East or west’ as the saying goes, ‘home is the best.’ However, this doesn’t seem to old water for this Nigerian who was forced home by the recent uprising in Libya.
“For my present situation and condition now, I prefer war-ravaged Libya to Nigeria. I am a welder by profession and as a welder in Libya, I was better off than being a welder in Nigeria.” These were the words of Adebayo Samuel Adesina, who was in the first batch of returnees from Libya in March this year after a six-year sojourn in the north African country.


   Adesina, 41, told Daily Sun in a chat that he regretted coming back to Nigeria in the wake of the war in Libya because, according to him, despite the crisis in that country, life was by far better for him than in Nigeria where there is no war.
He said he came back to Nigeria out of fear of the war only for him to realise later that there are safer places in Libya where he could have remained to do his business or work, adding that there, both Muslims and Christians worship only on Fridays and everybody is friendly.

He further noted that he had also worked in a construction company but later picked up a job as a chief steward in a restaurant in Benghazi city where he earned 3, 500 Dinars, equivalent of N3, 500 daily, bringing his salary to N105, 000 a month.
But when he attempted to get a job in Nigeria, he was offered N6, 000 a month, insisting that it was grossly inadequate to cater for himself and his family.

Hear him: “Since I came back to Nigeria, I have not found a job to do yet. In fact, I feel like going back to Libya. I think I prefer life in Libya to Nigeria despite the crisis there. Yes! I prefer it because once I have my documents, I think there is nothing to fear. Even in a city like Sabha down south, there was not much problem there but I did not know on time; if I had known, I don’t think anything would have brought me back to this country.

“How I wish I could go back to Libya now. If I have money, I will still go back there; I prefer Libya. I prefer to go back. For my situation now, I prefer war-ravaged Libya to Nigeria. I am a welder by profession, and as a welder in Libya, I was better off than being a welder in Nigeria. Few days ago, I tried to get a welding job with a brewery company in Kaduna but I was surprised when they said they offered me N6, 000.00 per month. For God’s sake, what will I do with N6, 000.00 a month? I have a family to take care of so, what am I going to do with N6, 000.00. Paying a welder N6, 000.00, to a man, 41, married with a child?

“I am from Ogun State. I was among the first set of Nigerians that the Federal Government brought back from Libya in March this year. One of my friends that we simply call Kingsley went back to Libya recently and when I spoke with him on phone he told me that he was doing fine but when I later spoke with him another time, somebody else picked his phone and told me that the person I am calling was in prison for supporting former president Col. Gaddafi. I told the man, who picked the phone, that he was telling lies; no Nigerian is supporting Gaddafi. Probably my friend’s permit documents have expired. The people we heard, who are supporting Gaddafi are Chadians.

“The Federal Government did not give us money when we returned to Nigeria but we heard that the United Nations allocated some money to us. But other people from countries like Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali were given $400 by their respective governments as soon as they arrived home. But here in Nigeria, we were maltreated as soon as the officials heard that we were from Libya. Even ordinary water we did not get from Nigerian Government.”

“Apart from my friend, there are still other Nigerians in Libya who are doing well there without being molested. So why did they decide to molest and accuse my friend that just went back there recently of supporting Gaddafi. I don’t blame my friend for going back to that country because life is difficult in Nigeria, in fact, supposing I have enough money on me now, I would have gone back to Libya. I can’t just understand what is going on in Nigeria.

“I was living in Benghazi since 2005; I was working in a road construction company. I came back to Nigeria in 2008 when I was given my annual leave. I went back in 2009, and I decided to work in a restaurant, and to God be the glory, I was doing fine, until the war started. I have my resident permit. The owner of the restaurant did the resident permits for me.

“I was a chief steward in the restaurant where I was earning N105, 000.00 per month because my daily payment was 35 Dinars Libya currency. Its naira equivalent is N3, 500.00 daily. And those under me as their chief steward were being paid 25 Dinars, which is equivalent of N2, 500.00 daily. If it were in Nigeria, I would probably be earning N6, 000.00 or N16, 000.00 a month. You can see that the difference is clear between our country and Libya. I was actually better off working in a restaurant than in a construction company.

“If you are living in Libya as a foreigner, and your documents are genuine and complete, the people will accommodate you; their security is very good. As long as you are not there to do dubious things or to create problem, the people don’t have problem with you, they lead a normal life. No policeman will embarrass you.“There are churches in Libya, everybody is allowed to practise their own religion; you go to mosque as a Muslim, and you go to church as a Christian. But Christians are not allowed to worship on Sundays, only on Fridays like their Muslim counterparts. It is their law that everybody should worship God on Fridays irrespective of your religion. There is no work on Fridays; they don’t do any other things on Fridays; they go to the mosques, come back home and relax. The working days there are from Saturday to Thursday, and on Friday they rest.

“Some of us left there out of fear because the people of Benghazi were accusing the blacks that they were in support of Gaddafi, but when you flashed your documents, they would leave you alone. But those who did not have documents were the ones badly molested.“I landed at the Murtala Mohameed airport, Lagos whereas my friend landed at the Abuja airport. Others landed at the Kano airport. None of us got anything and that is so bad. This thing happened at a time many of us have spent money. And in Libya, there is no much money in January because many people have spent much money in December time, the way it happens to Christians, that is the way it happened to Muslims there.

“There is no Nigerian man that will take the risk of going to fight war in Libya because of $100. People are just saying what is not true. We only heard about some Chadians that collected 100 dollars to fight for Gaddafi. But I don’t think a Nigerian will risk his life to fight war in Libya for $100.”

via Daily Sun

Rubbish, this is just like saying that he would rather die than stay in Nigeria, but i don't blame him though, things are getting worse everyday in Nigeria and the useless government is not doing anything about it.

wow

repeat topic


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