₦airaland Forum

Looks like you just had a run with the police.
Those guys can be pretty annoying.
They really do need this Police science and much more!

ibkaye:
Nigerian Police?

Useful?

https://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/24.gif

Ok ok, not all of them are like that but still

I luv this!!!

Unusually hoooootttttttt!! And almost unbearably so. Is this how it usually is?

olabowale:
A post-civil war birth speaks without any sense. Is Islam the property of the North?Are there no Igbos who are Muslims? Is there no Yoruba Muslim? I am neither Hausa, Aboki, Alumanjiri nor northern person. Yet my face announces Islam when you see me.

Let me tell you something: The elders of Igboland do not think like you. A person who misbehaves, like the Abokis and Alumanjiris, has you have stated above, is not doing so because Islam permits him. He is doing so because of his ignorance. Islam teaches no destructions or stealing of somebody else's properties.

Now that you are foolishly announcing and thereby inciting mayhem in Nigeria, of one citizenry, based on tribe over another, I hope you will be the first to put your life on the line for "Biafra?" These evil names, Biafra, Arewa or Oduua, etc are dispeakable means of separating us, instead of uniting us.

What will happen if war starts allover again? You expect Husbands and Wives to suddenly leave each other for your "tribal rift?" I have news for you: Yakubu Gowon, married Victoria at the height of the war in 68/9. Instead of you suggesting a war to bring harmony, what you have done is to tear down the curtain of the "fragile" relationship that could be built in time to healthy relationship, whereby people can just be citizens, instead of tribe first.

I hope the Igbo people will ride the society off, of people like you.

While I agree with the general view that the initial posting is a stupid article, I would also add that the pain felt by people who read the things happening daily in Nigeria can only be expressed in an uncouth manner as the poster has done.
Its painful to see violence happening in Jos, or the mobbing to death of an innocent teacher in Gombe, or all the other politics- turned- religious violence that have taken place in the North and are usually started on Fridays.

All the violence the world over that's coming out of extreme ideologies from one religion is just too disturbing. No it's not a thing with Northern Nigeria. Its not a tribal problem between Hausas and Igbos.
Whats the connection between killings in India and violence in Jos. Its ideological. Islam has not been able to separate itself from violence.

Thats my problem with your critique of the poster. The poster is angry and has found his only way to express that anger, albeit stupidly. Maybe we should look beyond the stupidity and see the pain. Nobody wants to watch his people been killed for no reason whatsoever.

Nice article. Loads of truth in it. Loads!

While I read through, I couldn't stop wondering if 200 years from now, we would still be that "dark continent". Because, how come 600 years after the Portuguese landed, nobody has taught it necessary that the fortunes of Africa must change?

So much pain on this land. The strife, disease, despair and starvation. When will it all end? It hurts to be reminded that you are African at a time like this.

But then, this quote gives you some strength

Sepular:
But there is a caveat; for what we have not yet achieved, is a great opportunity to not only attain, but to exceed all expectations of the doubters.

~U9

We really can change. The problems of Africa can be confined to history books. We all need to raise our excellence bars.

@Poster
On your first principles of reform: Security consolidation, energy reform, agrarian reform, and educational reform, while I commend the principles themselves, I think one omitted principle with greater priority is Ideological reform. Our excellence bar in Africa has to be raised. Africans have to come to an understanding of what the meaning of life in itself is. 600 years and we still don't have much value for it.
Maybe these are the functions of education.It hasn't worked. Really, I think an ideoligical reform is top priority and of the essence.

Also, if your organization would seek to effect change strictly via political means, I don't have a crystal ball, but I fear it would be like many others that have come and gone.
On the other hand, if the goal is to impact change at all cost, every means possible; business, politics, Socio- Economics, every means, then the sky is the foot mat and we'll have no limit.

Again, I applaud this very insightful write-up and I look forward to see good things coming out of it.

Hmmm,  Nigerians, if governance was as simple as we have just stated, then bravo. . . we wouldn't be in the current mess we are in.
I think for a more interesting read,  we should just state one thing we would do. . . . but more importantly, we should state how we are going to do it!!

You say you'll solve power problem. How are you going solve it. Whats your strategy?
You say constitutional review? How are you going to do that when there are powerful interests to stop you? You've got to state your strategy!

Governance might seem so simple. Naaah, its not that simple. It takes a lot to galvanize a group of people in a small company to do jobs they are paid to do, talkless of steering a whole nation where there are folks with different ideologies,  most of whom believe they have a stake in plundering the scarce resources.

Its going to be a hell of a task to come up with strategies to improve our economic conditions.

From what we've stated here, our performances would be much worse than all the leaders we've had in recent times.

Let's come out with more specific, top class, strategical input on how we are going to solve Nigeria's problems.

Aaaah. . . . OBJ fans. . . we plenty oh!
We've had an array of really bad Presidents in Nigeria, so the fact that OBJ is the best President Nigeria has had doesn't make him a very good president. But he is still the best we've had.

One of OBJ's achievements was creating a growing middle class. During OBJ's tenure, the Nigerian middle class grew tremendously.
Loads of new jobs were created in the Telecoms, IT, Banking and Food sectors. Countless new small businesses were opened.
Businesses were making tremendous amounts of money.

Secondly, OBJ created an outstanding environment for Telecommunications and IT to thrive. We have become the fastest growing and one of the most lucrative telecoms market. From 400,000 connected Nigerians in 1999 to 50 Million in 2007 is an outstanding achievement. Internet connectivity amongst Nigerians is so high that we account for a huge volume of internet traffic.

The banking revolution that OBJ @ SOLUDO created is undoubtedly a pacesetter and would be studied in institutions like Harvard, Wharton, etc for decades to come. Please people, we now use ATM machines! That's progress!!!

What about the fact that for the first time in my life Nigeria is not a debtor Nation. We no longer owe those billions Shagari and IBB mortaged our futures with. How about all the accolades we are getting form the likes of Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, S & P's etc. How about the fact that our GDP per capita has grown from about $280 in 2000 to about $2000 in 2007. Or the fact that the Naira is now stable or even appreciating. Or the Pension funds. Or the stock market that blossomed. The list is endless and I can go on & on.

However, OBJ Messed up in core Infrastructural development. He did little or nothing on roads besides a few.
He tried in power but failed(not his fault).
He messed up really bad in security- I can't believe he did nothing about security.
Then other areas like, Rule of Law,education and other core social services. . . he did not do well.


I left Nigeria in 1999 and I know how I left the country. It was in shambles. I met a different country in 2005. Things had definitely changed for the better. So I returned alongside loads of other Nigerian graduates based overseas.

But now with Yar' Adua's snail speed and the drop in Oil price, Nigeria as a country is not looking too hopeful. I hope the new nominees would be right and maybe things would pick up again.

Keep that flag flying and make us proud!! You'll definitely be missed! So hurry up and get back. In the meantime, stay safe!

PeeDaVinci:
you ask for my opinion and my opinion is that it doesnt seem you are thinking right , needless to state or argue any issue about ribadu with you!!!!

I agree!!

Nice article. Very perfect analogy!!
Happens everyday and everywhere!! Not just in taxation.
The poor always think the rich is the source of their problems.

However,I'm pretty sure this article was coined by a die-hard republican and I'm not a fan.

In Nigeria, speaking from experience, I wouldn't really advise folks, rich or poor to pay taxes until something fundamental is done to check corruption.
No, not just because the government would not use the money judiciously, but because much of the money, almost never gets to the government coffers.
They end up in the pockets of those collecting such revenues.

@Topic
Best post I've read on Nairaland in a while!

The average Nigerian is a pathological pessimist. And I don't blame her!! She has been beaten and battered for sooo long, that she can hardly accept good news.
It's like a slave girl who the king decides to marry and make her Queen! She would say "no, it can't be true, I was born a slave". It will take a lot of convincing to get her to put on the Tiara(crown) and wear those elegant Palace clothes. No, she will need a lot of time to accept her new life!

That's what I see here! Nigerians can't receive this news with ease!  They have been beaten and battered for so long!!

It's time to wake up! Nigeria is a hard place- no infrastructure, no security and yet it's soooo profitable. There's something positively strange  about this country. Something not taught in Economics & Business  textbooks.

And for those that don't know, there is a difference BTW Macro- economics and Micro-economics. The Big banks, Foreign Investors, Portfolio companies, hedge/Mutual funds, and the likes of Merill Lynch,etc, pay attention to Macro economic indicators. That's what affects their bottom line.
Micro-economic indexes which affect the common man like Nairalanders are the responsibility of your Federal, State and Local governments.

So is the Merill Lynch article right? Very,very right. Does it call for rejoicing? Somehow. . .  yes, but not exactly. The ranking just implies that we have the least exposure to credit and in times like these when credit is caustic, we are very safe. Add that to the price of oil and the fact that Soludo & co got a couple of things right in their economic strategies.  And you see that the Merill lynch ranking does make a lot of sense.

Good news is that Macro economic progress usually translates to Micro economic benefits for the common man. However, those benefits have to pass thru your Federal, State and Local governments where it will be used in purchasing 250 million Naira plots of Land in Parkview, Over-invoiced G-classes, Over priced Hilton/Sheraton/Eko Hotel accommodations and other miscellaneous expenses like room service Hennessy and a call girl to go!

So please lets not blame our micro economic woes on Merill Lynch! Their macro indicators are soo right!! Nigeria has the safest macro economy in the world. And we should be very optimistic, take advantage and live what we believe!

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

For me it's Barbados!!

Haba people. . . . . lets assume the poster doesn't know Fashola, whats wrong in at least just stating your own contribution to the Lagos Megacity project. . . at least let it be in the public space.
I learnt a lot from midas02 posting.
This is supposed to be a thread for intelligent minds. . . . so let the pessimists move over.

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I'm Inspired!

Whats ur price? I'm not buying though, just wanna know!!

If you move this to the Politics section , you will get loads of suggestions!

Asides, the folks you just mentioned are either not politicians or are amongst the worst politicians around.

He didn't say he was running for president.

, Plus, I'm very sure a lot of Nairalanders can readily afford it. That's 1.4 billion Zimbabwean Dollars right?

Way, way overpriced!! But a crash is coming with express alacrity!!
The prices have never made sense to me.

That's why America predicted a break-up by 2015.

Kobojunkie:
Oh!!! until the stats say NORTH-CENTRAL, na ojoro?? roflmao!!!

North Central is majorly Christian, with states like Plateau, Kwara, Nassarawa, etc, Hence doesn't so much of have an educational problem.

It tells you that the educational problems of the north are an Ideological one, not geographical.

About shifting resources to the North, I bet you it wont work. I think the South is much much smarter now.
Asides, all those things they did previously like Quota system, JAMB, PTF, etc, they didn't improve education in the North, in fact they only worsened it.
On the other hand, Quota System, JAMB etc actually helped the south develop a very robust private sector educational system.

RichyBlacK:
Balarabe Musa is only speaking from his myopic position.

The relative position of two entities (any) cannot be perpetually fixed. B. Musa must be an idiot to insinuate that the current reality of the North being behind the South in education will be so in perpetuity.

The North can catch up in about two decades:

1. The deliberate anti-education policy of the old Northern leaders is replaced with an enthusiasm for education by the younger leaders.

2. Investment in education is ramped up - secondary school libraries and labs, primary school furniture, university professors, etc. Better pay for teachers (higher than in the South), for professors and for education administrators.

3. Improved security and robust legal system to investigate, apprehend and convict persons that mastermind, sponsor, execute, condone or in any way partake in riots that result in the loss of life and property. This will encourage many Southern and foreign teachers to relocate to the North as teachers, administrators and professors.

4. Massive effort to source books from Europe and North America. This should include encouraging (tax incentives, etc.) publishing houses to open up businesses in North and negotiating copyright deals so that some books can be reprinted at reduced cost in the North (just as in some provinces in India).

5. Negotiate deals with lab equipment manufacturers to supply these materials to the North. Most equipment manufacturers earmark parts of their products as donations to developing nations through well-known educational charities.

6. Huge push for computerization and recruitment of computer teachers to move to the north and teach. With adequate security, volunteer computer, math and English teachers can be sourced from as far away as Brazil, France, Japan, the US, UK and Germany.

7. Utilization of the beautiful scenery, lush flora and diverse fauna of the North to attract foreigners as tourists. This would also mean encouraging business entrepreneurs in the South, to invest in the hospitality industry (hotels) in the North. This would put Northern Nigeria on the tourism map with a decade.

8. Finally, all 19(?) northern governments should come together, appoint an Education Improvement Czar (EIC) to oversee the initial (and beyond) phase of this 20-year effort to improve education in the North. That individual should be from anywhere in the globe - Japanese, Igbo, French, Yoruba, German, Hausa, Brazilian, Jamaican, Ijaw, Indonesian etc. The project must be internationalized, but streamlined within the context of Northern Nigeria. We've all seen the benefits (Clemens Westerhof) of having foreign football coaches isn't it? Why can't the North appoint a foreigner, residing in, say Jos, as the EIC?

The North can do this, but are their leaders willing to start doing something now?

Nice article man. Very articulate and pointed solutions you've given. Folks like you should be the ones running the government. I like the sharp and direct approach you've stated, even though I disagree with the possible workability, especially considering the fact that the  lack of education in the North is both an ideological as well as a cultural one.
[b]
@Topic
[/b]I think this is very good for the country. The competition between the North and South if followed fairly, would stimulate economic development. I think the competition should be encouraged.

On the comment by Balarabe Musa, that the north can't catch up, he is soooooooo right for the following reasons and more.

1) It will take at least a decade of intense brainwashing (no disrespect intended)  to get the average Northerner to see the benefits of getting quality education. Many don't speak English, so that's another hurdle they have to scale.

2)The South has a very voracious, non-governmental, private sector driven educational system. This means that whenever Southern State governments do nothing about improving educational standards, the private/ non governmental sector fills the gap by building more and more private institutions of better and better standards.
Case in  point: The number of New Universities been opened over the last five years by Churches/Private Individuals  in the South is maybe 7 times the number of new Universities opened by Government.
I don't know how any Northern government policy can catch up with that.

3)The most important point in my view is the number of Southerners going overseas to study. The numbers are outstanding. This means that even if the North has the political will and gets to spend all monies required and revamps its educational systems, their products(Graduates) would still be competing with southerners that have attended some of the best Universities in the world.

Balarabe is sooooooo right. Two decades would not be enough, even if the South were were frozen with ice.

I don't advice you to stay in VI or IKOYI, especially if you are on a tight budget. The hotels in these areas for $100-$200 are to the best of my knowledge decrepit.
My advice would be Lekki. You'd find a couple of really cool new hotels after the first roundabout.

I would reccomend Lekki Astoria. Brand new hotel with really cool rooms,free internet in room, etc. I stayed there recently for just around $70. Same hotel would go 4 maybe 200+ usd in VI OR Ikoyi.

Keep rising to the top!!!

Overseas has over a hundred countries man.You got to specify where.
The first thing you should do would be to determine where you want to go. i.e what continent.
After that, find schools in the region that suit your credentials and career plans.
Countries with very good schools in your budget range include most West and Central European countries,Highly developed Asian Countries(Japan, Korea and Singapore) then maybe New zealand, UK and USA would be just fine but you budget might not be suitable.
Do a pretty good search using the site below.
www.findaschool.org

iceland:
Yeah! and since that time the value of Naira was falling at the speed of light!That shit was demonic,people just did not notice.(thanks to obasanjo and soludo) like you said

Wow! That's true. Ever since they removed that inscription, the Naira has been growing stronger for the first time in decades. What on earth did the inscription mean??

Hmmm! Defying the law of Gravity!

Never heard of it though.

@Lucabrasi
You are muddling up the need for quality health care infrastructure with the need for free health care.
Funnily, free health care would hamper the needed investment in health care infrastructure.Monies which would hitherto have been spent on building qualitative hospitals and buying equipments would now have to be spent on free health care.
Remember most of that money would be spent on treating people with easy to cure/avoidable diseases like malaria.

[quote author=madamkoko
link=topic=154942.msg2730564#msg2730564 date=1220126931]Free Healthcare in Nigeria CANNOT work.  

Meaning: FREE is not the issue but QUALITY Healthcare.

Poor people will continue to have access to rubbish, and rich people will continue to send their families abroad for treatment.[/quote]Perfect finish.Right on point!

@Topic
Hey, it's a scam.It's either Nigeria (some top government officials) is trying to swindle Iran or they are trying to extort some cash from the US or E.U.

No. On a second thought,I'm guessing Iran wants to scare the west into believing that they would share Nuclear secrets even with third world countries.

So they figure hmmm. . . . ."Nigeria is the most corrupt country in the world . . . . we can pay some government officials to pretend as though we have signed a pact". That way, the west will get the message!!! Or so they think.

Nonsense!! What Nuclear technology does Iran have to offer? They not even an industrialized nation not to talk Nuclear agreement. It's like going to the hospital and instead of visiting a Doctor, you start asking a patient what the solution to your problem is. Then the patient decides to give you advice and prescription based on what the Doctor gave him.

In Nuclear Technology Iran is patient, not even a student, a patient!!

lucabrasi:
i wonder why some set of we nigerians will always chime in the negative 9 times out of ten each and every time, cuba has shanties and people living rough yet they have one of the best medical facilities in the world,india is one of the dirtiest countries in the world yet heart surgeries and other complicated surgeries is done routinely,so does it mean that because people are living next to thrash and teenagers are sniffing they do not qualify for health care??guess its the children living in ikoyi,lekki,aokoro,e.t.c who do not sniff or live next to thrash that are more qualified then
@topic
if healthcare for all is the only achievement for the present administration,then nigerians will pray for them no matter how much money they v stolen,the problem is not the skills,funds or other logistics but the will to actually make it happen

Lucabrasi,
Health care for all is different from free healthcare for all.
Health care for all means that,Health facilities, Human resource, drugs and all paraphernalia of health care would be available for all. Now this don't mean it is going 2 be free.

On the other hand, free health care for all, means health care should be free in the country. It doesn't pay much attention to the quality of health care.It just says health care should be free.

A good example of freebies is Northern Nigeria. Education has been free in most of Northern Nigeria for decades. This has not in anyway improved education in the region.

The fact remains that free health care for all is unworkable in Nigeria. A comprehensive health insurance plan that would enable wealthier folks cover up some costs for poorer folks is more ideal.

Cuba's population is 12 times less than that of Nigeria so it's not an ideal comparison.Besides, the operate a communist system where about everyother thing is free. Also, they have invested well in their health infrastructure over the decades, well as we haven't spent anything in ages. So whatever monies available should be used for developing health infrastructure instead of paying for free health care.

Impossible!!

Let's assume that just 30% of Nigerians fall sick twice in a year. That would amount to 50 million people with 100 million hospital cases.
If it would cost just $100(very inadequate) average to treat each person, that would be 50 million x 2 x $100 = 10 Billion dollars for very substandard healthcare at the most conservative estimate.
That would be more than half of our budget for last year. The country will go bankrupt in a year and more people will be neeeding healthcare as a result of malnutrition,

I think as stated, pregnant women,under 18s, over 65s, critically ill people, and those with unique ailments should have some kind of free healthcare.

The rest of us should pay preferably via a comprehensive health insurance plan

Asides, I wouldn't want free healthcare for myself or family, as health is too precious to have it free.

Mormons come to mind!!