₦airaland Forum

@Justwise,

Don't give me a bad name, man. I'm not teaching peeps tricks concerning immigration. I'm just expressing my views here. Don't give me a bad name, okay I've told you. GO TO BED!!!

Dodgy Asian friends? Who is honest these days? Is it the politicians who are milking the people dry? I'm laughing in Bangladeshi You need to hear stories coming out of the town halls across Britain. Let the Conservatives come in in a few months time and you'll know what being dodgy means. Come and see how Britons are longing to go and work in their Embassies all over the world. Check out the good life they live in Lagos with money they've gotten from visa applications. They've even hired Nigerian staff to make their work easier while they just stick in the visa in the passports. They don't pay tax as consular officials and they live like Kings and Queens in African nations.

@Justwise, every situation in life has roots in other situations. Broaden your knowledge and you'll get my drift. No one should have the aim of coming to the UK to overstay. It could be a suicide mission. At the end of its sojourn abroad, the dog will find its way home one way or the other. Let the dog gnaw.

I am not supporting people overstaying their visa but sometimes strange things happen in life. Some people are destined to become great irrespective of how they got to advanced countries. All what destiny was waiting for them to do was to find their way to Europe or America. Then destiny takes over the rest. Life is strange and what happens at the end of the day is manifest destiny. I've heard of a case where a guy was grassed on by another African living in the same house. The Congolese guy snitched on the Nigerian guy to the Home Office. Pronto, UK Border officials came to arrest him in the house. However, I feel something happened while the immigration officers were on their way. Maybe they decided to leave the guy alone or after checking his room and questioning him, they found out that the guy was intelligent or has a sort of skill. Anyway, they did not arrest the guy. According to the story, the immigration officers were looking at each other somehow and were puzzled. They later left in their van. When the Congolese guy came back at night. He was shocked that the Naija guy had not been arrested. We live in a strange world and when destiny has a plan for you, no one can stop it. I don't support Illegality but let the little dog gnaw. Cheers.

@Justwise,

I'm not talking about illegal working or workers. Have you been in a meeting where Asians are discussing? First, all the women will be sent upstairs and the men will remain behind. Then you will start hearing about how the newcomer will be helped. Or how Adil or Depak Mansoor needs a loan to buy the next house to his shop I just admire the bond between those Asians. There are always exceptions to the rule. I have Asian friends. Siddon there and keep displaying your ignorance. You're too small to battle online with. Its better you go to bed. Cheers.

@justwise

Siddon there and keep asking how someone without papers will survive in the UK So you think everyone in UK is working with their NI? I don't like ignorant people and I'm not ready to go into long debates with you because you'll be floored. Do you know how many markets there are in UK? I'm talking about the open markets. Go and talk to those selling stuff there. You'll understand what I'm saying. Go to Tilbury Port in Essex and see the loads of money being made there. Investigate the immigrant status of the Blacks and Asians controlling the place, if you can. I have a Bangledeshi friend who runs a restaurant in East London. I did some media work for him in the past. He gave me a ride one day and told me his story. How he entered Holland without papers, how he got his papers and how he moved to England in 2005. This guy was practically doing business in Amsterdam without papers before getting his stay there. He was running the show while the white Dutch guys were bringing business to him. Now he's in Britain legally and he has a cool restaurant he's running. Three other Indian-Bangladeshi guys are working for him. I know his assistants might not all have papers but they help themselves. They are all nice to me because I give the guy tips on how to boost sales at the place. Guys, the illuminati run the show. The taxes are there to be collected from all these businesses with faceless owners. Houses and rooms need to be rented by immigrants [ and most of the landlords don't really care about status. They want their money ]. The economy benefits more in the end. The people in power are controlled by the guys behind the curtain. I hope you get my drift. Cheers.

I don't know what Nairaland is turning into these days.  Look I'm not supporting the breaching of immigration rules and laws in Europe or any other country. However, why do Nigerians like washing their dirty linen in public. You will never find sensitive threads like these on Indian or Brazilian forums. Sincerely, do you know the number of Asian overstayers in Europe? They are even more than Nigerians but they know how to sort themselves out without letting the world know what they are up to  Everyone in life has a manifest destiny and no matter what situation one finds him or herself in, the will of God will be done. However, what pisses me off is the way we show off our unclothedness to the world. Haba, we don't even assist ourselves in foreign lands like the Asians do. That is why they're progressing at a faster rate than Nigerians. Is it not the bible that says we would see kings walking on foot and slaves riding on horses? Is it not happening in Britain where some people without papers are living like kings [ not doing fraud or crime ] while those with documents are still doing 9-5? Go and ask those Asian shopkeepers and Pizza shop owners their history in Europe and you'll be shocked with what you'll discover.

The bangladeshi people are opening solid restaurants and making cool bucks while helping their own people [ Papers or no papers ] while we love coming on Nairaland to tell the world what we are up to. Call me what you want to call me, but I've told the bitter truth. You won't find this kind of thread on Asian forums.  Is it not the same Nigeria where 1000 people have been sacked by a bank? I'm not supporting overstaying but the poo happens sometimes. The little dog might have misbehaved but it deserves a chance to sort things out. Let the dog gnaw!!!

Sincerely, it is not really possible to point at one university in Nigeria and say it is the best. However, some universities are consistently in the news and they've got a solid pedigree. OAU and UNIBADAN are outstanding universities in Nigeria. I don't know the state of UNILORIN'S Halls of Residence now, but back in 1999 when I visited the school, their halls of residence was nothing to write home about . UI used to have the same problem of congestion and poor facilities concerning its halls of residence, but in 2001/2002, all the halls on the UI campus were renovated with a 500 Million Naira grant from the Federal Government. Peeps should give UI her respect!!! I make bold to say there is no Female Hall of Residence  in Nigerian Universities that beats UI's Queen Elizabeth Hall The Hall is the first Hall of Residence you'll see when coming into the UI Campus. Its architecture is splendid.

To me, OAU structures and buildings are the best in Nigeria. The guys that designed the infrastructure of OAU are geniuses.  However, UI has some solid buildings too. The Social Science faculty of UI is really great in design and facilities. What about the new law faculty theatre or the Faculty of Engineering lecture theatres UI has a Zoo that is getting better yearly. There is a village on the Northern part of the UI Campus that has been there since the days of Alaafin Sango. So when people are talking of landmass, I'm just laughing . UI is the only university in West Africa that has an American Library section on its campus. There are different books on America in the place and the US Government is interested in the project. I saw UNILORIN'S Department of History offices and I'm just laughing. UNIBADAN'S School of History [ University of Ibadan's History Department ] is the best in Africa. Look at the scholars we've produced and they're still teaching @UI:

Prof JF Ade-Ajayi [ World Renowned Historian and Researcher]
Prof Toyin Falola [ Great Scholar now in the USA ]
Dr Kingta Princewill [ Genius ]
Dr Christopher Ogbogbo  [ You need to hear this man speak and lecture ]
Prof Bolanle Awe
Late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya et al

I'm also a product of the Ibadan School of History and I can hold my own anywhere in the world. Each Nigerian university has unique students that are good irrespective of the ranking of their schools. However, some schools are just outstanding. Cheers.

@baslone, have you been to UI recently? UI is not a state university, mind you. I graduated from Unibadan in 2005 and while I was writing my Long Essay, a lot of developmental projects were embarked upon. I don't believe in the rating that placed Unilorin above the likes of UI, OAU and UNILAG. Fine, UNILORIN is a good school but which univeristy won the Zain African Challenge? Students from the University of Ibadan beat all comers to the title Where was UNILORIN during that academic and intellectual competition? I served in Akure, Ondo State, and I came across many UNILORIN graduates. I'm sorry to say many of them are not really good. They learn and study by rote [ studying for academic purposes only ] and not for personal development. We did not have many UI Corpers in Ondo State, but as few as we were, we made a huge impact during our service year. On my floor alone in my hall of residence [ Zik Hall ], we had five 1st class graduates , not to talk of the whole hall.

@becomrich,

Na wa for you o. When did the size of a university make it better than others? UI is also a big university with a dam and a village in it. It even has a functional zoo and swimming pool. Abeg, leave matter.

It was a nice experience on the then Virgin Nigeria Pity the Airline went down the drain. Hmn.

I'm happy for the girl. The Americans have plucked her from her native Jamaica to the United States. Before you know it, She would be trained to become a great basketballer, signed by a solid club in the WNBA, given American citizenship and unleashed on the world. Splendid American thinking What are we doing with our very tall youths in Nigeria? Are we developing them and pushing them to succeed? God help us

Except it is not the University of Ilorin I visited in 1999 When I was serving in Ondo State in 2005/2006, especially during the three weeks orientation program, Unilorin Corpers were usually fond of shouting the slogan- '' Better By Far''. I and my UNIBADAN camp mates used to laugh at them. The University of Ibadan might have old buildings, but the products of the institution are mostly intelligent. And these days, the current VC of UI is changing the landscape of the university. Things are looking up at UI. Cheers.

how did this thread make the front page? Oh my God!!

@Poster, tell your friend to cut his coat according to his size. There is nothing wrong in having a low- keyed wedding these days. As long as the guests are fed properly and the minor logistics taken care off, it is not worth it throwing a lavish wedding ceremony. Look, people will not be there for your friend and his wife when things are hard. Marriage starts immediately after the festivities when all the well wishers have gone back to their respective homes and businesses. Cheers.

Has anyone noticed that London [ England ] was not mentioned in the survey? I smile in cockney

We don't need Trappatoni as the Eagles coach. He can't lift the standard of Nigerian football. I just pray the old man will not meet the waterloo of his coaching career in Nigeria. NFF have started dropping names again. The men at the glass house are not serious. It just shows that the NFF does not have a research unit that monitors coaches in different parts of the world. We need a coach that is technically gifted and very disciplined. He does not have to be a popular coach, but he will be a coach that knows what he's doing. The kind of coach we need might be coaching teams in the Brazilian or the Dutch league [ Eredivise] and must have won some competitions like Copa America etc.

Above all, the problem of Nigerian football transcends the issue of hiring a coach. It is a systemic problem which has roots deeply embedded in the Glass House. We need to bring in men of vision into the Glass House. Cheers.

Manifest Destiny is what happens at the end of the day, mates. I know people that are doing doing the so called shit jobs in the UK and are propping their family up in Nigeria. I won't advise Nigerians abroad top do shit jobs forever but they should be focused.

@ Pafun, how many lives have you touched with your successful business? What are you doing to inspire teenagers and youths in your community in Nigeria? With your comfortable status in Nigeria, have you thought of organizing free seminars on Fish farming [ as a way of Corporate Social Responsibilty ] for youths in your church and area? I'm waiting for your response, my guy.

Cheers.

Below is my blueprint for Nigerian football:

South Africa 2010 World Cup: Samson Siasia and Austin Eguavoen should be appointed coaches of the Eagles to the World Cup. The NFF should give the duo the target of getting at least to the 2nd round of the tournament. We should not expect a great outing at the mundial because we do not have a good team and committed players.

Super Eagles Technical Adviser and Coach: Hiring big names and celebrity coaches will not help our cause. Clemens Westerhof and Bonfrere Jo were nobodies until they came to Nigeria. Yet these dutchmen played a big role in the development of Nigerian football. Westerhof unearthed unknown players like Finidi George, Efan Ekoku, Isaac Semitoje [ he's better than the defenders we have today, yet he was spotted in the local league ], Moses Kpakor, Ben Iroha, Friday Elahor etc. Bonfrere used his intelligence to help us win Olympic Gold in 1996. We need a  foreign coach who's good technically and is development oriented. He should be able to build 3 Super Eagles teams from the scratch.  The coach should be very strict like Fabio Capello and should be able to comb the local league for good players. This foreign coach should be ready to spend most of his time in Nigeria. He'll be allowed to take his annual leave but Nigeria will be his home during his tenure as coach of the Super Eagles. I'll prefer it if this new coach is from Italy, Holland or Brazil.  It does not matter if he's coaching a Division 2 club, what matters is that he has a blueprint for Nigerian footie and he is really good at what he does.


Tapping Into Our Diaspora Talent: It is high time we start combing Europe and America for more Osaze Odemwingies. There are many players of Nigerian origin in Europe and America. Some of them are children of Nigerian parents or one of their parents is a Nigerian. However, they were born in foreign countries. They might not have come to Nigeria before but they are somehow Nigerian due to their origin. If they're gifted, we need them. These players could prove to be an asset to us.

Disbanding The NFF: Yeah, FIFA might be protecting Sani Lulu and his gang, but Nigerians can demonstrate against this inept bunch of administrators. We need fresh hands in the Glass House. We need men who can see visions and who have ideas. Kojo Williams has to come back. We need people like Waidi Akanni, Mutiu Adepoju et al in the NFF. God help us. Amen.

Okay, they've gotten rid of Amodu Shuaibu finally . And I can see the names being bandied around- Bruno Metsu, Louis Van Gaal, Guus Hiddink et al.  Even the combination of these three coaches will not save Nigerian football . We have a systemic problem that needs to be sorted out first.  A panel enquiry has to be set up to look at what got us to where we are at the moment. Our problems started after Mali 2002 African Nations cup. It was this same Amodu Shuaibu that has just been sacked that was at the centre of the controversy. The fallout of that crisis led to the players like Victor Agali and Sunday Oliseh quitting the National team. Oliseh could have gone on to become a great captain of the Super Eagles, but that dream and build up was terminated by strong politicking and rash decisions taken by the NFF.  We should just go to the world cup with Samson Siasia and Austin Eguavoen as coaches of the Super Eagles.

After the World Cup, the search for a foreign coach with developmental instincts should start. We don't need celebrity coaches or big names. Hiddink will most likely sign another long term contract with the Russian football authorities in a matter of days. What is Bruno Metsu's pedigree currently? Metsu did well in Japan-Korea 2002 because Senegal had a golden generation of footballers then. Nigeria does not have up to six world cup class players currently. Lets stop fooling ourselves. We need a coach that will come and live in Nigeria, mix with Nigerians, attempt to learn our languages and get to make forays into our local league. We need a coach that will spot gifted players in obscure places in Nigeria. We don't want a short term thing. We need a coach that will tutor the Super Eagles for at least 4-6 years.  And I'm suggesting that the coach should choose Samson Siasia as his assistant and head scout.  Cheers.

I am looking at my solid mouse right now where I've packed it. It can be used with a laptop but I've not tried it. I'm comfortable with my Flatscreen PC at the moment. And to think I got it a for a bargain Still searching for my ideal laptop. Cheers.

Why can't Nigerians carry out field researches themselves before coming on to Nairaland to display their ignorance? A simple phone call to one of your relatives who has  children in public schools in Lagos, will help you confirm if education at the secondary school level is really free in the state

I have discovered that hasty generalization is a disease

Cheers

@master2, you've spoken my mind. creativity is the key for all those who want to run their businesses in Nigeria. People keep waiting for bank loans before they start out. Why can't people start with what they have? There are a lot of business ideas that do not require much money to start out. I'm not talking about selling recharge cards or opening a barbing salon etc etc. I'm talking about starting a business that will add value to the lives of people. I'm talking about sharing skills with people for a fee. If you're good at website design, you can make money by teaching others. You can schedule visits to their homes and teach them. If you are a good dancer, you can set up a dancing school. All you'll need do is to hire a space or make use of a facility in your dad's house. How about spending some money to acquire catering skills and teaching it to others? If you can advertise your business through leaflets and flyers, you will start to grow. Cheers.

I wonder how this post made the front page? I'm pissed off

@poster, The English Premier League should not be blamed for the problems besieging African football.  Mates, I did not watch 95% of the matches of the just concluded African Nations Cup. I'm also disheartened that Egypt lifted the trophy once more So none of the six nations that will represent Africa at the World Cup could win the tournament? There is someting seriously wrong with African footie and the English Premier League should be left out of this. I'm going to be very specific, so I will talk about the sad state of Nigerian football.

The Age Factor: Most of our players are too old for comfort. I have always said that we need to go back to the drawing board to unearth very young talents and develop them for the future. The problem with Nigerian football is systemic. We have been fielding overaged players in our U-17 and U-20 squads for a long time. Has our deceitfulness really helped us? When these players get to Europe, they fizzle out after one or two seasons. Some of them manage to shine for a couple of years, but age soon catches up with them. Tell me, where are the likes of Peter Anosike [ prolific scorer at Japan 1993 ], Blessing Anyanwu [ Solid defender, Japan 1993 ], Gbenga Okunowo, Femi Opabunmi, Soga Sambo, Victor Brown, Temile Omonigho etc etc. We need to go back and relaunch the Principals Cup which draws footballing talent from our secondary schools. There are a lot of gifted players rotting away in our secondary schools. Our football clubs should also start recruiting players right from the secondary school. While I was in secondary school, I used to watch my school play against other secondary school football teams during the Aionian Games [ Schools like Abeokuta Grammar School, Remo Secondary School, Ibadan Grammar School, Victory College, Ikare, etc. ] and I saw a lot of talent on display. Why is it so hard for us to revive the principals cup and draw players from there for the U-17 and U-20 national teams?

Lack of commitment and Dedication on the part of our players: Most of the players in the present Super Chickens squad are not really committed to the cause of Nigeria. They value their clubs than playing for Nigeria. I will always single out Osaze Odemwingie for his absolute dedication when he's playing for Nigeria. Daniel Shittu is also dedicated to an extent. This present bunch of Eagles players lack the fighting spirit that we saw when the likes of Uche Okechukwu, Ben Iroha, Rasheed Yekini, Samson Siasia, Thomson Oliha, Friday Elahor, Moses Kpakor et al were playing for Nigeria. Then you'll see the likes of Ben Iroha coming from the defence to score goals. The 1994 Eagles Squad was also fitter and very technical. I've also observed that most of them have been quite very successful after ending their soccer careers.

Employing visionless and Technically Deficient Coaches: After Bonfrere Jo, we have not employed a coach or technical adviser that is worth talking about.  I know the blind guys at the Glass House in Abuja have a lot to contribute to this. Samson Siasia and Sunday Oliseh are two coaches that can achieve something if they coach the Super Eagles, but I know the NFF will not employ them because of their outspokeness and defiant stand on issues. The future of the Super Eagles looks very gloomy. We need to get a coach [ I feel we should emply a white coach who will do things his own way ] that will discover players from the grassroots and in the Nigerian league.  This coach will manage the Super Eagles and also act as a technical adviser to all the other National teams. I'm really thinking of Guus Hiddink or Jurgen Klinnsmann for this job.

Inept Nigerian Football Federation:  Seriously, I think we need to get rid of those guys at the Glass House. They are dragging Nigerian footie backwards all the time. We need to put people like Segun Odegabami, Mutiu Adepoju, Kojo Williams, Waidi Akanni, Mumuni Alao etc in charge of our football administration. There is too much corruption going on in the NFF and people are just there to make money. With what the former governor of Abia State [ Orji Uzor Kalu ] achieved with Enyimba FC of Aba, he should be on the board of the NFF He won't be going to the glass house to look for money because he's already made. Kalu just has a passion for football and he should be encouraged to fight for the chairmanship of the Nigerian Football Federation. We need to take drastic steps towards sanitizing the glass house. Cheers.

Tapping Into The Talent of The Nigerian Diaspora: We have a lot of teenagers in Europe and North America with Nigerian origin. They might not have been to Nigeria before but they've got Nigerian parents or one of their parents is Nigerian. Some of these youngsters are gifted and are being featured in the local newspapers daily. Some of them are still very young and are playing in the U -12, U-10 groups in the community leagues. Many of them will never play for the country of birth. We need to discover these talented kids and groom them for the Nigerian national team. One of them Stefano Chuka Okaka, who was born in Italy and has played for the Italian U-20 team has by signed by Fulham FC in the English Premiership. There are many like him in different parts of Europe who lie undiscovered. We need to find them and give them a chance to play for Nigeria.

We need practical solutions to move Nigerian footie forward and not mere talk. Cheers.

Well, I wish I was a woman with daughters as my children. My motto in life is '' Live and Lets Live''. I don't think I will have the time to stay with my married daughters for more than two days, except when they've just given birth to children and they need an extra hand around the home. I believe in people having their independence to make their own decisions. Besides, I will be managing my own company and will not have the time to meddle into the affairs of my daughters and their husbands. It is only a mother- in-law that has nothing doing that becomes a nuisance in her daughter or son's matrimonial home [ and there are many of such Mother-In-Laws in Nigeria ]. Not frequenting your children's matrimonial homes brings you a lot of respect. Cheers.

Ini Edo is okay. However, why can't Chivita produce the advert in Nigeria? There are a lot of amazing places in Nigeria with great scenery. Is this fruit Juice company not trying to appeal to the Nigerian market? Na wah o

Tom Saintfiet?? I will do some research on him right away. Hmn.

Stop all these arguments about which tribe is the most educated We are talking about gold being discovered in the South West. While we continue our tribalistic diatribes on Nairaland, some dodgy politicians and engineers will soon set up shop and start mining the gold for their selfish ends. How can we ensure that this discovery is registered officially in government records and the public is made to know how proceeds from the sale of the gold nuggets will be used for national development? That is what we should be talking about Cheers.

Why is it so difficult to make a 1st class in the Social Sciences and Arts Faculties? Why is it that the majority of 1st Class graduates always come from the Sciences and Technology Departments? At the University of Ibadan, you will hardly find 1st class graduates in the Arts Faculty, where I graduated from. 2:1 is the highest you can achieve, with only one or two miracle 1st class graduands once in a while. And this is not about lecturers marking people down Tell me, have you ever seen a first class graduate of History or philosophy from your uni? [ I want to know from nairalanders ]. It seems some courses require a lot of deep research and good presentation of ideas in essay format while some courses are like knowing the right formula and getting the high scores. Some courses are like computer programmes [ key in the right codes and get the results ], while some are highly vague with you working hard to find the right information that will make a good essay. Hmn. Just try and study History, Sociology, Political Science etc. You'll get my drift. Cheers.

Secrecy is the name of the game, mates. Gold and other rich mineral resources has been discovered in huge quantities in different parts of Nigeria in the past. It is just that some individuals in collaboration with government officials have been running illegal mines for their selfish ends. Minerals resources are being shipped out of Nigeria to Western nations in dodgy circumstances daily. Powerful cartels are making billions of naira yearly from illegal mining of resources and oil bunkering. Hmn.

@Afam

I stayed In Akure, Ondo State for a year and I must confess that the state is very hot. That is why it is called the ''Sunshine State''. I also saw how solar power was used to run a different kind of borehole project for some communities in the state. The solar panels trapped the heat from the sun during the day and used the converted energy at night to pump water. The water pumps were running till I left Akure. I believe BMG knows what they are up to. They might want to generate the solar power on a large scale. Cheers.