₦airaland Forum

eGuerrilla

But this idea is so radical that it amounts almost to a cultural revolution [/b]in Nigeria.

If Presido so much as contemplated the prospect of giving life to this "buy local" policy you outlined, he would be initiating a full frontal assault on vested interests.
You think he is ready to be a[b] Generalismo?

@^^ Bro you are very on point!! The leadership are not emotionally and psychically connected to the country they claim to represent .

Demdem

Well, is it bad? Money given to Innosun for any additional fixture if needed will most likely remain within our shores. Once the President starts buying Innosun cars, automatically the ministers, parastatals, agencies, party leaders etc will follow suit. Governors especially those within your party should also be encouraged to. You can imagine the demand that will be on Innosun and their likes. Before this singular act by the president, we are simply deceiving ourselves.
Or is he waiting for dangote or private individuals or companies to lead?

@^^ Bro you mean well for the country because you are perhaps more emotionally and psychically connected to the country unlike our so called leadership hence your very incisive patriotic opinion. We cannot expect that much from our leadership/representatives otherwise looting will be reduced to a bare minimum in every sphere of our government . They are not about growth nor patriotic activities that enhance and add value to national life.

ekt_bear

I doubt it is cheaper. Otherwise nobody would be begging Lagos gov't to patronize.

Anyway, let them do their own thing, manage their spending as they like

@^^ Your economic logic might sound very plausible and logical in "normal places" where accountability is taken for granted. Nevertheless, Lagos state, despite our admiration for Fashola's administration is inherently a typical Nigerian quasi-state, populated by some badly informed staff/decision makers whose [b]instincts [/b]are informed by anything "foreign" is best. We cannot rule out some underhand/corrupt activities in the initial contract hence foreign order is better for easy transfer of funds abroad(safe haven) etc. Nigeria is not an easy place to read and interpret on the surface like other places where such huge contract decisions are usually debated, scrutinised and thrown to open transparent bidding which in this case did not happen. I hope I am wrong on the bidding part of the contract .

walcolm

must nigerians fly BA?

i dont believe a company should be told what price to sell their goods in a free market economy. why cant the aviation minister as a matter of national interest; help or facilitate a system that will enable Arik and Air Nigeria improve their services to the point where the thousands of Nigerians who fly the 21 BA flights weekly to and Fro UK will switch carriers?

if Arik and AirNigeria offer services that are at par wit BA at a cheaper cost, there will be no discussion

@^^ You are on point bro! We are just too lazy to see the real issues -  so called "quality" service delivery/assurance against the crass service delivery of Arik + ineptitude, lack of imagination/creativity and capacity which makes BA pricing justifiable. Majority of the purported first class customers are mainly our unpatriotic senators and government officials like NNPC staffers. There's nothing to celebrate in this matter other than it highlights again our general lack of capacity in the aviation economy, ineptitude and the unpatriotic conspicuous consumption of our government officials for first class flights. The minister may be patriotic in her actions but I cannot vouch for the rest of them including Luck Joe .

nagoma

We are talking about leadership [/b]here not 30 or so years of transient physical comfort at the expense of the poor human beings you lied on oath and swore to protect and treat justly. We are talking about [b]concience and justice not buildings. Concience and justice are the true human developments, they are what animals (like our current leaders and some Nairalanders) don't have.

@Gbam^^ Well said bro!

Most so called mud houses are cooler and very comfortable than some so called "modern" houses. 'Mud' or local earth is appropriate material, for building adequate and appropriate houses instead of "alien" inspired structures. Most "modern" or 'alien' inspired houses use  imported materials/"ideas" hence the so called modern houses are hot, very expensive and inappropriate for our environment unlike the denigrated so called "mud" or brick house. It's a shame that we have regressed indeed and not exactly discerning enough to see beyond the "Mud".

pazienza

Yes,ojukwu wanted seccesion,but most biafran soldiers where fighting to protect ndiigbo from a nigerian army that was determined to send them into extinction.

@^^ Ojukwu as an individual cannot want secession without the overwhelming support of his people if you really understand the urgency of the times and the [b]worldview [/b]of the Igbo- Nobody can have such over-arching power over the majority wish or not. He was merely the "voice of the people" never mind later day revisionists and cowards who want to blame Ojukwu for everything under the sun as the sole head and desirer of Biafra then. It's amazing what defeat and loss does to a people's psyche. I guess most people find it extremely difficult to disabuse themselves of the linear Euro-centric/ hierarchical and feudalistic worldview in interpreting Igbo worldview about the Biafran conflict- hence the fixation on Ojukwu alone by turncoat revisionists and some Nigerians.

@OP

Why do you expect any reasonable serious person who witnessed the horrors of war to be very voluble enough to tell their tales of woe, valour and loss on an impersonal internet forum? Isn't it a bit optimistic to expect that much from serious witnesses/victims, actors and survivors of the war?
War is a very traumatic experience as history all over the world has demonstrated/shown. It's not an interesting event for volubility like fairy tales.

Abagworo 

Most Igbos fought that war as war of survival and not war of secession as being claimed by many reports I have come across

@^^ So your family story is enough for you to conclude that war of survival is not war of secession as in the Biafran case? . The above is the worst pseudo-intellectual sophistry induced by denial of reality and of course by psychic dislocation caused by loss of a noble war fought by gallant men and women of the East. There is no shame in defeat or loss of war that was fought between so called brothers as the "Nigerian side claimed that it was a "fratricidal war" hence the desire to "keep Nigeria ONE is a task that must be done". I guess a lot of Igbo are in your state of mind set and psychic confusion. It's no big deal to loose a war and certainly nothing to apologise, deny or feel ashamed of either . Bro, raise your head high and not down like a defeated man which certainly you are not .

doctokwus

With comments like yours above,u dare criticise beaf,u come across as more partisan as partisan can be;go thru your comments again,its revolting all d defence u are puttin up for Aregbesola,I certainly wished I didn't read dis stuff u posted,I nearly threw up.Jst goes to show that its not d party that will turn dis space called nigeria around,because heinous eggs can b found in which ever party they call themselves& d very few gud ones seem not in sight

@^^ You have not disproved Gbawe's points/reasons based on facts on ground from residents and actual projects on ground too. What is it that you find distasteful about Aregbesola's actions or Gbawe's write-up? There's dignity in labour hence the state is implementing long-term people /work/ income generating projects. Which do you prefer "grandiose projects" like stadiums or airports etc that don't exactly impact on the lives of the majority citizens economically or emotionally either. We should try to subsume our typically Nigerian [b]instinctive [/b]desire to criticise and condemn, especially if we are not exactly privy to facts on ground, local knowledge, or even knowledgeable enough about the country at large. I can understand that some of journalists/media houses are terrible indeed in misinforming the public or rather most of them are ignorant of what development is because they have been schooled badly to think negatively always. They seem to have a dependency syndrome hence support for bad government that give away hand-outs to synchophants.

@ OP

Did my prediction about politics in Cameroons not come to pass ? Nothing changes nor Biya ever going to offer anything new beyond his usual hollow headed capacity . Cameroon is not too different from Nigeria . see my earlier post.

@OP

BA and the British government will never commit economic suicide by abandoning Naija route. Please everyone on this forum should read the past annual financial reports of BA to note that the Nigerian route is the most profitable of all BA so called flight routes in the world . They have become accustomed to bad service delivery, Nigerian "elites" always clamour to fly BA especially our so called Abuja based government/power elite. The same mindless consumption / choice of carrier always by Nigerians gives the wrong impression to the British/BA that we do not know a thing or two about patriotism even from our rulers hence BA has become complacent, contemptuous and haughty in their dealings with their Nigerian customers. Our government cannot act beyond their capacity because our politicians are addicted to everything "foreign". Those celebrating should think again. We've seen it all before .

jp philips

Yes, it is a good one because it will breed patriotism at a tender age after all the Govt will fool them that they are “chopping oil money” so they are now part of the Nigerians that have access to the tNational cake. The kids will love their country .I need not remind you that[b] patriotism mitigates corruption[/b]

Secondly, they will seriously consider going to school just to get Govt money and free okpa for lunch, let us quit deceiving ourselves about Imo state having highest school leavers in the SE. I seriously doubt those ambiguous figures because I ve never met NOA people going to families to interview and get accurate findings. The[b] figures are mere anecdotes, fabrication built on fallacy.[/b]

@jp philips ^^^ very on point the bolded above . Besides, much of the figures Nigerians use e.g. population figures are inaccurate/ not definitive.
The governor's monthly personal security (vote) money, is larger than the total cost of the so called stipend. The Governor does not have to give account on his personal security expenditure . It's so with all the Governors to the President. There's so much unaccounted slush money around .

harambe

Nigerians are very funny people. the whole damn country is being ruled by foreigners and foreign countries and these ones are talking about dual citiznship

^^ I have mentioned it severally that Nigerians and her so called power elite are alienated, emotionally and psychically disconnected to the country hence existence of rabid and mindless corruption, other unpatriotic activities, such as - foreign bank accounts, foreign schooling for children in Nigeria(British/American International) and abroad, dual nationality because you don't believe in Nigeria etc. It is endless. We are going nowhere so long we have quasi foreign oriented persons running the so called country Nigeria. You put your money where you have faith/belief in .

anonymous6

Some Yoruba's have, especially of the muslim religion. Some muslim hausa's(low in numbers) actually live in Lagos.

Haba , since when does living in Lagos or any place in Nigeria imply close contact and mixing with the host community beyond trading/business contact? Being Yoruba muslim does not also give free and easy access/contact with their religious brethren either. There are a lot more Nigerians from the South residing in the so called muslim North, yet we know that all the cities and towns are demarcated into two etc(Sabon Gari). The contacts are usually superficial except in public offices where such romances are likely to happen but rarely outside of that domain.
The men may appear to some southern females as laid back etc but that's a matter of personal(some female) perception and desire not exactly a provable attribute in the men either. Who do you think are the most aggressive in realty?

Kilode?!

That kind of narrative in the hands of a skilled team of propagandist can lead to great chaos and terminate any careless government. It is similar to what occurred in Tunisia

^^ That's my sentiments too but you'll agree with me that the majority of so called Nigerians are not [b]emotionally [/b]and psychically connected to the country hence corruption and impunity thrives. We are all technically alienated from each other as evidenced on NL forum discussions. Besides our career professional soldiers, I doubt that a lot of Nigerians will gladly volunteer to fight for country if there's an invasion from any of our neighbours let alone engaging in some high minded "Tunisian" style revolt. We've enough oppression in our midst and information to spur us into action yet we're never moved. Our newspapers/journalists are no different from our politicians. They are cheap and no integrity.

tpia@

I think that Northern men are free daters and have become very attractive because of the perceived power/economic dynamics in the country since the military incursion into governance. We cannot deny the inherent economic factor in the "dating" arena in our society. How many Southerners have actually had any close contact let alone relationship with a so called muslim Northerner? The attraction is basically economic and ephemeral because a lot of Southern females are inherently mercenary in their desires . I do not dispute your opinion on the rest of the inter/intra dating jungle.

Kilode?!
I don't think it was intentionally removed or covered up per se. I think that our so called journalists are part of the Nigerian problem just like the rogue police force. They are lazy, ignorant and intentionally deferential to anybody that shows them ₦  .

How do you do Bro? Longtime no see? Mind you I've been off NL for a while. I'm getting a little exasperated with the new "democratic" Lucky Joe's government. Democracy now wears a new garb and the so called militants are quiet or rather contented because their son and daughter(Deziani-NNPC) are holding the purse strings of the federation . A lot of things are getting worse like Police impunity and delinquent soldiers on our streets.

@Op
Perhaps the death of the young man should be an inspiration to the "idle" militants of the Niger Delta to organise and issue some retaliatory actions  against rogue police men that are everywhere in the South South zone instead of making ineffectual threats to Boko Haram and innocent citizens of Northern extraction residing in the Zone. Making such threats and following through with it, if the police panel etc fail to prosecute their rogue member/killer.It must be much more beneficial to the nation and satisfying to peaceful and justice seeking Nigerians. There is a limit to human patience and endurance. Put your weapons and knowhow into productive social use . I'll certainly be grateful for such actions against impunity and extra-judicial police actions anywhere in Nigeria.

@Op
Perhaps the death of the young man should be an inspiration to the "idle" militants of the Niger Delta to organise and issue some retaliatory actions against rogue police men that are everywhere in the South South zone instead of making ineffectual threats to Boko Haram and innocent citizens of Northern extraction residing in the Zone. Making such threats and following through with it if the police panel etc fail to prosecute their rogue member/killer, must be much more beneficial to the nation and satisfying to peaceful and justice seeking Nigerians. There is a limit to human patience and endurance. Put your weapons and knowhow into productive social use . I'll certainly be grateful for such actions against impunity and extra-judicial police actions anywhere in Nigeria.

mathskill

How did the Arab-muslim expansion take place?was there ever an islamic that came to africa?is it comparable to the pillage,plunder,violation,theft of natural resources of africa the division of the continent itself between the colonial powers and the massacre and slavery that africans had to endure in the hands of european christians.Ojukwu should tell me which Arab or muslim leader did that to Africa.

^^Whaooo I can't believe that in this day and age there are so called "educated" Nigerians lacking in basic historical knowledge of pre-colonial Africa(before the arrival of the marauding Europeans). Arab does not necessarily equate to muslim just as European is not necessarily of Christian values/beliefs. Bro You need to review your history lessons and sources too. Ordinary common sense should be enough to disabuse your ignorance of African history especially that of North Africa and the Arab incursion/conquest of our lands including northern Nigeria.

@Op
The majority of our power elite are engaging in inter-ethnic marriages and relationships while the hapless ignorant citizenry squabble and argue over such mundane issues as tribe hence we are misruled by the same group of "friends" or minority.

Sagamite

Nigerians are not militant enough for social good.

They are militant for selfish gains but not social good.

We need to protest against and deal with the police.

^^ Very on Point bro! It's a national malaise indeed .

Sagamite

When you are more educated and more affluent, you value your life more and are less foolhardy, suicidal and maurading.

@^ I agree with you but that's the problem with the south that people have surrendered their civil liberties for some imaginary safety. It's become a slippery slope downwards to total anarchy and acquiescence to general abuse all over the place. I doubt it has anything to do with being better educated/affluence but rather the gross misperception the Power mongers hold of the Southern populace . The behaviour of our Police force strutting their stuff everywhere in the south of the country is shocking indeed. You do not need to be a dare-devil to earn their ire trust me.

@VolvoS60

Please we must not make excuses to cover up very serious obvious/open problems pervasive in the south of NIgeria. The Apo 6(Abuja) were southern victims as usual. Many of the victims of gross police and army brutality/impunity are majority Southern Nigerians. Try to investigate further, perhaps you'll come away with a different viewpoint. It's easy to say that it's a Nigerian problem but that's glossing over the details and the 'devil' in our midst. Southern Nigerians have internalised and accepted Police impunity and misdemeanour as normal hence the generalised excuses being made for cowardice and laziness. It does not happen in Kano nor Bornu states trust me! Southern Nigerians generally are cowardly and lack self respect. They voluntarily offer unsolicited "bribes" wily nilly to anybody in uniform without being asked. Please travel around Nigeria a little bit you'll be disabused of your generalised view of how things are in the Country especially with Policing style/attitudes- North/South. Incidentally, majority of the so called rogue police men are Southern Nigerians .

arsenefc

Who are you comparing them with?

@^^ Did I compare them with any dissimilar organisations? .  Most uniformed men and women in Nigeria behave almost similar like they own us most especially the Southern part of the country .

arsenefc

We all have breaking points, you know. You will do what the cop did if you found yourself in his shoes.

@^^ You sound like an apologist for mediocrity and general ineptitude of our security agents. Do you sincerely believe that the wicked police man would be able to shoot at an innocent civilian in the presence of northern witnesses without giving it a second thought or self restraint, in Kano or Bornu states? I understand your innate fear of our Police men anywhere in the South of Nigeria but we must not renege from making our voices heard by the authorities by any means necessary including retaliation as well to send a message that enough is enough.

alj_harem

rubbish, so that young minds like you and others can keep harbouring hate in your hearts abi

maybe you need to read the article again, to tell me if it should be in nigerian history

@^^ I am surprised at you that you see our collective "national history" in terms of ethnic bias etc.
True national history for better understanding of our collective national malaise is not about finger pointing or scoring ethnic biased points etc. Why would you advocate deliberate historical amnesia and ignorance for Nigeria whereas we gladly learn the history of other nations warts and all. Please think about it deeply and understand that national history in its true sense is not about being selective of what we want to learn or not but what it is because as we all know, there are still living witnesses and active 'actors' in our living history. It's not yet fossilised like ancient history beloved by some of us. This aspect of our national history is very much in our collective memory and psyche hence we are having this conversation. Please try to banish/eschew your instinctive bias when trying to deal with modern living Nigerian history no matter how unpalatable we may find some of the "stories". It is part of our collective national heritage ugly or not . We must deal with it

@ all Posters saying that we should be fearful and subservient in "Nigeria" because the Police behave badly, actually it is only in a section of the country, Southern Nigeria predominantly. We seem to bury our heads in the sand and gloss over that fact as if it affects the rest of the country(North). It seems to me that a lot of Nigerians have not travelled around the country as to observe the distinct difference in police behaviour in the North and the South. There is abject contempt, disrespect, and disregard for human life by every law enforcement agents in the South. Even traffic wardens in Lagos behave badly too despite not being armed yet. Did the police not kill two brothers in ONDO state recently yet the outrage against the police was feeble and the police station and inhabitants are still in business as usual. Cowardice, Fear and Laziness have taken hold of our collective psyche hence impunity flourishes in the South of the country more than anywhere else in the country. We are fearful of social misfits like Area boys, cultists in universities (mainly in the South) to other social miscreants and delinquents in our midst. Fear has gained control of our natural ability to Act purposefully. It is as if we are a conquered and defeated people indeed and not full fledged citizens of a so called free country.

Katsumoto

The US, France, and UK all, individually, have more billionaires and Fortune 500 companies than Germany but which country has the lowest poverty, crime, etc? Germany of course. Because the German Mittlestand model promotes empowerment of many rather than a few as practised in the UK, US, and France.

^^ Very on Point. Germany and Belgium besides China are the most successful exporters ever. Belgium is still functioning well despite very long periods of no government at all because of "tribal" war. Thank you for your insight.

ekt_bear

One for the deadbeat southern [/b]Europeans and another for the fiscally [b]prudent northern Europeans.

^^ Northern tribes vs Southern tribes . Please read the Euro/debt debates/opinions of the northern tribes, It's hilarious and almost shocking making NL tribalists sound very civilised indeed . Sincerely, the antics of the southern tribes are shocking and does not merit any sympathy let alone assistance given that they do not inherently believe in paying tax etc. Ireland is in a better position to survive/ help herself with support. They like her fellow northerners are relatively prudent and pay their tax.

Kobojunkie

It will only stop when Nigerians start demanding they be treated as human beings.  It's over 51 years and God has yet to come down to do it.

^^ Gbam!!!!! We are inherently fearful, lazy and deferential to anything/body in uniform or "bigman"/"Woman"

Okija_juju[/b]

You pick up a bunch of idi'ots, dont train them properly on the law they are suppose to be enforcing, give them heavy arms, underpay them and set them loose on Nigerians, what did we think would be the outcome?!

I remember one night when my dads car broke down a few k/m's from our house, and my dad came home and got myself and some other dude who was staying with us to come help push the car home. Half way home, a friend of his saw us pushing the car and decided to give us a tow home. just a few feet to our street, we ran into a checkpoint (this checkpoint has been there since forever and you would think they would have recognized us as residents in the neighbourhood). Thats how they stopped us at about 9:30 in the evening, and asked us for a tow-permit. Long story short, my mum who is a lawyer was pissed and trying to tell the officer that he was wrong and he just pulled up his rifle, aimed at her face (standing just a few meters from her) and had barely lifted the barrel just slightly above her head when two shots rang out. My dear!!  That was my lesson in life never to f'ucks with the police,  That check-point dis-banded immediately because after the shots rang out, the officer incharge ran up, took away the other officers fire arm and loaded him into their pick-up and they drove off.

[quote]The fear of Nigerian police is the beginning of wisdom,[/b]  just saying

@^^  Your post is very much on point but I cannot help reminding you and the rest of our country men that there is a distinct difference in  policing activities in the North of Nigeria and the hapless Southern part of the country .
Have you ever wondered about the absence of no reports of such wicked contemptuous behaviour by our security agents(Police) in the North of Nigeria besides the occasional Government action in the Crisis ridden Jos, Bauchi and Bornu states. We all know the results and consequences of such inept actions by our so called security agents.
Let me break it to you brother -  The Police generally and inherently are contemptuous of Southern Nigerians and have no iota of fear whatsoever of Southerners, hence the Impunity, Brazen and Gross [/b]behaviour from them as expected normal behaviour. I have severally in other forums, pointed out this disparity in police behavioural standards between the North and South of Nigeria by default I guess. My personal feeling is that the Southerners are inherently [b]Fearful, Lazy,Deferential to anybody in uniform, lacking the guts to retaliate or Act purposefully, beyond mere noisy outrage as usual compared to our compatriots in the North of the country hence some actions of the Boko Haram are justified no matter how grotesque the logic might sound. In the North of the Country, vehicles and drivers in motor accidents that involve death of a local are immediately being burnt or killed without recourse to the authorities hence the "mutual" inherent respect for the locals. Action speak louder than words. I do not support violence but enough is enough. It's about time Southern Nigerians reclaimed their freedom and citizenship. As it is now, the only free Nigerian citizen only exists in the north of Nigeria never mind poverty etc which also exists in the South too .

[/quote]

ekt_bear

All I'm saying is, let us at least try.

@^^ My brother you are not wrong with your hope/optimism. You'll agree with me that there is a[b] limit[/b] to human endurance/patience especially when the obstacles to your progress/development/project are by ordinary mortals like the police, customs&excise, ministries, the law of the land in some places e.g. Land Use Act which the Governors use and abuse like their personal property. It's actually easier for a Non-Nigerian(foreigner) to get ahead/navigate our system because of inherent inferiority complex pervasive amongst Nigerians/officialdom .