₦airaland Forum

While Nnewi may have improved, i still think a whole whole lot still needs to be done. I noticed that you were taking pictures of individual buildings except for the Roundabout. That's because as a whole, most Nigerian cities are shyte holes. Nnewi deserves better and i hope the next governor will take Onitsha and Nnewi very seriously. I think we should even introduce the mayoral system of governance so that Nnewi and other cities can have it's own government focusing on it's development cos it seems some Governors are not interested in developing outside the state capitals.

Uyi Iredia: It is a known fact that many Igbos are Catholic.

Catholicism is the major denomination in the east. Even a lot of those that are pentecostal today have their roots in the Catholic chuch but i don't think it's right to assume that every or most Igbos are Catholic even though you may be right.

honey: before i rest my case........ the economy of the western world is not faring better, and so the citizens of these have to be given utmost priority where oppurtinities arise, and theoretically immigrants are finding it hard [just for the record, i'm 15yrs old]

You mean Nigeria is faring better than the western world?

And why are you telling me that you're 15 year old. You should have known that when you were making statements that even 20 something year olds shouldn't be making.

ozo_emeka: Ok. Not fair if that is PER MONTH. Let's break it down in America. You did not factor differences in cost of living

The salary YEARLY of an OWNER of a CARWASH, say in Dakota (not the car wash guy, the owner) is $24,000 which is $2000 a month. When you take away taxes which are MANDATORY, he comes home with $1487.72 a month which brings his ACTUAL yearly earnings to $17852.64
This is working 40 hours a week

Now the average price of a home in Dakota is $129,700 (that is a very average home) if he rents he will pay $880 a month for a house in a barely decent neighborhood, for $600 he will live in the GHETTO. For $1500 he can live in a "good" neighborhood and from his pay check he can't even afford this.

So let's say he chooses $880 ($1487.72-$880 = $607.72). He gets a haircut say every 2 weeks (mind you people here do all kinds of things to their hair because HAIRCUTS are EXPENSIVE, a regular haircut is $15). The average hair cut in Dakota is $13.81. I will assume this guy REFUSES to cut his hair.

So he has $607.72 he pays his light bills, water bills, sewer bills. $60 for heat/AC, $70 for electric, $25 for sewer, and $60 for water = $215. (the ACTUAL average in Dakota is $225 so you see I am generou here). Now he has $392.72. Then he feeds, let's say he MANAGES and buys FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH:
1 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) $1.97,
1 Milk (half gallon) - $2.22,
1 crate of eggs $1.54
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) $4.39
Oil Canola $3.61
Total : $13.73
Plus Taxes on FOOD: 4% (in some states the tax is as high as 10%)
ACTUAL TOTAL: $14.28
Balance: $378.44.
He doesn't own a car and he will pay for the bus to get to work $3.60 daily pass and so for the month $111.60
Balance: $266.84
He doesn't own a phone (that would be $180 for an OLD phone plus $50 a month for the basic plan)
Then he will wear clothes, buy toothpaste ,toothbrush, toilet tissues, soap NOTHING fancy at all. Will buy a bed those cost from $900, $1299 CLEARLY he can't afford this so he will FINANCE and borrow and pay on commission he has to BUY A BED)

At the end of his expenses he has a NEGATIVE balance and is in debt. Which Car wash boy in Nigeria will be in debt?

A car washerman in Nigeria probably eats agege bread and akara everyday and does not have the luxury of eating what his mate in America eats or live where his mates elsewhere live. Some of them squat with people whilw those that are lucky live in run down face-me-i-slap-you apartment where Spyrogira is used as lawn and where diseases are distributted evenly which takes them to hospital chemist several times in a year and they could probably die before they clock 60 and you'll start hearing people saying stuff like "I hear say baba iyabo don die. And i see the man yesterday when im dey laugh. Im no be like person wey dey sick". Not knowing that poverty and frustration gave the man an ultimatum which he was unable to meet up with. Abeg, there's no basis for comparism. The poverty in Nigeria can only stop if poverty decides to retire but as long as poverty is hale and hearty, people will keep running to more advanced countries.

honey: if the average american clamours for food stamp, if the average american complains of unemployment every now and then, if the average american fight for austerity measures.... then how do you evaluate the life of an average immigrant........................... if the top is crumbling ,do you expect the foundatiom to be stable?

You made an assertion about ALL Nigerians abroad living below normal in American and i want you to provide proof or accept that you goofed on that one. What has that one got to do with some Americans clamoring for food stamps.

honey: except a nigerian was rich b4 migrating then i stand to be not corrected that all immigrants are living below normal [i thought were an NIN supporter]

How many Nigerians were rich before migrating. I guess very few except for those that went there to get an education or for a visit. And the bolded comment is very ignorant. You couldn't even say "most". Do you have a source to back up such ignorant assertion?

I'm not a NIN supporter, neither i'm i the opposite. I only involved myself in debates where people tend to look down on Nigerians in Nigeria.

collynzo2: I can assure you that most of them are very good swimmers. River Niger is not too wide? I've travelled on both canoe and ferry on River Niger, the same part where this accident happened, there are parts of the river you can be in and you wouldn't even be able to see where the river ends on either side. Don't say whay you don't know.

The point is that, people should learn how to swim before getting on a boat before they can start thinking of how far they can swim. I'm sure a lot of people that died on that boat would have wished for at least a swimming talent so that they can fight for their life and not be helpless in such a situation.

honey: gullible nigerians wont mind paying [imagind having a $1200 debt monthly, which keeps growing]........... i will always say that america is not the best place to hustle.................why do immigrants never go beyond a particular stage?

Speak about the immigrants you know. Some Immigrants are having it good in America and some others, not so good. The most important thing is that, they seem to be relatively better off than those they left behind, most of the time.

collynzo2: I'll give you the same reply I gave speedyboi.
so once you can swim, you must be able to survive no matter the part of the
river where your boat capsized? How many
minutes / hours can you swim without getting
tired? How many meters can you cover while
swimming?

This is not the Atlantic ocean that we're talking abut. This is a river that's not soo wide. At least know how to swim first and then think of how far you can swim.

honey: and after doing big jobs im america....... bills, heap of bills, mortgages, high taxes, and a stockpile of debt........ the difference btw naija and yankee hustle is that naija hustle is cummulative, if you keep up the hardwork, you will rise through the ranks....... but in yanks as an immigrant you are stuck to one caste of the society, one level of income, one level of living.........

As far as you don't go hungry after paying all the payables that you'll enjoy then it's ok. Nigerians won't mind paying as long as they have OK jobs and there are basic ameinities(Electricity, water, good roads, medicare etc).

ozo_emeka: What society values hustling?

How much do you HONESTLY think a "customer service rep" earns here? A car wash person? I'm waiting for your guess

They may not earn as much as banker and are not supposed to but they're better than their fellow car wash person in Nigeria. I know a car wash guy that makes 5k monthly. Now, what's that going to do for his life. Imagine putting the same car washing energy and expertise abroad.

honey: any body who dies of hunger in naija is just too lazy to work, cmon from car wash to customer bringer in computer village...... naija is practically hustle zone....................i'm not saying ppl should stay in naija.. but they should learn hustling skills first.......

And how much will they earn for doing thse menial jobs in Nigeria? Will it be enough to feed their family. Why not take the same job abroad and make more money doing it. Nigerians don't learn hustling skills. Hustling can only take to a certain level. Why not apply that hustling in a society that values hustling.

ozo_emeka: If the hustle was so "great" in Italy why is he needing Nigerian clients to buy? Italians don't need/drive cars?

The top jobs Nigerians end up with when they come to America (or clearly I see it's everywhere) are:

1. Nurse
2. Janitorial
3. Cleaning
4. Pastor a church
5. Car Sales
6. Doubling any of the above i.e Nurse AND car sales


These car sales men go to what is called an AUCTION. They pay a license $250-$300 and are allowed to BID on an Auction. Okoro has now become a licensed auction man. He calls Nigeria and tells Ibe to tell Alhaji that he is a big boy now in America and can send him ANY car he wants (WHY? Because a lot of Americans would go that route of a car). Alhaji falls mugu and sends $40,000. Afterall the retail price of the car says $35,000 and Ibe said he will pay for shipping.

Now do you know how much he buys it at the auction? Anywhere from $400 - $15000. So let's assume he bought it at $15k he makes $25k rpfoit off the mugu in Nigeria. Now you too, a bystander sees Okoro and envy him and start wishing you too where "abroad" chai he is a big boy now right?

The cars in the auction are at the auction BECAUSE
1. The cars are beat up cars (this is where the "spare parts" boys buy theirs)
2. SOmething is wrong with the cars
3. The cars are deemed unusable
4. Needs fixing

Pretty much any car that is not functioning gets sent to the dumpster. And the dumpster guys RESELL the bad cars, hence why they are sold at those low prices. 419 boys buy these cars, CLEAN THEM UP and RESELL them. This is why Americans DON'T buy cars from Auction guys or AT THE AUCTION. When you go to the Auction (I have been to those severally) more than 90% of the people there are AFRICANS. The rest are Blacks etc. (see the population there?)

Now Okoro buys this car that was in an accident so maybe it needs just a few tweaks. He spends $5000 cleaning it up and Tunde his friend ships the CAR with OTHER THINGS INSIDE the car for "traders" in Nigeria who want to buy. Alhaji gets the car, is so proud of the LOOK and uses the car.....which eventually breaks down and both parties just assume it is "natural damage" to the car.

You might as well save yourself the trouble of buying a plane ticket, only to come here and become a car sales man when you can go to the closest browsing center and earn the same money with less the wahala

These boys make money SO LONG as someone in Nigeria is playing the maga and BUYING into their sales speech. Come to America and see where your Okoro "lives". yes he tells you he MAKES money, but COME FOR YOURSELF and see where these Auction boys live. Some live 7 together in a house "so where is this money they make"


Don't be fooled. Open your eyes and stop falling for these bulllsshhiit lines they tell you from "Overseas"

The most important thing is that these people now have jobs and are no more jobless like they probably were in Nigeria. The key thing is that life is relatively better for them unlike before. They mustn't become millionaires but more importantly, they won't die of hunger. I know and understand all these things you're saying about life abroad but i don't think the poverty beaten Nigeria who lives in Ajegunle or Okokomaiko will care. It's better than dying where he is.

pDude: Clueless governor.

He is only concerned with market affairs. Never any development on economic and social infrastructure in the state.

Market man

Do you know what Umuahia means at all?

honey: are u sugessting we all run away........ if osewa ran away, would there be nairaland?......... what i alway7 tell ppl is that not everybody is cut out for abroad and not everybody is cut out for naija...... each man to his own

I'm not saying we should run away. I'm just saying that, those that want to go and that believe that by traveling their lives will get better should be left to go. I don't think anyone who has a better life in Nigeria will want to travel abroad. But when poverty has knocked you out in straight sets, you may have no choice.

As long as the market remains in Umuahia cos what's the use of calling a city Umuahia without the "Ahia". It will then become "Umu City".

donsax: NO matter the racist, no matter the ghetto...No matter the debt......America is still far better than Nigeria in all way....
Why don't Ya' all retrn back home ifyou think you can't cope with all these...you are there pushing it and you encourage people that wanna come to stay back home..do you know the current country situation? That's why a thread was created that people in Nigeria hate Nigerians abroad...because they think they don't want them to ever leave home...
Why not open a thread on how to survive all these hardship or how you are coping with it?
We still have many successful Nigerians in America...if all these things happening, find a way to play Americans too and survive...a poor or middle class Nigerian will survive any hardish on earth because no where can be as bad as how poor people live in Nigeria...is like someone living in an overcrowded room of like 10people in a room and goes to another place where they are 5people in the room and someone is asking can you survive this? Hell ya he can..
I guess some people aborad are really selfish, someone will open a thread..".America is racist and full of ghetto" Europe has finished recession all over, Canada is too cold, Australia is costly New zealand is too far, no job in S.A, tax is high in uk, middle east pay are peanuts, china is over populated, japan is earthquake home, South korea s unrest because of north Korea, south America are full of crimes, india is no go area...
Where the f.uc.k then do you want them to migrate to since they can't stay home and all these countries are bad..I guess you want them to migrate to newly discovered habitat MARS?

Funny and on point response...

I've discovered that a lot of Diasporan Nigerian have a way of dissuading other from leaving Nigeria by telling them how things are not rosy as they think. Why not leave them to go find out themselves. Afterall before you traveled people told you the same thing but you travelled anyways. As far as i'm concerned, Nigerians can survive anywhere. Whether in far away Australia, Cold Canada, Racist America, secessionist Britain or skin head prone Russia or Ukraine. I have an acquaintance who when he was in Nigeria, was feeding from hand to mouth and squatting with friends. He found his way to Greece and from there hustled his way to Italy and now the guy has sent a couple of cars to his family in Nigeria to sell for him. That's something he probably couldn't have gotten in Nigeria no matter how hard he tried because he doesn't even have a secondary school cert(or so i think). So, no matter how bad those places are, they're way better than Nigeria. All these suffer head Nigerians have to do is to put half the energy they put hustling in Nigeria in those foreign country and they will live a decent life over there. People are suffering in this country and will kill to get a visa to kosovo.

Let me see the response...But i think what will drive most 21st century ladies to a nerd is his pocket. That's if he's rich.

Adeniyi A.:
we dey talk physical, u dey go internal.
shey u see her brain ni?

Brain is physical. I think the word is "Intelligence".

Yield: No one is talking about morality here. That is a whole different arena, which we can get into.

Sniffing strangers' panties and stealing their panties & bras are normal to most teenagers?? LOL, what? Say what?

And even if, even if most teenagers out there sniff + steal women's bras & panties, that does not make their behaviour normal. Many people out there commit murder, steal, vandalize and so on. Just because many people do these things DOES NOT MAKE THOSE ACTIONS NORMAL. I'm only concerned about the boy. Y'all are saying it's normal, which is absurd. I am saying it is not and perhaps there's something more going on with him that he needs to get help for.

I never specifically referred to sniffing stranger's panties. I meant the attempt by teenagers to experiment with their sexuality. It's a Norm. Something that's normal simply means that a huge majority of people do it. It doesn't mean that it's something that people have come to be used to. Though i think stealing someone's panties is quite a stretch. The boy should be reprimanded for stealing and the sniffing.

adaobi123: I've seen sick but I'm getting berra slowly.

Get well soon. No wonder you've been scarce for some time now.

I'm also interested in the people that will be selected and how they will be selected. That could also turn out to be a fraud.

And while the leaders are discussing on the way forward, whether to be or not to be part of Nigeria, it's not the people that will decide but the leasers and history can tell us that the wishes of the leaders and the people they supposedly lead in Nigeria can be at variance.

Yield: Some of you are saying what he did was okay. It ain't! Not only did he sniff her panties, he took ( or quite frankly, "stole" ) her bra and two panties. Y'all are telling me that is normal? Would you be okay with your little brother behaving like that? If I had a little brother, I would be wary of him hanging out with someone like that because I wouldn't want him being influenced in any way. Is there anyone you can talk to about what happened, someone you trust? Not just for your little brother, but the friend. This is not normal. You really should tell someone. Definitely start with your parents about it. If they say it's normal (I doubt it), then you've nothing to worry about about. If they don't, then I'm sure they will offer guidance on what to do, whether to tell his parents and how.

We're not saying what the young kid did is moral. All we're saying is that it's very normal to most teenagers. The fact that this particular boy was caught doing it doesn't mean he's the only one doing. Who says the OP's brother doesn't do something similar and who says he wasn't the one that taught his friend. I'm just saying. If you know what goes on behind close doors, you won't say what you're saying. So, i think we should give the boy a break cos he's still a minor. Though i think the OP should sit him down and have a talk with him.

stebell: Pls Afam, yu said he built schools in de six(6) Geo zones. I don't think or know for sure if he did in South South. I stand to be corrected. That is a lie.

Get ur facts rite.

Actually, he built schools in Owerri, Jos, Ibadan, Ogboko and Kano. My bad.

I always wonder if these people that their boats gets capsized don't know how to swim. How do you enter a boat or canoe without knowing how to swim.

eaglechild: None of the impressive roads shown above was done by Rochas.

the thread is about Imo state and not Rochas.

Katsumoto: Sometimes, you just need to think before exposing yourself.

No one said NCNC is not involved. It was a vote, NCNC voted but it had no bearing on the result because AG, the party with the majority, voted to sack Akintola. So after losing the vote, the NCNC should resort to throwing chairs and breaking the mace so that Akintola couldn't be sacked. Please do not return with another moronic comment.

That's why i asked you how you knew it was NCNC politicians that were throwing chairs or that chairs were thrown at all. Like i said, you can believe what you have chosen to believe cos your mind is programmed to entertain certain assertions. Take your time and digest the last paragraph of my last comment.

Katsumoto: NCNC was a minority party in the West. The AG had a majority in the House and didn't need NCNC votes to sack Akintola. So why were NCNC members throwing chairs and breaking the Mace?

I got the information by reading, you should try it too.

Whether a majority or minority party in the west, NCNC was in the west and that's it. I don't know why you have a problem with NCNC medling with issues that fall within their purview.

You read the information from reading information from who? The source is very important cos we as human beings choose to believe who we want to believe. All these assertions that you're posting here is the version of one person. Other people have their own version which may be contrary to this one but you chose this one cos it massages your you want to believe in. It's in the same vein that some Igbos will choose people who gave accounts that made Igbos look like the victims.

Katsumoto: A vote was also put in the House to sack Akintola as the premier but after the vote passed and Adegbenro was selected as the new premier, NCNC members in the House started the brouhaha which resulted in the House being closed. Ebube Dike, an Igbo man and NCNC House member, seized the mace and attempted to smash it on the head of the speaker, missed and smashed it into pieces. Okpara then came out publicly and refused to acknowledge Adegbenro. What was the business of the NCNC with a party matter in the West of Nigeria? The question is - why did the NCNC members start the brouhaha? Akintola was neither Igbo nor was he an NCNC party member?

I'm sorry was NCNC only domiciled in the east? They were in other parts of the country just as they were in the east, so everything was their business...

Pls, i'll also like to know how you got all these info that you're throwing around. Is there any video prove to these assertions or was it an individual's assertion of events?

^^ That boulevard in that last image is popular. I see it in almost every picture or video of Owerri. I wish their were huge building beside the road.