₦airaland Forum

I remember going through the early issues of OVATION, back when the guy started out. The Magazine was very intellectual then and focused on celebrating Nigerians and Africans of integrity. Though the Magazine was not printed in gloss, it made delightful reading. The likes of Sonala Olumhense and Sunmi Smart Cole identified with OVATION's mission statement, until Bob Dee went down the wrong path All the brilliant heads departed from the OVATION stables and I stopped reading the Magazine. It is now a photo album and hardly carries stories that stimulates my thinking. However, I won't crucify Dele Momodu on this thread. I have not achieved a quarter of what he has achieved. I'm not his admirer and I hope to do better than him. Cheers.

Governor Fashola deserves the award because he's a dynamic leader. It should also be noted that the owner of The Guardian Newspapers is Alex Uruemu Ibru [ The other Ibru brothers have their own businesses ]. The paper's proprietress is his wife, Maiden Ibru [ nee Stephanopolous ]. Alex Ibru does not influence the paper's editorial direction. He hardly visits The Guardian's premises. So the Editors of the paper have the creative freedom to report stories as they want, even those involving the Ibru Family. Alex Ibru is a man of strong convictions and integrity. Congrats to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola

Happy New Year, Nairalanders. May all your wishes for 2010 come to pass. Amen.

I have this belief that it is never too late for anything to be done if the right steps are taken. However, it is better for a man to marry before age 35. There are a lot of factors that stop people from settling down at an early age, especially in a country like Nigeria where Material Possessions are given a lot of consideration. The main reason why guys marry late in Nigeria is their desire to acquire some wealth and possessions, so as not to be despised by the bride's family. We have this tendency to measure the worth of a man by his possessions in Nigeria.  Many ladies are making the mistake of rejecting men because they don't have enough money or are not handsome, tall and charming. Some ladies also watch their potential man pass by because they think he is not spiritual enough or is not a regular church goer. At the end of the day, the committed '' Christian '' brother turns out to be a chameleon . What I'm trying to say is that there is no perfect man or woman. Marriage is like a building under construction. The couple should continue working on it until the rough edges are straightened out. A lot of marriages in Nigeria today are failing because the couples involved expect too much from each other without taking time to work on each other's weaknesses. Cheers.

This marriage issue sef From what I've seen couples go through in Nigeria, Marraige is not easy o. Anyway, I'm in tandem with God concerning my future partner. I just can't get married to anybody like that. She has to share my vision and dreams. And I wonder why that pastor is harrasing me concerning marriage God knows what I'm up to, Pastor. Cheers.

Thank God One more problem is being solved in Nigeria. Nigeria needs a working Railways system. It might not be as sophisticated as that of the Western world, but the main thing is that it should be up to an acceptable standard. I just like the progress Fashola has made with Lagos State so far. We need dynamic Governors in the other states. Cheers.

Mate, the internet is not going to stop the Newspaper and Magazine industry. Don't develop cold feet, please. It all has to do with your niche market. There is nothing like holding a Newspaper or Magazine in your hand. The way journalism is practised in Nigeria is what makes sales low in the Print media. How many newspapers are published in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and our other languages? What do we report on? Specialized publications are going to be the in thing very soon. I've also observed that publishers in Nigeria are not very innovative when marketing their Media products. It does not end with dumping the Media Products with vendors . It is much more than that. Content is key and this is where many publishers get it wrong Do your own research on publishing. It is a profitable but slippery business. Cheers.

Anyway, lets see what the Eagles will do against Greece next year Cheers.

@honeric01

Any team that qualifies for the World Cup is not a weak team. The Greek team of 1994 just had stronger opponents to contend with in the group stages. Franktolk was just trying to disparage the formidable Super Eagles Squad of 1994 by saying they played 'weak' teams like Bulgaria and Greece. The same Bulgaria he said was weak got to the Semi-finals while the Eagles lost to Italy in the 2nd round. People should make cooments without ill feelings. Cheers.

@honeric01

I don't know much about the 2009 Greece Squad. I will have to carry out some reseach concerning that. However, they won't be easy to beat in South Africa next year with the crop of players we have. Greek footie has improved since the 90's mate. Cheers.

@Honeric01

The Greek squad of 1994 was not a bad team. It is just that Greece was unlucky to be placed in a very tough group that had the African Champions [ Nigeria ], Argentina [ a football powerhouse ] and Bulgaria [ Bulgaria prevented France from qualifying for USA 94 and went on to reach the Semi-finals of the tourney, though the team lost to Nigeria in their opening match ]. The 2004 Greece Squad was very technical and organized. The team did not have too many skillful players, but it was a team that that attacked sporadically and was very tight defensively. I just finished watching clips of the Eagles at USA 94. That team is just too gifted

@franktolk

Be frank with yourself, mate. So Greece and Bulgaria were weak teams? Bulgaria that had Kostadinov and Stoickhov, and it was this same Bulgaria that denied France from qualifying for the 1994 world cup. Greece was not a weak team at the World Cup. This same Greece stunned Europe 10 years later by winning the Euro 2004 hosted by Portugal. The 1994 Super Eagles faced tougher opponents than the Eagles of today. The Zambian team they defeated to lift the Nations Cup trophy in Tunisia was very good and highly technical. They faced a lot of tough opponents in their qualifying matches for USA 1994. Once again, be frank with yourself. Cheers.

@ow11

You have just spoken my mind. The 1994 Super Eagles squad was unique in many ways. The team had depth and the players were hungry for success. Another thing I have noticed about the team is that most of the players were educated. They seemed to know what they wanted out of life and many of them are not doing badly today after retirement. One of them, Michael Emenalo, is now a Head Scout at Chlesea FC in the English Premiership. Mutiu Adepoju is managing Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi have coached various Nigerian National teams. Just google any of the 1994 team and you'll find out most of them are achievers.

They might not all have played for top clubs prior to the 1994 World Cup, but they were top players in their respective clubs. And they were regularly featured in soccer magazines in Europe. The 1994 team was the Golden generation of players that Nigeria produced. We can do it again if we put our minds to it. Cheers.

Waoh!, so the Pope did not even show any pain after the incident? Anyway, I'm not too surprised. His nickname when he was a Cardinal was- '' The Rotweiller '' . My family has a Rotweiller and I know what this breed of dog can do. Our house is a no go area for people in the neighbourhood. May you live long, Pope Benedict. Amen.

I'm just getting into the groove of this thread Amodu Shuaibu happens to be the coach of the Super Eagles at a time when we don't have many good players around. Our players are not top performers at their clubs unlike way back in 1994. Then the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Ben Iroha, Samson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, Peter Rufai et al were all in the first 11 of their clubs and were getting good reviews in European Soccer Magazines. This is not the case today. I have not seen an outstanding Nigerian player in Europe in recent times. Mikel Obi is just trying at Chelsea FC. His contemporary at Holland 2005, Lionel Messi, has just been crowned the best footballer in the world. I think there is something wrong with our soccer system in Nigeria

We need to address the issue of fielding over-aged players in FIFA organized youth tournaments if we want to go back to our pre-1994 days. Our players fade out quickly these days and that is why we don't have exceptional players in the Super Eagles. Lets take a peek at the past:

1993 Golden Eaglets Squad to Japan: Apart from Kanu Nwankwo, Celestine Babayaro and Wilson Oruma, there were other gifted players in that squad. These were the players that were really doing the hardwork on the field. What happened to Emmanuel Okoneboh? He was the goalkeeper of the team and he was very good that he benched Emmanuel Babayaro several times. What about Blessing Anyanwu who was really the midfield maestro of the team? Anyanwu was the one giving the ghanaians a lot of problems in the final match which the Eaglets won 2-1. Anyanwu was one of the youngest members of that Squad alongside Celestine Babayaro and Festus Okougha. I wonder what happened to the creative midfielder What would have happened if some other players in the team were much younger ? Some of them would not have faded off easily and would have made the 1998 world cup team.

2001 Golden Eaglets Squad to Trinidad and Tobago: What happened to Victor Brown and Temile Omonigho? The duo were a delight to watch in the carribean tourney were they got beaten by France who were inspired by a youngster called Sinama Pongolle. And What happened to the tourney's highest goal scorer, Femi Opabunmi? All these guys faded off shortly after. I heard Brown and Temile are still playing footie in obscure European countries. Opabunmi made it to Korea-Japan 2002 courtesey of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde. However, he was a shadow of himself at the mundial.

I can go on and on. What I'm saying is this: We need to start searching for and fielding talented youngsters at the grassroots in international soccer tourneys. We also need to send scouts into Europe, Asia, North America and Australia [ Oceania ] to look for teenage players with Nigerian parentage or origin who have grown up in systems where there is order and monitoring. We might not win the U-17 and U-20 FIFA titles but we'll be breeding future Super Eagles players who will shake the World again and possibly win the World Cup. We need a blueprint for the development of Nigerian football and the present crop of NFF members cannot deliver the goods. It is a systemic problem, mates. Ghana has been following my way of thinking since 2005 and things are getting better for the country's national teams. The problem does not lie with Amodu Shuaibu. It lies with the leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation [NFF ] and the Nigerian Media.

I was not a fan of Amodu Shuaibu until recent times. I feel he should be allowed to take the Eagles to the World Cup. Let us see what a local coach can do @ SA 2010. Moreover, Amodu is a product of the system that obtains in Nigeria. We do not have people in the NFF who are visionaries and highly innovative. I believe if Amodu was given all the resources he needed to carry out his work, he would be a better coach by now. Amodu should be left to handle his team without undue interference from people with vested interests and desperate football agents. I know the coach will find it tough selecting players for his Nations Cup and World Cup Squads. Some players will also try to use their Godfathers to get them places in the national team. Remember, every player wants to be at the World Cup

Westerhof succeeded because he was in full control of his team. He brought in players like Chidi Nwanu, Michael Emenalo and Emeka Ezeugo to bolster the Eagle's defence and people saw the wisdom in what he did. Westerhof also had the backing of the country's number two man, Augustus Aikhomu. We have a clueless Football Federation who have failed to chart out a blueprint for the revival of Nigerian footie. We cannot win the World Cup, mates. It is also too late to get a foreign coach for the Super Eagles. Let us allow Amodu take the Eagles to Angola and South Africa. After coming home to lick our wounds from these tournaments [ except God decides to become a Nigerian again], we can then start planning for the 2014 World Cup. Cheers.

We don't have the players that will shake the world again . That is the problem we are facing, mates. A good number of our players are average in rating with many of them not being committed to the game. A new Super Eagles team has to be built and I think we should just go and see what happens at the World Cup. I also feel we should start fielding real U-17 and U-21 players in FIFA and CAF tournaments so that we can have players who will not fade out easily when they make into the senior national side. Cheers.

on my knees
in communion
with God.

I'm just praying that Oyo State residents will wake up and vote in a Governor that will take the state to greater heights. The state has too much potentials for it to remain underdeveloped. The large number of illiterates in the state is another problem that is hindering the state's progress. I schooled in Ibadan and I know the city can become the commercial capital of Nigeria, with entrepreneurs who are looking to avoid the high rents and rowdiness of Lagos moving there. Akala does not have the intellectual capacity to take the state to greater heights. Cheers.

Ilevbare

It is my Edo name. I don't know what it means though I have only visited my state of origin once and barely speak the language. Cheers.

It is time for those bankers who have lost their jobs to start thinking of becoming entrepreneurs!! There is nothing like being self employed especially in Nigeria where all kinds of jobs are hard to come by. We are in the age of information with the internet growing astronomically everyday. There are a lot of business ideas that have not been really tested in Nigeria. This is the time for dogged entrepreneurs and Nigerian graduates to start conquering the country's landscape with these dynamic business ideas and also with their innovation. I mailed business ideas to about 57 Nairalanders some months ago. I did not know many bankers will be sacked months later. As I'm typing this post, someone is already working on one of my biz ideas in Ikorodu, Lagos. I'm not collecting any money for these business ideas. I'm just trying to help out. Get me at:

tolukandi@yahoo.com

Edumare bless us all. Amen

With all the talk about the affluence Nigerians are living in and the huge number of people using blackberries, shallow thinkers might start to believe the country is developed. What has our swagger done to lift the standard of living of the population? I'd rather prefer to help my friends in nigeria who need help to start small businesses than coming to Nigeria to show off my wealth or clothing. I was in Nigeria some years and a friend of mine was wondering why I was not wearing expensive clothes or looking like someone living abroad. I told him that where I live abroad, people dress simply and their lives are not complicated. I told him the whites around me care more about what they eat, yet they are successful in life. Infact, my friend met me helping my father to sell his Xmas Chickens and Turkeys My friend was shocked. I caught my flight back to Europe the next day.

Hmn, seems I will start flying with Emirates in the near future I'm getting tired of the complacent attitude of BA staff and the unappealing food on Bellview Airlines. The food I'm seeing on this thread is making my mouth water. I hope the tickets of Emirates Airline are not too expensive.

Our banks and bankers do not deserve any award this year and for years to come, until the Nigerian Banking industry is restructured. Our banks have failed to boost entrepreneurship in the country. They kept lending money to glorified 'billionaires' who ruined them with the EFCC stepping in to recover the borrowed funds. Don Sanusi has done his job. He should be left alone to continue his revolution. We do not have a banking industry in Nigeria at the moment. Psshwww,

Not with the present team we have

Angels exist and they often carry out their assignments on earth in human form. However, if you're a prayerful person or someone favoured by God, you will recognise angels when you come across them. To be sincere, I have encountered angels in different circumstances in the past. Cheers.

Nice thread

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She is okay though I believe there are better ladies in Nigeria. However, if Miss World contests are judged and graded on physical beauty alone, Agabani Darego would not have won years ago. The judges also look out for intelligence, poise and elocution. That was what Jerry Springer and co used to judge the finalists and Darego won.

This girl is not bad. Go on, babe. Cheers.

I've not travelled to or lived in any Eastern Nigerian state before, but some of the pictures of Enugu posted on this thread are great. I have read a lot about places like Owerri, Enugu, Onitsha etc. I hold this belief that Nigeria is a great country with a manifest destiny. You need to see how some places look in the so called industrialized nations. I'm not bashing the western nations, but some areas in Europe and North America are absolutely run down . Ghettoes, so to speak. If only our leaders can be visionaries and set Nigeria on the path to accelerated economic growth and infrastructural development,

@eminemkayc

Not all Nigerian movies are badly produced, scripted or directed. Some Nollywood movies make much sense than some of the crap Hollywood churns out. Try and watch Afolayan's- The Figurine. Some Nigerian producers are bringing out good stuff these days. Cheers.

@Walakolobo,

I'm not forcing my opinion on anybody. Why don't you take a trip to the University of Ibadan to verify my claims? or is it now a sin to state facts on Nairaland? I tire o