₦airaland Forum

Una don come again. . .

This is a topic that very few of you know anything about except what you goggled or someone told you.

1.   The US cannot just declare military war against China as there’s no justification for it. If anything, a military war between the US and China will be fought by proxies, South and North Korea.

2.   China is developing economically and cannot afford to fight with the US, which is the same reason they keep buying the US treasury to keep their currency artificially low.

3.   The type of war that is more likely is a trade war and China will still be on the losing end because they have over 1 billion people to feed who are churning away at factories making goods to export. Guess where all their manufactured goods are going? The US and Europe.

4.   Militarily, the US is already on China’s doorstep with their nuclear powered aircraft carriers. China only recently bought a decommissioned aircraft carrier from Russia that will be reversed-engineered to make theirs. Even more importantly is the fact that China’s military is not modernized. They only recently started modernization.  

5.   The only thing China is good at is copying and stealing secrets from the US to make their own weapon. And they are still a few decades away. You can only copy what you know about.

6.   One of the most important things in during a war is command and control. There’s only one way to know that all that military equipments that you have work; you have to try them out. This is the same reason the Russians (and at times, the Iranians) are supplying the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan with weapons or ways to defeat American technology.

7.   If US will go to war with China, it will be over Taiwan because the US is responsible for Taiwan’s security and China wants control of Taiwan.

8.   Lastly, you don’t know how much is spent on classified programs by NASA and some other DoD departments. There are gazillions of black programs out there! Some can even be in your backyard without you knowing! Also, there’s supplementary spending bills that could be used to fund wars like the ones used to fund the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thanks God, somebody knows what they are talking about. People need to think before they talk.
1. Why will the US attack China, you don't think they have better things to do like attending to domestic issues after the Iraq and Afghanistan adventures?

2. China has made great strides militarily, but its no match for the US. You don't get to spend over a $trillion a year in defence for nothing. There is no country that can project power all around the world like the US does today. As mentioned above, the US is already at the Chinese doorsteps via Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan with sub marines and carriers that have or can carry nuclear warheads.  US is not interested in gong to war with China, but if one comes, China will not know what hit them. If they manage to survive the first round, they will hit back but with a lesser power. The US will of course complete the job in the next round.  Keep in mind you are talking about the only country that have actually used nuclear weapons!

3. As for the Afghanistan war, think about it for a second - all of these 10 year war is actually happening in Afghanistan. A single bullet has not being fired into the US since the war began by the Taliban.  Also, in the case of Vietnam or Afghanistan, its not that they don't have the capability to wipe out either place from earth, its just that the goals were different.

4. For all its economic success, keep in mind that the size of the Chinese economy is still roughly one third of the US economy. The question is will the Chinese continue to grow at their current pace for the next 10 years and the US growth will continue to be stunted? Does the Chinese have the innovation to maintain that edge and for how long? That could happen but lets not begin to pretend that it has happened yet.

@ buzugee

first off congrats on your $5000 a month.   seondly i am privy to what happens in hospitals in america. oh they would treat you in an emergency (more like patch you up) and then dispose of you after that if you dont have insurance.

Yes, dont you think its great that in the case of an emergency you will be attended to first before kicking you out?
Will they even allow you inside the Hospital/Clinic in Nigeria without cash or some deposit?

Actually, we left out the most imporatant part which is how did you get yourself to the Emergency Room to begin with.
Did you call 911 and in a matter of minutes you are picked up by an ambulance or air-lifted by an air-amubalance or
where you counting on a family member or stranger to drive you there?

Una don come again. . .  beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder, so here are a few things that I see. . .

1. US - Clean toilets just about everywhere you go.  Only God know what they call toilets in Nigeria
2. US - High life expectancy in the US  (this is where good roads, access to healthcare, power, "CLEAN WATER", etc. comes in)
3. US - The power of the blue passport.  Can't compare to anything else
4. US - Respect for human dignity (at least for its citizens). Not perfect, but its in the country's DNA.
5. US - Tough and requires hardwork to survive.
6. US - Slow and steady, very little or no loopholes for quick money
7. Nigeria - By and large, those doing well are really doing well due to the emerging market.
8. Nigeria - Cash heavy society due to numerous loopholes in both private and public sectors for fraud
9. Nigeria - Culture and tradition heavy, though that is also part of the reason why there is lack of accountability
10. Nigeria - Negative perception of nationals all over the world. 419 seems to be in the DNA.
11. Nigeria - Very unstable and unpredictable.
12. Nigeria - Definitely more family oriented

Disclaimer:  

I have lived in the US for almost 20 years now and I do visit Nigeria regularly - I was just there a few months ago.
I don't know what the future holds, but if I have a choice, there is just no way I can live in Nigeria again. Yes, I have
been to friend's houses that are worth N60 million or more in Lekki, etc. Truth be told, those houses are in no way
better than a $100,000 house in most part of the US.  Yes, we drove through Banana Island few months back and
its lovely, but I have seen better houses and landscaping over here in neighborhood where the most expensive
house don't even cost more than a $1million.

That said, Nigeria can be a fun place - I guess it has to be if you consider the fact that you have to go to through
major hassle to get the most basic of things done like taking a flight, going from point A to point B, etc. I can only
imagine what its like to go for a medical emergency - God forbid!

Its pointless comparing Nigeria to the US.  For all its shortcomings and it has many, the US is still the greatest country
on earth and still has a long way to go.  When millions of people are looking to migrate to a particular place on earth,
there has to be something special about that place. For every Nigerian that is struggling in America, there are 2 or more
that are doing very well. Of course the US is not a bed of roses, but neither is Nigeria for many Nigerians.    

Whats the point of this diary again?

I know you were against GEJ but it is refreshing to see you write this.
Well done!

below he receives his certificate of return

Sorry, but I think you got the wrong person. I have been coming to Nairaland since 2006, but I have been
merely lurking around the last couple of years. I don't remember posting much if anything at all about the
this election or the candidates.  

That said, in spite of his flaws, I thought GEJ was the better candidate. I was a big fan of Ribadu (as EFCC
chairman), but I knew he had no business running for the presidency. I was always wary of Buhari, I saw him
as being too parochial in his world view, not fit for the times. That said, I see him as a very honorable man and
I am hoping he can rise to the occasion and accept defeat honorably.

This is wat you get when you v a dumb stub as C in C
Buhari shld called his supporters to order! I dey laugh oooo Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin
Like Obama telling Gadaffi to call his killing squad to order Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin

Anyways we all voted to GEJ, so wel ive with it Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked

You can deploy deadly force against your citizens if warranted, but should that be the first option?
Wouldn't it be preferrable to ask a man who hold considerable influence over his supporters to
renounce violence before sending them to their graves?

What is it costing GEJ to speak those words? Shouldn't you be proud that you have a leader whose
first and only recourse is not the use of deadly force? Guess what, these are some of the reasons
Jonathan won big.

too soft

I will take a result oriented "too soft" leader than a bull headed leader (too hard) who almost always makes disastrous
decisions in his hastiness.

Well, he will not be sworn in till May 29th, so till then, he is still the president that was sworn in last year, and I have no excuses to make for him. I expect him to act when the people need him to and this is a good time for the president to step up to the plate. There is no reason why we should wake up to more violence tommorow, so he needs to get to work to ensure that it is done with asap.

But what is it do you want him to do today that he hasn't done? This reminds me of the BP oil spill, when people were calling for
Obama to "do something", even though he has done all that can be done, which was to assemble the best minds and offer them
the resources they need to solve the problem - which has no immediate solution. Of course, GEJ he is the president still, but what
specifically do you want him to do in the past 12 hours that he is yet to do? He hasn't spat fire and brimstone on TV yet or is it that
he his not in Kano with his AK-47?

Well, I don't think it is wiser for the president to fold his hands and do nothing. He has had about a year to work on preparing the forces to better manage these sort of crisis. He has had an average of one riot a month to test the preparedness of the team on since he took office last year. I don't think at this point we still need to be deciding on his behalf whether he should send them in or not send them in.  He is a grown man with serious responsibilities here . . .

I am not exactly sure what statements like that are supposed to mean?  Lets be honest, up till today when it became
very apparent to Buhari supporters that he was going to lose, things have been moving smoothly for the most part. he
government and INEC needs to be commended for that, just as they were roundly criticized when the elections were
postponed.  The fact is most Nigerians are happy with the conduct and even outcome of the election. I usually don't
have much good things to say about Nigeria, but I was happy this time around and found myself watching ChannelsTV
online for live updates.  

If GEJ had deployed soldiers everywhere I suspect he will be accused of using soldiers to steal the elections. There is
violence in parts of the country and the security agencies are dealing with it, curfews are in place, GEJ is calling for calm,
what more does one expect GEJ to do in less than 12 hours of the outbreak - order air bombardments of the areas?

Regardless of what one may think of GEJ, he has out-smarted the entire opposition - IBB, Atiku, Ribadu, Buhari, Arewa, etc.  
One may not agree with his style (not the usual Naija gra gra), but somehow he manages to get results. I remember how
he was being castigated for not declaring himself president during the Yar Adua saga.  He bidded his time, strategized and
things worked out in his favor in the end.  I am not a huge fan of his as I think he can be a a bit more refined, but people
need to begin to give this man his due credit. Maybe Nigeria could use his style of politics - more thinking and less brute
force. Just saying. . .  Now that he is elected, I hope he will bring meaningful change to the country since he doesnt really
need to do anyone favors to be get elected again.

One thing is sure: either okah is very s.t.u.p.i.d(which i seriously doubt) or these evidences r fabricated & planted. It baffles my dat such a high profile planner, arms smuggler & sponsor of mend would leave such screaming incriminating evidence flying about his family residence in south africa.
It would have been more plausible if they'd found these @ mayb okah's office, okah's guest house, or anywhere away from his primary & most obvious residence. I'm definitely not moved.
btw, there was an initial thorough search of okah's same house, just after d bombings, not a single evidence found, & okah was left in peace. Now, evidence r flying here & there, & okah is facing trial. suppose these evidences r true, would'nt okah have had enough time 2 get rid of whatsover might link him 2 d alleged crime b4 his eventual arrest?

This script is yet to make any sense. I'm not buying.

Here we go again. Who is asking you to buy the story? Do you know what invoices are? I suppose the SA police forced Okah
to say it was his brother that was mimicking his voice?

@ Kobojunke,

Please tell me who has been prosecuted yet based on hearsay or assumptions? Last time I checked he
was interrogated and let go, even though he is still being suspected as having a hand in it. I will take a
step further by saying he is a free man today because Goodluck's campaign is careful not to be seen as
intimidating their political opponents.  

Are we now saying that no one should be invited for interrogation until we have "fool proof" evidence
to prosecute them?  How will police around the world do their work if they are not supposed to talk to
anyone until they have absolute proof?  How can they work with assumptions using some of the clues
before them?  Are we now saying that until SSS plays the audio, video, or whatever communications that
they have intercepted to the whole world while naming informants in the process, no one should be held
or interrogated? Even at that, will every one be satisfied that those informants weren't told to lie or that
the communications were not forged?

I did goofed on the SMS being found on his phone, but how conincidental that one of the suspects have
Dopkesi's name in an SMS message? Even when there seems to be an indication of some sort of financial
transaction between the suspect and Dopkesi, should any responsible government ignore that? Should
they just close the case since no matter what happens, GEJ will been seen as muzzling his opponents?

What do people want the government to do and how do they find the perpetrators if some citizens are
too big to be quizzed even though they have questionable associations.  

Like I said, I still don't get it about the way Nigerians thinks.

I don't get it. Bombs went off in the Eagle Square within the vicinity where the president was and people
here are suspecting the president! What is wrong with Nigerians?

If anyone is desperate in the next election, do you think its Jonathan who still controls the levers of power
or IBB, a much hated figure in Nigeria? Is the president and his people so desperate that they have to resort
to planting bombs in such a high profile event?

I ask again, what is wrong with Nigerians and the way they think? Dokpesi was invited to for questioning
because of an SMS message that was on his phone from one of the suspects and you people shout bloody
murder. Even when Dokpesi came out with his story which clearly didn't wash ( like paying people you don't
no for "services" rendered or not rendered), you guys are still suspecting the president? Now he is suing to
be left alone - meaning, don't come near me even if I am implicated in the future.

Now, people are somehow suggesting that Nigeria is so powerful that the South African government have no
choice but to abide by Jonathan's intent of pinning this on Okah? So now, their court systems are incapable
of gathering evidence and convicting someone or not based on those evidences? Almost everyone here wants
to see the evidence first hand?

Christ - something is really wrong with Nigeria and Nigerians. I don't get it!

Listen, it’s because MEND still garner international sympathy that’s why the Nigerian government is still soft on them. Let them kill more civilians and be branded a terrorist group and let’s see what happens then. Odi is a typical example of what you get from Nigerian forces, you know that.

International sympathy? What planet have you been on? MEND was bringing Nigeria to its knees, hence the government had to
negotiate. It wasn't for lack of trying to get rid of them. Simply put, Bokko Harram was just a bunch of misled people with no real
cause other than the slaughter of innocent lives in the name of Jihad.  MEND on the other hand had a cause - they wanted a say
in how the oil wealth that is coming from their backyard was being shared, not to say the group haven't at times committed some condemnable acts. How much was Bokko  Harram costing Nigeria daily vs MEND prior to the amnesty?

Back to Jonathan and his statement. It was clear the government had some intelligence prior to the bombing about some people
that is affiliated with Okah who may be plotting to set off bombs.  This was why Okah's home was first raided and he was later arrested.  Once the bombs went off and the recognized leaders of MEND says they had no involvment, what is so wrong then with Jonathan's statement that some people are trying to create mayhem in the name of MEND?  

Politically, it was a strong move for the leaders of MEND to meet with Jonathan in Abuja to condemn the acts.  Think about it, if you were a MEND leader and you just gave the order to set off explosives that resulted in the deaths or injuries of dozens and you know full well that the Federal Government is hunting for you, will you be meeting with the President so soon? Will you be any where close to Abuja?

As for these tired clowns calling themselves "Northern political leaders", they need to go hide somewhere in the bush. They have
lost their relevance in the scheme of things and need to deal with that.

This is very funny -

in the UK- you "buy" a house, maybe a three bedroom flat, but you are asked to pay for it for 99 years or so?

In Naija - you pay cash to buy a plot of land to build your own mansion - within two years, if you work hard and God smiles on you, you finish your mansion - may cost over £100,000 in cash- no mortgage, no loans, no debts- fully owned.

In Naija- you buy everything cash down - abroad, half them peeps live on credit cards.

Everything in the UK to me is just very funny - thank God I moved back home after eight years over there.

Agreed, you can be comfortable abroad- I worked as IT consultant in the UK and was netting £300 per day when things were realy great- but, boy o boy- how much of it gets home with you? and how much can you save out of it?

You are right about the debt/credit card issue we go through over here. Having said that, this is what I don't get and may be you can help
me out. How many people can realistically come up with $250K or so in two years to build a mansion in Nigeria? Where do they work, private
or government? If government, no need to answer.

On the no debt thing, I still wonder who the mortgage companies in Nigeria are being setup to cater to if no one believe in incurring debt.
Last time I checked, banks are foreclosing on several real estate properties in Lagos.  I do know a few people who are currently financing
their vehicles with banks.  Another one bought his house through a loan from their Cooperative (oil company). The truth is people in Nigeria
are increasingly leveraging debt like "poor" folks like us overseas.  

Lastly, it never amazes me that people in Nigeria have very short memories. Was it not last year that the CBN published a list of who is who
debtors in Nigeria? What where those loans for again?  Have we forgotten so soon about margin loans that were pouring into the stock market
in the past couple of years? You will be surprised to find out that a lot of the many mansions you see standing have some mortgage on them,
granted, the terms of the loans may be much shorter, certainly not 99 years.

Lets get the basics straight, which nigerian in the UK other than those diplomats or ex-bankers, have a driver? a househelp? nanny? Please they would love to have equal the space in London as somebodies boy quarters in Lagos, instead of living in council house

Of course, almost everyone can employ a house help or driver in Nigeria. How much you do guys pay them a year, $1500 or $2000?
We understand that is part of the reason "home is sweet or the best" to some people because you get to have another human being serve you round the clock only to pay them less than $150 a month. You can get upset and yell at them too when it suits you!

I get 6 hours of house cleaning service monthly and I get to pay the maids $250. Add in another $100 for the yard man to take care of the lawn twice a month (probably not more than 4 hours total). Pretty soon, you can see that I have just spent my True Religion or Moet money on house help - no more HEAVY CASH FLOW right there!

Now imagine I get to keep them upwards of 8 hours a day and you get to realize there is no way I can afford it. The funny thing though is that the maids and yard man, have their own vehicles and take themselves from one home to another, earning enough to take care of their families? Can you say dignity again? How many people in their shoes can boast of doing the same in Nigeria? I am
sure there some exceptions in Nigeria, but the vast majority are being abused daily. Over here, crime is bound to high in places were there are little or no jobs, or where the pay is just too little for the work being done.

you know your social security checks will spend better in nigeria right ? 'daddy america' Grin Grin Grin that will be ya nickname amongst the local folks when you come to retire from america to nigeria at the age of 70

That maybe true and if they are not nice to me, I will return back

@labiyemmy,

Are you referring to  your own bull crap on mine? Is it my choice or yours to decide whether I should submit
myself to more mosquito raids or not?


You are right, after 67 years, I might just be willing to return. Come to think of it, why would I want to return
to living among people with your kind of mind sets? Class system? Oh well, I might as well stay behind and
collect my Social Security checks, after all why would I want to live the "abroad lifestyle" in Nigeria. You got to
be kidding!

lol don't wanna get on Iyke-D's bad side so he won't turn me away when I come visiting the states.

You are good guy, you are always welcome to the states.  Nigeria is still "home", but, (:

righttttttttt ? salam get your butt in here right now and lets fight the good fight for the motherland Grin arise o compatriots nigeria call, obey

abi NEPA or PHCN dont strike?

Iyke-D I don't think anyone will be loosing any sleep if you never come back to Nigeria. I have met similar people like you back in the UK. All they see is the negativity in Nigeria they say absurd things like Nigeria has no hope, i think it's called pessimistic view. Then I have met others that are quite similar who see nothing but negativity in Nigeria (Africa as they may call it), only difference is that they are white.

I watch the NBA and I see a Nigerian decent playing, and im elated; Im watching Soccer and I see Nigerians playing, makes me proud.

God made us all Nigerians for reasons known only to God. We can accept it or not, but we don't have to berate or debase those that choose to remain Nigerians and represent the nation

Oh wow, you think you know me so well now. I have also met many like you. They don't want to talk or acknowledge any of the negative stuff about Nigeria. Hey, lets pretend everything is great. I promise to forget that the money I invested in the Nigerian stock market 4 years ago, is half of the original amount invested today. I promise to forget that I believed in the idea of Transcorp and invested in it in the hope that Nigeria will soon produce a truly global company that could potentially employ thousands of Nigerians. How wrong was I?  Hey, its still all good. Frankly, after a while a negative pattern emerges and its just hard to ignore.

I am not trying to berate anyone (why are you guys so defensive?), it may also help if you ask that people don't berate those in
the Diaspora for their choosing to remain there.

yke-D actually I was not saying intelligence and  education are the same. I was trying to point out the fact that Intelligence and Education both involve knowledge. Knowledge is acquired in many ways.

Yeah, people go to other countries for different reasons, but y'all paint a picture of Nigeria like Nigeria its Afghanistan or Baghdad.  

Example is when you say such things like "a poo hole where most of its citizens are surviving and living by God's grace."

It gives that impression like you are better off than most Nigerians or other countries are far better than Nigerians living at home.
Absolutely not!

I was in UK and i've been back in Nigeria since 2009. Never looked back since then and so have numerous friends of mine.

@salamsm

You sound like a reasonable guy. My intent was never to say Nigeria is the same as Baghdad or Afghanistan.  If you review my
posts, not once did I say "we are better off" than most Nigerians.  My argument has been against those who make sweeping statements like those abroad that do not want to return back are either suffering or have been bain-washed (colo-mentality).

Having said that, I know where I rather send my kids to school and where I will like to be if I am sick. I wouldn't want to deal
with the hassle of generators, fuel scarcity, bore hole, etc. That's just my personal preference after living here almost 20 years.
That said, I often wish I had more "HEAVY CASH FLOW" to spend on just "buying" things - True Religion, Gucci, Polo, bottles of
Moet, and the likes.

Unfortunately, that's not my reality for now and I am ok with that because the things I have mentioned earlier are truly more important to me than the personal effects I will like to buy, even though living here get also get very stressful. The fact is people
die way too you in Nigeria from a lot of preventable causes than not.

By the way, I know that your claim about Nigeria's education being among the best in the world was suspect.
Here is a little nugget:

NECO GCE Results Released: 98% of candidates fail as NECO releases Nov/Dec


The National Examinations Council has released the results of the November/December Senior School Certificate Examinations, with 98 per cent of the 234,682 failing to clinch five credits, including English and Mathematics.

But NECO stated that 4,223 candidates got five credits, including English and Mathematics.

The 4,223 candidates formed about 1.80 per cent of those that sat for the examinations, while Kogi, Bauchi and Ondo led others states in the list of examination malpractices.

The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Promise Okpalla, stated this in his address at the NECO national headquarters in Minna on Tuesday.

He added that 234,682 candidates wrote the examinations out of 245,157 that registered.

He said, “Today, NECO formally announces the results of the 2009 Nov/Dec SSCE which held in 1,708 centres spread across the country.

“Inasmuch as education remains a potent tool for attaining national goals, NECO will remain a veritable instrument for measuring educational attainment at the secondary school level, as standards will not be sacrificed for whatever reasons.”

He mentioned the total number of candidates with five credits and above irrespective of subjects as 12,197, representing about 5.2 per cent of those that sat for the examination.

Okpalla also said that 236,613 cases of examination malpractices were discovered in the examinations.

He said while Kogi topped the list of examination malpractices, the Federal Capital Territory, Abia and Oyo states were ranked lowest in infractions.

He regretted the poor performance of the candidates in the examination, saying that there was the need for stakeholders to intensify efforts in ensuring improvement in candidates’ performance.

Okpalla advised candidates that wrote the examination to visit NECO’s website with the same scratch card used in registering to access their results.
SOURCE: punchng.com

Read more: http://www.informationnigeria.org/2010/03/neco-gce-results-released-98-of-candidates-fail-as-neco-releases-novdec.html#ixzz0xeJf7SV5
Source: Information Nigeria

what you need to do is send your child to me so i can whoop some patriotism into him or her so they dont turn out like their daddy. thats what you need to do

Why worry about my kid's patriotism? See, that's the education thing we have been talking about .
Shouldn't you be worrying about my patriotism rather than my kid's who born in another country and
will mostly likely worry about that country first before bothering with Nigeria?

I know there are private Universities, but sorry I am not sending my child to Igbinedion University, Convenant, Atiku's, etc.

@salamsm
Of course people move around from countries to countries in search of a "better life".  Isn't that the point we have been trying
to make at the beginning of this diary?  Why do some people in Nigeria have problem with those who have gone abroad, and
just so happen to believe that their quality of life in those places are better than what it will be in Nigeria?

Why do they automatically assume that the reason those abroad don't want to return home is because they are suffering and
don't have anything to show for it? Why is it hard to accept the fact that Nigeria is a very under-developed country even when
the facts are right in their faces?  Fact is Nigeria is our place of birth, but that doesn't change the fact that its a shit hole where
most of its citizens are surviving and living by God's grace.

Agitated I am not, but just stating the facts. I will be back to Nigeria for visits but I am definitely not relocating no time soon!
Lastly, stop confusing intelligence with education.

You can downplay all the facts however you want to, but there is no way I am going to send my kids to attend college
in the University of Enugu, Lagos, Ibadan, etc. simply because Nigeria is "home". Home to who? If you can't understand
the rot of Nigeria is the reason why those who can afford it either sends their kids to school abroad or even come abroad
annually for "medical checkup", then the country truly deserves its leadership and will continue to have morons leading it.
I mentioned Yar Adua previously and none of you have bothered to touch it. What is the average life expectancy in
Nigeria or I guess we don't bother with those things any more, right? We are content to live in chaos all behind MOPOL
manned gated communities.

As for the expats, how convenient for you to say they get paid the same amount of money as they would in their country
but they accept the offer to come to Nigeria because of the perks. Hello, what do you think perks are? If some one pay you
$50K and also provide you with free housing, car, medical benefits, vacation allowance, and kids educaton to come Nigeria,
is that the same as you being paid just $50K while you take care of your own housing, kids tuition, etc? That's a no brainer.

abeg - naija is not suited to everyone we should just try to understand that, those that like organisation and structure in their lives will not cope - those expats u talk of trust me they don't live like normal nigerians and cos of the colo mentality that some people have back home - a nobody in the west is made to feel like he is special in nigeria.

Right, plus there are in Nigeria because they are been paid heavily. You can bet only a handful of expats will accept a job offer in Nigeria
for the same amount of pay that they can get in their country of origin. I mean, why would someone earning $50K come to Nigeria to earn $50K and then deal with chaotic traffic, power and water issues, etc.

your friend is making $200,000 dollars per annum in naija and he is nursing the ambition to go to america HuhHuhHuh? Grin Grin Grin that ya fren needs to be flogged with koboko.
ok with that kind of money in naija first off he needs to move to a gated community in victoria island. dunno what his problem is sha  Grin
somehow i think he is just hell-bent on living in yankee. he has been watching too many puff daddy and lil wayne videos  Grin

I think he makes close to $135,000 a year, but then you missed my point. He does live in a gated community with MOPOL guarding their gates and all the trappings.  However, when he comes to my place he sees there is no fence or gate to access the house, and there is the glass windows with no rods, no bullet proof doors, etc. You have to be daft in the head not to see things like this and not recognize the stark difference to what you are used to.  Of course he loves Nigeria, but that doesn't mean he does not see where things are lacking seriously.

With regards to people resorting to bitching rather than doing things for themselves, I suppose you want citizens to build their own airports as well, build their own clinics, perform surgeries on themselves, after home-schooling what do they do for High School or College?. Where does it stop?

@Buzugee

AHHH my brother very unfair and nonparallel comparison  Grin  the suitable comparison will be if you gave every nigerian 2 million pounds will they still want to go abroad ? i suspect a resounding 'NO' will be the answer.
and with respect to your friends who you say are doing good in nigeria but still want to check out, they fall into 2 categories

1, they are not doing as good as you think they are doing. i know plenty people who are doing well in nigeria. they come to london and america for 3 weeks holiday to chill and shop. they dont nurse aspirations to leave their good life and run abroad to start all over. i think your friends are misrepresenting their situation to you.

2, your friend is still  'starstruck' by america and britain. this is an unfortunate mindset to have because until you realise that dream of living in america, you will never be happy in your life in nigeria no matter how good you are doing. this mindset used to happen alot in the eighties and nineties prior to the proliferation of the internet, youtube, facebook etc. reason being that all your illusions about america are imagined in your head. the fact that you dont see it but imagine it even makes the illusion more enticing. everybody wanted to go to london or america back then. we were all 'starstruck' by america and britain. BUT TO HAVE THAT MINDSET IN 2010 is very pathetic. with youtube and facebook and the internet you can beam yourself into any part of america and see how they actually live. see all the crime, the homelessness, racism, black suffering, black struggle, police brutality, trailer parkliving etc. you can imagine you are in america and just watch it all day. i think your friend is childish if he has it made in naija but still nurses the ambition to travel to america. he is still starstruck.

I understand your point about the unfair comparison between visas and 2 million pounds, but my point was just as you have some
Nigerians who are stuck abroad and who may hop back home in a minute with that kind of money, there are millions of Nigeria at home who will catch the next flight out of Nigeria if armed with simply a US or UK visa.  Its all about their realities and how they perceive the other side Atlantic to be.  Come to think of it, don't be so sure that "suffering" Nigerians abroad will rush home if given
2 million pounds.  Now, for sure they will visit more often, but 2 million pounds is more than enough money for most people to live a very comfortable life anywhere in the world.

As for my friends, trust me they are as real as it gets.  One works for a major Oil company and probably earns close to about N20million a year in total compensation.  The other works for the dominant Telecom outfit in Nigeria and earns close to about N12million. One lived in the US for 2 years trying to get his Masters and still come to visit every other year. The one that works
for the oil company comes about twice a year. They are not star-struck, they simply realize each time that in-spite of how well
they are doing back home, life can still be better and more comfortable. Not saying its perfect over here, but pretending otherwise
is like pretending not to see how lives of Lagosians are being transformed by the actions of Fashola in the areas of infrastructural development.

I mean if things are so great in Nigeria why would some of them want their kids to be given birth to overseas? Why would virtually every rich person in Nigeria want to be flown abroad when they are sick (have  you forgotten Yar Adua so soon)? Why will most of those with the means want their children to attend Universities abroad?  I know we love Nigeria because its our place of birth, but lets not pretend as if these things don't exist.  I won't pretend that I didn't know that it took my mom about 12 hours to fly from the US to Lagos, but it took her about 12 hours to travel by road from Lagos to Benin! Access to medical care is enough reason to give anyone with little children pause about relocating to Nigeria.

let me put it to you like this. if you offered every nigerian in britain 2 million pounds in cash, i can bet my last penny that 99.999999999 percent of nigerians will be on the next thing smoking out of england back to nigeria. all that nepa, bad roads, bad schools etc etc na just convenient excuse. the real issue is HEAVY CASH FLOW

Conversely, if you give every Nigerian in Nigeria today a US or UK visa, I can guarantee that you will see the biggest exodus
of mankind! At the end of the day, you will be lucky to find up to 1 million people left in Nigeria.

You are right about the HEAVY CASH FLOW. After all what do you expect from a country where a senator earns about 3 times
the salary of a US President or 5 times the salary of a US senator. Nevertheless, its a safe bet that the world knows the value
of a US President or senator versus that of a Nigerian senator.

Back to the actual topic, its hard for me to see myself returning home when people that I know to be doing well are so eager
to get out if they could - that is live in America why maintaining the same level of their Nigerian CASH FLOW, which may almost
be impossible. Its a sign to me that all is not well in-spite of the HEAVY CASH FLOW. Having said that, Nigeria is not all bad.

Generally, people don't return because they either have young families, or are very uncertain about their jobs or income prospects,
lack of security, non-existent infrastructure, family pressure, fear of failure, etc. To some extent these same reasons apply to those
living in Nigeria today who may be doing well, but who simply want a better living conditions for their families.

This is correct.
Have you noticed that IBB is the only candidate that has publicly revealed his intention and also doing several things about? The others are too scared and also have no confidence to make anything happen. Even your president has no balls to reveal his intention

You haven't seen nothing yet; guys, please just be patient and see what next week will bring.

Big B1,

You are up to you old tricks again, remember what happened in 2006/2007 when you have pretty much crowned your
hero as the next president until he chickened out, That was really funny. Anyway, times have changed and a lot of the
so- called invincible people are being laid bared. Your hero may win if Jonathan decides not to run, otherwise, there is
no way a sitting president in Africa is about to lose - IBB knows this of course.

Keep up the campaign - by the way, can you arrange for one or two Camry to be shipped to Texas, will gladly paint it IBB
For 2011, though I will repaint them after he loses and put them to good use.

Anyway, IBB is a has-been, and you know that. I doubt he is wiser, I will believe when he returns his 25% stake in Glo
back to the state.

Cheers.

ghana as always been in debt- but they manage money well- I mean its like America looks good from the outside.

Nigeria is the BEST PLACE TO INVEST

I read somewhere that its good to invest where theres economic growth and less debt.

But it depends on how you look at it the most developed countries are in debt and the most underdeveloped countries arent but still maintain a growing economy.

Kindly share with us why that is the case? What facts do you have to back it up? Naija is best to invest in
relative to where? Any reason why this is still the most kept secret in the world?

selective justice cannot be justified.

Whats your proposal and how do you plan on getting it implemented? If we cant start from one person or somewhere and work
our way, not sure some of you guys will be satisfied until IBB, OBJ, Danjuma, Odili, Igbinedion, Kalu, Jonathan's wife, and everyone else will be arrested at the same exact time, and then subsequently jailed on the same day. I repeat, which world do you guys live
in?

Story story, which is easier? [b]Chasing a man all the way to dubai or holding the one in your backyard? [/b]I've seen posts on selective justice and i say again like my post in GJ APPOINTS SAMBO AS VP, that this govt. is not sincere in fighting corruption, [b]why should you be chassing someone about corruption when your wife has a case to answer on corruption? [/b]Why appoint a woman whose husband is alleged to have stolen all the money in the ministry of works and housing during his time as minister into your cabinet?
I know someone would insult me for this, but i'll say it, [b]IF GJ IS SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING CORRUPTION HE SHOULD FIRST ADDRESS THE ISSUE CONCERNING HIS WIFE, GET ANENIH, IBB, ODILI,  AMADU ALI, OBASANJO,  ETC ARRESTED. Why on earth did the federal govt drop the charges against RIBADU? [/b]The constitution says all public office holders should declare their assets, failure to do so is considered as a crime, the question is [b]DID RIBADU DECLARE HIS ASSETS? J[/b]onathan should go and think about what he is doing.

I am trying so hard not to be insulting, but how come people in Nigeria are so infantile in the way they think?  First of all, no one physically ran from Nigeria to catch Ibori in Dubai. The EFCC merely put out an INTERPOL bulletin on Ibori, which resulted in his arrests by authorities affiliated with INTERPOL there. The EFCC has no legal rights in Dubai.

Secondly, its incomprehensible to me that people want Jonathan to probe his wife first before any one else can be investigated for being corrupt.  Which world or which school did you people attend?  This is the same exact stupid logic people were using against Ribadu, and that is as the EFCC chairman he must first focus 100% of his effort in investigating the president. How is that remotely
possible in a country with little or no democratic institutions and where corruption is the order of the day?

See what became of the EFCC after Ribadu? Has it occurred to you that the case against Ribadu was dropped probably because it was a weak case based on phony charges? You are talking about ICPC here, an organization that has been fighting crime with mouth since its inception and all of a sudden the biggest fish they want to fry is Ribadu, you don't see anything strange about that?

Are you saying that until every arm robber is caught all at once, we should just leave arm robbers to roam the streets? Isn't less arm robbers better for the society?   GOD  HELP ME!!!!