tommyex:


I say make i tell una say 2day na my bday,i ll send your cake in a mo'

Hey Tommyex, Happy Birthday!!!

@ everyone else

Hi. I have read, with great interest, the intellectual dialogue on what i'll term, "Nigeria, the way forward?" . My inclusion of the question mark is deliberate, cos i see it as being more of a question than a phrase/ charge. I was pleased with Alfaprime's viewpoint on the definition of Leadership, as a cascade from political to the individual. The aspiring "entrepreneurs" have also highlighted the emergence of companies to combat unemployment. Nice thoughts.

i have a question, which simply is, "What are you doing to solve this?" where you are, right there, right now?, at your workplace, in school, studying, etc.  Mohammad Yunus is a man i respect so much. A university prof. who has led over 1.5m people out of poverty in Bangladesh. He stood up to ask a fundamental question, " Why should i teach economics in the university, when people are dying of hunger outside its walls?" . His books actually changed my thinking, i.e. " Banker to the poor" and " Creating a world without poverty", where he introduces the concept of social businesses.(you may want to add them to your library). Grameen bank, a microcredit institution that he formed, is 94% owned by the poor and the remaining 6% is owned by the govt. of bangladesh. He doesn't own shares in it. Now, that's exemplary leadership. One that i'd love to imbibe.

just because he asked a question, not from the govt, the society, the people, but he asked himself. " Why should i teach economics in the university, when people are dying of hunger outside its walls?"

So, what questions are you asking? , and what are you doing about those questions, then, and only then can we term "Nigeria, the way forward!" as a marching cry, and no longer a question.

Shalom

www.folayemianifowoshe.

Mohammed Yunus
Is he not the same guy that won a Nobel prize sometime recently for (I don't remember the category ).
Damn! That guy is ultimately brillant!
More like 'Mohammed Genius' to me.

Yeah! He is one role model every one of us could emulate.
What he did for Bangladesh (I guess his home country) can only be rewarded in heaven.
Not even the Nobel Prize is a good enough 'Thank You'.

The same thing I have often decried that no Nigerian leader (both @home and in diaspora) has been able to do for their home country.
Despite the laudable names they have achieved for 'themselves' in their respective fields.

@Anniffy
You've got the message.

Perhaps, our generation might do something like that for Nigeria and Nigerians in the near future.
I sincerely hope to be one of them
And perhaps, one of us here might win a Nobel prize for such efforts in the future.

I believe in this possibility _{that one of us here might win the Nobel prize one day}
I believe in the possibility of a better future for Nigerians _{even though things don't look too good now.}
I believe that we can only dare to make the difference.

@Alfaprime
That line of reasoning, the writing style, the expressions all sound very very familiar. . ,

@tommyex
[size=20pt]Happy birthday 2 u[/size]

@all
welcome to the week.

Can we get some contributions from you?
Abi na to only come here and summarize with your usual 2-lines post

Its easier 4 me 2 post short posts oo,I dont even have d talent 2 post long.
But una still dey feel me abi?
As per dis topic i ll jus watch and learn!!


Tanx ALL for d bday wishes

Alfa sounds lyk some real old dude_{in d head esp} that needs to be known beta

If na 2 talk of ARSENALFC i go write book 4 una,thats what makes me happy^{dont even yab me that i dont get paid}

Before I continue, I 'ld like to say, 'thanks aniffy for taking this conversation to another level'.
That's what Great mindz are all about.

But to answer your question specifically, I am trying to see how fast I can break-away from this 'salary-dependent' job, job cycle and mentality.
I am considering several options and trying to make and strike deals within and outside my industry.

I think that Opoks! needs to break-out of this lifelong salary dependent mentality that has plaqued our parents in the past.
I need to learn how to create real wealth.
And it's not been easy.
Almost everything looks jaded from the point I am standing now.
But I think that with time and persistence, ways will begin to open up for me.
And I also need God's blessing in this area.

It has always been my lifelong desire to create real wealth, employ people who have families and other dependents, make real money and finally venture into real philanthropy.
It has not been easy but the dream lives on.

I believe that the process of elevating the standard of living of humankind should begin from elevating the standard of living of oneself.
I need to climb up to bring a lot of people up with me.
I desperately need to climb up!
And I think that that time is now.

I need peeps who have the same vision, drive, whatever you call it.
And I'm already trying to implement it small by small, slow but steady.

We can only take over this country, take over our lives, take over our destinies .  .  .
And better our destinies .  .  .
If only we dare

Can somebody please help me in daring!!!!

@ Opoks!

the desire to be free (financially) is innate in every individual, it just happens that as we grow older, most of us allow circumstances and the society to enslave us. The sad part is that, a vast majority tend to start liking the enslavement and they get used to it. I often tell people that, to attain financial independence, the first ingredient you need is STRONG desire, which i see is evident in you,

IMHO, i also believe that you should do what you love doing, and don't do it just for the money. After a while, you get to a point where money doesn't motivate you anymore, (talking from experience, ), and you begin to seek influence. This feeling is not a function of how much you have in your account, i think it comes as a form of true enlightenment - like you become mature. Surprisingly, at this point, money starts to come your way. It may sound like a farce, but its true.

I look to a future where lives are influenced positively by my actions, i don't really care if its publicized or not. A future where mothers tell their children that Folayemi Anifowoshe was (and still is) a blessing to them. For me, i think its more of a destiny to fulfill, not necessarily a means to acquire great sums of money OR achieve immense fame. We all have definitions of wealth, and mine does not exalt huge deposits of money, but of lives that have been transformed, Please dont get me wrong, i understand the importance of money, but lets face it, the most influential people have not necessarily been the richest people.

Just my 2 cents,

Happy birthday Tommy, may this be the beginning of great things in ur life. cheers bro

Uche, I read your comments on my person, and I thank you for being so warm, considerate and kind. Indeed, your Christianity shines forth like the sun. The angels are clapping for you. Brother, I am glad.

Alfa Prime, I am impressed. You know, in 2000, I visted some expatriates in Ibadan, and one of them was making an international call. He said: 'There is no great man in Africa, except Mandela'; but after reading from you, I wonder if he isn't wrong.

Kenosky, I thank you. Some people are called to work from within, and others are called to work from without. It may be that I am among the latter.

The question of identity is a grave one. In a nursery book someone here may have read, a story was told of a young boy who lost his way and was picked up by a stranger; the stranger took care of him, and made him feel at home for many months. Then came the day when the boy began to feel out of place; he said he wanted to go back to his place of origin. The stranger did not want him to go, but after the boy bothered him on and on, he let him go. A few weeks passed and the boy returned. This time, he had a different story to tell: He had found a home; not his place of origin, but in the stranger's arms. It reminds me of the agelong saying: Home is where the heart is.

Opokonwa, be strong, and hope in Yahweh. 'He will not allow your foot to be moved.' And for those who say I abandoned my God, I must say that even if I did, He did not abandon me in turn.

I love you all. Yes, each and every one.

Tommy dear, have you a splendid birth anniversary!

@Tommyex

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
It's so great to add another year to your life, you know. Hope You took out some time to meditate on your progress in life so far and set goals/strategise for the the coming years,

@Annify4eva
Thanks so much for streamlining the intellectual discussions to a discernible 3-pronged head, namely:
1. Restoration of effective leadership across board
2. Agressive (Am sure Opoks would agree with this adjective) enterpreneurship drive towards financial independence, and
3. Positively affecting Nigerians of our generation, starting in whatever capacity we can, at whatever corner we find ourselves, determined to make a difference in our own way,  Nigeria's greatest natural resource is obviously not oil, but her people; anyone who helps Nigerians in Nigeria has helped Nigeria!

There would be other angles and phases to this, for sure, which I believe chaps on this forum would be highlighting as we progress. Some people are already making marks where they are, and I believe they'll do well to give us updates on their progress, as well as (most importantly), some of the challenges they may encounter in these noble tasks.

aniffy4eva:

@ Opoks!

the desire to be free (financially) is innate in every individual, it just happens that as we grow older, most of us allow circumstances and the society to enslave us. The sad part is that, a vast majority tend to start liking the enslavement and they get used to it. I often tell people that, to attain financial independence, the first ingredient you need is STRONG desire, which i see is evident in you,

Speaking of economic liberaion, one strong weapon for combating poverty and attaining financial independence is having an efficient budget system. A personal budget, rather than limit you, actually empowers you to determine how and where your money goes. I have also discovered that you may face a crisis of values whenever you find yourself in a situation where You can afford something which you don't really need. A lot of people, in attempting to join the craze, end up spending money (which they may not have) on unnecessary things (which they don't need), all in a bid to impress people (who don't care, anyway!)

I've come to quietly discover that, even for the rich, a conservative lifestyle, as against a flamboyant one, may actually be wisdom in itself. That You can afford it, afterall, may not be a very good reason to spend your resources which could be better channeled towards improving lives somewhere.

@Opoks
I feel you, and understand your desire to be self-dependent. Trully, if your job does not engross you enough to make you forget payday, awaiting the salary could really be boring! But I'd suggest you replace your vision of making more money with that of becoming an employer of labour in the long run. That, You know, could actually be a more objective and inspiring vision. Making money in itself is not usually a satisfying end.

@ Kuwena et al
Thanks for your numerous commendations. I feel humbled. Like I said earlier, I was a (mostly silent)  visitor on "Which Way Nlng" from page 1, following discussions on the thread with keen interest. When all the hullaballoo about the recruitment was over and this thread persisted, I told myself, "here is a crop of Nigerians who are really patriotic but may not realise it, who really care about this country, who could network and achieve so much without having to attend any public rally or noisy assembly. Why not share some ideas with these great minds?, " and so I began to write,  So I think, the greater credit goes to all those of us who have kept this thread a must-read with their objective contributions.

pak:

@Alfaprime
That line of reasoning, the writing style, the expressions all sound very very familiar. . ,

Are You sure?

Cheers, all!

[size=13pt]good morning great landers, hope your nites were kool. Just to say hi and wish u all a blessed day [/size]

@Alfaprime
was wonderin if u could answer just 2 ques

where did u serve?
and what school did u attend?

kenosky:



[b]uchetobi, thanx for at least dropping by to say happy birthday to tommy, u try small

hey iv bn following the thread, just not posting, hwz Uk

@aniffy

aniffy4eva:

@ Opoks!

the desire to be free (financially) is innate in every individual, it just happens that as we grow older, most of us allow circumstances and the society to enslave us. The sad part is that, a vast majority tend to start liking the enslavement and they get used to it. I often tell people that, to attain financial independence, the first ingredient you need is STRONG desire, which i see is evident in you,

Here, you spoke as a true observer.
_{I'm simply a bit scared and concerned that I may not make it as wealthy as I desire
I feel some sense of urgency . . . I have actually felt it since 3rd year in school.}

I hated normal life and what I felt was 'poverty across board'
Almost every Nigerian family I came across seemed to be 'struggling' and I loathed it

Now I feel I'm still struggling 'cause I've not begun to live my dreams which is living beyond providing for Opoks! to providing for several peeps who may not even get to meet Opoks!
_{This desire keeps haunting and motivating me.}

aniffy4eva:


IMHO, i also believe that you should do what you love doing, and don't do it just for the money. After a while, you get to a point where money doesn't motivate you anymore, (talking from experience, ), and you begin to seek influence. This feeling is not a function of how much you have in your account, i think it comes as a form of true enlightenment - like you become mature. Surprisingly, at this point, money starts to come your way. It may sound like a farce, but its true.

Aniffy, here you sound like you have lived b/f, then came back to do another cycle.
So true.
I can't wait for that time.
I must say that I seem to have an impatient streak in me but which is tempered by seemingly helpless conditions around me.

aniffy4eva:


,Please don't get me wrong, i understand the importance of money, but lets face it, the most influential people have not necessarily been the richest people.

You are right aniffy. I totally agree with you on that last statement.
However, I am motivated by a drive to get myself out of needs (first of all),
then get a lot more people out of needs.

Let us face it, there is so much poverty in Nigeria despite our booming economy.
I've not really experienced poverty in the true sense of the word, but I see it all around me.
And I've felt it at certain odd times in my life.

If one can find a means of creating wealth not just for self and/or family but true enduring wealth that could affect a very large community,
Then one would say, 'Yes! Poverty has been dealt, blow for blow! eyeball to eyeball! '

Until I can achieve that, I don't think I can find fulfilment in my current state of mind.

uchetobi:

Happy birthday Tommy, may this be the beginning of great things in your life. cheers bro

@Uchetobi
Thanks for dropping in _{if only to wish tommy happy birthday.}

The last time you did, Kuwena and I were fighting dirty.
I guess we've grown up ever since.

kenosky:

[font=comic Sans][size=12pt][b]opoks, u b trouble maker, u with your reading between the red lines and then subsequent yellow lines , i sabi say na something else carry u go office but i no go yarn am out for this thread .

Forget wetin you think.
Na the search for [color=#990000]pepperistic opportunities bring me come office.

opokonwa:

@Uchetobi
Thanks for dropping in _{if only to wish tommy happy birthday.}

The last time you did, Kuwena and I were fighting dirty.
I guess we've grown up ever since.

shey, lol

Thanks every1.
I feel loved here and (everywhere actually)
Alfa
i dey try set goals,but God will direct me.

UCHE
they dont know we come from way back, . . ._{but dnt reveal d secret 2 them o}.How is work?

Ken
Arsenal winning today is my 2nd birthday gift,I got my 1st gift earlier on today,i may gist u later about it.

I have d faith that my gift will be delivered to me tonight._{dnt mind that i am soundin lyk a freak,we all have our passions}

kuwena:

Uche, I read your comments on my person, and I thank you for being so warm, considerate and kind. Indeed, your Christianity shines forth like the sun. The angels are clapping for you. Brother, I am glad.

Alfa Prime, I am impressed. You know, in 2000, I visted some expatriates in Ibadan, and one of them was making an international call. He said: 'There is no great man in Africa, except Mandela'; but after reading from you, I wonder if he isn't wrong.

You didn't need to wonder.
He or she (whoever said that) was a bloody asshole to have said that.
And a very poor student of African history.
_{I sincerely wish they said that to my face.}

He (or she) would have simply said that Nelson Mandela was the only African he (or she) truly respected.
Then we will take it from there to educate him (or her) on African history.

kuwena:


Opokonwa, be strong, and hope in Yahweh. 'He will not allow your foot to be moved.'

Thanks. At this time that I feel unfulfilled in the world of 'an employee'
I'm relying on God (not my wits) to show me the way.
'cause my wits can only get me so far.

I found out that a good number of my entrepreneur role models, whom I had acquired books on their lives and success stories were either occultists or athiests.
Not all but a good number of them (both blacks and whites).
A sour point in my research on wealthy people, wealth creation and notable names in various fields of endeavour.
This is aside from them being very hardworking and highly-driven people

Some of them were bold enough to declare it in their books.
Others I discovered by researching some notable occult websites that had links to them and filtered the names of some their influential members.

It got to a point, some of those groups offered me membership in return for stupendous wealth.
They encountered 'the wrong candidate'.
I dropped my curiosity there and then.

Reminds me of the 'selling my soul to the devil' cry from Kuwena.

However, I believe that Christ is the head of all principalities and powers as declared in the Bible, precisely in Colossians 1:16
I also reasoned that if those peeps could trade their own souls to these 'principalities and powers' just to gain immense wealth and indomitable influence in their respective industries and trades,
Then, why shouldn't I trade my own soul to the Head of them all; Christ, who can do better?

If their own god can guarantee them immense wealth and 'success' as the world sees it. _{in place of their own souls}
Then mine should be able to do better, being the Head of them all.

Besides, my soul will be with me.
I do not need to lose it.

I only need to understand how to follow HIM
And what my purpose in life is.

Then I will get to where the farthest man or woman ever got to.
That process is part of what I am going through now.

tommyex:

UCHE
they don't know we come from way back, . . ._{but dnt reveal d secret 2 them o}.How is work?

Who send una?

If una like, come from way front.

Kuwena, finally, your last post reminds me of 'Kuwena' before the advent of Opoks!

Before NLNG's results brought out the worst in you

Kudos!

I hope this lasts.

AlfaPrime:


@Annify4eva
Thanks so much for streamlining the intellectual discussions to a discernible 3-pronged head, namely:
1. Restoration of effective leadership across board
2. Agressive (Am sure Opoks would agree with this adjective) enterpreneurship drive towards financial independence, and
3. Positively affecting Nigerians of our generation, starting in whatever capacity we can, at whatever corner we find ourselves, determined to make a difference in our own way,  Nigeria's greatest natural resource is obviously not oil, but her people; anyone who helps Nigerians in Nigeria has helped Nigeria!

The first was from Alfa
The 2nd was from Opoks!
The third was from Aniffy

_{And I'm sure that all points from peeps will make a good library of reference and benefit to us all.}

But we really need to imbibe them into our nature (practically) for them to make necessary impacts in our lives and our societies, then Nigeria.

Can other peeps give us their own points please

Who send una?

If una like, come from way front

beef?
Its a pity I know the only girl that graces our thread from way back. . .
Arsenal tonight jooo.
Hope work is ok?

tommyex:

beef?
Its a pity I know the only girl that graces our thread from way back. . .
Arsenal tonight jooo.
Hope work is ok?

No be beef?

Na chicken

Opokonwa, I greet you. In our culture it is said that when a man visits his brother and comes in peace, the host brings out a kolanut. Nwannem, I receive a piece from your hands, and again I greet you.

Your posts are very prompting. After reading from you, I knew I must post. To start with, I sympathize with what the white man said. Most times, I confess, I am tempted to say this: it appears to me that the black man is inferior. I beg you, Opoks dear, not to crucify me for saying this, but that has been my experience. Or could it just be that I have the misfortune of always encountering the wrong people? The usual Nigerian I meet daily seems always to have this inferiority thing about him. Yes, I have said it before: the average Nigerian seems to be nursing some hidden wound, and going about wanting to convince all the world that he has no wound at all. Have you not noticed the I-am-better-than-you attitudinal stunt they always seem to sport? I may be wrong, but many times I have turned the matter over and over again in my heart, and I land on the same hypothesis: it appears to me that black people are (perhaps) inherently inferior to white ones. Or, it appears to me that black people need a psychoanalytic renaissance to become great people. Either of the two; or both. But I beg you to pardon me for saying it. I do not say it to ridicule the black race; I say it to reveal what has been in my thoughts.

My friends who live in the States: Ejiofor, Jude, Thaddeus; another Jude; Adilah, Onyechi, Nneze, Sade, Kevin; Sharifa, James, Eileen, Raymond, Amadi, and so forth all tell me what obtains there, and I myself have encountered Americans and whites myself. They tell me that over there, white people love great things and people. If you say or do something wonderful, they wrap you up in their arms and say: 'Waow! Way to go, bro!' The day Sade, a black American, took a glimpse at Ninety Negro Numbers (the entire 258 pages), she wanted to run mad (that was how it seemed). She said: 'You wrote this? My! I love you; I love you; I love you!' I mean, she kept on declaring that she loved me that I began to wonder if she was real, or simply a clown. And there are many examples besides. These people seek out the best in you and try to turn it into something good.

But what do we have here? Most times, I actually feel afraid to do anything good. Let me give you an example of what happened today at the office: A customer came and said he wanted a cash-backed facility. I was the RO around, and so I prepared the paper work and took it through the necessary authorization process. Then I brought it to the Funds Transfer person to book it. He said he did not know what a Cash backed facility was, and so I took time to explain to him. As soon as I finished, I stood up to go back to my desk, and then another officer who had been sitting next to the FT guy just blurted out: 'Chei; I envy you-o!' I was embarrassed. Instead of concentrating on his work, he was busy listening in, and in his own words, envying me. I sighed, and at once felt like running away into oblivion. I said to myself: Where can I go to and be ordinary, and belong, and fit in and roll with the crowds, not a place where even those that are older than I am put Mr before my name! It's so frustrating!

There's this guy in the office; I actually thought we could be friends; I actually felt I liked him; he seemed to have the usual things that make me like a fellow: a charming personality, with a touch of handsomeness; a free-spirited manner; you know, this happy-go-lucky, back-slapping, huckster-like, hippie style, and all that; but sometimes when I am near him, he puts on a pair of reading glasses, as if I were some kind of university professor. Bottom line: These people are driving me crazy. And these days I think this was exactly what drove my father to kill himself. Maybe it wasn't even Ambrose's juju only. Maybe it was all the inferiority around him that sickened his soul so much that he had to take his life. He found no way round it. I myself may kill myself if I cannot leave this country soon enough.

I want to go to a place where I am accepted; a place where when I ask a question I am not seen to be too inquisitive; where if I give a suggestion I don't seem to know too much; a place where no one has to call me Mr. Sam, instead of simply Sam, or Oga in derision. I want to go to a place where when I enter a room, someone shouts from one end: 'Hey there! What's popping?' And he runs towards me, and we lock in embrace; then he slaps my back and makes a snide comment; I give him a piquant rejoinder, and he laughs, then he says, 'You're a-okay, bro!' And then we go buy sharwamas and lounge, rap up the chicks, and hang out at the gym. I want to go to a place where my intelligence is adored and not disdained; a place where people hug me seven times at least, each day.

Oh, how I recall the day we went to represent our school at Abuja! There was an American delegation there. Sade came (that's the woman that saw my book and kept declaring shameless love). We had finished the session on Public relations and were coming out for recess, when I ran into her. As soon as she saw me, she threw herself at me with such passion and squeezed me to her breast and said: 'My son!' A woman I did not know from Adam was calling me her son. I felt so loved, so wanted, so full of a sense of belonging. No rancour; no competition, no jealousy, just love. She said, 'My son!' This has never happened to me before.

Hmmm. I am praying feverishly that I will go home this year, home to where I belong, home where I do not have to be apologetic for being who and what I am; home where my heart is. Today the primaries in Texas and Ohio take place, and all my heart is going out to Senator Obama. O God, let him win. (God bless America!) And may the day come when the psychoanalytic renaissance I spoke about for the black man be a reality. I have no friends here. Not even on this thread do I truly feel at home; not anywhere in Nigeria do I feel loved and appreciated; maybe because the average Nigerian is so busy envying each and everyone else, that he can have no time to love; or maybe because love simply does not exist. Maybe. But these days I am learning not to care for love. I am thinking outside the box, trying to claim for myself a certain level of individual success that the black man probably does not permit himself to attain to, in view of all the pervading pettiness. In spite of his religion. Which brings me to another issue.

Opokonwa, I am not surprised that most of the people that acquired phenomenal wealth were not religious. The NLNG wait, you must know, has taught me quite a lot. Religion in itself is not reality. Permit me to say this. By the very way it is structured, it seems to me to train the mind to be unreal. Karl Marx, you would recall, called religion the opium of the people. It seems to me to be like a reaction to a state of life that the religious person refuses to accept. Let's go back a little bit, taking for our case study your own religion, Christianity. Jesus, you recall, was poor; and his reaction to that poverty was to make it irrelevant to those around him that were similarly poor. He preached a state of life wherein one could see their state of poverty not as a curse (which ordinarily it was because it meant lack), but as a blessing, as it exposed the person to supernatural reality; to a state of existence where wealth and status were not supreme, but a state of holiness (faith in an extramundane reality, or God; hope in a level of existence above the norm, or heaven; and love for all manner of men regardless of status).

Yet what do we see today? People are using religion to pray for the same wealth that ordinarily was the logical opposite of true religion. Even Jesus (Isa eis Salaam) said: 'You cannot serve both God and money.' You know, I was surprised when I turned on the radio the other day and heard a preacher woman saying that true Christians were supposed to be rich because their God could 'satisfy all [their] needs according to his riches in glory.' Strange. These people are turning faith upside down, and perhaps that is why religion as we know it today has lost a good portion of its credibility.

So it happens that religious people who seek wealth are falling into the cognitive dissonance of wanting repugnant concepts at once. A repugnant concept in this regard (for those that did not do philosophy in school) refers to a statement that negates it precursor; for example, the statement, 'I serve an unholy God.' This statement in the ordinary sense is repugnant, because it is generally presumed that God is holy. So if religion points to God, and seeks the soul, yet a religious person wants to acquire wealth that essentially is fleshy, that person is chasing two parallel realities that ideally should not meet.

Recall too, that it was when the Holy Roman Catholic Church started selling Indulgences (spiritual gifts) for money (materiality) that the first schism (Luther) took place. And even today, our popes and cardinals are more or less proud princes instead of faithful holy men. But of course, I do not criticize them. I myself reason with Jesus: If I cannot serve both God and money, then I am content to serve money and leave God. I want to be stupendously rich, and like I told you earlier, I have chosen to have no religion.

But you know the catch? Though I have no religion, that does not mean I have no God. I do not say there is God; but mark this clearly: I do not say that there is no God. I am neutral of the subject.

Speaking of economic liberaion, one strong weapon for combating poverty and attaining financial independence is having an efficient budget system. A personal budget, rather than limit you, actually empowers you to determine how and where your money goes. I have also discovered that you may face a crisis of values whenever you find yourself in a situation where You can afford something which you don't really need. A lot of people, in attempting to join the craze, end up spending money (which they may not have) on unnecessary things (which they don't need), all in a bid to impress people (who don't care, anyway!)

from Alpha

You're right but let us remember that for most Nigerians (and I mean those who are gainfully employed), it is a struggle to pay bills and stay above need.
And not a struggle to stay away from luxury.
You must know how high you have attained (in earnings) in Nigeria before you say confidently 'that you have idle cash'.
Or that you are contemplating whether to spend it on this choice item or not.
Most Nigerians are very deep in the rat race but wear good clothes and smiles that cover their everyday struggles.
Add it to our very warm sense of humour and you will hardly know that their networth is very poor.

Most that drive sleek cars esp inLagos where I am are on car loans.
Very few and I mean very very few have idle cash after paying debts and affording basic necessities.

Besides, being a highly family-centric society, most employed peeps have at least one or two (direct or indirect) dependant.
Friends, relatives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, friends of friends, cousins of cousins, acquaintances, etc whom you may need to help out besides your own problems (unless you are not a Nigerian)
Add that to church donations, repairs at home, unplanned expenses and one or two trips you may need to give yourself to keep body and soul 2gether.

Then ask yourself, how much is the per capital income in Nigeria?

The last time I checked, it was about $640.00 per person
With less than a tenth employed, who is then free??

_{@Opoks
I feel you, and understand your desire to be self-dependent. Trully, if your job does not engross you enough to make you forget payday, awaiting the salary could really be boring! But I'd suggest you replace your vision of making more money with that of becoming an employer of labour in the long run. That, You know, could actually be a more objective and inspiring vision. Making money in itself is not usually a satisfying end.}from Alfaprime

@Alfa
You can't dream of making the type of money I dream of without dreaming of a company structure to support the various activities and individuals that would be performing them.
They run together; one dream supports the other.

Unless I was dreaming to be only comfortable.
Then I wouldn't need to think so hard or bother myself so much.
'cause I'm not doing badly.

But we need to take this country where American billionaires have taken their economy and subsequently, their people.
We need to think beyond being comfortable and driving sleek cars, building houses and buying shares.

I am looking for opportunities to create labour.
And in so doing, eradicate poverty, both for myself and several, several families.
_{So help me God!}

20 more people like that in this country and we are already on our way.

@ Kuwena et al
Thanks for your numerous commendations. I feel humbled. Like I said earlier, I was a (mostly silent) visitor on "Which Way Nlng" from page 1, following discussions on the thread with keen interest. When all the hullaballoo about the recruitment was over and this thread persisted, I told myself, "here is a crop of Nigerians who are really patriotic but may not realise it, who really care about this country, who could network and achieve so much without having to attend any public rally or noisy assembly. Why not share some ideas with these great minds?, " and so I began to write, So I think, the greater credit goes to all those of us who have kept this thread a must-read with their objective contributions.

from Alfaprime

O yeah! I second that last line.

I hope it progresses to the point where and when we can arrange to meet, sit down and do some 'brainstorming' session on what we can offer as individuals (our respective strengths), whether we do have a synergy to form a group (potential), what our challenges are (threats?) and/or whether we should just call it quits and go our seperate ways (no group synergy) .

The rest depends on us.

I had one of those strategy-sessions yesterday with a former classmate of mine.
He runs a fledgling consulting firm with a partner.

He later confessed that I'm the only one who have ever called him up to ask, 'how do we make money?'
Every other person he ever met (including bank managers who are his clients) have always asked him, 'how do they get a new job?' paying him heavily for his services.

I think we should start thinking in the above direction.

kuwena:

Opokonwa, I greet you. In our culture it is said that when a man visits his brother and comes in peace, the host brings out a kolanut. Nwannem, I receive a piece from your hands, and again I greet you.

Oga Kuwena, it appears you're a very native man
No offence meant but I appreciate your use of native proverbs well.
_{if that is the part of you that remains Nigerian}

[size=13pt]The godfather is back. opoks, carry waka, nothing do u- its good to see u out of ur shell once more![/size]