₦airaland Forum

Sorry house, I made a mistake in my last post on this thread. Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi is still alive. Anyway, I have closed the issue. Thanks.

My father told me when I was six '' No matter how filled the sky is, there is always a place for the serious man ''

Cheers, fellow Nairalanders. Have a great week.

@sagamite

So have you bothered to find out which year the Indian Government started awarding Venkayya's daughter the monthly grant and pension? You're trying to rubbish the fact that the Indian government retraced their steps and did something for the daughter of a national hero. Have you also tried to find out the other gifts that Pa Akinkunmi had and used when he was alive? I believe you are not in Nigeria at the moment, but anytime you come home, [ Nigeria has a bright future and by the grace of God, I will be one of those that aid her development ] take a trip to any of the National Libraries in the country and ask for the archives of Newspapers. go through the back copies of Newspapers and you'll learn more about the other exploits of Taiwo Akinkunmi.

Mind you, some of the National Libraries in Nigeria have good books and research materials. I have been to some of them eg the Akure and Lagos branches. I know where I'm going and no amount of dissing can stop me. I wish you the best in life. Cheers.

Peak Milk beats cowbell Milk anyday, anytime. They dont belong to the same category. I think poor people are able to afford cowbell milk. I'm not saying the brand does not have nutrients, but it tastes somehow to me. Peak Milk is produced under solid conditions and it is very rich in content. I prefer Peak Milk.

Jay Jay was amazing. He remains an icon in Nigerian football.

@sagamite

I've got some stuff for you. Pingali Venkayya designed the Indian Flag. He was a prolific writer, Japanese Lecturer and geophysicist. He died unhonoured in 1963. However, the indian Government has decided to do something about Venkayya's case. His daughter is now receiving a monthly pension and grant from the Indian authorities.

Seek for information online or in books and you will know the truth. Cheers.

@sagamite

Cant you see that no one on this thread is joining issues with you? People are just talking about their own nominations for the greatest living Nigerians. You dont have to agree with me that Pa Akinkunmi is a great man. What pissed me off is your belief that people do not have the right to give their own opinions on this thread. Like I said earlier on, I don't want to engage in a war of words with you. If you want to know what other countries are doing or have done for those who designed their country's national flags, please Amazon and ebay are there for you to look for books about National flags. Or you can do an internet search on the topic.

Stop flogging a dead horse. You will only put up a show of shame for yourself if you continue trying to diss someone who knows where he is going. Cheers.

@Krayola

Thanks for your deep thinking. I agree with you that Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi deserves more recognition for his efforts in designing Nigeria's flag. If the man was a Briton or American, he would have been honoured with his face on a postal stamp or an important street named after him. It shows how we appreciate people in Nigeria. Many Nigerians and the Nigerian Government have not really understood the gravity of what Pa Akinkunmi has done for Nigeria. This man is a hero that deserves to be commemorated in many ways. His creation is what is seen as the symbol of Nigeria. It defines us as a nation. That was why I was angry when someone on this forum said the Nigerian flag is rubbish

It was only Pastor Chris Okotie that went to visit the old man about 3-4 years ago and gave him about 1 million Naira. Chris Okotie also had his house repainted and gave scholarships to his children. You can conduct your research to know if I'm saying the truth. Well, I'm happy that a group of Nigerian Undergraduates have taken up Pa Akinkumi's cause by publicising his condition and seeking recognition for him. Cheers.

JPHIZ is okay. This is the first time I will be hearing his music. However, he needs to work harder on the arrangement of his lyrics and vocals. He has a great voice. I wish him the best. Cheers.

This is my own list of the 5 greatest living Nigerians. You don't have to accept my list.

1. Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi: He designed the Nigerian flag which defines us as Nigerians.
2. Pa Anthony Enahoro: He fought for our independence with vigour and a great attitude.
3. Kanu Nwankwo: He led a team of determined guys to record the greatest victories in our footballing history. He put in an amazing display to earn us the Olympic Soccer Gold [ our greatest soccer achievement to date ].
4. That girl from Benue state who won a grant to go to a space simulation program [ NASA, USA ] about three years ago. She is the only Nigerian to have done that. I cant remember her name now.
5. Wole Soyinka: For winning the only Nobel Prize for Nigeria in Literature.

Cheers.

@Nairalanders

I'm not against any of you that picked people on Sola Odunfa's list as their greatest living Nigerian. This is a free world. Come to think of it, is Nairaland not a site for differing thoughts and opinions? I will now give my reasons for choosing Pa Taiwo Akinkinmi as the greatest living Nigerian

1. He designed the Nigerian Flag: Countries use flags as their National Symbols. Citizens of other countries recognize Nigeria with her flag. If you paint the american or english flag on your cheek, people will recognize you as a Nigerian. The Nigerian Flag is the identity of our country. Almost everyone on the given list would have come in contact with the Nigeria Flag. The Flag is evn flown at the Redemption Camp and at our embassies worldwide.

2. Pa Taiwo Akinkumi left Britain to come back to Nigeria. He was educated in England. This man is a patriot to the core. He has said in interviews that he had opportunities to stay back in London but he chose to return to his country of birth. He is a humble man whose name can never be wiped away from the archives of Nigeria. He is not outspoken about his poor living conditions, but he still pricks the conscience of Nigerians.

3. The Nigerian Flag defines us a people everywhere we go. It is a very important national symbol. Other countries fly our flags at ceremonies. Do you know that many countries honour and take care of their flag designers greatly? Those who are mocking me should head to the british museum to check things out for themselves.

Pa Taiwo deserves to be on the list that was drawn up on this thread. Please conduct your research well. Thanks.

@sagamite

The other day, you were arguing pointlessly that no one in England reads e-books. Today, you're saying that Pa Akinkunmi's flag [ the flag which Nigeria's uses ] is rubbish. I only have one advice for you, mate. If you go on talking like this, you wont amount to anything. I can assure you of that. I'm not going to engage in a battle of words with you, because I cant stand people who are shallow minded. Your comments make me sick. The same flag you're condemning was and is highly rated by graphic designers for it simplicity and backgound intonations. Every flag carries a message, mate. Look at the English flag, do you know what it means? It is the cross of St George. What about the American Flag? The stars and stripes.  Are those two flags better than the Nigerian flag? stop being a bully on Nairaland and learn to be open minded. Cheers.

Pa Taiwo Akinkumi is also on Facebook. His Facebook Page was set up for him by a concerned group of Nigerian Undergraduates. Just because something fresh has been added to the discussion, I am immediately crucified. Look, I will only cast my vote for a man that left the luxury of England behind to come back to Nigeria. He designed the Nigerian Flag while he was in studying in Britain. I have a book on Flags of the World and it is painful that Taiwo Akinkumi's Profile was not in the book. Yet we have a Ministry of Information in Nigeria. Conduct your research on Pa Taiwo Akinkumi. Don't just castigate withouth sitting back to reflect on fresh posts on Nairaland.

Taiwo Akinkumi is not dead, mates. He is alive in Ibadan, Oyo State. For those who are badmouthing me, Nairaland does not belong to you, okay? Seun has not given any of you the power to tell members not to post on the site. Why is Taiwo Akinkunmi not on the list? This can never happen in advanced nations. I'm disappointed in the way some of you have reacted to my post. It shows how shallow many Nigerians think. What you should have told me to do is to give my reasons why I think he is the greatest living Nigerian. Why don't you do your research to know if he's alive? I stand by my words.

I will not pick anyone on the list as the greatest living Nigerian.

My greatest living Nigerian is Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, the man who designed the National Flag. He has been abandoned by the Government and the Nigerian people. Without the Nigerian Flag, we are nothing as a Nation and a people. All the people on the given list owe it to Taiwo Akinkunmi for them to be called Nigerians. Sola Odunfa did noit do his research well. We are a nation of people who forget too quickly and easily. God help us. Amen.

There is a need for some regulations to be introduced concerning the viewing centres. To be frank, most of the viewing centres we have in Nigeria are sub standard in nature. It is saddening that the owners of the soccer viewing centres do not make their outlets comfortable. They make money, yet they cannot buy new furniture and gadgets including bigger screens and fans. If a viewing centre is well furnished, it wont attract all kinds of people. Many of the current operators are not thinking deeply. There is no need for the soccer viewing centre operators to call in the Police for security purposes. They need to build up their own internal security teams.

In Britain, pubs and clubs have their own internal security teams. The Police is only invited when some criminals are picked up or when the situation gets too dangerous. I know the Nigerian Police Force is among the worst in the world, so why should we rely on them all the time We need to be ingenious in Nigeria. Sometimes, I wonder if the disease of shallow thinking has not descended on Nigeria. We cannot control small skirmishes at football viewing centres!! It is really ridiculous. Why can't the Viewing centre operators contact some jobless guys in the area, interview them to find out if they want to act as security guards, employ them and tell them what to do, supply them with a common t-shirt [ making them look responsible ] and pay them some money, even if it is small. This move will go a long way in bringing down the level of violence at the viewing centres.

The problem with the viewing centres is that the proprietors are greedy and don't want to spend money to make the services they are providing better. Some of them are also suffering from a poverty of the mind. Cheers.

If the CCTV Cameras have been truly installed, then kudos to the Lagos State Government. I also hope the control rooms of the cameras are in place. I am also assuming that some dudes and Gals have been trained to man the control rooms, and observe what is happening on the streets with the aid of the cctv lenses. Governor Fashola has done well, but he still has a lot more to achieve. Cheers.

I will come back and comment deeply on this thread. Cheers.

The prices being quoted on this thread for fast and reliable internet connection in Nigeria are too high for comfort. Those companies are rip-offs. They need to bring down their prices and make it available for the average Nigerian to use. In Britain, Virgin Media is making internet services available at good prices. All the telecoms companies in Europe are offering good bargains for internet usage. I know the companies in Nigeria have to cope with the lack of electric power, but their prices should be scaled down.

@solosimple

Don't get it twisted, my brother. People are working long hours in Europe and North America these days. In Britain, there are people that work 90 hours a week. They do all kinds of jobs. They also work on Saturday and Sunday. Flexibility and hardwork is the name of the game in Europe these days. The Recession is making citizens and immigrants work incredible hours in order to survive. The Government understands and they have said peeps can work as long as they want. I have seen white ladies hurrying to work as early as 5am in the morning. Just thought I should clarify things. Cheers.

My friends in Nigeria keep telling me that internet connection is very slow there. So with all the noise that Zain and MTN are making, they can't provide Nigerians with fast Internet access It is really laughable when peeps compare Internet services in Nigeria with that of Britain. We should be thinking of how to beat South Africa and Egypt first in terms of the standard of Communications infrastructure. Britain is light years away from us. Cheers.

I visited Edo State in 2005 and I must confess that the state is a disgrace to the Benin people who have a rich culture and heritage. I'm from Edo State though I'm not Bini. The place was sickening and loads of roads were not tarred. I went with my aunt to different places in the capital including Sapele road and the Oba Market. I saw the statue of Emotan. Governor Oshiomhole has a lot of work to do. Edo people are difficult to govern o. I'm not surprised at the assassination attempt made on his life. It is also true that a lot of charms are used freely in the State. I don't want to say too much, but Edo State has to be rescued from the jaws of poverty and absolute lack of infrastructure.

I absolutely agree with all that has been written on this thread on why outsourcing won't work in Nigeria. The infrastructure is that will enhance outsourcing of jobs is not available. Nigeria is utterly undeveloped when it comes to the availability of infrastructure. There are many roads and streets in Nigeria that still look the way they were 20 years ago. Many Nigerians find it difficult to change their thought process and that is why we are where we are as a Nation. Hardworking Nigerians are mocked daily while those with 'connections' get to the top easily.

We need to fix the infrastructural problems of Nigeria first before thinking of calling on the developed to outsource their jobs here. Cheers.

@freelance

I've seen the Cmion video you posted on this thread. The guy is okay. The music video was well produced. I love all those beaches and the carribean feel. If Cmion works harder he will go places. I also agree with those who say there is an abundance of talent around. There are just too many dudes and babes in the music industry today. The wannabes are too much. However, the outstanding artists will always shine. KRS ONE is respected when it comes to Hip-Hop because he is a real MC. His rhymes are dope and they make loads of sense. Cheers.

Hmn, this is a very serious thread o. It seems RCCG is under fire these days. I dont have anything personal Pastor Adeboye but a lot of things are not right with many churches in Nigeria. People go to church but holiness does not dwell in them. The youths in most Pentecostal churches are a confused lot. They are usually shallow minded. Churches in Nigeria are not doing the right thing. I don't want to castigate anyone. However, the Catholic Church is trying when it comes to charity work and speaking out against corrupt leaders and politicians. Cheers.

NB: I'm not Catholic.

I have heard Terry Da Rapman before. The guy is okay but he does not have the mad skills that make artists stand out. When you see a solid performer, you will recognize his or her skills immediately. I make bold to say many Nigerian artists are not really that good. Guitar Man is an exception. This guy is good. The raw talent is there. He only needs to work harder and hook up with a gifted producer.

I did some research on GT and here are the results: Gbemiro Olaolu Oluwatokunbo Akigbogun was born in East Dulwich, London, UK in 1984. He spent some years in England before leaving for Nigeria. His hometown is Obafemi-Owode, Ogun State, Nigeria. He had his secondary education at Mayflower School, Ikenne and he's currently studying Economics at the Lagos State University [ LASU ]. He got signed to Storm Records in 2005 after the CEO of the Record Company, Obi Asika, heard him sing. Check out his song video '' Truly' on Youtube.

Artists face a lot of problems and hurdles before becoming stars. Coolio and Busta Rhymes were not respected for many years, even though they were champions in the underground rap scene. It was when the duo came came out with solid songs after working hard in the studios that they became international stars. We should not forget that there is also a lot of politics going on in the music industry.

GT - Guitar Man is good. His problem is that he is not being promoted properly by his Label. I have heard some of his songs and they are very deep and philosophical. He is a conscious artist rather than a commercial performer. If Guitar Man can hook up with Cobhams Asuquo [ Asa's Producer ], he is going to touch the skies soon. Cobhams has a way of transforming gifted but unappreciated artists into global brands. Guitar Man also needs to conduct some research into traditional music forms and merge them with his brand of music. I will conduct more research about Guitar Man today.

@Rasputinn
@ow11

I have heard you, guys. I will try and look for a way to watch Kano Pillars and Heartland play in the African Champions League. Etoile Du Sahel of Tunisia will be favourites to lift the trophy but the Nigerian clubs can shock the Tunisians. I am happy Kano Pillars is well funded and has a good supporters club. I know Kano Pillars is a club with a credible history. I knew about the club when I was six years old. Any club that defeats Al Ahly of Egypt is good. I wish our clubs the best.

We are only talking about shopping on ebay from Nigeria, with the attendant negative perception of Nigerians and Nigeria. I have just been harrassed by a yahoo boy who looks for victims and collaborators on Nairaland. Please, if you're on Nairaland, log out from your Yahoo Messenger. Internet Fraudsters are here with us on this lovely site. May the good lord deliver Nigeria from the Yahoo Yahoo syndrome.

@Poster

I don't think there will be an all Nigerian final of the CAF African Champions League.  Kano Pillars have done well so far, but they have to work harder to progress in the competition. I've not had the opportunity to watch Kano Pillars and Heartland FC in action, but I'm impressed by the results they've churned out so far. Can Pillars win the Champions League? That is a million dollar question that can't be answered for now. Enyimba Fc won the African Champions League back to back, due to a number of factors. The then Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, was solidly behind the team. Enyimba players were paid well and were motivated daily by Kalu, who sometimes attended the team's training sessions. Enyimba FC also had a passionate supporters club which had a membership that was more than 5,000.

Most of Enyimba's supporters were traders and they spent their money to support the team in different parts of Africa. Enyimba FC also had a good crop of players who were really talented and committed to winning matches. I don't know if the Current Kano Pillars and Heartland teams have the circumstances I have mentioned sorrounding them. I wish them the best anyway. Then there is the factor of bad referees who usually turn against Nigerian clubs when we are playing the North African Teams in the latter stages of the tournament. Cheers.

The Yahoo Boyz have destroyed the image of Nigeria in the eyes of Westerners. Any buyer from Nigeria is usually viewed with suspicion by Ebay. If you have someone abroad, the person can help you buy things on ebay or Amazon and ship it down for you throught independent freight carriers.

Jesus!!!

I can't believe all what I'm reading on this thread. No wonder many Naija guys marry late. With the economic recession, people are still spending this much on weddings So after the 450,000 Naira is spent, won't the couple pay rent? or maybe the guy has already built a house . Nigerians have to be realistic towards life. I believe the real marriage starts after the all the ceremonies, when the couple are left alone to face the future. With the information I have garnered from this thread, I need to work harder since I don't know how to rob banks . I will be marrying one day too.