₦airaland Forum

The extended family system is a very good one. Infact it is the only social security we enjoy in this part of the world. Our staggering unemployment, housing, healthcare problems are tempered by internal provisions. But therein lies the problem. Because we are very close inwards we are very uncaring as a society outwards and this manifests in every kind of social vice from nepotism to corruption, through lack of care for public property to environmental problems. Our government has capitalised on this to avoid its responsibilities. In other societies people spend a lot of money by way of taxes and government distributes same in the best possible way so that the bottom line is maintained.
India is one country struggling to find its identity in this scheme. The government recently started a campaign to get people to take care of their relations because the social security system isn't quite ready.

I think the extended family system is one of things thing we will find difficult to change but if we want to improve our society, the economy and the country at large then we have to gradually move away from it. From clustered to collective wealth and responsibility. The advantages are personal the disadvantages are global. Look at someone like Bill Gates. I'm quite sure if he had a long line of relations, someone somewhere along the line will prevent him from doing those great things. How many times have we heard, if it was not for my children, uncle, sister, brother, etc, I would have been this or that, or done this or that. I think it is better to keep the intimate circle as small as possible so you can take bigger risks and express yourself as widely as possible. For me the nuclear family is prime.

By they way make sure your travel expenses are fully covered and your hubby is in total agreement. Just a thought. Goodluck.

Like most FM stations will say: We want more music, less talk. Nice paper, so what. I think the government should ban these useless gatherings so that these officials clock in some decent time at their desks. Imagine this man saying one day he has insufficient time to conduct elections and the next day he is wasting his time telling himself what his problem is. As if we care. Or doesn't he have a mirror. Tomorrow he will permit the same crooks to register, watch them snatch his boxes, declare them elected and organise another meeting to tell us how bad life is. Rubbish. Leave the conferences for foreigners. They see better. in those days people who talk to themselves are considered insane.

I do not think he can conduct free and fair elections because he is the product of a flawed system but he can try. And this is the most important thing. The electorate can help him if it so wishes by exposing incidents and doing so loudly. It is when he fails to take appropriate action we can question his abilities. There is crime worldwide but societies choose to how to contain their issues. That is the yard stick by which they are judged.

, and criminals put you in position or disposition. What a laugh. The fuel filter is blaming the attendant for dispensing bad fuel. The guard dog is blaming the master for bringing strange friends home. The transformer is blaming the turbine for epileptic current. Madam is blaming elections for criminal leaders. What is your salary for. How come criminals get into a plane or bus to Wadata House to collect nomination forms. Madam didn't you see them. I did on AIT. Oh I remember Senator Omisore was elected while in his cell I think,  hmmm, no comment. Case closed. What a waste of bandwidth. Next!!!!

I think this plot is perhaps one of the very few things OBJ got right. Yeah as a nation we do sincerely need surgery but for now can only tolerate change through chemotherapy. It will be slow and very painful but perhaps we may just get there eventually. I prefer to look at the game rather than the players. In Goodluck we will break away from two very important shackles - one, the old leadership order and two the northern hegemony that ferments power rotation.
It is a good start and you can't blame OBJ for that. If GEJ wins (and I hope he does) we do not expect him to hand power back to this mafia after his term expires and perhaps in another eight years it won't be so strange for yet another southerner to contest. It is up to GEJ to build trust and divulge power for this to happen.

Those advocating power to the young turks should bid their time. It will happen. Just don't make the mistake of name dropping. Ribadu, Fashola, etc are good but they may not be the best out there and they certainly are not institutions. In GEJ election we have a platform for a change of ideology. Radical is good but the soil isn't fertile enough yet.

My grave concern is how the Captain or First Officer (which ever is responsible for ground inspections) failed to look into the wheel bay during the so called quick turn around in Johannesburg. This smacks of gross negligence. What were they doing? In this age of terror the airline is only toying with its very existence if it fails to adopt the very highest standards of security especially on its international routes. Or is a 6-hour flight not long enough for them to be cautious. What if the dude had on him some object that could puncture the wheel or severe some cable (dead or alive). Arik stews please check the lavs, under the seats, re-check the galleys after passengers disembark and pilots to the wheel bays and cargo hold sharp sharp. We don't want to hear worse news.

As for the deceased, if you have another chance in the afterlife, please remember, intercontinental flights will attain 40,000ft+ and you will be out in ten minutes. So better do short hops and pack a blanket or a small bottle of O2. Go for Boeings, avoid Airbuses (their wheel bays are a little bit tighter), Nose Gears are better as they are smaller and do press up and to the back to avoid the strut. IT KILLS. Finally please do not fall asleep. Goodluck. Cheers.

The quality of parenting directly relates with the quality of the next generation no matter what class you are. I think parents should get off their hands and start taking proper care of their kids rather than use time, money, class or creed as excuses.

The truth is parenting involves a constant battle with societal elements which can be overwhelming if the parents are lean upstairs. In such a case it may be better to send them out quickly so the society improves them, but if you have the right values to teach them, if you are a great motivator, a great provider then you MUST protect them from the heat outside.

Nigeria currently needs more sensible parenting for longer to break out of the social malaise we find ourselves locked in and when you look to the so-called society - police for virtue, politicians for hardwork, teachers for knowledge and nairaland for motivation  boy I rather keep my assets.

Let's not raise dust over the whole issues. Their tenures had expired and he is not under any obligation to replace them even if sentimentally. A top ranking US general at the head of the toughest military assignmant was recently replaced by Obama for criticising Aso Rock. I think the outgoing CAS did worse.

Those saying Dike was the best the east got previously should consider that he was an airman top chief or not. We all know the army holds the real power in any military conference so I think what the President did was highly commendable. I sincerely hope for many more similar appointments in future until a level playing field is created and sustained in the forces.

For Onovo and his supporters this is simply the price of failure. Resource inadequacy is not the standard police charter. It applies in ALL sectors of our economy so what are we saying. He had a core assignment to do and he failed. People of better virtue would have thrown in the towel or remained and become resourceful. Where is the PEF, stolen, shared,  and anyway I am very sure if he had instructed his boys to tell us to pay the mandatory toll for that reason we would have gladly obliged. You only need to know just how much these chaps collect every thirty days and the unbelieveable revenue allocation structure they have in place. You will weep for this country. That is for another day.

Well except if something has changed we can safely close this thread. But wait, hold him.

I am not too sure exactly where this expected building boom is going to come from. This is an oil not a construction driven economy so spending in that area is by free will. The government we earnestly expect should take the lead in this infrastructure desert called Nigeria but rather unfortunately foreign reserve remains a myth and excess crude is spent on more pressing matters. Hard earned and hardworking private sector money is currently in real estate (with the collapse of ALL financial instruments from bonds to stocks) so we are in a supposed construction boom. Where is another boom coming from?

With some much cash coming in I would now expected Dangote to help drive the market by looking at the price structure of his product. We have been promised a downward review for very long.  Let the private sector now create a private markets.

Guys, why are we castigating Mbu or is the dispute forensic. Is it not because we constantly lie to one another and cannot effect closure. This is not another JFK caper. There should be enough solid and credible evidence to make Mbu's story credible or not. What we should be talking here are things not seen such as motive and circumstances.

I would rather want to know what his motivation is now and what motivated the actors in that particular theatre. Then it would be clear if he is moving sideways. Remember the bigger picture came shortly after. Over one million people died needlessly. Nigeria still hasn't and cannot recover because certain sections prefer the episode under the carpet.

Let him talk, good or bad and let it stir the hornets nest. How many people will continue to get killed and nobody knows how or why. In 40 years there would be endless conspiracy stories concerning Bola Ige, Harry Marshall and others. Only in a country of constant convenience built on lies and conspiracies. No one ever wants to admit wrongdoing.

Guys, how many goalkeepers moved over the summer compared to out-fielders. They come in last off the shelf because a.) The very top clubs do not feel the need for a change. Go through the elite euro clubs and ask which would need a keeper and you'd get 5% at best.
b.) Their life expectancy is much longer than out-fielders so chances come few and far between.
c.) Goalkeepers are not necessarily match winners, more like tournament winners and here most coaches are short-sighted.
d.) Most importantly, teams feel the need to spend their top dollar from the front backwards (Barca, Real, United, Arsenal, etc) strikers first, midfielders next, defenders last and keepers, well maybe January.

Anyway Enyeama's situation is good. He will play a few CL matches and what greater motivation - to keep your team going as far as possible. His time will come. Believe me. Boy, just keep it up for the eagles.

I really do not think the West or North should have a say in this matter. They should support any candidate agreed by the East and South-South. The chasm is becoming all too glaring and the deceit too raw. Haba Atiku, why can't Jonathan hand over to the East at least.

PS. Quite satisfied with the list by Onlytruth. Very practical and pragmatic.

At last someone has the guts to mention names. What is wrong with people. If your accusations are correct then don't hesitate to TELL. If this was Yahoo or BBC online and the companies were american or spanish their names and CEO's would be exposed proper. It is important not just for employees but vendors, creditors, analysts, what have you that information is accessible and these companies are exposed. Staff salaries are true indicators of how healthy these companies are. I for one will be cautious henceforth in doing business with them where CRITICAL funds are involved.

Talking of AIT and Arik , I'm not too surprised. The media particularly electronic cannot maximise its earning potential until we seriously tackle the issue of piracy. Terrestrial tv worldwide is unviable particularly with competition from cable (subscription tv)

As for Arik whenever the deep pockets run dry its bye-bye baby. Another foolish venture for thieving politicians. The airline business is not viable. Many have come and go and even the brightest soon fade away. Who would have thought Bellview would vanish. Kabo air, Okada, etc. The truth is that the industry is too big for a developing country with the peculiarities as Nigeria. Aircrafts - imported and maintained abroad - forex, operational expenses - crew salaries, Jet A1, landing, taxing, parking fees - take your pick, overwhelming. Who can survive this when the average Nigerian still can't afford to fly. Air travel is elitist so the customer base remains shallow. It is one of those industries that I'm afraid has to wait for the creation of a middle class that unfortunately has been destroyed by several of its owners one time or the other. Talk of shooting oneself in the foot.

Quite agree with the NYSC angle. The current institution is a civil war relic that has lost its bearings in the wilderness this country has found itself. Jumping from trees and crawling in mud for a month does nothing to address our current challenges. Nigerians are a bit more integrated than the Government cares to think and the world has become a smaller place. The organisation should be refocused to tackling the most pressing social problem which is mass literacy and enlightenment (not education or orientation - the former is too expensive and the latter should be left to Nigerians to decide).

Corpers are educated and perhaps enlightened and should lend a hand to those who are not for the period of one year. This alone will break a lot of chains and begin to undermine the feudal system which we practice. Enlighten people on what democracy trully means, who and who not to vote for, what is corruption and its effects on them, etc. Reaching out to the entire length and breadth of the country well ahead of Jega and his gang

This is worthwhile.

Guys, price fixing is only one pillar of a good business model. Investors are no dummies and government should not put the cart before the horse. The basic problem preventing investment is access and control. Access in this case is blocked by corruption, control here cannot be achieved with that 300 pound gorilla called NNPC.

Even you my friends cannot and will not risk your money when you cannot control it from start to finish especially when refining margins the world over are very tight. Where would you get your crude, who owns the pipelines, the list goes on and on. Selling is not problem. If the price is bad here simply ship it elsewhere, afterall our smugglers load tankers across our borders daily.

Until NNPC is dissolved and the government is satisfied with royalties and taxes not one will touch it. Who wants to do hard business with Government. Venezuela controls its oil industry (without the crippling corruption) from top to bottom so good for them. Over here we want it half and half just like PHCN. You generate we transmit, we collect the money and give you. Crap. Ask Lagos and AES barges how far or Amaechi and his gas turbines. They want full control, period. Government is bad for business. Ask MMII owners and its nothing but regret. Today its yours, tomorrow its mine. Viscious corruption. The only reason why GSM companies succeeded is because Nitel is dead (even though they want to eat the dead body). Consider the debacle called sim registration. Quick as a flash government goons want 6 billion to re-enter telecom airspace. Naked corruption. I am sure the reason why the GSM companies have accepted to register sims is that they realise this same government is trying to butt in again through the back door and they will slam it shut.

Price is not the problem. We've had 5 or so hikes in the last 25 odd years and no one has lifted a finger. Ask Shell, Agip, TFE and co (with 50 years of glorious business relationship with the country) why they have rather disinvested downstream in this period and the answer is simple. The structures are just not there to make it worthwhile so they rather stay offshore or in the boggy swamps where none of us know what they do, except of course NNPC.

With 5 trillion in oil earnings, probably 50 million unemployed and with little or no infrastructure why is it so so so hard for us to connect the dots. We have so much and need so much, why, why, why.

Who will save us from these visionless, missionless yokes called leaders or politicians.

We need roads, hospitals, schools, power, water, everything is in short supply even with billions accruing from oil and teeming youths starving and no one can engage them in building and providing these things. No, but we rather excel in awarding contracts. Contracts, contracts, contracts for roads, water, schools even text books (yes text books for primary schools has to be organised and approved at the FEC meeting so that the mini star in charge can have his turn at the trough). We will continue contracting until our economy contracts into obscurity. We think this is how societies are built, great economies are created.

10,000 trucks are stuck in a 100 mile traffic snarl in China, 10,000 truck hauling coal. That translates to 20,000 drivers engaged productively in just one sector with one objective. And what is holding them up, public works. Building a super highway. What are our youths engaged in ?? Who is building our highways, Julius Berger and co. for billions over-budget that will be shared by the government lords and some foreign outvestors.

The great railways of Kenya and India were not built by Berger but by raw strength and steely determination. Berger is not in China inflating contracts. China will only import the very high tech or the very low - raw material. The centre belongs to its people and it will be satisfied with their abilities.

We can build the Niger-Delta for ourselves. We do not need NDDC, half baked lebanese or indian expatriates or pirating foreign companies to rob us of our livelihood while we starve.

The government must empower our populace and put us to work. Berger quoted for the resurfacing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport runway for 60?? or so billion. For what?? Try heading to Nassarawa state from Abuja and you'd find Nigerians breaking rocks for gravel with their bare hands for a living. Tell them you have a 60 billion naira task and clear their goods.Tomorrow you will have the whole village breaking rocks. What is unemployment

That is how great nations are built.

Mr. Aganga, Excess Crude Account to Sovereign Wealth Fund is like moving my wallet from the front to the back pocket. Means little when I need cash. And please,  there's no such thing as an investment or account you can't liquidate. Even the old piggy bank. What makes for wealth is the strength to keep your hands off it. You can't do that neither can you stand up to the cartels you wish to further enrich with the so called subsidy removal.

You are not in charge. You are not in control and you know it. So take your cut and move on. Next please.