₦airaland Forum

izzou:
[color=royalblue] Prosperity is cumming

Beg today, build mansion tomorrow [/color]

THIS present administration has got many things to worry about. Insecurity is one of them. The high cost of living is another. The worst appears to be hunger and extreme poverty, which could trigger unrest with debilitating consequences. The government should act fast to arrest this ugly situation.

Worried by the situation, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria recently warned that the economic reforms initiated by the Bola Tinubu administration have triggered sky-rocketing inflation and pushed more Nigerians into poverty.

The bishops merely reiterated what Nigerians already knew. In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria was on the list of the 10 hunger-ravaged countries in the world.

In 2023, it was among the 22 countries classified as hunger hotspots in the world. The situation is worse in the North-East, where over four million people are on the danger list of food insecurity.

The World Bank Food Security Update Report, released in September 2024, noted that the number of people facing acute food shortage in Nigeria increased by 28 per cent in 2023. Also, 82 million Nigerians, or 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, per the UN.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (a UN agency) projects that over 31.1 million Nigerians faced the risk of acute food insecurity during the lean season between June and August 2025.

The Archbishop of Owerri and President of the CBCN, Lucious Ugorji, amplified that scenario in his speech at the opening session of the 2025 First Plenary Meeting of the conference in Abuja.

Quoting the World Bank, which projected that 129 million Nigerians lived below the poverty line, Ugorji added that the 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis listed Nigeria in second place globally in the acute food insecurity index.

Many Nigerians are frustrated, confused and sad. In August 2024, disturbing hunger protests rocked different parts of the country. Some citizens have developed some form of mental illness, while some who cannot bear it have committed suicide.

The Presidency is wont to defend the Federal Government policies despite criticism. On March 14, President Bola Tinubu met with the Catholic bishops in Abuja. He said the reforms were necessary to build a stronger country.

But reforms should have a human face. The sudden removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, and the floating of the naira exchange rate devastated many individuals and companies.

Consequently, the naira has grossly depreciated. The prices of goods and services have quadrupled. Many Nigerians cannot feed. Many companies operate at a loss. Some multinationals have exited Nigeria. Factory closures and job losses ensued.

Rather than lead by example, the political leaders engage in luxury. Last year, the Presidency added another expensive aircraft worth $150 million to the Presidential Air Fleet. The new residence for the Vice-President gulped N21 billion.

Members of the National Assembly went home soon after their inauguration with sports utility vehicles worth N57.6 billion. The NASS leadership reportedly moves about in a convoy of luxury vehicles that cost the country over N7 billion. About N90 billion was spent to subsidise the 2024 Hajj. This is a shame.

The government must retrace its steps. Agriculture is a priority for many advanced countries because they do not joke about food security. South Africa embraced biotechnology and encouraged its farmers to use genetically engineered seeds, which has improved crop yields.

The Nigerian government should emulate this. It should encourage mechanised all-season farming and lower tariffs to aid the growth of the productive sector.

Tinubu should not just focus on raising revenue, he should also ensure favourable ease of doing business in the country.

Excessive borrowing should stop. The welfare of the people should be paramount in whatever the government does.

raumdeuter:
The guys story I told briefly was actually my very close friend from primary school. I will call him S. cos his name starts with S. He is a Moslem guy from a polygamous home but his mom was the first wife and was bounced for the newer wife. I don't know if you have encountered all those Moslem guys who learned Quran early, Very sharp with Math's but deficient in English. S was so good with Math's that in primary school that when we go Math's and English. S will score like 95 but his English will be like 60, while the rest of us will probably score 80-80

His mom knew me from primary school and my parents knew him to because prize winning day Math's is sure for him

By the time we got to SS1, He was already reading Engineering Maths by Stroud, Bunday textbook for Maths, he already took GCE and passed but 1 subject, By the time we were in SS2, he passed all the subjects so he never finished Secondary school because he was too good

So when I was in SS3, He already entered OAU Year 1. So when I was entering year 1, I deliberately wanted to stay in the same room so he can rub off him. His Year 1 GPA was about 4.4.

That year we stayed together was when one weed head guy we called "Elder" he was like 28yrs and an extra year student was also in our room that was who started teaching us how to play "Kashi" but my friend took extra interest in it and started the gambling life

In our room pre cell phone, my guy will just disappear for 2 weeks on those gambling trips from one school to another, get into trouble, no transport fare, enter lorry and just wandering around

By my year 3, I continued staying on campus and he moved to town where his life now took a very bad turn

One day his mom came to my house and told my parents that she found weed in commercial quantity in the traveling bag he was taking to school an they should tell me to stop being friends with her son before S corrupts me too

Many years later I tried to reach him and got info that he was still staying with his mom, got involved in an accident that broke his leg, I told him I will sponsor his MSc in Instrumentation from UI. I was paying the fees directly to the school (because I knew he would gamble with it). He finished his Masters and got a govt job.

2yrs ago, was when I heard from him that his mom died and I sent money to him for her burial

A wasted talent, I just realized that anything he wanted to do he always went in hard, whether gambling, weed smoking, Maths, Electronics

TemporaryHansel:
But, are they comfortable? That is the question.

TemporaryHansel:
Laughs. Y’all make it seem addiction is easy to quit.
If you’ve ever been addicted to something, you’ll know no addiction is easy to quit.

Ihebu4chelsea:
That baba ijebu is actually the worst! How can an educated person make sense of that rubbish? Predict three correct numbers from 1-99 when you no dhe use jazz Na mumu people suppose dhe play that rubbish, Virtual is even better.

GloriousGbola:
remember this guy from last year - Laolu Martins

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/556588-bukka-hut-co-founder-is-dead.html?tztc=1

also this guy

https://punchng.com/bank-manager-committed-suicide-fcmb/

people commit suicide over money matter - and las las - it comes back to gambling or crypto - because those are the ones you really and truly cannot recover from.

GloriousGbola:
any kind of addiction can derail a promising future/career

GloriousGbola:
both drugs and gambling count as clinical addictions

the only difference is that drugs are for the most part illegal, but gambling is legalized so businesses can actually employ psychologists to figure out peoples buttons and triggers . the gambling pipeline is designed, planned and executed

raumdeuter:
People dey steal and kill to fund betting lifestyle oh. All those people you see at Baba Ijebu shop, you are certain 80% of them dont have money to feed next week but they will still play 2sure and 3 direct

Just as you can start selling things to get that high with drugs, you can also sell things to get that hammer with betting and MLM

How many times have we heard bankers dip into customer accounts to fund betting or MLM where they can hammer quick and return the initial money they they wll start competing with Dangote for richest man

I agree drugs is worse cos it hits your health straight but those ones too, na highway to unclothedness

Emmynator:
Any of those things is terrible depending on the level of addiction. Growing up I have experienced at least one extreme of each of these things. I cant say which is worse.

I knew someone, bright guy. Was in first class at 300 in Chemical engineering. This guy hit gambling addiction, he started borrowing money, begging, then resorted to stealing and he was owing the bet shop a lot of money too. The guy had to run away from school when they were hunting for him. That was the end of his academics, the first class just waste. Let's not even talk about what would have happened if he was caught.
So yes, gambling addicts can display the same level of madness as drug addicts, maybe we can just make a case for the direct effects drugs has on the body.

raumdeuter:
Which is worse, Taking drugs, betting or doing MLM
Those are 3 areas I will gladly accept and embrace my ignorance. Add crypto to it

Emmynator:
Pastor Chris has been vocal in criticising gospel artists too. Seems na the new trend be that.

Theflint1:
Is that what they call appearance fee for pastors?

Theflint1:
And to think Femi Lazarus follow for our commonsense geng pastors...now imagine the level of shege these gospel musicians would be getting from your normal entitled god of men.

afrodoc2:
People are not bashing Dakolo. Sheeple are.

izzou:
[color=royalblue] Christianity is Nigeria is more chaotic than ever. So much noise, less substance

Can I invite Femi Lazarus to my street fellowship, and he'll come for free? Femi no dey collect, whether na charge or Honorarium?

It's funny how these pastors who are only seen in Invite-me-I-invite-you crusades have the guts to castigate another group who are doing the same thing with them.

If you will not pay Gospel Artistes, use your church choir.

Na why Bro Gbile Akanni still remains my favorite.[/color]

liveLongNprospa:
BlueRayDick, remember when we argued whether 600k was enough to take care of a family?

afrodoc2:
We had a snooker joint on medical school campus, and 4 booze joints (3 in students area and 1 in staff area), and a video game joint. And police no dey enter.

I think it was not until some external boys designed one of my guy’s face with bottle on top snooker gambling before the student union government closed off the snooker joint.
The guy still get the scars today.

Shegzdave:
Tomi Dakolo is right on this

I think someone here said something sometime ago that “Never allow yourself to be used for free for services that others are being paid for”

Gospel that should be free and disciples being taught how to be like Christ are being charged for that but Gospel Artiste who compose songs should not be charging fees

Moreover, Big Gopel artiste equals large offering for that day program so why is he complaining

If you allow them use you, na your problem be that

afrodoc2:
I have never staked money on betting in my life.

I don’t know even know how to read a gambling slip cos all those numbers look like Greek to me.

I had friends that were chronic cards, video games and snooker gamblers in Uni but I was just an observant. Some of them even gambled on video game football matches that I participated in but my own money no come out. I was the Barcelona or AC Milan wey dem dey bet on top. LOL

Theflint1:
These pastors have several gospel ministers that'd perform for pretty much free, but are obsessed with the likes of Timi Dakolo because they know those are the ones that will swell offering purse.

It's good as Timi Dakolo is bringing receipts, there is a very business end to the church venture and everybody in the value chain deserves to eat of the fruits.

semid4lyfe:
E be like say na only me no sabi nada about organized betting.

The last time I ever staked money on betting was when I rolled dice in Sec Schl. Simple and easy stuff.

All the buzz words, terms and phrases be like swahili to me.

Anyways, from the negative perception and comments on betting I've gathered here, it seems this my ignorance of betting is bliss so I'll continue in it.

larride:
E no even suppose say something like that as an Elder knowing that the practice is amoral.

raumdeuter:
What he said is what most of us know about the entertainment industry and how sex for roles work

Like some weeks back I shared a story told to me by an aspiring Yoruwood actress and it's not different from what Jide Kosoko said here

Some people will always ask for sex and if you value your dignity, you walk away from them and their roles, but if you're the all way na way person then you might see it differently

“If I say I need you to come warm my bed before I can give you a particular movie role and you say you don’t want, just go, they cannot force you to do that. But if you want that role by all means……” - Jide Kosoko makes shocking revelations about the sex for role thing in the… pic.twitter.com/BDgIJ1RgbB

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) March 23, 2025

iamoyindamola:
Rest
Blueraydick and I also talked about the so many plot holes

Btw, you guys are short in youkay how's that my fault too?

iamoyindamola:
Ever since Starmer nack kemi badluck correct agbako
We no they hear from the defender of the west again

ouzo1:
Blueray see another teenage African sensation..

GloriousGbola:
Also I read there are far less guns in the streets of the UK. So much so that people literally rent guns. So the same gun may have been used in multiple crimes. Them catch you with gun 4 years before other charges. It's a pure TV show

iamoyindamola:
The annoying thing is they Nunez their shots, 5 people were shooting Sean and none could hit him