₦airaland Forum

Ericardo7: Many students currently writing the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) of the National Examinations Commission (NECO) had to chew the cover of their pens today as the examination body surprised them with upgraded means of conducting the exams. One of the rescheduled subjects-Mathematics-was written today and those who wrote said they did not understand how the exam was conducted.
One of such means was the use of Paper Type. This medium which must have been adopted from that of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board(JAMB) was the one that hit students, especially the ones that wrote in "Miracle Centres" the hardest.
A student of High Standard Comprehensive High School, In Delta State complained bitterly to me after their exams. "Na God go punish NECO.", he cried. "When they brought the question papers, our maths teacher just collect one question paper go dey solve am for us inside him office. After like thirty minutes, the guy come inside hall. he dictate objective, all of us shade. Later dem come copy theory for board, all of us copy am take. Na about ten minutes make exam finish Na we come dey hear say one thing Na paper type. before we know d invigilator collect everything from us. The Paper Type wey d mumu Uncle write Na C and me I be type A".
Many students were found complaining, crying and some even rolling on the floor.
Most of the ones crying were heard making d statement "NECO, Diaris God ooooooo".

Reading through this makes one feel so sad, and sick. Yes it is clear cheating during exam is now a cultural thing amongst our Nigerian community (something we now export to other countries), but it still comes as a rude shock everytime one reads the details of such activities. It is hard imagining how teachers (and school administrators) actively collude and encourages these gross acts - all for filthy lucre sake!

We need help in this country and until we grow past these basic level baselines in our collective psyches, Nigeria simply won't move forward, no matter how much resources we have. . .!!!

MadCow1: [b]If my kid brother had attended the same schools I did, he would have suffered and probably lost interest in school.

And I don't mean Ghana, I'm talking about Europe and the Americas. Where teaching is studied and where teachers recognize that every child's learning curve is unique to that child. Where a genius kid is placed in an accelerated or advanced learning program and a child with a learning disorder is placed in special ed.

I went to school with kids who couldn't keep up and the only solution to a child failing a test is to flog the kid or make the child repeat the class for so long they develop a complex.

So many Nigerians pass through school but yet are not educated, case in point; the countless educated reeetards that we have on Nairaland. People who can't tell the difference between a plier and a cutter or 'I'm and Am'.

Like my Vice Principal in Secondary school always said; if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Even in the US and Europe, public schools and Ivy League schools are not in the same class and the reason is obvious. The government can never afford to provide the same standard of education for the masses. Imagine if government schools were relegated to having just 8 - 12 students per class, we would need atleast 100 more public schools to accommodate the current number of students they have.
[/b]

101 likes.

Excellent analysis, spot on also (though using "reeetard" was a bit unnecessary) relating very poor grammar, writing/spelling outcomes to poor education that has been Nigeria's bane for a couple of decades now.

We are sadly spawning half-baked high and tertiary school graduates each year, and not getting much needed support from Government (filled with "poli-thieves" ) in addressing the downward spiral. But what do we expect from Government officials that can't provide basic security for her citizens?!

God bless (and help) Nigeria. . .

bushdoc9919: Get this straight....universities are very very expensive.

It is only in Nigeria that we think that universities are like glorified secondary schools, where we sit down and just attend lectures,pass exams and get our paper qualification after four years.

Well, Universities also exist to do research.....and all sorts of research. That means facilities that are far in excess of any secodary school. Universities also exist to train not only undergraduates,but post-grads, and even people in employment. Plus they have hundreds of workers who must be paid at rates comparable to the Federal Universities.....or else they walk...and we haven't even talked about their pensions, or about how much it costs to maintain facilites in said universities.

Plus , universities must provide good housing for their students....and the fact is if a student is not living in good accommodation, he/she won't do well. (I studied in a Federal Univerisity....until my final year before I had a room to myself....for the last two months of my student career. At one point, I was sharing a room with six students).If a student is not well fed., he/she won't do well. And all that costs money.

Plus most of the church run universities can only get some funding for their activities from the parent church. You think that Oyedepo, for example, takes all the tithes and offerings in his church and pours it into Covenant? As if he does not have numerous pastors, church branches, missions, welfare, etc that he has to fund as well. Plus, churches like the Adventists that have parent churches in the West can only get some funding from the Parent church oversea....and not all of it goes into the university....they have hundreds of other obligations.

Let's be honest....university education is expensive. If you want to produce world beater graduates you have to pay for it. No excuses. Add the fact that Govt does not fund private universities....they just give you the land and registration and that's it.....and you see why they have high fees.

100 Likes!

Your fees schedule for American University of Nigeria is all mixed up and wrong (i know because my child is now in her senior/final year there). More like semester than annual fees you have there.

Please get more clarification and edit your post. . .

Kingclickmedia: 2) [size=30pt]AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA (ABTI)[/size]
ABTI is the first Nigerian university with American
structure and curriculum. It is in north eastern Nigeria,
Yola, capital of Adamawa State. At ABTI, students pay
as much as N1,378,500 to receive quality education.
Parents, however, pay in dollars. For tuition: $6,600 (N990,000), meals: $1,900
(285,000), four in a room: $500 (N75,000), private
room: $1,900 – N285,000). In total, it amounts to
N1,378,500 per annum. Accommodation and feeding are taken care by the
school.
Source: http://encomium.ng/most-expensive-private-universities-in-nigeria-unveiled/ [font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font]

Right? Wrong!

1) AUN is, ABTI was.
Both are exclusive with absolutely different governance structures, AUN being wholly managed by the Americans; curriculum and faculty contents aligned with global template(s) - globally there are several AU institutions, the home node being in Washington, others in Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Yola and Paris.

2) Full year tuition (only) is N1,590,000. This itself is subsidized through various collaboratory programmes.

3) Accommodation and feeding ARE NOT taken care of the AUN!!!!!
Housing and meal plans are quite varied, with the cheapest (a meal a day and non-ensuite quad room) being N450k p.a. while the most expensive options (3 meals a day and ensuite double room) add up to N1,100,000 p.a.

4) There are other non-optional fees/costs.

Viz the net value adds (20+ max class size, e-learning, effective Wifi across campus, JBerger built structures(most), top quartile faculty, working facilities/systems etc), methinks AUN offers best value for money when studying locally.

Well, these are details available to me, as a parent of a fee-paying AUN student (who is 3 years gone now)

"dem ... wen am in sch we writ 4 papers a day ... carry dia ... does'nt ..."

Thanks OP for creating this thread and for a well presented executive summary of root cause of subject event.

However with the quality of contributions (grammar, spellings, punctuations etc) to this thread and most other threads in Nairaland Forum, i.e. by students and graduates alike, we may be safe to state that there is a very serious need to declare a national educational emergency!

We have a lingua franca and generally known accepted means of communication, urgently needing to re-evaluate our whole educational system specific to the written and spoken (English) language, we need to have more:
- "benchmarkable" credit grades in WAEC/NECO English Language exams (we now see/know people that claim A,B&C passes unable to demonstrate associated basic capability) ... decades back, students with very low grades - P7 or P8 (in English), spoke much more than passable English and were well able to spell!
- stringent post UME English Language qualifying exam criterion, for admission into our tertiary institutions, etc.

Our GenerationNext has to really work on their lazy disposition to shorthand communication techniques, because it is further destroying the weakened foundation they already have of English language!

Sadly the still evolving but depreciating writing technique employed in BBM/SMS communication is now being employed in more formal communication - for many in this population, it is simply a sorry excuse to shield their (spelling; or inability to spell) handicap ... sadly many of these young ones actually seem too comfortable "operating" within this very low level...

tkb417:
whats ur point?
they are charging 6k?
if i only get football for 6k, ill be so so glad
The football content has been increased to include the other competitions

No one has banned DSTV, if u want other programmes, pls, get a DSTV smartcard!!
Very simple

If 6k is too much and ure clamouring for DSTV that charged x3 of what they are charging now, then what are you saying?

The point is, if you want total football without the other ingredients DSTV can offer, then go for Hitv
if u want any other thing apart from footie, get DSTV.
If you want all, get both providers!!!

he who has ears, listen now and pay what ure asked to pay
they didnt get those rights for free

@tkb417,

I think you failed to objectively assess and get the point.

While you are correct that it is a free world and people have the choice of provider(s) to stick to, I must confess that HiTV has been disappointing in the manner the subscription increase was executed. No meaningful extra to their bouquet content and they hiked 50% over the previous season's offer (i.e. start of their business). For the number of years I had DSTV I never saw such a spike in subscription rates.  Yet we called them monopolists and exploiters at the time!

At this rate, subscribers should be ready to pay at least 10k in two years time max, if HiTV retains exclusive rights to EPL, La Liga and CL football at that time. One fails to see the rationale of offering 4.5k for 28 stale channels and 6k for (full) 31 channels. Full! only means inclusion of the popular game that Nigerians so love. Good marketing strategy, but horrible when there is no full monopoly, as is now. Because viewers can choose to retain/obtain DSTV, while taking the pain to drift out of their homes if they have to watch star live matches.

No need to compare the contents of DSTV and HiTV. Just turn on your HiTV system b/w end May and mid-August, during a weekend you have all the time to relax at home. And see if you won't simply catch malaria just out of boredom. The same cannot be said of DSTV. . .

Very horrifying reports these past two weeks. People have the right to hold opinions on (their understanding of) the rule-of-law or rule-of-engagement, but in all, hundreds of innocent Nigerians (of course excluding the vandals and murderers; both sides) have unfortunately died in terrible circumstances. People with souls, aspirations, still mourning loved ones, etc.

Below is something I got via email:

---------------

Monday, the 27th July 2009 dawned with the news of yet
another uprising in certain parts of the North, to wit- Bauchi,
Potiskum, Kano and Maiduguri . For most Nigerians residing outside
these areas, it may seem to be just another civil unrest but to us
living here, it represents something more sinister and nerve-racking
showing once again the vulnerability of Nigerians and government’s
insensitivity and irresponsibility to the protection and security of
the lives of its citizens.
An Islamic sect, or rather a terrorist group popularly
known as ‘Boko Haram’ (which means that western education is
forbidden) was the one behind this crisis and it was led by a certain
Mohammed Yusuf. In addition to it being totally against western
education-despite the fact that its leader and most of its members
have university degrees- they sought the total destruction of anything
that could be tagged as civilization- mobile phones, dressing,
eateries, motor vehicles, schools et cetera. The leader condemned all
sort of foods and drinks and consigned his followers to consume only
honey, local yoghurt and dates. In summary, Mohammed Yusuf and his
group sought to destroy in its entirety our way of life and with it
our rights to freedom of expression, religion, association and
ultimately, our right to life which is so enshrined in Chapter IV of
the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and which
forms the basic foundation of our humanity. To achieve this, they
intended a bloody and armed struggle to take over the country and
impose their way of life, starting of course with the North. Yes, I
know this is a very absurd and laughable idea but as you will see
later, they were quite serious in their objectives hence the
simultaneous attacks across four states of the federation.
Now I know that both the local and foreign media is awash
with news and stories of this group and its most recent activities so
I would not bore you with repetitive details, but I hope to present
you the situation as it occurred in Maiduguri , the Borno State
capital. This write up is gotten from facts I have personal knowledge
of and information from people who were eye witnesses to some of the
incidents.
As a cursory background, sometime in June 2009, members of
this inglorious sect had a clash in Maiduguri with members of the
Operation Flush, a joint security outfit of both the army and mobile
policemen. As the story goes, the sect had gone to bury one of their
members who had died and were moving about in a very rowdy and lawless
manner, which is often of commercial motorcyclist in Maiduguri . They
were apprehended by Operation Flush and the ensuing fracas left a
number of them dead and others injured. I was not in Maiduguri when
this happened but subsequent newspaper reports informed me that the
group made a number of threats to deal with the government and
policemen, promises they reiterated ceaselessly.

THURSDAY, JULY 23rd 2009: The sect issues a warning letter to the
state government informing them of their intention to strike. I know
for certain that a security meeting was held as the state controller
of prisons, with whom I sought audience that morning, was reported to
be in a meeting with other security heads.
FRIDAY, JULY 24th, 2009: There was serious tension in Maiduguri . We
were warned- unofficially- not to be in the streets between 12 noon
and 2pm (during Friday prayers) and also not to stay out late that
evening. Many people headed this advice. The tense situation even made
it to the 9 o’clock network news on NTA.
SATURDAY, JULY 25th, 2009: A bomb went off in a building close to the
Maiduguri Flour Mills, off Baga Road . The blast was so strong that it
created a crater where the building stood. Evidence pointed to the
fact that the bomb was being assembled when it went off, instantly
killing the bomb maker and seriously injuring another person who was
rushed to teaching hospital. Eight people, including the bomb maker’s
wife, were reportedly arrested. There were also reports of bombs being
found in possession of some people in Biu, a town 2 hours drive from
Maiduguri . Yet the government took no pre-emptive action.
SUNDAY, JULY 26th, 2009: The day started out normally. People moved
around doing their normal business. As usual, I attended church with
my family, not knowing it would be last time I would worship in that
particular church building. I got a text from my dad (he was away in
Abuja ) later in the day informing me not to be out later than 8pm
that evening. His advice was timely because I would later learn that
the attacks started at about 10pm that night.
MONDAY, JULY 27th 2009: I went out jogging around 0615 hours with my
elder brother. Our route was from the Molai GRA at the Polo road up to
the government house round-about and back. Halfway along that road, at
the GRA police station, we were stopped by armed and visibly angry
policemen and asked to turn back because the city was unsafe. One of
them informed us that Mohammed Yusuf’s group had struck at night
burning some police stations, the house of the commandant of the
police college and had killed some policemen including the 2i/c of the
Mobile Police (MOPOL). They had also broken open the Maiduguri New
Prisons and freed a number of prisoners. We noticed a burnt police
vehicle- a Toyota van- besides the police station. Heading the man’s
advice, we turned around and made for home. A convoy of the Operation
Flush security outfit zoomed by firing indiscriminately in the air.
Back home, we ached for some news on what was going on in
the city. None of the phone lines were working- we later learnt that
the terrorist had completely vandalized GSM facilities in Maiduguri-
and communication was completely grounded. There was also no
electricity, a situation that had persisted the entire duration of the
crisis and even up the time of typing this report.
So there we were at home, completely incommunicado, panicking and
getting tense. MTN network subsequently improved and people were
finally able to get through to us. Ironically, all the calls we
received were from outside Maiduguri , and we could not contact those
within the city.
As the day wore on, news began filtering in that some
churches had also been destroyed including the Eklessiyar Yan’uwa a
Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria ) or EYN for short which
was the largest indigenous church in Borno State . ‘Impossible!’ was
my first reaction. The sect had assured us that the fight was only
against the government. However, reports came in strongly that at
least 20 churches had been completely destroyed and the news became
more tragic with the deaths of at least two pastors who were residing
in the church premises when they were destroyed. Communication was
difficult so we could not ascertain this news nor could we contact
friends and relatives whom we feared for their safety. We went to bed
that night with great trepidation, quaking at every sound.
TUESDAY, JULY 28th 2009: The day started with some good news that
soldiers had been drafted in from Jos. A dusk to dawn curfew was
imposed and the governor went on air to tell us that the situation was
‘calm and under control’ and that we could go about our normal
business. We braved the odds to venture out into town. There were
roadblocks all over town. We went to the EYN church and met a shocking
sight. The building had been completely destroyed, bombed to the
ground. Its foundation was shattered, the walls crumbled, the roof
caved in and the only evidence of any furniture was a thick layer of
ash. They had also burnt the pastor’s office and about 11 cars
belonging to the church members who had parked them there for security
reasons as some of them did not have enough space in their houses.
Luckily enough, none of the people resident in the church had been
killed except for a security guard who was stabbed several times by
the terrorist but had miraculously survived.
However, the nearby National Evangelical Mission (NEM) which shares a
wall with the EYN was not so lucky. The church building was bombed
along with about 50 members who were there for a night vigil. The
sight of burnt and mangled bodies is something that would haunt my
memory for a long time even though most of the bodies had been removed
by the time I arrived. Its pastor was also set ablaze along with
another person resident in the church. All of them murdered in cold
blood. The Deeper Life Church also within the same vicinity had also
been destroyed beyond repair.
We moved to a friend’s house in the staff quarters of the
Ramat Polytechnic, opposite the Police College . From there, we heard
an endless barrage of gunfire as mobile policemen battled the
terrorist. The fusillade lasted for hours, up till the time we left
for home. We went to bed that night with the accompanying and
horrifying lullaby of gunshots still being fired.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29th 2009: Reports reaching us was that the situation
was getting worse,  The news said that the terrorists controlled about
6 areas of the city and were strongly resisting the onslaught of the
both the military and the police. The 3rd Armoured Division from Jos
had taken over the situation. The airport was closed and all exit and
entry points were also blocked. Maiduguri was completely isolated,
physically and electronically. Heavy shelling was reported in some
parts of the city and we stayed indoors throughout. I could not sleep
that night.
THURSDAY, JULY 30th 2009: They day started with another good news. The
terrorists had been overpowered and were on the run. Their stronghold,
a compound about 4km in width had been completely destroyed by the
soldiers. The sect’s deputy leader along with Mohammed Yusuf’s
personal driver and aide had reportedly been killed. Along with it
came the news that my school mate and fellow Ex-JAM, Flying Officer
Gosi Komo of the Nigerian Airforce Base Maiduguri had been wounded in
the fight with the ‘Boko Haram’. We rushed to the university teaching
hospital to see him. He had sustained a gunshot wound at 1am on Monday
night when he and his driver ran into an ambush by the terrorists.
Their vehicle, a heavy Toyota Hilux van had somersaulted due to the
heavy gunfire but he was still able to get out of the vehicle and
carry his driver to safety before the terrorists pumped more bullets
into the car in a bid to finish them off. Luckily, both he and his
driver survived and are recovering nicely.
On the way back home, we received the glorious news that
Mohammed Yusuf, the infamous leader of ‘Boko Haram’ had been captured.
Life was already getting back to normal as cars began plying the roads
and shops opening up. The governor went on air once more to
‘officially’ announce that the ‘Boko Haram’ uprising had been quenched
and people could go about their normal business. The curfew was
relaxed to 9pm and civil servants were asked to resume work the
following morning. On the 9 o’clock news, it was announced that
Mohammed Yusuf had been killed. We prayed, sang songs and my mum wept
for joy. The mayhem in Maiduguri was finally over. I slept fitfully
that night.
THE LOSSES: The damage inflicted by this sect and the police/military
in their counter-offensive would not be forgotten in a hurry. At least
three police stations have been completely destroyed. The police
college was attacked with a ferocity- the commandant’s house was burnt
down. Scores of policemen were killed including the MOPOL 2i/c and
some policemen who were in the police college for a course. The police
and army also sustained some casualties during their counter strike.
The Maiduguri New Prison was attacked in an effort to free some ‘Boko
Haram’ members who were in custody. A prison official was killed in
the process and scores of prisoners escaped. His headless body was
identified by his wife. They also struck at the nearby town of
Gamboru-Ngala killing some people including a customs officer and a
civil engineer supervising a building project.
The military in their counter-strike had asked some people
to vacate certain areas of the city. As a result of heavy gunfire and
in some cases, bombardment, some of these people had their houses and
properties destroyed and have been rendered homeless. Others were
vandalized by marauding hoodlums who carted away a lot of valuables.
The military in an effort to cleanse out the militants
attacked and killed a lot of innocent people who, in their opinion,
looked like ‘Boko Haram’ members. Most of these people were unarmed
and there was little evidence to suggest that they there were part of
Mohammed Yusuf’s group. The military and police went on a senseless
killing spree in a bid to show results and they displayed a total lack
of tact in distinguishing between innocent civilians and armed
terrorists.
It was also reported that ‘Boko Haram’ kidnapped a lot of
innocent people especially passers-by and held them as hostages, with
the intention of using them as human shields. As the military
offensive became intense, they indiscriminately murdered some of these
people. It is also speculated that in the bombardment, the military
may have killed some innocent hostages along with their captors.
Even as of now, there are people who reportedly left home
since Tuesday, July 28th 2009 and have not been seen or heard from
since. The body count on both sides is running into thousands despite
the official figures and there are reports of bodies littering the
streets of Maiduguri like leaves in autumn. A friend who attended the
mass burial at the ‘Boko Haram’ camp said he lost count of the bodies
being buried. The extent of the damage caused by the damage is yet to
be fully assessed.
THE RELIGIOUS ANGLE: The media, especially the local ones, are
inundated with assertions that the ‘Boko Haram’ uprising was not
religiously motivated, but was an act of ‘a few disgruntled elements
or hoodlums who were misguided’ who were fighting the government.
Sadly, most Nigerians have swallowed this line of reasoning, including
a certain bishop who from the comfort of his house in Abuja or Lagos
announced to the world that no churches were burnt or Christians
harmed.
From what I observed with my own eyes or heard from people
who so observed, Boko Haram’s agenda was two-dimensional; crippling
the government and terrorizing Christians in Borno. I stated earlier
that at least 20 churches were destroyed by the ‘Boko Haram’, 3 of
which I personally visited. Reverend Sabo Yakubu of the COCIN ( Church
of Christ in Nigeria ) in the Jajeri area of the city whose church was
destroyed was slaughtered like a ram in front of his family and
eventually died in the hospital.
At the Jerusalem area (so called because of the
concentration of churches and Christians in that area) in Maiduguri ,
the terrorists wrecked the most havoc. 3 churches were bombed
including the National Evangelical Mission where about 50 of its
members attending a night vigil in the building all perished. The
pastor and another resident were also set ablaze. After destroying the
churches, the terrorist went on a rampage, shooting the residents
(mostly Christian) especially those who dared to venture outside.
Others who answered to the loud knocking on their doors were
immediately slaughtered. This lasted from around 11pm on Sunday night
until the early hours of the morning. Yet no police appeared at the
scene till sometime around 7am Monday morning. A ‘Boko Haram’ member
who has caught within the vicinity had on him about 3 pistols and a
map of the area with the targets clearly marked out. He confessed that
he was a paid one hundred thousand (N100,000) to participate in the
mayhem.
When the uprising started, most of the sect’s members
repeatedly assured their neighbours that their action was against the
government only. However, these people- with whom they had lived with
for years- eventually turned on them. In a particular compound, the
Islamists rounded-up all their Christian neighbours and one by one
ordered them to recite a verse known as the ‘shahada’- a proclamation
of the Islamic faith. Those who refused or could not had their throats
slit. This is no rumor- I heard it myself from a woman who lived in
that compound and was lucky enough to escape the slaughter and tell
the story,  In certain areas, the ‘Boko Haram’ accosted passers-by and
ordered them to also recite the ‘shahada’. Those who did had a gun
thrust into their arms and were ordered to fight; those who did not
were similarly slaughtered. Pastor George of the Good News Church in
Wulari area of Maiduguri was one of those who were killed in this
manner. In other instances, Christian men were kidnapped and held
hostage with the intention of using them as human shields in the event
of an air strike or bombardment. Yet as the terrorists beat a hasty
retreat, they murdered most of these hostages while a few were lucky
to escape. Its also speculated that some may have perished in the
ensuing bombardment. Yet I was appalled that the state government or
the local media did not acknowledge or even mention that Christians in
the state were directly targeted by the ‘Boko Haram’ and had suffered
the worst casualties in terms of lives and property.
Evidence is now pointing to the fact that ‘Boko Haram’
spearheaded the attack on Christians in Borno State on February 18th,
2006 where 54 churches were burnt down and scores of Christians
murdered in cold blood including while families who were burnt alive
in what started out a ‘peaceful protest’ against the Danish cartoons
published in faraway Denmark by a Jewish journalist in September 2005.
To date, the government has not paid out a kobo to compensate or
rehabilitate the victims of that riot and to my knowledge, not a
single person had been convicted for those atrocities despite the fact
that most of the participants and their sponsors are well known. The
latest attacks are linked to the earlier one given the fact that they
attacked churches that were spared in the February 18, 2009 riot.
GOVERNMENT’S INSENSITIVITY AND IRRESPONSIBILITY: It is obvious that
for the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the security of
lives and property, this crisis would have been nipped in the bud.
Mohammed Yusuf was said to have been recruiting followers as far back
as 2002 and I have heard of quite a number of graduates and
undergraduates who had dumped their careers and studies to serve as
his foot soldiers. The man has been carrying out attacks on police
stations in neighbouring Yobe State since 2004 yet the government did
nothing to stop him. Unlike his terror counterpart Osama bin Laden who
is in hiding, Yusuf was a well known figure in Maiduguri, driving
around in a convoy of plush cars and his headquarters is reported to
be a compound about 4km wide (2.8 miles) containing training grounds,
armoury, medical centre, mosque, food stores and living quarters. Yet
the government was so disinterested in his activities that it did not
notice the arms build-up or his followers being trained militarily. He
was said to have preached hateful and inciting messages in his
sermons, yet government and security agencies looked the other way
despite the fact that the region is religiously volatile.
‘Boko Haram’ sent the government a notice of its intention
to strike yet it did nothing to prevent this despite the fact that
there are 3 army formations in Maiduguri, 3 more in the neighbouring
towns of Biu, Bama and Monguno, 1 Airforce base, a state security
service office (SSS) office and countless police and mobile police
units across the city. But it did nothing until President Yar’adua
ordered the army to move in and take control. A soldier revealed to me
that the terrorists had arms such as GPMG (general purpose machine
guns), AK47 rifles, hand grenades and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades)
in addition to large quantities of materials for making bombs. How was
the organisation able to have access to such sophisticated arms and in
such large quantities without even an eyebrow being raised?
Some days before the attacks, members of the sect moved
their families to more secure locations because ‘there would be war’
as they informed their neighbours and friends. Some had even given
divorce letters to their wives in the event that they do not return.
They even proudly proclaimed to their neighbours that the public had
nothing to fear as the war was against the government. Yet nothing
could be done to forestall it. Yusuf is reputed to have as much as
eight hundred million naira (N800,000,000) in one of his accounts and
has traveled extensively to some middle eastern countries which is, no
doubt, evidence of some foreign sponsorship. He had a fleet of exotic
cars with which he drove around, including three unmarked Toyota Camry
cars, the 2009 model. Yet he moved about like a warlord with any
questions being asked by those charged with that responsibility. The
signs were there and glaring and events leading to the ‘Boko Haram’
uprising was not even a secret as most people preferred to stay
indoors even before their attacks commenced.
CONCLUSION: The aim of this write-up is to present the true situation
as it occurred in Maiduguri because the government and the media are,
unfortunately, not being entirely sincere with their version of the
events. It is not my intent to incite any body or to bring unnecessary
sentiments into the situation. Despite the fact that Christians were
directly and deliberately attacked by ‘Boko Haram’, we do not claim a
monopoly of casualties and many innocent Moslems too were killed by
the terrorist and the police/military. The body count on both sides is
staggering.
But as we grieve, lick our wounds and count our losses, it
is time to start asking some serious questions of ourselves and the
people we ‘elected’ to lead us. What manner of people do we decide to
hold offices of responsibility that border on the welfare of the lives
of its citizens? For how long do we remain apathetic toward the
quality of governance we get from such people? How often do we hold
them accountable for their ineptness to discharge the responsibilities
of their offices in all fairness and impartiality? How often do we
question the activities of people who seek the destruction of lives
and properties of people whether in the name of religion, ethnics or
political affiliations? We have come a long way in this country and if
there is anything our multi-religious and multi-ethnic nature has told
us is that indivisibility of Nigeria is out of the question. Every
religious or political leader worth his salt should be preaching
collective progress, not retrogressive violence; unity and tolerance,
not bigotry and intolerance; understanding not prejudice; merit, not
nepotism, peace, not war; and love, not hatred.
With globalization and economic meltdown, fellow African countries
such as Ghana , Tanzania and Rwanda are making giant strides in
economic growth, technological advancement, peaceful co-existence and
adequate power generation. Nigeria and Nigerians ought to be leading
the way, not to reduce ourselves into bloodthirsty and warring
religious groups, a situation most countries left behind in the 17th
century. It is my prayer that the ‘Boko Haram’ crisis of July 2009
will never repeat itself and may it be the last of its kind in Jesus’
name. AMEN!

Ishaya P A
AFMS 9x/xx38
Red Squadro

Middleman:
good day sir!
took me a while to find this thread,
since u recently took a tour round Nigeria i felt u willbe the best person to seek advice from concerning a road trip,
do u have any idea what i will go through traveling from lagos to abuja, routes? road conditions? law enforcement? etc, Thanx

Middleman,

Sorry sir for the delayed reply as I have not had ample free time for Nairaland Autos in recent time.

I'll be glad to assist however I can, anytime!

I tried describing my personal experience and I guess I dealt with the issues you seek clarifications for (see my postings of 23/Aug & 20/Oct). Kindly revert with more specific challenges that may not have been covered, and we can progress from there. . .

tkb417:
na u get all those kids? ahhhhhh
money full ur hand.

abeg who sold that car to u? Jenji?

where is jenji abeg?

Compliments of the season to all and wishing you all God's grace and peace this new year and beyond, if Christ tarries.

tkb (ya name almost hit 419 sha),

How una dey? Sorry for late reply; na work and other distractions. Yes na Jenju sell am - Igwe prove say im na real chief (thanks to him), as e give u de correct details.

As for de pikins, yes na me O! Thank God as E dey supply through His grace and mercies.

Sisi Jinx:
[b][/b]

I'll never understand why people ask this question.

Must one have a ulterior motive to speak out against trickery in the church or anything wrong for that matter?

You yourself have admitted he's made valid comments. . . isn't that enough to know what is in it for him?

What is wrong with us. . . Nigerians?!!!

Sisi,

Nothing wrong with us Nigerians, at least quite a large number of us.

Don't worry. It is not a jinx Merry Christmas to you/family.

That phrase is not just monetary based ala the continous refrain "What is wrong with us. . . Nigerians?!!!". I could go to the Muslim forum to destabilise only, and not contribute. What is in for me would then be to create confusion and more doubts on the minds of adherents therein.

It is as simple as that - just as corruption is not only a word reference for money looters, but moral, psychological, physical (etc) forms of corruption. . .

SirJohn:
@hopegirl,
All the religious movement/sect we have today started little by little. One false belief gradually adding unto another until it became a full blown movement. Rev King didnt start by burning people, he probably even had a good christian background until he 'caught' a revelation which no one else knows.

I saw a video of Billy Graham the other day denying that Jesus is the only way, he now believes you can access God through any religion.

SirJohn,

I'm not too sure what to make of you, where you stand and as someone put it earlier, what is in it for you. But I must confess you have made quite a few valid remarks and comments.

About Billy Graham and his so-called denial of Christ, the link below refers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gtR8rp4ozw&feature=related

The poster of that link, and a few other related links (e.g. Joel Osteen) misunderstands quite some, wrt the Scriptures - I had to paste a counter comment wrt latter (i.e. Joel's).

If you are a Christian, kindly learn to keep a more open mind and ask God for wisdom; many we are who are highly critical and courageous at expressing our thoughts. But remember we shall all give account of all!

Back to reason for my post. I see Billy (and Joel) expressing themselves in line with the abounding/abundant grace and mercy of God. His thoughts are not our thoughts neither are His ways ours; they are past finding out.

Romans 2 may give us a few clarifications. . .

   1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. [/color][color=#990000][/color]

   2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

   3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

  [color=#990000] 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

   5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

   6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

   7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

   8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

   9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

   10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

   11For there is no respect of persons with God.

   12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

   13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

   14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

   15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

   16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

   17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

   18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

   19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

   20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

   21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

   22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

   23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

   24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

   25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

   26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

   27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

   28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

   29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

grand jedi:
. . . Those not in support of the building have raised a few points:
- the magnitude of the building and amount it took to accomplish it.
- the relative poverty in the country.

One thing with God is that He could be extravagant and he could also be spartan. The same Creator of the richly diverse Amazon jungle made the barren Sahara desert. So personally I have no problems with God doing the grandiose. We all know the expense and detail that went into Solomon's temple. This same God sent John the Baptist into the desert . . .

Concerning poverty I agree with Kobojunkie on the first 2 pages that poverty should not stop anyone from executing their visions. Billions of dollars are being spent to eradicate extreme poverty yet it is still with us. How many of us will forsake our Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas repast because children are dying of hunger in Darfur? The most you will do is contribute to organisations that are trying to help them rather than saying you won't eat because of that.
Jesus addressed a similar situation in Matt 26:7-13 when a woman sacrificed an alabaster flask of very costly oil (about a year's salary) on Him. Even His disciples said it was a waste and should have been given to the poor. But the Lord answered that the poor will always be amongst us! Meaning that we shouldn't shy away from God-inspired sacrifices b/c we're considering the poor. Of course this doesn't mean we shouldn't help the poor but let's have a proper perspective about things.
From what I hear Redeemed Church also supports charitable organisations.

Maybe a way to test the veracity of the auditorium being God-inspired is what is advocated in Acts 5:38-39 :
"And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;
But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God."

God bless you brother, for the very reasonable contribution. It is always a sickening experience peeping under the RELIGION Forum because of the severely degraded levels some go, in outright heresies and unguarded attack on the Christian faith. It is always a choice to believe in life beyond this earthly existence, and eternity. And the Biblical warning that we shall all individually give account of our conduct, words (see below quote) and deeds, here on earth.

Matthew 12
31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Ovamboland:
. . .Giving one's life to Christ is supposed to be a life tranforming experience making us lead Christ-like lives, but can we in all honesty boast that such transformation is visible in Nigeria with increase in Church membership?

Are we positively affecting our society as Christians with our conduct in public places especially?
Do other people (non-christians) observe us and can say our behaviour must be Christ-like or Godly?
Are we truly above the common vices in Nigeria, bribery (police, civil service), one-way driving, beating traffic light, common lies, deceit/dishonesty, disrespect to our fellow man(shouting abuses in traffic) etc.

Take a survey of the average Christian and ask the reason(s) they are in church or crusade, many will say things (if they are honest) like breakthrough, in business, promotion at work, relationship (husband/wife seekers) deliverance from perceived enemies, abundant blessing, fruit of the womb etc. Very few will remember eternal life in Christ, which is His promise to belivers.

Ovamboland also, has given quite some reasonable and challenging challenges. Yes, salvation and a striving for fellowship and consequent instructions in sustaining our love/life in Christ here, and eternity with Him, should be core of our service and worship. . .
----------------------------------

Anyhow and whatever our personal convictions, the Lord is God! He remains Sovereign. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent.

1 Corinthians 1
18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

brownbonno:
This apology aches me.There is no need for it,you did a great thing and should be praised.
Most Nigerian will prefer to send their families overseas, instead of local trips within Nigeria.What you did IMHO need to be emulated and praised.
Please give any possible information that may help other people to undertake such a discovery trip.

Thanks bros. That is the spirit!

I hope to provide all info available to me, that can help those that have plans along same routes I was privileged to pass through. That is the whole purpose of sharing, and about one key benefits of subscribing to this Forum (but nna, wait O! Maybe this should be under Travel ).

Anyhow, una wish na my command. . .   

biolabee:
i believe the guy just joking and trying to generate more traffic on the thread,
EI good job once again i sent u an email

Biola,

I think so too   

I've just sent a reply to your email - apologies for the late response

jenju:
Note that many 2008 cars were manufactured and on the road in the USA as far back as early 2007. For example the 2009 Corollas have been available since February of 2008! If you'd like a 2008 model with 8,000 miles or even a brand new one, I could get one for you for an appropriate price. This one is well priced and certified. We don't do odometer rollbacks.

Cheers,
J

Gbakam! I talk am   

But J, please send a more comprehensive report showing history etc, which will clarify on existing queries. . .

bababuff:
The odometer reading is quite high for a 2008 car.

I also thought so too, first time I saw the posting.
I'm not so smart so may not really decipher correctly. But my impression is that this is an Autocheck report, as against the Carfax report that provides details of ownership titles/transfers (and associated mileages covered with each title).

As Jenju is my pal and a correct guy, I suppose we'll soon be getting some form of additional information (or clarifications). . .

190:
el make u cut us all these crap when u dey talk sef e, u don too praise ur self jore, people dey when dey travel around the world from 12am to 3am them nor dey boast abi u dey hear 4 their mouth,[s][/s]i am not sayin i am one of them o, my hand pure[s][/s] but all the same wetin u supose yan 4 here na HOW MUCH U SPEND for the WHOLE WAKA

190,
EI and not el
My apologies if I came out as effecting self praise.
Trust me if you can, that was not the intent . . . and who says I have not travelled around the world?

biolabee:
tx EI would surely note ur itinery and be in touch with u for more info esp on the abuja- jos - yankari - miango end of the trip as i may be interested in that next year.

for that purpose,
1. what is the best time to go and see the best sigths considering waether such as harmattan which I'm senstive to
2. do u have contacts of the miango guest hse so that i can make bookings
3. does u have yankari's contacts too,

tx once again

Bros,
I've some contacts and I will be glad to be of any assistance. Basically to get more value, you should visit Yankari during the dry season, otherwise the thick foliage prevents good viewing of the animals.
But to avoid some sensitivities like that from 190 and privacy of my contacts, kindly send a mail to "ei_nland@yahoo.com" and we can discuss further. . .

phammyus:
Thanks everyone for your observations, i checked online too and realised it is 2003 model. I think is good to correct each other this way rather than crucifying ourselves.

Good man! Nice you clarified and hoping you get a good deal off the sale.

On the aside though, and like so many have clamoured for over the past month, useful for all if you are kind to publish the VIN and carfax report. . .

asitis:
After much research i can confidently say it's not a 2004, it could be a 2003 but definitely not a 2004, the backlight is also different

Doesn't require much research actually.
The physical outlook of exhaust pipes tells the whole story, even from afar.
Pre-2004 models are like those of Honda Pilot, both at the right corner of rear (as seen in published pics under this Thread).
2004+ models present physically separated dual exhaust systems (seen at both/opposite ends of the rear).

Excerpt from Denise McCluggage (© 2004 NewCarTestDrive.com) is pasted below:

". . . For 2004, MDX gets another round of updates. This is what the auto industry calls a mid-cycle revision, and the improvements are as extensive as any undertaken so far. Horsepower and torque increase, thanks to a new dual-exhaust system. . ."

PS:
I recently got an MDX through this Forum. In course of the transaction, Yahoo! (and one bugybugy) almost derailed the seller's Thread by insisting my 2004 model (at 36K mileage!) was too expensive at N3.7m. In his words, "This MDX landing cost to your door in Nigeria should not be more than 2.8m (Sellers profit of $2000 included)."

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-131838.32.html

No hard feelings, but strange that Yahoo! is now holding brief for current seller, at offered price and model. . .

nkc:
lol, just saw this now, inspired, thanks for asking after me, make i send my account number

as for EI, i will make it up, me i want to buy Q7, and road trip with my fiancee and my travelling bag

nkc,

Na me u wan dagbo, eh? 
No make vague promises, tell me now, how u wan take make up - at least u know say my side dry small and u suppose dey loaded now!

Last time we checked, the baby bulls were still in hiding/hibernation, not in hurry to return to witness the trauma of so much blood (of their papas) on the floor. The bears are really having a field day. . . 

PS: Meanwhile, yield not to the temptation of making such a long haul trip with your fiancee. . .

biolabee:
this is truly a wonderful experience for u and ur family
please can u put a more detailed itinery on the page like the duration of every trip,attractions and maybe hotls used

sth like this,

[table][tr][td]Ikot Ekpene - Calabar[/td][td]2 hrs[/td][td]Yakari resrve etc[/td][td]additional info like hotel and price[/td][/tr][/table]

I'd like to do sth like that too sometime

Biola,

Ol' guy, sub-details of de itinerary go long pass WAEC essay 

Actually I thought I earlier did a few lines and pictures to show some of the public places stayed. I will get a little bit more specific hereafter on your requested additional information (hotels, rates, distances etc), although there will be a definite challenge getting trip durations and distances right at this time, nine weeks after the road trip!

As accommodation for my family of six would always be the top cost element, the plan was to minimise overall costs (as much as possible), through planning stops at places we had very close family members and friends.
However this was limited only to the Southern axis, except Kano where we spent two nights with the remnant of our (i.e. my wife & I) KNCCF number, during our service year in Kano.

Making the trip within the Northern axis was a little bit tricky for someone like me that had never on my own driven through the North before. It took quite some planning in fitting into the family life/job schedule of another of our then KNCCF friends, resident in Plateau State. He it is, that assisted with the bookings and road trips within Plateau & Bauchi, and the last-mile trip from Miango/Jos, to Kano - the guy being our guide of course  

Northern axis

a) From the South . . .through Auchi-Okene-Lokoja-Abuja.
We passed through Benin about 1010hrs, had a 1hr stop at Lokoja for lunch and got to Abuja at past 1700hrs.
Accomm: Abuja - Transcorp Hilton @N29k+ per night for standard room; meals at N4k+ per plate 

b) Abuja-Keffi-Jos.
3hr trip, with Abuja-Keffi road topping my list of best roads in the course of the road trip.
40mins from Jos to Miango, our base for the Plateau-Bauchi runs.
Accomm: Miango - Miango rest house (MRH) @ almost N7k for a 3 bedroom chalet (with living/dining rooms!); meals free for kids less than 6yrs and N800 (N850?) per meal, something like a buffet, for adults. Breakfast was complimentary . . . what even Hilton didn't offer us!!!
Getting space at MRH must not be taken for granted as so many groups regularly use the facilities for retreats etc. We had to confirm our reservation well in advance through a down payment, and when we had to launch out to Bauchi, we also held our chalet (where we kept the bulk of our travel items).

c) Miango-Jos-Bauchi-Yankari; a little over than 4hrs
The main gate of Yankari games reserve is about 30mins after Bauchi (from Jos), but that point is about 56km from the YGR living settlement for guests. Good and tarred road within though, but person go tire for that leg of journey sha, with advised speed limit and all the road warnings signs that tell you to watch out for crossing animals   
Accomm: Four classifications of chalets; different sizes. Since we sponsored another family on that trip, we stuck with the third least expensive chalet class, per family. Rate at N14k/night. Meals at N850 per person, or something like that. Unfortunately, no complimentary breakfast   
Because of the number of tourists (lots of foreigners), one was expected to make bookings of tour vehicles the evening before, something we didn't do. But it worked out for good! Rom 8:28!! Because it was an opportunity to explore Wikki hot springs, and for me to get a good dip (and swim ) in the warm spring water.
WWS is within YGR; trekkable.
A 1hr ride of tour vehicle costs N7k; each vehicle takes 9-10 persons outside driver and tour guide, if I can remember correctly. An option for those that have the right eqt (4-wheelers) and can't endure the queue, was to rent a tour guide and go it yourself into the wild. . .

d) Yankari-Bauchi-Jos-Miango
-do-

e) Miango-Jos-Miango; various!
Visits to Jos wildlife park (where we got more sightings than YGR) and Church on Sunday. . .

f) Miango-Jos-Kano
Can't remember details of this journey, but methinks about 3hrs or a little bit more.
A lot of army presence at some point; almost a score of sentry posts at almost every 5km interval, at a portion of that highway that had dense forestation at both sides, and apparently was recently a hot spot for armed banditry (Nigeriens/Chadians?). A nice assurance/feeling for us travellers. And of course the army guys welcomed the cash token at every point we crossed - not like I may have done same if they were police checkpoints (also not like the civility we may have encountered!). . .
Accomm: Free!   

g) Kano-Zaria-(Niger State)-Mokwa-Jebba-Ilorin
I will do this under the narratives around the Southern axis. It has been two hours since I put my family to sleep bed, so it is my turn to get some sleep 

We covered the Northern axis over nine nights, of stops. That axis was the business part of the holiday, while the Southern axis, which gulped 67% of time put into subject trip, was also optimised for family visits.

Overall, we endured 2,900km+, travelling within the Northern axis, up till Kano. . .

Ruby_Pearl:
Nice pix.

even the elephant shelters better pass some ppls home.

Next visit, try Ekiti state, I assure you, you'll love it.

Ruby,

Ekiti State?!? 

Interesting. But pray, where exactly in Ekiti State do you have in mind?
I was there a couple of times ~15yrs back to check on a relative at FedPoly (Ado-Ekiti), and nothing about that whole part of then Ondo State looked appealing for a family visit. I guess there must have been considerable changes to warrant your advice. . .

PS: Your statement about homes, not pearl quality. . .

inspired_m:

You crack me Up,

Ive bn Seeing your post around for a while, and im not sure if you had sent me an email before or called me on the phone, But Please anytime you do, If you choose to, I promise I'll get you a good car at a Good Price.

No Millions. I promise

Inspired,
At least me I don call you, and na only small shishi you remove dat last purchase

Anyhow, how u dey? Dis thing fit go for the price range I give you de last time we talk? The person wey need the knock-about car no get too much time to wait O!!!!

J,

E don tay well well.

I got your email this morning, and after such a while (time no dey reach again for work and pleasure), person just say make person quick peep see the CRV.

It is cool! Great sparkling color. And the dual DVD is simply great value-add. But the price? Well compared to local offers from Honda Place, is simply much better value for money. No close comparison . . . maybe why the quick sale (congrats O!) . . .

Someone just sent me this link and I must write that the Thread has been enlightening.

While nothing quite new for those following international issues and politics, China never ceases to shock the world with her extremes. Not just against dark skinned immigrants, but also against her own citizenry!
For Nigerians who seek greener pastures in Asia & Middle East, they must understand the risks associated with breaking the laws of their hosts, simple! Those guys don't pamper like the Westerners do, i.e. with cosy jails and light sentences. . .

Agaba, thanks for the link from DailymailUK.
For those who haven't had time to read through, please find below some excerpts:

African immigrants to Beijing have been rounded up from popular tourist areas such as San li Tun, Beijing's equivalent of Soho.
The patrols of the red- shirted groups are constant. Even now, with the Games under way, some residents are not safe from arrest and incarceration.
'Tony', a Nigerian entrepreneur who has lived in China for the past three years, watched as dozens of his African friends were arrested last month. He hasn't seen them since.
'I started running when I saw what was happening,' he told me. 'I've heard they are in the camps. I'm just keeping my head down until you lot [foreigners] go and hoping it all returns to normal.'
With the few remaining black people and some gay men banned from entire areas, along with instructions from the authorities that they should not be served in bars or restaurants. . .

A comment to the article (DailyMail site) is also apt:

I am a black British person who lived in Beijing on and off for over 10 years, but am now back in Britain. My opinion is that any African male (As opposed to African American or Afro-Caribbean person) is a mug to hang around Sanlitun. Everyone knows the police will be after you, so why put yourself in that situation in a totalitarian state? If you stay out of that district and away from drug dealers, you will have no problem. In all my time in Beijing, I never had problems with the police. Staying out of trouble is actually not that difficult.

- A Lewis, Beijing, China, 16/8/2008 08:33

danderson:
El,

Nice seeing your ride.
Little pause was experienced because solicitors on both sides are protecting their clients investment . Hoping to decide on full payment option without delay in stated delay time.

What does your mileage read.

Cheers.

Hi D,

Sorry to hear about the hiccup surrounding your purchase. Issues must be quite thick, as you really looked set last month in effecting the order. As I earlier wrote, you can trust Jenju with delivery on promise; i.e. after crossing the bridges of price, spec and payment options.

On receipt of my MDX six weeks ago, the mileage was 36k plus miles.
I travelled five days afterwards, returning home early last week. My mileage now reads almost 40,000 miles, after the round the country vacation (Thread below). . .

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-162811.0.html

fotodaddy:
copyright protected!!! All those wey wan use am, una know yourself, get permission first

F,
But I've not recognised you as a respecter of the terms of copyright of others in this Forum, ala bump, bumpity. . .

PapaBrowne:
Just one question- What State,City or Town left you guys with the best memories??

Pops

Normally Calabar is my choice for tranquility, minimal hassles, fun etc.
For this trip, and without giving it too much thoughts, it is the village called Miango!

Miango is a village 30mins from Jos with a temp of 18-20deg late July, housing Kent Academy (an American ECWA/SIM managed grade 1-6 boarding school) and Miango Rest Home (MRH). Some facilities are the age of most grandpas around - the central restaurant/reading room for MRH was commissioned in mid '40s.

The best ambience anywhere in Nigeria; flowers, natural rocks, staff residential area for KA, chalets for MRH (for up to 120 guests!), 3-course meal system, courtesy/general hospitability of staff, welcomeness, etc.
Adult and children friendly - playground facilities and 1 to 4 bedroom chalets (each with its small compound) that provide individual families their privacy.
Quite a perfect resort/retreat environment, appropriate for non-Lagosians in spirit (or Lagosians that have repented and wish to find an outlet out of the fast lane, in settling gently into the real world). . . 

PS:
For all 1989 KNCCFites, take this as advance notice that a 1-week family retreat may hold at MRH next year as part of 20th year reunion. . . stay tuned!

adechuks:
Not too late though.I myself lived in Lagos for five years after graduation some years ago. And i'm glad to be out.
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/editorial_opinion/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=250808&ptitle=Suffering%20and%20smiling%20in%20Lagos


Back to the topic. My parents first lived in Zaria after marriage and later moved us down south. They took us kids round a huge part of nigeria in the 80s, with a sister in FGGC Akure, and a brother in Ilorin, we also visited the FGC in Ugwualawo once. That was a Mr & Mrs Bako kind of experience (or should i say a Mr & Mrs EI). The Makurdi bridge wasnt quite done so went by ferry through Agenebode in present-day Edo and landed in Idah (present-day Kogi). I also went to Jos much later.

Some people just simply hate the process -traveling, They just want to get there!

Mark Twain recommended travel as the best source of inspiration.
We all can do with emulating EI.
Good job.

Adechuks,

An informative link you provided - thanks.

Nice that you also got your opportunities as you grew up - mobile parents, who were also adventurers
I also got some opportunities too, in my very early teens:
- an 8wk long holiday visits to maternal aunties in Ibadan & Ilorin ('78 and '79 resp.)
- a 2wk Easter holiday visit to a paternal auntie in Lagos, 1980.

The best was saved for the last, as my parents as civil servants were able to afford one way tickets for four of us (my brothers, a cousin & I) on defunct Nigerian Airways to Lagos (our econonmy don spoil sha), while my uncle sponsored the return air trip

And my uncle spoilt us kids sha O - bless him.
Treats like many road sight seeing; lunch at Federal Palace; film show (Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" at then very active/standard National Theatre; Easter Sunday at bar beach (when it was still a beach ) etc. I still have the pictures, which I cherish so. . .

Siena:
But, I'm very much here. . .

Siena,

My apologies. nkc is a VW supporter, while you are the expert!!!

No mention pally.

But you should be able to edit the original Thread as poster; well, not so sure if Thread is multi-paged.

I suggest you contact the moderator if still constrained. . .