₦airaland Forum

MAMAJAMA:
A man once told me it's only in Nigeria that when you are caught red handed you start pointing fingers.

I saw a script on CNN how to rub a bank, a Nigeria In Houston was busted for credit card fraud.

He told the media he learned how to do the deal from watching others in his comunity? when will corrupt

disgrace Nigerian start to be a man and face the music

[b] Banks have merged, the cost of funding for small businesses has not dropped, all the promises associated with the consolidation and merger are still a mirage and vulnerable elements of the society bear the malfunction that our society has turned to. Only last night I sat up late to really get to the bottom root of the mathematics of increased salaries and I nodded my head at how vulnerable we are as a people. If the government has increased wages and salaries by 15% of what benefit is it if the lowest paid civil servant on the Federal pay is 7500, that increase is barely 1000, and then all his allowances, and leave grant are consolidated, meaning that it is now included in the monthly take home pay rather than paid in bulk, what is the benefit when prices go up by 100, 200, 300% in the market, of what significance is it that transportation is up by more percentage, how does it translate to regular power supply when indeed supply has dropped and tariff has increased. In the market, market people have increased goods, so also services, as the activities of middlemen go into play, no one acts as a stop gap or regulatory body, so every body is seen as a federal worker whose salaries has been increased. The fuel situation is not about easing but sadly in our vulnerability Nigerians are not mourning the unthinkable price at which the commodity is being sold but we are requesting that the product be available and one wonders our line of reasoning.
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donnymikky:
Chris Okotie, a man who could not manage his marriage and opted for a divorce is not capable of ruling a complex entity such as Nigeria.

Pat Utomi is a technocrat who I strongly believe will perform better as a member of the Federal Executive Council in the capacity of Minister.

MAMAJAMA:
read the sun times. IBB time is near. he will be cooling his heels in KIRIKIRI and eating GARY and cold beans soon

goodguy:
I have thought over and over, and I still see no reason why you should refer to someone's mode of worship as insane.

Muslims can as well say it is insane for a Christian to go to Mountain/Hill tops to pray, you know? But does that make them right?

So my brother, YOU should think again.

[b] In the last seven years I have lost count of how many times I have registered my displeasure at the way this government has handled the Petroleum sector, not that they have done any better in other sectors, but my disdain is in view of the fact that ordinarily this is supposed to be the nation's heritage, a blessing that we had no hand in getting. However we all seem to be of the opinion that in the recent past this blessing has become one of the nation's major problem.


The just released census results being contended by various shades of opinion has been traced on one hand to the black fuel. A natural resource which ordinarily should be a blessing is turning out to the nation's worst nightmare. Only weeks back after making a mess of the sector the President stepped down as Minister of Petroleum and one wonders if our leaders ever think of legacies, because if they do, this certainly is no legacy to leave behind.


In the usual Nigerian attitude of rumor laced with emotions, various reasons have been attributed to the scarcity of the product but none is as constant as the fact that leadership has failed, none is as true as the fact that we have no reserve of the same commodity of which we are sixth largest producer. Like it or not we are massaging the ringworm and neglecting the leprosy and the price is dear. I try to look at the present scarcity from all the reasons adduced and none makes any sense, really none.


The refineries are not working, why nobody is speaking out, off course not that we do not know, The present bunch of failure has spent millions in turn around and turn back maintenance yet to no avail, after the monumental waste, we now choose to sell the same refineries out at chicken fees to some goons.

Despite all the stories that have been told in the past by those concerned and despite the cries of the masses it just seems that we are destined for some kind of doom because of these gift, Somehow nobody is really talking of an increase not even by whisper and the question is how could when in Warri the commodity sells for as much as N240 per liter, that is when it is available, Nigerians are trekking miles to get to their homes, work. Food has increased as everything has to do with transportation, every trader tells you "you no see say fuel don increase, "

The painful thing is that the rich, wicked and insensitive prides himself by driving around luxuriously and telling anyone that cares to know that he bought ten liters for ten million, Foolishness, one may say, but this is Nigeria and it all goes like anything.

I was forced to ask a friend on phone what will happen if every Nigerian that is incapable of getting transport home, or to work decides to sit at home and protest, He said to me good but that with nearly three quarters of the population living on per day income of less than a hundred Naira, who really cares, we just have to endure. Right from the first fuel increase of this 'regime' in which all we did was make noise .The story has continued, the ordinary Nigerian bears the brunt.

No one in authority has come out to say that we have failed. All the lectures we received on subsidies, deregulation, where went them, all the labour did was issue ultimatum, so not much. this government knows that power belongs to them not the people. Can someone explain in simple math's how we have earned more from the black gold and yet we suffer its lack and whether their leaders chop their money or not the region remains largely underdeveloped and the government cries no money, have our leaders not heard of forced development, ?

It was a shame watching on national television, communities stopping fire service and security agents access to a burning well, and we say all is well. The PDP flag bearer has kick started his campaign what is in the offing other than the so-called seven point dance, how are we going to tackle this problem for once. In seven years with all we earned it was just impossible for us to build a refinery, it was not possible for us get it right in that sector instead all we have succeeded is build a czar camp of oil thieves.

And as I say in times like this, Nigerians are trekking not to loose weight, not for health reasons because we have experts running that sector. How much do we make a day from this thing called crude oil, how much do the Nigerian on the street ask for, just water, cooking fuel, what is power without peace, the basics of life, Nigerians are deceived, we are let loose on ourselves by the schemers, now we are fighting ourselves over census and secretly they enlarge their financial war chest through this fuel abracadabra.

Obasanjo was hailed the messiah, he was called the 'man' but today what do we call him, how can we really mark a distinction between a dictator and a singing democrat, the same man that was at the helm of affairs during the first fuel increase in 1978, the first in twelve years, has supervised six more in his democratic facade, from N20 when he took over power to over a N100 today. We were told the deregulation would bring about competitive pricing, meaning price will fall but we know today that Nigerians are doing the same drill again, no different from another SAP

Our crude oil has not translated to enhanced infrastructure, it has not given birth to good roads, social amenities or improved standard of living, rather its no fuel, no kerosene, no diesel, no aviation fuel. no water, and we produce an average of 2M barrels per day, and export close to 90% of that and smuggle the rest. I once said in a paper that fuel scarcity was a popular acting movie in this parts called Nigeria, with no stability in products supply, prices are increased and these increases do not stimulate the economy, nor the enhancement of employment.

Most times I classify the Nigerian citizenry as naive when we expect much from a leadership that has constituted itself to an enemy of the people. It is in times like these that one asks what benefit is the debt relief when it has nothing positive on ground Sometimes ago it was one deputy Senate President led committee with the longest acronym that said it was preparing a palliative but it all ended as usual all noise and nothing. The excess crude has been shared by "them".

I once asked if it was possible for a Doctor would leave his son on the surgical table to attend to a cat's bruise at the expense of an emergency surgery to his son, Animal love you say!

Oil wells and streams have brought dollars, even at a loss the privatization exercise has brought owo, crude sales have brought plenty kwudo, and internal revenue has brought egoo, we have sold government houses, GSM licenses, the government has approved private sector/government partnership, in all these not for lack of faith but based on an empirical past we ask , to whose benefit with no fuel, no water, no food, no life, all reforms with no human face. This government has earned money in all denominations yet we are a far cry from any picture of sanity. NNPC has no explanation, infact the laughable and bitter part is when we are told by the same people that there is no scarcity of the product

AlmightyGod is this how we begin a new year, it is gloomy even as I hit press the NNPC says there is no light in the tunnel, we hail thee Nigeria, Almighty come to the rescue of the ordinary Nigerian, Let us tackle our leprosy and stop messaging the ringworm!

Yours In The Service Of Nation, For the Good Of All And In High Regards, I Remain Prince Charles
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[b]     When you kick your calabash carelessly in the presence of neighbours, in your absence they will break it without a blink, Which way Nigeria? Months back I read the story of a Nigerian that was abused by the American Embassy after she had won the the so-called visa lottery, apart from the nitty gritty of the entire episode, the short of it was how the young lady and her husband were subjected to the most inhuman treatment all in the name of getting a visa. The woman was asked the position on which she made love with her husband, the husband was asked the color of his wife's undies. Again recently a Professor friend of mine was insulted when the Visa attendant at the American as I call them asked the ole man if he wrote JAMB and if he passed, Shaking my head.

The British embassy is not left out in the inhuman treatment that Nigerians receive in the hands of these colonial terrorists, it is a case that over the years has taken steps into the next level. A lot has been written and a lot more would be written but what better time to add ones voice to the problem other than now that elections are around the corner. None of the Presidential candidates has outlined any concrete foreign policy. Well it may be too early in the morning but then the fact is that we have a serious migration problem in our hands. We placed an unenviable second in the list of applicants in the last US Diversity Lottery Whatever it is called and we are all quiet like it is nothing.

I would in this essay drive home some things I consider home truths and sad as they may be, they are issues that to a large extent would determine the success or otherwise of our corporate existence.

Nigerians are living Nigeria, for education, for the better life, for sports, for healthcare, for every reason available, Nigerians are seeking education in places such as the Ukraine, Bahrain,Dubai,Russia,Malaysia,Cuba,and Cyprus to mention a few, Nigerian footballers now go as far as Brazil, I mean the mighty footballing Brazil, not to talk of Iran, Kuwait and Madagascar. The labour market in places as remote as Auckland, Sydney, New Zealand are full of Nigerian academics. The Vice President just came back from his vacation in the US, while Dim Ojukwu also just arrived from his medical in yankee, and we say that there is hope? What hope do we have, many Nigerians in Diaspora, every year count and say this is the last year for me but as December reaches, it is obvious that one year more is in the horizon, the situation at home is nothing to write about. The so-called conducive environment is illusionary. Nigerians in diaspora go through a lot just to eek out a living and yet have to cater for family at home. Through winter, summer, the struggle continues both legit and the shady ones.

Back home, families sell landed properties,mortgage valuables and values to make sure that siblings, off springs get that paper that gets them out of the nation, on any excuse available. The number of churches and special prophets that line up the popular Embassy Street in Lagos is testimony to the fact that all is not well. Nigerians despite their status line up in their thousands all just for an opportunity to get out of the mess we got ourselves into. Our citizens go to Libya, Saudi, and even Iran to be Pastors in desperation. The question is If we all leave, who will repair the mess, the other day in a discuss with well informed friends I had asked has anyone bothered to check out how much money embassies such as the British, American, Dutch, French, South African all make in a year from Nigerians? How many Nigerians, legitimate ones, that apply are given these Visas, how many are denied? are these nations responsible to us or the other way round. You want to see the most humble Nigerians go to the embassy, abuse a man's father and he will put up a smile and still be of his best behaviour, he has no choice, this is probably the sixth time he is having a go at the process. Nigerians with no relations in the host countries are ready to go the limit to get that green pasture, fight the cold wether, the sun, the foreign police, get involved in 'arrange' wedding with 'whitie' have Tokunboh kids with the woman, allow her custody of his green, red and yellow cards. It is sad! But how sad when in truth the nation denied and has continued to deny most of its citizenry the right to a life, the right to dignity, to earning and much more.

Why is that most of the people that were regarded failures here get outside the nation and excel and do much more better. Often than not, the the Tokunboh phenomenon as I term it exposes our deficiencies, when out there you are either good at what you know or you are not, you either fit in, or you do the cabs even the cabs is not for misfits. Many times we have seen cases where bank Managers can barely hold down a job as front desk persons outside the nation and in other cases we have seen school rejects, with fourth and fifth class go abroad and go a record breaking because someone gave them the chance that Mother Nigeria refused them.

Each time I am opportune to reflect on matters of the brain, stomach and all kinds of drains in the nation I shake my head, because it is one of the many ills of our society. The question we cannot reach agreement on is how did we get to this level of decadence in the system? We have had the wonderful messages of reforms, Nigerians in Diaspora are being asked to come back home and invest, the fact is that would the Naira ever tackle the Dollar kobo for cent again. Would the British Pound respect the Naira like it was in the past. There are parts in Lagos Nigeria were transactions are done in foreign currencies, while beneficiaries of the popular Western Union Money Transfer prefer their money in foreign denominated currencies. What reform when the people are not reformed.

Where went the self belief, on my last visit to the Bauchi Yankari Park I went through the statistics of inflow of foreign tourists and it was a sad decline with each passing year as the figures dropped. Many Nigerians would rather a holiday in Dubai than Obudu Cattle Ranch. Nigerians are the bane of Nigeria, we have a long time lost belief in ourselves. Why do we have to leave our country for other people's nation because the system there works, they have energy, their railroads are fantastic, their planes do not fall like birds shot down by a local hunter, despite the racism, and cultural problems we still prefer them,and in preferring them we for once forget that these people built their systems and they paid the price and in cases are using us to build our system.

It is rather ironic that a player that plays his football for Eyimba is unknown until he leaves for Barcelona and we wonder why, obviously the environment, the facilities, the remuneration, the professionalism all play a part, as he eats, sleeps and wakes football, then we say he is fantastic, give him the same environment here at home and see if we would not be contending with a genius. But alas we care less, we are masters at the act of double speak, one moment we seem to be getting it right, the next moment it is back to square one. The best we achieve are often on paper, our ideas remain what they are ideas that never leave the head, they are never put into practice. We have Nigerians that are more British than Tony Blair and without as much as a blink of the eye talk about Nigerian in the third person a narrative, "Use to know a lot about Nigeria but not anymore, don't know much of what's happening there now" and to imagine that is a Nigerian that left the nation in 2003, one can only nod. I will leave out intentionally the issue of trafficking, prostitution, drugs and international crime that is also a product of all these Tokunboh movements. I have argued that with the rising number of Nigerians who are naturalized foreigners, where do they pledge allegiance, do we blame them. If my young boy is born in the US, schools there, serves in the Marines, even if he came home once in a while which flag will he fly, which anthems would hold meaning to him.

The American embassy has on occasions seized Nigerian kids from their parents on flimsy excuses simply because the kids are 'American'. I have an acquaintance called Johnny, he took his wife to Dubai recently to have a baby, hear him "at least the boy go be Dubai-Nigerian" and for full appraisal he named the boy Azeez, Johnny happens to be an Igbo man. Who cares, really who cares, everything has to be done abroad, every equipment must come from abroad, our leaders must have the message in beauty palours in Paris, their headaches treated in Germany. Every good thing is outside the shores of this nation, indeed something good is in Nigeria but the will to make the nation work is lacking. If today there was to be a slave trade, young Nigerians would hand themselves over of their own accord.

Maybe me inclusive, This is not meant to throw criticism or just a repetition of what we know but a wake up call. as I end I ask is it possible that Nigerians can say like Muhammad Ali I am America (Nigerian). I am the part you won't recognise. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me. Would the World get used to a strong Nigeria on our own terms, May the Almighty Allah bless us with our own Federated States Of Nigeria FSN.

  Yours In The Service Of Nation, For the Good Of All And In High Regards, I Remain Prince Charles Dickson
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