Gbawe: @OP

I don't know if it is entirely "bitterness". I think Nigerians in the diaspora have a patronising attitude towards Nigeria. Not good I concede, but I don't think you can entirely blame them for that. We cannot always reduce everything to money and frustration either. Some diasporans are just extremely upset at the slow pace of things back home. Always negative news of extreme corruption, terrorism, lawlessness and general lack of progress.

They see things that would be done ,in days, in their diasporan Nation take several decades to achieve in Nigeria. Many diasporans are just disappointed and this can lead to their negative outlook , towards Nigeria, you term "bitterness".

In the end, I like what you are saying. You make some great points. You are totally correct that we cannot achieve anything "hating ourselves". Good or bad, we are all Nigerians and you are indeed correct to note the patriotic diasporans Nigerians contributing to Nigeria because they are far more in number than other categories in the diaspora.

nagoma:

... which is so intence billious and malignant..

Dede1: Local champions are always delighted with beer parlor-styled discussion. This goofy thread is no exception. If Nigerians in Diaspora are bitter about the state of affairs in Nigeria, one can easily conclude without malice that the alleged bitterness is drawn from series of conspicuous dead-end behaviors from Nigerians at home. In addition, the so-called Nigerians in Diaspora have grown to appreciate orderly environment stuffed with social decorum.

In Nigeria, one can not enjoy a quiet moment in his\her ride without bumping into bad roads, wide eyed law enforcement agents, borderline crazies who use the road while blasting away the horn of their vehicles, hawkers on the roads, walking deaths on the roads that will not give right of way to vehicles, elected and non-elected individuals with incessant siren, encountering number of roadblocks by one government agency or another, the menace from idiotic weekend sanitation, loudmouthed dingbats who think they are right while awfully wrong, moronic ninnies driving on the wrong side of the road, unreasonably in hurry while going nowhere, traders taking over the passageways, junks of cars and lorries that could not escape from the gates of junkyards in civilized countries still ply the roads, constant lack of electricity, absolutely no running water, unforeseen menace of kidnappers, armed robbers, ritual predators and religious terrorists, rampant mosquito and snake bites, environmental hazards and social and political idiocy fueled by tribalism.

Dede1: Local champions are always delighted with beer parlor-styled discussion. This goofy thread is no exception. If Nigerians in Diaspora are bitter about the state of affairs in Nigeria, one can easily conclude without malice that the alleged bitterness is drawn from series of conspicuous dead-end behaviors from Nigerians at home. In addition, the so-called Nigerians in Diaspora have grown to appreciate orderly environment stuffed with social decorum.
In Nigeria, one can not enjoy a quiet moment in his\her ride without bumping into bad roads, wide eyed law enforcement agents, borderline crazies who use the road while blasting away the horn of their vehicles, hawkers on the roads, walking deaths on the roads that will not give right of way to vehicles, elected and non-elected individuals with incessant siren, encountering number of roadblocks by one government agency or another, the menace from idiotic weekend sanitation, loudmouthed dingbats who think they are right while awfully wrong, moronic ninnies driving on the wrong side of the road, unreasonably in hurry while going nowhere, traders taking over the passageways, junks of cars and lorries that could not escape from the gates of junkyards in civilized countries still ply the roads, constant lack of electricity, absolutely no running water, unforeseen menace of kidnappers, armed robbers, ritual predators and religious terrorists, rampant mosquito and snake bites, environmental hazards and social and political idiocy fueled by tribalism.

kokoye:
Someone get me a dictionary please!

Jenams: i call it transfered aggression, they actually thought it was all rosy in diaspora, but i'm too certain they met a brick wall, hence, they choose τ̅o locate anything nigerian both online & offline for attack! i ℓoℓ wen i watch them bn humilated on UK border force & †ЂΞ likes. They so pathetic! Wetin una find go anoda man backyard? ℓoℓ some of my cousins on facebook r guilty of dis trash. Unu sorry o

adconline: Here is something to consider. It takes 6hrs for most flights from Naija to EU, so if GEJ gets heart attack, he's going to die before he gets to EU, but a Naija in EU gets that world class medical attention immediately.
You live in Naija with all ur money, your life span is less than 50 years, you live in EU/US your life span is above 70yrs.

eGuerrilla:

Gbawe, I am not entirely sure I understand why you are conceding ground here, despite @OP's blanket characterization of Nigerians abroad.
What bitterness do you speak off when most Nigerians based abroad go to great lengths to satisfy the whims of kindred (back home) who only see them as 'cash cows'?

Is it not the case that some of our "happier compatriots" make it abundantly clear on these boards that becoming "self-made" requires no more than the sale of one's principles? They sometimes travel in an e-convoy as our politicians are wont to do too.

If we are not being reminded about the miraculous feats of a god of Man (gOM) who just happened to have discovered the cure for AIDs, we are being scammed by land owners - who see us for the mugs we often are.
How can anyone talk about a nuisance value and not mention the forex traders who spend all day on NL making millions per the minute, while trying to win more converts to virtual pyramid scheme?

As someone who has been offered very good money to organise pro-government protests (rent-a-crowd) by thieving bast>ards based in Nigeria, I know well enough that corrupting influence travels in both directions.
At the very least, what @OP needs to do is tender an unreserved apology for making claims that fly in the face on empirical "facts" tendered by @Dede1

Gbawe:


My brother, It is amusing to read talk about diasporan Nigerians envying their fellow Nigerians, based in Nigeria, "making millions". How many Nigerians are making millions? Besides, how are those millions spent if not to turn Private houses into fortresses and 'Islands' where citizens must provide their own electricity, water and security?

The misconception promoted about diasporans envying "better-off" home-based Nigerians is regrettable in my opinion. It stems from how Nigerians are materialistic and eager to quantify everything in relation to money. While some diasporan Nigerians may feel as you conclude , because of the "grass is greener" ethos, most are ultimately happy and pragmatically grateful they are not in Nigeria where it is "survival of the fittest" and a Paradise for the elites where ordinary folks are non-entities and virtually nothing works and you may still die of easily treatable ailments if you have no money.

A comparatively small number of folks may make millions in Nigeria but , for example, they will spend millions also attempting to educate their children privately , to the highest standard, only for that child to be no better than children of diasporans who have gone to State Schools in the West. Many things balance out.

Diasporans may work hard and face heavier tax/expenses obligations but a "cash and carry" society , dehumanising of as much as 60% of it's people, is not an envious model either.

I don't think anyone who truly puts issues in perspective would be comfortable with the model of nationhood Nigeria displays to the world. I.e hideous opulence for a few and terrible poverty for the majority. A better model would be a Nation where people, even if they feel they work too hard and pay too much taxes, still have all their basic needs guaranteed to the extent majority of citizens can enjoy a dignified existence.

nagoma:

While we know that many Nigerians at home are also bitter, it is important to examine the diasporian bitterness which is so intence billious and malignant. They have special haterd for Nigeira and seem to be always hoping for destruction and actually fuelling hostility and disharmony.

Gbawe:


My brother, It is amusing to read talk about diasporan Nigerians envying their fellow Nigerians, based in Nigeria, "making millions". How many Nigerians are making millions? Besides, how are those millions spent if not to turn Private houses into fortresses and 'Islands' where citizens must provide their own electricity, water and security?

The misconception promoted about diasporans envying "better-off" home-based Nigerians is regrettable in my opinion. It stems from how Nigerians are materialistic and eager to quantify everything in relation to money. While some diasporan Nigerians may feel as you conclude , because of the "grass is greener" ethos, most are ultimately happy and pragmatically grateful they are not in Nigeria where it is "survival of the fittest" and a Paradise for the elites where ordinary folks are non-entities and virtually nothing works and you may still die of easily treatable ailments if you have no money.

A comparatively small number of folks may make millions in Nigeria but , for example, they will spend millions also attempting to educate their children privately , to the highest standard, only for that child to be no better than children of diasporans who have gone to State Schools in the West. Many things balance out.

Diasporans may work hard and face heavier tax/expenses obligations but a "cash and carry" society , dehumanising of as much as 60% of it's people, is not an envious model either.

I don't think anyone who truly puts issues in perspective would be comfortable with the model of nationhood Nigeria displays to the world. I.e hideous opulence for a few and terrible poverty for the majority. A better model would be a Nation where people, even if they feel they work too hard and pay too much taxes, still have all their basic needs guaranteed to the extent majority of citizens can enjoy a dignified existence.

Godogwu:

Please, when last were you in Nigeria ?

Dede1:

December, 2011.

Godogwu:

Please, when last were you in Nigeria ?

tpia@:


just curious- can you, personally, tell me of any nigerian overseas who has resided permanently there (with minimal or no visits to naija) and lived to up to 70 years while doing so.

i dont seem to know of any, for some reason.

However, i do know of my grandparents who never set foot overseas in their lives, yet every one of them clocked over 80. Despite not being educated or having access to state of the art healthcare systems.

just wondering.

of course I'm not knocking abroad but one occasionally notices such things.

Gbawe:

My brother, it is not so much that I concede ground. I agree with a few things he said. He did acknowledge that many "patriotic" diasporans contributes possibly to Nigeria. Also, there are diasporan Nigerians who are over the top in their condemnation of Nigeria and Nigerians. My point to him is that I personally don't think most diasporans are in that category. Most diasporan Nigerians just resent what Nigeria is.

Like I indicated in my post, not all diasporans are bad. But most of them are. [/b]I repeat, they contribute nothing. There are over 1 million Nigerians in the UK. If a tenth of them contribute meaningfully to Nigeria, believe me, you will feel the impact. These Nigerians even collect monies from many foreign donors in the name of coming to Nigeria to develope the place but end up spending the money on expensive cars. I have first hand experience so I know what I am saying. Most NGOs in Nigeria were started by Nigerians in diaspora and 90% of these NGOs are fraud! They are a nuisance here on NL.

nagoma:
Typical good for nothing parasite. A hitch-hiker who doesnt seem to realize that all those good things in the orderly environment are other peoples hard work. The didnt just happen.How about you coming down to do some work once in your life even if is killing a few mosquitoes.You could be counted in the list of the developers of Nigeria in 1000 years, but for now you are a whiteman's nigga and a pest.

kolokolobi: nigerians in diaspora tend to be bitter cos a lot of the possibilities they see out there are not rocket science and cant just get it why we cant organise ourselves well enough to get it right here. quite a few times i do agree. do you not feel the frustration of a nation without values....a nation where the law is broken and it seems eveything is normal....ill let you in on a joke....the police sent the report on their investigations on farookgate to the atourney general's office for legal advise....and for two months now farook though not yet proven guilty is still earning salaries and allowances from nigerian coffers. in saner climes the trial may have gone three quarters of the way with the culprits leaving instructions for family members on what should be done while they are in jail. so tell me why you wont feel frustrated and bitter when those in diaspora wonder what is going on here.

amb patrick dele cole was given a national merit award a few weeks back...did you know he collected commission while as amb to brazil cars were being imported to nigeria on the supply.need i say more.

Godogwu: @OP like you said, it's not all the Nigeria's in diaspora but some of them. Some of them sicken me. I am international student, so I'm in an out of the US like every year and when some of these my diaspora uncles/ aunties find out my school fees and the fact that I don't use any sort of loans or whatever, they begin to question my dads or mums integrity saying they must be looting money, like!! WTH? They earn salaries. Recently my mum came visiting and on Nigeria's independence she told one of my uncles "happy independence", he replied her with the same words too then later added "52 years of nonsense and failure", my mum got mad and told him that it's people like him that failed Nigeria and generally that's how I feel about these bitter diaspora Nigerians. It's funny how some feel they have ALL the ANWERS to the problems Nigeria is facing yet they are living with next to nothing. Some can't even acknowledge the fact that there are Nigerians making it in their homeland with no connection to corruption or whatsoever. That being said, I would repeat that not all diaspora Nigerians act this way and obviously there are Nigerians that would do anything to relocate to some western country because they are generally brainwashed that its all rosy on the other end.

thelastPope: I am really getting irritated by many Nigerians in diaspora. They seem bent on seeing Nigeria and Nigerians go down. They come here and all over other Internet sites spewing garbage about Nigeria. They will put down anything positive about Nigeria. It seems they are suffering from gross bitterness.

There is no denying the fact that Nigeria has many issues but we cannot solve it by hating ourselves with so much raw hate and talking nonsense all the time. There is a time to critisize. For example, I like to criticize our excesses on materialism as a people which leads us to many unwanted stuff like corruption and crime. But insulting the nation and saying we will never make it and making us look so pathetic to the rest of the world is just too bad! We have our dignity and pride and we will never sacrifice that on any alter of self defeat and hopelessness.

If these bitter diaspora folks can't see anything good about Nigeria and Nigerians, I wonder why they even bother to post on Nigerian forums. They should carry their crap somewhere else. They forget that they are part of those who have failed Nigeria because they have not made any meaningful contribution to Nigerian growth.

Some of us travel out of the country and know how many of these folks live in Europe and even the US. In spain, Italy and Greece, many of them beg on the streets. In the UK, I don't even want to start. They haul themselves, sometimes as much as 15 in a 2 room apartment! Yet they talk nonsense here on NL because they can afford cheap Tmobile internet connection.

We have no other country but Nigeria. We must stand up and build it. Yes, it is a long road but it is a journey worth taking! Our families and friends live here. The question we must ask ourselves today is how can we make it better?

Apologies/acknowledgement to the many Nigerians in diaspora who do not fall into this category. Your patriotic contribution is a blessing to some of us!

Dede1:


You simply can not eat your cake and have it. Why international student if I may ask you? I guess Nigeria schools are better than schools outside the country. If I were in your shoes as you would want us to believe, I had shunned the idea of studying outside the shores of Nigeria.