DevAfrica's Posts
Nairaland Forum › DevAfrica's Profile › DevAfrica's Posts
1 2 (of 2 pages)
 Politics › Re: Peter Obi Will Crash Dollar To N500 If Elected- Pat Utomi by DevAfrica: 6:36am |
Thewrath:Someone that had a weak 2/2 in ordinary Philosophy and could never use it to work in any corporate environment educated? His contemporaries were d likes of Ngige (Medical Doctor), Dora Akunyili (Pharmacist) and CC Soludo (Economist, first class). They all had outstanding professional careers in their fields except Obi which couldn't use his degree and resorted to trading and clearing agent to Abacha. For u to consider Obi intelligent, it means ur own level is very low |
| Politics › Re: 33 States Approved State Police Bill as Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Bornu, other joined by DevAfrica: 2:45pm On Oct 28 |
Kobicove:Even now, d judges that preside over a case in a state court, are they not indigenes of d state? Does that stop u from getting justice as a non indigene? Please find another excuse |
| Politics › Re: 6 Demands NLC Wants FG To Address As Workers Threaten Nationwide Actions by DevAfrica: 4:59am On Oct 27 |
Gboss247:My point is that even though d naira has recovered sufficiently, almost N500, importers have refused to factor in the recovery, they are rather cashing home d super normal profits |
| Politics › Re: Is Dave Umahi Sabotaging Tinubu Or Trying Not To Be Emefiele Part 2 In 2027? by DevAfrica: 12:14pm On Oct 24 |
[quote author=BigkokoRep post=140994487]Those two information given by Umahi are just about the insurance policy he has bought himself should there be a probe for fraud in the 15 trillion naira squeaky Coastal highway of tinubu fraud! First, we do where our power reach even though we pay the criminal cartel full 15 trillion naira. Coastal highway of fraud ends in Ogun. We are rerouting it through inland! Secondly, a 15 trillion naira project of such magnitude has no engineering design nor EiA done for it……mehnnnnn. If your property Dey that route, and they collected it from you……these two information are absolutely proofs of malicious dispossession of your properties by tinubu! Don’t sue now. Wait till the heroin trafficker leaves in 2027. In the nutshell, Umahi is saying my own hand no Dey ohh, all the projects i do for Ebonyi state has EiA and engineering designs before I awarded them. As a minister I didn award the project, I only supervise the work. If you need those who awarded it they’re in the presidency. If you are looking for who to catch, go to those who awarded the contract! Umahi you rugged ?? |
| Politics › Re: 6 Demands NLC Wants FG To Address As Workers Threaten Nationwide Actions by DevAfrica: 10:05am On Oct 24 |
dre11:This is why Nigerians won't take NLC seriously. Almost everything on these demands is for public sector workers. What of the self care employed and those in informal sector who account for d vast majority of workers? Reducing fuel price is out of d hands of d FG, d PIB has deregulated d sector. This is not our fight, it's your fight cos we stand to gain nothing 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: 24 States Approve State Police Amendment Bill by DevAfrica(op): 7:16am On Oct 23 |
My analysis States of Particular Concern - Kogi and Niger. These two are the only states in the North Central that has not shown enough enthusiasm to pass the bill. Interesting because of recent they have been the epicenter of kidnapping and banditry, a problem that have desteoy d their agricultural economy. That they were this hesitant to pass this bill that would allow them out their destiny in their own hands and fight insecurity to d ground shows their priority. It's such a sad commentary and one is tempted to believe that even when state police becomes legal, they may not be willing to implement it in their states. They will continue to look up to the federal govt and it's such a shame. Weak Enthusiasm from the home front - Lagos Lagos was the first to aggressively ask for state police when Tinubu was governor far back in 1999. Fashola continued the agitation during his glorious era. Unfortunately when push came to shove, Sanwo-Olu is missing in action. Yes Lagos do not have insecurity challenges but it's the home state of the president who championed the amendment as an executive bill. They should had led by example by being one of the first to pass the bill. But they stayed lukewarm. No wonder PBAT lost Lagos to Obi in 2023 and Wike's side jab to the Chief of Staff Femi Gbajiamila during the inauguration of the campaign council was apt - do not claim you won id you are unable to deliver Lagos. Sanwo- Olu in his characteristic style has been unable to bring any influence to bear to get the assembly pass the bill on time to serve as a political buffer for the president. Now the process no longer needs him. Very sad. Always reactionary - Borno Let's be honest, Borno has always been a problem. They gave us Boko Haram that alsomst decimated our country and that was cos they tactically embraced the insurgents at the start. Their gov was the most vehement opponent of any tax reform cos he feared derivation for VAT. During NEC deliberations he was one of two govs that wasn't in support of state police. Interesting cos he actually needed state police most, his state is d most insurgency devastated in the country. Seems he prefers federal resources been used for the purpose why he keeps that of the state out of the fight. And the VP is from the state, they don't even care to give him some political capital. Interestingly the body language of Shetima has never been that of someone that supports state police or stronger federating units for that matter. States that don't care - Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi Actually there are some states in the north that have not been affected by insecurity and the above come to mind. It may be therefore that the status quo favours them, why should they spend their resources on policing when federal govt can do it for them? Cutting Nose to Spite Face - Katsina Katsina is one of the most terrorized states in the North West. The former gov Masari was at the forefront of calls for state police. Unfortunately there is a currently political unease between the current gov and officials in the presidency and one wonders if that's why they are stalling on state police. It means security doesn't come first for them. Honours List Edo was about the second to approve the bill. The current gov met a terrible security situation, cult wars and killings, kidnappings etc but he attacked d problem head on such that today Edo is relatively peaceful. I have no doubt that once approved, Edo would be one of d first to usher her own Police and it would be a model for the country. Zamfara also approved with dispatch. The gov has beat his chest that with his own police he would tackle insecurity in a month. I commend him and am sure his police would be a shinning example for the rest of the country. In conclusion, we can see that one part of the country can never hold back the rest of we feel the course is good. Very interesting days ahead. I wont congratulate the president yet, till the bill get to him and he signs it. |
| Politics › Re: 24 States Approve State Police Amendment Bill by DevAfrica(op): 5:55am On Oct 23 |
DevAfrica:How the 6 geopolitical zones approached the amendment to hit 24 South South - 6/6 South East - 4/5 South West. - 4/6 North Central - 4/6 North East. - 3/6 North West. - 3/7 |
| Politics › 24 States Approve State Police Amendment Bill by DevAfrica(op): 5:35am On Oct 23 |
The stage is now set for the National Assembly to send the State Police Constitutional Amendment bill to the President for his assent. This follows meeting the constitutional milestone of approval by 24 states being 2/3 of the 36 states of the federation. The states that have concurred to the amendment as at October 22, 2026 are; Osun Edo Oyo Rivers Zamfara Kwara Nasarawa Ogun Delta Taraba Cross Rivers Plateau Enugu Ekiti Kebbi Yobe Kaduna Anambra Abia Akwa Ibom Benue Imo Gombe Bayelsa Adamawa Assembly approved only 24 of the 26 clauses, leaving out 2 and placing the process in limbo. Interestingly, Lagos, the home state of the President, Borno, the home state of the Vice President and Kano, the home state of the Chairman of the Senate/National Assembly Constitution Amendment committee as at October 22 has not shown the required enthusiasm to approve the bill. Thankfully to the supporters of the amendments, their concurrence is now merely academic. Once the various clerks of the above 24 houses of assemblies officially convey they concurrence to the National Assembly, the bill would be sent to the President for his assent which must be within 30 days. Once accent is given, the constitution stands amended. There is however a separate ongoing process to enact an act on the operational framework to run multi level policing in Nigeria which the amendment bill will legitimize. That act is not an amendment bill and would not go through the states. https://guardian.ng/news/akwa-ibom-assembly-approves-recommendations-to-establish-state-police/ https://thenationonlineng.net/imo-assembly-approves-constitutional-amendment-for-state-police/amp/ https://punchng.com/bayelsa-assembly-approves-state-police-introduces-two-bills/?amp https://www.thecable.ng/benue-assembly-endorses-constitutional-amendment-for-state-police/ https://dailytrust.com/gombe-assembly-passes-state-police-bill/ |
| Politics › Re: Oluku Explosion:The Desperation Of Okpebholo, Abandoning Governance For Politics by DevAfrica: 11:12am On Oct 19 |
Bizibi:That word incompetent is just a cliche many of u don't even know it's proper meaning. A gov that has brought cult killings and wars to an end in Benin, fought insecurity to a standstill and effective the most efficient prosecution and conviction of kidnapping suspects in Nigeria since democracy, acquired 50 CNG buses for mass transit when far richer states like Delta have been unable to do same, of u label such incompetent, it means that word actually has no meaning to u. Governance is not about speaking nicely with smooth accent, it's about delivering for the people |
| Politics › Re: Oluku Explosion:The Desperation Of Okpebholo, Abandoning Governance For Politics by DevAfrica: 5:13pm On Oct 16 |
Bizibi:You all hurried to abuse Okpebholo yesterday as if he caused d fire and that he hasn't visited d victims even when he was commissioning mass transit buses at same time. Today he visited d victims and has promised to assist them. This is why it's not good to be hasty in judgement. https://the9jatrend.com/2026/10/16/governor-okpebholo-visits-fuel-tanker-explosion-v https://urbanscopnews.com/2026/10/16/okpebholo-vows-to-rebuild-burnt-oluku-market-support-affected-traders/ |
| Politics › Re: Oluku Explosion:The Desperation Of Okpebholo, Abandoning Governance For Politics by DevAfrica: 5:57am On Oct 16 |
Mexyz:Pure partisanship induced hatred. Same Oct 15 of d fire incident, d Gov and First Lady were commissioning 50 CNG buses for cheap mass transit buses for Edo. What's politics there? Isn't that a good thing for Edo people? At least Edos have hope in transport fare reduction. Am an Edo man but live in Delta, here we have no hope for mass transit, as rich as Delta is, public transport is Keke, there are no taxis or small buses not to talk of mass transit. Was it Okpebholo that set up d fire accident at Oluku? Was it practical for him to leave d venue of d CNG buses commissioning and rush to Oluku to do what exactly? The normal thing is to finish d event and maybe next day visit d site of d inferno. Stop allowing d agony of electoral loss and political displacement becloud ur sense of good judgement. Okpebholo is doing relatively well. As I said, I live in Delta, far richer than Edo but Sheriff is not doing a fraction of what Okpebholo is doing. |
| Politics › Re: Give An Example Of A Politician That Was Strong Like Wike Before ? by DevAfrica: 2:45pm On Oct 11 |
dollytino4real:How did he chase Jonathan out? He couldn't even vote on election day even as Campaign DG and he couldn't deliver even 20% of the votes in his state to PMB. That's not d image of a political giant |
| Politics › Re: Give An Example Of A Politician That Was Strong Like Wike Before ? by DevAfrica: 9:55am On Oct 09 |
dollytino4real:Outside Rivers, who did Amaechi make Gov or Senator? Even inside Rivers, after 2011, who could he ever make Senator or Rep? |
| Politics › Re: Give An Example Of A Politician That Was Strong Like Wike Before ? by DevAfrica: 9:15pm On Oct 06 |
dollytino4real:Amaechi wasn't that powerful. He never influenced an election beyond Rivers state. Chairman of Govs forum who was later chased out of the party and couldn't produce his own successor. Is that powerful? 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Give An Example Of A Politician That Was Strong Like Wike Before ? by DevAfrica: 9:02pm On Oct 06 |
Dogalmighty17:Chief Anenih never won any election as opposition. The test of a politician is his ability to win both in d opposition and ruling party. Wike won severally as opposition pinning down d rulling party. Give him his flowers 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Oyo Assembly Backs State Police Bill by DevAfrica: 12:59pm On Sep 30 |
DMCA:Osun, Edo, Rivers and now Oyo. 4 states done, 20 to go. We need to see states in the north also append their approval. Am not worried about North Central, they have suffered so much from insecurity and I know they will sign off. My worry is d core North who seem to derive some form of acceptance to insecurity. We need to hear from them, get this done and let's put this crazy insecurity behind us |
| Politics › Re: Peter Obi: The 250 Million Found In Obi's Convoy Is A Closed Case by DevAfrica: 2:47pm On Sep 24 |
gidgiddy:The money was returned to the account of Anambra State govt, not to Obi. It means it was actually a case of money laundering otherwise the money would had been returned to the contractor |
| Politics › Re: Why I Think That The Government Is Behind The Chinese Invasion Of Retaii Busines by DevAfrica: 1:23pm On Sep 23 |
owobokiri:What exactly are d policies of PBAT that fuelled inflation? Subsidy removal and exchange rate harmonization were inevitable, both Obi and Atiku also said they will do it, Obi even said "immediately" and "not a day longer". Is there any other interpretation to immediately and not a day longer? It means on May 29, exactly what PBAT did. The third major factor that caused hyper inflation was the easing of the N30tr printed by d CBN under Buhari that was never disclosed initially. This fuelled the hyper inflation we witnessed. As if that wasn't enough, greedy traders who inflated their retail price when they were buying USD at N1,900 refused to adjust down when d exchange rate stabilized to N1,390. That's d main issue, we are not saying they caused it abinitio. So for that reason, the Chinese intervention is most welcome 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Literature › Re: Book Review - The Real Reasons Africa Is Poor by DevAfrica(op): 10:05am On Sep 22 |
[quote author=DevAfrica post=140624423]Excerpts from Chapter 9 of the book, ''The Real Reasons Africa is Poor: Culture, Uncomfortable Truths and the Path to Africa's Rise''. By Kizito Okokhere Excerpts from Chapter 3 of "The Real Reasons Africa is Poor: Culture, Uncomfortable Truths and the Path to Africa's Rise'' ''......Looking at this broad pattern, it is difficult to argue that Africa’s geography prevented it from moving from hunting and gathering into agriculture. In fact, parts of Africa independently domesticated crops and animals quite early. Interestingly, Europe did not independently domesticate most of its food. It adopted much of its agricultural base from other regions. But it adopted early enough to reap the benefits of settled agriculture and the rise of more sophisticated societies. That early adoption helped lay the foundation for the emergence of powerful city-states and, eventually, for Europe’s global expansion. But this raises another question: How did Europe—which did not independently domesticate most of its staple foods—rise to dominate and, in some cases, ethnically erase peoples in regions that had earlier agricultural sophistication? The Americas, home to Native American civilizations, achieved great sophistication in architecture long before Europeans arrived. They built magnificent cities and highly developed societies. The Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas produced architectural and urban achievements that rivalled some of the great civilizations of the ancient world. No city in medieval Spain, Portugal, or England could easily match many of their accomplishments. And yet it was the Spaniards and the English who prevailed. Why? Jared Diamond’s answer was simple: germs. Because Europeans had lived for millennia in close contact with domesticated animals—many of them originally adopted from Asia. These animals acted as carriers of diseases such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis, and others. Over time, Europeans were repeatedly exposed to these germs. Many died, but survivors gradually developed forms of resistance or tolerance. They could carry the germs without dying from them, or recover after infection. Native Americans had no such long-term exposure. They had not lived in the same disease environment and had no immunological preparation for these foreign infections. So when Europeans arrived, they often did not need overwhelming military power to devastate indigenous populations. Sometimes all it took was ordinary contact—or infected objects such as blankets. Whether deliberate or not in many early cases, the effect was catastrophic. It became one of the most devastating biological shocks in human history.y In Hispaniola, within 50 years of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1492, most of the indigenous Taino population had been wiped out, largely by disease. In Mexico, after Cortés arrived in the 1520s, epidemic disease ravaged the Aztec world and even killed Emperor Cuitláhuac. In the Inca Empire, smallpox spread before full Spanish consolidation, killing Emperor Huayna Capac and triggering a succession crisis and civil war. In short, disease softened the ground for conquest. Now, how does this relate to Africa? During roughly the same broad era, Europeans also came to Africa. Why, then, did they not wipe Africans out in the same way? Again, Diamond provides an answer. Africans had long-standing contact with Eurasians through trade, migration, and trans-Saharan networks. Many Old World diseases had circulated in Africa for centuries. Africans were therefore not immunologically isolated in the way Native Americans had been. More importantly, Africa had its own deadly biological environment. Malaria, yellow fever, trypanosomiasis, dengue fever, and other tropical diseases made large parts of the continent extremely dangerous for Europeans. Malaria in particular was devastating. It acted, in effect, like a biological defence system. Many Europeans who attempted to penetrate and settle deep into tropical Africa died in large numbers. Any dream of simply sweeping away tropical African populations and replacing them with European settlers was far less realistic than it had been in the Americas. That matters. It means Africa was not defeated by a fatal geographical curse. Let us also look at Africa’s physical geography more broadly. A vast stretch of northern Africa is occupied by the Sahara Desert, the largest hot desert in the world. Yet even that is not an absolute barrier everywhere. It receives occasional rainfall, and agriculture has long been possible in the Sahel, the belt just south of it. Much of the Sahel is flat and open. It is harsh, yes, but not uniquely impossible. The rest of the continent contains enormous ecological variety—rainforests, savannas, plains, mountains, wetlands, and river basins. Southern Africa has the Kalahari Desert, but that too covers only part of the region. Geologically, Africa sits on one of the oldest and most stable continental plates on earth. Compared with Asia and the Americas, it has relatively few earthquakes, limited volcanic activity, and no major tsunami zones. It suffers less from hurricanes and tornadoes than some other parts of the world. Rainfall patterns, though uneven, are often seasonal and spread over wide plains and basins. Flooding does occur, but much of the continent does not face the same degree of sudden catastrophic natural disasters seen elsewhere. Africa has sunlight. It has rainfall. It has plains, forests, mountains, rivers, and vast stretches of arable land. It also independently domesticated important crops and animals. So should Africans blame God for geography? I do not think so. Africa does not suffer the kind of geographical disadvantage that makes development impossible. If anything, it has several advantages of its own. The continent was not denied the conditions for agricultural transition. It was not shut out from early domestication. It was not biologically helpless like the indigenous peoples of the Americas proved to be against European disease invasion. In fact, Africa possessed one of the most powerful natural defences in history: tropical diseases. Think again of Native American civilizations. Some of them began food domestication earlier than parts of Europe. They built larger and more impressive cities than much of Sub-Saharan Africa did. They had populations, agriculture, and complex political systems. Yet they lacked one thing Africans had—deadly diseases that could resist external domination. That shaped history. So, did geography make Africa poor? Not in any decisive way. Geography may have influenced the rhythm of development, as it has for every region of the world. But it did not place Africa under some permanent curse of underdevelopment. Africa had a fair start in agriculture, significant ecological diversity, and powerful biological advantages. The conclusion, then, is simple: Geography did not play a major role in Africa’s underdevelopment. Culled from Chapter 3 of the book, "The Real Reasons Africa is Poor: Culture, Uncomfortable Truths and the Path to Africa's Rise" |
| Politics › Re: Peter Obi Did Not Pay Water Corporation Staff And He Gave Reasons - Media Aide by DevAfrica: 6:27am On Sep 22 |
Flets:So the staff are the ones to come up with blueprint or the Gov through his commissioner? So PBAT should blame d staff of the nation's refineries for not bringing blueprint to make them work? How do some of u even think? Was there a Commissioner for Water Resources during d 8 yrs of Obi's tenure? Did he pay the man his salary and emoluments? If he did then Obi is a very wicked man. This thing Obi did shows he is so aloof, clueless and Nigeria will overwhelm him from day one. God forbid he ever gets near d presidency |
| Politics › Re: Why I Think That The Government Is Behind The Chinese Invasion Of Retaii Busines by DevAfrica: 5:54am On Sep 20 |
owobokiri:You are the same set of people wailing that PBAT has made cost of living so high and inflation now in the roof, why do u like to complain? U benefitted from the pains of d Nigerian consumer, u were making profit of up to 300% in some instance and u want consumers to now feel pity for u? Consumers don't know tribe or race, we welcome the Chinese to crash prices, we don't care just like u didn't care for us when u were making your profits. 4 Likes 1 Share |
| Literature › Re: Book Review - The Real Reasons Africa Is Poor by DevAfrica(op): 6:13pm On Sep 15 |
Excerpts from Chapter 2 "Alan Beattie, in his 2009 book False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the World, defined corruption as the abuse of position, whether public or private, for personal gain. While acknowledging that corruption is bad for growth, he also reminded us that several East Asian countries performed remarkably well despite long histories of corruption. In fact, the most dramatic reduction of poverty in recent history took place largely in China—an East Asian country that has never scored highly in international corruption rankings. One of the most striking comparisons Beattie made was between Tanzania under Julius Nyerere and Indonesia under President Suharto. Both ruled for long periods in roughly the same era. Nyerere governed from 1964 to 1985, while Suharto ruled from 1967 to 1998. Yet their personalities could hardly have been more different. Nyerere was widely seen as an honest and principled man. No personal act of corruption was linked to him, and unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not use office for personal enrichment. Suharto, on the other hand, was regarded as a corrupt and brutal strongman who used the state to amass enormous wealth for himself and his family. And yet, ironically, Tanzania stagnated under Nyerere while Indonesia prospered under Suharto. Why? Beattie’s argument was that if corruption must exist, then it must exist in an efficient and streamlined way. Suharto used the military to impose order on Indonesia. He personally appointed civil servants and effectively monopolized corruption under one roof. To his credit, he did not seek to bend the entire economy to his whims, and as a result Indonesia was still able to attract foreign capital and business. Corruption under Suharto, though ugly, was systematic and organized. It functioned almost like a network—one through which information could move and through which investor dissatisfaction could be detected early. It was not chaotic. Business people knew who to pay, what the rules were, and how the system worked. As Beattie put it, if corruption is stable and predictable enough, it essentially becomes a tax. The commanding heights of Indonesia’s economy were controlled by Suharto’s cronies, who received lucrative contracts and monopolies. In return, the economy still delivered growth. It was an ugly arrangement, but it functioned well enough to support development for three decades. Nyerere’s socialist policies—strict controls over family farms, marketing boards, and village nationalization—backfired badly. Instead of modernizing Tanzania, he “villagized” it into stagnation. There was little reason for foreign capital to flow in, and the country had very little of value to offer the world market. Inferring from the Indonesian experience and elsewhere, the problem with Nyerere’s Tanzania stretched beyond corruption itself; it was in how corruption was structured. In his valedictory speech in 1985, Nyerere admitted plainly: “I failed, let’s admit it.” Yet he was so loved that after his death in 1999, his local Catholic diocese began a campaign for his beatification as a step toward sainthood. He may have been a very good man. But he failed as president. And that should tell us something important: having good men or women as leaders does not automatically keep a society from becoming poor. Beattie made a similar point when comparing India and China. In a discussion with a senior Indian government official, the official blamed corruption for India’s inability to attract as much capital as China. Beattie then pointed out that China’s corruption ratings were hardly better. India and China were both crooked. The official’s answer was telling: Yes, but in China there is only one political party to bribe—the Communist Party. That statement may sound cynical, but it captures a hard truth. Robyn Meredith, in her 2007 book The Elephant and the Dragon, compared the rapid rise of China and India and made much the same observation. Corruption in China, though extensive, was rigid, centralized, and strategic. At times, it even functioned as an enabler of rapid economic growth. Corruption in India, by contrast, was decentralized, bureaucratic, and, I would add, democratic—it spread downward and outward, touching everyone and everything. That kind of corruption creates inefficiency and slows progress. Whenever I watch the Indian channel NDTV, the chaos Meredith describes comes alive. Their debates are often so rancorous they seem only a step away from fistfights. Then I compare that with the order and discipline projected on Chinese state broadcasters like CCTV and CGTN. The contrast may be imperfect, but the broader point still stands: corruption may be constant, but there are other factors that determine whether a country rises or remains stuck. When Deng Xiaoping took over power in China in 1978 after the long reign of Mao Zedong, it was clear that Mao had done enormous damage to the country. Deng moved to reverse many of Mao’s policies, but without launching a witch hunt or constantly reminding the nation that Mao had destroyed everything. Mao remained officially revered, even in death, but his policies were quietly dismantled. China then embarked on reforms that would transform it into the giant it is today. It learned not only from its own failures but also from the success of neighbors such as Singapore. Mindful of the collapse of the Soviet communist model, China crafted its own version of communism without being burdened by ideological labels. It prepared seriously for development by investing massively in infrastructure—especially roads—connecting villages to cities and opening up the country for industry. There is even a saying that China built roads to nowhere, and then cities grew along them. China is officially atheist, yet it recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. People are allowed to practice their faith, but only within the framework of state regulation. Until 2018, Catholic bishops in China were appointed through the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association rather than directly by the Vatican. A 2018 agreement gave the Pope final approval in the process. I doubt if Chinese Catholics will not go to heaven because their bishops were not appointed directly by Rome. The point is that China exercised control over religion without allowing religion to disrupt order or business. In fact, it fully cooperated with the commercial side of religion. Meredith recounts visiting a toy factory in southern China where she saw Barbie-sized dolls of Jesus, Mary, and Moses being produced for the global market. A toy Jesus with blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair spoke in a soft electronic voice: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Another said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” The Chinese manufacturers may not have believed a word of what those dolls said. But they believed in the business opportunity. China did not care what you believed. It cared that you obeyed the law, maintained order, and did business. Many things drove China’s rise, but one thing is clear: however corrupt the system may have been, it was not chaotic enough to scare away capital.'' |
| Literature › Book Review - The Real Reasons Africa Is Poor by DevAfrica(op): 2:23pm On Sep 13 |
Excerpts from Chapter 9 of the book, ''The Real Reasons Africa is Poor: Culture, Uncomfortable Truths and the Path to Africa's Rise''. By Kizito Okokhere ''An African man goes into business. He invests, he plans—at least he thinks he does. But when things begin to go wrong, when the numbers stop adding up and the pressure starts mounting, he reaches for the easiest explanation. “It is a spiritual attack", Not poor planning. Not bad judgment. Not lack of due diligence. Not risk he chose to ignore. He forgets that when he made those decisions, no spirits were present at the negotiation table. No demons signed off on his investments. Yet when reality demands accountability, he abandons reason and blames the unseen. I remember an incident from my early working days that captures this mindset perfectly. Fresh out of school and national service, I was fortunate to stay in a hotel owned by a friend of my father in a highbrow area of Lagos. One day, a reverend gentleman—a Pastor—was finalizing his accommodation. I overheard his conversation with the receptionist. He asked a simple question: “What are your security arrangements here”? The receptionist, in typical Nigerian fashion, responded confidently: “Everything is fine here by the grace of God.” The Pastor paused. Then he said something that struck me deeply. “Leave God out of it. Tell me the actual security arrangements.” The receptionist began to stammer. He spoke vaguely about how there had never been any breach since he started working there. No real details. No structure. No system. The Pastor was clearly not impressed. At that point, I stepped in. I told him, “Mohammed is in charge of security”. He looked at me. “Who is Mohammed”? I explained: “He is the security officer here”. I even added, for emphasis, “There are two of them.” (That part, admittedly, was not entirely accurate.) Then came the final question: “Are they armed”? I said yes. That too was a half-truth. I had seen Mohammed with a dagger—but never with a firearm. The Pastor nodded, satisfied. And that was the moment the irony became clear to me. Here was a man of God, a preacher of faith, who refused—completely—to entrust his safety to divine protection. He demanded structure. He demanded systems. He demanded human responsibility. Yet from the pulpit, many like him preach a very different message. That story is not about one Pastor. It is about us. It captures something deeply rooted in the African psyche—the constant urge to drag God into spaces where human responsibility should prevail. A tendency to outsource thinking, planning, and accountability to the heavens. Some argue that this is laziness. Perhaps. But before we rush to that conclusion, we must first understand religion itself—its role in human civilisation, how it shaped different societies, and how it continues to shape Africa today. Because religion, in itself, is not the problem. What we have done with it—that is where the real issue lies.'' Culled from Chapter 9 of the book, "The Real Reasons Africa is Poor: Culture, Uncomfortable Truths and the Path to Africa's Rise." |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Anglican Church Bans Immediate Burial Of Relatives-Sets 2-Week Minimum Timeframe by DevAfrica: 6:01am On Sep 11 |
Odewaleadesoye:How many people still attend Anglican church to even listen to these people? Instead of encouraging families to bury their dead early to prevent excessive burial expenses, these ones are looking for justification for lavish burials. The Catholic church set an upper limit where u must do burial within a short timeframe so u are not pressured to spend so much. These ones are looking for funds to revive their dying denomination, their church is shrinking so fast |
| Business › Re: Okin Biscuits Resumes Production After 17 Years by DevAfrica: 8:13am On Aug 27 |
anonimi:How old are u? From late 2002 to early 2003, fuel scarcity was so chronic that twas like OBJ wanted to self sabotage his reelection. In Jan 2003, I got to Total Falomo Ikoyi at 6:30am, stayed on d queue till it got to my turn by 12:05pm when d fuel finished and I couldn't buy. Many of u don't know how vicious fuel scarcity was back then. Mention one infrastructure Nigeria used d 7% economic growth of d PDP era to build, mention d biz that entered Nig apart from d telecoms with was a world wide biz expansion of that sector as telecoms sprouted in every country during that era. PDP growth was wasted away in consumption - fuel subsidy and cheap dollars for people to do vacations abroad. The cheap dollars, how many manufacturing or high tech companies were they used to build to create jobs for d future young Nigerians who are d angry GenZs of today? 7% growth that didn't build infrastructure or attract giant conglomerates. The shame is on GEJ in particular cos we can't even point anything to his era |
| Phones › Re: Why Do Some People Turn Off Their "Read Receipt" On WhatsApp? by DevAfrica: 11:52am On Aug 24 |
Goo0dHardDick:If you run an organization or are a team lead with people working under you, better make it a condition that the WhatsApp they officially communicate with does not have read receipt turned off or disappearing message turned off. At interview or onboarding process, make it a condition so that those who can't cope just don't take d job. It's sometimes a sign of being slippery. It allows honesty in communication, I can't as a supervisor send u a message to deliver an urgent report then u pretend u didn't see it for hours and put me in quagmire. I need to know u have read it and attending to d issue. Disappearing message is even worse cos it erases every evidence of prior communication. So if u are independent and communicating socially, it's ur biz whether u turn it off or on but if in official capacity, to win trust and confidence of your supervisor or client, better be transparent and allow read receipt. I have never turned mine off, I read messages I don't like to read and often choose to just ignore d person or at worse reply "noted". It shows am transparent and hiding from nothing and scared of no one. |
| Politics › Re: Why FCT Is Excluded From State Police – Senate by DevAfrica: 6:37pm On Aug 08 |
Heffalump:The FCT for the purpose of presidential elections is treated like a state does not mean it is a state. Didn't you guys study English in school? "Like a state" for a specific purpose which is presidential elections otherwise, for all other purposes, it's not even up to a state, has no governor, only one Senator, instead of three, and no mandatory member of FEC. You have common sense, how do u expect such entity that's below a state to have a veto over other states which have more standings than her? U guys should please be using ur brains to think 25 Likes 4 Shares |
| Travel › Re: Video Of Reconstructed Benin-Auchi Road by DevAfrica: 1:26pm On Aug 04 |
givedemwotowoto:If u say state police is not institutional reforms, then there is absolutely no need trying to debate u. Or are u an Obidient? Cos those are d people that argue like they have basement level IQ. To change police conduct, what are the step by step process? Doesn't it start with legislation? There is discussion on d way for a new Police act. Contribute to it in any way u can and don't be embittered that progress is being made therefore your Gbajue master won't have what to campaign with besides Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia See the thread below. https://www.nairaland.com/8721789/fg-unveils-seven-week-roadmap-state |
| Politics › Re: Someone Who Worked In An Accounting Firm, Didn't Put It In His Form- Rufai Oseni by DevAfrica: 6:17am On Aug 03 |
etokhana:That form has space for only 3 employers so PBAT filled his current job as President, Gov of Lagos and staff of Mobil which where his last 3 places of work. Which of these 3 should he had removed and put Deloitte? |
| Travel › Re: Video Of Reconstructed Benin-Auchi Road by DevAfrica: 5:57am On Aug 03 |
givedemwotowoto:If road construction is basic and routine, why did other govts not do them? KM of motorable roads per square KM is one of the measures of development, any govt that does good roads must be appreciated. As for institutional reforms, am wondering if u are in this country at all and never heard of d State Police bill passed by NASS now on d way to state assemblies for ratification? Is there any govt since 1979 that has sought to alter and reform our security architecture like this govt is currently doing with d constitutional amendment on state police? 12 Likes |
1 2 (of 2 pages)