With the current exchange rate ..N1m won't even get you a ticket to US not to talk of MBA.

Brilliantly written. Nigerians are Nigeria's problem. It's a case of cognitive dissonance amongst those who we are expecting to be our last wall of defence! If comments I read here are from the elite generation , then there is no hope for Nigeria !

PassingShot:
You'd think being educated translates to being well informed. Unfortunately the first doesn't guarantee the later.
Anyone who keeps saying we should stop blaming GEJ is being economical with the truth. The truth is GEJ wrecked Nigeria with his handling of the economy. He didn't have to blame anyone before him because NO ONE ELSE had been so clueless, dull and Ineffectual as himself.

If we still have any truly sane man doubting that Nigeria would have been long grounded had GEJ managed to rig himself in, such person needs to be constantly reminded where the Ineffectual Buffoon left us:
1. The IB was already borrowing to pay salaries when crude was selling at $75 per barrel. At $40 per barrel, what miracle will he have done?

2. The paper Economist, who supervised crashing of the economy clearly stated that Nigerians should brace up for tough times ahead the moment crude fell to around $65 per barrel. Does tough times mean merry making times at $40 per barrel?

3. Despite earning unprecedented amounts from crude, the IB couldn't grow our reserves but even embezzled what he met.

4. About 28 of 36 States were owing their workers for up to eight months in some cases and there was already hunger in the land. Why didn't GEJ bail them out? Had Buhari not come to intervene just about three months into his tenure, what would have happened to those workers then?

Recently, the Gele woman who couldn't choose to resign to protect her name, revealed in a well publicized video that GEJ had zero will to save. Where there's shame, she will apologize to Nigerians for wasting our resources in times of abundance.

Nigerians indeed lack capacity for critical thinking. And it's the reason we will continue to be taken for a ride by the looters. We see those who genuinely are working for our betterment as enemies while blindly praising the real enemies as benefactors just because of crumbs of today. This is indeed very shameful!

This is mine right now on supposed 4G with the least speed data package - definitely not Nigeria

I just read a topic where people were comparing Internet speed in Nigeria, I live in the US and i can say the services here are better but i have worked for years in Nigeria biggest telecom company and i know the challenges of doing business in Nigeria. That pix shows my internet speed on a 4G network here. Telecom business here is totally different from what we have in Nigeria, in fact doing business here apart from the tax cannot be compared to Nigeria.

In Nigeria I know the challenges these people had to face even to bring you ordinary voice services and most of these challenges are not in any these foreign countries you are using as comparison basis. First you need to understand how these things work before you can come to an objective conclusion.

I would simplify the working system of your mobile network into 3 major components - Your Device, A base station and the Switch Centers. A base station in Nigeria consists of a distinct tower structure, a cabin (with very very expensive mobile equipments), several radio transmitters at the top of the tower, 2 working generator capacities ranges 15kva to 60kv (1 working, 1 standby), Diesel Tank, and the base station is situated on a very expensive leased land. A Switch Center has offices for operations and monitoring, a very large Switch room with equipments worth Billions of Dollars, and an average of 3 working 2000kva generators. The list 15kva generator consumes approx 2000 liters of diesel in a month (within recommended load), so kindly do the rest for a 60kva and 2000kva. This is just power alone! An average of 20 generators are stolen monthly in base stations in Lagos alone, other miscellaneous thefts are worth an average of N415,000.00 monthly.

To cover Lagos alone a major carrier would have over 1900 base stations and approx 3 - 4 major switch centers. With all these details do the arithmetic. The cost of maintaining availability in 1 base station in a month cannot be adequately quantified in monetary value, and majorly it is caused by lack of govt infrastructures, (those of you that have relatives as telecom engineers would testify) so you can imagine what it would cost to maintain a Switch Center in Nigeria. The problems are more than lack of Govt infrastructures, it also involves us; the citizens. We believe these companies makes billions in dollars so any opportunity we have to interact with them physically we hit hard and sabotage! These companies want to give you these services but it has been economical and physically impossible due to peculiarities of our countries. No company can survive in these harsh conditions, contrary to your believes that they are making Billions their OPEX is catching up with them, they are dying slowly.Trust me I am giving you inside information, for those that are familiar with the Teleco market - How many Fixed wireless companies still exist today or are we not aware of how many started the race? the few remaining are struggling and would be dead soon !!! Major Telcos in Nigeria are seriously downsizing now and outsourcing, one day you would wake up and realize they have closed shop, i know all these because i have been part of the engine room. If the Telcos are facing these i wonder what the Oil companies are going through, these companies are not omnipotent! How many of your Multinationals still exist? So before you pass judgment know the facts !

We can all emulate this, there is a car camera or dashboard camera that you can get and attach to your car. It records every happenings both outside and inside your car!!! Technology has come to our aid again in fighting corruption!

joe4christ:

Do you just spew sh!.t so as to scare the gullible and shallow minds?

Warn yourself!

Spew what?? Is that the way you talk? I am disappointed!!! how did you come about the name "joe4christ"

P.Stacks:


Why are you asking him what he is afraid of? Don't you know the Truth is bitter and the truth hurts, and nobody ever wants to hear the truth. Don't you know because you say what you feel and percieve to be true, powers that be can unjustly mal-treat you, not to talk of this Nigeria where anything goes and nobody cares and life goes on.. If you don't see me on nairaland again because one govt agency has picked me, who cares? Would it stop other nairalanders from commenting? Would my absence cause nairaland to fold up? Never! Life must go on and nobody would remember you. The other day, one guy on a forum said something about Emeka Offor and we knew what happened.. When I criticize GEJ, its not because I hate him. Its because I believe the man should be different and bring d desired change.. But if he's not the messiah, then so be it. I know one day, Nigeria would get d deserved messiah insha-allah.

We are saying the same thing bro, it is easy to talk tough and execute revolution in online pages, if you experience it in reality your life would never remain the same again. It is not cowardice, it is wisdom !!! The man that insulted Emeka Offor till today is still languishing in prison on fabricated charges and nothing anybody can do about it !!!

You can comment and express your opinion on issues without casting direct unsubstantiated aspersion on someone's reputation. We stand in compound of the "coward" to point out the empty land which the house of the "brave" man used to be !!!! The guy shot and killed in Ogba ojodu during "occupy Nigeria" don rotten for grave o but we're still buying the petrol for N65 till today !!! Lets just be careful for our mother's sake!!!

All said and done, i think we should learn one lesson from here, wall have ears as the Yoruba would say.
This story reminds me of a man that made a comment online about one of the politicians and SSS traced him to his house. I hope you all watch what you say here because they have agents reading comments. A word they say is enough for the wise,do not put your family in trouble with your jamlock mouth !!!!

AjanleKoko:

You're making these people sound like supermen. They're not. They goof a lot, in fact.
I've lost count how many times I've filled in those forms in a hurry and got a number of details wrong.In all those cases I still got the visa on the day.

It's more of Nigerians being predictably dishonest nine scenarios out of ten. That's why, even in a truthful scenario, the burden of proof is still on the applicant. The US Consulate Visa section does not embark on elaborate verifications, for most of the visa categories, immigrant or non-immigrant, primarily due to the cost and time involved with doing that. They just take spot decisions most of the time.

The real issue is the balance between developed and undeveloped countries. Think about it, you don't need a visa to go to Mexico as an American citizen. But Mexican citizens need a visa to go to the US.

Bro i do not dispute their fallibility; they are not supermen but they are what we call very meticulous!!!! if you were born in the seventies in Nigeria hardly would you get any institution that have your birth record except you give it to them, that's the life we are used too but they aren't like that; if you give them wrong detail they would accept it if they trust you by virtue of your perceived reputation based on your past records, if you jeopardize that trust then you would have yourself to be blamed.

Concerning verification of records, do not be deceived after the "shame" of the terrorist attack, they would go to any length to verify what you claim to be if its necessary, cost you say? why do you think visa fees are increasing everyday? we Nigerians are funding them , I can give you a number of someone who won a visa lottery and later included in his application that he had married a wife, the embassy gave him a surprise call in the middle of the night (past 12am) and asked to speak with his alleged wife.


My families have had several dealings with them and we have never been refused visa both in UK and US and it is not that we have super bank accounts, one thing we observe is being truthful always and let all your references living abroad have good reputations. We have broken every known myths and believes about visas and embassies and as they say in Rule of Equity in Common Law "He who seeks remedies in equity must come with clean hands". These people are not crazy or mean; they just want to ensure the right people enter their countries, imagine if visas were not needed into US and UK? Nigeria would be empty now and those countries won't have that beautiful reputation that makes everybody want to go there.

daddykelly: hello please am a little bit worried,i cane into california on june 15th,i have gotten my ssn but am still waiting for my green i received a letter from uscis today confirmirming my greeen card fee payment which i payed since may and a welcome letter....i was hoping i should get my greencard by now since it has been more than 3weeks since i came here.please i will like to know the kind of paper that is mailed together with the green card,thanks.

Since you have gotten the welcome letter you don't have any problem then, your GC would get to you in matter of days (exclude weekends). Your GC comes in a single sealed letter envelope.

engyadewale: My greetings to all honourable members of this hallowed room. May Almighty God increase you all in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It's my desire to articulate certain interrogations about the payment of USCIS which is 165 dollars. I read on this forum sometimes ago that certain letters were to be changed or added to the alien number given by the embassy but I still do not understand. Please I covet your illumination on this.
Also, can the payment be made using the regular ATM debit card that is of Master card, or are there designated cards to be used for the payment?
Please succour me on these queries. Thank you so much.

I have been a silent observer on this topic o and i don't have solution to your problem but i cant help noticing your English !!! wow !!! please i covet your illumination on how to speak like this and please succour me this request. thank you .


On a more serious note,for those with delayed GC, your GC is sent to the address you put down at your point of entry regardless what you filled in your earlier forms (anything longer than latest a month you should be concerned). I had a similar problem too although i filled the correct address on my point of entry but i didn't include apartment number, after waiting for 1 month i went to their office and can you imagine one of the elderly officer told me GC takes 7 months or so, people kept telling me it was a wrong info so i called their HQ office and finally the error was detected and corrected. They even said they had posted it before and it was returned undelivered, so they re-posted it and i got it 2 weeks later.

You can do most things with your SSN (you don't need GC to get SSN) and the IV in your passport, open bank account, find work and other stuffs but in Illinois you cant get a state ID without GC or driver's License.

Hmmmmmmmm, if you have lived in the US then you would understand the rationality of the COs. I've had rare opportunity of listening to what some people come to say in US visa interviews and its disappointing, the sorriest of cases was a young lady who won visa lottery but failed the interview, you claimed to be an economics graduate and they asked what you understand by the "Economy of Nigeria" and you went blank, no idea !!!It is similar to this; your submitted application would go through evaluation by internal dept before it gets to the CO, they are sort of advisory board on which the CO would act. Your applications are already marked (not necessary in these terms) very plausible, plausible, non plausible, case undecided, documentary evidence needed etc, the CO works on this to make a final decision. For very plausible the odds are already in your favor, very few questions, no documents asked and you get your visa, plausible - confirmation questions, few documentary evidences and you get your visa, Non plausible - you are already denied visa, you need "divine" evidences to convince the CO otherwise, few questions, no documents requested and you are out!

There are times the internal board conducts external investigations on your information without your knowledge, i have seen situation where a young University student claimed to be married, the embassy traced his address, didn't go to his house but stopped at his neighbor's house and asked for details about the guy, the neighbor gave them the guy's dossier about him being a young guy still living with his parents and marriage is far from him.

The COs have been trained to ask several questions just to get one answer, they ask you same questions in different forms, once your answers start to contradict themselves or from what is in your info you are finished! Your greatest mistake is to lie because of their impeccable records; all what you have said in past is in record so change your story and you stand out like a sour thumb.

Something happened to me that made me respect the US embassy; after concluding all immigrant processing and i went to get my package in Lekki, written as alias on that package was a name i never told them about, neither did i fill it in any documents i submitted to them or birth certificates both from NPC or local government records. The name was given to me by my grandmother and cos i didn't like i stopped using it since end of primary school in the late eighties; the only place they could get it was either the hospital i was born which had closed down or my primary school headmaster !!! Where did they get it from?

alutacontinua: To be candid, it's not your business.

written above is the best response so far. Mind your business !!! You aren't married into their family yet you have started scattering the family from outside if they now marry you nko? hmmmmmmmm....don't break the bridge you are yet to cross.

Young man marriage without parental consent is like laying a foundation without a pillar, marriage is not just about being in love but involves so many other factors. The first few weeks of marriage might be romantic bliss thereafter it would take more than love to keep it going and that's when the essence of family support comes in. We often confuse success in boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with success in Husband/Wife relationship,that legalizing certificate would change your fairytale to reality show. You cant afford to go into a lifetime commitment with the whole of your family against you, even if they later reconcile with you your wife would still suffer.

Solution, involve people that your mum respects e.g - her siblings, pastors or grandparents,if she still stands her ground then going ahead would be risking your life of happiness.

He is not the first and he wont be the last, why? Cos all we do in this country is talk talk talk and more talk, argue, fight ourselves, curse, pray, bring in sentiments, talk and more talks. Banning him is like curing HIV with paracetamol cos before you would have finished spelling the word "BAN" he has created 20 more usernames and contributing to your discussion, he might even be the one bringing in the best ideas.

Speak less than necessary so I say - All hail my motherland....

Law 9 - "Win through your actions, never through an argument".

@OP, I have given you my 2cents advice from experience, don't be deceived; a lizard does not become a crocodile by virtue that it has relocated itself from the house to the river. The economic environment has never been a limiting factor to those that have success in them or are determined to succeed.

"A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody (or something) else"- John Burroughs

I am baffled most times when i read write-ups like this and I laugh silently, the "grass is greener at the other side of the fence" mentality is more of a weakness than strength. Every country have their own challenges and there is no paradise anywhere, I wont blame you if you don't agree with me cos i would have also doubted "me" at a point in my life.

If you have a LEGAL opportunity to MIGRATE to these countries do so but if you have a successful life in Nigeria and you think you can better it by going to these foreign countries then you "may" be misinformed.

The first step of success in life is to first win the battles on your turf before attempting war in strange lands,there is so much to say but I'll keep it short according to "Law 4" - Say Less then necessary.

As much as i would always want to be the silent observer, there are topics that are always very tempting to add my quota.

The corp member did very well but seeking for fund to create for himself self recognition is a little bit too ambitious. I served in plateau state some years ago and i worked as hard as you have done,so did many corp members before me. Let your works speak for you.

Tales by moonlight !!!we are in trouble when policemen start believing in "juju" rings!

hmmmmmmmmmm, if Dangote could build refinery so why is FG not building it to reduce the cost of importation thereby reducing pump price? another monopolistic move after Rice, Sugar, floor, cement and soon Dangote Air ! i am sorry for Nigerians for accepting Dangote and his numerous Greek gifts.

I have read with interest the various arguments raised here so i say to each man his conviction. The Gospel of the new testament is premised on FREEDOM from ALL Rites,Rituals and Traditional Obligation. Gal 5:1-6. It is not a sin to obey the law of Moses concerning doctrines and ordinance but you cannot be selective of what to obey or not, he who must follow the law of tithing must also obey all other laws including the law of sabbath etc. Also he who observes it should not make it as a law unto others neither should he enforce as doctrine nor use it as basis of judgement of holiness.

My question now is if we insist on obeying the laws where have you placed "GRACE" or do we practice selective application of Grace? The doctrine of Grace nullifies all physical obligatory requirement to qualify for God's Love, Salvation and Blessings. Lets study to show ourselves a workman of God and don't allow men that have made their stomach their god to add burden that Christ had delivered us from. (2 Tim 2:15)

To the Advocates of NO TITHES

It is clearly shown that the act of giving is divine, encouraged by the bible and has reward
2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ...

Shalom


Passages about freedom in Christ

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:36- So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Acts 15:10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?
Romans 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son-ship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father”.
1 Corinthians 16:13- Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 11:20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.
Galatians 2:4- This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.
Galatians 4:31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Galatians 5:13- You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Kai, i read comments from here sometimes and i shake my head in disbelieve. I guess the forum is opened to all both the mature and the immature, all you need is just the simple internet device and a connection.

OP thanks for the head up! its an old trick they used, another trick is for them to give you the right amount and collect your foreign currency thereafter call you back and give you a reason they cannot do the exchange again and would return your money; the problem is they would have replaced your original notes with fake and you wont notice.

I have Rules i have created for myself to survive when in Nigeria

1,I do not patronize mobile vendors for anything expensive.
2,Cheap prices most times means hidden defect.
3,I only deal with people with a verified place of business or office where i can return to if i have issues.
4,Any stranger that promises to bestow wealth on me should first go and help his family members.
5,I don't do Jackpots, lottery, bets or lucky charms.
6,I don't believe in sudden wealth so you can't win me over with that.
7,Introducing yourself in first instance as a Born Again Christian in a business transaction would only raise my suspicion.
8,If the deal sounds too good/sweet I run.
9,I believe i should work for all i own, no shortcut so offer of gifts raises my suspicion.
10,Any deal that involves cheating anybody dead or alive I don't do it.
11,I separate sentiments from business i.e. No family, no religion, no tribe, no language etc. I judge by your instance.
12,If you talk too much i don't do business with you.
13,Meeting you as a stranger and I catch you lying just once, no business deal.
14,You look rough, you dress rough, you smell rough, i don't do business with you.
15,If the deal involves reaping where i did not sow i back off.
16,I have survived without your money so i can still continue living without it.


Many more when i remember.


When you live in Rome act like the Romans....

You guys should help each other out, just add a stolen BB, get the details of the user and send it to the real owner. Remember it may be your turn next time.

"He who must come to equity must come with clean hands", It is not possible to bring out legality from illegality. She is not the first woman to marry a citizen so why do you think they would single her out for persecution? Her past have come to haunt her and sentiments won't save her, all her actions reflect desperation and its clear to the UK authority.

I remember a story i read of a Nigerian rap artist when he was still a street hustler he did visa "runs" and never bothered about his reputation. Several years later with the fame and money he decided to apply as a superstar to US embassy, guess what? his records were as bright as the noon day and he discovered he had a 10 years ban or life !!! The greatest weapon these foreign countries use against our "sharpness" are their spotless records that cut through time !!! I live in the US so i know these things, so when next you decide to do your runs remember you don't know what the future holds for you.

I have mixed feelings about this whole kidnap episode, from an angle i would say i am happy if government officials can be kidnapped more often then the position would not be enticing and anybody that would be there would be very careful to be good. My second angle comes from the adage "He who breeds a mad dog within his compound to chase away outside thieves,one day the mad dog would turn on him and eventually bite the owner"....If we rejoice that rich people are being kidnapped, except you pray wealth never comes to your family because it would be a matter of time before you fall victims too. Unemployment is not an excuse for crime, as far as honest people are still surviving so therefore we must erase that mentality that crime is the only way out. Remember nothing done is without reward, if you do the crime be ready to do the time if caught or worse still be dispatched to the great beyond!

K2 Wise, Thank you for your wisdom. I was reading this with my office colleagues and they had similar concerns, as my people would say "meeting a bad person can make you stereotype a good person". I have such skepticism about this young man but let him prove me wrong. The first thing i did was to put his name in Google and trust me that oracle gave me enough data about him, you guys should give it a try (google the name) and make your conclusion but if he is genuine i am ready to help too.

Sept' the 12th.