@sylve11 The pleasure is mine. I didn't want to originally post anything on the thread before, but I'm glad I did and you found the advanced historical post insightful.
RenaissanceGuy: Download Data Eye and say no to arbitrary usage of your data. The app lets you choose which apps can use data. So whatever app you restrict from using data will not be able to use data even if your data is switched on and you're using the app. I remember a particular time the app disconnected, my phone's background apps used 100inch diameter straw to suck my data for unnecessary update and the likes.
Background apps restriction is indeed what a lot of people have to initiate to conserve mobile data usage but many don't know this fact. Those mobile phone updates are insidious data drainers.
casualobserver: People need to be a bit more discerning.
ElRufai wanted to be a minister. Therefore he is clearly still politically ambitious. For someone who has been a governor and a minister what else is there to aim for but the presidency or possibly the VP as a stepping a stone. Park that for now.
Northern ambitious politicians especially some governors want to be president. An opening is coming up for the North either in 2027 or 2031. If you as an ambitious northern politician don’t seize that opportunity, that’s your chance of being the president gone. A Northern president in 2027 cannot hand over to another northerner in 2031 or 2035 especially after denying the South its 2 terms.
The idea that ElRufai, Atiku, Kwankwanso, Bala Mohammed will work for each other to make one the president in 2027 is to me a fallacy! And to me this is where the alliance unravels. Atiku will run, constitutionally he can’t be a VP again meaning any of the other 3 supporting him is basically kissing goodbye to any presidential ambition.
My prediction: they will fail to form an alliance or will engage in anti-alliance activities and split the votes again. Be under no illusion, there are ambitious Northern opposition heavyweights who want to be president and would rather wait for 2031 by which time Atiku their main threat would be too old to run thus giving them a smoother path and they would be able to count on undiluted southern votes. Nobody is doing this out of the interests of the people. Where you stand is based on how the permutations serve you politically. It is politically suicidal for any ambitious northern heavy weight to back any northern candidate other than himself. For the same reason the likes of Fayemi, Osinbajo, Tunde Bakare etc contested against Tinubu….they know it is now or never.
For an ambitious northern politician, he knows it is better to back a southern candidate in 2027. Furthermore, he also knows backing Tinubu serves his interests better because he can’t contest again in 2031. If he backs a fresh southern candidate like Amaechi or Obi, they could break any agreement to serve one term like Jonathan at which point they would also have the power of incumbency. If Atiku wins he can’t handover to another Northerner so It does not serve the interest of ANY northern governor whether PDP or APC to back another Northerner in 2027 other than himself.
I say this not because I support Tinubu For me the smart move for a Northern governor especially an ambitious Nirthern governor or politician (it is the governors that have the power) is to back, be seen to back and deliver for Tinubu in 2027. Because with Atiku out of the picture, the SW vote and Tinubu’s backing will play a big role if not determine which Northerner becomes president in 2031.
Politicians make deals all the time, In 2011 despite ACN having a presidential candidate Tinubu made a deal with Jonathan and delivered SW votes. In 2023, Wike and Makinde made a deal with Tinubu. Again I repeat your relevance in politics is predicated on your ability to deliver votes. ElRufai has no votes backing him. When the time comes those who have votes and have ambitions will make the right deals for them. Leave ElRufai and his social media content. We know the fate of all social media politicians like Sowore and Fela Durotoye.
So you see, personal ambition will trump any alliance and all that is happening now is just noise.
The difference between this proposed alliance/merger and the Tinubu/Buhari alliance is that the APC merger was a win win for everybody involved in the merger. Tinubu did not want to be president in 2015, so he was happy just to have his party at the center…..win, Buhari became president….win, Amaechi became minister….win, Saraki became senate president….win…..none of the leaders of the blocks that merged were interested in the presidency. The eastern flank represented by Rochas and Ngige were not interested in becoming president. This merger will only produce a win for one and career extinction for the others. That’s why it won’t work. A good deal is a deal where everyone gets what he wants.
These are largely impressive takes.
Tbh, looking above the time track, easing the hard and punishing economic situation (through the massive lowering of prices of goods and services) for a large number of the folks over there in Nigeria and dealing ruthlessly with the vestiges of insecurity from kidnappers and killer foreign Fulani herd men in several states in Nigeria would be the ultimate "holy grail" that WILL ensure that the man who is the current President of Nigeria returns to office in 2027 and leaves in 2031.
Second, it's also essential to make sure that because of the highly insidious, irredentist behavior and born-to-rule arrogance of the minority Fulanis who are NOT more than 25 million people in the whole of the West African countries where they are found, a conscious effort must be made here and now to dismantle the highly insidious political leverage they have (since the 1803 so-called jihad) which was already floundering though until the arrival of the British who propped them up over other ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria (such as the indigenous Hausas who now number over an estimated 80 million in Nigeria and Niger Republic). How can a minority be ruling over the majority? Even the Yoruba folks (who number over 80 million worldwide in multiple global population centers of the world) and the Kanuris are far more in population than the Fulanis,yet these minority Fulani folks of largely foreign origin who supported killer foreign Fulani herders to kill indigenous ethnic groups in Nigerians are ALREADY lining up (while making unguarded comments) to contest the Presidency and disrupt the Nigerian political ecosystem in order to REVERSE the policies of the man who is currently the President and implement their own agenda. It's all subterfuge to me.
The insidious and highly narcissistic Nasir El-Rufai did say in a blunt interview on Channels Television years ago during the "Kaduna Economic Summit" in the 2010s that his paternal Fulani ancestor was originally from the country of Guinea in West Africa but he migrated to Nigeria after the jihad. So, these Fulani dudes still have allegiances to their original ancestral lands and this is why the highly insidious killings (have made commercial and subsistence agricultural unprofitable) by foreign Fulani herders from Mali, Niger, Guinea, Cameroon, Mauritania, etc, have persisted.
It's time to let a full-blooded and capable indigenous Hausa Man become the President of Nigeria for the FIRST time ever when the circumstances favor the North West. NO single Hausa man or woman has ever been President of Nigeria since 1960! Most of the Northern Governors have also been largely Fulanis. How did a minority group of Fulanis gain such ascendancy over the majority Hausa bloodlines over the years? It's just incredible but this status quo that has been maintained through "guile and subterfuge" must NOT be allowed to persist because these guys thrive more in an environment of chaos and mediocrity. They have held Nigeria back as well right from the days of British colonial rule as tools of the British, then using the military dictatorships since the 1980s to further entrench themselves. Aside from Senator Shehu Sani, perhaps Nuhu Ribadu and a few Fulanis who I can easily deduce have a more nationalic outlook with the common interest of other Nigerians at heart, a large number of them (Fulanis such as Nasir El-Rufai) have highly insidious, irresdentist attitudes and have in the past and lately been encouraging the bad behaviors including the illegal migration and relocation of their foreign Fulani kinsmen from other West African countries into Nigeria to claim indigeneship while dislocating the indigenous Hausas from their ancestral homelands. I've seen a couple of videos online where Hausas are beginning to complain out loud about these illegal Fulani invasions that have led to land clashes lately with deaths recorded In the North West.
It’s time to remove the inefficiencies within the Nigerian geopolitical and economic ecosystems and massively decentralize. The only other alternative is to ensure the peaceful split of Nigeria under a UN supervision into a minimum of 8 countries down the road for the sake of efficiency and long-term sanity. Period.
BloomingDale: I remember the story of a Nigerian woman saying she was happy in her marriage, and the married Nigerian woman came out to mock her saying she was lying, that no Nigerian woman married to a Nigerian man is truly happy in her marriage. They also hinted that marriage was just a task they endure due to societal pressures, so the matter of their issues being resolved down the line and snapping out of it just mean they are enduring and not truly happy. They are in a state of what I call a tolerable level of unhappiness.
Indeed, I was referencing the global tolerance standards in my last post here "about snapping out of the marriage regret situation" but from my years of studying country-specific socio-economic situations, some women in largely patriarchal societies such as Nigeria indeed go through a lot to keep up with societal expectations like you emphasized.
Regardless, sustainable cash flow indeed helps to smoothen things up for couples in a long-term relationship or marriage since a LACK of regular cash flow is a major cause of depression, separation and divorce in marriages based off of official historical records. Men tend to be a lot angrier (and sometimes violent) when they don't have money as that can be emasculating for some, BUT are happier when they have enough disposable income to take the only "babe" on a surprise trip to the now upscale "Ikogosi Resort" in Ekiti State (officially voted twice for 2 years in a row as the best Nigerian holiday resort) OR to "Four Points by Sheraton" on a romantic dinner date, etc. That's the love language in motion.
Last but not least, for two people who come from different family backgrounds and unique experiences, "having emotional intelligence and a sustainable level of income or cash flow" is what truly enables the endurance to become tolerable because marriage is work and we all live in a world of "cause and effect." What you throw into the "ethers" comes right back at you in terms of effects.
It’s normal for some women to regret getting married at some point in their marriages BUT they usually snap out of it down the road if things CAN be resolved. Better to quit a really bad and abusive relationship if situations CANNOT be resolved amicably than to manage it though.
Merry100: Disagreeing with your baseless claims doesn’t mean I’m being emotional. I’m simply trying to educate you so you don’t keep spreading misinformation and blindly Googling things without actually understanding them.
If you recall, you started by falsely claiming that men rarely marry women in their 30s.
By the way, why is your focus often on women's issues? Why haven’t you ever advised your fellow men to cut down on sugar? Excessive sugar consumption negatively affects male fertility and sexual performance.
Stop acting like women reach menopause in their 30s or that all women in their 30s struggle with fertility issues.
While women do experience a gradual decline in egg count, fertility issues are less common in the early 30s.
Yes, fertility issues become more prevalent in the late 30s, but many women still conceive naturally at this stage.
Let me cite some examples, just as you did:
Rihanna gave birth to her second child at 35 with no issues.
My cousin gave birth at 37 with no issues.
Nicki Minaj gave birth at 37 with no issues.
I have friends who gave birth in their late 30s with no issues, some were even 38 or 39.
Though aging can lead to reduced sperm quality in some men over 60, some remain capable of fathering children. Similarly, although women's fertility declines after 35, with a more pronounced decrease after 40, some women in this age group can still conceive naturally. Everybody's biological clock is unique.
Susan Sarandon had her children between the ages of 39 and 45 with no issues.
Halle Berry gave birth at 47 with no issues.
Up to twenty of my acquaintances were over forty, and some were even up to fifty, and they gave birth without issues.
My grandma was over sixty when she gave birth to my dad without issues.
Smokin' hot responses here... You came fully prepared with multiple assault weapons. Just for a minute, I thought it was some kind of DeepSeek or ChatGPT that was spitting out those references.
Potential infertility issues can literally be taken care of today in both men and women with advanced medicine and detox sessions to remove heavy metals in the blood stream which inhibit fertility and childbirth, so, yes, environmental conditions and the biological clock do matter here.
Merry100: I’ve advised you before to do proper research before making baseless claims. Did you visit marriage registries, churches, mosques, or other wedding venues to verify whether up to 70% of brides are in their 20s before declaring that men hardly marry women in their 30s? Or you just pulled your claim out of thin air?
You sound like someone who skimmed through a high school biology textbook and now thinks he's an expert.
Since you seem so eager to learn ‘biology,’ let me educate you: while women’s fertility declines at 35-40, men’s sperm quality also starts deteriorating around the same time.
Aging sperm leads to lower motility, higher DNA damage, and increased risks of autism, schizophrenia, and genetic disorders in children.
Instead of obsessing over women, maybe advice your fellow men to get their sperm checked because a lot of them have sperm that get a head start but can’t even swim, let alone make a baby.
Many women in their 30s conceive naturally. Menopause, which happens around 45-50, is the real cut-off, not some imaginary ‘30-year expiration date’ you made up.
DyshApp: A young lady who identifies as a Christian woman has advised her fellow women to make enough money and desist from getting married in their 20s
In the video she posted, Faithful Femininity advised Christian women to stay away from early marriage especially when they can’t cater for themselves.
The young lady advised Christian women in their 20s to desist from getting married when they make enough money.
Her words: “As a Christian woman, I have decided that my 20s are not for marriage. My 20s are to make money. Christian women stop entering into marriage so early.”
”Go and make money. You don’t have a dime in your account. God and find a way to make money. In 20s, in your 30s, go and make money. Stop following men around. Some of you are doing Hallelujah Challenge and wearing bridal gowns.
“Have you made money? Like, I will not enter a marriage without money. And I’m talking about multiple sources of steady income. I’m not that kind of Christian woman that will enter her husband’s house with nothing in her account. God forbid. My 20s now na to work hard. My 20s is to make wealth.”
Racoon: "Nasir El-Rufai’s Scorched-Earth One-Man Opposition." Like a stranded mariner gasping on the shores of irrelevance, former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai writhes in the uneasy throes of power’s withdrawal. His disquiet, however, is less the quiet lament of a fallen statesman and more the tempestuous fury of a Shakespearean woman scorned.
He has become fiery, irascible, indignant, and unrelenting in his public expressions of rage towards his former friends in power who have isolated him. He is throwing the kitchen sink at the power structures in Kaduna and Abuja in an all-out effort to extract vengeance and to ward off potential ensnarement.
The former cushy, self-satisfied, and illiberal denizen of power who was the scourge of dissenters railing against tyranny, now finds himself wielding the very defiance he once crushed with arrogance and malevolent glee. He has become an accidental insurgent (a la “accidental public servant”) forged in the crucible of his own contradictions.
There is a part of me that loves this new insurrectionary, rebellious, activist, and intensely irate one-man band opposition that El-Rufai has opportunistically transmogrified into.
For one, he is providing the first real opposition to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Every democracy needs the well-aimed slings and well-informed counsel of a sharp-witted opposition to keep its leaders from sinking into the depths of self-satisfaction and insouciance.
Say what you will about El-Rufai, but his intellect, erudition, and rhetorical dexterity are top-notch and undeniable. Imagine if figures of his political stature, institutional access, and strategic acumen had chosen to be thorns in the current corridors of power. Perhaps, the Tinubu administration would have thought twice before treating Nigerians with the cavalier disregard that has become its trademark in the last two years.
For another, he has an opportunity to experience what his critics went through when he was a governor for eight years. He abducted critics, caused opponents to be tortured, bragged about reducing politicians he has displaced to mere “bloggers,” instrumentalized the courts to squelch dissent, etc.
Now, he posts social media updates about his former commissioners being “abducted,” about the judiciary being weaponized against his supporters and his past administration, about the “misuse of federal security agencies in the persecution of opposition leaders,” etc.
Not only has El-Rufai become a “blogger,” once his favorite pejorative for social-media-active politicians he has dislocated in Kaduna, he has now plunged deeper into a lowly “content creator.” With the launch of a TikTok account, he’s gone from being a mere “blogger” to a digital hustler, complete with the undignified ritual of soliciting Nigerians to subscribe to his channel.
Yet, I am delighted that El-Rufai has joined our ranks. Professional “wailing wailers” like me (to use former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina’s agonizingly asinine and illiterate insult for government critics) welcome him to the club.
Nonetheless, my joy that he is inadvertently rendering a democratic service by the constancy and stridency of his strictures against the government has not blunted the acuteness of my awareness that he is an unbearably devious, self-seeking, hateful scoundrel who is only on a mission to avenge what he perceives as a personal affront to him.
As most people have already observed, had El-Rufai secured the minister of power position he was promised, his current antagonism toward the government would be as unimaginable as a cat lobbying for the rights of rats.
Not only would he have been a staunch defender of every government action, but he would have also directed his trademark vitriol at ordinary Nigerians suffocating under economic hardship. He would dismiss their grievances with characteristic scorn and cruelty.
Indeed, the same northern establishment he now courts and seeks to mobilize as a political cudgel would have been his favorite punching bag, just as it was in 2023, when he enthusiastically championed Bola Tinubu’s candidacy.
It takes an unnatural degree of slow-wittedness not to see that El-Rufai’s newfound disillusionment with the governments in Kaduna and Abuja reeks less of principle and more of a bruised ego nursing its wounds.
In my July 27, 2019, column titled, “How Political Power Damages the Brain and How to Reverse it,” I called attention to (temporarily) politically displaced whores of power like El-Rufai who pretend to identify with ordinary people in their moments of political trauma.
“Also look at previously arrogant, narcissistic, power-drunk prigs who have been kicked out of the orbit of power for any number of reasons. You’ll discover that they are suddenly normal again.
“They share our pains, make pious noises, condemn abuse of power, and identify with popular causes. The legendary amnesia of Nigerians causes the past misdeeds of these previous monsters of power to be explained away, lessened, forgiven, and ultimately forgotten. But when they get back to power again, they become the same insensitive beasts of power that they once were.”
Get El-Rufai back into power now or in 2017, he would be the same villainous backstabber he has always been. He would be the same annihilator of the homes of poor people. He would be the same horrid tormentor and abductor of critics.
He would be the same inciter and instigator of genocide in the name of defending his people. Recall his 2012 tweet, "We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan payable one day no matter how long it takes" and his admission that he paid bandits to stop attacking southern Kaduna?
In a September 20, 2019, article, I described him as “straight-up Nigeria's most bigoted and most dangerous public official alive.” I said he “detains and torments people who criticize him. Abu Hanifa Dadiyata, a critic of his, just disappeared in Kaduna without a trace. Several other critics are in detention. And he recently threatened: ‘If you want to tweet anything about Kaduna be very careful because I'm watching..."
He has a deep, visceral hatred for the people of southern Kaduna, leading to write this August 18, 2020, social media status update: “Why does El-Rufai hate and despise the people of Southern Kaduna with such unnaturally infernal intensity? He strains hard, often too hard, to be seen as ‘cosmopolitan’ when he relates with southern Christians. Why can't he even pretend to be prepared to get along with the people of Southern Kaduna? I don't get it.”
He is also a rhetorically violent man. In October 2015, he told his critics to “climb Kufena Hill and fall.” At a Kaduna APC stakeholders’ meeting in September 2017, El-Rufai told political opponents that death is a possible outcome for fighting him. “I had fought with two presidents,” he said. “Umaru Yar’Adua ended in his grave, while President Goodluck Jonathan ended in Otueke.”
He repeated this a few days ago. In my September 23, 2017, column titled “El-Rufai’s Morbid Fixation with Death of His Political Opponents,” I pointed out that El-Rufai betrays a disturbingly shallow humanity and a murderous inner disposition. In addition to many examples of his embrace of the rhetoric of violence, he endorsed, defended, and even celebrated the brutal, cold-blooded, and unjustified mass slaughter of hundreds of Shiite Muslims in his state.
El-Rufai’s latest political metamorphosis is less a transformation than a temporary realignment born of personal grievance rather than ideological conviction. His brand-new zeal for opposition, while inadvertently serving the democratic process, is unmistakably fueled by wounded pride and thwarted ambition.
The same man who once ruled with an iron fist, silencing critics with impunity, now fashions himself as the voice of the oppressed, railing against the very structures of power he once upheld with ruthless enthusiasm. His current posture as an anti-establishment crusader is not the product of principle but of exclusion, making his activism less an act of courage than an elaborate act of self-preservation.
Yet, even as he momentarily aligns with the forces of resistance, history warns against mistaking his opportunistic dissent for genuine reform. Should fortune return him to the corridors of power, El-Rufai would waste no time reverting to the autocratic instincts that have long defined him. He would crush opposition, weaponize state institutions, and wield power with the same reckless abandon that now makes him a pariah.
This man Nasir is CLEARLY dangerous to himself and others. He has a deep history of fatalism and narcissistic actions and must be treated with extreme caution by all sane people. Truly, he has a background of high education but "TRUE character is like smoke... It CANNOT be hidden. NEVER." Period.
Bob.loco: The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that Governor Similayi Fubara is not an Ijaw man.
Wike stated this while addressing a large number of Kalabari people at a reception organized for him on Saturday.
Recall that Wike had recently claimed that an Ijaw man would not have become governor in Rivers State without his support, talking about Fubara.
Wike said the Ijaw ethnic group does not constitute the majority in any of the Niger Delta states except Bayelsa.
The statement came amid the ongoing political crisis in the Rivers State, with Wike and Fubara at the center of the feud.
In the same interview, Wike said that people from the Opobo clan of Rivers State, where the governor comes from, are not real Ijaw people.
Speaking to the Kalabaris on Saturday, Wike was more direct, saying, “Let nobody deceive you that the governor is Ijaw; he is not. All of you are Ijaw; are you benefiting? Politics is interest.
For those who don't know and are NOT historically conversant of archival materials, as of 1870 when Jaja and his group fled the 1869 Civil War in Bonny, what you call Opobo today was ORIGINALLY Ibibioland NOT Ijawland. It was the White British trader friends of Jaja who saved him from extermination when the better armed war expedition of Bonny Island came for him where he fled to, otherwise Jaja and his group from the Anna Pepple house who fled from Bonny in 1870 would have been wiped out completely. Opobo (which is originally part of Ikot Abasi) was given out on lease by the Ibibios for Jaja and his group to stay with his group who fled from Bonny.
The current Opobo was later carved out right into Rivers State in the 1970s [The South Eastern State which was created by General Yakubu Gowon on May 27, 1967, was renamed Cross River State in 1976. Then the merger of Opobo to Rivers State was fully done in the year 1976 from Cross River State while the larger part of Opobo (Ikot Abasi) remained as part of the larger Ibibioland] otherwise Opobo in Rivers State would have been located in Akwa Ibom State today. Opobo indeed is an ancestral hybrid OR mix of people of Ijaw, Ibibio, and Ndoki bloodlines.Jaja was originally a slave (who later underwent the Ijaw initiation ceremony or rites to transform into an Ijaw after he was set free in Bonny) but in reality he is ancestrally of Ibo roots. Jaja was actually a very ruthless and wicked man who prevented other upland tribes and more (the Ngwas, Annangs, Ibibios, etc) from trading directly with the British traders down the river routes and this led to the Ikot Udo Obong War with the Annangs and Ibunos who resisted him. He had a lot of people from other tribes publicly beheaded in bloody circumstances and this is one of the reasons why the British Colonialists removed and deported him in 1887 because he was just a middle-man Chief who wanted to dominate the trading activities to the EXCLUSION of other tribes along the Opobo (Imo) River. He died in 1891, 21 years after first fleeing to Opobo (Ikot Abasi) in Ibibioland.
So, Opobo was originally a part of IKOT ABASI as of 1870. Jaja was originally from the Umuduruoha clan in Amaigbo, in modern-day Imo State but was SOLD into slavery (I watched a serialized Maxwell Enemuo documentary years back where some folks claimed it was Jaja's slave trader father who sold him into slavery based on some likely Ibo abominations) and was brought to Bonny in Ijawland to be sold off to the infamous White slave traders right in Bonny. The Aros and their confederacy gangs such as the Abam and Ohafia who followed them on several slaves raids in the Ibo interior brought these Ibo captives to be SOLD to the Ijaws of the coast at Bonny who then acted as middle-men and sold many of these people from the mid-1700s to the 1800s to the American, British and Jewish slave traders. Also, the place called Arochukwu of today is itself originally Ibibioland (with an original Ibibio name) BUT as a result of a series of wars that occurred between 1690 and 1720, the Ibibios lost full grip, BUT you will still see very strong vestiges of Ibibio cultural traditions such as in the Ibibio religion, Ekpe society, language, Nsibidi writings which are also common to the Ejagbams and Efiks, style of dressing, cuisines and more on the people of Aro till today. Some family lineages in Aro also have direct Ibibio ancestry and Ibibio names.
I hope that helps.
Read the iconic book: "History of Nigeria" by Sir. Allan Burns, who was the Governor-General of Nigeria and the Gold Coast (Ghana) to read more advanced information about the Ibibio origins of Opobo (IKOT ABASI) as of 1870 and Jaja's greed and wickedness to his fellow men because he wanted to monopolize the middle man trade to the exclusion of other tribes in the words of Sir Allan Burns.
SmartPolician: And so what? Is Rivers State gubernatorial position his birthright? How do some people even think in this country?
Lemme guess - you are from the South West where people call respect the idea of keeping quiet while irresponsible elders destroy the future of their children! Damn! That culture is so manipulative!
I didn't want to post anything on this thread BUT had to come in when I saw highly MISLEADING comments and innuendoes in your post here.
From here on out, YOU have to STOP generalizing and typing trash here about people you don't know! You know absolutely NOTHING about the centuries-long history of Yoruba folks (who number over 80 million people worldwide who are indigenous to Nigeria, Benin Republic, Republic of Togo, and are spread in other major population centres of the world). I don't know where some of you highly ignorant people get your disrespectful and warped ideas about other ethnic groups from.
Yorubas DON'T keep quiet when things are going wrong especially when irresponsible elders are going off the trail. It's true that Yorubas "respect elders" for their years of experience and hierarchy, BUT if you begin to go out of line, they will checkmate you contrary to the FALSE assumptions I've been seeing some of you Ibos post online. In FACT, Yorubas are largely REPUBLICANS who operate a blend of monarchies. This is why you will hear that folks from Ibadan, Egbas, Oyos, Ekitis, Ondo, Ijesa, and many more, DON'T take nonsense from ANYBODY and have warrior origins going back to centuries.
It’s a testament to the firm and liberal attitude of the entire Yorubas that Yoruba women have risen to high-ranking aristocratic positions for centuries even as of today, in parts of Yorubaland such as the warrior Egbas of Abeokuta City and parts of the Ogun State environs (Egbas are historically a subgroup of the Oyo people), women have risen to become the "Heads of families" (or Olori ebis) if they happen to be the oldest in the family tree. Properties are also shared equally among all the children regardless of whether they are males or females.
Even in the days of the Oyo Empire, the "Oyo Mesi" High Chiefs were always there to checkmate the Emperor or Alaafin of Oyo Empire (which extended from modern Nigeria to modern Benin Republic and parts of modern Republic of Togo) so that he doesn't get too autocratic and misuse his position.
Take note. If you fall out of line regardless of age, you will get called out in Yorubaland and sanctioned. Period.
PressMyButton: The Trump administration is considering targeting the citizens of as many as 43 countries as part of a new ban on travel to the United States that would be broader than the restrictions imposed during President Trump’s first term, according to officials familiar with the matter.
A draft list of recommendations developed by diplomatic and security officials suggests a “red” list of 11 countries whose citizens would be flatly barred from entering the United States. They are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, the officials said.
Draft List of Proposed Travel Ban Countries An internal Trump administration proposal lists the following countries whose citizens could face restrictions on entering the U.S. Some countries may change in any final order.
A. Red Group (Total Ban – 11 Countries) Nationals from these countries would be completely barred from entering the United States:
Afghanistan Iran Sudan Syria Libya Cuba Bhutan Venezuela North Korea Yemen Somalia
B. Orange Group (Severe Visa Restrictions – 10 Countries) Visas for citizens of these countries would be sharply restricted:
Russia Belarus Myanmar Sierra Leone South Sudan Pakistan Laos Turkmenistan Haiti Eritrea
C. Yellow Group (60-Day Review Period – 22 Countries) Countries in this category have 60 days to address concerns raised by the US government. These nations include:
Angola Antigua and Barbuda Benin Burkina Faso Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Chad Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Dominica Equatorial Guinea Gambia Liberia Malawi Mali Mauritania St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia São Tomé and Príncipe Vanuatu Zimbabwe
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations, cautioned that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago, and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House.
Officials at embassies and in regional bureaus at the State Department, and security specialists at other departments and intelligence agencies, have been reviewing the draft. They are providing comment about whether descriptions of deficiencies in particular countries are accurate or whether there are policy reasons — like not risking disruption to cooperation on some other priority — to reconsider including some. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/us/politics/trump-travel-ban.html
Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia are on the preliminary list.
It’s a good thing though that Grenada and Barbados aren't there.
The next 4 years of Trump is indeed gonna be a long and hard road for some folks.
Smart.Polician: The Lagos State Government has launched MyLagos App, a digital platform designed to simplify city navigation and improve the urban experience.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, speaking at the launch event held at MTN Plaza, Falomo, Ikoyi, on Thursday described Lagos as a beacon of innovation and excellence.
‘MyLagos App” was developed by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with MTN Nigeria and other key stakeholders.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the launch was a significant milestone in the efforts of Lagos to become a leading smart city in Africa.
Comprehensive digital solution for Lagos residents
According to him, the app serves as a comprehensive digital solution, offering seamless access to essential city services such as real-time traffic updates, personalized navigation, emergency services, utility payments, business listings, and tourism information.
He stated that the MyLagos App serves as a vital link between the government and residents, promoting transparency and accountability.
“Technology has evolved from being a luxury to a necessity. In our fast-paced world, effectively utilizing technology can significantly enhance governance, improve service delivery, and simplify the lives of every resident in this vibrant state.
“With the launch of the MyLagos App, Lagos State is poised to remain at the forefront of digital transformation, not just in Nigeria but across Africa,” he said.
Public-Private Partnership driving innovation The governor commended the collaboration between MTN, the Lagos State Government, and other key stakeholders for bringing the vision to reality.
He noted that the partnership exemplifies the power of synergy between the public and private sectors in driving meaningful progress. Urging residents to embrace the digital era, he encouraged them to download the MyLagos App.
He also urged residents to explore the app’s features and fully utilize its services. “Together, we can shape a smarter future for our city. Let us remember that innovation is a continuous journey rather than a final destination,” he said.
Mr. Abdulhakeem Giwa, Manager of MTN Digital Channel Management, described ‘MyLagos App’ as revolutionary.
Giwa stated that MyLagos App was designed to transform the urban experience in Lagos, enhancing the quality of life and providing real-time solutions.
“It ensures better and easier navigation for all residents,” he said.
According to him, MyLagos App serves as a one-stop platform for essential city information, including locations of places, traffic updates, markets, trending news, tourism and events, jobs and vacancies, markets nearby, transport orders and businesses, among others.
luminouz: Tribes in Nigeria have a look. From Hausa to igbo or Yoruba. I have always been mistaken for an Igbo dude. Try to research the look-alike stuff. It occurs
@luminouz
I hope you're having a great weekend? Your feedback is revealing. I myself got some of the "you don't look and sound like a Westerner" when I lived and worked in PH which I found a bit amusing and would ask back: "how is someone with roots in the West of Nigeria supposed to look and sound?" But I'll throw in some specifics so as to convey more clarity here.
There are slightly over "250" distinct ethnic groups in different regions of Nigeria. Each of these 250 distinct ethnic groups of Nigerian descent can CLEARLY NOT be identified by looks alone as that would be too simplistic. Ethnic accents are way easier for identifying the ethnicity of people than just looks.
I'm well-traveled internationally and within Nigeria either for business or leisure and have been to almost all the 36 States of Nigeria (except Ebonyi, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States). I lived in PH decades back while working with a multinational company as well, so, I had a lot of contacts with folks from the Old Eastern Region (Ikwerres, Ijaws, Ogonis, etc, from Rivers State, Ibos from Imo, Abia and Anambra States, Ibibios and Annangs from Akwa Ibom State, Efiks and Ejagbams from Cross Rivers State, etc) all living in that city.
Because I pay attention to little details, I noticed that the Ibos in particular have different body complexions ranging from very dark to light-skinned just like everybody else. NO doubt, I noticed a preponderance of light skinned people from a few parts of Imo and Abia States (especially Umuahia), but I observed that many dark-skinned guys also originate from the same Imo and Abia States in places such as Owerri and Aba (with above 80 percent of Ibos being of dark brown skin complexions NOT light-skinned as ignorantly believed by some people who don't pay attention or have NEVER traveled beyond their geographical regions). All these are largely based off of human genetic selections.
So, you just pointed out what I've been emphasizing about people "subconsciously" or "deliberately" generalizing about other people's ethnic origins. Some people ignorantly think "Nigeria is simply Hausa, Yoruba, and Ibo" when infact 250 distinct ethnic groups exist. Some people from the East of Nigeria are notorious for referring to everyone from the North of Nigeria as Hausa (ndi Awusa), while I've heard some Yorubas referring to anybody who is NOT Yoruba or Hausa (Bini, Esan, Ibibio, Annangs, etc), as "omo Ibo" which to me are signs of lazy thinking and disrespect for others!
Whenever I come in contact with someone new, I usually do NOT assume that he or she comes from a SPECIFIC ethnic group which can be seen as a sign of disregard by many, BUT I simply ask where they come from (and that I would like to know more about their ethnic group, language and unique cultures. I usually get a lot of enthusiastic feedbacks from that approach).
luminouz: I've had same experience as yours. That's why I laugh at people who said redpillers hate women. I don't hate them but understand them. I have been helped severally by women when my own gender turned me down. Not to say men never helped me at all. But I've received help from more women than men. If not for a lady, I would have died in 2016 in Abuja when my classmate (who was married) suddenly decided not to host me after previously agreeing (said his wife disagreed) when I already got to Abuja park. I knew no one in Abuja and I was turned down brutally by 3 different churches (after talking to their pastors).
I called Oge who I met online on NL and had never seen and she came to my aid. She called two yoruba guys in Abuja and they rejected me. She tried to take me to her house but her parents refused because I'm Yoruba (just by hearing my name on her phone, even though I look like Ibo). Oge kept going from house to house in that area looking for where I would sleep, ignoring her parents' calls to come home. I later found refuge in a church owned by an ibo prophetess around 1am. She took care of me till I left for my interview that day.
I finished late at the interview and Oge sneaked me back into her parents house when they were at work. I was in her room for three days, eating good food and fuqin good pussy. I was notified after 3 months that I passed the interview (a scholarship) and my greatest regret was losing my phone with Oge's number and not repaying that prophetess for her kindness when I went back to Abuja. That is just one of many help I've had from people/women and other tribes/races, which is why racism/tribalism is dead to me.
Bump. Pg 2063.
Just a quick one. The post is revealing but a small part is based off of stereotypes and is totally off.
How does an Ibo look like?
There's absolutely NO way of knowing from the body complexion (either dark brown or light-skinned) or facial looks if a person is an Ibo or not EXCEPT you listen carefully to the vocal accents. Some folks don't even speak with their ethnic accents at all so you can't even tell where they originally come from except they tell you. Folks from many Nigerian and non-Nigerian ethnic groups that I've seen over the many decades are naturally light-skinned in complexion from Ibibios, Esans, Ebiras, Yorubas, Idomas, and many more.
TimeManager: The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Youths and Supporters Coalition has strongly rejected the defection of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, into the party, describing his membership as a threat to the party’s democratic values and progressive ideology.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by its President, Abdulsamad Bello, the coalition accused El-Rufai of anti-democratic tendencies, political opportunism, and a hidden agenda to hijack the party for personal gain.
The coalition alleged that El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor was marked by oppression, division, and exclusionary policies, making him unfit to represent the values of the SDP.
“El-Rufai has not joined the SDP to advance its vision but rather as an undertaker—one who has come to bury the party and serve his own interests,” the statement read.
The SDP youths condemned the “clandestine deal” between the party’s leadership and El-Rufai, which facilitated his defection. They also accused him of immediately attempting to dominate the party by pushing for the resignation of Dr. Olu Agunloye as the party’s national secretary.
“Just days after joining, he is already demanding the removal of a key party leader. On Wednesday, his supporters picketed the SDP national headquarters in Abuja to pressure Agunloye to step down. This proves our fears—El-Rufai has come to destabilize and dominate our party through undemocratic means.”
The statement further alleged that El-Rufai’s defection is a calculated move to reinvent himself politically, using the SDP as a platform for his vendetta against President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
“El-Rufai has never believed in democracy. His history of suppressing opposition voices, sidelining party members, and ruling through coercion is well known. How can we trust such a man to uphold the values of the SDP?”
The coalition called on genuine SDP members to resist El-Rufai’s “backdoor takeover”, insisting that the party must not become a retirement home for failed politicians or a playground for political mercenaries.
“We refuse to allow El-Rufai to use our party as a platform for personal ambition. The SDP’s future cannot be mortgaged for selfish political interests.”
God1000: The US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee approves sanctions on Nigeria over the widespread killing of Christians and religious violence.
The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, has given President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, during which lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.
The committee also cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed that Nigerians accounted for 90 per cent of all Christians killed worldwide each year.
The report documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, a staggering 55,910 people were killed, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.
During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith, who highlighted the severity of the crisis, pointed to testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, as a viable witness.
There is an urgent need for a stronger Ambassadorial presence in Washington from Nigeria to mitigate these actions evolving from the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. Period.
NIGERIA REFUTES CLAIMS OF TARGETED KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses deep concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports alleging targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria. This unfortunate development appears to be aimed at influencing foreign governments, particularly the United States, to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to purported violence against Christians.
While the Federal Government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these incidents are not driven by religious bias or targeted against any particular religious group. Notably, the majority of insurgency and banditry-related incidents in the predominantly Muslim northern region of Nigeria do not specifically target followers of any faith or religion. Any narrative attempting to frame such incidents as religious persecution is erroneous and misleading.
Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and property of all citizens, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender. The country’s security challenges are complex and multifaceted, manifesting in criminality, terrorism, and communal clashes—including farmer-herder conflicts—that are not rooted in religious motivations.
Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian government has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, enhanced intelligence gathering, and community engagement initiatives. The military has recorded substantial progress in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To further mitigate security threats, both federal and state authorities have adopted a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies and have expedited the implementation of the National Livestock Plan.
In this regard, the government has established a Ministry of Livestock Development and appointed a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms to develop sustainable solutions for pastoral farming. This initiative aims to resolve land disputes between farmers and pastoral herders, thereby addressing one of the root causes of communal conflicts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges the international community to exercise caution and verify information before drawing conclusions or making statements that could exacerbate tensions within Nigeria. We call on all stakeholders—including the media, civil society organizations, and foreign partners—to refrain from disseminating unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability.
Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in Africa and is committed to preserving this heritage. We welcome constructive dialogue and support from the international community in addressing our security challenges. However, we strongly reject any attempts to misrepresent the situation, distort the narrative, or sow discord among our people.
The administration of @officialABAT President Bola Tinubu promotes religious tolerance . Since May 29th 2023, when President Tinubu assumed the office as president, there have been little or no case at all of persecution of Christians anywhere in the country.
Secondly, while we are in no way admitting or authenticating the report of the US foreign relations committee, it is note worthy to state that the committee’s report falls short of context and timelines.
President Bola Tinubu remains committed to promoting peace and religious tolerance.
Daniel Bwala Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication
It's simply a coincidence that some of those killed in the attacks by foreign Fulani herders are from non-Muslim communities (of mixed Xtians and indigenous religion adherants with different ethnic origins). While the others killed over grazing rights from the 2000s right into the recent times are from predominantly Muslim Hausa communities who have had to fight these mainly criminal foreign Fulanis from Mali, Niger Republic, Guinea, Cameroon, etc, who try to dislodge these indigenous Hausa folks from their ancestral lands in order to resettle on the lands. The Fulanis are NOT more than 25 million in the whole of West Africa are largely minorities in every country they occupy, yet they continue to pose a threat to bigger ethnic groups in Nigeria and elsewhere and it is time to clip their wings fast by restrictions on their movements around Nigeria.
The other criminal jihadist gangs such as BH usually target for mass attacks and kidnappings everyone regardless of religion and ethnicity. These situations must NOT be trivialized and this is what the folks in The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee members have to clearly understand here. Period.
Kennyswag: The Thailand police have arrested a Nigerian identified as Mbanaso for selling cocaine to a local tourist and now faces a jail term of up to two years.
This is just as another Nigerian identified simply as George was arrested for possession of cocaine substance and dangerous driving.
PUNCH Metro gathered from the website of a Thailand media, Khasod, on Wednesday, that the suspect was arrested following the arrest of a Swiss tourist who confessed that he purchased the drug from Mbanaso.
The report noted that following the Swiss confession on March 9, the police swooped on Mbanaso and arrested him near a local police station on Monday.
It read, “The tourist, identified only as Mr. Sascha, voluntarily entered drug rehabilitation and provided information to Kamala Police about his drug supplier.
“Sascha implicated a 32-year-old Nigerian national named Mbanaso, claiming he had purchased cocaine from him multiple times through WhatsApp, with payments made via bank transfers.
“On March 10, police conducted a sting operation and arrested Mbanaso at the entrance of Kamala Police Station at 9:40 p.m. with 0.82 grams of cocaine.” The report noted that Mbanaso might be sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine or both.
“He faces charges of distributing Category 2 narcotics, which carries penalties of up to two years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding 40,000 baht or both,” the report noted.
On the arrest of George, the report highlighted that he and one other suspect were allegedly driving at top speed when police operatives tracked them to a location on Wednesday.
It noted that upon their arrest and subsequent investigation, the police discovered that George was an illegal resident who had overstayed his visa in the country and was on the wanted list for possession of cocaine.
It added that the suspect alongside his unidentified accomplice was allegedly intoxicated and uncooperative with the police at the time of their arrest.
It read, “On the night of March 11, Phuket City Police received reports of a Mazda car being driven recklessly, spinning in circles at traffic lights from Koh Kaew to Darasamut intersection. Thalang traffic officers pursued the vehicle but were initially unable to apprehend it as it sped along Chaloem Phra Kiat Rama 9 Bypass Road toward Central Junction.
“The suspects appeared intoxicated and were uncooperative, unable to communicate in English despite police using translation applications.
“One suspect was later identified as Mr George, a Nigerian national, wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on August 21, 2023, for overstaying his visa and possession of Category 2 narcotics (cocaine),” the report noted. https://punchng.com/two-thailand-based-nigerians-arrested-for-cocaine-peddling/
[quote author=Realdeals post=134536885]With Nowhere Else to Turn, Niger Begs Nigeria for Fuel Amid Severe Shortages
By: Zagazola Makama
For nearly two weeks, Niger Republic has been crippled by a severe fuel crisis, bringing vehicular movement and economic activity to a grinding halt. Long queues stretched across cities, with desperate motorists and businesses struggling to obtain a few liters of petrol. The situation was so dire that the military junta, which once prided itself on rejecting external influence, had no choice but to swallow its pride and turn to Nigeria for help.
Despite months of hostile rhetoric and diplomatic friction, Niger’s rulers quietly dispatched their Minister of Petroleum and Renewable Energy, along with top officials from the Niger Petroleum Company (SONIDEP), to beg Abuja for urgent fuel supplies. Nigeria, ever the regional big brother, obliged, approving the immediate delivery of 300 fuel trucks across the border to Niamey.
Niger’s fuel crisis didn’t happen overnight. It was the direct consequence of a disastrous confrontation between the ruling junta and Chinese oil companies, which have long dominated Niger’s petroleum sector. The trouble began in March 2024, when China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) granted the Nigerien government a $400 million advance, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral. This deal was meant to help Niger cope with the crippling economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the July 2023 coup. However, when it came time to repay the debt, the junta found itself strapped for cash.
Rather than negotiating, the military rulers decided to strong-arm China. In a move that stunned industry insiders, they slapped an $80 billion tax demand on SORAZ (Zinder Refinery Company) despite the state-owned Sonidep already owing SORAZ a staggering $250 billion. When China refused to provide additional loans, the junta retaliated by expelling Chinese oil executives from the country and seizing SORAZ’s bank accounts.
A Self-Inflicted Crisis
This reckless decision backfired almost immediately. Niger’s entire petroleum sector which is heavily reliant on Chinese expertise and investment began to collapse. The SORAZ refinery, the lifeline of Niger’s fuel supply, ground to a halt, and fuel shortages spread like wildfire.
This crisis could not have come at a worse time. The Niger-Benin oil pipeline, a project designed to boost Niger’s crude exports to 100,000 barrels per day by 2025, was also at risk. With Chinese engineers gone and no viable alternative in place, the junta’s decision plunged the country into economic uncertainty.
Turning to Nigeria for Help
For weeks, the military leadership refused to acknowledge the crisis publicly. State-controlled media was ordered to stay silent about the fuel shortage and the growing unrest among Nigeriens, who were forced to buy petrol at sky-high black-market prices.
But as the situation worsened, the junta had no choice but to seek external help even if it meant approaching Nigeria, the very country they had repeatedly criticized since the coup. Without any public announcement, Niger quietly sent a delegation to Abuja, appealing for an emergency fuel supply. The irony was lost on no one this was the same junta that had openly defied ECOWAS sanctions, severed ties with France and the West, and aligned itself with Russia. Yet when faced with economic collapse, it was Nigeria that they turned to for salvation.
Nigeria Plays the Good Neighbor Again
Despite months of insults, false accusations, name calling, diplomatic snubs, and hostility, Nigeria once again stepped in to help. It was gathered that the Nigerian Government approved the release of 300 fuel trucks, which immediately began crossing into Niger to ease the crisis.
The junta, however, remains too proud to admit its dependency. While fuel shipments from Nigeria have already started alleviating the crisis, Niger’s state media has deliberately avoided reporting where the fuel is coming from. Instead, the government has attempted to portray the fuel availability as a result of its own internal measures a claim that many Nigeriens are beginning to question.
Will Nigeria Gain Diplomatic Leverage? While Nigeria’s generosity is commendable, the real question remains: What does Nigeria get in return? Will this act of goodwill translate into improved diplomatic relations? Will Niger’s military rulers rethink their hostility toward ECOWAS? Or will they simply take the fuel and continue their defiance once the crisis subsides?
Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: when Niger was on the brink of disaster, it was Nigeria not Russia, not China, not any of its new allies that stepped up to provide relief.
For now, Niger has been forced to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: no matter how much they try to distance themselves from Nigeria, they remain dependent on their bigger neighbor.
And whether the junta admits it or not, Nigeria remains the lifeline Niger cannot afford to sever.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region.
With Nowhere Else to Turn, Niger Begs Nigeria for Fuel Amid Severe Shortages
By: Zagazola Makama
For nearly two weeks, Niger Republic has been crippled by a severe fuel crisis, bringing vehicular movement and economic activity to a grinding halt. Long queues stretched across… pic.twitter.com/QdLNsfODIj
Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region.
That's a succinctly stated post by Zagazola Makama (a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region).
Aside from Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's friend (Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso) and Flt. Lt. JJ Rawlings of Ghana to some extent, the major problem with these military boys who plot Coups to get into government like the totally CLUELESS ones in Niger Republic is that they've ran out of ideas, so, they use manipulative methods to hoodwink the public like those ones in Nigeria did especially back from the 1980s right into the horrendous military years of 1993 to 1997. There are many discerning folks out there so these highly corrupt military dictators usually don't succeed in deceiving everybody.
Regardless, with the serious war in multiple countries against the insurgency led by the criminal Al-Qaeda affiliates attacking Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso, where over half of the last two countries are already in the hands of the criminal jihadist terror gang called JNIM, it's OK that Nigeria magnanimously allowed those 300 fuel trucks into Niger Republic. If the energy crisis persists in Niamey and other key towns, from a security standpoint, the jihadists will capitalize on it to launch more attack on Niger Republic soil and overwhelm that country hence endangering Nigeria and the entire West Africa further.
PressMyButton: The federal government has criticized former President Olusegun Obasanjo for opposing the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, saying those criticising the project should not use the roads when completed.
David Umahi, minister of works, spoke on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo state capital, during an interactive session on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“This Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of President Tinubu’s four legacy projects. For those saying it is a waste of resources, they should not use the road when it is completed.”
He urged Nigerians to ignore Mr Obasanjo’s comments, adding that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was neither wasteful nor corrupt.
“If someone calls this project fraudulent, they are also calling me a fraud, and I am definitely not. This project has been very transparent, and we continue to engage stakeholders. Every step of the process is in the public domain,” he said.
Peoples Gazette had reported that Mr Obasanjo criticised the superhighway project in his book titled “Nigeria: Past and the Future”, describing the 700km project as wasteful, corrupt, and a misplaced priority.
Mr Umahi added, “The man (Obasanjo), by his age, deserves our respect, but it’s my duty as the Minister of Works to clarify that the project is not wasteful and not corrupt. I read on social media where they said, ‘Why is it me explaining and not the contractor?’
“What should the contractor say? It is my duty to explain, and I’m eminently qualified by reason of my years in public service and training as a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers to explain the project.
“I think anybody still criticising the project is waking up to say, ‘How can one man be attributed to this kind of legacy?’—especially if you had the opportunity to contribute to this kind of investment and didn’t do so.
“The truth remains that Section One of the Lagos-Calabar, which is 47.7 kilometers, is already about 70 percent completed within one year, and I will be asking those criticising it not to follow the road. They should not follow the road.”
Speaking at the event, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the successful completion of federal road projects in the state, emphasising the crucial role of infrastructure in driving economic growth and development.
Mr Aiyedatiwa also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for increasing federal presence in Ondo state through numerous infrastructural projects, including the ongoing Ore-Ondo-Akure dualization project, the federal teaching hospital, and the new aviation school, among others.
“We have not had it this good in recent times with federal projects in our state. Permit me to mention but a few: the Akure-Ore Dual Carriageway, the Akure-Ado Ekiti Dual Carriageway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Akure.”
He further stressed the importance of completing these projects, noting their potential to boost economic activities in the state and the South-West region.
He also appealed for additional federal support to actualize critical projects such as the Ondo Deep Sea Port and efforts to mitigate the Ayetoro sea incursion.
Mr. Aiyedatiwa assured Mr Umahi that the Ondo state government would provide an enabling environment for the successful execution of these projects.
“We are resolute in our commitment to ensuring that these projects are completed for the benefit of our people. In this regard, I pledge the Ondo State Government’s unflinching support and commitment towards their completion.”
OBJ's so-called book comments on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway have long been overtaken by events. That highway is here to stay and will be completed for the benefit of all. Period.
stagger: The same Brits were haggling out fishing rights with Europe as the last component of Brexit for such a long time.
Agric in the UK and Europe are closed industries controlled by families for centuries. Try to go into the UK and see how you can break into Billings market as a fish merchant. See how it works out. Agric business in many countries are controlled by cartels.
Do you know what those who supply food to US soldiers in their warships and submarines make?
Those who got us to abandon agriculture really got us good.
Emrich: Crops that thrive in swampy areas during the rainy season and can be harvested twice a year include:
1. Ugu (Fluted Pumpkin - Telfairia occidentalis) – Grows well in waterlogged areas and can be harvested multiple times by plucking the leaves.
2. Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta/Xanthosoma sagittifolium) – Prefers wet conditions and matures in 5-7 months, with early varieties allowing for two harvests.
3. Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) – Grows rapidly in swampy areas and can be harvested multiple times.
4. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) – Thrives in waterlogged soils and can be harvested twice yearly if well managed.
5. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) – Certain varieties do well in wet conditions and can produce continuously for months.
6. Banana/Plantain (Musa spp.) – Not seasonal, but suckers keep producing after the main harvest.
Would you prefer crops for food or cash crops for commercial purposes? To continue this chat, hit up chatgpt.
stagger: Mr man, If you have a wife and SIX children or more and you have capacity to produce all the food they will eat, your blood pressure will not rise. Believe me.
I am about to eat gari in my house from cassava I farmed in 2023, and I was not even in Nigeria at the time. My boys did everything. We are still on the product and I had to give a lot of it out.
How some groups of people came to be collectively hexed to see agriculture as being beneath them in some African countries (in favor of white collar jobs) should be under studied as an example of how strong and damaging the "herd mentality" or "group thinking" can be. While silently reading through the 3 pages of this thread, I can still see traces of resistance with some giving several excuses and seeing obstacles when there are creative solutions around obstacles and situations in life. They will all individually learn the hard way if they are NOT ready to think and take action in terms of "solutions." Period.
hotmas911: It's beautiful morning here in Ogbomoso. The first idea is think on these 2 ideas. You can actually buy a plot of land in some just developing areas in places like Ikorodu for around 800k and you can use that same sum to buy 10 acres of land in a place like Ogbomoso. If you decide to develop your Ikorodu land, how much will it cost you to have it ready in a rentable condition? Another question you need to consider is how much rent are you likely to get per annum? After considering those questions, now consider your 10 acres farmland. You decide to develop it with a crop like PLANTAIN. From my own findings and experience you can develop the whole 10 acres with plantain with less 3million naira. On an acre using spacing of 7*7 feet you will have 8,890 plantain trees and that is a potential 8,890 plantain bunches. But let's peg the harvest at 70% of the 8890 and that will give us 6223 bunches that can be sold up to N1,200 per bunch. Let's use N800 per bunch and we will have N4,978,400 as income from the first year. In your first year, you make back both the cost of land and still made profit plus the 10 acres still yours! You now have an investment with a capacity to yearly put above N3m in your pocket. Is this not too good to be true? Before I continue, try and compare the 2 ideas of doing real estate and decide which is best for you. We still have many crops other than plantain to discuss. but lets give room for discussions and questions. Note: some farmers use spacing of 2*2.5 metres and that will give you 2000 plantain trees per hectare. I'll be right back.
hotmas911: Here in Nigeria, I also discovered some class of people have been buying hundreds and thousands of hectares of farmlands like never before. I didn't waste anytime in joining that class when I saw how I can be adding values to the land and be making above 100% return on investment.
At the begining of the thread I wrote that the smartest way to make high profit in real estate is to find a 'dung hill' kind of place and add value to it. But its something one seldome finds. How many of those deal are available? And even if you are lucky to find one, be sure you are not the only one gunning for it. I will be sharing how any one can invest a sum in real estate through agriculture and be making up to and even above 100% ROI yearly from such investments.
hotmas911: Good morning guys. Let me see how much I can quickly type. As we can all see, the country is already working hard on transforming the agric sector and with that I see we are on track. Now the question is, what is the most important factor of production in agriculture? The answer I got is what brought about my paradigm shift. LAND is the most important factor in agriculture. Other factors like labour, capital can be maneuvered but not land. Are you going to plant in the cloud? As in cloud computing? No. Agriculture needs land. After much findings, I also discovered I'm not the only one thinking this way. In fact it shocked me that non africans from Europe, Asia, south and north America are already buying up farmlands all over africa. I read a report that farmlands as big as the size of France in total have been bought in East Africa.
hotmas911: Morning guys. Yes! Why am I bullish on village lands? The first reason is my discovery through history that no nation can experience economic and industrial growth without first paying attention to develop its agricultural sector. In fact, I came to conclusion that agricultural growth is the foundation for economic and industrial development. USA, China, Brazil, Canada, Germany etc are all top agricultural countries. To be continued... Time to go to farm
hotmas911: My headache with real estate investment has always been the number of years it takes to get back all my invested money. My favourite investment plan is Real estate because its one of the the most secure form of investment plans. The normal practice of most people is to buy a piece of land keep it for a certain period of time to resell at a higher price. I have done that too and believe me I have made killer profits in some deals. But like Oliver Twist, I always want more. There must be better ways to invest in real estate. For some, all they know is to buy a piece of land and develop it to be rented out, sold through mortgage or other seemingly profitable means.
When it comes to real estate the basic rule is location, location and location. The general belief is to focus on prime locations but the best way is to find a way to bring out the best out of a 'dung hill' kind of locations. Thank God I found my own "dung hill" location in the villages. I will be sharing on these thread things and factors that motivated me to snub investment in urban land and focus all my resources in rural land. Remember the advice not to put all your eggs in one basket? Well, the opposite is what i have been doing. Presently i have acquired over 800 hectares (that is about 2000 acres) and i am still working towards acquiring more.
Why am I doing this? Why am I bullish on villages and bearish on cities? The reason is my discoveries in AGRICULTURE! Abi which other real estate investment can one put like 5 or 10 million naira on and be making above invested sum as ROI on quarterly to yearly basis? Stay tuned!
LocalFARMERS: You are very correct. Alot of Young Boys in my place, farming have turned them to millionaires. As for me, I don't even buy Rice, Beans, Maize, Guinea corn, Soya Beans, Mango, Yams etc. Cause I farm them.
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