₦airaland Forum

Kurtis Blow
Grandmaster Flash (and the furious Five)
Sugar Hill Gang
LL Cool J
Tupac

OpeLovely:
To have unlimited, unprotected sex in every position unimaginable.
.

Sorry, but does that include Anal Sex ?

LePhilippe:
I am tired of hearing great news about DD. What has he done about the Education and Health sector of CAlabar. He seems to be concerned where the money is. This indicates some sort of corruption. I respect his great works such as the OKADA Ban e.t.c but what has he done really!! The Obudu Ranch was a good idea but is it me or are all the pictures of it bare. Doesn't this indicate that it wasn't a great success. Will TINAPA turn out this way Besides the point, the airport in calabar is disastrous. Hasn't he ever been told that to promote the tourism sector the airport is the gateway to a country or city. Secondly, Calabar's Dilapidated infrastructure and out dated CBD is an insult. If he wants to get anything done he has to start from the way bottom and work his way up wards. He just seems to be after the extravagant projects. The biggest, the longest, the fastest. When oh when is he going to concentrate on the basics such as EDUCATION AND SECURITY!!! People in Calabar are so poor yet he spends $300m to build Tinapa! Come on that is just walk before crawling.

Please correct me if I am wrong!!!!

I have just returned to UK from Calabar and can attest to everything "Celemel" stated in his post.

AVIATION
The Margaret Ekpo Airport belongs the the F/Govt, why blame DD? Nevertheless, it still has a very high standard of aviation infrastructure-at least Arik Arlines, Aero Contractors and Virgin Nigeria would not all be running schedules from Abuja/Lagos to Calabar if it was that bad.

EDUCATION.

DD handed over secondary schools back to their original owners (formerly established by the Catholic and Presbyterian Churches), this has led to an improved standard of secondary education.The establisment of the state owned University CRUTECH was a visonary step in the right direction especially as Polytechnics in the country will soon stop issuing HND's in preference for B.Tech. All primary school Text Books are produced in the State and are supplied to every pupil at a very subsidised rate.

TINAPA PROJECT

You need to go there and see things for yourself. I was privileged to tour through the gigantic site and was awed by what I saw.(Wal Mart have already booked their Mega-Store there). The train route from the Airport to Tinapa is currently under construction and is already changing the landscape of the surrounding environs around the Ikot Ishie/Ikot Effanga axis.

ROADS

This is the area where DD scores my highest marks. Nearly 80% of road within Calabar (Calabar South & Municipality) are either tarred, dualised or graded to a very high standard.This makes traveling round Calabar very accessible and smooth depsite the huge influx of Cars from outside the state.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT
When DD became Gov he divided the state into 3 centres for Urban development purposes. Ogoja, Ikom,Ugep and Akamkpa have had roads tarred, water pipes laid and rural electricity projects have covered over 75 % of the state.

AGRICULTURE.
This has been a hit and miss area to me, but more hit than miss. If DD had concentrated on the areas where Cross River State had comparative advantage he would have even had made a name in Agriculture rather than Tourism. Whereas there has been a systematical Governmnet effort to replenish the Cocoa and Rubber plantations established by the old Michael Okpara regime with a view of exporting them and competing to overtake Ondo State as the largest Cocoa producer in Nigeria;venturing into Pineapple and Cashew Nut mass farming was an ill-advised project.At least it contradicts the laws of comparative advantage.

People in Calabar are so poor yet he spends $300m to build Tinapa !

I personally feel offended by that reckless fallacy of over-generalisation. What do you mean by "people in Calabar are so poor?", who were the people you were refering to ? Poverty is every where,even in UK-so whats the point you are making here? Are people in Calabar poorer than those in the Northern states ?. If you want to judge if DD has made the people in Calabar poorer during his last 8 years in power, then you need to measure the economic well-being of the people. Cross River State is not just about Calabar, it has 18 local government areas that have also improved their economic well-being. Akpabuyo LGA even has more steady,consistent and uniniterupted supply of electricity than Calabar itself.DD is fast pushing economic development towards Akpabuyo LGA as an extension of Calabar. I have even been allocated with a Detached House in the ongoing CRS Housing Estate being built there.

My 10 SHORT COMINGS of DONALD DUKE's REGIME
I am not a DD apologist, we have never met and the only 3 things I share in common with him are the same surname, schooled in the same Kongo campus @ABU and his good looks . Nevertheless, I have some concerns about some issues of governance.

1-Salaries are still not being paid on time,( a recurring decimal throughout DD's 8 year tenure.)
2-Not establishing any solid industry in any part of the state.(quite surprising) and selling the existing ones to his cronies.
3-Contracting most jobs and projects to non-indigenes of the state when state indigenes are qualified to do it
4-Deducting LGA allocation at source by force,and intimidating non-compliant LG chairmen
5-Political Vindictiveness-DD does not have much political grace when it comes to dealing with those who disagree with him ,he always goes to extremes to exact vengeance- a trait similar to OBJ.
6-No attempt or deliberate govt effort or policy to create an Entreprenueral class amongst the people-who are to all intents and purpose mainly Civil Servants.
7-Limiting most of the economic-cum-infrastructural development of the state to Calabar. Ikom and Ogoja used to be admin centres controling Afikpo,Abakaliki in the 1960's. There is really nothing to show that these areas have progressed from that status.I also blame all previous Governors for this neglect, not only DD.
8-Running the state PDP as a Cabal for his cronies.
9-Not being able to show everyone in the State our Balance sheet. How much money has been borrowed from the erstwhile STB Bank to finance the road projects? How much money is the State Govt owing ? Who are our creditors? .The state tried to issue Treasury Bonds in 2004 but couldnt succeed because the Debt Mngt Office in the Presidency raised some of the above questions that could not be answered.
10-How much was spent on Calabar Xmas Carnival since its inception in 2005 That is the smartest ways to siphon money out of the state. I had a friend who had the contract to bring in P-Diddy(he didnt eventually come)  for the last carnival and I was surprised at how much the CRS had spent in dollars despite the hype that the private sector sponsor the whole jamboree.

I just wanted to know if you guys have heard of the US based UK Neo-Soul singing duo known as Floetry ? Marcia Ambrosius is the Songstress, while Natalie Stewart is the Floacist (Singing Poet) .They have released 4 albums to date , wrote a song/track for Michael Jackson in his "History" album and have been nominated for a Grammy 4 times in a row since their debut in 2001. How do you rate the group from SE5- Camberwell and their unique singing style ?

I am about buying a House in the new Housing Estate in Calabar through a 25 year Mortgage provided by Intercontinental Bank.

I am a Certified ARISTO. It is sort of a natural progression in life. Once I was the odd Campus Bobo who used to watch the then Sugar Daddy's take our Campus babes for weekends. Now as one progresses you find yourself stepping into the same role. Especially, when you are coming in from abroad-the choice is all yours. The babes are very beautiful and you do not have to waste time chasing them. They prefer the temporal security the ARISTO provides. A friend of mine had 3 University babes performing an erotic strip-tease on his DVD camcorder just because he came from abroad (of course they were all naked) .

Hi,

I dont know if u got your visa, but you need to get your sponsor to write a letter of sponsorship/invitation that will include how he is related to you. There is no other way to prove it, and ECO's do use it a basis for visa refusal's.Sometimes its like a Catch-22 situation.

And to the person who said there are no places to go in London, for £2.60 (on your Oyster Card) hitch a ride on Bus 453 it will take you through Deptford-New Cross-Old Kent Rd (the one you see on the monopoly board)-Elephant and Castle-Westminster Bridge(London Eye)-Parliamentary Square(Big Ben) -Trafalgar Square-Picadally Circus-Oxford Circus-Marble Arch-Baker Street (Madam Tussauds) and you must have covered most of the famous tourist joints.

They all died because I guess Martin Scorsese wanted to add a twist to the story line to climax at the end where the good guy (Leonardo Di Caprio), the bad guy (Jack Nickleson) and the "ugly" one (to borrow the cliche) Matt Damon, all die towards the end to create a Shakespearean tragedy interwoven with suspense,violence and a masterpiece in story-telling.

[quote author=cutiee_xx link=topic=28233.msg855978#msg855978 date=1170263309] they did?[/quote]Was that a question or a statement ??

I was quite shocked that everyone died at the end of the film, that was a bit unpredictable. They all departed !!

Seun:
Hehe. People are so gullible. Obviously, the 13,000 naira registration fee is what the government is concerned about. The okada riders played into their trap by engaging in violence, but the government initiated it.

The government shouldn't demand money from okada riders, period. This is pure extortion. Don't be decieved!
What people do when they are deprived of their means of livelihood? They'll go into crime, of course.

Here are the salient facts concerning the issue.

The Okada Riders were given over three months notice to comply with the government directive to regulate their trade.

There has been an increased violence in Calabar especially at night whereby Okada riders perpetrate criminal acts of beating up passengers and stealing their mobile phones and handbags, thereby spreading a morbid fear of staying out late at night in Calabar.

90% of accidents in Calabar are caused by Okada riders-they are very reckless and do not obey basisc traffic rules.

The eradication of Okada cyclist from Calabar was a necessary evil in order to compliment the high-rising status of Calabar as Nigeria's premier tourist location.

80% of Okada cyclists in Calabar are from Akwa Ibom State origin; Akwa Ibom have regulated their Okada cyclist operations, hence the Okada operators in Calabar should comply with best practice  regulations for the industry.

For the first time in my life Calabar was looking very very serene and opulent due to the absence of Okada cyclists, albeit at a price-commuters had to trek long distances in their absence. This standard has to be maintained if Calabar is to be the cynosure of Tourism in Nigeria.

The CRS Government made an administrative blunder by not releasing the State owned new Taxi's in time to coincide with the withdrawal of Okada cyclists operation in Calabar.

In Dubai, in order to support the Tourist industry the taxi service is operated by the U.A.E Government , they procure and employ Taxi's and the Drivers to run the whole transport service efficiently. One Taxi Driver in Dubai even told me that after every 4-5 years their Taxi's  (Toyota Avensis brands) are written-off and new one's are purchased by the Government in a bid to maintain the high level of service. If this is what Donald Duke had in mind, then we are behind him.

Most of the violence that occured as a response to the Government directives were not done by the Okada cyclist themselves but by Area Boys/Hoodlums who hijacked the situation to their own advantage.

When I grew up in Calabar in the 1970's every cyclist by then had a Helmet with a spare one for his passenger-what's new or wrong about reinforcing the law now?

Lady T,

I did write that I pay £85 per month for the Estate management fee's. They charge 10% of the rental income to source for tenants, vet them and remit funds to my account-full property management service.

I am into property investment in UK with a modest portfolio. Firstly, you can not buy your first property on a "Buy-to-let" basis. You can only buy your first property as a first time buyer, then your second property on a buy to let basis.

I bought my first property, 3 Bedroom Maisonette in Camberwell last year for £170,000. I borrowed the 5% deposit (£8,500) from a bank to finance the transaction.I paid the broker £1,700, Solicitors £1,000 and stamp duty of 1% =£1,700. I had the property valued recently after 11 months at £190,000 (£28,500 positive equity).I pay a repayment mortgage of £956 per month while my rental income from my tenants is £1,200 per month, a profit of around £200 +.

I bought my second property recently in Southampton, a Brand new 2 bedroom apartment from Barratts for £183,000 on a Let-to-Buy mortgage. My 10% deposit (of £18,300) ,stamp duty of £1,830, legal fee's of £1,200,Valuation fee of £450 were all paid for by the broker/developer.My interest only mortgage is £880 per month; Rental income is £850 per month,estate mngt fee=£85 and Service charge is £50. So I only top-up £165 from my pocket to pay the mortgage.The property is now valued at £210,000 and dont forget my paid equity of £18,300.Thats a positive equity of £45,300 (ready for investment on my plot of land in Nigeria)

From my little experience. You can buy a brand new property without putting down any money of your own. Have a team of reliable Mortgage Brokers, Accountants, Solicitors and Handy-job men around you at all times. Approach your brokers for available property deals. Avoid shared ownership schemes-its not always what it seems. Buy outright. Visit Auctions and watch the proceedings, watch how the game is being played.Most people have 4 to 5 friends in the same Auction who outbid each other strategically to win certain property.You must put down 10% deposit before allowed to take part in Property Auctions and you need to complete the transaction within 28 days or you forfeit your deposit. Thats why its best to have a bridged loan in place from your Bankers or an approval in principle before commiting yourself.

Point of correction to an earlier post. Stamp duties are paid all over UK not only in London. The threshold is £125,000 and above for 1%.But, there are some areas designated Regenerated Areas that are exempted from Stamp duty tax only if the property is under £150,000. For instance nearly the whole of Newham Borough in London is classified as regeneration area. (Check the www.hmrc.gov.uk website to find out exempted areas).

The rule in property is that you make money when you buy property not when you sell it.

The average property buyer will not qualify for a mortgage based on salary income, hence most brokers arrange Self-Certification deals to by-pass the obstacle.

Property investment is not for the fainthearted,its nice reeling out the positive equity accrued, but it comes with a great price too.

I found this article about the perception and popularity of Nigerian films in Jamaica to be quite interesting

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060528/ent/ent3.html

Toshman , Zoo Garden was a bit crap . I settled for NAF Hotel on Marian Rd instead, and regards from the receptionists

na which airline dey carry u pass freetown

Its Bellview, i'm bereaved and travelling at short notice. Most flight seats are fully booked and very very expensive. Bellview was quite affordable and they have just added a Boeing 767 to their London fleet which is quite popular with Sierra Leoneans.

It happens frequently in the UK and Western countries, at least the age aspect. When I was with HSBC bank I had 2 PG qualifications but my Boss happened to be a small 20 year old white boy with just A'levels-both of us had UK banking experience and he wasnt comfortable with the situation. I didnt mind so far as I was paid my daily bread in ££££.

What are u doing with IPOD Nano ? Havent you heard of IPOD Video ?

Can guys read in calabar?
just wondering o
na sthing else i think calabar is known 4.

I didnt quite get you there. Could you kindly explain further what you were trying to mean ?

I'm travelling to Nigeria this week -London-Freetown-Lagos-Calabar , does anyone know of any good and cheap Hotels in Calabar. (I dont mean The Mirage or Metropolitan Hotels )

I wouldnt say "Madam's" case was unlawful (she is now a Brit Cit), it was the discretion of the University to admit the students they wanted.

Akolawole,

FOR NURSING ADDMISSION, i repeat, it must be indefinite stay. Period.

From my many years of experience in Immigration matters I have learnt not to make blanket statement like that.

@Londoncool

I am still waiting for your response, i discover you are online this morning but chose to ignore the thread that you used to be so active.

waiting for you sha.

You got to respond to this at all cost

@Akolawole,
I have no more comments to make based on your last response. I wouldnt want to be drawn into the dialetics of immigration rules and cases,

I'm a Libertarian

I just watched the film, part 1,2. and 3. The guys who played the cult looked very local, even the Capoon of the cult was humilatingly forced to sweep the house of the Girls while they were mocking him-it didnt look realistic at all.

Kudu's to Genny and Ini, Uche and Rita -well, they tried but were a bit too predictable in their roles.

Rogo,

Thanks for taking interest in my write-up. I took part in a seminar , it was a Start-up Business Seminar for Black Professionals. They examined the characteristics of black businesses in UK, the attitude of Blacks to business, comparative analysis with Asian UK business models.We also examined how to look a unique product to sell/market, and at the business opportunities available through Franchising. I gave examples of Franchised products in Nigeria. OPM, refers to borrowing money or using other peoples money to finance your business ideas. I may not be able to replicat everything but I hope you understood the salient points I was trying to make concerning being an Entrepreneur.