₦airaland Forum

I think the problem is with the govt. not landlords and home owners. Let govt. built thousands of homes and not sell them for 4 and 8 million, but rent out by the month. I think that would be more like getting it right.

I'm not sure if the govt. could go to the market-say Alaba- and enforce price regulations.

Lastpage,
You have to keep in mind that, if such laws are left to the debate of the public, it would become law in a heart beat. There are more tenants out there than landlords., also, I think its a failed course from jump street.
Like one of the law markers said, the govt. is not collecting his own dues monthly, but yearly, so where is the morality for asking that landlord do?.
I'm in the process of buying a 4 plot land in Lagos and the fees are crazy, the lawyers is asking, relatives of the owners,surveyors and the biggest of all were that paid to Lagos state. So, its sad. Now, to think that if I put the planned commercial property there, I'll only be able to collect by the month, I'll never realize my capital back, but in 20 or more yrs.
I bought a 12 family apartment complex in California a while ago and it cost about 812K, I paid less than 20 cash. That way, I could do a month by month and still make 5 to 8 hundred dollars every month. In Nigeria, you have to cough out the 30M naira that would build a similar project. No story! I'm sure we all know the deal how it works in Nigeria.

I'm not saying that the status quot should remain, even the status quot ante wasn't good enough. We need a new Nigeria,one that must start with the govt. not the landlords. You may say, well it should start with us all, yes, but start as in start proper, build govt housing all over Lagos start, one that landlords could not match, I'm sure if our commercial properties are empty, we'll give them out even at weekly rate. treat the problem(s) from the root not from the flowers.

If you take a closer look,those who hawked at one point in time and were able to READ turned out pretty good in life. Not suggesting that, hawking made the difference,but I'm saying that,the discipline instilled was invalueble.


some hawked and are still in the street selling recharge cards or now own a small kiosk others used the attendant lessons and blossomed into greatness,at least something admirable.

Seen a few posters saying,they're better off today. Personally,I'm doing very well.Glad my mom is here to enjoy it.

That's true, thinking about it now hurts,but back then it was just fun.I did it for me.I mean I kept my earnings,it was never for the family,mom was trying to teach me something,though not recommended today,I guess it worked for her.She chills now in a nice home in Southern California with Mexican and Filipino maids serving her,courtesy the same kid she taught the virtues of hustling. I think its just the grace of God.For me I owe it to God,not the hawking,though its sort of a slight part of it.

[b]This topic sends a chill of nostalgic feelings down my feet. I laughed at some posts with some tears too. I mean,I never remembered my experience in that line,but wow!, I did hawk. My mom who runs a store would send me out to hawk matches-lighter sticks-, I sold in rolls and sometimes would sell the match boxes too. It was fun back then, but somewhat sad thinking about it now. The experience was instructive,no doubt it helped.
  Parents weren't poor so to speak. All the money I made was for me and me only.Had money to buy pair of city jeans back then. I was around 14-16. boy! look at me today, God is been great.
As an adult today,those experience is made me a better person.Though I did that for a few months,my mom made sure I was doing something always to keep me busy and earning at the same time.Today, I mean Today, I'm a force by the grace of God.I have US senators writing to my office,have a US govt. car,represented the US govt. in Japan,Australia and Singapore,can walk in the white house,no questions asked-secret clearance-,God is been great. My mom now lives in a huge home in California,thanks to the instructive hawkings, lol. I must say that, you do not hawk your way to where I'm today, you just faith into it by GRACE, [/b]

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We could react to this in different ways.psychologically,emotionally or even philosophically. If you read the entire thread you will see that, some folks just throw the trowel and say, you know what, that's how it is and it will be so for a long time,some call on God to effect changes,some are just upset with the status quo. I think all the feelings are justified in some ways.
Yes,its a shame.I think people come into politics to steal,yes Powell may come to Nigeria and decide to steal,or maybe Adeboye's son.But, please,doing it after your father had done it is a slap to the face. To rape our mother(Nigeria)after your dad had just done the same would evoke a lot of anger. More so, when he is about to use looted money.Its an insult on our collective integrity. We can't deny the fact that he has a right to vote and be voted for,but we are saying that his dad has dealt a blow that we're still trying to recover from its impact,that's not enough,we have reason to believe that,he is benefit from that suffering that the blow is causing us. Maybe if he uses all that money to fix power supply in Kano and reface the entire social infrastructural decay in Kano(only),then they may have a reason to vote for him after a promise not to steal any money.Also, declaring his asset,all bank accounts and never to travel outside the country. I mean clearly redeem his(father's)image.

[b]There are but a lot of angles to this development. Its rather disheartening that a thing like this could happen in Nigeria and a few other African countries.But take a step back,how about OBJ,IBB and Buhari.These guys had all kissed the devil but still came out to seek or intend to seek public offices and even became president.
The Kano people are likely going to vote for him as governor. Stuff like these makes me sick to the stomach,but then again, "only in Nigeria". What can we do as individuals?. I must add that,Nigerians are killing Nigerians, look at the senators,governors even council men. I was at a meeting a few years go in Boston and a Nigerian guy walks in and I was like, wait a sec. I think I've seen this face in the newspapers in Nigeria,turns out he was one of the well know assembly men. Few days before,he had acquire a property worth Millions of Naira. He walked over and reached out his hands, I refused to shake hands with him, he was modified. I told the two Oyinbos sitting with me to ask him how much he makes a year and how much is the said property we're talking about. In real terms, his salary for 30yrs unspent will not buy that property. I won't disclose his name,sure you all know him, then again, does it matter who he was? aren't they all the same?. I'll say lets pray hope and work for a new Nigeria

Lawyer,
I had for a while now followed your post.I read law in Ife few years back. I sure would need your service in a related area.Please allow me a contact,email or phone.I know I had seen your contact at some point-not sure-,but my name is Peter.

Its very interesting how things aren't the way we actually thought the were before we had a first hand experience. Life in the west is amazing, but the fact remains that, its not a free zone. Citizens payed for the society and are still paying for it. Like the other threaders posited, life in the uk and america is not handled with kids gloves. papers or no papers. well i would offer a simple statistical fact from 03. "78% of americans have never seen 20 thousand dollars in their lifetime". Another 72% have never saved it up, now naijas go figure.

So i'm wondering what is meant by "making it". i had had a friend emailed me to send him 20k dollars, just likes its 20 naira.This was even when I was in school. i was like na wao!.Keep in mind some folks, africans too, have also had it nice, private business owners.but they are in the minority. some of us are able to buy one two house, not because we went to the seller with ghanna must go. Listen in 04, i walked into a bank with 2350 dollars it took the bank less than 15mins to call the police and to get them there. I was upset, well u know, maybe because I was black and from the almighty NIGERIA, but they showed me a bank policy to that effect. has nothing to do with your skin pigmentation or ethnic orientation. Its the system. Now, when u sit back in nigeria thinking once u're in the US its "heaven on west" and u will make 50k dollars in two months, a rethink may be advisable. I have friends who are doctors, make about 200k a year and they can't even afford to spare a 100 dollars, why? because they do not have it to give outside the budget.

Conclusively, its not easy here in a different as its not easy in Nigeria.Once again, we naijas would answer me by saying, I think i would prefer the not easy in america than the not easy in Nigeria. Well I would respect that, but keep in mind that,its not as easy as u had envisage. its cool, but u would need alot of grace to standout here.

While Nigeria is not the most dangerous country in the world, we just can't ignore the fact that, caution is a significant requirement when coming to nigeria, I mean one that is required more than is necessary when visiting other african countries like ivory coast and kenya. Go see what the TSA wrote about Nigeria and jamaica. I once had a female friend(white american) who visited Nigeria last year, she loved it and had since been there twice. She had absolutely no problem so to speak. Though she had to give police personel money on every encounter. Nigeria is one of the countries in the world where police officers could rob you, where u ride a bus with a police man and he stinks, now I don't say this to shame the country,I say it with tears in my heart. of all the things I have to worry about,the future of Nigeria is ONE of them. So i find it rather unsatisfactory when I'm addressed as one who sees Nigeria as an outsider.I was born there, I had represented that country in three international youth forums when I was in college back then.But she is in a decaying state right now and I think NL members in someway could do their own little bid in seeting things right rather than hide from the facts as it presents itself to the global cummunity. The reputation we have out there are not thrumped up, they're real and its still happening.Also, the US embassy under diplomatic agreement has its own security and they do have guns provided them by the US govt and not Nigerian govt.M16s baby!

wow, i was away from the united states for a while so never saw all these response to my post. Who is saying we need not be careful when going to Nigeria. Kokcity thanks a million for you counsel(thats one man I respect on nairaland). Well the caveat is that, I never went to Nigeria as planned then, but now, I'm on my way come a few weeks from today, bought myself a ticket already.
To Missworld. I'm a fullblood nigerian, an american citizen, by legislative rights, but still a nigeria, born in warri, know of warri bomar boys? i was one of them in high school. this is not a cult just a phrase for stubborn restless kids. education brought me to the US after masters studies I stayed and now work intelligence for the US govt. as a matter of fact the last time I was gonna come to Nigeria, job sent me to Japan for an official assignment. I'm loving the life I'm living, but please express no doubt. I dey kampe. On security, i would keep kokcity's advice to mind. Its tough in nigeria. I fear no evil. I got my own gun too, so bring it on. not sure if my lisence is valid in nigeria, but I can almost assure you that, the embassy would arrange one for me. all i have to do is declare an eminent threat, easy day. But just as some of you opined, laying low is the way to go. I'll touchdown come march****. that I should stay where I'm at right now? hell no!

i'm pressed to make a slight but logically conclusive input on this subject.magun sure exist, there is no physical lightening from the sky, note for seun, if the devil exst then magun exist, if we can kill by making poeple run crazy in secs. or by incantations, then magun is not an imposibility.killing poeple via withcraft is not allien to african culture, can understand why magun would be a huge exception, i have seen a man shake hands with my uncle, i was 9yrs old and he was dieing in secs. they had to beg this man to revive him, foaming in the mouth and all that kinda stuff, so once again, the hand and the vigina which looks more potent for a killing spell, we're africans and can't feighn ignorance to the existence of these things.gun bullet proof? its real, seen it first hand, see i'm from urhobo delta state and that was one of the things we do during our festivals, i may live in the usa now and with all modern gadjets, i know these shit exist.i was a recepient to the gun thing and knives and sharp objects, not sure if it still existed, but i know in 1987 i saw people being shot and stabbed with no effect, believe it or not.

[b][/b]This is such an interesting subject. I can't recall the names or user names of the previous threaders, but I would respond to the statement of the fellow who said s/he is an American and referring to the 30 credit degree earned by the Nigerian in an American university while he as an American got his at 120 credit points. very quickly, i guess the guy meant that, with a bachelors from Nigeria, all u would need to get thesame bachelors here is a 30 point credit and not the whole 120 criedits, got it? so its just like a revalidation process.
On the subject about Nigeria degrees, I must say firstly that, even American with American degrees do not get jobs like right off the bat.secondly, our degrees do suffer some kind of setbacks thats granted, as a threader opined, Americans would look at anyone from any other country with disdain. They would do this to to even your work experience and as also cited, our system is actually behind them, so guess what? we get just what we have. Now for an individual you got to find your way back to school.You may want to call it starting afresh, but you would turn out to be the better for it. also, should you get a job like I did? you got to show yourself, i mean prove your worth. all the offices I had work, Nigerians there shine like very well.so come with what you have,don't cry about it, go back to school if you can and shine. statistics showed that, there is no ONE major hospital in America without a Nigerian surgeon, you go figure!. they're doing very well, you sure do not want to hear their start point, even as doctors when they first arrive.
say you're an employer in Nigeria and some kid comes in from Togo, barely speaking English(in this case your accent, makes them think u just can't speak, eventhough you speak a better English then they do)but speaks French(cos to the average American, your accentuated English is like French to them cos they would in most cases understand only 42 percent of whatever u're saying).Now, this kid from Togo needs a job while u have the other guy born in lagos, knew the street got his masters and Bsc from Unilag, u sure would not even look at the Togo kid twice, would you?i guess not cos u don't even have the time to waste or take chances with some stranger, in America time is money. So as stated earlier, pls folks get your heads up!

Its heart disturbing when it comes to issues regarding Nigerian politics and the sorry state that it stands right now. come to think of it, the question of preelectoral debates is one of the very fundamental steps that we as Nigerian must and are required to adhere to before we ever wuld get to that point of true democracy. Its an unavoidable proceedure in the west, you shirk away from a debate, thats the end of your political aspirations, granted. Reason being that, the people in the west do actually pick their leaders, the reverse is the case is Nigeria, enough complaining about the status quo, its time we all have to begin to effect the needed changes, first by changing our mentality. We need move from the "oh its not possible, its always been that way, to the yes it would change and the time is now". Personally, i think we'll get there some day.

Firstly the idea of OBJ doing a 3rd term should be jettisoned as fast as possible. One, it would set a bad precedent for our nascent democracy. He should rather start a watchdog NGO at the best, I mean if he and his believers really love Nigeria.
Secondly, most of the people suggested by some of the threader are people who at one point in time have stolen from Nigeria. Well OBJ stole, yet he is rumoured to be doing good at the moment, so lets give some of this people a chance even though their hands are stained already. Nigeria would succeed as a country not by an angelic president, but by US citizens of that country, when we get to a point when we could stand up to our leaders.Protest and request their removal if they're found wanting.

If you're african, hun. you're african and you must have to feel that connection, even micheal Jackson with all the misbehavious, does know and feels pretty well that he is no doubt an african.
The connection? sure we all came from ONE source. The fact that you're saying you could feel it, tells me that you are a very soulish person, one who sees beyound the peripherals.Best wishes.

Oh yea, not sure about the burnt X block, guess I was done by then, I remember fst bread, its actually called Tech bread. I really do want to know if anyone here was on campus when it was said a girl took off her head in moz, it was a hit story(rumour) back then Moza girls were then branded eyori yori. Please Hola if you were around then.

Firstly it depends on your/our respected location. I know in DC and Giorgia there is an alumni association. If you're lagos on the other hand, there is also an alumni there too. So you could give money to the alumni closest to you or give manpower. I mean this is the quickest way to be a part of the Ife post graduation impact.
On the far end, depending on your pocket, you could arrange an academic motivational speaker and go do a conference there. There are quite a number of ways to help great Ife.Once again depends on how much help you're able to give and in what particulars.

Ife like most other colleges offers you unforgetable memories. I did learn how to make Awo beans myself. I stayed in BLK2 Rm89 in 1994/95. was fun. I never stayed in Angola. Then lastly, I stayed in Post graduate hall then Quarters.

sure, its always nice, i mean just that feeling of back in the days in ife.

Let no man mess with "TIME". It examined all this positions in the past and concluded that..."IF YOU GO BLACK YOU NEVER GO BACK".Lets draw all our deductions from that wise saying and it will help us all alot more than just veiwing it from personal experiences.

The force is Bad.hey...Nigeria is not the world most currupt country.....it never was...it was cameroon, the the following year was bangladesh.Though recently, TI has also pointed out that, Nigeria is doing pretty good this time..suprisingly, Canada isn't doing well, China too is not doing well.Now back to the subject matter.My take is that, they should fire all the police office without a bachelors degree.Then the new breed should be given 60k a month.and well equiped.Then each nigerian working would have to pay a 200 naira tax amonth for a police fund.All landlords too.all business owners 500 a month.Just for the police fund. Each town would have its own police fund and everyone would know how much that is. I mean its easy to accomplish, but only when everyone wisens up.

Well you know stuff happens everyday, but every issue has its own material fact. Like freewilly hastilly generalised, a typical nigerian guy would mary for green card, again this is an error. Americans mary for insurrance purpose and to help eleviate cost of living...you don't see amrican saying a typical america would marry for green card. Same reason I just can't stand Nigerians here in America who speak evil of Nigeria, when there is quite as much evil here in America. I mean we all know and we can intellectualize about it amongst us, some Nigerians just open their ugly mouths here and speak evil of her.
Now back to the subject.Its a common thingy here in America...dated women who are only separated. My former boss a lawyer had her weding date fixed even b4 her divorce went thru.On the age, u know it could happen.You just don't know how love comes.

This is a very interesting subject...hhhm, white lies, sure there are white lies...my uncle in Nigeria calls them necessary and unavoidable lies.Sometimes they're meant to save your life or someone elses life. They're called white cos they're not and are not suppose to hurt anyone. In most cases they're meant to save.The guy who talked about his wife...I mean you could be doing something harmless, but if u mention it to her she would flip and hit the roof...so its alot safer to just be technical or diplomatic about it. gain, white lies could be carried out by avoiding the fact....in other words, you just don't make any representation...u jump the question...don't give a direct answer.These are all instances of white lies.
Believe me its a very useful tool in our daily lives and believe me, we all do it.