₦airaland Forum

I think one of the huge frauds being perpetrated in Nigeria has to do with Petrol pricing. I heard the landing cost of Petrol was less than 40 naira in December so how did they arrive at 65 naira. is it because of Naira Crash?
By the way, have we seen that it is better for the refineries to be sold now even if it is to Dangote? At least we won't be spending money repairing refineries without getting any refined products.
we've allowed sentiments to get in the way of good decisions.
If anything, we should beg government to sell the refineries. Some of us think it's national property but I guess some other people know the real owners.

earTHMama:
The paramount thing a leader should be concerned about is the welfare of his/her people. A governor that gives no damn for even a soul being jobless in a nation where poverty rate is over 70% is not worth his onions. Nairalanders are yet to separate their sentiments from their logic. The so called illegal structures have been there for ages and the same govt allowed it only to wake up and demolish them overnight. I am not against moving them because the human resources that is being wasted is invaluable. If Fashola continues to destroy markets and close some like this, lagos economy will be hogwash in a matter of months. Todays world is in economic peril and only a foolish leader will be destroying the ones at hand when new ones are yet to come by.

whose welfare are we talking about here? Have you read reports of rape and all sorts of shady activities that happen in oshodi? Do you know that street trading is dangerous in so many ways or are we to wait for OBAMA to tell us? Checkout the drainage on new roads in Lagos Island and see what street trading has done to it, compare it with the half-done Ozumba Mbadiwe road where street trading has been banned.
And since welfare is so paramount, should we use the same logic to allow Armed Robbers have their way, afterall they are product of joblessnes?
Do you know that the fact that something has been there for ages doesn't mean it should continue or else your OBAMA that you so proudly quote will not be President today! We are so happy to celebrate foreigners, let's encourage our own stars!
I have had to pass thru Aswani market a few times and if you ask me, they need to just get them out of there. How many people are we talking about in Aswani market and how many people do they incovenience on Tuesdays. I guess they have other places where they sell on other days. They can go there!
We need to start making illegality clear and not just to Aswani market traders but to everyone no matter how highly placed. If they start from poor people, let's tell them they need to visit the Rich too not condemn what they are doing 'cos we have to start somewhere.

By the way, Street Trading and buying from Street Traders are both Illegal in Lagos.

sometimes you can't but ask where some Nigerians got their education. I see why it's so easy for our leaders to steal and no one questions them.
We've made it easier for the likes of Odili, Alao-Akala, Oyinlola, Yar Adua, Ladoja, Orji Uzor, Achike Udenwa, James Ibori to govern us than men of vision like Fashola. who has questioned those dunces about the allocations they receive(d). it's so easy to do nothing for 8 years!!!

Rotimi Amaechi banned Okadas in PH without any alternative and we are not complaining. I think Fashola has more moral right to ban Okada than Amaeachi given the alternative provided and the risk Okadas pose in Lagos.

Does anyone know that Paris, France was not always like this. It was practically flattened and rebuilt by Napoleon III when he saw how modern London was (some of you should use the internet and educate yourself instead of joining forums and polluting cyberspace!).
Now some of us will sell all our properties to go "see Paris and die". Is it any wonder why African Migrants are the ones that live in most of the dirty places in modern cities around the world?

I grew up in Lagos and still live in Lagos and I'd say that Lagos has no reason being a mega city if not for the indolence of other governors. Why is the oil industry based in Lagos and why haven't other governors been able to attract investors to themselves? I think Lagos is really saying that they can do without some of us. if you think they will miss you, get a transfer to another state and see if they come around to beg you. It is no secret that most public officials steal the money from their state and bring it to Lagos. many of the Former governors still live in Lagos yet we saw George W Bush pack his baggage to Texas a few days back. If you think Lagos has targeted your tribe or state, meet your governor and tell him you are coming back home!!! if you must know I'm not from lagos too.

Infact if I were Fashola, i'ld pack all those Hausa beggars and take them back to Kano, YES!!!
Is there anything wrong with making that guy who wants to leave his village understand he won't be allowed to sell on the road so he should choose another strategy.
I think he's also sending a message to those who enagage in illegality believing they have paid money to some Local government official, they won't be there to save you when the bulldozers come around so think about it.

For those who talk about non-indigeneship, are you aware that OGUN state charges a premium for non-indigenes in their state universities, what have you guys done about it?

I believe we need some decency around. Once again, this man is not perfect but he has to start somewhere and you guys can help with suggestions rather than throwing up fiction.
A good place to start may be letting the Governor know that he's dealing with the indiscipline of the poor, what about the indiscipline of the rich, Sirens, driving against traffic etc, ?

nuzo:
What more can i say?

Just to put in some facts since Nigerians mainly argue with emotion and no facts. The Eonomic planning commissioner in fashola's government is an Ibo man. Mr Ben Akabueze. You guys are insinuating that he sits in these meetings where they decide that non-indigenes must leave Lagos and he's okay with it.
Professor Pat Utomi regularly says he's an insider in Lagos state government and that he can walk into their exco meetings without anyone raising any eye brow.

If you ask me this guy is doing a good job, can he improve?, Yes. He also runs the most open and effective government in Nigeria while not making a fuss about it by calling himself Chief servant, Comrade governor etc. There is still a lot of room for improvment and we can all help by contributing to this government but let's separate facts from fiction.

It always baffles me how we as Nigerians try to bring down people who stand up to some ideals (let's say they are 60%
ok. and we never bother but celebrate the idiots. No one is complaining about Alao-Akala's filth fidden Ibadan, Uduaghan's expensive Taxi project, the idleness of the northern governors etc but we are up against Fashola.

While I find this story very hard to believe, i do not intend to put the helmet on my head for any reason. if any law enforcement agent stops me for this, he will have to put the helmet on his head first to convince me and even at that I won't wear the helmet.
Does that mean that I think Okada riders and passengers should not wear helmet?, Certainly NOT! Just self preservation for me and to help reduce my risk, I take bikes where the Okadas cannot run very fast (traffic, bad roads etc). you won't find me on a bike on the new road from Falomo to Gerrard, Ikoyi (too smooth) or Mobolaji Bank Anthony way or even on third mainland bridge (unnecessary risk) and I'm constantly reminding the Okada man (especially the Hausas) to take it easy and I'm ready to come down anytime.

I think also that if the FRSC did any statistical analysis, they would realise that the limbs are what are most at risk in any Okada accident. I'm aware of broken legs, arms, burns from Silencers but I'm yet to hear of broken skull or head injuries at Igbobi or any other place (not disputing the fact that they exist) and the crash helmet (original or fake) will not help reduce this.
Me thinks it should by now be clear that Okadas are not viable for commercial transport and any serious government should be looking at going the Port-harcourt way after providing good alternatives like BRT.

By the way, how are the guys in PH coping without bikes? To those of you using the helmet, I say best of luck.

All,

Permit to digress a little, I found this interesting and I guess it's related with this subject.

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/philip-emeagwali/how-do-we-reverse-the-brain-drain.html


Please who will tell Nigerians the purpose of money and that money is not wealth?

This is a very interesting thread and I couldn't resist the urge to make a few comments even at the risk of repeating others.
People relocate for different reasons so a general advice will suffice.
Make sure you understand why you are relocating and your destination can offer some help in that area.
Be ready to work really hard as there are no pounds on UK streets or money on the streets of these other countries, it helps if you have good education.
Ensure that you are a legitimate immigrant and keep your legitimate status always as immigration laws change everytime.
Do not burn your bridges before you leave and maintain contact with Nigeria. I know of someone who because he won a green card did a fraud in his bank and ran away.
Be aware of your environment and try to acculturate in your new environment rather than just sticking with Naija friends and also get reliable information from friends/families on situation back home. You and only you should make the decision to go back if you are already outside, their info may/may not help.
Make sure you have enough money to settle down properly as people can be harsh outside the country.
Most Nigerians are economic migrants (even students) so if you fall into this category, do not be ashamed to take up odd jobs for extra cash especially if you have a lot of idle time.
Prepare for surprises and most of all be ready for discrimination (subtle or clear). Abroad is not Naija where foreigners are worshipped, you just moved from Second class citizen (if you are like most of us in Naija) to second class Non-Citizen/Citizen but there is hope!!!

I was in the UK a couple of years back and I hope I won't bore you with my experience and that of friends.
I came in for M.Sc and finished the M.Sc without a job in sight so had to do odd jobs in ASDA etc, eventually got a job here and work permit was arranged but also got an offer in Naija. The UK offer was in one of the BIG FOUR Audit firms but the offer at home (Oil coy) was too good so I left before work permit was stamped on my passport. I didn't want a situation where they'ld think I'm just after their permit especially as I was the only black person that was recruited. I defererred the offer in UK and went back home and eventually liked it and called off the UK offer. Personally, I wasn't ready to go home and search for jobs because I know how those proud recruiters will look at you wondering why you came back.
I compare my life now and my life as a poor student in the UK and I will tell you that in terms of quality of life especially as someone not given to frippery, I'm not much better. Yes I have a car, generator, inverter, gateman etc. Many of the things we show off in Naija are not just needed. In UK, I could go for mid-week fellowship, how easy is that in Naija for those of us who close early not to talk of the bankers slaving away from 5am - 9pm for the Jim Ovias. A friend's wife was asked by her boss (A married woman) in a bank why she can't sleep with a man to meet her target.
Now life can be tough outside but it's tougher in Nigeria.
people have talked about the dignity of labour and that is so lacking in Nigeria, the God we worship is MONEY even if it's dripping with blood. So many Nigerians are better off outside even as cleaners at least they won't ask their parents for money (let the old people enjoy their pension!!!). I don't understand the talk about being first class citizen. I certainly don't see myself as one yet as i have to leave the roads everytime I hear a siren and the lebanese is prefered to me in my own country. An expat in my workplace recently boasted to a colleague that he will pay a policeman to beat him up and it sure can happen. A police officer jumps down from a moving car to open the car door for our MD, is he a first class citizen. And what about those drivers, house maids, cooks etc who are living the dreams of people like Babajide Salu (no offense as he's helping them out) instead of their own dreams (when will they feel that slavery has been abolished) and to the person that says he can't wash plate for a whiteman, I say lucky you because right inside their fatherland many people are doing worse things and not just those drivers, some of our "Big Men" are doing the equivalent of washing white man's plate right inside Nigeria.

Just to butress my point about people traveling for different reasons, a couple left Naija as pressure was on wifey to give birth after years of marriage. They ran way from the families and God answered them so different strokes for different folks.
To those who want to relocate to Naija because people are becoming well off in Naija, things are not always what they seem. Naija has so much dirty money and you may just find out that you cannot do what they do. Business environment is tough also as you have to bribe everytime and if you will be a salary earner, I'd tell you to get a good offer and secure job and it becomes easy if you are like me and can adapt quickly especially if you grew up here.

@ wirinet & profit$

when you guys claim that Ribadu is a media creation and ask for the name of the FBI director, my simple response is how come we almost know the names of all the bank MD's in Nigeria and most people (even those going on Frank Edoho's Who wants to be a Millionaire) will probably be clueless if asked for the names of CEO's of foreign banks like Citibank, Goldman Sachs, RBS etc and these includes people living in these countries.
It's good you guys have access to the internet and can come online and support the people who have made living a complicated matter in this country against a Ribadu whose actions made Nigeria become a nation where investors are willing to stake their money and some of these money trickling down to those of us who have skills but no relations in government (through Job creation).

Mr Ribadu has done his bit and I'm sure history and God are there to judge him. Mr Yar Adua has now got his own opportunity. Now that he's probably through with reversals and gotten Mr. Ribadu out, i hope we can get on with the business of governance.
It is however important to note that our children and young ones are watching and are forming their opinions. I grew up believing that the triumph of evil over good can only be temporal. I've since seen many things to suggest otherwise but my belief remains yet unshaken.

@CAPONE.

it's good to say all sorts about branding and re-branding but ask any Branding specialist and you'd be told that the best product to sell is a good product and I'm sorry to say as things stand today NIGERIA is a bad product. You can do all the advert on CNN but what happens when your foreign investors come here, it's only the cheap money that makes them stay in Nigeria (and that includes Abuja, PH, Calabar and the north for all those who think those places are better than Lagos.)
It's only in Nigeria that an expatriate comes here to learn a job and within months he's the manager to the one who taught him that job because he has the right colour. You bring in an expat and you have lorryloads of security guarding him every time he goes out and you think he'ld be willing to come here for free. The other day, horsewhip and gun wielding policemen (the same guys they deduct my tax to pay) were chasing us around on the THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE only for us to find out that the VIP they were clearing the road for was a white guy who was just recording everything on his camera. I hope that video comes up someday on YOUTUBE. Truth is we have become like slaves in our own land. before people are shipped out to sugar plantations, they first become slaves in their own land and that is where so many Nigerians are right now. The good thing however is that no one is willing to come with ships to carry Nigerians to Sugar plantations in the Americas (Nigerians are already doing that whether through the deserts of Libya or at the queues in front of all sorts of embassies), it is too costly and not even good for their human rights credentials. So the new method now is to enslave us in our own country and the Chinese and Lebanese are taking up the challenge. Take a look at Lagos, PH, Kano and Abuja and see how the Lebanese have prospered beyond their own imagination at our expense. Take a look at HITECH (the dodgy company working on Lekki-Epe Road) and notice that they are actually learning the construction job on that road.

As this is 2009, my prayer is that God will deliver us from our bondage.

ode remo:
who fail to see good about this Country[color=#006600][/color]
now tell us what is so good about this country am waiting oh.

Please someone should answer Ode remo's question so we can start 2009 with some measure of hope.

server34:
Stay there dey wait. ur mates dey hammer legit dey go.

Now that someone has brought up the issue of hammering, I feel I have to comment. one of the issue that has destroyed our sense of value, our society and we as human beings is the belief that 'hammering is everything". we have come to believe that all you need is money forgetting that money is a means to an end.

Back to our topic, I would like to direct a few rhetorical questions to ask those who have hammered (I guess there must be some of them on this forum). Does Lagos traffic not level feel everyone except you have a siren or maybe police escort, does the noise from your neighbor's generator not make nonsense of your investment in a "sound-proof" generator, does your neighbor's poorly done sewage system not contaminate the ground water from which your expensive borehole gets it product (for those who may not be aware, there's a standard which Sewage systems must meet but because no one checks this, our poorly trained artisans have found a cheap way out, not realizing the environmental consequence), does your heart not skip a beat when that relative of yours calls your number because you are tired of the constant requests, does the grinding "poorverty" in the country not make your heart skip a beat, do you not fear that if your son has malaria, the nearest help is a minimum of six hours away by flight and most disturbing of all, when that once unemployed youth who just got hired as an armed robber puts a bullet into you, what will happen to the fruits of your hammering?

Methinks the journalist did a very good job in his article, and those are the things that i expect to see in our various newspapers since these guys feel the heat more than the foreigners but why they are content with keeping quiet baffles me. we need to raise people's awareness to the level at which we are forced to demand what we deserve from our various governments.

It is not money we need but a higher quality of life, can anyone guess what the life expectancy of one of those bankers might be (working from 5 am to 10 pm).

Mr Fashola has started well but we need to put pressure on other state governments too. Lagos is effectively the most expensive slum in the whole world with plots of land in slums like Ikoyi selling for higher prices than good homes in Hollywood and yet no one sees anything wrong with this.

If I may digress a little, We are always too quick to criticize foreigners for telling us the truth, is that not what our leaders suffer from, surrounding themselves with fools who tell them they are the best that ever happened to the country. The earlier we tell ourselves the truth and damn the consequence the better. Is it anyone wonder that someone like Richard Akinjide is now fighting with a thug like Alao-Akala over the control of PDP in Oyo State, if only he had always stood by what is right, maybe people like Alao Akala will not be causing him sorrow in his dying years.

To cre8tivity I'd say that if you do not know what witch hunting is , good luck to you. If you see white and call it black, your children will one day reap from it. You can support the rule of law mantra for all I care but for those who are truthful to themselves we know the rule of law is not anywhere near Nigeria. Next time a Policeman stops you on the road, tell him the IG has ordered that all road blocks be closed and this is the era of rule of law.

Now, Rule of law is a very good thing for those who are sincere about it. You said rule of law is the first step out of darkness. Maybe you should go to the Chinese embassy in Nigeria and ask our brothers why they are leaving Nigeria "the land of rule of law" for Lawless china and they may just let you understand that no one eats rule of law. Rule of law does not light their house and infact Rule of law is killing Nigeria very fast. Even Yar Adua knows that rule of law does not treat Malaria. Maybe you don't know but some people are even suggesting that Lawless OBJ is better than Mr Rule of law. When the latest social climber "Farida Waziri" launched her anti corruption revolution, Yar Adua told her to be ruthless with Corrupt officials, can you be ruthless with "rule of law" or we have a new slogan coming "ruthless rule of law"?

To Chidichris, since you don't understand what the state governors have to do with our low quality of lives, I will try to explain. Fashola has only been governor like 19 months and even his enemies "PDP" will tell you that he has done most things well. Most Lagosians can testify to that fact. I live in Lagos and for as many of us whose lives or areas he's yet to touch directly, we can at least hope. Now imagine that being replicated in all 36 states not just the state capitals. We won't even disturb Umoru. You talked about Kalu, I'm not aware that all the streets in Abia state were tarred during his tenure and I know for sure that ABA was one of the dirtiest cities during his tenure. His state's allocation were not seized as far as I can remember. I think a question needs to be answered inthis country, What can a billion Naira do? SO the next time we hear of billions we can at least know what to expect. The governors will tell you they spent billions of naira doing roads that can't survive the next rainy season. If you belong to my generation, you probably went to a Public state school or a federal government school. Now ask the woman that sells roasted corn along your street why her son goes to an "international private school" where the teacher cannot speak good English and she will tell you that her sons stands a better of chance of making her proud in those schools than the same state schools most of us went to where walls now collapse and kill students.

It's easy for the governors to blame the President but truth be told, they aren't pulling their weights too even though they have colonized the local government allocations.

Someone talked about USA and the rule of law, I'd say Ribadu's treatment of corrupt officials is our equivalent of Guantanamo and if you say yes what has Guantanamo achieved, I'd tell you No U.S President has ever treated terrorism (and this will include Obama) with kid gloves (now these are even faceless people) how much more the Iboris and Odilis,I don't care if they are dumped in Jail with/without rule of law.

Now am I a blind supporter of Ribadu, maybe or maybe not but one thing we can agree on is people thought twice about taking their state's money to UK when he ran the show and for that I'm grateful. No country has perfect heroes but they don't denigrate them the way we do here and celebrate mediocres like Ibori and co. Mr. Ribadu could have become a billionaire overnight from his job as EFCC boss like Tafa and Ehindero did as IG's of Police and Okiro is fast doing but he chose not to (at least even with all the Federal powers at their disposal, that has not been proved), now that is what i call service to Fatherland.

For all those lovers of rule of law, please go to the police station closest to you, there are people in detention without any charge, let the IG and AG do something about this.

We know ministers who have died on roads they refused to construct and to Farida Waziri, please let someone tell her we don't need a new anti corruption revolution.

Once again on this issue of selectivity, i am of the opinion that selectivity of those they punish is not so bad, let somebody probe OBJ's enemies, another one Yar Adua's enemies and we can get the game going. Is the Rivers state government not shouting selectivity against Waziri already. You catch a thief, he complains that it's because he's a Yoruba man and everyone buys it, not asking about the real issues.

It is interesting to see the posts about Ribadu and for me one of the inferences I can make is that our low quality education has actually done a lot of damage to our intelligence. The type of education where all that matters is the answer, no need for deep probing and the copy and paste mentality we have acquired will do us no good.

So I will ask some probing questions like others have done and hopeful creativity and other goons like her(if she truly is a she) can have time to think?

1. how many Nigerians have died on the bad roads that we have despite billions being appropriated for their repairs?
2. how many Nigerians have died from plane crashes due to the poor infrastructure in that sector due to corruption?
3. When was the last time you went to a public hospital and how many lives are being lost daily in our hospitals due to poor infrastructure and fake drugs all traceable to corruption?
4. Have you been to any of the government schools that produced some of the best and brightest minds in this nation and see if anything close to education can be attributed to these buildings? is it because enough money was not voted to education and if enough was not voted can we account for the ones that have been voted and spent?
5. Why can't we observe five minutes of 240v power supply for all the few places (at same time) that have access to the national grid and does it have anything to do with corruption?
6. Why has the money become the god we worship in this nation and crave for sudden wealth the pastime of most adults?
7. how come we have turn around maintenances (TAM) every time in our refineries but the refineries never work?
8. How come there's so much display of obscene wealth around us without a corresponding increase in economic development/activities?
9. How come there's abject poverty and our nation has suddenly become the poster nation for poverty and disease?


One of the things education can do is bring about good change. For people like creativity who will celebrate Obama's presidency but scorn change in their fatherland, let me educate you a little. Without white Americans, Obama would never have become president and they voted inspite of deep seated prejudices because they were educated and could understand his message and the need for change. if it was NIGERIA, once the Iboris and OBJs of this world dictate to the press who should be president, creativity and others simply fall in line!
Many people think we have bad leaders just because elections are rigged. The truth is that even though elections are rigged, our low intelligence will never allow for change. Can anyone think of CREATIVITY and her friends voting for a PAT Utomi instead of UMORU Yar Adua?

Back to our drift, Corruption is the greatest attack that has been launched against the people of this nation and when you want to fight such a problem you have to be ruthless even if it means trampling on the rule of law. That is what every nation does when it confronts such a monster that threatens the very existence of a nation from biblical times till now. There was the young man that killed his fellow Israelite and his Moabite "girlfriend" by driving a spear into them when God was angry with Israel. Adultery with the moabites was a major reason God killed many of the Israelites at that time. In this our time Britain, U.S., Spain and other countries have all done things that you would simply have to pinch yourself if you go strictly by the rule of law.

Now Ribadu is being accused of being anti-rule of law and selectivity. My response to those fanatics of rule of law is to go to the various prisons we have in this country. there are people who have been detained without being charged to court for several years please use rule of law and fight of them and then we can be honest about this rule of law.
For those who cry out that Ribadu was selective, why has the police not arrested all the armed robbers in Nigeria and why can't don't armed robbers accuse them of selectivity or better still the next time a Police man stops you at a check point, simply drive off and ask him why didn't he stop the car before you?


I think if the truth must be told. Ribadu was not perfect but he sent out an unmistakable message that corruption is not acceptable and now the perverts and the corrupts are sending out their unmistakable message and Mrs. Waziri understands them perfectly.

I must however add that it beats my imagination when ordinary Nigerians talk about the punishment of Ribadu being justified because he did not practice rule of law. My question to these Nigerians is what have you or your family gained from this rule of law or is it just the rich that should benefit from rule of law. what message are we sending out to our Children. Will it not make sense if Ribadu is being tried for working against rule of law and Chimaroke Nnamani and Ibori are being tried for their corrupt activities?