₦airaland Forum

SmartGadgetz:
E go rise.
Facebook pioneered social media revolution worldwide.

- Volkswagen Passat 2004 Sale For Business and Family use.
- %100 Buy & Drive
Check my profile for more PICTURES

There were others before them. MySpace is a good example.
They wouldn't rise unless they innovate or they buy another company.
Facebook is slowly becoming the social media choice for the older generation and those with little data.

The Cuomo's are fighting back. corruption fights corruption. CNN under Jeff has become the propaganda arm of the democrats. They have been run to the ground losing more than half of their viewers in a year.
Hopefully, they begin to retract their steps.

backbencher:
Sorry, you missed my point.

Power companies cannot generate power because government sets their prices, and keeps their prices so low 'as to help Nigerians'

So, instead of paying above the cost of producing the power, we pay below. Matters are compounded by the fact that 40% of customers do not pay for the power.

That's one way government does not perform well, but you ignore it because you think it benefits you. Well it doesn't...we end up paying for transformers and wires because power companies are not allowed to make a profit by law...whether it is discos or gencos. So they cannot fix things BECAUSE the chronically low prices they are forced to charge does not let them make enough of a profit to do so.


Meanwhile, when GSM came, things were bad. We paid high tarrifs for poor service back in the day, yet because government then allowed the companies...NOT THE GOVERNMENT...the companies...to set their price for their service, they could make enough profit to fix things well. (NTEL , the government owned phone company set low prices by government, and subsequently collapsed, not enough profit.



It is the same thing with taxes. Because we don't pay enough tax, we don't get enough of government service, and because government earns money from oil , corruption is far more easier to practice...which leads to us not focusing on government , and government doing as it likes, and there not being enough cash for all the public utilities and facilities. And for a better funded police.


Yes we have to pay more in tax, and the 70% who do not pay enough in taxes too should pay up...because, maybe it would make us start holding our government more accountable, and maybe they would sit up.

Yes, government does not work, because Nigerians are lazy and because we all just vote and go home and do nothing.

I don talk my own. And no, I do not approve of corruption or APC or PDP.

The difference between you and I
You think the solution to our problems would come form handing more more to government in form of taxes.
For me, I think the opposite, hand less money to government, give private businesses an equal playing field and let market forces rule.
I believe good governance not more taxes lays the solution to our problems.
When Trump cut taxes in the US, their economy performed better than it had in the last 30 years.
Same effect when Ronald Reagan cut tax in the 80s.
Tax cuts stimulate economic growth. Lower taxes encourage businesses and investments

backbencher:
Sorry, you missed my point.

Power companies cannot generate power because government sets their prices, and keeps their prices so low 'as to help Nigerians'

So, instead of paying above the cost of producing the power, we pay below. Matters are compounded by the fact that 40% of customers do not pay for the power.

That's one way government does not perform well, but you ignore it because you think it benefits you. Well it doesn't...we end up paying for transformers and wires because power companies are not allowed to make a profit by law...whether it is discos or gencos. So they cannot fix things BECAUSE the chronically low prices they are forced to charge does not let them make enough of a profit to do so.


Meanwhile, when GSM came, things were bad. We paid high tarrifs for poor service back in the day, yet because government then allowed the companies...NOT THE GOVERNMENT...the companies...to set their price for their service, they could make enough profit to fix things well. (NTEL , the government owned phone company set low prices by government, and subsequently collapsed, not enough profit.



It is the same thing with taxes. Because we don't pay enough tax, we don't get enough of government service, and because government earns money from oil , corruption is far more easier to practice...which leads to us not focusing on government , and government doing as it likes, and there not being enough cash for all the public utilities and facilities. And for a better funded police.


Yes we have to pay more in tax, and the 70% who do not pay enough in taxes too should pay up...because, maybe it would make us start holding our government more accountable, and maybe they would sit up.

Yes, government does not work, because Nigerians are lazy and because we all just vote and go home and do nothing.

I don talk my own. And no, I do not approve of corruption or APC or PDP.

We both agree that living things to the private is the best. The GSM companies proved this. Market forces and healthy competition always win.
Where I don't agree with you is the belief that our cheap power is the cause of our power problem. Maybe it contributes a little but clearly, the bigger cause is corruption and mismanagement.
I was expecting you to respond when I brought the Aba geothermal plant. Today it's the biggest private power plant in the country but it has not worked for a single day.
Why is the Aba Power Plant left in limbo, still un-operational years after it was completed? The plant has the capacity to generate some 140 megawatts of electricity and give jobs to millions in the Aba industrial zone.

Why is the Aba Power Plant not allowed to kick-start operation and by so doing bring succor to millions of homes and industrial concerns in that section of the country?

Taxes would never solve our problems

backbencher:
Goverment should not set the price of the items you sell,but should set the price of the power that is sold

As you should know, what's good for the goose.

Power companies cannot generate power because the laws governing them don't let them set their prices

Like you are free to do and like the GSM network companies can do.

Which is why they work and why we don't have power

Good evening

I have no problem with the price of power. I already pay more fueling my gen. Give me power, increase the price but then I wouldn't need to fuel my gen.


Power companies cannot generate power because the laws governing them don't let them set their prices
Do you know the story of the Aba geothermal plant? Our government destroys everything it touches. Too much unnecessary regulations.
My point remains the constant. It's irresponsible to give money to a useless Government. They would squander it. That has been the Nigerian story.

backbencher:
]

Yes, because waiting for perfect human beings to come and rule us (and yes, Buhari is a failure ) is going to be a long wait. Holding leaders to account , which is a lot of hard work, is the way.

It is almost as if you enjoy your cynicisim, by the way.



Yes, because paying them one tenth of what the NYPD uses to police 25 million people, and expecting them to police 211 million people on that one tenth at the level of the NYPD is a miracle.


Because 1) we don't pay the power companies the tarrifs we should be paying them...it costs more than N80 to make one kwh of power, and we pay them govt set price of between N41-71 FOR that same kwh of power...and you expect miracles...then 2)add that 30-40 percent of consumers don't pay for power

We have a working GSM system in Nigeria despite the corruption because 1) everyone pays for their services, even when it was bad before 2005 and 2) they charge the tarrifs they want to charge. No government price setting.

By the way, answer me honestly, would you like the government to set the price of the food you sell 'to help the poor'?




1.Generation is in private hands, that's why they are called GENCOS. Has been since 2013

2.Transmission is in the hands of government (for national security purposes)

3.DISCOS are 60% private 40% government, and are forced to charge tarrifs that, as I ahve said earlier , are placed below the cost of producing power...which is why they cannot raise money for gencos, and tcn, and why you have to spend millions on your generator...because you are paying them below the cost of producing their power...meaning they operate at a loss...plus 40% of your fellow customers don't pay.

Yes, because paying them one tenth of what the NYPD uses to police 25 million people, and expecting them to police 211 million people on that one tenth at the level of the NYPD is a miracle.
1. There is no direct relationship between police salary and crime. The US has a higher murder rate than Ghana. it's not about money but how the money is spent.

2. We have a working GSM system in Nigeria despite the corruption because 1) everyone pays for their services, even when it was bad before 2005, and 2) they charge the tariffs they want to charge. No government price setting.
This tells you what happens when our irresponsible government is not involved. Calls in Nigeria are one of the cheapest around. Imagine what would have happened if MTN was government-owned. I would gladly give my money to Mtn for services I get not to Government for services I never get.

3. By the way, answer me honestly, would you like the government to set the price of the food you sell 'to help the poor'? Government should never set the price for anything. Market factors determine price.

Generation is in private hands, that's why they are called GENCOS. Has been since 2013
Please tell me how much megawatt is generated by private companies. What is the largest private generating company? Private companies are running away from the generation space, you should ask why.

3.DISCOS are 60% private 40% government, and are forced to charge tarrifs that, as I ahve said earlier , are placed below the cost of producing power...which is why they cannot raise money for gencos, and tcn, and why you have to spend millions on your generator...because you are paying them below the cost of producing their power...meaning they operate at a loss...plus 40% of your fellow customers don't pay.
The cost of power is not the problem. It's the generation of power. If power price becomes 5x, as long as it is always availably, I can choose to reduce my power use. Again I wouldn't need to run a generator hence i save cost.
I have a house in Ghana. I spend less than 25k on power any month i am in ghana. My house in 9ja, I spent more than 10k on Nepa every month and more than 20k to run my gen and still I don't have 24 hours power.

It is almost as if you enjoy your cynicisim, by the way
My being cynical or not wouldn't solve 9ja problems, good government would not more taxes.

backbencher:
Because ironically, the reason why you don't have enough light, etc is because...you know, we don't pay enough tax in the first place..which is why you have to buy all those stuff

(Power is in private hands anyway, but even then, government forces them to sell the power at a loss, which means discos don't have enough money....which means they cannot fix things the way you want , because..)

Chicken or egg...ugh.




Insecurity...which is worsened by the bad tax regimen, which means Nigeria does not have enough to fund the police adequately in terms of tools and salaries....because , you know...we don't pay enough taxes...



Ironically, all these problems are caused by taxation issues



Ghana tax to gdp ratio 24%
Nigeria tax to gdp ratio 8%

Ghanaians also pay more per kwh for electricity.




So that we can earn enough tax money to properly fund the police, and pay them well, so that they take care of the security issues....because if you don't pay tax to the government to do these things, you will pay them to someone else...like you are doing now.

I disagree.. the reason why we don't have power is because of the bad government, not taxes. Give Nigeriaan Government 1 trillion and you have not solved any of our problems. It is irresponsible to give money to an irresponsible government. We are talking about the 155 least corrupt nation on earth and your solution is to give them more of our money?

I tell you as a food transpoter, our problem is the police not lack of it. They are the ones extorting us on the roads not the bandits.

When you bring in the amount nigerians spend on fueling generators, you would see that we pay far more for electricity than Ghana.

Finally, power is not in private hands. Power is produced by goverment, transmited by goverment, only the distribution is in private hands.
Nigeria produces at best 4500 megawatts of power for 200 million people while ghana produces 5300 megawatts for 30 million people.
How can we blame the distribution companies. They can only distribute what govrnmeent gives them.

gaby:
He's got the depraved looks to go with the accusation, should they be true.

lol... Don't you know how these things work? They use your picture that goes best with the narrative. They wouldn't use a pic of you looking so calm and innocent.
This pics looks less guilty

backbencher:
1.Money paid for fuel in generators and boreholes do not mean tax...it goes to the person selling the fuel and the person drilling the borehole.

2.Ditto money for transformers...it goes to the transfromer maker and to the person selling it...maybe import duties would go to government (which isn't much)

3.Most of the thugs on the road are local government thugs...and the money may go to the local government. Anyway, in the scheme of things, not every LGA does it (and my LG of residence sends out people very infrequently). Money collected by the police goes into the pockets of individual policemen (certainly not the government, who collects taxes from their salary, as they do for all salaried workers anyway)

4.Food prices are high because of insecurity, lack of extensive mechanized farming, and poor transport structure (we don't even have an extensive rail network, which would have helped bring food prices down).

5.Basically, I am not advocating government increase taxes. At the moment , 30% of Nigerians who are eligible to pay tax actually pay tax, the remaining 70% don't pay. Then we don't pay a lot of taxes other countries pay

1.Parking and highway tolls...

2.Council type tax....

VAT is poorly collected, but even if it was properly collected, it won't be enough.

Finally, the tax rate is too too low.

The truth is, the amount of money we raise from tax is not enough to fund our budget, and because people don't trust the government, and people prefer not to do the hard work of accountability, here we are.

You clearly missed the point.
1. If the government does not provide the needed amenities and individuals have to provide them for themselves, then why tax them for what you did not provide. Tax should be used to generate electricity so why tax me more when I generate my own electricity?

2. I am into the food market and transportation. 25% of my cost is spent on paying different people on our roads. There are over 250 security checkpoints from Benue to Lagos.

3. Individuals and businesses are paying the tax of bad governance. Higher cost of food because of corruption on the roads. We pay for our own water, our power, and almost every amenity. If Government does not do their duty, why should we be taxed and still pay for these amenities. Its either they don't tax us and we keep on paying these cost or they solve these issues then collect tax from us.

4. In Ghana, the have electricity, pipe borne water in the cities, good roads and very little corruption compared to Nigeria so we understand what the taxes are being used for.

5. Let me give you an example. If I transport tomatoes from Togo to Mile12 Lagos, I see much less check point between Lome and Seme border than from Seme to Mile 12. i spend more more moving my products from one part of lagos to the other. Yet you want to tax me on top of that.
Then i add these charges to the cost of my products. You buy tomatoes at unnnescesary high cost still the Goverment would want increase your tax.
Do you get my point now?

backbencher:
As long as we remain dependent on one source of income, we will always be in debt.

It follows that oil prices have never been as high as we want them for ages, and as a result we have to take loans to survive, which is why we are in debt.

Keep in mind that being an oil dependent nation does not mean we are rich, unless our population is low enough.

Nigeria must diversify away from oil if we must survive and reduce our debt.

Modified

Nigeria’s tax to GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the world. It is at about 8 per cent while our comparators are in the neighborhood of about 15 per cent to 25 per cent. Even in Africa we can surely do better. This is symptomatic of undue reliance on oil revenue as a result of fiscal imbalances in our nation’s financial landscape.

Nigerians actually pay much more in indirect tax. We pay to fuel our generators, we dig our own boreholes. we even buy our own transformers. Then transpoters pay heavily to government endorsed thugs on the roads and currupt police (this is one of the reasons why food is so expensive). Imagine, to transport tomatoes from benue to lagos, you would spend over 30k to pay idiots on the road.
Government should not increase tax unless they want to kill all of us.

Oduduwa707:
Trillion Dollars? You actually mean Naira.

Poor Journalism... Shows writer doesn't understand the value of currencies.

OP, can you please make a correction to the currency? It can NEVER be in Dollars na...

Even U.S, the world biggest economy doesn't owe that much in Dollars.

Actually, the US debt is in trillons of dollars.

Dailymice:
Lol... They took your oil, you protested, they gave you 0.0005 percent proceed and you now side with your slave masters.


Asari Dokubo's story summarised in a few words.

You claim to be the Igbo savior Buhari jails you for life. Kanu's story in a sentence.

Biafrannuke:
"KANU and Dokubo have been at loggerheads "

Lol. I've never heard MNK mentioned the fat swamp pig by name or give him attention but he always has KANU on his lips that looks like the anus if a baboon.
Tinubu's fake newspaper should report correctly.

Kanu is the one languishing in jail, Asari is the free bird. I would rather be Asari than Kanu who would die in jail.

I am not a Muslim so I can't give you religious advice. But I can give practical advice. First, in this day and age, I think it's very wicked to abort a baby when there are many responsible parents looking for a child to adopt. If your sister cant take care of the child, look for an adoption service provider.
Also, there is no law that says just because he got her pregnant, they have to get married. She could take a year off to give birth and get the child adopted then return to her life, education and career.

blackpanda:
U NO GET WORK DEAR

try get a life

Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, said no fewer than 1,192 persons were killed, 3,348 kidnapped while at least 891 people were injured due to banditry and other violent crimes in 2021.

The Commissioner of the Ministry in the state, Samuel Aruwan, made this revelation while presenting the annual security report for the year under review to the Governor and other officials of the Kaduna state Government on Tuesday.

He explained that the Central senatorial zone of the state comprising Brinin Gwari, Chikun, Igabi ,Kajuru, Kaduna North and South Local councils is the most affected regions.

He also noted that at lease 45 Persons were raped by armed bandits with 29 of the victims being minors.

On receiving the report, Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemned the violation of human lives and sent condolences to families of those affected.

The Governor called for an urgent national effort to strengthen security agencies in the fight which will include the provision of more sophisticated weapons and the recruitment of more troops.

The Governor further called on the federal government to create a theatre command in Kaduna State as done in North East, to enhance a more wholistic kinetic military approach in the fight against insurgents and all forms of criminality.

Heads of security agencies, Federal and State lawmakers who were also at the meeting unanimously commended the armed forces for their efforts and sacrifices.

Dalil8:
Real Madrid & Newcastle doing the most in this transfer window

PSG missed out on getting 200m euros, now they have to let him go for free.

The biggest clubs don't sell their best players for any price

Pogba12:
The north is by far the most populous region, so it is in order.
Majority Carrie's the vote.

You clearly don't know the population of Nigeria. The North does not have up to 20% lead on the south in population. Not like I care where the presidents come from. But then you should educate yourself.

jmoore:
Abraham paid tithe once. Abraham did not pay tithe from his livestock. Abraham went to war, it was from what he looted from the war that he paid as tithe. Go and fight a war against bokoharam, loot their properties and pay tithe from what you looted.

This is why you get it wrong. The scripture is not about recording everything Abraham did or did not do. we learn about Abraham paying tithe so we can see it's a principle of the kingdom.
Also, Jacob paid tithe, just so you know

AchalugoNwa:
honestly I said it last season.
Madrid came knocking with 200 million for this dude but psg refused.
wonder who's their financial advisor.
psg is being run by individual money because how can a club afford such loss

Money is not everything. If PSG had taken that money, they are telling the world that they prefer money over success and it's an indication to other clubs that with the right amount, you can pick up any PSG player. The best clubs don't sell their best players.

Hopefull, Messi would step up and fill in the void.

jmoore:
New testament began when Jesus died. There is no endorsement of tithe after Jesus died.

Mint, dill and cumin are all plants. So why are you demanding for money? No where in the Bible was tithe paid with money.


I eat my tithe according to the law. If you choose to give a pastor your own tithe, that's your own choice out of lack of knowledge. No Nigerian pastor descended from the tribe of Levi.

The payment of tithe is older than the tribe of Levi. Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi. Many of you don't understand, Abraham did not live under the laws of Moses.

jmoore:
New testament began when Jesus died. There is no endorsement of tithe after Jesus died.

Mint, dill and cumin are all plants. So why are you demanding for money? No where in the Bible was tithe paid with money.


I eat my tithe according to the law. If you choose to give a pastor your own tithe, that's your own choice out of lack of knowledge. No Nigerian pastor descended from the tribe of Levi.

New testament began when Jesus died. There is no endorsement of tithe after Jesus died. Your opinion, Jesus Christ did not ask his followers to start obeying him after his death. He required their obedience even before his death.
Do you also notice that he quoted continuously from the old testament? If the words in the old testament were no longer valid, he wouldn't have quoted from it.

jmoore:
I follow instructions. That's why comprehension is key. Apostle Paul didn't marry. So should I follow Apostle Paul and say Christians should never marry.

When reading the Bible, learn to distinguish instruction from personal choice.

The Church is guided by instruction, not personal choices. Peter and the other 11 did not just decide that members should sell all they have for the church. That would have been criminal.

Also, Paul did not instruct on any kind of church donations he only said it should be done willingly. He was speaking about giving cheerfully and not what should be given.
Finally, as I said earlier, Christ instructed the rich young man to give his all, so the 12 were only following Christ's example. Jesus Christ also told of the widows mite. She was recognized for giving her all.
This is basically how it works, in the days of old, they were instructed to give 10% but when Christ came, he required giving all.
Matthew 5:17 (“Do not think that I have come to abolish Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
For example, the says Thou shall not commit adultery. The law still stands but Christ raised the standard... Don't look at a woman in lust.
The requirement of tithe stands but as with the widow, Christ emphasized giving all that you have.
In Matthew 23:23 Christ endorsed the payment of tithe
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
His words are clear It good to pay tithe but not neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

LordVoldermort:
Countries like China would arrest celebrities who flaunt their wealth because they know it's bad for public health...but Nigerian government as usual don't care about their people.

China can't be the role model. US and Europe do not jail their celebs. Japan does not, even Ghana does not but you feel we must be like China

mariovito:
Suicide rate is just skyrocketing, humans have become so weak, with all the technological and economic advancement, we still are very unsatisfied and depressed.

Our forebears with less had a more rewarding existence.

Lack of real problems is becoming a problem in itself.

Humans are not becoming more weak. It takes some mad courage to jump down a skyscraper rather, i would say that the world is becoming more complex.

jmoore:
So the Corinthians I quoted was from which testament? That Apostle A gave his all doesn't mean you should follow Apostle A and give all your belongings. That's why Christians are instructed in 2
Corinthians 9:7 'Each of you should give what you
have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful give.

Do you know you can eat your tithe? You don't know that. Read your Bible very well.

Why pay my tithe when I can eat it?

If you read your bible. You would learn of more than one chapter were donations to the church was mentioned. Corr 9.7 is only one of such.
Again, 2 cor9.7 did not end tithe. It only teaches you to give it willingly fromantic your heart

NNTR:
What makes me happy Sir, is when you honestly, sincerely and truthfully give answers to questions put forward to you. Good character trait things, like that, makes me extremely excited and happy

_{Personal text: Jesus is not a theologian. He is God who told stories.}

And it's up to you to tell who is honest.

jmoore:
So the Corinthians I quoted was from which testament? That Apostle A gave his all doesn't mean you should follow Apostle A and give all your belongings. That's why Christians are instructed in 2
Corinthians 9:7 'Each of you should give what you
have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful give.

Do you know you can eat your tithe? You don't know that. Read your Bible very well.

Why pay my tithe when I can eat it?

So you follow one apostle and neglect the other.

NNTR:
You see, what you want to see and turn a blind eye to what you dont want to see, what you dont want to face and what you dont want to confront or acknowledge.

I dont attack and even dont bite. Now, beside all of that, what you dont see is, the bark, is worse than the bite.

You're a giant, how possibly can I belittle a giant
I have no desire, no interest, whatsoever, in you agreeing with me. Why? it is because, it's better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.

I have never shared any opinions of mine with you, if I've had, you would have seen my preface it IMHO

Thanks for running a long and also for not honestly, sincerely and truthfully answering the question put forward to you

_{Personal text: Jesus is not a theologian. He is God who told stories.}

Whatever makes you happy sir

ityP:
You have sense. Thats why a lecturer asking his students for sex is against the law. In that case, the victim is left with little or no choice. The threw of failing is there

Yea.. passing a student is not doing the student a favor but it is the students right.
On the other hand, if I promise a girl 1 million in exchange for sex, I am not taking advantage of her. She can walk away without any consequence.

MufasaLion:


Low-budget celebrity with no sense. Real nigga don't leave no evidence. This guy is dumb.

Anyways, it's wrong to take advantage of people especially women. There are tons of women that can give him sex without him taking advantage of their vulnerability. Shameless boy!

What if the lady accused him of rape? Imbecîle!!!

If he really did it, he is wrong. It is very unprofessional. But he did not take any advantage.
He gave her a choice. She could say no to him since the conditions were not ok.
Taking advantage only happens when lady is a minor or is without a choice.
For example a lady is sleeping in my house and make her sleep with me by threatening to throw her out at night.

NNTR:
You did not answer the question. What you did was to dishonestly twist the question to then give an inappropriate answer to suit your deception answer

The power to declare that someone's sins are forgiven, the display, demonstration and execution of the power of God through numerous healings, miracles, signs and wonder, incontrovertibly reveals and proves that Jesus is not unGodly but that He is God because the Lord our God is One.

It will be a small, shallow and narrow minded person that fraudulently claims that God is a division of Himself into three.
Do you really think, God is limited to three?
What at all, do you know about what 'begotten' in its entirety, means, when used in context with Jesus?

When or if stretched, there will always be room in a small, shallow and narrow person's mind, so stretch your mind or better still, think outside, the confined and boxed-in mind, you are trapped in, loll.

Will you please strictly stick to the parameters of the question and stop habitually, introducing inappropriate words that arent present in the original question you've been asked

Smh, where did you see or read 'take permission ...' in the post you replied to. Hmm?

_{Personal text: Jesus is not a theologian. He is God who told stories.}

I see you are very quick to aattack and belittle anyone that those not agree with you.
Anyway thanks for sharing your opinion.