₦airaland Forum

The guy with the bigger umbrella though.....that's someone's father....life sha

Is there anybody in Nasarawa that can confirm this though. I mean, Nigerian governments do have issues but let's be sure of whatever news we are getting. O mean, in these pictures, there's no signpost to indicate that it's a radio station that's being demolished. Does the station have a social media account we can verify from? I mean, government can't demolish that one either.

Deicide:
Corruption is the source of all our problem! take away corruption from every soul in Nigeria that's when you would know how Great this country is, take it away from all Africans and you would know How great and How really intellectual we are asAfricans

Lol, I agree that corruption is a serious problem but it's not all there is to our problems. Let's be real, we have a culture that stunts or even negates curiosity, change, creativity and talent/intelligence. We are taught to conform, conform, conform. Don't question, don't investigate. Just believe. This culture is clearly not helping us yet we are hanging on to it like our very lives depend on it. We magnify superstition at the expense of intelligent inquiry. Even if we get rid of corruption, we'll be a good society, not necessarily a developed or advanced one.

While I do not at all think that intelligence is influenced by race at the genetic level, some experiences do leave me wondering. Growing up, most of my classmates and friends always considered me the brilliant or "intelligent" one even if most of them didn't know what my academic records were like. I even got nicknamed "prof" because my vocabulary was rather extensive compared with most of my peers. Sometimes they would ask where I learn the words I use and I reply, "I read". And yes, I read (and still read) a lot and always found it weird that most of my peers didn't and don't read as much. Most times I find it rather difficult to have conversations with people because I would find myself having to explain the meaning of some words I use and that is, quite frankly, rather stressful, especially when they can just read too and expand their vocabulary. Some of these people performed better than I did academically, for the record, but when it comes to conversations especially on abstract, complex or conceptual topics, they just couldn't/can't keep up. It's always refreshing to converse intelligently with someone and they can grasp the meanings of words and expressions you use without having to backtrack whenever something you say leaves them confused.

However, I realize it's not something peculiar to us SubSaharan Africans. Even in Europe, America and Asia, there are those considered to be smarter, more widely read and have a deeper understanding about the world and the way it works, which partly leads me to conclude that the difference in intelligence and creativity between us and our Asian and Caucasian siblings is not genetic. I think one of the OP's concerns though is that even amongst those considered to be a cut above the rest here SubSaharan Africa, there seems to be nothing to show for their apparent intellectual advantage over everyone else. On that, well, there are a few factors I can think of but won't go into. I'll just leave it at that we're not intellectually inferior to anyone, at least at the genetic level.

bishopkay:
Lol... Adidas and the brands you just mentioned were built by their founders to fit a purpose and particularly to last.

Did you read the last paragraph of the post you quoted because if you did, you would see where I listed what prompts people into going into business.

Maybe this would help https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas

Compare it with a young lady who probably reasoned she'd work in an oil company or in the banking industry and earn 6 figures after finishing school and Nysc only to come out and see the cold eyes of joblessness, hopelessness and hunger staring down at her.

That girl is probably just looking for a way out of hunger ;Dso you guys should please quit playing self righteousness on her

So basically, you're all for survival by any means necessary, even if the means is illegal, fraudulent or harmful to society? If she had dreams of working in an oil company and that didn't work out, is there absolutely nothing else she could have done other than making and selling fake and substandard products and passing them off as name brand originals? I try to understand hustles people do to survive but to say that all of it is legitimate and right is basically doing society a disservice.

Newbiee:
Someone said if you weren't in Minna for IBB's daughter's wedding, you are just a tenant in Nigeria.
The landlords gathered to wine and dine.
Someone complained about the number of private jets flown into the city yesterday as the Abuja-Minna road isn't motorable. Another one argued it doesn't matter. It was a class thing and it is rare seeing a JSS1 boy play ludo with someone writing UTME.
Someone also wondered why suicide bombers ignored these enemies of Nigeria and decided to attack University of Maiduguri, a citadel of learning where dreams are being built and nurtured.
Someone somewhere close to the wedding venue said he strained his eyes looking for the leaking PDP umbrella and the tiny APC broom yesterday and had to go home disappointed when he saw all of them hugging and smiling without talking about their parties.
Someone faraway in Abeokuta decided to analyze their sitting positions and nearly ended up in the hospital. His blood pressure rose.
Another one, a popular PDP apologist in Enugu, broke down in tears yesterday. He saw 'Bola Tinubu, the man behind his hero's political and electoral fate who still lambasted him days ago in Lagos, seated beside Goodluck Jonathan smiling sheepishly to the cameras.
Someone, an unrepentant APC loyalist, saw Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Markafi stand together. He had always prayed for the total collapse of PDP. He couldn't eat yesternight anyway.
Someone watched Channels Television news and saw Governor Ganduje and his sworn enemy Kwankwaso seated inches apart. He is still praying to God to wake him from his nightmare.
Another one made sure he followed the news on radio waiting for any divisive religious matter to be raised only to hear voices of Bukola Saraki, a muslim, and Yakubu Dogara, a christian, screaming for those expensive wines. He is still changing stations with hopes.
Someone checked online media outlets yesternight and saw pictures of Yorubas, Hausas, Fulanis, Igbos all under one roof with their different tribal wears. There was no tribal statement. No tribal war. He broke the screen of his phone.
Here we are.
Continue defending these people who have divided you along religious, ethnic and tribal lines.
Continue witth your gullibilty.
Continue with your nonsense.
What we need is just your brain. Don't bother asking us why.
I HOPE U ARE HAVING A LOVELY DAY

Lovely post. Just lovely.

Naimolawale:
Hmmm... I can't blame the person that form the story. To be honest 80% of what's there it truth, but condemning all the citizens is bad. The person that wrote he was scammed twice the amount of dstv Explorer after going to confirm from the real store is a fool for bringing up that statement. Every where you go, courtesy demand for you to do research before buying any goods at all. He knows the real store then why did he buy it from the small shop at the nearest. Be Wise in dealings, don't be too quick to buy cheap things or not to cheap because you have the money. Correction, Nigerians is only label has most corrupt country because of our useless leaders that tend to spoil the country name due to their selfish interests. Every newspaper is talking about how Mr A stole 50b naira and stash it his/her wardrobe so on. Imagine that going around newspapers all over the world . why won't they tag us with bad names. Indians, Americans, Russia etc won't be tag as such because of their leadership role in their country and the world at large even though these countries are top of most corrupt. To be sincere every individual should change his/her behavior for good in this country. God bless Nigeria, God bless her citizens. Amen.

Really? If you walked into a store while on holiday in Europe or the US and asked for the price of an item, wouldn't you just either pay up for it or leave without buying? How come you come back home and suddenly you have to be "wise" or "smart"?

bishopkay:
We are still saying same thing from different angles and thank God you made mention of the phrase "saner climes"

Nigeria isn't yet a sane clime so instead of you roasting the young lady, take out your bile on the importers and producers of the logos and materials, the customs service that cleared and allowed them into the country and the authorities that allow them sell it openly with confidence.

Until you do this, attacking the lady would be hypocritical on your part because if those things weren't in the market for sale, she wouldn't have had access to them to produce her shoes in the first place

I beg to disagree. It's like a murderer saying "if there were no knives in the house, I wouldn't have killed the person". Being a criminal is not just when you commit a crime - it starts when you are willing to commit the crime regardless of if the tools to do so are readily available for you or not.

kpaminose:
That's the weakness I'm talking about. It's very difficult to break out when you're being controlled and manipulated by something stronger than you. The system is corrupt from the onset. The bad seed has been planted and it will be very difficult to overcome this I'm not being pessimistic but it won't be easy at all. The psyche of an average Nigerian has been greatly affected. The society is corrupt, the system is evil. where do we start from?

We start from ourselves. The British planted bad seeds? Well, now we are the farmers who own and run the farm. Instead of sitting at home, blaming the British for planting bad seeds, shouldn't we get down to work fixing what is wrong? I have never been a fan of the blame game because you know what? It achieves nothing. But we Nigerians blamed yesterday, we are blaming to day and, by the looks of things, we may be blaming forever instead of fixing our system and our culture.

12inches1:
Abeg... Should I talk abt how wells fargo scammed me by rearranging my transactions so as as to overdraw my account and charge me overdraft fees. Or how An apartment sign is made illegible somewhere around town so people's vehicles can be towed and the towing company can make more money. In U.S, what they have is legalized and lawful scam. Abeg no be only naija dey scam. If naija na scammer, oyinbo na scammo. We must not carry last abeg. The greatest lie ever told to black people is that na oyinbo holy pass. Na lie. Their manner of scamming is just different from ours.

Their scamming is their business. Leave it to them to deal with. Ours should be our business and it should give us cause for concern.

bishopkay:
Hahahahaha. I usually laugh when I see comments such as yours.. .LOL

You are most likely a person who's seen the good side all through his life and have gotten your opinion of matters so stream lined, or a rich kid who still falls under the earlier stated category or a perfectionist who's still in his young budding stage.

Newsflash pal... Life is hard! You think making a logo and branding it is easy ehn? Did you see the products the girl displayed on that thread? I doubt the whole business including the shoes and equipment the girl displayed is even worth up to 50k. Yet you want her to go and "make a logo"

Every business has a budding stage just as how many people go into business for many reasons. Some go into a particular business to create a name -a long lasting one while some go into a business to avoid hunger. The girl may be in the later category I just mentioned who's just trying to make ends meet and jump upon the next available job she sees that would pay her 40k a month.

So pal there are different sides to life

Interesting. Pray tell, what brands did Adidas, Nike and other international brands rip off before becoming name brands themselves?

Ishilove:
You are very correct.

But we should tell ourselves the truth. Our society needs to help itself. Back in school, I used to frequent a cybercafe close to where I stayed off campus and, believe it or not, these guys had a special room in the cafe at the back for internet fraudsters. The day I found out, I was amazed. The owner of the cafe told me himself but he wasn't bothered because they were his most regular customers. Look at this whole forex flux that caused the recession. Even now that the value of the Naira against the dollar has stabilized to a fair amount lower than it's worst point, people are still selling goods for the same price as when the naira hit 500 against the dollar. Some are even increasing the prices of their goods and services and blaming it on the dollar. What is this if not taking advantage of others? It's so widespread, it's not funny.

I want to be outraged and call the blogger's post an expression of (racism? Can you call it racism when it's not a race but just one country or a section of a continent?) a bigoted mindset but my objective self knows that quite a few of the things written therein hold some level of truth. Sure the writer exaggerated a bit and embellished some "facts" but let's be honest. A large percentage of us Nigerians are dishonest and corrupt on some level. Whether it's at our workplace, in school, even in places of worship. Lots of Nigerians just constantly try to take advantage of you, try to game the system, try to cut corners. And the worst part of it is that when we do all these, we seek some form of justification for them instead of feeling guilt. It's why I find I religious piety so ironic. Most of us are such dedicated Christians and Muslims yet we are corrupt to the core, sometimes carry put acts of corruption with a Bible/Quran in hand. I don't care that there are also scammers, fraudsters and criminals in the US; that's their business. I'm not an American so I can't be lamenting about whatever crimes are being committed there by their people. I'm a Nigerian and the way we Nigerians deal with each other, deal with other and our general approach to society and civilization gives me serious cause for concern. I have sometimes entertained the thought that when I have kids, I would leave the country for good because I wouldn't want them tainted by this air of corruption and incompetence that seems to pervade our very atmosphere. But then I owe it to my people to, in my own small way, point out what we (and I mean ALL of us, not just some specific tribes) are doing wrong so that future generations will grow up in a Nigeria with the right societal values. But when you consider just how many people you have to tell the truth to, omo, you'll just be weak.

That is one wide-azz gutter. That should be called a moat. Or a rift valley.

See why I said Nigerian parties have no ideologies? When a leader, albeit a factional one, is telling his/her members to join another party so "they won't be disenfranchised", it tells you the party itself is nothing. It has no inbuilt structure or ideology that teaches it's members the ideas the party holds dear and is trying to promote and the policies the party is trying to put across. In Nigeria it's all about the individuals - and as individual leaders change, so do the party " ideologies" change too. It's not just PDP that are guilty of this. APC, APGA, all of them. They all parrot the same thing. I imagine if, after failing to get the Democratic ticket, Bernie Sanders had left the Democrats. Who would even take him serious now? But in Nigeria, all the party is is a structure for winning elections - no ideologies, no plans, no policies and that's why most of our leaders keep failing left, right, center because once they are in power, they are pretty much left to their devices.

To answer the OP, well, I wouldn't say we are genetically intellectually inferior. People of SubSaharan African extraction have shown themselves able to more than match their foreign counterparts when they are exposed to the right systems and made to adopt the right mindsets and mentalities. Unfortunately, we are a continent that's culturally regressive or stagnant and this plays a huge role in how we think, behave and solve problems.

The average SubSaharan African has learnt to be skeptical of change and adventure - hence we rarely ever discover anything new in spite of the fact that there is a lot to discover here. Sometimes we watch blooper videos and extreme sports and are like "white people are just crazy". However, it's that "craziness" that has pushed them to expand horizons and discover new frontiers. The average SubSaharan African is taught and moulded to conform. That is why we generally don't think critically and lack curiosity and creativity, two important building blocks of innovation, invention and discovery.

In our schools we are taught to accept what the book says. Never to question it, research on it or seek alternative opinions. It's this culture that is so scared of change, the unknown and unaccounted-for possibilities that keeps us exactly where we are.

As a different poster above said, the problem is mainly cultural, not genetic.

Trudax:
More of my arguments.

I rather largely agree with your posts, especially on the blame thing. Someone once said there are two approaches to a problem. A proactive person seeks solutions first and apportions blames later. A static person blames, then looks for solutions. I think there is a third - blame first, blame later and blame always which is what we in sub-Saharan Africa largely do. We never like to think we might be a part of the problem but instead we favour the thoughts that everyone but ourselves are at fault for everything wrong. It's this lack of introspection that informs are general lack of trust in each other and proliferates divisions that keep us perpetually underdeveloped. The average Americans or Europeans or even East Asians may have diverse religions, cultures, languages and political ideologies but once it's time to set all of that aside to work towards a common, mutually-beneficial goal, everything else takes a backseat. But here in SubSaharan Africa, we keep on accentuating and highlighting our differences, even at the expense of our individual and/or collective development.

Akinrogun:
The above shows you are absolutely clueless and bereft of ideas about the creation and Creator of the universe. Hence you have decided in your deluded mind to ramble and vituperate in quick sands.

With regards to the question, why is an 'omnipotent and omniscient God' interested in a minuscule entity called man.....here's the answer : the 'man' is created in the image of the omnipotent and omniscient God. Man is His vicegerent on earth, more reason why man holds dominion over all including powerful beasts like lion, elephant, Leviathans, whales, boars, crocodiles etc. More reasons why man explore the cosmos infinitely and all creations stood in awe of man. All this come from the fact that man is imbued with God-like energies.

These facts cannot be gleaned by mind-controlled beings like you....there are far superior knowledge beyond the carnal man.

Be enlightened!....open your eyes to eternal verities.

Selah!

Aaaaand who are the viceregents on all the other planets and heavenly bodies?

One of the things I have taken from the OP's post is how we humans, through religion, elevate ourselves to a level we are not even sure of. We think the sun, planets and all other heavenly bodies were created just for our benefit. That's a pleasing thought, but it's also kind of arrogant. We haven't explored every planet or star in existence to be sure that we are the only ones alive in all of God's creation. If God created just us, I struggle to see a need for creating all the other planets and heavenly bodies. He's God - he could have just said "alright, here's a sun to give you light and heat and here's a moon to reflect the sun's light and provide light at night. No need for all these others since nobody's going to live there and man won't get to most of them anyway". I think we sometimes use religion to elevate pur place in the grand scheme of things because, on some level, we realize that we may not be as important in and to creation as we would like.

Like anything else, the problem is not with social media but with usage. Anything can be (and often, anything useful is) abused. What one just needs to do is encourage moderation and proper usage instead of blaming the tool for its abuse.

ElsonMorali:
I'm not against beautifying the city. It is commendable. The problem I have is with the maintenance of these structures after the 50th anniversary celebration.

The only iconic building we have in Nigeria has become dilapidated and an eyesore. It is also located in Lagos. It's such a shame we have this type of mindset.

By the way, while government's approach to maintenance of public facilities has been underwhelming, the citizens have to take some of the blame too for constantly destroying and defacing public property. Most of the recently renovated BRT bus stops have already been defaced with posters and writings done in permanent marker. The Lagos state government has constantly sandblasted the supports of bridges around the state to get rid of posters people keep putting up on them. Yet, right the following week after one set of posters are removed, a new set are put up. It's annoying to say the least. I think the state government should start arresting and prosecuting those that deface public property. Maybe that will teach people.

ElsonMorali:
I'm not against beautifying the city. It is commendable. The problem I have is with the maintenance of these structures after the 50th anniversary celebration.

The only iconic building we have in Nigeria has become dilapidated and an eyesore. It is also located in Lagos. It's such a shame we have this type of mindset.

Which building is that? If it's the National Theater, you know it's the property of the Federal Government, right?

badaru1:
There are big man holes without cover on Eko bridge, it's disaster waiting to happen, let them use this money they want to waste to repair the bridge.

Now this is a legitimate concern but that the state government decides to celebrate Lagos at 50 does not mean there isn't money for replacing manhole covers.

And who removes those manhole covers by the way sef?

DollarAngel:
Though they might look similar that the discrepancies might not be big still there is difference between judicious spending and profligacy, the problem of Nigeria is we don't have the sense to manage resources, we spend as if they money grows on trees, they don't work for the money his tax payers money and oil, Nigeria is one of the poorest country in the world, but in the same country you see how the money meant for the masses are been managed, you now ask yourself where are we not getting it right, to me Lagos state has the money but the money mapped out for this so call Celebration is uncalled for People talk about Lagos as mega city but only few places enjoys that privilege a megacity without stable light, Pipe Borne water, Good housing scheme, and the rest, stop thinking like a Nigerian think Outside the box, stress the BRAIN a little it's not meant for decoration.

Stable light? You realize Lagos state is not in the business of generating or distributing power, right? Give thanks to your Nigerian constitution for that. Good housing scheme? Ever heard of Lagos HOMS project started by Governor Fashola and being continued by Governor Ambode? Pipe-borne water? Well, we don't have that iny building but quite a number of people say they are connected to the Lagos State water distribution grid. Good roads? You want to moan about that? You know that most of the major roads in Lagos are good and most of the bad ones are either the responsibility of the Federal or Local governments.

Besides, that the state government decided to erect a few monuments and celebrate the state's golden jubilee (golden, right? I always mix up these things) doesn't mean that it's not being alive to it's responsibilities.

Hmmm, I would have called out CAN on being needlessly alarmist but after going through the list of countries that would be attending and struggling to find other secular countries, I think CAN have enough cause to be skeptical. I mean, it's like I say i'm a lawyer and i'm asked to attend a "lawyers' solidarity dinner" only to get there and find out i'm the only one present that's not a lawyer. It may not mean anything but I would be very uncomfortable.

I do like where he said he doesn't want to wait till he gets to heaven to experience freedom. That's a quote for ages.

Mcowubaba:
All this Tribal wars we keep fighting, that's what makes us weaker.
Yesterday it was labeled Edo Prostitute, some days ago it was Yoruba ritualist, today is Igbo drug dealer.

The elites in this Country survive and thrive based on the religious and tribal sentiments in the Country.

We will be shouting IPOB vs AFONJA, while a Politician in Enugu is planning on how to embezzle money with the help of a fellow Politician in Gombe and Osun state.

It's really a pity, why I have never complained of Racism is based on the fact that my own Country is very tribal and bigoted.
Why will I be offended if a Ukrainian man calls me Monkey when my fellow Countrymen call me worst names.

Funny enough, most Nigerian immigrants are usually very united, I remember those days, we always gat each others back, watching out for your BROTHERS (fellow Nigerian), giving them info on new immigration laws, jobs and opportunities etc
Now,
It's really very shameful and sadistic, what Nigeria has turned out to be, an average Igbo person on Nairaland is cautious of a Yoruba person and vice versa.

Initially I thought tribal bigots were all Uneducated or illiterates, but I was very wrong, we have very educated and rich bigots in Nigeria.

The hostility is so repulsive.
No Nigerian living in Diaspora should complain about Racism, we don't have the moral standing as a Country.

The current President of Nigeria, fueled the Tribal and Ethnic Tension to an extreme level, I hate BUHARI, I won't lie about that, I don't wish him well. He is a deranged old fool, I don't hate or detest any Politician like I hate that Daura piglet

This is not tribal, I love people from his tribe, but Buhari himself is a definition of stupidity.
How can a President be this Useless, it's unacceptable

You, my friend, just said everything I've been saying for a while now. Aside the Buhari part tho. I don't hate him. I never really had great expectations for whichever government would have come out from the last elections

nextstep:
If the younger generation 18-45 all troop out vote for him or another idealist, they can overwhelm the aging, tribalistic population

That's the problem - we haven't heard him speak so we don't know exactly how suitable he is for the top job (and we need someone that knows what he is doing, regardless of tribe, religion or even age to some extent [at this point, I don't think anyone over 65 has any business running for president]). Well, there is still some time before 2019 but if he intends to put up at least a good show, he and others like him have to start now to make moves and show themselves worthy for the job.

I like that he's young but that's about it.

What is his political ideology? On which party's platform does he intend to run and what is their ideology? How does he intend to achieve whatever plans he has for the country? What does he know about the country's complex political, economic and tribal systems and what are his views about them? How does he intend to unite Nigerians under one banner in a drive to push us forward as against the idea of division and exclusion that previous politicians have used when running for office? He should answer these questions first then we might tell if he is actually serious about making Nigeria great or he really wants to upgrade from billionaire to something richer.

DoctorAlien:
Assuming he did not bring the money, would the land have been bought?

If I give a friend $100 and he uses it to buy a phone for me from Aliexpress: who bought the phone?

The last paragraph of your post reveals your puerile sense of logic. You need to read.

As far as AliExpress (who would have actual records of the transaction) are concerned, your friend bought the phone.

If you are looking at it from a legal standpoint, it would be stated that your friend bought the phone on your behalf. If the question of the ownership of the phone arises, it could be you (IF you can prove to the court that you did give your friend money to get the phone for you) but if the question of who actually bought the phone arises, then it's your friend.

babyfaceafrica:
my friend go an sit down, there is a reason why we were taught summary in school.

Troll. You have been observed. You can now take a seat.

Beautiful piece.

Unfortunate that most of my contemporaries, whose attention span would give a goldfish cause for concern, would neither read it through nor grasp its message. That's why you see them on Nairaland, defending the indefensible and showcasing their crass ignorance.