Soooo,

To the NINs in the house, based on what you have heard/seen (come on now, we know you have), what questions do you have for those of us in the diaspora, for which you can get an honest answer. Stuff like?

- We hear u guys work 3 jobs

- We hear all u guys eat is hamburger

- We hear all of you wash dishes/drive cab

- Is it true that the government "gives" you money to go to school?

- Y haven't you built a house yet even though, unlike okoro who "just landed", you have been abroad for 20 yrs?

Questions of that nature, which obviously are stereotype and based on hearsay.

Bring them on, get them answered. Letz settle this once and for all

i aint among doz working 3 jobs. omo dat one too much ooo. kai. as for the hamburger thingy, i eat the stuff in the name of adding weight but the damn thingy didnt even make me fat. im suing MacD for not delivering what i want.

This is an awesome thread. I remember when I was back in Lagos, a friend of mine (House aid around 40) told me if he landed in America, he would immediately start sweeping the floor. According to him, sweeping the floor should be enough to make him a rich man. When I think about that, I always smile.    To think a full grown man would believe that sweeping the floor anywhere in the world would make one wealthy is just ludicrous.

And just an heads up for all you Nigerians out there, yeah, Nigeria sucks, but America is no where near the heaven that you might be lead to believe. And no, I am not saying this because I "sweep" floors or anything.  

sweep floors? dats funny. damn

diddy, I love working. I once did 75 hours a week for 3 months straight. I have also done 60 hours of work in 4 days. For those who don't know, that is 15 hours a day for 4 days straight. I have no idea why other people don't like working. I don't do long hours for the money (the government takes most of the over time in taxes anyway) but I like the feeling of accomplishing something. Besides, when you work hard, you put yourself in a position to critic others if it becomes necessary.

in as much as i love working especially wid computers and electronics, i aint working for no white man for more than 9 hours a day and 49 hours a week. i aint working on sundays. how can blacks be working their butt off, and the white ppl be reaping. hell no, im gon work like them whites work. i dont see no white doing 18 hours a day. they will die sef.

diddy4:

in as much as i love working especially wid computers and electronics, i aint working for no white man for more than 9 hours a day and 49 hours a week. i aint working on sundays. how can blacks be working their butt off, and the white people be reaping. hell no, im gon work like them whites work. i don't see no white doing 18 hours a day. they will die sef.

true true my broda!!

LOL,

When i first landed in the US (in the autumn, wearing agbada, but thatz a story for another day ), I told my uncle (this was on a friday), that I wd like to start working on monday so I could get my own house and car. My uncle cdnt stop laughing.

Fast forward to 1999. That was the year I worked the most - 3 jobs and doing 21 credit hours in school. I didn't really have to do it, and till this day, I don't know y I did it. Nonetheless, I am happy I didnt fail any of my classes

Back in the day, the stereotype, at least in the Atlanta area, was to get a dish-washing job. After all, everyone did it, so who the hell are u?

I suspect not many NINs are on this thread yet, but I hope they will b pretty soon

Awesome thread

The Government paid my way through school so what, I did my part for this Country serving in the US ARMY. It's all about give and take in America. And does it really matter if you sweep the floor or drive a cap, hey if you find a job you enjoy doing do it to the best of your ability. This is just that Nigerian mentality that gets me so mad. If you not a Doctor or an Attorney you not successful.

That is the thing menike - we, for the most part, are too much into competition, envy and showing off. Rather than encourage our own, we tend, again for the most party, to say, "no b my money im go take build house for naija when me i never get".

Sick and sad mentality I say.

Why is that once u go out of naija everyone back home will expect u to buy land build a mansion on it in less than 5 yrs of staying abroad ? and ofcourse ship home the latest cars .

cuz of people make it seem like that esp. those ones in the states, like when they wanan visit, they will work 24 hrs non stop to go and show off and come back to suffer so when you visit and gat nuthing, they will be wondering if its da same place u two came from. Another thing, they don't know two hands ain't qequals and those people buying cars, what kind of job do they so?

The one that pisses me off when they write u should buy this and that whereas you yourself, don't have such things

jacq:

because Okoro and Temitope, "who just arrived yesterday (never mind what they do for a living)" have done what u hvnt been able to do in the 10 years u hv been away. In other words, u 'are not sharp enough'.

I personally have also noticed a change in trend in terms of those of us who have emigrated over here in recent days: In my day, the focus was on education, so it wasnt unheard of for people both here and at home to ask me "what course are u studying (note that they assume that I am in school)? when will u be finishing? what school are you attending?" Nowadays, it seems, *for the most part*, the emphasis is on making money and returning home.

Also, in my opinion, the goals of a 19 year old and that of a 50 year old are totally different. So whereas a 19 year old may have education on his/her mind, the 50 year old is only thinking of how to catch up with his mates so to speak. As such, it will take the teenager 10 - 15 years to even think of what the older person is willing to kill him/herself wiping patients' anuses as a Nursing assistant wanting to accomplish yesterday

Note to those back at home: Most of those "money flashers" u c, end up coming back as paupers upon their return to the diaspora. They work 48 hours a day for 11.5 months, then go back home and do nothing but spend money for the 2 or so weeks they are there. The minute the board the plane back home, the depression sets in (house rent is due in 3 days, how am i gonna pay for it? I think I may hv to work the day after I arrive). Of course, they don't share this with the pple back at home, who are probably saying within themselves "Chei! Nwanem don return o! At least we chop dis time unlike d last time"

My2cents

Very Interesting thread, well done. Questions for the NIN's,:I want to know how many hours a week they work in Nigerian Banks, Oil Firms,Law Firms, Consulting Firms ETC. Are you paid Overtime? What is your health benefits like? What is your pay? What do you think about getting paid Monthly? What is your Boss like? Do you work on Commision or straight salary?

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Please I want to know how the tax works,like how many percentage of your pay is used for tax?