₦airaland Forum

Last week, a former co-worker of mine was shot to death in his hometown. This tragedy is becoming an all too familiar incident in the country that has desensitized the feelings of people. However, there are some, like me who are outraged at lives cut prematurely because of the accessibility of guns in the country. Gun control has also been a contentious war between the Republicans and Democrats for years with the Republicans always winning in the long run.

What do you all think about Gun control? The senseless tragedy in the black community that has silenced the voices of minorities has gone unabated with the readily accessibility of Guns. I proposed to my friend that Gun control should be enforced in the country to reduce the tragedies that has befallen a lot of families in the country. My friend however opposes it. He told me that law abiding citizens, forced to defend themselves with their own guns would have to give it up and that only the bad eggs would acquire them illegally. I read somewhere that it is a right for citizens to carry arms for defence, (am I wrong?) and confiscating guns/ enforcing gun control would be akin to denying them of their rights.

That is not right, or is it? Marital disputes that sometimes result in the death of a spouse could have been averted if a gun was not present in the house. Likewise the tragedy that parents dread most in their lives , losing a child, are sometimes realized when a child either commits suicide with a loaded gun or kills their sibling over an arguement. I get scared at the sight of guns nowadays, unlike before in Nigeria when I would run around with childhood friends and toyguns playing Police and Thief.

What do you all think?

The man just wants publicity which the media, unfortunately are granting him.

Whether they are dating or not, how this one concern us? Will their relationship put bread and butter on our table or even change our lifestyle? I mean, really, what sort of difference will their relationship (be it true or not) make in our lives?

Is it really true that blood samples found at the crime scene were those of OJ? Yeah, his defense attorneys insisted that the blood was tampered, but I am quite clueless as to how that works

Thank God in the Highest, Amen.

And a round of applause for the members of this forums who may have informed you with the vacancies in the bank. I like it here that there are some kind-hearted folks who are watching out for the interest of others. Please keep it up!!!

One man's meat is another man's poison, so says the adage.

That my experiences in boarding school was great, does not mean my kids would enjoy it, so I am not sure if I woud send them or not. But I would like them to have the exposure of being independent at a young age, which boarding school inculcated in me

We have to take into consideration that different societies have different cultures. For the Scots, wearing a skilt/skirt is part of the norm for the men folk which on the other hand is an anathema in our culture. So before we hurl stones at 'offenders', we have to factor in their way of life and culture.

Jehovah and allah are not the same with solid proofs to back it up. In the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ Is the Son of God, while the koran does not recognize the Deity of Jesus Christ. Cant be the same

Na wao!!!. Now, salaries are in the million naira range. During my college days back home, if you snagged a 5,000 naira a month job, you were "Omo". Now, I am even hearing that 20k a month is pittance.

@hotstepper, 10 million naira a year? That is a lot of money and would certainly lure some Nigerians abroad to return home.

Goodluck to all of you job seekers.


And for those who have been renumerated handsomely by their employers in Nigeria wont be tempted in the least to abandon it for America/London. It will be a rude shock to anybody who earns that money to move out here and start at the bottom of the totem pole.

Still relevant, not really for the unity for Nigeria, but for the exposure one gains during the NYSC. I served in Kano State and had loads of fun during the three week orientation at the camp in Wudil. I wish I could contact my fellow corpers who were my roommates. How time flies!!!

The trial of O. J. Simpson in the USA was one of the most sensational trials that made a mockery of the judicial system. It showcased the power of privilege and money and the never ending divide between blacks and whites in the USA. Acquited for killing his ex-wife, Nicole and her friend, Mr. Goldman, his freedom was marked by public outcry from majority of whites and cheers of applause by majority of blacks. To majority of blacks, O.J's acquital was a consolation for the past injustices meted to them by the judicial system While the media capitalized on the trial for their ratings bonanza and more than a few sycophants using the trial to spearhead their career with talkshows, book deals, the question remains, Is he guilty of homicide or was it a set up?

Hiring Johnnie Cochran as his lead defense, the trial lawyer from Los Angeles was able to sway the jurors to spare his life. Cochran was able to convice the jurors that the gloves that did not fit the suspect, disgraced Mark Furhman at the stand with tapes of him uttering the infamous N, word despite his earlier denials. Blood tampering at the crime scene was another accusation, the DNA of the suspect, whether it was found at the crime scene or not was irrelevant at the moment. At the end of the trial, a beaming O. J. Simpson walked out of the court as a free man.

At work, my co-worker told me that the defense did a good job in securing O.J's release, despite her conviction that O.J. was guilty. She told me that she would have voted for his acquital, because the prosecutors could not present compelling evidences that could have implicated O.J.Simpson. This was even contrary to her earlier claims that she knew that O. J. Simpson was guilty. So, I asked her, "If you then know that this man is guilty, why would you acquit him, and she replied, "Well, the defense did a good job, so I will go with the testimony of whichever side presented a compelling proof". I refused to side with her, and told her that no matter how good a defense attorney may be, justice must always trump injustice in the society.

Would you all agree with me? How would you have voted if you were a juror on O. J. Simpson's trial?

My days in Nigeria were the best times of my life. I attended UNICAL staff school in Calabar, and was sometimes chauffeured to school with my younger brother. Our parents did a wonderful job rearing us and till today, I am thankful to God for letting my parents raise us up in Nigeria. Truthfully, I doubt if I would have been so happy with life if I had stayed back in Washington D.C.

Remember waking up in the morning to have your Lunch box filled with sandwich by mother for school, and on top of that, she will give me some money for snacks. (Mom/pops you were what every child desired in their parents, love you so much"

Remember break time when icecream vendors would sell their wares to students (abi pupils) with assorted flavors of different colors tucked in waterproof.
What of Royal Icecream that once made it into my neighborhood in Calabar and I told my elder brother that I would eat icecream if I worked there. My brother told me that the business would collapse under me

Who remembers saturday play house at University of Calabar? Never went there, but my brother actually attended. It was on a weekend.

Birthday parties in school was off da hook. Celebrate it, and a classmate of the opposite gender will present flowers to you. At the same time, your mom will be in class arranging your birthday confectionaries with your teacher. That day is your day in school. Prefered to celebrate mine at home though.

Hmm, what else? We were banned from purchasing icecream and meatroll in school, but students broke bounds and would cross the street to Unical quarters where the professors/workers of UNICAL worked, and buy icecream.

Another one, on Friday, me and my classmates would stroll to the library to read Enid Blyton's novels. It was so refreshing being out of the class for an hour period indulging in childhood fantasies.

Then the Christmas party when Father Christmas would come to school, complete with presents. My dear mother would drive us to one shopping mall along Marian extension and shop for gifts for us and then those gifts would be given to us by father Christmas at the end of the Christmas gala. Dont know how she pulled that one thought. Now Christmas gala at Unical staff school was one in town, I think, you SHOULD see the display accompanying it. It was mostly a potluck affair. Momsie would bake, drive down to school and present them to the headmaster. Then on a weekend, (I think), party go start, with us kids wearing our Sunday best. Occasionally, parents would arrive to keep their children company. You wont believe it, but when I left staff school to high school, me and my senior brother always frequented the parties till we left Calabar. And we were welcome with open arms. As austerity measures took effect in Nigeria, the treats gradually disappeared. This was in the 80's, so I wonder if those parties are still in existent.

There was this primary school called Obufa Esuk that was very close to us. During parties, those pupils sometimes fought with my mates. I don't know what exactly would lead to the confrontation. My mates would say that these pupils were jealous of the parties that they could not attend and would fight with us, out of jealousies, their defence was that we were just oppressing them. It used to be quite severe.  You know how kids would carry around icecream just to lure their enemies. Chei, life is indeed not fair. I did not realize the great divide between the rich and the poor in Nigeria and never counted my blessings at that time. There was this lady who, people said had mental problems and she used to harrass the pupils of Obufa Esuk with stones. Those pupils were afraid of her. My school was fenced and once, when I saw the lady hiding in the bush for her next 'prey'. I kept quiet. One or two girls of that institution had angered me and I communicated with the lady who hid in the bush, waiting for them. As soon as they appeared, the lady almost pounced on them, and see how these girls ran ,  It was something else.

Secondary school. Now, here was drama. Beatings from senior students compelled junior students to become day students. This is what happened. Your father will entrust you with boarding/school fees. You will pay the school fees, and take the boarding fees with you to rent a room in Afaha (a village very close to my school). Now 110 naira was a lot of money in the 80s, plus your pocket money, provisions, you could live a somewhat cushy life. But here is the catch. Since your parents are not aware of it, you have to be on the lookout on visiting day. And you know, sometimes parents would drop by unannounced on non visiting days, so you must be extra vigilant. Most parents did not know about it, and the teachers who knew, however could do nothing about it. But here is a very funny story that happened in my SS1. I left boarding school back home to be a day students, but my parent opposed it. Returned to school with my boarding fees, and my friend tried to convince me to live with him in his studio in the village. That probably wont not have been a problem at all. But at the last minute, I paid my fees, much to the anger of my friend. (My parents did not know of the system, they TRUSTED me with money, with a capital T.  so I probably would have gotten off the hook)

My friend mocked me each time I told him that I was beaten and he would go on to narrate to me that he ate "Afang soup" for breakfast  and so on. One day, one of his friends mother was visiting. This guy was not around. His mother waited and waited for him, but the guy did not show up. The guy had gone to my friend's bunk and my roommates in the dormitory were panicking, trying to convince his mother that her son had gone to the stream to wash his clothes. His mom suspected something was amiss, and told me in confidence that she suspected that her son had visited his dad in town (The parents were divorced, unfortunately). So, she told me to tell her son that she was going to beat him up on campus. As soon as the mother left the school gate and climbed the bike, the boy just appeared and shouted (I think) "Mama", but the distance stilled his voice. Following monday, his mother appeared again, and confronted the son. That was when a teacher, appeared out of nowhere and told the mother of the secrets of the students. Some of them were not boarders, but used the boarding fees, entrusted in their hands to pay for lodgings out of campus. The mother was just highly disappointed and left the scene with the provisions that she bought for the son. That same period, another fallout for another friend of my friend. This guy was a very brilliant chap, and his parents found out that he was a day students. So, they went to his bunk in the village (Afaha), and had him in tow with his trunk box on his head and marched him to the principal's office, which was almost in the middle of the school. That day was a school day and nearly all the students watched the 'free cinema' that was unfolding as the guy made his way (with his parents behind him) to the principal's office. IT was a very funny scene and students were just lauging over it. His father who could not overcome his shock, just said in amazement

"My small son is capable of impregnating a woman"

That year, I made it into ss11. Unfortunately, my friend who had tried to convince me to live with him did not pass his exams. That soured our friendship, because the following year, when I went to his class to visit another friend of mine, he saw me, and was fuming. He ordered me out of his class and was just fuming and complaining and all that. Thought I was trying to rub my success on his face. Our friendship could not be repaired since then, but no malice against him.

Same guy, that prior to his experience as a day student got into trouble with school authorities. I was smoking garri with another friend of mine (who would later be his classmate the following year) in the dorm while this friend of mine was with two other friends of his. The governing rule amongst students was NCNC, "no contribution, no chop". So after I was done with my food and requested to join them, my friend and I were turned down. Big mistake. Me and my friend left. Meanwhile my other friend with his friends were just eating when they were busted by our teacher. He lined all three of them up, along with their 'spoil'. My friend had contributed water, the junior student a bowl of garri and the third party had on glucose (a substitute for sugar). So, they were marched to all the classes in school and the scene was just funny. Afterwards, they were punished by the teacher by cutting grass. A quarell broke out among them, and they mocked each other on their contribution. One of them even said, "Well, I contributed Glucose for the 'feast", so that raised my profile on campus among the female students, and what about you, garri of all food"? Garri then was regarded as food for the underprvileged. I could go on and on again, but it would be too much.

My expereinces in Naija was extrememly memorable. With all honesty, I just cant fathom growing up elsewhere apart from Naija with all these experiences. Nigeria was a wonderful place to grow up. Thank God that I grew up there.

www.nigerianmemories..com

Holes in your discourse.

Which company would be willing to sponsor a lady as well as a spouse, because "they liked her so much , "

And since they sponsored you, why were you not hired immediately by them, instead of allowing you to while away time?

A lady made some silly remarks about your wife, and you forwarded the conversation to your wife, in order to exonerate yourself from her suspicions that you were having an affair. Come, how old are you?

I find it hard to believe your story, but if it is true indeed, commit yourself to prayers and fasting. Prayers does wonders.

Another person offers an insightful commentary on this topic, "Hired helps". Quite similar to my earlier discourse.

Read this:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/cdd9677b4339ed898c384cb0c02c402d.htm


OU ARE HERE: Homepage > Newsdesk > Article
NIGERIA: Domestic workers or modern day slaves?
12 Sep 2006 17:44:42 GMT
Source: IRIN
Printable view | Email this article | RSS XML [-] Text [+]

LAGOS, 12 September (IRIN) - Human traffickers make good business taking poorly educated girls from Nigerian villages to toil as domestic workers in the sprawling urban throb of Lagos. But the girls, some as young as five years old, see little or none of their earnings.

Tonia Ayo-Ola, 19, has worked for three months without a day off. Each morning she is up by 6 a.m. preparing breakfast for her "master".

She doesn't roll out her sleeping mat on the living room floor, until after the last person is in bed, often well after midnight.

"I have no friends, I never go out and no one comes looking for me. I am not happy. It is not that they are wicked to me but it is not like being with my family - I am not free," Tonia said.

Tonia has never been paid for her toil, though she knows the traffickers promised her family an unspecified sum of money at the end of the year, when she hopes to return home.

If the girls get any money at all after the traffickers have levied their "transport fees" and "commission" it is only a fraction of what they laboured for, said Justina Onifade of the United Nations Chidlren's Agency, UNICEF.

Across West Africa, millions of girls like Tonia -- and less often boys -- are effectively sold into slavery as domestic workers. Sexual, physical and emotional abuse is widespread. Many are kept under lock and key, and have no contact with anyone outside their employers - no one to turn to for help.

Once away from their families, the girls are at the mercy of the traffickers who, in some cases, move them from household to household pocketing their wages.

Tonia Ayo-Ola's ordeal started when recruiters came to her village in Ogun State just north of Lagos and said they could fix her up with a job as a domestic worker with a well off family in the city.

A deal was struck with her brother, and the next thing Tonia knew she was heading to Lagos to work in a stranger's house.

As the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa, Lagos is a nerve centre for human trafficking according to UNICEF.

Tackling Nigeria's problem with internal trafficking is a first step towards addressing Nigeria's role as a hub for international human trafficking networks, according to Orakwue Arinze of the Nigerian government's National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP).

"Internal trafficking is the ingredient for international trafficking as once [these girls] are taken from their family, anything can happen," Arinze said.

Child trafficking is one of the fastest growing organised crimes with an estimated 1.2 million victims per year, according to UNICEF.

In a regional bid to tackle the problem, members of the regional economic body ECOWAS recently agreed on a plan of cross-border cooperation.

In an additional measure, the Nigerian government has passed a law making it illegal for under 18s to work in the household of non-family members. But labour is so cheap that domestic help is the norm, and few Nigerians are aware of the law.

NAPTIP officials say that it's a fight against poverty in a country where the UN estimates 70 percent of the population live on less than US $1 a day.

"Poverty can make someone act like an animal, as it is animalistic to look at your children like something you can sell - in fact, even animals don't do that," NAPTIP's Arinze said.

NAPTIP is working with UNICEF to reunite trafficked domestic workers with their families. But UNICEF's Onifade said the task is complicated because some of the youngest children do not know their father's names or where they are from.

For others, UNICEF is working with the government to provide hundreds of domestic workers in Lagos with vocational or literacy classes to broaden their horizons.

At the Agege Vocational Training Centre, young women, girls and one or two young men, can chose from a range of classes, including hairdressing, fashion design and even "snailery", the rearing of African giant snails which are a favourite dish in southern Nigeria.

Just getting the girls out of the house and around other people can dramatically improve their situation, enabling them to meet peers and perhaps find support if they feel they are being abused or mistreated.

But the free programme will probably never reach the most vulnerable girls.

"At these centres girls are brought out of the house. They get to know their rights, they share experiences and get support," Onifade said. "That is exactly the reason some masters will never release them."

ss/nr


Culled from

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/cdd9677b4339ed898c384cb0c02c402d.htm

How about you propose to him? Nothing wrong with that!!!

Hmm, spikedcylinder. Housemaid placement agencies? I need to keep abreast of Nigerian news, cos, I have never heard of that. I left naija in the 90's and during my childhood, my parents got their maids through word of mouth from relatives or friends in the village. For the most part we treated them well, and some of them left on good terms. But as a grown up, I feel that we should overhaul the system of hiring servants in Nigeria. Some people abuse their servants as if they are non human beings. It is not fair at all!!!

I read in my local newspaper in 1996 that Wrestling is fake, and even the wrestlers have confessed to the stunts. I was very disappointed and thought I had been taken for a ride when I read the revelation. Since then, I sort of lost interest in the show. In Naija, as a kid, just the mere mention of "wrestling is on tv" will just excite me.

Angels can live forever.

Our mortality can be traced to the disobedience of our forefathers, Adam and Eve, who disobeyed in the Garden of Eden. Since then, everybody from the human race is appointed to die once, and then face judgement. The only persons that did not face death were Elijah and Enoch.

Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, be willing to turn away from your sins, and trust in Him. Then, after death, one will live an eternal live in Heaven.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said ", Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again, " (John 3:3-7).

Culled from

http://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html

P/S: If you are not born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God. That is absolutely true!!!

Nigerian is home for me, despite the good, the bad and the ugly.

www.nigerianmemories..com

I love the Psalms, I love the Gospels, especially the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That always brings me Joy when I read it. Remember the passage of the Bible when the loved ones of Jesus Christ went to His tomb to annoint His Body and on their way, wondered who would roll out the Tomb for them. Then, when they had arrived, Lo and Behold, Jesus Christ Had Risen from the Dead, Hallelujah!!!

Another verse that I love in the Bible is the story of Samson. Remember when the Angel of the Lord appeared to his parents, gave them a list of instructions to follow, and when they had performed the sacrifices to God, the Angel of the Lord Ascended into Heaven in the Flame of the Altar. I believe that the Angel of the Lord might have been Jesus Christ.

God is Wonderful!!!. Praise Unto His Holy Name in Jesus Name, Amen.

Yeah, but we the educated masses can also help them too by speaking out on their behalf. Houshelps bear the brunt of work in Nigeria for most of the day, without any respite, or overtime. Their salary is fixed, and their days off work is nil. Now, in America, if you are an hourly employee and work past 8 hours, you get paid overtime. Weekend jobs, though common here, sometimes result in a higher pay. Child labor has been overlooked for a very long time in Nigeria, and we have to put our hands on deck and end this injustice.

Good question. At first, I would have attributed racism as the reason for the reluctance for American companies to hire Nigerians/Africans in their respective field, but having lived abroad for quite some time now, I would disagree if those charges were brought up. Back in Naija, I interned in some department at a bank that had absolutely no relevance to my course of study in college. But did I have a choice? The lure of money was more attractive than sweating it out at a newspaper (which, I think were not even accepting interns). So, did I gain any worthy experience at the bank at the end of the programe? Sincerely, nothing, aside from the paycheck. Now, that is the norm on campus, at least during my days as a student, intern at a company that would reward you financially and at your graduation, try and lobby for a permanent job.

When I moved out here, I found out on the importance of internship programs. Some students are willing to take an unpaid internship programe just for the experience which would prove valuable for them after graduation. When the HR director scans at your resume and notices that your experiences matches the vacancy advertised, and there is a contact number for them to pursue one's previous work experience, then that applicant stands a better chance of snagging the job than their newly arrived and desperate Nigerian counterpart who has no solid experiences needed for the job. Working for Julius Berger, and including that on your resume wont make an impact, compared to an Engineer who graduated from Stanford and offered inputs on improving Mass Transit in the area. In that case, the thought of racism wont even crop up on my mind, because the difference is 7up (clear).

However it may be a different case for people of different colors who have the same experience.

Cheers,

Well it is fiction. . (Chinani)


It isnt fiction since it is in the Holy Bible that Sarah actually gave her handmaid, Hagar to her husband, Abraham, so that he would procreate his genealogy.

And this trend persists in today's world. I heard of a lady, impressed by the work of her maid, encouraged her husband to marry her, which he did. (Sorry, dont want to delve into it)