₦airaland Forum

I'm very happy that Ben Akabueze, a Lagosian of Igbo Origin is the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in Lagos State. This shows that democracy in Lagos State is evolving. Ethnic bias and nepotism should be continually shunned in the appointment of state commissioners and Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria. Fashola has done well. However, I don't support the view that the Lagos State Government should provide uniforms for Students of Public Schools Let parents sort the provision of school uniforms out for their wards. The State Government should concentrate on subsidizing fees, renovating schools, school libraries, sporting facilities and restructuring the syllabus of our Primary and Secondary Schools. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Chelsea will win tomorrow. The Blues are in high spirits and they've got a winning mentality. I'm a Blues Man and it is clear that the sky will be Blue for a long time. I can't wait for kick off time tomorrow


www.vibes-extra..com

Rest in Peace, true soldier. May your murderer be found. May he or she not have peace of mind until he or she walks up to the police and gives up Rest in Peace, mate. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

The Civil Defence Corps are performing well in the crusade against corruption these days. The Fake NYSC Camp story is shocking I'm am still at a loss as to why some people want to obtain the NYSC discharge certificate at all costs. When will youths and graduates in Nigeria start thinking of Personal Development and Entrepreneurship? Having a university degree does not guarantee you success in life. That is why I believe the NYSC Scheme should be scrapped. It has outlived its usefulness of fostering harmony among Nigerian Graduates from different ethnic groups. Governments all over the world are getting rid of programs that are not yielding fruit and are irrelevant to the development of their respective countries. It is time the government comes up with something new and inspiring that will make graduates believe in themselves and become entrepreneurs. It beats my imagination that we have to continue with a program that was initiated in the 70's, and that has not seen effective innovations since it was rolled out

Instead of wasting the time of Corpers with funny Primary Assignments, why can't the FG regenerate Nigeria through the scheme? It is possible for Corpers to be used [ and paid well ] to bolster Agriculture in the country. All the unused land along our Interstate roads can be turned to commercial farms with Government backing. I'm still hoping for a day when I will travel from Lagos to Abuja, and all I will be seeing are rows and rows of Maize, Wheat, Fruit trees, Plantain and Banana trees, Oil Palm etc. If Corpers are trained, paid and directed to tend the farms for a 12 months, there is no way they won't catch the farming virus.

We will be having elections next year. Why can't corpers be trained as election educators? They are then sent to the villages, hamlets and little towns to educate the public about their voting rights and how to actually cast votes. Corpers can also be used in building projects across the country. I've got so many ideas about where the energies of our corpers should be channelled to, but I've got to sleep. I want the people behind the fake corpers scam to be found out, tried and jailed. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

69 Fake NYSC members arrested in a swoop ? And to even think they were organising their own camp makes me shudder with fear and trembling. Personally, I feel the Youth Service scheme has outlived its usefulness. The living standards of Corpers continue to worsen every year. I have always suggested that the scheme should be restructured and the participants reduced. I served in 2005/2006 in Ondo State and till today, I don't know what I really gained from the Service Year. Yeah, I got to see different places in Ondo State and was a corps member of the NDLEA, but the development that came my way was self achieved. My Place of Primary Assignment refused to pay me and I had to rely on my 8,500 Naira monthly pay. I remember how I and two other Corpers managed to share a rented room throughout the year. We lived in Isolo, a very ghetto area of Akure.

When jobs and opportunities are hard to come by, there is now way we won't be having fake corpers. I'm not supporting the fraudulent corpers, but I feel the Government should support an enabling environment to ease things up for youths in the country. A report should be prepared on the NYSC and new rules should come in. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

I hope the Standards Organisation of Nigeria [ SON ] and NAFDAC are monitoring stories like this on the web. They need to send investigators to the Family invoved in this food poisoning matter to get some information from them. Samples of the yam flour used to to make the Amala meal should be taken and tested at the laboratory [ I hope we have the technology that can carry out the job effectively ] to find out if something else was mixed with the flour. The source of the Yam Flour should also be traced [ This investigation can start starting from the retailer where the Yam Flour was gotten from to the Wholesaler ] and sealed up to stop further food poisoning incidents from arising. It is really sad that people just source for Garri, Yam Flour and Plantain flour, cook and consume them without a proper check carried out. It is high time Garri and Yam flour are processed and packaged like semovita to avoid incidents like this. I hope high profile entrepreneurs are on this thread


www.vibes-extra..com

I feel sending the 42 students to South Africa for leadership training is not a bad idea. Foreign High School students and University Undergraduates also come to Nigeria for academic research in different areas. The Foreign students are sometimes partly sponsored by the schools and Government. What Governor Fashola is doing is not new.  It is a common practice all over the world. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan, I came across some Americans, Germans and Frenchmen who were collaborating with some Nigerian Postgraduate students for Research Purposes.  Nigerian students need to be exposed to how things are done in other countries. The only possible drawback of this Lagos State sponsored trip could be the way the whole exercise is handled. Instead of seeing it as an honour to help midwife this project, the handlers might looking at the bottomline [ What they can get out of it alone ] at the end of the day.  I would be happy if the lucky 42 students are made to visit new age companies involved in Recycling, food processing and Agriculture. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Is it part of our culture that we should not be doing things properly ? It is a shame that many Nigerians get the opportunity to live and work in developed countries but fail to change their lethargic ways of doing things. Even in Nigeria, the Europeans and Americans do things properly. Can we compare the running of the British Council and Goethe Institute Libraries with the way the National Library of Nigeria is run? We keep hearing complaints about the disorder that reigns supreme at our Embassies and High Commissions in Europe and yet the FG does nothing about it. It is all about the thinking of the Embassy Staff. It also has to do with the resourcefulness of the High Commissioner at the Embassy in Italy. I bet the Man in Charge there is not very good and that is why the place is not being run properly. You need to see how the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State, is run. The place is like a developed country in a disorganized Oyo State. When will we start to do things properly in general terms?


www.vibes-extra..com

I gave a hint on one of the threads yesterday that Nigeria has about 200 Million citizens already. I believe the Nigerian population is even more than that.  There is hardly any Sunday in some churches that babies are not dedicated and prayed for. I know of a woman in my hood in Nigeria who had about 7 children in 8 years, and she was not yet 30 years old when she had the 7th child. This woman sells foodstuff and roasts maize for sale. I'm not telling a fairy tale here.   You need to visit the Isolo area of Akure, Ondo State, to see the number of people living in that slum. Yet we do not have accurate Birth and Death Registration centres. I will come back to this thread later in the day. I'm busy at work. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

The Falconets have done well. After all the celebrations, I hope a detailed report will be submitted as to what happened in the final game against the Germans. This report will then be used for future competitions like the Female Soccer event of the 2012 Olympics in London. Baring any stupidity, the current Falconets Squad should form the bulk of the team that will represent Nigeria in London come 2012. We need to start doing things properly in Nigeria. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

What have we really gained from sending our boys on Peacekeeping Missions with the UN? All the African countries we have helped to stop Civil Wars have turned back to hate us  Nigeria is hardly appreciated for anything by other African Nations. I feel it is time we start letting the ungrateful countries know that we have our own internal problems at home. If they don't stop hating on us, they can wave goodbye to us helping out when rebels cause problems in their countries. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

This is good news  We need to support our manufacturers in Nigeria. Over the years, I've observed that there are many Nigerian companies and firms that are making products that Nigerians can use. However, they are cast aside by the populace who go for foreign goods. What the FG should be working on is to encourage Nigerian entrepreneurs and companies by solving the Energy Problem quickly. This will cut down the costs of the manufacturing process in Nigeria. Money that is being used to fuel generators will now be plunged back into the business. In the long run, it is the Nigerian Government that stands to benefit a lot by collecting taxes. When a company has more income at its disposal, it would be willing to pay the right amount of taxes. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I become emotional when I stumble on stories like this on any forum. On one hand, I sympathize with the suspects because of my humanist feelings. I know what Nigerians go through in the UK and Europe as immigrants [ both legal and illegal ]. Yeah, the Nigerians that were arrested had committed Immigration offences but like us all, they are trying to survive. That is why I get angry when I see Nigerians coming onto Nairaland to condemn their fellow citizens who have been caught and are in the process of being deported. If you've gotten your residence permit in Britain, you should realize that what is good for the goose is good for the gander.  At one stage or the other, many of the Pharisees here have been illegal immigrants in the UK before regularising their status. So let the new puppies gnaw, please  It should also be noted that having a British Passport or EU Passport does not make you superior to your fellow brother or sister who has a Green Passport in reality. It is all about what we can achieve with our talents, knowledge or creativity.

On the other hand, I have a strong hatred for Nigerians who are perpetual criminals in the UK. I wonder why someone will decide to get involved in fraud for years without thinking he or she will be caught. Why don't you go and work [ Opportunities still abound in Britain if you are determined and innovative ] and later become an entrepreneur if you want to make more money? Racism still exists but the system is not stopping you from living your dreams. Why don't you come up with long range plans instead of thinking of how to defraud others in order to show people back in Nigeria that you are wealthy? That guy running that African Food Store in your hood does not have two heads, okay? You can do better than him if you can think deep. If you don't have papers to work and are using someone else's docs, why don't you live like a spartan, save enough money and look for ways of regularising your status? Better still, if you've saved enough money, you can head back to Nigeria and start a business or a company. You can even go back to Nigeria and apply to travel to another country legally. If you are above 30 years in the UK and you don't know what to do with your life except scamming others, drug dealing etc, you need deliverance from the Hosts of Heaven. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I don't know why the Germans have not been invited to help Nigeria out of her energy crisis until now. It is clear the Nigerian Government cannot solve the problems we are having concerning the generation and transmission of electricity.  Why do we find it difficult to do the right thing for God's sake? When you know you are not good at something, why do you find it difficult to ask for assistance from someone that knows better? I hope this new move by the German Government to help us sort our Energy problem will yield fruit.  Lighting up Nigeria is not rocket science. It can be done within 5 years if our leaders do away with their tendency of getting something out of every project in their hands. This 'What Can I Get Out Of This' mentality is what is keeping Nigeria down

The Developed countries especially Germany, Canada, Norway, Japan, South Africa et al [ I don't trust the USA, UK AND China that much ] are ready to provide technical assistance that will aid Nigeria's development rapidly, but the Governments of the countries I mentioned love transparency, honesty and dedication to duty which most of our leaders lack. If we can allow the Germans do their work unhindered, we'll make progress with power generation in Nigeria. The Federal Government should stop making it look as if our Energy problem is so big that it cannot be solved while the shameless looting of funds continue. Hmn.


www.vibes-extra..com

The Nigerians that live in Sudan must be those with low intelligence and no future plans.  Sudan is not a country worth giving a look in when it comes to travelling out. Sudan of all places  Nigerians must be really adventurous. That is why I keep maintaining that the real population of Nigerians exceeds 200 Million.  Nigerians  have a presence in most countries of the world. It is just unfortunate that the economic conditions in the country keeps forcing out able-bodied Nigerians to other countries for survival. Most African countries have a healthy fear of Nigerians and I don't blame them to an extent. We have the tendency to commit good and bad deeds with loads of confidence I wish the deported folks the best. They just need to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives and go raring again. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I'm proud to be a member of Nairaland. I keep getting a lot of ideas from this forum and I've also been able to pass life changing information to other Nairalanders. Thanks a lot, Seun.


www.vibes-extra..com

@9jafreak,

You've spoken well. However, I'm afraid these girls might soon be forgotten and might not play in the 2012 Olympics in London for Nigeria. Consistency is absent from the dictionary of our Sports Administrators. I doubt if a database has been created for this squad with all their football details and history on it.  With the database, the girls can be monitored after this tournament. We have this use and dump mentality in Nigeria and it has cost us a lot in the past.  The NFF has to come up with a lot of measures that will see our female national teams eventually winning the Global tournaments they feature in. What lessons have we learnt from Germany 2010? How can we build up on our experience at this tourney in preparation for the next one? What is the NFF doing about gifted Nigerian girls [5-17 ] in Europe [ They were born in Europe and America but have Nigerian Parents ] who are active footballers? How are we trying to tap into their talent?

We need fresh thinking in Nigeria and the time to act is now. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

The Falconets have really done well. They are playing against women from a country that is very organized when it comes to soccer matters. Is it not Germany where up to 100 Sports Scholars assess the strength and weaknesses of teams their squads are playing against ?  Abeg, let us thank the girls for coming this far.  I hope the presidency will reward them graciously. Cheers.

www.vibes-extra..com

I studied History (BA) at the University of Ibadan and graduated in 2005. I enrolled for and passed a lot of courses in my Department and other Departments in the Faculty of Arts. However, the best course I took was an elective course from the Department of Modern European Languages. It was a course about Contemporary Germany- German History, Culture, Geography and Institutions. I was in my 300 Levels when I took this 100 Level course. I was exposed to the way things were done in Germany and the History of the country. I learnt about the German Education System, Engineering, The German Media etc. I am happy I took the course because I moved to Europe exactly two years after my graduation. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Lost In Space by The Lighthouse Family


www.vibes-extra..com

England is gradually becoming a haven of Scam marriages. Other Africans apart from Nigerians are also involved in the fake marriage thing. I've heard stories of how some Ghanaians in Essex were arrested in a church by immigration operatives as they were about to wed European ladies. I am not blaming anyone here as I've realized that people have to survive one way or the other. What I've discovered is that many of these fake marriages do not last. They have been built on false foundations and the offspring of the couples in question will suffer the consequences. That is why Foster Parents are in high demand in Britain. The British Government is spending a lot of money on fostering the children that are born by people in sham marriages. When I read these kind of stories, I become speechless immediately. My advice to my fellow Africans is that they should know what they are coming to do in Europe before coming over. They have to be proactive and productive or they will end up wasting away in the European system. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Make una free my guy o Emeka Ike is my man anyday, anytime. He's a no nonsense guy and I like his passion for life. Make una live my main man alone o.


www.vibes-extra..com

@dayokanu

Let us see what will become of these set of Falconets in three years time  We might have been getting away with our policy of fielding overaged players in the past, but we've started seeing the results of our thinking.  What the NFF should be working towards now is to raise really young players for our cadet teams in the future. We are the ones that will benefit from it in the long run. I rest my case. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

@dayokanu,

In the Western World, it is very difficult to lie about your age. This is because they are good at keeping records and everyone born in Europe has a official Birth Certificate. The Government has a well protected archive where copies of these Birth Certificates are kept. That is how they verify the ages of players over here. Record Keeping is taken seriously in the Western world. Apart from that, there are soccer academies all over the place. These academies also keep records of players that they groom for future reference. John Terry played at Dagenham Park before he made it big as a professional player. I saw his signature '' John Terry wuz here'' on the wall of the Park and the locals confirmed that he played at the Park as a teenager years ago. In Nigeria, it is very hard to really know the true ages of our players because of the lack of adequate record keeping. This has continued to create problems for us in International circles. We have to start getting our priorities right immediately.

Youngsters in the Western world look older than their ages. They mature quickly over here due to a number of factors. How many Nigerian teenagers have access to nutritious meals? I'm not trying to castigate Nigeria, but how many Nigerians have access to fresh milk everyday? I'm not talking about powdered milk. I'm talking about milk straight from the Dairy Farm.  I have worked at a football club before and I know the rich quality of the food of the players. We need to change in Nigeria. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

@dayokanu,

Mario Ballotelli is really the age he claims to be. In Europe and North America, youngsters look older than their ages because of the kinds of food they eat.  Sportsmen and Women in the Western world take a lot of milk, fish and vegetables before and after training. They also drink a lot of calcium and yoghurt based drinks.  Before I moved to Europe, I was a very skinny lad though my mum was cooking good food for the family. However, my physique altered itself after a year in Europe. The environment makes people look the way they are. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

I am not supporting Sagamite, but I've looked at the pictures and I've come to the conclusion that the Falconets are not really U-19 players. Anyway, duty is duty. They've won the game and they are in the finals of the tournament. Congrats to them. How come we don't hear much about our female players who were signed by European and American clubs after they featured in past FIFA Cadet competitions? Apart from Mercy Akhide Omagbemi and a handful of others, what happened to the rest of our female players? The ghanaian girls are young and they will perform better in the future. We have to start fielding young players in Nigeria. I'm not a saint and there are some things I still do that I want to stop. We all need to embrace redemption at one time or the other, mates. We have come to the point in Nigeria where we have to stop fielding overage players and start being futuristic in our thinking.  I hope the Falconets win this competition, but we need to start grooming really young girls for the next edition of the tournament. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Good move by the Lagos State Government. We only need genuine christians in the church. When a church is led by genuine pastors, people will flock there to worship. There would be no need to advertise the church by using powerful loudspeakers in order to attract worshippers. Our creator himself does not like noise. The bible also advises that God hears our prayers when we do it in the corner of our rooms. All this unnecessary noise making has to stop. If the congregation can hear what the pastor is saying, it is okay that way. The microphone should make the Pastor's voice audible enough in the church's interior. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

RCCG is really in the news these days I feel the expansion of the church should be slowed down. It is true that you can find 2-3 RCCG Parishes on a street in Nigeria. And the strange thing is that these Parishes will be under Different Zones and Area Parishes. Pastor Enoch Adeboye and his Assistants should focus on developing the spiritual lives of RCCG members and open less parishes. Some Parishes should even be closed down or amalgamated in order to bring sanity to the branches. Having many branches will not guarantee that the congregations will all make heaven. Trust me, I have come across some RCCG members whose behaviour cannot be described here. Hmn.


www.vibes-extra..com

@Adrianne,

Hey, stop the cursing If you want to advise the guy, advise him without mocking him. Nairaland is not a place for obscenities and curses. Thanks.

@Initialize,

Accept my sympathy. Seun needs to do something about scammers on Nairaland. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

It seems most of the contestants are Nigerians. What about the other West African countries apart from Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone? What about Cameroun, Senegal, Mali, Benin Republic etc?


www.vibes-extra..com