₦airaland Forum

somehow:
Thank God I found myself and in the process broke out from that "black" label.

Taking ownership is how we started our journey. I’m glad I had a PASS in my first test.

Till date, I’ve not recovered the fund from the guy who was meant to supply you the cement.

Thank God I didn’t tell you to sort it out with him as I’ve played my part by recommending him to handle the supply

Thank God I didn’t tell you I’ve reported to the association of cement supplier, the police, NIA, EFCC, ICPC and nairaland warriors and we should await their final verdict.

I took responsibility for the delay and make alternative arrangement for the supply because I brought the guy upon you. I won’t be liable if I didn’t recommend him.

_______
I wouldn’t know if that singular act earn me your sweet project

Thank you for choosing not to wear the black label.

folmus:
@N3XT has helped me with sharp sand and the money went straight into his account and the material got delivered. It was @N3XT I was calling when the guy no gree show on time.

He he he!!!

Who else are you supposed to call? The association of sand suppliers, the Baale of the community or the police who have no jurisdiction on the matter?

If you can’t stand for the person you’re recommending, don’t make any recommendation.

Even our last transaction that didn’t go as planned really didn’t go well with me because the iron bender didn’t do exactly what I asked him to do.

You should know I’m prepared to make instant refund if not that you insisted.

That’s who I am!

folmus:
I hope you won't feel bad if someone of color described you like that

Why should I? I’ve seen far worse here but does it define me “No!”

Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It’s simply your opinion which necessarily doesn’t define me.

Here’s something I know and that I also teach my kids, “When people point fingers at you, look to where their other three fingers are pointing.” It reveals their insecurities and a reflection of their low self-esteem.

Does this mean there are no terrible black people? No! There are lots of them out there but I’m not one.

When you refrain from telling the truth all the time, you’re terrible black man!

When you claim someone stole N5m from a million naira project just to paint him black, you’re a terrible black man!

When you ask a contractor to supply goods without making payment and run away with the goods, you’re a terrible black man!

When you sell wood for the price of gold to an unsuspecting client, you’re a terrible black man!

When you obtain quotations from several contractors to counter professional quote prepared by your QS, you’re a terrible black man! Why not pay the contractor what the professional bill recommend?

Simple!

Again why should I feel bad? Just as there are terrible blacks, there are also Terrible White People.

somehow:
It's an indictment that as Nigerians, we're terrible people if I am to interpret what has been said so far by different people on this thread.

Terrible Black People!!!

The only reason they don’t like brabus is simply because I don’t take shit and I’m no respecter of status.

There are too many rogues out there hiding behind a faceless forums without a captain to perpetrate their mischievous acts here.

rmx:


Can only speak for myself . If I see value I will continuously use you , I still benchmark and do price checks regularly to put even old contractors in check . for some people by reason of the scale of operations you can’t be mobilizing contractors daily or even weekly for everything ,it’s Not just possible

Maybe the person didn’t see the value of your taking the effort to organize and supply the items at your own cost or maybe he dint see the value in the price differential if he had sourced it himself

Smiles.

Hmm! He didn’t see value yet he’s trying to leverage on my goodwill by reaching out to my source to get materials supplied to him without my knowledge when there are several thousands of suppliers out there to buy from

Price differential from the same link/source? I’d go elsewhere if it was me and not through the backdoor or in a backstabbing manner.
I’m not that cheap even when I know I’m being cheated.

But then we are guided by our moral compass.

bixton:
Since the contractor have said his balance should be paid to enable him complete the job then the referee whose account received the initial payment should pay that balance to the contractor and upon completion of the job the client can pay the balance back to the referee.
Thanks.

This is just common sense!

What exactly will police do sef? Charge the guy for abandoning work or absconding with money, stealing, OBT or irreconcilable differences?

Or just bully him to refund all the monies paid to him?

And we are here complaining against the inhuman treatment of Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and other Nigerians by the government

Is it that the guy didn’t visit the site to do the job?

If he had issues with his machine (which could happen to any of us) and need his balance to get it fixed, why can’t the referrer give him or loan him the money he’s requesting for just as bixton shared.

I don’t know when police turned into money recovery organization though.
Pls can someone tell me exactly what'll be the charge against the guy when arrested/picked?

Lie as usual /// XYZ stole N5m from a project of N300k

Was it like he disappeared from the site with all his equipment after he stopped work and complained about faulty equipment?

This is the essence of the message we preach about taking ownership.

As Dijita is following up his project, I’m also doing same on an hourly basis to avoid situation where we’d have to be chasing ourselves up.

Let’s stop blaming SARS/SWAT when they barge on us on the street because we gave them their new unconstitutional role.



________

Pics - follow up message/chats while the plumber I recommended is handling Sir Dijita’s borehole and external plumbing.

...

Dominionng:
Surprisingly, diasporas are the most dubious.

You don minnit. Coming from
Dominionng - I give up.

If you no get money, don’t be a nuisance. We have too many of them already in the cyberspace.
_________

I recently told one guy “I’ll reduce you to your level.” He thought I’m joking. Well I’m waiting.
__________

The one I shared his story above is a BIG pastor in RCCG

Dijita:
Yoruba say help me carry luggage can't become the luggage owner (gba ran mi o ki di eleru)

Kindly read @bixton message sir.

This is Nigeria! And I’m not really surprised anymore because even our locals (who hasn’t been to MMIA) do better than those who have travelled far and wide in managing workplace/construction project conflicts.

Assuming this allegation was leveled against some select target here, we know the number of pages that’ll be on this matter. By that time, gba ran mi maa di eleru

That’s why you see them use cheap blackmails and propagandas like APC to witch-hunt their presumed enemies.

Call them to prevail on simple Contractor/Client issue, they’re neither here or there. They don’t understand the power of simple dialogue in managing conflicts.

I love these guys though because they teach me how not to live my life.

Dijita:
Do we have anyone selling or designing curtains in this forum? If you do let me know. Thanks

Ikota Shopping Complex

rmx:
You are on point .

Not paid for the borehole I did 2 or 3 weeks ago at akala up till today, not even been called yet for payment. But then the guy has been doing all my boreholes for the past 15 years , been supplying me cement for another 10 years

Trust / reputation / capacity of person or entity Involved is also key in deciding to commit your own funds on behalf of a customer regardless of the number of years you have been doing business together .

Something that we’ve been trying to achieve without result...


Just recently, I did 28 tons of iron rods and truck load of cement in Ibadan without collecting upfront payment.
Guess what, my client went behind back to get the contact details of my source.

What do you make of this sir? It goes both way.

I told my supplier to deliver it though but this action gave me true understanding of how cheap some clients can be.

________

In this same place, I’ve started a project N55m for a client who had only N3.5m in his account. He drives a N23m Benz
I moved in as much materials into the project just to impress him but had to move them back when I realize he’s playing games.

________

Just as Horlardorjah shared, no builder/contractor has the x-ray vision to know a client that’ll default or won’t. It’s a huge risk more especially on the contractor if things go south.

Dijita:
@N3xt. your approach is very good. However, nairaland is a market place with many characters. When someone is in diaspora and is transacting business in thousands of dollars or millions of naira over the internet with people one has never met , people tend to be very nervous and sensitive. Even then, a lot of issue get resolves behind the scene between contractors and clients. As stated earlier, this is a market place with kings and queens as well as drama kings and drama queens and their court jesters.

By the way the borehole guy is ok so far with me. Yes there have been instances that I wish he could have provide suitable solution instead of just doing it as it was been done. That is not particular with him alone, it is the commonality among Nigerian artisans. I have seen artisans trying to install burglary on internal window .
When I see things I don't like and I asked him to fix it, he does it without argument. When he put water filter with a filter that will have to be replace at least once a month by the water tank, I asked him to bring it down to lower height where people don't have to be climbing ladder to replace it. He said because of children. I told him that I am ok for children to break it than for someone to fall from the ladder in an attempt to replace the filter.
I hope he is giving you feedback that I am treating him well.

I’m following everything.

I asked if you’re satisfied and he said “To a large extent “Yes” but he had to rework the external pipe around external staircase area blah blah...”

When I give recommendation/referral, I don’t go to sleep without confirming that things are moving as expected. It’s as good as I am the one handling the job.

I always do my best to help these guys become better at what they do.

sonnie10:
There are enough clients with their cash in Nigeria looking for reliable and trusted contractors. That is why the reputable contractors are too busy to listen to stories of deferred payment. The only exception is when you have established a good working relationship with a client over time. In fact the way it works is that what you must have gained in the past is bigger that what you are committing. And you have your eyes on future deals.

Nobody puts their money on peoples project. Even banks do not give loans without collateral.

I’m enjoying your intellectual engagement tonight.

Thanks for sharing.

Jasobry:
I'm trying to put up something different from the conventional bricks... Using broken Spanish or China floor tiles,cut into bricks sizes for my pillars.. I chose black with gold effects.. using white coloured pigments cement. Hope it comes out well

Amen!

Sorry I just noticed you’ve messaged me in the oda room

somehow:
Things are happening o!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipV1GBHI2Lg

See as flood is dealing with China.

spyder880:
Last two pictures are from my village house

Wow! This is cool!

Nice South African Brick Tiles

Born2conquer:
I hope i get a response from my Ogas

So we got this guy to fix brick tiles on our folks house and he bragged he’s good at laying bricks�� well this is the result.

Apart from the fact that he fixed it in a very ugly way but the cement stains (seems he splashed the cements on the bricks after he was done) refused to come off since last year, we don wash am tire

Is there a way to clean these tiles without actually repainting them? Because repainting will overrule the reason we chose “brick tiles” in the first space.

Or which other corrections can be done on this

I’m afraid you’d have to live with it, remove the tiles or paint over it.

He’s obviously a novice in installing stone walls. The signs you’re seeing on the wall are from the chemical he applied while trying to clean up and that’s exactly the problem.

Maybe in 5 - 7 years of continuous wash, you might be able to wash off the acidic stains.

@ dijita

If we go by nairaland property section guide book, the young chap who came to plumbing for you should be in my black book because he failed me big time on XL6 Trillion project.

Where exactly did he fail?

Competency? Communication? Business Acumen? Efficiency?

I don’t have any doubt about his competence that’s why I didn’t fail to recommend him to handle your borehole and other jobs.
Neither did he have issues with communication. He always communicate the good and the bad to me in a very nice way.

The only issue I have with him is that he doesn’t understand how to deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome - more importantly on money matters

Instead of running him aground as the nairaland guide book suggested or open multiple threads to alert the world about the new naija “fraudulent” plumber
I helped him become better.

The only thing I did for him on your project is to offer him incentives in return for a job well done.

Immediately he finished your job, I gave him another one in a new project in Ibadan and also top it up with Ileya Bonus

That’s the only way I can show I’m better off.


#ThisMorning I’m speaking for me and people like me and not the run him down gengs.

michlins:
please sir, I have been paid 95% and sometimes 100% for a job. The percentage hé paid isn't a problem. Problem is that the person didn't deliver

The problem isn’t the subcontractor.

The problem is that both the client and the referrer failed to handle the transaction very well. They didn’t do anything to protect themselves during the signing stage.

I can give you 100% upfront for a job but I’d put system in place that will ensure you deliver. This could either be incentives, penalties or dire consequences.

I’ve once entered into a contract few years back with a client who needs some level of assurance.

I made an agreement to pay the client N50k for every week if we exceed the expected delivery date.

________

When something happen to me, I don’t look for people to blame. I look around me and ask myself “Did I really handle this well?”

But I think “not owing up” is kinda Nigeria thing.

_________

Will anyone beat me for owing up?

The referrer/guarantor must take responsibility.

It always amuse me the way we hypocritically handle some matters here sometimes.

Well, I’m no longer surprised though. Not all of us are emotionally-driven or beclouded in our reasoning.

________

Past events:

Brabus vs Marvericks vs LASG on fake approval.

Despite providing full evidence showing that fund was paid to LASG official who also did approval for maverick’s dad, Brabus was forced right here to refund the approval money to maverick.

Brabus only involvement was connecting Maverick and his father with the LASG official. The same person did approval for the father and son but the son came back to claim he was defrauded.
One paid through Brabus while the other paid directly to the LASG official.

Both approval were done at the same time by the same office in Ikota, Lagos.

Yet He had to make a refund.


__________

If I may ask “What’s different in the scenario given and the current issue being discussed?” What has changed in the last 5 years? Why the appeal for more time?

Was it like we become more matured in handling reported cases? Or the territorial clan are trying to protect their own?

Why is no one considering the time value of money?”

This same place where we do everything humanly possible to make wrong right.

Anyway, we are first Nigerians!


______

For those preaching time, “How much time is the question micgray100 is asking right now?”

______

Few weeks ago, I stood as a surety for @hslbrokers right here. When the client had few doubts about him, I took charge immediately and we had the matter resolved without worries.

The client got value for his money. The subcontractor also got paid without worries. #MeToo got credits for good referral


Peace out.

_________

I’m only here to read comments from the elders.

Don’t quote me o. I’m not nairaland constitution.

_________

@micgray100 please don’t be too hard on @twinskenny.

He did all he did in good faith. He hasn’t seen the bad side of recommending subtrades. I’ve had my hands burnt many times and I’ve had to pay dearly for it.

I’ve recommended a subcontractor who took money for window supplies and went to Mecca after receiving mobilization

I’ve worked with a borehole guy who decided to pump water into the borehole so that my client will feel there’s water inside the borehole just for him to get his balance, pack his equipment and leave you to handle the problems.

I learnt to deal with it. That’s why I decided to buy tools for almost every work subcontractors will handle for me. I leant to deal with it by changing the order of things.

I remembered telling you “I’ve placed caveat on boreholes in certain areas” when you came looking for recommendation because experience has shaped me.

Pls be the matured one here. Kindly work with him to find a lasting solution.

Think about it! You could also be the one in his position.

somehow:
Now I asked for pictures of the flood you spoke about, you change National anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSVl6CjoNaI&feature=emb_imp_woyt


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FDVtGfTILI&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Dijita:
good morning the good people of Nairaland. Thanking you all for all your help and advise. Thank you N3xt for the borehole guy who did other plumbing job for me as well. Thanks to money121 for the solar madam and also thank to Rotech for the job he is handling for me. Adedward I didn't forget you. Thank you as well. My project is rolling toward the final stage.

My question this morning is for me to be educated on the service provided by GO TV and DSTV in regard to cost, quality and area of operation. My project is in Ibeju Lekki beach area toward Dangote.
Thanks

Thank you for the opportunity to be of service. Congratulations to you.

I'd go with @somehow on the choice of PayTV to use.

_________

Pls don't forget to share with us the type of Ankara we will wear on the house warming day

Born2conquer:
Na wetin make N3xt vex that time be that, you reply like everybody in this thread do not know lagos island or maybe they’ve never been chanced to live on the island.

Your response “lekki is not a street” is funny sha

Okay Sir, one day “we sef, we will visit the lagos island “ sha.

Just leave this and work on ways on curbing the whole Flooding ish in the Area Sire

You need to know @somehow to understand how he use the opinions expressed here and tricky questions to deal with some things that are of personal interest

He's a very good paying client

One of the best I've ever worked for in this place. So I know my oga wella and my oga know me.

gbadexy:
And they use ogboju (intimidation and threat of giving business to someone else) to bully into accepting unfavorable terms and condition.
Your tips are apt. Dishonest people cut across contractors and clients.

I'm still awaiting one client here to come and put up the nonsense we tolerated in the past up here. I'll deal with him in the language he understands.

That's why they say Brabus win on technicalities. All the nonsense that happens here doesn't happen in the upscale market. There's respect for each other.

At my end, respect is earned and not bought.

_______

Interestingly, someone who ran away with 875k will still come here to brag.

That was how a client I recently worked for was asking someone to get the details of my suppliers (contacts) that I feely share with people who treat us with respect.

________

Bullying is allowed but you're not compelled to take it. Don't take bullshit!

Have a contract for every transaction you do here and specify your terms of service.

When issues come up, people like us won't listen to emotional blackmails, we will go with what's written in black and white.

topsy23:
I love the way you handle yours sir. What of if the customer is one off person (buy and go). Like something that happened to me, a customer called me and he ordered for cables and he promised to pay on delivery . He said people have suped him in the past. Well I took the risk and delivered the cable to him. He said the road to the site is very bad and that I should come to a bus stop. He confirmed the quantities and it was ok. He log in to his online banking pretending he wanted to transfered money to me not knowing that he was busy playing game on his phone . After some minutes he said the transaction completed and I will see alert because it's an inter bank transaction.

I left the place hoping that my account would be credited some minutes. I waited several minutes hours, days , weeks, months . He later change his line and couldn't reach him anymore. He's a visitor on nairaland. He told me his name is O.J. Till today OJ's number is not going . The total cost of cables is 867,000.

Well, let me say you goofed big time. Anyway we learn everyday.

I do Payment On Delivery BUT goods will not be released until confirmation of fund in my account.

One of my supplier will charge you for insurance if you’re doing POD on any item supplied by him.
________

We are quick to name and shame dishonest contractors here but a lot of project managers/home owners are rogues and crooks.

There are ways you can identify such people.

It starts with being extremely difficult, being picky on trivial issues, insatiable, not willing to honour a simple gentleman agreement, changing term of service mid project, not following scope of work and so many others immature way of doing business.

_________

At the level you are, you really don’t need anyone to play you into doing business with them anymore. There are people who are willing to pay premium for your skill

You have all it takes to play in the upscale market. So move to the next level.

__________

Pic 1&2 - Below are the kind of project someone like you should be working on and not some how many length of 1.5mm cable will finish a 1 bedroom bungalow. Or I have problem with my engineer and I can’t trust anyone else again.

Leave that world for beginners.

Go to the upscale market. Too bad I’m no longer a Lagos resident.

twinskenny:
he is … he said we should pay him his balance before he will come and finish up….

That’s a very good one bro!

Arrange his balance and use that opportunity to perfect everything you failed to do while awarding the contract.

Let him sign an undertaking that the job will be completed in a satisfactory manner and give him the time he require to deliver.

To be honest, I don’t do police on matters that requires tact and diplomacy like this.


_________

A service provider here has owed me some money before and I couldn’t get it from him. Instead of making dramas, I decided to give him some supplies and started deducting my money in bits till he was able to pay all.

The goal is to recover my money and not to make unnecessary drama or organize pity parties.

We all respond to life issues differently though.

somehow:
We had a discussion here on this thread where you defended some parts of Lagos as being planned, now you're going the opposite.

And which part if I may ask sir? Do you mind quoting my post defending those parts of Lagos?

I still remember all I shared here. The ones I don’t know remember are the ones people give their own interpretation

somehow:
If its about Overhyped Lagos, how come you posted only one part of Lagos even though the images were 4 years old?

How come you didn't post other sides of Lagos that actually suffered flooding 3 days ago? (I have images and videos from people directly affected but why would I want to post images to mock anyone going through a misfortune?) .

Did you post Lekki flood pictures of 4 years ago to mock those living in Lekki or people living in Lagos entirely?

Your comments so far are rather here nor there because the reason for those images are lost since they aren't even recent.

I repeat again, I only countered you for posting old images as recent, nothing else.

This ain’t mockery but passing information to those who need it.

Since you don’t need it baba, just ignore.

__________

When I moved to Ogun state, I shared the pics of the bad road in my community till Government fix the road.

That’s the best I can do. Call it mockery or anything you like? We can’t lit a candle and hid it under bushel.

Lagos is overhyped. The government and the citizens need to do more than beautiful structures inside slums and hoping things will correct itself later.

__________

#PutInfrastructureFirst

Let’s call it divert or anything.

Here’s something from the multi-billion naira Ikeja GRA that’s largely threatened by environmental challenges.

Ikeja GRA is one of the most expensive address in Africa

#ThisIsLagos #OverhypedLagos

https://lagosstate.gov.ng/blog/2021/07/14/ikeja-g-r-a-regenerationproject-will-resolve-flooding-lasg/

somehow:
This is rather a poor attempt in trying to deviate.

The pictures you posted was because a thread was opened to claim that it happened 3 days ago due to the rain that fell (Caused havoc in some parts of the world) .

Or why did you post those images at this time?

That you lived or owned Lekki before should not make you pass old information as recent.

Trying to twist the whole intent after getting busted is not an honest trait.

Every environment have their own history, while you were thinking that thread was true, some parts of the mainland got flooded (Fact) .

All the same, I challeneged the information you tried to share for its inccuracy nothing else. You can keep twisting however you want it, it won't change the fact that you posted 4 years old images.

Ok sir.

The irrefutable fact remains the picture depicts the Overhyped Lagos we know.

What else is inaccurate there? Was it that it’s not lagos or that it was Lagos 4 years ago.

The information is there for those who care to know.

The only twist I see here is that it happened 4 years ago and not recent. Do you mind sharing recent pics?
More like Buhari blaming Jonathan for economic hardship or Lai Mohammed trying to tell us Boko Haram started in 1999.

Who cares? This is LAGOS.



Happy New Week!

twinskenny:
Well I am the one that introduced the said borehole guy, I thought I was doing a Favour not knowing the idiot has become a crook overnight…


First he was the one the that did mine even as at last week the Borelhole stop functioning… I don’t know the cause yet. Base on what he did for me I also recommend him to two other people and he did a good job for them as well.

I am a product of recommendations here and there and i was just playing my part not knowing that this will turn out badly, I have reported him already at ojota police station.. for now that’s much I can do.

And sir, I never knew you were not on ground to monitor what he was doing that time, not matter how someone suppose to be on ground to check him, and when he claimed that his machine has fault, you shouldn’t have allow him to take all his equipment out of site since the job is not completed…. Now like I explained to you on WhatsApp the balance of 50k won’t do that job.

So let me know how much is owing you with transaction receipt so I can render it at the station.

Thank you

Thanks for clearing the air sir.

@micgray100 I’ll implore you to exercise a lot of patience on this matter. There’s absolutely nothing the online brouhaha will achieve if you and @twinskenny don’t handle this maturely.

He did what he did in good faith. The fact that a fish got drown in the water doesn’t mean we won’t stop eating fish or drinking water.

________

@twinskenny
I’ve been in a similar situation and I know boreholes get level and the type of equipment you use varies as per report.
Unless I’m doing borehole in Lekki which any amateur can handle without worries, I cannot recommend anyone for borehole installation again. I stopped taking borehole jobs since 2013.

Even the borehole done for one of my client in Ibadan in 2018 has very low yield and my client is already considering having a new one or sink a well. I was like “What a waste?”

Sorry for all the inconveniences this might have cause you both. This is just one of the many issues we face with subtrades.