₦airaland Forum

@Ladej,

I know it is difficult to save in Britain. However, there is no where on earth where it is easy to save. In Nigeria, a lot of things take your money away even if you're not paying council tax, TV Licence, Bills and the rest of the taxes. The money that UK Nigerians send home is another reason why they don't have savings. Some People in Nigeria fail to understand what peeps are going through here and they think money is made easily in the UK. I believe in being principled and spending wisely. The kinds of jobs you do also determine the amount of money you'll spend for your upkeep. It is all about thinking how to cut costs and save money. There is a lot of information lying around on how to cut costs and survive in the UK. It is just that people are not searching enough to find the needed information. I know a friend that got a solid flatscreen Samsung computer for £95 through an advert he saw in a local newspaper. This is a computer that others get for around £230-£350 in the mainstream market. Information is key to surviving in the UK. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

@Buzugee,

Many people in the UK who are citizens and legal residents do not even earn £6 an hour. Many of them are paid the minimum wage of £5.88 or something. Most of the Retail shops pay £5.88 for beginners and increase it as time goes on. Don't assume that illegals are the ones that get paid £6 or below an hour. Many peeps working in the Hospitality Sector get paid £6+ an hour.  The UK is strange in the sense that wages differ from region to region and from company to company. You can't state what people earn per week because some workers do double shifts 3 times a week and also do overtime. I know some people that earn £340 a week after doing overtime though they are paid £6 an hour. I have heard of cleaners being paid £10 an hour by some councils.  Dirty jobs in Britain pay more if you care to know.

As for people not being able to save, it depends on their lifestyle. You can save in Britain if you shop wisely and look for bargains. You can decide to buy things from ebay and not from the stores. You can decide to buy a fairly used wide screen colour TV from Gumtree instead of buying an expensive HD TV.  My friend's TV cost him £50 and he bought it from Gumtree.com.  Generalization is not good. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I can't wait to see Nsofor in West Ham colours. This is a good move for him. Maybe he can make it in the English League. Avram Grant has made a smart decision because West Ham needs a player that can put the ball into the net. I've always loved Obinna Nsofor and he really needs a coach that will inspire and get the best out of him. Welcome to England, mate. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

About time


www.vibes-extra..com

I don't really understand what is happening in Nigeria. I'm even more shocked with the spate of kidnappings that has taken place all over the country in just one year. Yet, it seems the Nigeria Police and the Federal Government is not interested in stopping this new menace that threatens our national existence. Some years ago, expatriates were the ones that got abducted for financial purposes. Now, average professionals in the country can be kidnapped by gunmen anytime of the day Nigeria is gradually turning to another Somalia before our eyes Why can't a Special Anti-Kidnap Force be formed by the FG for nipping this menace in the bud? The Force can be made up of Soldiers, Policemen, Naval Officers and detectives. When are we going to start doing things properly in the country? Na wa o.


www.vibes-extra..com

Well, I don't know what to say. I really feel for this guy who is being held in a UK Detention Camp. Yeah, he has done a bad thing by overstaying and using a false identity. Many people on this thread have condemned him already calling him a crook and all that. However, how many of us can boast of not doing a dodgy thing one way or the other in our lives? Let him without sin cast the first stone. It is so easy to castigate others on forums like this while at the same time we are not clean in other ways in our lives. Many Africans in the western nations have visa issues and some were actually illegals before becoming citizens. Some of you condemning the guy know what you did to obtain your legal status or British Passport. I don't want to say so much lest I be accused of supporting the guy. What the guy should do is to accept his fate, go back to Nigeria, and make something out of his life. He can be successful in Nigeria if he can put what he has learnt and observed in the UK into practice Some things have to happen for some guys to be able to do what they are meant to do. Some people are destined to make it in Nigeria. God will cause things to happen so that they can return to Nigeria to achieve God's plans for them. Others are destined to live and succeed in Europe and North America irrespective of their status. That is why some serious immigration offenders are never caught until they regularize their status. Life is a mystery and things happen for a reason.


www.vibes-extra..com

@poster,  I have been thinking of setting up a Video Game centre in Lagos that will be run by one of my brothers. It is a business I want to open that will hopefully sustain my family alongside the poultry that we have in place already. I can source cheaply for all kinds of games cheaply where I am. Thank God for this thread I am learning a lot already and I have started thinking of how the place will look like in Lagos. I won't have any problems with furniture for the place as my dad is a trained interior decorator.  Your business idea is brilliant. Follow your heart, mate. However, you have to be careful of the staff that you will employ to help you out. Many peeps down there cannot be trusted generally. You have to monitor the business and curb the excesses of your workers. Good luck with your dreams. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Sarah Jubril has a never say die spirit She reminds me of Abraham Lincoln. She continues to contest for the presidency and keeps losing, but she never gives up. She is likely not to become Nigeria's president but I like her self-belief. Lets see what happens this time


www.vibes-extra..com

I really don't see anything good coming out of this Maigari led NFF Board   I'm starting to be afraid for Samson Siasia and his plans to restructure the Super Eagles. He won't achieve much with the new NFF officials. The court orders obtained by Segun Odegbami and co should have been obeyed. If not for the corrupt nature of our politics, Maigari cannot win in a normal situation. I'm just angry about this new development. Shame on those who cast their votes for Maigari when they had the knowledge that the electoral process was illegal.


www.vibes-extra..com

I really don't understand what we are celebrating? Instead of launching a redesigned N50 note, why can't the Federal Government launch 50 stamps that have the faces of our innovators, past heroes [ Soccer, arts, media, military, business etc ] and historical figures on them? Why are people that strove for our independence not put on our stamps so that people in other countries can learn a bit of our history through NIPOST? Na wa o


www.vibes-extra..com

I don't have an iota of faith in the newly selected NFF Board headed by Aminu Maigari. Why can't we get things right in this country? The new board is illegal because court orders were flouted and the Nigerian Judiciary was disregarded. A full blown crises will follow shortly and Nigerian Football will suffer for it. Qualifiers for the next African Nations Cup will be starting from next month and we are yet to put our house in order The Super Eagles do not have a coach yet as I'm speaking and the appointment of Samson Siasia as Super Eagles coach is taking ages. It is only in Nigeria that an election will be conducted when court orders have been gotten to stop the electoral process. What does this tell us about next year's general elections in the country? We can't even conduct a Football Federation election properly and we want to conduct a nationwide election free of controversy I'm pissed off.


www.vibes-extra..com

I'm happy for her. There are many academically gifted black students in the United Kingdom. I have noticed that most of these geniuses have parents who were not born in the UK. Their parents are usually professionals who had their initial education in African Primary and Secondary Schools. The British Media is usually fond of reporting the negative stories about Nigerians in the country, however some local newspapers report immigrant success stories without being biased. I'm always excited with this kind of stories. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I feel Babatunde Raji Fashola should hearken to the voice of his supporters- The People of Lagos State. Nigeria has a lot of rulers but few leaders. Fashola has done his best for Lagos State and I've noticed that he is very sincere when he speaks about his plans for the people of the state. Obviously, some powerful interests in the state do not like change and they're scared of what might happen to the usual opportunities to embezzle funds if Fashola leads us for another four years. Fashola should not leave office after completing his first term. We need continuity in government for some time. He is really trying considering the fact that infrastructural development in Lagos has been abandoned for about two decades before he came Governor. Babatunde Raji Fashola, I wish you well. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

@Buzugee

As much as I love your comments, I feel you're giving the Nigerian Government an excuse for their ridiculous failure to provide the much needed structure for development. There is no country in the world where the government does not play a role in ensuring the citizens of the countries they govern maintain an acceptable living standard.  I understand your opinion that Nigerians should not expect the government to do everything for them, but our leaders have failed to create an enabling environment in the first place  Things will surely get better in Nigeria as time goes on. However, those who choose to live abroad should not be crucified or ridiculed. Nigerian leaders are not connecting with the masses. Our political system is alien to us [ the masses ] and our political parties are run like the Italian Mafia. Until  ordinary Nigerians start becoming card carrying members of our political parties, we will continue having this kind of debates on Nairaland. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

Most of my prayers that have been answered by God were those that I did while alone. I particularly do not like noisy environments. Mind you, I'm not against people who pray at the top of their voices. I'm not also against churches where mass chantings are done during prayer sessions. It is all up to the individual involved. There are some times when we have to be aggressive in our prayers. I slip into a an aggressive mode during prayers when I'm challenged during my sleep by the dark forces [ Being pressed down while sleeping, nightmares etc ] and when I have come against a brick wall on some issues. What I do know is that Prayer works  Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

The 11 Powewr Distribution firms will be bought by a coterie of our treasury looters directly or indirectly and a few foreign investors. I don't really care about the buyers of the firms. What I want is a situation where power outages will be a thing of the past in Nigeria.  Just as Telecoms opreators like Globacom, MTN, Zain and lately Etisalat have made it possible for Nigerians to speak to themselves without standing in a business centre for hours, the power distribution firms will also make it possible for Nigerians to have a choice when it comes to their electricity provider. This smove by the FG should have been made about 20 years ago  Nigerians have been made to suffer for too long. Hmn.


www.vibes-extra..com

I would have loved to be at the conference where Obasanjo uttered these words. I would have stood up and shouted- '' What did you really do to put Nigeria in order when you were in power?'' We need leaders who can match their words with action. Enough of this bullshit


www.vibes-extra..com

Kenny Saint Brown-Ogungbe: I don't like her a bit. She's too plastic and she does not know how to sing at all.

Ladi Akeredolu Ale: I don't know if he is still with Channels Television. He seems forceful on the screen and I don't like the way he throws his weight around when he's presenting on the screen.

Obesere: He might be popular but I don't really like him.

The trio above are the celebrities I have issues with for now. Let me just digress a bit.

I dig Emem 'MemO' Ema [ Ex-Kush member ] a lot. I am her number one admirer Emem rocks!!


www.vibes-extra..com

This is the kind of thread I've been waiting for    As a researcher and someone who loves looking for information online, I've been researching the potentials of different Nigerian States for some months now. There are a lot of factors that are keeping many Nigerians in the diaspora from coming back home. This is not to say some Nigerians have not returned to set up businesses in the country. However, they are in the minority .  The living conditions in Nigeria are terrible. I travelled out of Nigeria for the first time in early 2007. I was in for a rude awakening as soon as I landed at Gatwick Airport. From the Airport to my destination, all I noticed was an efficient system that was organized. The street lights and road signs from Gatwick to South-East London were functional and well illuminated. The Cab driver who was a Jamaican just asked for the postcode of where I was going and punched it into his TomTom device. As he drove, he started telling me of how he made his living as a Cab driver and other matters about his status in Britain. By the time I disembarked at my lodging, I had already known a lot about Britain. What I'm trying to say is that living among informed people matters a lot. How many Nigerian cab drivers take the time to buy newspapers and know what is happening in the country?

In Europe and America, the worst houses have electricity and water. I have come across houses that are dilapidated in some parts of England, but you'll be shocked to find out that there is running water and power in them. In Nigeria, you have to be a politician, very rich businessman or fraudster to afford 24-7 light and water.  Let's go to the transportation sector. In Nigeria, it is very difficult to set out for work and know the exact time you'll arrive at the office  You're consistently held in traffic and bogged down by bad roads. And sometimes, you might be unlucky to fall into the hands of unscrupulous traffic officials like the notorious LASTMA in Babatunde Raji Fashola's Lagos.  In Britain [ Let's not talk about the advanced transport system in Germany and Holland ], you can determine the exact time you'll get to work. This is because the train, underground tube system and the bus transport systems have been computerized. You can sit in your house and plan your journey. You can find out when the next train towards West London will be arriving at the station near you. You can even plan your journeys to other parts of Britain through the National Route Planner. We are yet to do these kind of things in Nigeria.

How about job opportunities and the chance to make a living? Many Nigerians are afraid of returning home because of the lack of jobs and sustainable ways of making a living down there. While I don't want to be an armchair critic, I know that there are not many job opportunities in Nigeria as compared to Europe and North America. If you're hardworking, you will find a job in Europe or America. The job might not be a pleasant job, but you will make good money in due course. It is not easy to displace citizens of European countries from getting jobs that are comfy. The problem with Nigerians is that they want to land in Europe today and be working in a top job the next week . Things do not work like that. There are different kinds of jobs that can be done in Europe.  In Nigeria, you have to pray, fast and hustle thoroughly to even get a factory job which pays you peanuts. I have also found out that some cleaning and factory jobs pay more than some executive jobs in Nigeria. It all depends on how we look at. Let me tell you something. I have seen people who are leaflet distributors in Britain and who are paid about £40 daily for distributing 2000 leaflets. These guys are very fast and they set out of their homes by 6.00am in the morning. £40 is about 11,000 Naira in Nigeria. How many companies can pay you that amount per day in Nigeria? These are the kind of situations that Nigerians look at before making up their minds to stay abroad.

How about the opportunities for personal development? There are hardly any places in Nigeria where you can go to develop your sporting abilities anytime. We don't have parks, community sporting centres and discount gyms in our neighbourhoods. There are parks all over Europe and North America, and you don't have to pay to use the facilities there. How well stocked are the libraries in Nigeria? Do Nigerian Libraries promote their activities in the neighbourhoods they are meant to serve? In London, the Libraries are ever ready to help you develop your potentials. And these are just local libraries. I'm not talking about the British Library or University Libraries o. All you need is to get someone to act as a referee for you and a proof of address, and you're given a smart card to access library services. You can browse the net or read and borrow books as you want. There are many charities that can also develop your potentials when you volunteer for them. We don't have that kind of personal development structure in Nigeria. The painful thing is that most Nigerians abroad are not even making full use of the facilities I've mentioned

I can go and on but I need to stop here. The reasons why Nigerians abroad moan are the taxes and high transport fares they have to pay to survive. It is not Disney World in Europe and America. That is why some Nigerians live in Europe for 15 years without anything to show for it. Some are struggling to pay their mortgage while others have to fraudulently obtain council housing. Bringing up children in Britain is not easy. You've got to feed, clothe and give them some change as pocket money if you don't want them to join gangs and sell drugs. Sincerely, Britain is not an ideal place to bring up your kids. As for returning to Nigeria, I respect those who make that decision. Nigeria is a developing country and there are lot of potentials in the country. There are many business ideas I've noticed that will work in Nigeria.  The best place to enjoy your money is in Nigeria. We need more Nigerians who have lived In Europe, North America and Australia to come and start businesses in Nigeria. I don't see any reason why Nigerians stay back in Europe if they're not really doing well there. Why can't they save up [ Sacrifice clubbing and buying new clothes ] and come home to start something? The hard currency will translate to more cash in Naira and you can take your dreams from there. We might have useless leaders in Nigeria, but the determined ones will make lemon juice out of the lemons that life throws at them. A well thought out business idea with some research on Nigerian areas will yield good money. Let me stop here for now. Will come back later. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I am impressed with the various brilliant analyses on this thread. We need great leaders in order to pull Nigeria out of her current state of underdevelopment and hopelessness. I just want great leaders in office and I won't mind if a Northerner or Southerner emerges as our president in 2011. I believe it is high time the PDP is defeated at the National polls. The Party has a lot of non performing governors. The Action Congress of Nigeria needs to work harder to make its presence felt in other parts of the country rather than the South West and Middle Belt areas alone. Seriously, why can't the Labour Party and the Action Party merge together and strive to win in all the South West states next year? It is a shame that it is when elections are around that our parties start canvassing for the votes of the masses. Building support for Party manifestoes is a daily thing. How many of us ordinary Nigerians are card carrying members of our parties i.e PDP, ACN, ANPP, LP etc? Our politicians deliberately schemed us out of becoming party members because they know we would have the chance to choose credible flag bearers if we are involved in party primaries. I am looking forward to the 2011 elections at all levels. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

This looks like a marriage heading for the rocks!! Anyway, I'll give the poster a benefit of doubt. Since you've said the guy is a British Citizen [ I hope you've confirmed this by seeing his British Passport and pictures he took in Britain ], I don't think your man wants to use you to get his papers. I feel you should postpone the wedding to a later date. This will give you time to decide if you really want to marry this guy. Marriage is a lifetime commitment and God does not like divorce. Personally, I feel meeting someone on the internet is risky but there are always exceptions. I want you to pray more concerning this relationship. I believe God will reveal a lot more to you concerning your man. Don't be in a haste to dump him though. You could be throwing the baby away with the bath water. Being fat should not be a thing of shame. I've come across fat women who are still very attractive. Keep your head up, sister Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I'm happy that some form of classification about Nigerian States has been made. Though I don't completely agree with the table, I feel it is a huge step forward towards ensuring that data collection becomes a normal thing in Nigeria. Many Nigerian Governors are not performing because they have not been really confronted with facts and figures that will make them bury their heads in shame Another thing I've come to discover is that Nigerian youths have to start worrying greatly about the destiny of the country. When we genuinely start to worry about the state of things in Nigeria, we will be forced to do something about the problems we face on a daily basis. We need to start thinking about how we can get our leaders to develop the country by initiating projects they will be glad to be part of. This requires deep thinking.

@poster, thanks for starting this thread. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

The Music Industry has been hijacked by executives who are only interested in profit. We don't have many highly gifted artists around these days. So music videos are used as the vehicle to push record sales. Since the cabal running the show knows sex and the creative display of the female body sells, they feature scantily dressed ladies in the videos. Have you observed that almost all the female music 'stars'  dress sexily and reveal so much flesh in their videos? We need to read between the lines to discover why the Music Industry is in such a big mess right now. Why is it that the music coming out of America these days does not make much sense? The United States of America is the Mirror of the world. So the Illuminati [ the Satanic cult that is influencing the world ] has taken the sense out of the music coming out of the States in a bid to make the world follow suit. Real Hip-Hop died with Tupac and Real R&B has not been around due to the absence of Lauryn Hill from the music scene.

All hope is not lost yet. There are still some great musicians around and their videos are clean and very inspiring. You need to search for these gifted artistes yourself. MTV and BET have sold out to the Illuminati, so you will only be seeing raunchy videos on your screen. Turn to YOUTUBE and the personal websites of artistes for great videos. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

@Yinka boy,

Selling more albums does not make you more recognized than some other artistes. I still believe Sade Adu is the most recognized Nigerian Musician nowadays. It will take some time for Nneka to achieve the status of Sade on the world music scene.  All her albums are classics. When I ask many whites down here if they know Sade Adu, they answer in the affirmative most times. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

This is a thread I am really interested in. As a music blogger, I've come to realize that it is very difficult to point out the most recognized Nigerian Musician. People have different tastes when it comes to music and they'll probably like the Nigerian Artiste that plays the genre of music they love. I've seen Nairalanders coming up with names like Seal, Sade Adu, Tunde Baiyewu etc. Yeah, Tunde Baiyewu was the vocalist for the Lighthouse Family [ Paul Tucker was a good composer and instrumentalist ] and the band was popular in the UK. However, Lighthouse Family only got to Number One on the Music Charts in Australia. The band remains popular though. Fela Anikulapo Kuti is also very popular in the Western World. He tends to have followers among Europeans and Americans who are in their late 40's and early 50's. Asa, Nneka and Ayo Ogunmakin are also adored by people all over the world. I want to be candid here, mates. The most popular and most recognized Nigerian Musician alive is Sade Adu.

Her name is Sade Adu. Go and do your research. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Arrghhh!!! Omotola sucks with this video and song. I'm sorry but I'm only being frank. This is the kind of song I'll doze off listening to Omotola is a great actress and she should stick to her calling. If this is how all the osngs on her new album sound like, I'll defo fling the CD under my bed if I'm given one as a present. Omosexy, you're pretty, sexy and cool. However, stay away from the music studios. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

There is nothing bad in experimenting and seeing if things will work in a certain way. China is a country that believes in innovation and I won't be surprised if this current project works. I've observed that Chinese products are getting better by the day because Chinese Manufacturers always love to evolve. If only we can do likewise in Nigeria, things will be better off


www.vibes-extra..com

Nigeria will be taking a hundred steps backwards in her nascent democracy if all the Political Parties present Northern candidates    When are we going to start electing our leaders based on their ideas and leadership qualities rather than where they come from? The Arewa Consultative Forum's stand is capable of plunging the country into further underdevelopment. The North had its shot at the presidency and Umar Yar'Adua was elected. Unforunately, he died in office. That does not mean another Northerner has to become president next year. All the 250 ethnic groups should be given an equal footing in the race to occupy Aso Rock. We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder in Nigeria. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

@moderator, why did you delete my post? Don't you want people to benefit from the advice I've given . Na wa for you o.