₦airaland Forum

Early this month, armed with a news item in the dailies last month that PHCN had been barred from collecting the criminal monthly charges, i breezed into the Akerele, Surulere office to buy some fresh tokens for my Meter, only to be met with a stern looking lady that told me bluntly that she is not aware of what am talking about.      

When i gave her 4k for the units, my receipt showed only 2,267 was the cost of my 107 units, while 1,551 went into monthly charge  , the rest is VAT.
I have tried several ways to beat them but none worked, i once bought bulk units once that lasted over four months, by the time i went to recharge again, i had to pay over 10k as arrears on monthly charges first before paying another 3k for some tokens.
This is Pure criminality! It has to stop!!!

What a move for a smooth goal.
What was Mikel thinking  

Wow! Wow! Wow!
God bless you, Aigbofa for this thread. And double of that to Afam4Eva for those funny probing questions that kickstarted what I will call my comedy thread of the year!
I was laughing so hard at the departure hall that I didn't feel the frustration of my delayed flight for once. Honestly,  I've not laughed this deep in a long while, and you know laughter is good medicine!
thanks Y'all once again to all the other actors that helped to light up this comedy.

It's a complete fashion faux pas.
Matter of fact, removing the label should be the first assignment while donning a new jacket.
Like some one said, you won't want to wear the price tag of an item on it.

Wow! This is good news. I'll watch out the next time i buy token.
They usually deduct 1,100/per month on my 3 phase meter, just for nothing!
Phew! we don suffer for this kontri.

Quote
I am very unhappy in my marriage right now because i dont have any fond felling to the woman i am married to.She was recommended to me as a wife by my parents after they told me to breakup and do away with my ex on the ground that she"s frm a different tribe and too modern for their taste.

For the umpteenth time, Marriage is not for boys!

I chose my current career because while an udergrad, i discovered that with the rate Industries are dying off in this country, my Industrial Chemistry may not even let me survive as a man, not to talk of being Successful and wealthy in it.
Since i was already in 300L, and can't drop years to change course, i veered into informal IT, learning win 98 , fDisk , DOS configurations from floppy dikette!       Talk about the good old days.
Today, i am so glad i did, I love my job to bits! It has taken me around this whole country, It pays all my bills and leaves me some change to touch some other peoples lives.
Now, i am running a Masters prog. to formalize my new found love.
So, to answer the basic question, I needed a career that guarantees somewhat financial freedom!

It would be too ungrateful of me to see this kind of thread and just pass by.
Back in uh while I was still in school, I noticed a small lump on my neck and later on both arm pits. Just like a joke, I went to the school clinic and they did aspirate the serum, ran some tests and gave me some drugs (they never told me what it was).
The lumps continued growing with light pains until the one on my neck becomes very large and evidently cancerous, spreading to my rib cage areas. 
Then I knew the healing balm had to be activated, so I began speaking the word to it. Every day and night, I will lay my hands on the affected areas and speak health to the tissues and death to the ailment!
After some months, they started bursting open and got drained of the pus until they all dried up!
I just allowed the word of health to grow and prevail in my body, the sickness packed out. Till date, nothing like that ever on my body.

Awwwww! Airtel is saved of my bad mouthing!.
Firstly, my enterprise mail refused to drop since last week, then early this morning, data services completely dropped, and i was pilling all the blame on Airtel and their staff wahala, not knowing it was RIM all these while.

Sorry o.
You mean our Professional policemen still line up on a queue to collect their Salaries? And probably intone 'Thank you, sir' to the 'Pay Master General'?
Whatever happened to giving Salary Schedules to a bank to credit their accounts?? And we thought it was only in equipments and ammo they were backward?

Well, Lagos motorists go hear am this month!      

@Tito
Come on man!
You are still talking about online transfer? That sounds archaic really. What bank doesn't do that?
Got Firstbank's mobile app that does that perfectly, including paying for DSTV and other utilities, recharging phone credits and third party txns, all from my phone!
Now, that's Innovation! With that I have no business entering a banking hall, except to draw a check.
Used to give it to the orange gang before though, but truth is that since the turn of this year, their services has been terribly wacky!
One of the days I had to juggle two branches to draw a check after standing on queues for hours on end!

#grabs a stool# patiently waiting for Oga d Law to return with the way forward.

I am actually supposed to renew my rent by month end but my landlord have not said anything on the new payment schedule, he just sent us SMS early last month reminding us of contract renewal date, though personally, i made up my mind to pay for 1year because it keeps me away from thinking about rent again for the next 1year, and secondly, my landlord is Peace of mind personified.

@OP
Please to avoid being fleeced of your forex. Do not patronize mobile currency changers @ the airport.
FIRSTBANK has a forex ATM at the arrival lounge. Just feed in your forex and it will give you crisp naira equivalent at the official Central Bank rate.
Enjoy Nigeria's Unique hospitality!
Make sure your hosts take you to the National stadium to enjoy Isiewu at the Ojays restaurant. #winks#

This Polo Park mall pix was taken on the opening day, thurs 15th.
Honestly, we couldn't enter inside, right from the buiding hall way down to Shoprite entry, it was like a rowdy crusade ground!
My pity for the mgt is that they may have lost heavily to shoplifters because there's no way the staff could cope with what besieged them.
Any ways for business minded guys, the whole complex is still unoccupied, apart from shoprite that kicked off, the Cinema halls are still under construction. It might be up to December before the place will really begin to make sense, at least the food court will have been in place too.
When I get chance to visit on a free day, I'll get more pix.

[quote author=Okija_juju link=topic=758635.msg9144815#msg9144815 date=1316000542]@ 27Naira:: I wont even front that I wasn't spoiled as a kid cos I got everything I needed to grow up, but above all, I got the requisite training in how to make and appreciate the value of money,  Graduated in 2008, served and went abroad (not for a masters),  There I worked manial jobs as a labouerer, flipped burgers and fries in mac donalds and paid my bills and rent,  Every now and again, my Parents did send me a few bucks but not like every month o,  I got my Job in Nigeria from there and flew back home last christmas,  Started working in March and I think I'm fairly cocky cos I'm making good pay and can afford everything that my peers can't,  But that not withstanding, I think its fair to say I have earned my stripes and if my parents can still house and feed me, while I save money for my future why not,  I have built up a good account balance over time and since I don't pay that many bills I'm on course,  If I find a girl and decide to settle down, even after the wedding cost and all, I'd still have enough to keep going,
I resPect those who have made it on their own oars but that doesn't make my hussle any less than it is,[/quote]For real man, if i was living in my father's house (fully owned), i am not sure i would have taken that decision to move out. If your father has got things straightened out, really you might decide to stay back and save some bills for something else.

Jarus:
This defeatist mentality annoys me. Truth is more than 50% of people that work in organized private sector got the job not because they are children of big men, but on merit. This thinking is too pervasive in Nigeria, that you can't get a job unless you're connected, and it annoys me.

Terrible mindset!
I remember vividly, when i traveled all the way from Lag to Enugu to write First Atlantic Bank test then, one dude sitting beside me started lamenting that it was just a waste of time, that they've already taken the names of those that will pass!!! Men, i told the guy plainly that nobody can stop me from passing, that even if it's only one person that they need, it's got to be me!
And truly, i was on my way back to Lag when i got SMS congratulating me for passing. ( I didn't end up with them, though)

Seriously, people should learn to dump these stinking thinking and put a little faith in themselves and God! Merit still pays, even in Nigeria today!

Beautiful question!
I actually stopped asking for money the day I left for NYSC. It was a deliberate personal decision from me, nobody advised me anything.
I figured out that i needed to be a man and help to train others; nephews and nieces, having been trained by my elder brothers. So i told my self that even after NYSC, i am NOT going back to 'our' house! Rather, i need to get 'MY' house.
With that mind set, i set my face like a flint. During NYSC, apart from my primary assignment, I set up Computer training centre with a fellow Corp member and we were making some tidy sums to keep body and soul together.
After NYSC i moved in with a friend (squatting!) YES! I knew i needed to put my self under that pressure to get a house for myself because going back to 'our' house will give me a kind of relaxed security.
Then, i made a vow to God (like Jacob, on his way to be a man) that once i get my first job, i will give him the first salary! Believe me there was no aptitude test that was done that period that i did nor write (invited or not!) i kept pushing till i got the first job that was not so paying, but gave me opportunity to learn a lot, then boom! the real deal came, and today, i can only be grateful to God for taking that decision!

Habits are funny characters, I remember back in secondary school when we used to do 'night prep' that is, general night reading in the class at night.
Some of us that used to spot 'Punk' hair style used to wonder why we kept pulling out hairs while reading. It was so bad that I will carefully single out strands one by one, pull it out and then chew it with my inscissors! Thank God 'Punk' wasn't fashionable in Uni so I went low cut, and so was the deliverance!

I think low cut will actually help the girl get over the hair pulling

I think that every parent needs to read Dr Ben Carson's classics; Gifted Hands and Think Big! There you'll see how the dumbest kid in the class turned out the best medical student and today, a renowned Neuo-Surgeon
You can't raise your kids on 24hr television and expect them to pass WAEC or UME! Book kmnowledge is acquired by diligent study. Imagine if Ben's mum bribed teachers for his grades, he will never have amounted to anything!

Why is this President's speech ever so UN-INSPIRING!
'May be it is now our turn' Gooosssh!
With this kind of fear-filled, clueless gibberish, global terrorists will be thanking their stars for having a cosy home here.
Forget about Obama even, didn't Jonathan listen to relatively unknown Norwegian President's Speech after their incident? And how swiftly the police rounded up the attacker?
This is a Duuuuuumb! Statement coming from the mouth of C in C of Nigeria!
It simply translates to ' let us fold our hands and accept our lot, there's really nothing we can do about it'!
Duuuumb! Duuummb!! Duuuuuuuuumb!!!

@Neto, hope nobody submitted your resignation letter without your consent, Naija politicians styleee   
@TKB, congrats bro. you are now turning your pay check into financial freedom, that's a path we all dream to follow.

@Office,
Been away from the office since the beginning of the month, writing a semester exam for my MIT in UNILAG. its been crazy men, read all week, write exams on Saturdays.
Thank God it will be over this Saturday so i can enjoy one more week lazying and lounging around before resuming back to the office.

So much awaits me though, because i've been getting info that some things are not just working out as expected and i'll be going back right in the heat of the challenges, well that's why i get paid sha. so, Bring it on!
Buh,  till then, let me enjoy my peace.

Mobile money is surely the next big thing in electronic banking services industry in the country, that is, if we get it RIGHT!
Like AJ mentioned, Emma Okoagwale of Mobilemoney Africa has been the voice crying in the wilderness for some years now, in terms of creating awareness and hosting seminars on the merits/challenges of the services.

AjanleKoko:
What puzzles me even more is, the initiative is not even driven by the financial sector but the tech sector. I would like to ask the house, what exactly do you understand by mobile money? What is it expected to deliver? And how come the banks have been totally ignoring it for now? Will it really change anything anywhere?
Your thoughts.

Drawing from the run away success of Kenyans 'M-Pesa', which is a money transfer system targeted at mostly the under-banked/un-banked (people without account in any bank) using their mobile phones as the only requirement for the service delivery, the telecom providers have decided to run the services in the country with the CBN's approval.
Interestingly, most of them have been running the pilot scheme with selected banks and other private institutions and all things being equal, with CBN's approval and issuance of the Licenses, we expect them to GO LIVE! before the year runs out.
In terms of what it will deliver, the potentials are as huge as the mobile phone industry pre-2011, but reaching that potential will depend on how the industry successfully navigates the tricky parts.

Mobile money is built on the fact that in developing countries like ours, you may have just about 30% of the adult population using financial institutions for their transactions, leaving out the remaining 80% who carries cash around( mostly the uneducated rural dwellers), and since up to 90% of these adults all have mobile phones, why not tap into that market by providing them a platform to receive money from their children/relatives in the cities without going into any bank?

Now with Banks jerking up their account opening amounts from 2k to 25k as shown by UBA recently, most lower income citizens will be kissing good bye to the banking halls and that's where mobile money comes to the rescue. With their mobile phone numbers acting as the mobile money account number, they can transfer/receive money (called cash out/cash in) from another person sent through the phone. Then, there's an agent that will serve as a bridge between the customers and the Banks, the agent dispenses cash to the customers on presentation of the token PIN received on their phone and the same time loads the e-money for a customer that wants to buy.

That is why i believe that the SIM reg exercise will do a whole lot of good in this country if the integrity of that database is maintained and managed very well as identity is a very critical part of the mobile money business, the success of Kenyan's experience in mobile money is hugely because the country has a reliable ID system which we have woefully failed to implement here.

@Oga AJ, lovely thread you put up here.
Peeps, i think it will do a whole lot of good if we can narrow experiences down to the company's particular branch/location instead of generalizing.
Like we've seen from a few posts here that Sweet Sensation, Opebi has terrible staffers while other branches are on top of their jobs.

When it comes to telecoms, i don't know much about others but i've used Airtel all my mobile phone life, and i can say that so far so good, i can give them 70%. But there's this dude @ the Galleria that nearly pushed me to give him a dirty slap, but the gentleman in me just reined me in
Early in the year, i had issue downloading apps from Appworld and after contacting RIM, they told me to route the complaint through my service provider. So i dashed into the outlet to make my complaint, now apart from the fact that the guy doesn't even understand what an Appworld is, he bluntly refused to escalate the issue to any body    
For goodness sake, the guy is just a front desk officer with no technical skill, all he needed to do was to take down the incident call and log it for the appropriate team but he just kept giving silly excuses out of ignorance and arrogance married together.
Finally after wasting a whole lot of my time and seeing that i won't leave for him to attend to other people on the queue, he reluctantly logged the issue. Very terrible front desk guy.

Thanks a lot bro. You rock!

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This is good topic!

MOBIL, Aguda Surulere is the best and trusted station for me. I normally use my 30litre can to know the crooked pumps as the car meter can't give you exact reading.
It takes 1,900 to fill it there, elsewhere its always above 2,000.

By all means guys, if you can, avoid the MOBIL at International Airport Road, Lagos. I got a wicked fleecing there on my car, i knew where the needle was supposed to rise to after i made that particular purchase but alas, it got to only half of it.

It's CAMRY baby, and the battery is just like 3months old! So am good to go!!!

Hello House, Pls what's the best way to leave a car behind, while travelling for like a month or two, so that you won't have a problem kick starting it when you return?
Some say to remove the battery head while others talk about 'warming' it at least once a week.
Ideas Anyone?

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