₦airaland Forum

zetzar: Here is a very appropriate comment from a new thread

www.nairaland.com/1464906/best-country-make-money-today

The Best Country To Make Money Today On Earth Is Nigeria

Exactly Zetzar. It's as if the person read my mind...

"They import everything" - No Naai-gerian cares enough to build Naai-geria. They only grab and then idîots like Mophie-of-the-asś celebrate that.

The smallness of the Naai-gerian mind.

The rich 2% of Naai-geria that are held in regard by those they rob.

____


Nigeria's rich elite live it up amid squalor
Alongside the vast majority who live on $2 a day, Nigerians with
September 27, 2009|Katharine Houreld | Houreld writes for the Associated Press.
Email
Share

LAGOS, NIGERIA — The waiter at Caliente bar sticks a sparkler into yet another bottle of champagne and hits a siren mounted behind the bar to draw everyone's attention to the sleek Nigerian businessmen who ordered it.

Nearby, oil traders, sports stars and politicians' children grind to a hip-hop beat.

Most of Nigeria's 150 million citizens may live in desperate poverty, but the West African oil giant also has an elite that revels in "shakara" -- the flaunting of success.



"Nigerians who have money like to splash it," explains Naomi Okaja, whose company imports goods into Lagos, the commercial capital. "There are a lot of bad things about this country, like the leadership, but there's a real entrepreneurial spirit."

At the Megaplaza mall, a flat-screen TV taller than a man sells for $53,000, a crystal chandelier for $10,000. A 2009 survey by U.S. consulting firm Mercer finds Lagos pricier for expatriates than Berlin or Madrid.

Meanwhile, 80% of Nigerians live on less than $2 a day.

In this city of more than 17 million, power shortages caused by neglect and mismanagement mean even affluent areas only get a couple of hours of electricity a day. A fleet of diesel generators keeps the Megaplaza lights burning.

The wealthy import everything from refined gasoline for their Mercedes-Benzes to their children's favorite foods.

At night the line of lights from vessels waiting to berth stretches across the horizon like a diamond necklace on the throat of a Lagos socialite. They enter heavily laden but head out riding high above the water. Only the tankers leave low-bellied; crude oil accounts for 95% of Nigerian exports but production has been slashed following attacks by militants protesting widespread pollution and poverty.

Violent robberies, fraud and kidnappings pit the haves against the have-nots. Restaurants post armed guards; the homes of the wealthy have walls with razor-wire, floodlights, cameras and security guards. Newspaper ads for luxury armored Hummers blare: "You are a person in authority and influence. Protect yourself."

An island and the connecting peninsula jutting into Lagos Lagoon offer the best real estate. At night the neighborhoods become the ultimate gated communities, reachable only by bridges and checkpoints guarded by sullen police with rifles.

But the guns can't protect against fraud. "This home is not for sale" is spray-painted across the walls of many mansions in case con men get the keys and sell the home for a briefcase full of $100 notes.

And since even Hummers must contend with Lagos' legendary traffic jams, there are yacht moorings and helipads for the super-rich.

All cities have gaps between the rich and poor but Nigeria has only the smallest of middle classes sandwiched between the desperate and the fabulously wealthy.

Okaja, the importer, a svelte, black-clad 30-year-old, sees the positive side of conspicuous consumption, calling it an African tradition and a celebration of businesses overcoming poor infrastructure, corruption and political unrest.

But success stories, especially for the politically unconnected, are still the exception.

"You must have a big man behind to you succeed," insists Ifane Okuro, 25, as he haggles with customers over his brightly colored swaths of cloth. "Can you give me a job?"



Okuro's margins have been squeezed by the closure of most of Nigeria's textile factories and a ban on importing fabrics, forcing him to smuggle in cheap Chinese cloth through neighboring Benin. Police collect unofficial "taxes" and he was robbed on his way home from work three months ago.

Authorities say 600 people arrive in Lagos every day to find work. Most end up living in crime-ridden slums, or sleeping under bridges, or in shacks they build on stilts in the fetid lagoon.

The inequality continues to the grave. Ebony, Nigeria's top funeral provider, offers a replica of Michael Jackson's coffin and a 30-piece brass band. The poor are disposed of wherever there's space; newspapers reported last month that 24 bodies were found abandoned under a Lagos bridge.

Everyone has a different vision of Nigeria's future. The dancers at Caliente and the shoppers at Megaplaza think the wealth will trickle down, a growing middle class will push for better governance and a better government will provide better services.

For Okuro and other stall holders around him, such visions provoke bitter laughter.

"When will it come? Tell me when," Okuro demands to shouts of approval. "We are tired of waiting."

morpheus24: Thats your usual response when you can't defend the point.

Light bulb moment!

There's no point to defend.

morpheus24: HAHAHAHA!

You must be missing the chinese invasion in your country. Where's the protection for your industries from your government. OH yeah, its Toyi Toyi season this summer.

One moment, you celebrate FID. The next, you call it an "invasion"?

OK, dude. Idîocy moment, I guess.

Your desperate one-liner's not worth a "proper" response.

The rich 2% of Naai-geria. But who cares because they are black, right?


____

Corruption: Tinubu now Richest Politician in S/West History, Worse than Ibori--PDP

The alleged ownership of choice properties and businesses by former Lagos State Governor, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu, valued at over N1 trillion ranks him the most corrupt Politician in Nigeria, worst than self-confessed thief, Mr James Ibori, ex governor of Delta State, the People Democratic Party, PDP, has said.

Such properties and businesses include the Ikeja Shopping Mall, Oriental Hotel, Renaissance Hotel, First Nation Airline, Vintage Publications (publishers of The Nation newspapers), TV Continental, Radio Continental, and so many others.

The PDP challenged the ACN to "tell Nigerians how a man who was governor for eight years with fixed salary and allowances could have acquired so much money to buy almost everything in Lagos and stop insulting our sensibilities with nonsensical talks which are only aimed at covering up their non-performance and looting of treasuries in the States under their control.

In a latest war of words between the PDP and its rival Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), PDP's National Vice Chairman for South-West, Mr Segun Oni accused Tinubu who doubles as ACN national chairman, of illegally acquiring the Ikeja Shopping Mall for the sum of N14 billion.

The PDP which brought to the fore the controversy surrounding the ownership of the emerging greatest business empire own by a South Westerner also
claimed that Tinubu stole enough money for his investments while Governor of Lagos and used the loot to acquire choice properties in Lagos.

"Instead of attacking President Jonathan, shouldn’t the ACN be explaining to the public, who owns the N14 Billion naira Ikeja Shopping Mall that was built on Lagos Secretariat land. Who owns Oriental Hotel, Renaissance Hotel, Agidingbi, First Nation Airline, Vintage Publications (publishers of The Nation newspapers), TV Continental, Radio Continental, and so many other illegal and corrupt acquisitions?" queried the PDP in a statement signed by Mr Oni.

In the ongoing verbal war which many see as a case of pot calling kettle black, the PDP also questioned the ownership of a land at Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos, former campus of the Lagos State Polytechnic; but the embattled ex governor and his party have dismissed these serious allegations as baseless and entirely without merit.

The PDP maintained that Tinubu also owns the expansive plot of land within Alausa, few meters away from the Governor's office, earlier allocated as a residential area before the residents of the state living in the place were evacuated and the buildings in the area demolished, which is also located a stone-throw from the multi-million naira Renaissance Hotel, also allegedly owned by the ex Lagos governor.

“What Nigerians demand from them are explanations as to the reckless and obscene appropriation of properties belonging to Lagosians by Bola Tinubu and his stupendous wealth which is at the expense of tax payers in Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun States."

Oni, claims the ACN are made up of political hypocrites: "it is the height of hypocrisy for a party, whose leader; Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has converted all properties belonging to Lagos State to his personal use to attack the president, just because a contractor chose to invest in the propagation of the work of God by renovating a church in the president’s village instead of him (President Jonathan) collecting gratis from the contractors."

Oni qualified the call by the ACN for the impeachment of Mr Jonathan over the church gift saga as satanic. "Would the ACN hypocrites have preferred that the said contractor handed the money used for the church renovation to President Jonathan as they would have done if they were the president? Or that the contractor should have doled out the money to Tinubu as part of his birthday largesse as done by ACN governors in the Southwest?

"I think the problem with these ACN people is that they think they are above everyone, including God. That is why they could come up with such satanic position just because a company performed its social responsibility by helping to promote the work of God," the statement read adding that, "one then begins to wonder why the ACN people hate God and members of the Anglican Communion this much."

Tinubu is engaged in a political battle of his life over allegations that he forced some ACN state governors, the 57 chairmen of Local Government Councils and the Local Council Development Areas of Lagos state to cough out N2 billion for the celebration of his 60th birthday recently.

morpheus24: The graph simply shows the "tender- onies" movement up the purchasing power ladder. A pacification by the real "powers that be" who sign deals with ex prisoners and thugs so they can get their hands on the real economy.

Please!

The graph shows what it shows - and it was 2009 even. Black spending power is bigger than that of whites. If you don't know how to read a graph, ask for an explanation. Don't make an even bigger fool of yourself.

98% of your people eat crumbs falling off the table of the 2%.


You have no point.

Shell in concert with the Naai-gerian government.

The rich elites, the 2% of Naai-geria have the 98% eating crumbs and the stûpid 98% doesn't mind because the 2% is black "like them".

The mind boggles.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htF5XElMyGI

paniki: Anyone would jump at the opportunity of going to a place that welcomes exploitation of it's people and resources. There's peoples productivity to be taken away in Nigeria hence the "investment".

Yes - it's money for jam. Open season for anyone. Foreigners freely come into Naai-geria to exploit the economy. Even South Africa's been accused of same. Even their own government is complicit in the abuse of the own people. Why would businesses stay away from a place where the government is derelict in its duties?

Look at the below. Shell acting in concert with the Naai-gerian government. And this is the selfsame Shell that has controlled the oil economy for decades.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8MQvHFv1Co&list=PLXhuzKSXJ9OSm3m0Qd4KWq9kSrhNPYVpi

Your rich 2% steal your oil and sell it to Europe and other countries. They deny you idîots of your heritage. And you are too stûpid to fight for what you deserve.

Come to think of it, a few sold you people into slavery too. It's always been like that in Naai-geria.

Black-on-black abuse in Naai-geria.

The smallness of the Naai-gerian mind.

morpheus24: And the point still remains, in the last 19 years the native Africans still controll less than 10%

The fact remains that you've abandoned your argument.

The picture below says you're talking rubbish.

Facts say only 2% of your population are privileged. The elites who are "the untouchables" who collude with Europe to steal your oil. The rest of you natives eat crumbs.

CraigB says cry me a river.

morpheus24: I guess those investors must be real air headed running into an economy that is about to collapse. Short term thinkers, don't you think.

You have no point. The point is in 60 years, you've built nothing. You should be investing in other countries by now (like South Africa is) - and not celebrating FID. FID is no measure of health. Given the size of your population, there'll always be consumers. Even if naai-geria were to split.

So don't give us a useless story as a counter to the imminent failure of your state. So, no the investors are not air headed, because they'll make money regardless. But Naai-gerians are. Everybody makes money out of Naai-gerians. Even South Africans do.

Because Naai-gerians have no brains, all those investment flows count for naught. The country still fails

morpheus24: I will wake up tomorrow and Naija will continue to move forward....

Indeed. Ever forward to darkness.

True Naai-gerianism. Defined as the curse of being blessed with everything and denied the brain to make the "everything" work. Naai-gerianism manifests itself through empty bravado, jealousy, loudmouthedness, extreme jealousy and similar undesirable traits.

In this thread Naai-gerianism is practised by All4Naai and his impressionable, but unthinking Mophie-of-the-asś. True Naai-gerians.

morpheus24: Same difference you M.O.R.O.N. Who imposed the sanctions and for what reason

How can I be inferior to a bunch of darkies who shiver when an Afrikanner yells at them and they reply "Yes BOSS!"

The idîot strikes again. You shiver when you hear Boko Haram. You shivered when you heard MEND. You shivered when you heard Military dictatorship. Most of all, you shiver so much today that you all can't demand service delivery in your own land. You are nothing in your own "black" country. The few privileged "blacks" treat you all like rubbish and they eat your lunch, so that you settle for crumbs. Black-on-black abuse. How pathetic.

Zim built a thriving economy for years; and I have no doubt they will bounce back once Mugabe is gone. The causal link is between sanctions and their economic collapse. End of story. Who, when and why is irrelevant to the question of whether they can build a country.

You are the only blacks in the whole world who've been blessed abundantly, but who've set out to destroy what they've been blessed with. Blame your nonexistant brains. Leave whites and the rest of the black race out of it.

__________

Nigerians’ 53 years of lamentation

OCTOBER 2, 2013 BY OLUSOLA FABIYI 4 COMMENTS



President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File copy
As Nigeria marks its 53rd independence anniversary, OLUSOLA FABIYI writes about the lamentation of Nigerians over the inability of successive leaders to improve their lot

Members of the National Assembly are not supposed to be among Nigerians who lack contentment as they rank among the highest paid in the world.

With an annual salary of about $189,000, as equivalent of N30 million, the lawmakers are arguably listed among privileged Nigerians that live in affluence.

A survey carried out by the influential The Economist magazine a few months ago, revealed that salaries collected by Nigerian senators and members of the House of Representatives were far ahead those of their counterparts in the 29 countries surveyed.

In terms of volume of cash earnings, the Nigerian legislators surpass their counterparts in Britain who take $105,400 yearly, as well as those in the United States ($174,000), France ($85,900), South Africa ($104,000), Kenya ($74,500), Saudi Arabia ($64,000) and Brazil ($157,600).

Only Australian lawmakers, with $201,200 annual salary each, receive higher than Nigerian legislators.

Other annual salary details published by The Economist are those of lawmakers in Ghana ($46,500), Indonesia ($65,800), Thailand ($43,800), India ($11,200), Italy ($182,000), Bangladesh ($4,000), Israel ($114,800), Hong Kong ($130,700), Japan ($149,700), Singapore ($154,000), Canada ($154,000).

Others are New Zealand ($112,500), Germany ($119,500), Ireland ($120,400), Pakistan ($3,500), Malaysia ($25,300), Sweden ($99,300), Sri Lanka ($5,100), Spain ($43,900) and Norway ($138,000).

But as Nigeria marks the 53rd anniversary of its Independence from Britain, our federal lawmakers are among those accusing successive governments of failing the nation.

Perhaps, it is their belief that if the leaders had done better, their take-home pay might have surpassed what their counterparts in Australia earn.

Since they do not consider themselves among leaders who contributed to the poor state of affairs, the senators on Thursday unanimously submitted that apart from those who fought for our independence, the nation’s leaders have failed to provide the required leadership to make the nation socio-economically independent.

They also admitted that the nation’s leaders since the return to democratic rule, 14 years ago, failed to take serious steps to tackle corruption, unemployment, rot in the education sector, decayed infrastructure and nepotism.

However, while some of them argue that the situation could be improved upon through a change of attitude by the leadership, others believe that a total takeover of government by progressive politicians in 2015 would save the country from the current mess.

The senators were contributing to a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, asking the Senate to congratulate President Goodluck Jonathan, the government and people of Nigeria on the nation’s 53rd independence anniversary.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, in his contribution, noted that the crisis in the nation’s educational sector and the reduction of Nigeria to a mere raw material provider for manufacturing firms in other countries were not good enough for a truly independent nation.

He said, “A truly independent nation is measured by its quality of education and economic sustainability. A situation whereby our universities are shut for months and manufacturing companies are relocating daily to neighbouring countries is not good enough for an independent nation.

“How can we claim to be an independent nation when all we do is just to produce raw materials for processing firms outside the country and nothing serious is being done to address the high rate of unemployment.”

A former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and now a senator, Barnabas Gemade, urged the nation’s leaders to improve on the social infrastructure, power supply and develop its agricultural potential as a strategy to tackle unemployment.

A former Governor of Kano State, Senator Kabiru Gaya, said, “Nigeria always takes one step forward and several ones backward whenever there is a change in government.” He also noted that a deliberate attempt to improve the agricultural sector and a commitment to fighting corruption were required to tackle the social and economic challenges facing the country.

But to a former National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Senator Smart Adeyemi, the problems confronting the nation were selfishness, greed and absence of nationalistic spirit in the nation’s leaders.

Adeyemi expressed regret that while current leaders were self-centered, the leaders who fought for the nation’s independence were selfless and made national interest their priority.

To some of the senators, the lamentations would continue unless the progressives were allowed to lead the nation. A politician like Senator Gbenga Ashafa (ACN, Lagos) who belongs to this school of thought, expressed the opinion that only the progressives know the problems confronting the nation and its people and also have the antidote to clear the mess.

Ashafa equally lamented that successive leaders had mismanaged the nation’s resources, expressing confidence that the situation would change when the progressive politicians take over power in 2015.

His position was supported by Senators Ayoade Adeseun, Ganiyu Solomon, and Akin Odunsi, who in their submissions argue that Nigerian leaders have failed the citizens. The three senators are members of the opposition political party, All Progressives Congress.

Rather than condemning the APC senators, the Chairman Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, noted that since there could be no democracy without democrats, Nigerian leaders should encourage different shades of opinion because those with contrary opinions also love the country.

The President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, said he and his colleagues were worried about the state of the nation. Mark, who was a former military governor, a minister and has been in the senate since 1999, commended Nigerians for their patience and urged public office holders to live above parochialism by seeing every Nigerian as their brother and sister in line with the contents of the old national anthem. “Nigerians have every reason to be anxious and to be impatient. We are endowed with abundant human and natural resources but our people are still suffering. We have to congratulate them for their patience,” the former minister of communication added.

To a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigerians have lost confidence in their leaders. He said, “Grand intentions without vision mean nothing. Leaders must work with greater zeal and focus if democracy is expected to produce the envisaged impact on the lives of the people. Nigerians have lost faith in their government because of the lack of vision in the management of the nation’s political, economic and social affairs.”

Reviewing the state of affairs in the country under democratic order, Abubakar, who served as Vice-President under former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, stated that leaders should not seek elective offices simply for the sake of power if they lack the vision to push economic growth, which in turn, creates employment and greater prosperity for the citizens.

According to him, “The economy is central to everything and demands vision-driven leadership to move forward.” He lamented, “Our economy has been weakened in the past few years with crippling unemployment, especially among our youth.

“Nigeria has become unable to deliver the goods and services to give our people a decent standard of living and dignity.”

Atiku noted that as an oil-rich nation, Nigerian leaders had no excuse to fail, adding that inexperience; lack of adequate preparation for office and drift should not be allowed to stand in the way of the country. He also argued that challenges like attracting and sustaining foreign direct investments, improving education, boosting the manufacturing sector, enhancing power generation, improving security, tackling poverty and unemployment had direct relationship with the quality of leadership a country has.

According to Atiku, vision doesn’t exist in a vacuum, as performance levels could not be separated from the quality of elected leaders. The former Vice-President said one of the challenges facing democratic governance was the lack of emphasis on issues and the promotion of sentiments over substance.

Throughout the world, he said, the citizens base their choices of leaders on their proven abilities. According to him, democracy is too important to be left in the hands of those seeking elective offices without the vision to deliver the country from its present quagmire.

Away from the lamentations, governors from the northern region have urged Nigerians to exercise patience with its leaders in their bid to transform the country, assuring citizens that the nation will overcome the myriad of challenges currently confronting it. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, made the call in an Independence anniversary message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo.

The governors said the country might not have fared well in all the critical sectors of the economy but had nevertheless made remarkable strides, especially in steady march to freedom and respect for the rule of law.

The governors said, “Daunting as our security and developmental challenges may appear, we are confident that the nation will emerge from this trying times stronger, more united and more prosperous.” They also urged Nigerians to live above sectional tendencies which could only compromise the growth of the nation, begging the citizens to imbibe the spirit of selflessness which the nation’s founding fathers preached and practised. Before Nigerians make up their minds on what to make of the homily, lamentation continues.

morpheus24: ^^^^

yep thats why a million investors are flocking into the country despite this sad state including a bunch of them whie saffers. It definitely is failing

People make money from war even. You have no point. You will wake up tomorrow and Naai-geria will still stink. You have enough reading material. Enjoy it, Mr failed state.

I am off for a jog.

morpheus24: I like that distinction you made with Zimbabwe... the "until recently" would preced what event_Mugabe chased away the White settlers.....

No, idîot. His economy faced sanctions. You have just proved my point about your self-hate. I did not even mention Zimbabwean whites. You did.

You see now why you are inferior to South African blacks?

I leave you to deal with your inferiority complex. I am not going to waste a beautiful afternoon speaking to someone who's biggest achievement in life was a South African visa or similar.

The below has nothing to do with other blacks. It's the Naai-gerian blacks who did the below, all on their own.


____
http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Nigeria-becoming-Worlds-1st-Failed-Petrostate.html


Nigeria becoming World’s 1st Failed Petrostate?

If it is not common for insurgencies to telegraph their intentions in advance, as it can provide defenders with valuable early intelligence, then Nigeria’s Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta is no ordinary insurgency. MEND has given the nation's second largest oil producing company, Chevron Nigeria Ltd until 1 October to evacuate the Escravos Terminal and Tank Farm facility or face imminent attack.

On 6 September MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo said that his insurgent colleagues would begin mortar attacks on the multi-billion dollar oil facility after the deadline expired.


Gbomo’s statement to the press remarked, "MEND is so far satisfied with the steady destructive progress of 'Hurricane Exodus' which has reduced Nigeria's oil output significantly through our sustained sabotage of pipelines. We will also continue to turn a blind eye to the crude oil merchants passing through our territories because their activities, apart from toll paid us, is helping to achieve our objectives of zero oil output by 2015. We use this medium to advise workers at the Chevron Tank Farm in Escravos to evacuate the premises as mortar attacks are imminent on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 from 00:01 hour Nigerian time."

Why 1 October?

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, should be black Africa’s biggest success story.

A member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Nigeria currently produces 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd), making it Africa’s largest oil exporter and the world’s 14th largest oil producer. With oil running at roughly $100 per barrel, that generates $250 million in income per day, or $19.25 billion annually, give or take a few naira, probably more, as Nigeria regularly evades its OPEC quotas. Such oil revenues should provide more than a modicum of prosperity for Nigeria’s 160 million citizens. The country’s oil sector provides 95 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and about 80 percent of the government’s budgetary revenues.

But despite the massive oil revenues, 80 percent of Nigerians live on less than $2 a day, while across Nigeria, public services have deteriorated and poverty is growing, sharpening ethnic divisions and fostering bitter parochial politics in which ethnic group’s clans and sub clans battle for the remaining national revenue pie.


The scope of the thievery of oil revenues by Nigeria’s elite is staggering. In 2007 Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared that more than $380 billion has either been stolen or wasted by Nigerian governments since independence in 1960. The massive corruption associated with the overwhelming influx of oil revenues has produced major unrest in the country, leading MEND to protest the inequity.

The U.S. government’s Energy Information Administration notes in its country analysis brief, “The oil industry is primarily located in the Niger Delta where it has been a source of conflict. Local groups seeking a share of the oil wealth often attack the oil infrastructure and staff, forcing companies to declare force majeure on oil shipments. At the same time, oil theft, commonly referred to as ‘bunkering,’ leads to pipeline damage that is often severe, causing loss of production, pollution, and forcing companies to shut-in production. Protest from local groups over environmental damages from oil spills and flaring undermined relations between local communities and international oil companies (IOCs). The industry has been blamed for pollution that has damaged air, soil, and water, leading to losses in arable land and decreasing fish stocks.”

The government of President Goodluck Jonathan has adopted a carrot and stick approach to the Delta insurgency, the stick being military operations, the carrot an employment program for former disaffected MEND members, but the latest MEND threat indicates that both approaches are stumbling.

How serious is the threat? At its height MEND reduced the Nigeria's oil production by one third through attacks on oil facilities and personnel, leading many foreign oil companies to declare force majeure. The government’s amnesty and work programs lessened the violence, but an incident three years ago is now threatening to restart the conflict.

On 1 Oct. 2010 twin bomb attacks that disrupted Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary celebration in the capital city of Abuja, killing 12 and injuring 36. MEND claimed responsibility for the atrocity.

The following day MEND leader Henry Okah was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he had lived since 2003 and charged with the Abuja bombings. On 26 March 2013 a South African court sentenced Okah to 24 years, despite his denial of any involvement in the bombings. MEND is demanding the release of Okah “and other innocent persons set up as scapegoats and held over the October 1, 2010 twin car bombings in Abuja” as well as the firing of Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke. Five months ago Nigeria’s Civil Society Network Against Corruption, a coalition of 150 anti-corruption organizations, petitioned the government’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate new allegations of corruption brought by several Delta State oil-producing communities against the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

It may be that Jonathan’s government will decide to force Ms. Alison-Madueke to resign, but it seems unlikely that they would accede to any further MEND demands.

Accordingly, for workers at the Escravos Terminal and Tank Farm, time to buy some Kevlar flack jackets.

By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com


------


The blue. Simple. You have everything. But you do not have brains.

http://www.punchng.com/opinion/how-nigeria-disappoints-africa-and-the-black-race/


How Nigeria disappoints Africa and the Black race (Disappoints itself, I say)




Azuka Onwuka


Not too long ago, I watched a documentary on Al Jazeera showing young men from Portugal escaping the harsh economic realities in Europe and migrating to Angola and Brazil to work. Portugal colonised Angola and Brazil. Portuguese is spoken in Angola and Brazil, so the Portuguese migrants do not have to battle with a different language. But the real attraction was not language. Angola and Brazil are experiencing an economic boom.

Angola’s case is truly interesting: More of a fairytale than a true story. Angola fought a 27-year war that erupted right from its independence in 1975 and ended in 2002, with some interludes in-between. I remember that listening to the news in the 1980s and early 1990s, no news bulletin in Nigeria was complete without a reference to the Jonas Savimbi-led National Union for the Total Independence of Angola in the Southern African country, or the John Garang-led Sudan People’s Liberation Army, or the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, or a clash between the Mangosuthu Buthelezi-led Inkatha Freedom Party of South Africa with the African National Congress or between the ANC and the brutal apartheid regime. I used to see our “peaceful” country as lucky, and asked myself repeatedly if these mentioned countries were meant to fight wars ad infinitum.

Wikipedia says of Angola: “Angola’s economy has undergone a period of transformation in recent years, moving from the disarray caused by a quarter century of civil war to being the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the fastest in the world, with an average GDP growth of 20 per cent between 2005 and 2007. In the period 2001–2010, Angola had the world’s highest annual average GDP growth, at 11.1 per cent. In 2004, China’s Eximbank approved a $2bn line of credit to Angola. The loan is being used to rebuild Angola’s infrastructure, and has also limited the influence of the International Monetary Fund in the country.”

That Angola could emerge from such a long-drawn war and become a booming economy in less than 10 years to the extent that it would not just attract other Africans but also citizens of their colonial masters is not just surprising but exciting. But to me as a Nigerian, it is depressing and somewhat embarrassing.

Last week, the name of a book came to my mind: The Anatomy of Female Power, and I remembered the author and one of Nigeria’s most celebrated critics of the 1980s and early 1990s, a man who had no surname: Prof Chinweizu. I sought to know his whereabouts. The responses I got were that he seemed to be residing in Ghana. My response was: “Ghana? Why Ghana for such a brain like Chinweizu and not Nigeria?” I got no answers.

Then I asked myself: Where is Africa’s highest-selling author, Prof Chinua Achebe? The United States of America. If at 82 a home-grown African icon like Achebe still resides in the US, when he should be in his home town Ogidi receiving visitors like an oracle, when will he return to Nigeria? Prof. Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, is home-based but he seems to be more outside Nigeria than within. What about award-winning authors such as Ben Okri, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Helon Habila and others? They are either in the UK or the US.

This brain drain is not just prevalent in the literary sector; in different sectors of the economy, our best brains – young and old – are fleeing the country, while those who left long ago have refused to return, even in their old age. Spirits don’t build nations: human beings do. With the drain of intellectuals and youths from Nigeria, the resultant effect is better imagined. Those who should be using their talents and energy to develop the nation are using such to the benefit of other nations. And while those nations grow, Nigeria suffers. In most other countries, their youths who travel to Europe or the US merely go to acquire education and skills. After a couple of years, they return home to use such to better their nations. But in the case of Nigerians, even when attempts are made to deport them, they resist deportation. And when successfully deported, they start making plans to emigrate to another nation.

My discussions with so many people who live outside Nigeria show that if not for the state of things in Nigeria, they would have no business living outside the country. They usually agree that they could go on holidays abroad but would have preferred to be resident in the country. No matter the amount of freedom and development overseas, Nigerians abroad who were born in Nigeria usually feel incomplete in their countries of residence. They usually miss the communal and family life that is available in Nigeria, the wonderful weather, the delicious cuisines and the feeling of home. When the citizens of many nations display unfriendliness and hatred to Nigerians in their country, such Nigerians usually curse those who have made Nigeria hard to live in.

For other Africans and Blacks from other parts of the world, Nigeria’s situation leaves them with a feeling of disappointment. The thinking is that if Nigeria had taken its rightful place in the comity of nations, it would have been a country other Africans and the Black race would be using to boast about the power of the Black man to build a great country. Nigeria’s success would have spurred other African and Black countries to be successful too. It would have been the type of country the United States is to the American sub-continent: a country of refuge for all manner of people.

For the rest of the world, they just can’t understand how a wealthy nation like Nigeria can be among the poorest, with her nationals swarming all over the earth like refugees from a country at war or in a terrible famine.


There is no denying the fact that if Nigeria had an enviable economy as well as administration, Europeans and Americans would be coming into Nigeria on their own accord to look for jobs. Currently, the foreigners who work in Nigeria are treated as extraordinary staff, because they are lured in with mind-boggling salaries and conditions of service, which are different from those given to their Nigerian counterparts, and they live in choice locations such that which will not be available to them in their home countries.

The return of democracy in 1999 had given high hopes to many that in a couple of years, there would be a tremendous turn-around in infrastructure, quality of leadership and administration as well as the economy such that the best and brightest of Nigerians would be in charge of affairs in all sectors and millions of Nigerians living legally or illegally in other countries would flock back home to be part of this rebuilding process. Unfortunately, those who came back in 1999 and 2000 had to go back sadly, while those who adopted the let’s-wait-and-see attitude were happy that they did not rush back home.

Die-hard bashers of President Goodluck Jonathan would readily put the whole blame on him. But it goes beyond him. He has his portion of the blame, because of his casual pace in governance. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo has a huge chunk of the blame. Here was a man who had the chance to be another Mandela. Despite his seemingly honest efforts to turn things around, he ended up personalising governance by having those he tagged “friends” (who called him Baba and kowtowed to him and therefore must never be touched), and those he tagged “enemies,” who must be dealt with brutally. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua initially sounded as if he would be different but also ended up protecting his “friends” vigorously from prosecution in the short period he was in office. Jonathan seems to have everybody as “friends” that must be protected, except one or two isolated cases. He seems to be the perfect Mr. Conviviality, more eager not to create enemies than fix the nation.

The result is that corruption soars, the economy gasps for air, frustration and despair mount in the citizens, acts of terrorism and violent crimes sky-rocket, and those who should be the engine room of the economy flee to other countries where they hope to get a better life. And our fatherland continues to lose.

I am certain Chief Gani Fawehinmi did not die a happy man because of the status of Nigeria. I am sure Mallam Aminu Kano, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Mrs Margaret Ekpo, Chief Anthony Enahoro and many others, who had lofty dreams about Nigeria, were not happy that they died without realising the Nigeria of their dream. I pray that in my lifetime I will see the Nigeria of my dream.



__________


The blue - the answer is simple. You have everything. But you do not have brains.

Naai-geria at independence (independence meeting)

___


Naai-geria today. Failure by the self-hating, jealous blacks of Naai-geria. The road below was once a functioning road. It's current state has nothing to do with white people and other black people.

The jealous blacks of naai-geria failed all on their own. No other black has to deal with their self-hate.

morpheus24: Craig Craig Craig my "Pale face saffer", only you would draw such a conclusion.

Don't "black" paddle here. It's the obvious conclusion that anyone would about how you lot feel about yourselves. It's written all over this thread, you behaviour as a people and your willingness to live in filth. Because your "black country" (whatever that is) has failed, you hate to admit that you are in a pit that other blacks are not in. A pit that South African blacks are not in. A pit that Botswana blacks are not in. A pit that until recently, Zimbabwean blacks are not in. A pit that Angolan blacks won't be in for too long. You wish to have other blacks join you in your pit of uselessness.

This has nothing to do with white people or black people. It has everything to do with what you've failed to do for yourselves. Where was Malaysia when you got independence. Where is Malaysia today? "Where would Malaysia be without white people"? Who cares?

Given what you've been blessed with, you have the lowest "return on endowments". All you have in common in Naai-geria is your black skins and lack of brains. Other than that, you are a collection of tribes who hate each other and glorify the few chiefs who steal your money and give you dirt roads where infrastructure should be. Failed blacks = naai-geria.

_____

Malaysia at independence.

____


Malaysia today.

morpheus24: Meanwhile in SA, the brains continue to reside in the 3-5 million "whiteys".

Given that you are black too, you get the nobel peace prize for monkey brainhood. Only Naai-gerian blacks speak like you do about their own race. Explains the condition of the country. Amazing what 60 years of failure can do to a people. You don't lack brains because you are black. You lack brains because you are useless and have achieved nothing in 60 years, other than running down your country.

They hate themselves. But I guess I'd hate myself too, if I were Naai-gerian. What's there to love?

Meanwhile, no amount of jealousy over our black people will change the picture below. These people are far better than you Naai-gerian losers.

morpheus24: HA!, speaking about corrupt politicians, really my pale faced saffer. Better run go tell that to them ANC illiterates running around cashing in on connections and letting the Gupta family land planes in offical military bases. Juju is coming after them don't worry.

As for eko atlantic city, well at least 99% ofthe inhabitants will be black naai-gerians which is more than I can say for your beloved capetown which technically isn't even South Africa with all the inland Saffers flocking there to run away from bad service delivery. Its just a new 'settlement' for the brothers/sisters of the old settlers.

The ANC's shenanigans pale in comparison. Look at the fellow/lady below explaining why you don't have roads in Naai-geria - notwithstanding a N1.414 trillion "expenditure"

The Cape Town rubbish is not even worth a response.

Enjoy your roads below. You have the money. What you lack are brains.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_TP34dylhQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6aMzQ5pdjM

paniki: LOL. First start telling us about those who will build it

Yes, Paniki - and on top of that, Eko will house less than 300 000 "Black Naai-gerians". Everyone knows that these are the "Black Naai-gerians" who are more equal than the rest. Everyone else - the majority, eat crumbs. And they sit celebrating the thievery of the petrodollar by their corrupt elite.

The smallness of the Naai-gerian mind.

morpheus24: Complete Horse SH^T, even you know thats a lie. Its not you maintaining those urban areas if you care to take a closer look. They just let a handful of ya'll in to pacify you so you don't toi toi and burn town their enclaves.



Keep living in that illusion of yours about the above statment for someone who very likely hasn't been outside the shores of his country. Get a psssport as soon as possible and join your white comprades who are 99% of the people who board planes to Nigeria.

As for the gautrain, next time you are on it, count the number of black people on that train excluding the security guards and tell me who they really built the trains for.

Better yet, go see if you can afford any of those newly built houses in capetown by the seapoint n tell me they are building it for you. Seriously you guys really can't see whats goin on. Are you that blind.

Most be too much of that KFC

What s going on is that your corrupt politicians are the highest paid in the world. Your fellow blacks of Naai-geria are feeding you crumbs. We all know none of you poor lot will be able to afford eko atlantic.

You destroyed your own country, losers.

It must be too much fufu.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuPYtRzT6qI