[b][/b]THE PRODIGAL SONS OF ABUJA
an article by Dele Momodu


I'm no longer in doubt that members of our political class will soon take Nigeria to the cleaners, if they have not done so already. There is every indication that the country is broke but the prodigal sons and daughters in Abuja have chosen to ignore the alarm bells. In fact, they seem to be on a binge as corruption and general indiscipline climb to an all time high. These parasites are draining the Nigerian treasury as if money is going out of vogue.



While we were still battling to reconcile ourselves to the reckless and irresponsible monetary demands of members of the National Assembly, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has finally sagged our spirits. Like a victim of hypnotism, he has approved the purchase of three new presidential jets in a country that lacks all the basic necessities of life. Truly, there must be some demons residing inside the bowels of Aso Rock and within its precincts. These demons often change the inhabitants of the seat of power from otherwise reasonable human beings into the most irrational leaders. Without entertaining any fear of contradiction, Dr Jonathan has shot himself in the foot by that act of chronic insensitivity.



Even if I didn't know anything about Dr Jonathan's background, and how he managed to prosper in politics, it is obvious that mother-luck had always smiled on him.  But this is no reason to begin to play God. I was in his village in Bayelsa State when his father died and was buried. The village looked extremely ravaged by acute poverty. And there was no sign of development anywhere. Dr Jonathan was the Vice President at the time. Most of his visitors could not believe how impoverished the village was. In fact, in order to give a semblance of civilisation, we noticed that the most powerful son of the soil had hurriedly built a modern house in the village which stood out in contradistinction to most of the other buildings.



On that occasion, security was so water-tight because of the threat of the militants storming the place in vengeance. Reports had it that the then Vice President was advised not to stay the night in his own house. It was such a sorry sight as we drove back to Port Harcourt. This was about two years ago but I have not been able to get rid of the sordid images that confronted us. And even as recent as last year, I was again reminded of that terrible nightmare as I drove from Yenogoa to Port Harcourt late last year. I was stunned to see that the whole place looked like a war-ravaged zone. For all you care, I could have just been parachuted into Sierra Leone or Rwanda at the height of their fratricidal wars.



I would have expected a man from that kind of penurious existence to appreciate life better. And now that God has raised him like Lazarus from the shadow of death, he would have done well by walking on the side of the people. His demeanour in recent time is not that of a man who remembers his recent past and history. It is that of a man who had waited patiently to validate what the Brazilian author Paulo Freire described as "the pedagogy of the oppressed", a terrible psychological disorder which makes an oppressed human being to act worse than his former oppressor on attainment of little power. Our new president does not seem to know that we are indeed in a state of emergency. And what is required is absolute fiscal discipline, austerity measures, selflessness, accountability, hard-work, clear vision and the determination to succeed where others have failed.



Please, tell me, what are we doing with so many presidential jets? Who are we trying to impress when it is so obvious even to the blind that most of our people are wallowing in abject poverty and most of our cities are in total ruins like Hiroshima during the Second World War? A poor nation cannot continue to live in sin and self-delusion. Democracy is becoming one huge burden on Nigerians and we must be careful not to break the fragile rope that is holding our nation together. Members of President Jonathan's ruling political party are heating up the polity at such atrocious speed that must give cause for concern of all patriotic citizens.



Dr Jonathan's language register has also suddenly changed. He's now sounding like those spoil brats that litter our political landscape. I could never have imagined how quickly human beings can transfigure into a state of apparition. Dr Jonathan has inadvertently become a politician who's talking down on those he said were dabbling into the internal affairs of his People's Democratic Party. According to a report in Thisday of yesterday, August 13, 2010, Dr Jonathan said members of his party know how to settle whatever problems exist between them. What problems were they able to solve in the past? Has he forgotten so soon how some junior officers were barking orders at him only recently? Is it possible that he has forgotten so soon that the good grace of God and the goodwill of ordinary Nigerians made it possible for him to escape the grand conspiracy against him? Is he now telling those great Nigerians to shut up because he has to please members of his party in order to secure the presidential ticket for next year's election?

Life cannot always be about power. There must be other things that give us the high. There is nothing wrong in our President investing some of our money in our local airlines like Air Nigeria and Arik. Arik, for example, has some brand new jumbo jets that can do long hauls. The Prime Minister and Her Majesty The Queen of England fly British Airways. The Italian Prime Minister of Italy and the Pope who's the Head of The Vatican both fly Alitalia. The money will stay in our economy and generate employment for our people. We brought nothing to the world, we shall take nothing when we depart. It is fine if private entrepreneurs work hard like Mike Adenuga, Aliko Dangote and Tony Elumelu and decide to buy private jets. It is the reward for sweating it out day and night. Dr Jonathan cannot and must never be allowed to waste our meagre resources on frolics and flights of fancy.



I doubt if he ever flew more than in economy class before he came into politics. Most of the village boys who now crave for spaces on presidential jets were totally irrelevant only a few years ago. They can return to their bush and give us some break if we cannot satisfy their insatiable appetite for luxury lifestyle. That was how President Olusegun Obasanjo practically forced us to buy him a presidential jet in the twilight of his administration. At our expense, he flew more than any known President in world history. What did we achieve with all the merry-go-round? I'm not aware that Obasanjo was dashed the jet when he retired to the Julius Berger-constructed Olusegun Osoba Hill-top mansion in Abeokuta.



I wonder why we now want to buy three presidential jets in one fell swoop. As I write this, I'm told that Nigeria currently has a minimum of six jets in its presidential fleet. What's all this nonsense for God's case? Is it that we are so docile that every new government acts worse than its predecessor? For a man who hopes to contest election in the next few months, the wrong steps of President Jonathan are becoming too many. I hope he's not a victim of witchcraft because most of his desperate opponents are specialists of the spiritual realm. There are no signs that he's in a hurry to debunk those who consider him too colourless and uninspiring to represent Nigeria at the international forum. If he thinks the only qualification he needs to contest and win the election is his place of birth, and that PDP would be allowed to rig election so brazenly like it did in 2007, some surprises await him. The world has changed dramatically since then.

@POSTER.
Nigerian producers ar after Ghanian actresses and actors cos they are cheaper, expose too much flesh unnecessarily. And anyway they are jst used 2 add spice and change 2 the nollywood industry, but by no means better than nigerian actors/actresses.
Besides, these gollywood actors (abi they ar 5 or is it 6) use too much make up in scenes that are unsuitable, ar nt fashionable,and there producers ar forever recycling thesame locations (BIG MASSIVE HOUSES).
FAKE PEOPLE!!

@ topic and poster

yeah, its really unfortunate our leaders ar still bringing themselves this low and exposing themselves to unnecessary scrutiny and insult, instead of making waves as regards to development in our nation.
But nonetheless, the posters that hav been harpin on islam supporting child abuse, The last time i checked (i served in a hospital in a southern state of nigeria) 1 out of 7 girls below d age of 13 has had an abortion.So that concludes that christianity permits sexual activities at young age but does not approve of marriage until a girl reaches a ripe age of ? upon which she has successfully/unsuccessfully aborted numerous pregnancies by her numerous trial and error boy friends/fiances/uncles/rapists.
Was it not last year that a british magazine featured the youngest couple in U.K, an 11 yrs old dad and 12yrs mom.But our dear nairaland posters considered dat O.K infact kinda cool considerin na oyinbo do am.
To cut long story short. when will nigerians learn to argue about issues without bringing religious sentiments?

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if u ar lukin for leather, go to the northen states of nigeria (kano, sokoto,maiduguri e.t.c). though the hides and skins are not in a finished condition, but you can get collectors and give them your size specifications. If u ar really serious you should take advantage of the upcoming sallah period (in 7 days), during this period rams are slaughtered in large numbers, therefore u get good leather at a low price. good luck.
if u want further info ,u can mail me ; hassanagee@yahoo.com

i hav a fairly O.K skin
cleanse with skin success cleanser at nite, use fair and lovely night cream.
use olay body quench during d day, and ocassional use of loreal sunscreen.
Though i aspire to do better for my skin, lol

i beg for the expert advise of past and present volkswagen owners. i hav a volkswagen suran, (luks like toyota matrix or peugeot 306), evrythin was beautiful btw us, until i decided to change d batteries, upon replacing it, the car simply refused to start up, d mechanic said d security has locked d car up , therefore we hav 2 do some coding issues. i am skeptical on allowin any quack mechanic touch d car,im yet to meet someone dt has d supposed equipment for the coding. pls advise and recommend on wat 2 do. thanx.

Let me say somethin from d nija perspective, as a practicing architect here, im afraid nigerian Architect are heading towards extinction.
Reasons are ;
- Architects are becoming irrelevant in d building industry. Nigeria is a 3rd world country that is primarily concerned on providing basic infrastructures, therefore architectural creativity is really low on the priority list of nascent national issues.
- There are too many architects (include OND, HND ,BSC,MSC) that are attempting to out number the potential clients.
- No retirement age for any Architect ,therefore things revolve around a certain tight circle.
- hmmmm and the worst of all is d infiltration of all sorts of quack expitrates, that are given more preference than the indegenious architects, irrespective of the fact they have no NIA mambership, in some severe cases no formal eductaion in the proffession.

HEY EVERY ONE
Architects are thesame ,whereever they are be it Nigeria, SA,UK,US,
always lookin for oppurtunities to bash each other. i thought this thread was to be an opener for the poster, who is a student as to what 2 expect upon graduation and related stuffs.
but d posted 3-D's are really lovely. pls no bashin, act like d proffessionals u ar

im really goin to do my best. take things slowly and b truthful.
i really got geniune advices here, thanx a million and God bless ya all,

@ fhemmy
thanx a million 4 d advice. i am already feelin purposeful. but another question abeg. how does some1 deal with marriage phobia?

but sincerely how much does chemistry/romance /crazy in luv feeelings makes a marriage work? i hav seen many couples dat were crazy 4 each other pre-marriage and then later become strangers due to non compatibility or other things.
i hav never been the kind of gal dat FALLS in luv, i hardly get tripped by men. attraction(yes) but never crazy in luv. mayb ppl like me jst never get 2 experience dat in life.
i hav had proposals from nyc guys but due to absence of sparks and huge attractions , i had 2 let go. i dont want 2 luk back in d future and regret my actions

@ fhemmy
sincerely i dont have any romantic feelings 4 him now, but i think we understand each other alot , we are also very compatible. by caring i meant he has all d wonderful qualities of a good husband/father.
@ turiano
i hav also heard abt d luv always comes later thing, it could also happen to me . right?
@ ify and sparta
i really like your advice, but something in me tells me if i let the relationship hangs for long, i will dissappoint him (unfortunately i have relationship/marriage phobia), i always let good guys go 4 d most stupid of reasons, im afraid i will do d same with him , again

Hi every one, i desperately need the advice of all u good people, particularly the married men and women.
I just got a marriage proposal from an old friend ( have known him for 10yrs), he is a responsible, caring guy and financially stable. Though i dont love him, i dont know if i should accept. I am in my late 20's and very tired of dating and getting dissappointed.SHOULD I SAY YES OR WAIT FOR THE UNKNOWN?

thanx ladies.

WHAT EYE CONTACTS COLOUR SUITS BLACK CHICKS? PLS ADVISE

hi fashionable gals out there, i have been using eyeglasses 4 shortsightedness (cant see what is far), i want 2 change d way i luk, therefore wants 2 try contacts. which colour will suit honey coloured skin, but i have bulgy eyeballs oooo.
pls assist

[/b]DEMOCRACY AINT WORKING FOR NIGERIA[b]

has it come to this? automatic ticket and automatic election, it seems they are politely admiting they cant rule the nation. PDP is failing , politicians are failing. GOD DEY

i am a practicing architect in abj.
sincerely, the economy of a country is the major determining factor of oppurtunities 4 d architect.
Nigeria, unlike other countries is very much an under developed country. 65% of nigerians are living below poverty line, how can u expect such a country to acquire the services of an architect?
I think its abt time architects start becoming relevant in our poor economy , through innovative designs. that are cheap and saves energy.
as 4 those aspiring to become architect, hhhmmmm

my mum's favourite aint the first or last but the 4th. the last ones like me are jst mere distractions.
i envy all those favourites out there

This post has clearly shown us the type of family values the new generation Nigerians have.
Yes, i agree its not ideal for a woman to let her hard earned degree to waste, particularly in a country like ours, where numerous women dont hav d oppurtunities you have. But the issue is this, is the need to justify that hard earned certificate surpasses the moral integrity of your kids and the stability of your home?
Im not sayin a medical doctor shld stay at home and be a housewife.No, but she can work in an enviroment that will permit her flexibility to be there 4 her family particularly the kids that are young. The moment they get old enough (like secondary sch) u can chase the moon if u want.
There are certain circumstances where the need to work is absolutely necessary, that cant be argued, but if not
All d nigerian professional women that are shouting career over evrythin, were they not d 1st to drop that career the moment oga became gov/president/vicepresident, all in the name of giving him support. What happened to career or Gov. no fit die

@fhemmy

So u dont want ur child 2 end up too dependent on u? but its o.k to drop him off with aunty God knows who, from God knows where, that is likely to maul, molest ,bully ur child. clingy children is not a resultant of a mother's presence but a sence of insecurity which i believe a child that is exposed to so many issues outside home at an early age is prone to.
Most proffessional women around d globe are opting for more post delivery holidays and working hour reductions if they have young kids, why should they bother if its not important.
Women will never be men. children will always NEED their mother more than their fathers, and the word NEED here refers to training and guiding d child in every step of the way

I repeat if u cant b there 4 a child, simply dont give birth to it. just go and continue pursuing your career . Anyway not everybody is maternal, but the idea of having half baked motherhood can never be justified. A child that grew up with his mother always around him/her can never be thesame as a child whose mother is absent. simply because our mothers did motherhood/ carreers doesnt automatically make it right. Deep inside our hearts we wish they were there when we were growing up.Moreover the dilemmas a growing up child is facing today is a nightmare compared to when our mothers were bringing us up.Every normal woman wants 2 give her child more than her mother gave to her.
LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD

@ poster

Why are women so hard on themselves, either we like it or not the mental and psychological network of a woman is diffrent from that of a man. If you aint willing to take care of you family , why start one in the first place. All the ladies making noise abt balancin work and family definately aint reffering to nigerian setup, ypu leave for work at 6:00 and get back by 9:00, u be witch 2 be able to assist ur kids with home work, cook a lovely meal for ur man and have extra strenght to give him some TLC,
My kids (when i eventually hav them) are my No. 1 investment. no amount of money carreer i have will ever be compared in importance to them. O.K agreed , the husband may die, well, i have seen many carreer women that toiled for years and saved money together with hubby and buy joint properties with him, only for hubby 2 die and his relatives claiming everything. Ehen , the husband can desert you , we are all living in a world of uncertainity, thousands of people are dissmissed from there jobs, owing to 1 reform or the other, or simply becos the new boss wants 2 provide space for his towns ppl in the office.
My suggesstion is;
1) if my husbands salary is very unimpressive, i will definately contribute. By getting a job that allows me to appreciate my family. such as teaching or weekend jobs.
2) if my husband earns reasonably well, i will stay at home and be a STAY AT HOME MOM, take 100% care of my kids, wats d point of d cash their daddy is making if they see the faces of strangers mare than their parents.NAHHHH. though a stay at home mom needs side attractions to keep her brain active, my hubby will give me some cash to invest in WISELY. makin me my own boss at my own pace.
3) If i feel i must work to justify my certificates, i will shelve kids and possibly marriage until i reach a gud carreer position and have earned mega bucks.Then i will smartly invest my money, retire, get married and have kids ( all is possible with technology) and enjoy my money, hubby and kids.
THIS LIFE IS TO BE ENJOYED, NOT TO BE ENDURED

As i was casually driving to office this morning, i couldnt help but notice a VERY FLASHY car, with the plate number MHR (member house of repesentatives-federal). The driver was cruising around with gusto and arrogance, while the fellow pure water, news vendor, recharge card boys were gaping.
I couldnt help but ask my self what ENORMOUS duties are the members of the house of reps (both federal and state) performing in this country, that justifies the huge amount of money dispensed on them.The average nigerian teacher/banker/e.t.c is out there working his ass off to justify his salary while some lazy individuals that call themselves politicians are luxuriating in free money.
to the best of my knowledge all those supposed representatives are only good for;
1) Making noise when an honest/hard working citizen is attempting to do something positive 4 d nation.
2) Making noise when the presidency denies them N3milion furniture allowance,or refuses to give them yet another new car.
3) Collecting BAGCO BAGS to endorse tenure elongation or such.
abeg, i may b wrong but can some1 tell me d huge amount of national duties these ppl are performing that justifies the riches dished out to them

@meetyomi
thanx. but her invitation doesnt include me. Anyway it seems d logical thin is usin the bussiness identification + luck. thanx again.

@funky
i think i like d idea of saying im her PA. i hope that wont require any paperwork 2 prove i am workin for her.

HELP NEEDED FOR GETTING SCHENGEN VISA
I am escorting my sister to austria, she is goin on a bussiness trip therefore was given an invitation by her bussiness associates in austria. The problem is i dont know the status to identify my trip on the forms, is it visit or bussiness.She has all the relevant bussiness papers,and has already been given the visa.Nairalanders your help is urgently needed. i dont want to risk my chances.[/color][color=#990000]

pls do we have a psychiatrist or psychologist here?
I am always feeling down and unitrested in things around me, my father passed away 2 years ago after a long illness.I miss him very much, but i have moved on .Things that used to make me happy or excite me dont appeal to me anymore,i have a great job, a new car, nice boyfriend and all that, but im still feeling empty.I have to pactically push myself to go through the day.All attempts to make my days bright as before has simply failed, good or bad things just dont get to me.PLS I WANT 2 KNOW IF IM HAVING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OR NORMAL UPS AND LOWS AS IN EVERY BODYS LIFE,

pls can u send a copy of the pmbok to my mail.
hassanagee@yahoo.com
thanx

SALAM ALAIKUM
Sis and bro, we have to become more watchful and vigilant in resisting the desire to do what our hearts wants. We have to become more careful and aware of of the western encroachment in our religion. The issue of music in islam is a sensitive situation, Yes, the use of certain musical instruments are not permissible in islam, but how many of these musicians abide by those rules. We have to know that the utmost aim of the non-believers is to dissolve the essence in our sunnahs.
The truth is we can not justify music simply because it is praising Allah. Music is music, infact the music that praises Allah is more offensive than the western music because it is calling the name of Allah and the Rasul without takwa and piety.
I believe its best we encourage our selves and children to improve our recitation of the Quran, or simply ignore music (satan) completely, as hard as it may be , but it can be done.

its true having helpin hands around u is a plus for living in nigeria. But at times the problems associated with these helps is more than the help they offer i.e stealing, child molestation, husband snatchin e.t.c
The worst part is if u live in a small apartment  with house gal, house boy , nanny, imagine the crowd