[Naijanet] Re: The Economy Class Is Not For A Nigerian Minister
edur...@yahoo.com
Pay for his upgrade and pay for those of his FBI agents? Please!
Maybe you should preach that to Tucker Carlson, who failed
to "imagine" such a (paid) scenario when he repeated the story on
the "Spin Room".
Best Regards
Emeka
--- In naijanet@y..., dbd06@0... wrote:
> Emeka,
> I said "frequently" not "always without an exception". Cabinet
> members frequently fly economy, and that is a fact. Anyway, how do
> you know that Ashcroft did NOT pay for his upgrade himself?
>
>
> M
>
> --- In naijanet@y..., eduruigbo@y... wrote:
> >
> > Mukhtar,
> >
> > Where do you get all these facts from? John Ashcroft travelled
the
> > other day with a retinue of FBI assistants enjoying the
privileged
> > class, while his erstwhile colleague in the Senate, Tom Harkin (D-
> > Iowa) was there in the Economy Class. It was a classic case of
> irony,
> > since a few weeks before, Ashcroft was supposed to be the guy
> crying,
> > after losing his seat in the chambers he shared with Tom
Harkin.The
> > reality is that if you're in the Executive Branch, you enjoy some
> > perks.
> >
> > Best Regards
> >
> > Emeka [you guys should not disturb my semi-cyberticals with
> > inaccurate information]
> >
> > --- In naijanet@y..., Mukhtar Dan'Iyan <dbd06@0...> wrote:
> > > There is nothing wrong with the President travelling economy
> class.
> > If he feels economy is too little for a person of his stature, he
> is
> > welcome to upgrade to any level (even the pilot's cockpit) at his
> own
> > expense.
> > >
> > > Why should public funds foot anything but neccessities? In this
> USA
> > where both you and I live, Senators and Cabinet members
frequently
> > travel economy class on official assignments. In fact, the only
> > people who use business class and first class are those who pay
for
> > it themselves.
> > >
> > > I can only speak for myself, but I know that if I hold public
> > office tomorrow, the day I start using my position for personal
> > aggrandaisment is the day I shall tender my letter of
resignation,
> it
> > is that simple.
> > >
> > > Anyway what can one truly expect from a Nigeria where most
public
> > office holders have nothing to add to the productive capacity of
> the
> > economy and have not made money in any way other than via
> government
> > patronage...
> > >
> > >
> > > M
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- yinka adeyemi <yadeyemi@j...>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >Guys:
> > > >The guy is not crazy; at his level, he should have been given
a
> > business
> > > >class ticket. That is the proper thing to do. Even the poorest
> of
> > nations
> > > >understand this. We should not take this equality nonsense
> > overboard.
> > > >There is nothing extraordinary in this sort of things: if you
> are
> > going
> > > >for business and you are an executive, then you go business
> class.
> > > >
> > > >At the rate you guys are going, you would be asking the
> president
> > to
> > > >travel economy.
> > > >
> > > >Do you guys think Kanu would travel economy? Do you think his
> club
> > would
> > > >tolerate that? This is about comfort and a cramp-free flight.
> Hey,
> > > >sometime when we represent clients (like musicians) who are
not
> > getting
> > > >paid premium fees, we would usually tie in such requests -
> > limousine
> > > >rides, business class, etc.
> > > >
> > > >Now, if the NFA needs the guy next time around, they know what
> to
> > do.
> > > >Valuable lessons have been learned.
> > > >On Fri, 15 Jun 2001 21:28:37 -0000 dbd06@0... writes:
> > > >> This guy is nuts. Govt should provide the barest minimum for
> > official
> > > >>
> > > >> travel i.e economy class. If anyone is unhappy with such,
s/he
> > can
> > > >> upgrage at his or her own expense...
> > > >>
> > > >> M
> > > >>
> > > >> --- In naijanet@y..., Adey Oyenuga <oyenuga@c...> wrote:
> > > >> > Leader of delegation walks out on Eagles
> > > >> >
> > > >> > By Dapo Sotumuni
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Nigeian Leader of Delegation to the Nations Cup
> qualifying
> > > >> match in
> > > >> > Namibia, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, yesterday morning, was
> reported
> > to
> > > >>
> > > >> have
> > > >> > walked out on the Super Eagles team right at the airport
on
> > the
> > > >> ground
> > > >> > of ego.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Ibrahim Tnako who is the Head of National Competitions in
> the
> > > >> Nigeria
> > > >> > Football Association (NFA) stormed out of the Murtala
> Muhammed
> > > >> Airport,
> > > >> > Lagos, with his luggage, refusing to travel with the beam
to
> > > >> Windhoek.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Tanko, it was gathered lashed out at the NFA protocol
> > officers,
> > > >> who
> > > >> had
> > > >> > booked the same economy class for him, as the Super Eagles
> > players
> > > >>
> > > >> and
> > > >> > officials.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > A close source present at the airport told The Comet Sport
> > that,
> > > >> Ibrahim
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Tanko got infuriated when he was given his flight ticket
> which
> > > >> read
> > > >> > `Economy
> > > >> > Class'.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > He got so angry that he called for his luggage which had
> > already
> > > >> been
> > > >> > checked
> > > >> > in by airport officials. He shouted on top of his voice,
> > saying, I
> > > >>
> > > >> can't
> > > >> > travel on
> > > >> > same class with the players. Can you put the Minister of
> > Sports in
> > > >>
> > > >> the
> > > >> > economy
> > > >> > class. It is not possible, so I won't travel with you',
our
> > > >> source
> > > >> > quoted Ibrahim Tanko.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > It was added that, after the shouting match, the supposed
> > Leader
> > > >> of
> > > >> > Delegation collected his luggage and entered a waiting car
> > which
> > > >> drove
> > > >> > him away from the airport . He did not return and left the
> > team
> > > >> to
> > > >> > travel with only one NFA top
> > > >> > official.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Meanwhile, the Eagles coaches dropped two home-based
> players,
> > who
> > > >> were
> > > >> > unable to make the team to Namibia. The players who were
> > dropped
> > > >> few
> > > >> > hours to the team's departure from Lagos are Julius Berger
> of
> > > >> Lagos
> > > >> > defender, Romanus Orjinta, who sustained an ankle injury
> > during
> > > >> the
> > > >> > Eagles training
> > > >> > session, and Rangers of Enugu striker, ugochukwu Okeke,
who
> > was
> > > >> dropped
> > > >> > because of his slow pattern of play." Okeke's place was
> taken
> > by
> > > >> > Insurance
> > > >> > FC of Benin striker, Kayode Idowu.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > In a related development, the Nigeria Football
Association,
> has
> > > >> > threatened
> > > >> > to report South African Club side, Mamelodi Sundowns to
> FIFA,
> > for
> > > >>
> > > >> their
> > > >> > refusal to release Godwin Ilodigwe for the match against
> > Namibia.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > -- The Comet
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> _/_/_/__/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_
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> > > >>
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Adey Oyenuga
I thought the "Spin Room" has beed replaced with Lagbaja At Large?
By the way, you and Tucker are perfect together. Please inform us
on the number of bow ties in your closet?
Adey Oyenuga.
p.s.: FYI, I have little or no problem with Bush's men flying in
the Business Class.... Heck, they deserved it. However, I have a
beef with the Nigerian Minister of Sports trying to show that he
is better? than the people. Yeye man!
db...@0608.net
individual has is assigned to him and is on the payroll of the
employing govt as far as all expenses are concerned. Or do you think
Bill Clinton foots the bill for the secret service staff that is
globe trotting with him around the world?
M
> > > expense..
Anthony Kakhu
Bolaji,
I find it incredible that anyone will even agree with that Nigerian
official. What nonsense. The guy is truly nuts! This is a govt official
(Ministry official) accompany our national football team for a football
match in another African country. All the footballers are travelling economy
and this guy DEMANDS to travel business class or else he won't travel. The
country is really losing it. If I were the minister of sport, as a minimum,
I will make sure that guy never accompanies any of our teams abroad again.
All this comparison with what happens in the United States (or any other
western country) is, as is almost always the case, completely irrelevant.
When you guys do these comparisons you really underestimate the gravity of
the problems facing Nigeria. If I were Nigeria's president I will not only
travel economy (as often as security allows), drive a "made"-in-Nigeria car
BUT also insist that ALL Fed Govt ministries/employees and parastatals do
the same. Anyone who sees appointment at a senior level in Nigeria as some
sort of opportunity to "live life to the full" rather than an opportunity to
serve the people is definitely not what the country needs at this stage of
its development.
Tony Kakhu.
----- Original Message -----
From: <mal...@scs.howard.edu>
To: <naij...@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2001 1:34 AM
Subject: [Naijanet] Re: The Economy Class Is Not For A Nigerian Minister
>
>
> Mukhtar:
>
> By the way, if I am president, I will always use the presidential
> jet, or insist on flying FIRST CLASS if using a commercial flight,
> which will be RARELY. I will travel much fewer times than President
> Obasanjo, though.
>
> Nobody quarrels with perks of the office IF YOU DELIVER. But the
> price for not delivering is TO BE VOTED OUT, not to ride "BOLEKAJA."
>
> By the way, General Murtala Muhammed once tried to go "low profile",
> and Dimka assassinated him in go-slow traffic in Ikoyi! I think that
> the cost/benefit analysis of such "low profile" activity was not
> properly weighed.
>
> I think that a president should ride in properly secured presidential
> style. If you (will be forced to?) eat a frog, you might as well eat
> one with plenty of eggs in it!
>
> I am not kidding.
>
>
> Bolaji
Anthony Kakhu
Bolaji,
The more I read your comments on this thread, the more I scratch my head.
> PS: If you start making calculations about textbooks and pipeborn
> water, a president will have no state banquets, will not make any
> state visits inside or outside the country, will live like a church
> rat. His position will not be what the best people - who could also
> be the best servant-leaders - will aspire to attain. No - you can
> be presidential AND frugal without being paranoid about it. Trust me.
Bolaji, it is called LEADING BY EXAMPLE. A Nigerian leader who is not
prepared to show lots and lots of frugality is a non-starter, a big-joker.
Put simply, if a leader is not prepared to show genuine austerity STARTING
FROM HIMSELF and all around him, how can he turn round and even attempt to
preach against the monumental wastage in Nigeria. As a Nigerian leader,
people must believe in you, they must see what you preach in you and expect
you to always lead by example. How can a govt official DEMAND that he MUST
travel business class (other than economy class) otherwise he won't go on a
trip to accompanying footballers for an away match!
And when you start talking about how terrible it will be for a Nigerian
leader not to have telephone contact with Nigeria for 6 hours while flying
in a plane, then you are clearly taking your American/Western comparison too
far.
Tony Kakhu.
Anthony Kakhu
Adey,
The guy is NOT even the Minister of Sports! He is only an official in the
NFA. The reports describe him as "the Head of National Competitions in the
Nigeria
Football Association (NFA)". He was comparing his role in this trip to that
of a Minister, hence that outburst about "Can you put the Minister of Sports
in Economy Class?"
You talk about reporting him to "Uncle Sege". But that depends on how Uncle
Sege and his own entourage travel. If Obasanjo and his staff see it as a
requirement that you must travel business class on official trips, then I am
afraid your protest will be of no use.
mal...@scs.howard.edu
Tony:
1. The case of Economy vs. Business Ticket
I have now learnt that you are a pretty emotional guy, and that these
days you seem to let your judgement on certain matters being brought
up on Nigeria cloud your judgement.
This case is one of them.
Please note that I have NOT commented so far on this PARTICULAR
INDIVIDUAL Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko's refusal to board a plane with the
NFA Eagles on account of his economy class ticket. I have not done
so because I find that our approach to the Nigerian problem on
Naijanet these days appears to be to NIT-PICK, NIT-PICK so much that
rarely do we suggest SYSTEMIC solutions to the problem, just "PUNISH
the guy caught now, DISGRACE him" - and then move on. Then the next
guy comes around - "PUNISH and DISGRACE him" - then move on.
No. I am more interested in creating an atmosphere in which we will
not have so many people to PUNISH and DISGRACE. And I am not a
believer that PUNISHMENT is the best deterrent to problems - it is
PREVENTION through intentional means, because we must take away the
means, motive and opportunity for crime, corruption, fraud from many
people, rather than wait around for them to commit these things and
then salivate as we punish them.
As I have said, let us place caps on total amount for official
travel, and give certain top officials (and lower-down ones too) some
room to manouever, in a manner in which they may stay fewer days and
travel in greater comfort, etc. Treat people with some dignity, and
you might see them perform some more. I stick with that admonition.
But by the way, Tony, let us look at THIS PARTICULAR IBRAHIM TANKO
INCIDENT, because it smells fishy to me:
(1) Is this the first time that Ibrahim Tanko has travelled with the
Green Eagles?
(2) If yes, did his predecessor travel economy or business?
(3) If not, has Ibrahim Tanko travelled in business or economy
before? My best thinking that is that probably he has always
travelled business, hence his present "annoyance" at being downgraded
to economy.
(4) If he has always travelled business before (or his predecessor
always travelled business), was he informed prior to getting to the
airport this time that he would be travelling economy? If not, why
not?
(5) If he had been told that he would travel business, why might it
have been switched to economy at the last minute?
(6) If he had been told that he would travel economy, and he
protested, and he was promised that it would be upgraded by the time
he got to the Airport, might he have been disappointed that he was
not upgraded? Might the booking persons been awfully rude to him?
(7) Let me bring in an ethnic angle here. Suppose you, a "baaad"
Black Nigerian professional working at Imperial College, were to go
on a conference with 7 White IC professionals. You had been told
that you would ALL fly business class, that you should pick up your
ticket at the airport. Then you get to the airport, and all your 7
colleagues get their business tickets, but you are handed an economy
class, with some lame excuse (with a snigger) about there being no
more seats in business. To make matters worse, your 7 colleagues
tease you that an economy class is good enough for a Nigerian like
you! If you storm out of that place, would it be because you choose
not to fly in an economy class, or because of your treatment
concerning it? If a mischievous reporter were around - maybe a
racist reporter - could he not report that you stormed out because
you said that flying economy class was beneath you? Could something
similar not have happened to Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko?
So my fellow Nigerians, let us think a little bit deeper before we
get ALL UPSET over every issue that is reported about officials,
about this and that from Nigeria. We have EVERY reason to be
indignant about many things in Nigeria, but getting upset about
EVERYTHING without digging deeper, and without creating an avenue to
make the changes that we desperately need will not cut it! Just
COMPLAINING, COMPLAINING in London or Boston WITHOUT dirtying our
hands will not cut it.
Now see that George Ayittey has gone home (on a consultative basis)
to help out with president George Akuffuor in Ghana, and already some
people here are calling him a collaborationist! I mean, George
Akuffuor knew George Ayittey's views before he invited him, and I can
assure you that George Ayittey knows that the eyes of the world are
on him, to deliver based on all the books he has written on Africa.
We can hold him ACCOUNTABLE based on his paper trail, something that
we cannot hold most of our leaders accountable over.
By the way, I too can be held accountable based on my electronic
trail. Part of that trail is that I will not refuse the perks of the
office, but I will work 24/7/52/360! :-)
2. Leading by Example
I agree with leading by example, but you should not confuse
ostentation with enjoying the perks of the office. I could still
ride in a limousine without blaring with sirens and 100 outriders.
I could use a presidential jet and have a modest retinue of 10 people
dressed tastefully come with me on a state visit. You can be
presidential and humble.
And I am a stickler for bench-marking, Tony Kakhu. If you want to
succeed, look at how others have succeeded. If you want to drag
yourself out of a hovel, you don't look at the people in the hovel
with you, but you look at those who live in the good houses that you
pass by, and the mansions in pictures. So even though our nation
might not have as many telephone lines as you would like, I can still
work on having more of them work for the citizens while insisting
that the president must have 24/7/52/360 access to telephone to get
in touch with his ministers and aides. Even if the much of the
country is still in NEPA darkness, that does not mean that I should
tolerate Aso Rock being in NEPA darkness: how then will I, as
elected representative, make things better if I am so hampered like
every one else?
That is not being out of touch - nor is that too American. Even our
native kings have aides with them ALL the time so that when they want
water, they want to call in one of their many wives or ministers,
those aides will be at their beck and call. A telephone is nothing
more than a communication mode, and to imagine that because I want to
be able to have access to telephone even during a six-hour phone
journey shows that I am out of touch is simply unacceptable to me.
Unless we aim high as a nation, we will remain low. I will not be
ostentatious, Tony, but I will use the BEST INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE
and technology available to uplift the country, to bootstrap itself
out of its current mess.
Take care, and take it easy.
Bolaji Aluko
From: "Anthony Kakhu" <a.kakhu@i...>
Date: Sat Jun 16, 2001 10:03 pm
Subject: Re: [Naijanet] Re: The Economy Class Is Not For A Nigerian
Minister
Bolaji,