₦airaland Forum

Democracy gives the power to opt out of any arrangement that doesn't favour you via the ballot. No need to complain. Just vote them out.

But if you choose to familiarize yourself with the chains of bondage, you prepare your own limbs to wear them. - Abraham Lincoln.

I can understand and see the usefulness if the so called shadow government or whatever organizes town halls and other interactive public presentations but there is something I completely abhor about rallies as political subculture in Nigeria.

To me they are just emblematic of the emptiness of the political class, the political system and the intellectual poverty of the peons, the sheeples that assemble to be fairytaled and entertained as opposed to the more serious demands of progress and development through serious civic engagement.

If Utomi is just going to assemble folks to sing and dance then the secret service may as well come disguised as choristers or instrumentalists.

EponObi:
I agree with you. Another perspective, there are very lucrative businesses that will more than thrive with a $100m war chest in this country. If I have that kind of arsenal, I will cater to Nigerians' need not want. Streaming platform like IrokoTv just doesn't sit right with this country at the moment. Some things that should be basic like this are luxuries in this area. Even giants like Netflix struggles. Spotify and Apple Music seems like the only platform doing well here. Hummmm... music platforms. I'd love to know the best performing niche in Nigeria between the movie and music industry.

Exactly what I am saying. That when the economy of a country is truncated to serve only emergency sectors then the country is drifting towards a shutdown. Can development come on the foundation of just one, two or three sectors, no.

Is the business of broadcasting and mass communication now a luxury....Kai.

EponObi:
Lmaooooo. May God forgive you. Na someone lifetime ambition you dey meme like this. Lol.

Jokes aside, make him take the lesson and utilize it in his next venture. I wish him well.

That is what I am saying.
Nigerians never take anything serious. They play the fiddle while their lives and lifetime of which they have only one goes up in smoke.

Tomorrow they will hope someone from a more successful country built by more dertermined people will come bail them out with debts or investment when they cannot see to the success of their neighbors.

Any by the way what is the guarantee that the next venture will be a success when there is no light at the end of the economic tunnel, when there is no tract record of leadership improving the fortunes of the country. He will be condemned to a life of 100 million dollar gambles until he looks for fertile countries to invest in.

Nigerians should sit up and start exerting pressure to bring about a real transformation of this country by restructuring and revolution.

People fail to understand the importance of a well run economy and the need to hold elected officials accountable and responsible for it.

That is what happens in other climes. Democracy is meant for the upliftment of people and the betterment of their lives within the geographical space of a country.

But here things are taken for granted and it affects everyone. You cannot have personal and business success across the board when your country is in a permanent decline, permanent austerity, permanent economic and social crises causes by our collective negligence.

Nothing is in isolation. The middle class has been crushed, ground to powder in Nigeria and those businesses that serve them will not survive. If an economy is reduced to the very basics of food, healthcare and security how many enterprises can succeed, how many jobs can be created out of just those 3 sectors, how much wealth is harvestable from them... little.

Nigerians have to step up and stop defending mediocrity in governance under any guise. Economies worse than ours, countries structurally more deficient and under worse security challenges have been turned around now and throughout history but by demand driven people, people willing to sacrifice their interests, sentiments and passions for the greater good.

If we stay ambivalent, unconcerned or pretentious the storms will still hit and soon than later everyone will be affected.

Sorry for their loss... our collective loss.

Another elephant description argument. The statistics is looking at the long trunk, the menacing tusks, the huge ears and they say wow....

But others are looking at the ugly backside and mountainous doodoo thumping down and they say, eww...

'...there are lies, damn lies and statistics...', Benjamin Disraeli.

pocohantas:
Same reason I hate those crazy hypemen at bars, events and all. I wonder when they became a norm. Always saying premiun nonsense. I mentioned it on a thread I created and some people said it is jealousy. I love the good life and I am a fan of chop life. But to constantly put down a set of the working population makes no sense.

I think this is an elephant description argument broadly split down the usual lines of reality and idealism. Hilarious though.

kmst:
I don't understand this moral perspective of a thing
The politicians drive cars worth more than that, what is their input to the country? But no problem it is morally okay
But someone makes a video, shades the level of suffering of civil servants then it's not morally okay
He is promoting get rich syndrome lol
I off cap for una seriously in the country!

You are defending poverty but saying people should preach that poverty is good to make the poor feel good!
How about doing something to improve on the lives of the poor, isn't that humanity?

Hmmm...
True that.
I haven't heard the NOA criticize the ostentatious political class. Making them sound biased when government should be neutral in matters like this.

It appears our institutions are firmly in the grip of the ruling, privileged class and anything that quakes their comfort zone is backlashed instantly.

Police says rankadede, judges turn a blind eye, even the poor are scared in this case to be called poor so the rich are not offended.

Such an interesting country I live in.
Perhaps it is time to vote in AI to govern this country. At least we will see a different perspective for once.

Winnin009:
Stop saying this nonsense...

You keep acting like c300 is some over the top vehicle that normal people can't drive.

Italy for one, has some of the most expensive politics.. the government workers aren't struggling to buy small cars... they drive cars made in that year


Check Canada...

Thing is most of you are so used to poverty that whenever someone speaks about it, you guys feel attacked... you get triggered... you enter defence mode..

Cause why else will a well thinking adult say that a full grown individual with years in a job (civil service or not) shouldn't be able to afford a mid sized vehicle from two years ago.


Ahhhh... mehn... you're finished and you don't even know.

Hahahaha....

Hahahaha....long time since I've heard anything this hilarious. And the folks hyperventilating over the skit make it worse, much worse....

What else can the civil servant not afford eh....hahaha...

You will be surprised that the stuff will literally disgust you.

Was at my late Uncle's bakery for long vac back in the day. The first few days were heaven on earth. By the end I was almost throwing up at the smell of baked goods. Till now some are absolutely repugnant.

Done some catfish farming as well. Same thing. Will only eat catfish today if heavily scented and grilled to nothingness.

Believe me after a week the sight of any winged bird will traumatize you.

DLSReigns:
Just the best caption for it.

Hmmm.... perhaps 'waste recycling plant' is equally apt.

Automatic ticket no matter how badly you govern or lead has become the hallmark of the ruling party. It brought back Mr.Buhari after a failed first term and the rest is history.

From what page of the doctrines of sound democracy is automatic tickets drawn. And is this not the fundamental reason why Nigeria continues to be badly governed.

That government is no longer accountable to the people. And it is most disappointing that this is flagged by the highest office.

mrvitalis:
Firstly that's a big lie at the bolded

Our trde deficit has always been between +4 billion to -4 billion dollars

If you add foreign remittance it has always been positive

India has always had negative trde deficit

Your naira is weak not from import.. But loans your government take

And what do you think these loans are used for, more imports of course, of goods and services. So it is the same problem. We don't collect foreign loans in naira. We collect foreign loans because we need to import foreign stuff for whatever reason the loan is taken.

The value of exports lie in the promise of earning the currency required to buy offshore, nothing more.

Now if you are not exporting where in the world are you going to get the forex to import.

So it is only logical to tame your appetite for imports if you cannot export to pay for such.

Jeezuzpick:
Nothing changed, ke?

Has Seriake inhaler something potent?

Dollar price no change?
Fuel price no change?
National debt no change?
Insecurity nko?

These old men should stop taking drugs!

He meant changed for the better as trumpeted by the APC. Was their political lingo not 'change'.

ajebuter:
As a Lagosian who experienced Tinubu's administration and policies, l absolutely detest anything , policy, governance or politics involving him and was and still am an avid opposer

However, when he rigged himself into power, l actually wanted to ' give him the benefit of doubt' for the sake of Fashola and Ambode that he ' produced' ( very good administrators if I'm being objective)

Fast forward to a few months into his administration and the total collapse of the middle class due to extremely cost of living , l couldn't imagine l would compare Tinubu to Buhari and actually score Buhari higher

I mean, weren't we told he's got the ' best brains' of technocrats to steer the nation forward? Where are the ' best brains' and technocrats?

Electricity: atrociously expensive
Fuel and transportation: grossly overpriced
Basic food and amenities: astronomically unaffordable
Gas: forget it

Like seriously, what exactly is he celebrating?

If all the monies 'saved' from the removal of various subsidies (indirect taxation) were directly reinvested into the economy by way of job and enterprise creation as a wealth generation priority then the negative impact of those policies will have been placed on a clock.

Then there will be clear metrics by which the average citizen can assess progress and thus will be tooled for 'patience' and endurance.

But what promoters and supporters of this government fail to realize is that there is no way a citizenry that is as unsophisticated as to serially vote sentimentally will be knowledgeable enough to deduce the supposed right workings of this economy they cannot see, feel and taste.

And when I say serially sentimental I mean returning a government to power that is not working as expected by all metrics of decent life and living again and again. It just doesn't happen anywhere else democracy works well.

And if Mr. President was saying this at the site commissioning of a new power plant geared to stabilise electricity, or a new refinery competing to drive down energy prices or some other venture to benefit the hapless citizen, then he will get a listening ear and an understanding heart .

But no, he is at the site of the most controversial white elephant ever birthed in Nigeria. One of the most expensive, inflation inducing projects ever undertaken the benefits of which can neither be measured or quantified.

Your kids neither have electricity to read for their exams or bus fare to take them to school but daddy's priority is a shiny new driveway claiming that if his boss pays a visit he will be so impressed and probably give him a pay rise to care for his family.... I have nver seen a bigger pie floating in the sky.

Patience cannot heal a man on the operating theatre. It is the action of a successful surgery that may guarantee an extended life.

Agreed, just part of the cancer has been cut out and the surgeons have since gone to sleep waiting for the patient to complete the procedure and heal himself.

The question remains.
What is the government actively doing out of the abundance of it's plans to rebuild this economy.

It is time folks come to the realization that subsidy removal by itself is not a forward economic strategy just as removing cancerous growth does not automatically guarantee wellbeing.

What or where are the plans for jobs and enterprise creation and the reduction of those crazy figures associated with Nigeria plc such as inflation, interest rates, etc.

Those are the things that matter..They will not improve by themselves simply because some leakages have been plugged. Nigeria retains very serious structural problems that have not been considered let alone tackled.

Freshtruth:
Luis Enrique dey ground since manutd, Chelsea and totheham owners no get sense. Man city owner was pencil Luis Enrique to replace pep mancity owners too wise. Eriwue pls step down from ur row and wait for real Madrid job . Alonso no go waste time

Na. It is nigh impossible to coach both Barca and Real. It is soccer sacrilege for a Spaniard.

What helped Inter versus Barca was that the Catalans have a soft underbelly, once you breach that midfield you're sure on goal.

This PSG team on the other hand plays the typical Cruff style and they do it very well.

Khallicopyro:
No be to rush score 2 be the problem o! Can PSG keep up this momentum/intensity against this INTER?

You saw them versus Pool and Villa. What do you think.

The problem Inter has is that PSG is not a one half team. They play high quality all through the match. Save for crazy Donnuruma, there will be no freebies.

DiMarco is a mess. His woes against Barca were a stark warning that went unheeded. Can't see a comeback here. This PSG put out 3 top, top English clubs..They mean business.

What are these people playing.abeg.

ariesbull:
Let's look for whom to blame or excuses to give

I do feel Mr. Sobiwale's article was served to me, you and the rest of Nigerians on this side of the river, the receiving side of the tennis court.

Because when you answer the door and the salesman is trying to sell to you your shoes left outside then there is a problem when you listen with rapt attention and reach for your wallet.

He is simply saying to us the people, 'folks just think back a little to how this thing happened and how we got here', so perhaps you can find it in your heart and minds a way out.

That the acts of the man in government now
led us to where we are today because we did not understand what was happening and were not responsible enough to question those acts.

And guess what happens to anyone who fails to learn.

Iamsane:
Good Observation 👍 Thought I was the only one that noticed.
An agenda is being pushed, and I don't know to what end.

It is not an agenda.
It is the important summary of everything that has happened to Nigeria over the past decade that has led us to the lowest point of our existence as a nation.

A decade of stark decline after the first and only successful attempt at changing a goverment (PDP in 2015) that was underperforming with one of promise only to end up much worse.

This is the reason why democracy is thought to have failed, because it has failed to delver a better country, a better experience for the average Nigerian and most of all failed to effect the kind of change that happened in 2015.

Today Nigerians feel it is more difficult, nigh impossible to use the tools of democracy to rein in this government (control it, make it do what the people want) and is as resistant as superbugs to the antibiotics of the ballot.

In any way, shape or form, in any nation practicing democracy no government can perform.this poorly, oppress it's people this deeply and expect anything but a total loss at the polls but Nigeria is different.

This is why Mr. Sobowale's assertions need to be studied deeply and in detail as they hold the key to the psyche of the average Nigerian and in explaining why he simply cannot use the instruments of democracy in his hands to better his life.

Not only that but the fact that he was a visible, vocal supporter of the retention of the subsidy regime only to trumpet the removal as an achievement. That is the synopsis of the average politician everywhere in the world. And the reason why democracy works where there is 'eternal vigilance' and strong superintending by the people of their leaders.

The point is that at what point did the volte face happen. When did the eureka moment dawn on him that it was a corruption ridden waste of resources, because all other so called social intervention programs promoted by his party's various governments have met with similar dubious fates.

Axis313:
But Real Madrid like free things sha.Mbappe-free,now Arnold.
I hear they also want to sign Lewis Kelly,left back of Arsenal who has one year left on his contract,they want to sign him for free after his contract expire next season.
They are already whispering into the kid's ears.

Real doesn't have much cash to spend at the moment after rebuilding their stadium thus the quest for freebies of recent.

But that is why it pays to be the biggest dog on the block. A club most players will make career changing sacrifices to join. A club that automatically guarantees a Balon Dor nomination for any player having a decent season.

The big downside to this signing is that Trent is not a defender in any sense of the word. He is a wing back as per modern day soccer positions.

And the only thing that rendered Madrid trophyless this season was a lack of defenders not wingbacks or the ability to move the ball forward.

This signing is a questionable one.

800 million dollars could have been seed money to set up value chain enterprises around the core bricks and mortar,, mass employment sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, construction and engineering.

But I guess the promoters of this charade and the beneficiaries have succeeded in their respective objectives.