generates 1100 mw; Geregu built in 2007 with installed capacity of 414 mw, generates 276 mw; and Omotosho built in 2007 with installed capacity of 304 mw generates 76 mw.
Others are Olorunsogo built in 2008 with capacity for 304 mw, generates 76 mw; Delta Power built in 1966 (900 mw), generates 300 mw; Sapele Power built in 1978 (1,020 mw), generates 90 mw; and Afam built in 1963/2001 (726 mw), generates 60 mw.
Calabar thermal power station built in 1934 (6.6 mw), does not generate one single mw; likewise Oji River power station built in 1956 (10 mw).
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Mobolaji ALUKO
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Mobolaji ALUKO
The news item is VERY SUSPICIOUS! JUI
From: naijain...@googlegroups.com [mailto:naijain...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of African Oracle
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 11:43 AM
To: naijain...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Naijaintellects] Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
Na wa o! Abi na secret cult bi this? No information about TOKEN anywhere. Abi na family selection self or man no man...? question and question!
----- Original Message -----
From: Mobolaji ALUKO
To: Ohima Oliha
Cc: USAAfrica Dialogue ; NaijaPolitics e-Group ; niger...@yahoogroups.com ; NIgerianW...@yahoogroups.com ; nigerianobserver ; naijaintellects
Sent: Thursday, January, 27, 2011 4:44 PM
Subject: [Naijaintellects] Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
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Mobolaji ALUKO
The truth is that many programs even with the potential for national impact are rarely advertised by the government definitely not in recent times.Which top jobs, positions, posts, volunteer works have you in recent time seen advertised by the government any where. Give me one medium where such positions have ever been advertised.The key points are that in the Nigerian style, such things are rarely advertised and in the same style cronies and associates are the ones that are inevitably called or informed of such positions and given a head start if at all those things will be published later. The fact that the ministries were asked(according to the article) to submit names has the presumption that the ministries may have names of those they are already working with or will get new names without defining how that will be done but we all know the Naija way of doing that. My reference to egroups community activism lies in the erroneous belief that such fora are main media to push such information. Some of us have been on egroups for up to 20 years and even pioneers in information dissemination on the internet/webs and through the egroups fora, so my reference to them is not to disparage anyone.I do agree with your point that the government SHOULD publish such programs BUT the reality is that they DO NOT and we all need to understand the reality and what is becoming almost an entrenched culture in Nigeria.Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:36 PMSubject: RE: [Naijaintellects] Re: [edo-nationality] RE: TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
Programs like this (with the potential for national impact) are usually advertized either through the media or foreign missions. May be some of you saw the adverts or other ways they publicized the program to attract applicants. Some of us did not. And this omission has absolutely nothing to do with whether one is active in Nigerian egroups/community events or not. The POINT here is that the best Govt can do for a program like this is to publicize it extensively (via several media and news outlets) to attract a large pool of those interested. Take care. JUI
From: naijain...@googlegroups.com [mailto:naijain...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of African Oracle
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 2:20 PM
To: naijain...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Naijaintellects] Re: [edo-nationality] RE: TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
"It brings to the fore the need for professionals in the diaspora to come together and discuss issues with provision of solutions/pathways to them not necessarily based on ethnic or career congregation but on skills, experience and prior work on specific issues. " - Segun
This was the vision in 2007/2008 when few of us started DiNiSaT - Diaspora Nigerians in Science and Technology - You know what Fela called Egbe- ke- gbe - What that means is what Yoruba called Iruwa Ogiriwa a sort of all sorts - When people do not have common value and share the same vision, such organization would not succeed.
As few us were burning the candle, spending our own personal monies to organize events in order to bring people together, some were devising means of maximizing profits from the organization. Some hijacked the framework, one pocketed money - At the end of the day what you think was an association of well reasoned professionals was not different from the way things are in naija.
Today, the organization is cooling off somewhere - Just wondering what would be going on in the minds of those that rushed, hijacked, put self interest ahead a noble course. Today, if that organization is in place, they would be shinning by now. The Norwegian government representative thought, we were doing the right thing and looking for ways to support...
Dele
----- Original Message -----
From: Segun T. Dawodu
Cc: NaijaP...@yahoogroups.com; afe...@yahoogroups.com; NigerianW...@yahoogroups.com; usaafric...@googlegroups.com ; NaijaO...@yahoogroups.com ; niger...@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, January, 27, 2011 7:55 PM
Subject: [Naijaintellects] Re: [edo-nationality] RE: TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
Why is it suspicious?
The article clearly stated that UNDP contacted the ministry and requested names of those they want. So with ways things are done in nigeria, more likely friends and family members were recommended.
The mistake people make is that because they write on several nigerian fora, they are noticed by those in Abuja for appointments or represent the interests of nigerians in diaspora.
An example is Segun Aganga whose appointment was based solely on the recommendation of a former minister with no evidence that he has done anything extra-ordinary anywhere in the financial sector.
Is it also possible that NIDO or any diaspora organization was contacted?
It brings to the fore the need for professionals in the diaspora to come together and discuss issues with provision of solutions/pathways to them not necessarily based on ethnic or career congregation but on skills, experience and prior work on specific issues. And at the end the government and private sector can have access to the expertise either as pro bono or for a token fee.
Segun
From: "Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID)" <jb...@cdc.gov>
Sender: edo-nat...@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:49:39 -0500
ReplyTo: edo-nat...@yahoogroups.com
Cc: <NaijaP...@yahoogroups.com>; <edo-nat...@yahoogroups.com>; <afe...@yahoogroups.com>; <NigerianW...@yahoogroups.com>; <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>; <NaijaO...@yahoogroups.com>; <niger...@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [edo-nationality] RE: TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
The news item is VERY SUSPICIOUS! JUI
From: naijain...@googlegroups.com [mailto:naijain...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of African Oracle
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 11:43 AM
To: naijain...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Naijaintellects] Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectorsNa wa o! Abi na secret cult bi this? No information about TOKEN anywhere. Abi na family selection self or man no man...? question and question!
----- Original Message -----
From: Mobolaji ALUKO
To: Ohima Oliha
Cc: USAAfrica Dialogue ; NaijaPolitics e-Group ; niger...@yahoogroups.com ; NIgerianW...@yahoogroups.com ; nigerianobserver ; naijaintellects
Sent: Thursday, January, 27, 2011 4:44 PM
Subject: [Naijaintellects] Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] TOKTEN: Nine Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
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Bolaji Aluko
> *From:* Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jb...@cdc.gov>
> *Sent:* Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:36 PM
> *To:* naijain...@googlegroups.com ; edo-nat...@yahoogroups.com ;
> naijain...@googlegroups.com
> *Cc:* NaijaP...@yahoogroups.com ; afe...@yahoogroups.com ;
> NigerianW...@yahoogroups.com ; usaafric...@googlegroups.com ;
> NaijaO...@yahoogroups.com ; niger...@yahoogroups.com
> *Subject:* RE: [Naijaintellects] Re: [edo-nationality] RE: TOKTEN: Nine
> Hundred Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
>
>
>
Mobolaji ALUKO
"The Nigerian professionals are coming from Asia, France, United States, Russia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Japan, Cuba, and other countries."
The experts are drawn from the economic, technological, iron and steel, agriculture, social, medical, and other fields, according to a Presidency source.
‘’No salaries or honourarium will be paid to them but the recognition by their motherland and the United Nations sponsorship are to serve as motivation,’’ the source said.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) introduced TOKTEN in 1977 to help reduce adverse effects of the “Brain-Drain” phenomena or "reverse transfer of technology" in many developing countries. TOKTEN offers a window of opportunity for expatriate nationals with lengthy experiences in their fields of specialization to return to their home countries, for an agreed period of time. TOKTEN modality is considered as an efficient development intervention as TOKTEN Volunteers can merge their acquired learning with their familiarity of local culture and language in order to effectively transfer their knowledge and skills.
TOKTEN has since being expanded to more than 30 countries including: India, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam, Lebanon, Syria, Senegal, Nigeria, among other countries. In these countries, highly skilled expatriate professionals have provided technical expertise, policy advice and research to governments, private and public sectors, universities, and research centers in various fields.
Daily Independent
TOKTEN: Nigerian experts return to fix critical economic sectors
toyin adepoju
America Issues A Terse, Tepid Response, On Egypt! WHY?
http://digg.com/story/r/america_issues_a_terse_tepid_response_on_egypt_why_new_york_bergen_county_independent_examiner_com
Written by Paul I. Adujie
In the face of public protests and demonstrations, a constitutional and political upheaval in Egypt, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton of the United States have issued terse, tepid, sleepy and tongue-tied reactions, but why?
Why the sleepy, tongue-tied reaction or response and statements concerning the crises in Egypt? I thought that the United States supports, across the board? I thought that the United States supported economic and political reforms in China, in North Korea, in Iran, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Pakistan?
I thought that the United States supported Human Rights on a global scale? I thought Human Rights was a universal concept, and a high ideal which is advocated by the USA?
I actually thought that America support political freedoms, freedom of association and speech globally?
President Hosni Mubarak and the government of Egypt have arbitrarily and in the most draconian manner, have shutdown telephone and telecommunications service, including internet service, Facebook and Twitter and all manner of digital age social media and other alternative media forums in Egypt, and yet, there is not murmur of protests by the American government, America offers no whimper of support for the people of Egypt?
Hosni Mubarak has been president of Egypt since 1981, he is 82 years old, and America is relying on him to initiate reforms? There has been a state of emergency persisting in Egypt since it was first imposed in the aftermath of the assassination of Awar Sadat in 1981 and that is a whopping 30 years time period which has elapsed.
America is clearly deliberately behind the curve in the happenings on the ground in Egypt
Whereas, America went above and beyond, in support of protesters in Iran last year. In fact, it is the case that the United States in connection with the protest in Iran last year, actually managed to have come across as orchestrating and choreographing protests against the government of Ahmadinejad of Iran in the aftermath of the June 12, 2010 elections.
The United States even went as far as demanding and insisting, imposing a postponement of scheduled maintenance on Twitter, in order that protesters in Iran have continued uninterrupted access to Twitter, just so, the protesters could tweet, unhindered, and coordinate their protests. Iran received scathing and scalding criticisms from the United States as the so-called Green Revolution persisted in Iran.
The death Neda Agha-Soltan of a lady became the rallying cry of the Iranian protesters and their American supporters and handlers, but, now, more than 10 person have been murdered by Egyptian security agencies since these public protests and demonstrations began in Egypt several days and ago, and yet, there are no pointed criticism against the tyrannical and dictatorial government of Hosni Mubarak. There is no clear, concise and precise statements of support for the beleaguered 87 million citizens of Egypt. What we have instead is, measured, convoluted and tongue-twisting statements of how Egypt is the strongest ally of the United States.
The US is, platitudinous statements regarding why Egypt need political and economic reforms! Reforms? What reforms? Hosni Mubarak has been president of Egypt for 30 years. Egypt has had no vice president for over thirty years. There egregious Human Rights abuses in Egypt. There is extreme gender inequality in Egypt. There are extreme political repressions in Egypt. And, all these have persisted for decades and the world, including the United States knows it!
Why does the United States engage in speaking from both sides of the mouth and inconsistently, regarding democracy, the rule of law, due process and human rights? Why is it that, in the eyes of the United States government, so-called high ideals and tenets of democracy, constitutionalism and political processes are fleeting and forever shifting and fluid? Why couldn’t the US have a single definition for democracy, freedom, free speech, human rights, the rule of law, due process etc, whether in Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Iran, China, North Korea and yes, Egypt as well?
In the current crises in Egypt, the US comes across as conflicted, confused and duplicitous! Is has forever given winks and nods to Hosni Mubarak as Mubarak have clamped down in extreme and obsessive manner, against Muslim Brotherhood
The current American administration scheduled a press briefing on Friday January 28, 2011 which was supposed to occur, soon after public statements by Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, and because Hosni Mubarak cancelled or has delayed for several hours, his scheduled public statements, the White House has similarly, delayed for two and a half hours, the scheduled American press briefing! Just imagine the idea that the US is coordinating, with Hosni Mubarak, a dictator-tyrant, what ought to be a US forthright response to the repressions and brutalities in Egypt inflicted on Egyptians by a dictator who happens to be a valued and treasured ally of America!
There are patterns in all of these. Only recently, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks revealed how the government of the United States encouraged the undemocratic government of Yemen, to deceive the people of Yemen and hold the citizens of Yemen in utter contempt and complete disregard through frauds and lies. The US was conducting military actions in Yemen, while asking the government of Yemen to pretend to be undertaking such military actions, even though Yemen does not possess the hardware, the predator drones and the military wherewithal to have engage in those military actions. The US demanded and insisted that the political leaders in Yemen act as fall guys for US military actions inside Yemen.
America is entitled to defend it’s interests as America sees fit, but, it must cease all pretensions to higher ideals. It has become clear that America shifts the goal posts frequently, regarding what ought to be America’s core beliefs, high ideals and tenets of democracy, the rule of law, due process etc. American values are fleeting and shifting, depending on the nation and region of the world, and determined by American interests!
America is too often hypocritical. America too frequently engages in expediencies, as it did in Afghanistan in competition with the former USSR, this expediency, in place of sound policy, have been repeated in the intractable crises between Palestine and Israel, then, in policies towards Iraq, then and Iran now. Expediency is also what drives American policies regarding Egypt.
America while demanding elections and regime change in Iran and Zimbabwe etc, continues to prop up brutal and authoritarian, dictatorial and tyrannical regimes, in Egypt and across the world. What is wrong with this picture? Where is the outrage by the US?
Why is America always this strange bedfellow with dictators, tyrants, antidemocratic forces and regimes which openly engage in arbitrary and draconian use of political power. America is in a dilemma, America is afraid of the type of leadership and government which might replace Hosni Mubarak in Egypt
The average American wants to know why some are vehemently and stridently against American policies in the Middle East, and most of the world? The answer is the hypocrisies and double standards which American government demonstrates again and again! Support the people of Egypt! Hosni Mubarak must GO!!!!
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