₦airaland Forum

I am actually hopeful that Ghana will learn from the Nigerian disaster. Remember they are asking advice from Norway, a country who exploit oil off their own shores too at the request of Kofi Annan. So, unlike the Dutch, they know all too well how a small country can exploit oil to its advantage. I am still holding out to see what benefits this brings Ghana, but the fact that it discovered oil when it is a stable and fully functioning democracy can only mean big things for Ghana. Ghana might be the first African nation to reach Lion status like the Asians tigers. I hope the government will keep their head when flushed with money. I would advise them to plough it into education,  subsidizing and mechanizing their existing economic infrastructure.

I love the man, but I really don't give a damn. If he is killed he will by a martyr and all his legislative agenda will be passed. Which isn't actually a bad thing. I like the man, but I voted for his vision, not because I liked him. Besides do you think that this idiot can get anywhere close to the President?

Yes, kill them all and let God sort them out. Unfortunately who would do this without hate in their heart? Japan had something similar under the shogunate where the families of vassal lords were held captive in the capitol city by the shogun. Why can't the people who didn't "select" this jokers hold their families hostage at the end of an AK? Sure you feed them, let them go about their business(under close scrutiny), and never let them leave the state or area of representation as long as that family member is "servin, ", who are we kidding, LORDING it over the people. There is a difference between this and kidnapping them for ransom. I am sure that this system would make these asses accountable to the people.But then again this bastards aren't above sacrificing anyone, not even their own kids, for power. If you live or have lived in Nigeria and this is the most disgusting idea to ever furrow your brow in disgust then you my friends are detached from reality.

calling him a lilliputian is too much of a compliment, This guy is a straight up yahoo. A jackass in human form.

Is he Lebanese? Asian? or White? If not then no. I agree that Fashola is a competent leader, don't know about inspirational, but then again, Nigeria has been so misrule that competency is seen as inspirational. I believe the correct answer is 47.

Fine Gaggi, why don't you go and die in some backwards village without electricity, potable water, and no toilet. You rail against the west, but pray tell where are you living? Immorality is on the rise in the west? hmmmph, at least most western nation have a basic respect for human rights. I don't expect to be summarily executed just for driving down the road, and what is this bullshit that the white people will never respect you. I guess they elected Obama just for laughs. I like the west and I am not ashamed to say it. The reason that they,the whites, are prosperous has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with knowing when to sideline superstition in place of factual evidence. If you hate the west so much then reject all that it has to offer. Kindly burn your computer as the first step towards being a purer African.

And I thought asians are suppose to be smart. That is just freaking ridiculous.

I don't know why people find this plan so laughable, I think that it is rather sound. But I am afraid that your message is muddled and unclear become rich. When you said move the Yorubas to Le Republique du Benin people mistake it  to mean the force deportation of all Yorubas into tiny Benin. I would encourage you to word it as letting Yoruba Land decamp out of the federation. I certainly do not see why Yoruba land has to join Benin though; It will just end up creating the very same problem you cite as to the breakup of Nigeria in the first place. It is better to start this new Country with as little tension between ethnicities as possible and Benin is made up of a lot more than Yorubas and like minded groups. Second, I think that instead of focusing solely on the benefits of this to the North, focus on how this benefits the Yorubas. What you are proposing makes it sound like it is only to the benefit of the North for this to happen. You've taken no consideration into how this might affect the other ethnicities. Do the Igbos, Deltans, and whoever else want to remain in the federation if Yoruba land decamps? No. These groups have more to lose from an even more dominant North under this plan than ever before. Third, you need to buttress your argument along economic lines, specifically human development. This way, no one will question your motives as to why you want to leave the federation with a little oil as possible. You need to make plans as to how you hope this new entity will transition away from commodities to a knowledge based society. I am surprised at the vitriolic reaction to this plan from all sides. It is folly to proclaim one Nigeria when in this one Nigeria you get treated worse than a space alien if you leave your "land". If this separate Yoruba republic must happen, I hope that its governance system is well thought out. We cannot rely on any western model of democracy but make our own where there truly is checks and balances. The executive should not be the most powerful office in the Land it should be the legislative body, and control of the armed forces should rest with the representatives of the people. It would behooves this new republic to pay its representatives slightly less than what their counterparts earn in the west rather than more, Petty politics should be put aside while emphasizing development. Seriously, the legislature should not concern itself with religious and sexual issues when so much needs to be done to develop the country. Speaking of religion, I would like a crackdown on religiosity, not religion, but religiosity; You know, the unctuous posturing of public worshipers paying lip service to a religion for personal gain. This country should be militantly secular in its public sphere and should enshrine the separation of religion from government. Education should be a priority, as well as infrastructure. All children have the right to attend free public schools. Instead of only building roads and bridges why not an extensive railway line that brings mass mobilization to the general public for those unable to afford cars? In short, I like the idea, but at best I can only describe your plan as incipient and inchoate, it needs to be more fleshed out. This is the sort of thing a think thank ought to tackle.

I admire your attempts at moderation Karoyola but idiocy shouldn't be tolerate. I am not insulting them just to be mean. I am only pointing out their own follies. They trip over themselves in trying to intellectualize a backwards practice. This isn't to say that all native practices are useless, as cultural fonts that strengthen ethnic identity they are useful, but if the aim is to dictate the lives of people based on visceral evidence predicated on nothing more than ignorance then no, that practice shouldn't continue. Are you going to sit and say that these people should be humored? The less of their kind that are around the better off Nigeria will be.

Do you idiots know the difference between a figure-head and an actual administrative power? Seriously, The Monarchy has no power, what you idiots, and I proudly say this are quoting are neutered powers. The queen just rubber stamps whatever the parliament decides when it comes to issues of the state. Don't give me crap that says that the Monarchy is a vestigial power, I know that already. When did the Queen last dismiss Parliament? Appoint someone to any ministerial post without the express written Approval of the prime minister or premier of that nation? You guys are idiots. And I suggest you look up what vestigial means.


The idiot who keep posting wiki articles about vestigial powers well how about this from your own quote.

The Royal Prerogative includes the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, regulate the civil service, issue passports, declare war, make peace, direct the actions of the military, and negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of the United Kingdom; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. The monarch is commander in chief of the Armed Forces (the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force), accredits British High Commissioners and ambassadors, and receives diplomats from foreign states.

It is the prerogative of the monarch to summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament. Each parliamentary session begins with the monarch's summons. The new parliamentary session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament, during which the Sovereign reads the Speech from the Throne in the Chamber of the House of Lords, outlining the Government's legislative agenda. Prorogation usually occurs about one year after a session begins, and formally concludes the session. Dissolution ends a parliamentary term, and is followed by a general election for all seats in the House of Commons. Again, these powers are always exercised on the Prime Minister's advice. The timing of a dissolution is affected by a variety of factors. No parliamentary term may last more than five years; at the end of this period, a dissolution is automatic under the Parliament Act 1911. However, the Prime Minister normally chooses the most politically opportune moment for his or her party. Per the Lascelles Principles, the Sovereign may theoretically refuse a dissolution, but the circumstances under which such an action would be warranted are unclear.[20] Before a bill passed by the legislative Houses can become law, the Royal Assent (the monarch's approval) is required. In theory, assent can either be granted (making the bill law) or withheld (vetoing the bill). In reality, assent is always granted; the last monarch to withhold assent was Anne in 1707.

The monarch has a similar relationship with the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Sovereign appoints the First Minister of Scotland on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament, and the First Minister of Wales on the nomination of the National Assembly for Wales. In Scottish matters, the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Scottish Government. However, as devolution is more limited in Wales, in Welsh matters the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Sovereign can veto any law passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, if it is deemed unconstitutional by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The Sovereign is deemed the "fount of justice"; although the Sovereign does not personally rule in judicial cases, judicial functions are performed in his or her name. For instance, prosecutions are brought on the monarch's behalf, and courts derive their authority from the Crown. The common law holds that the Sovereign "can do no wrong"; the monarch cannot be prosecuted for criminal offences. The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 allows civil lawsuits against the Crown in its public capacity (that is, lawsuits against the government), but not lawsuits against the monarch personally. The Sovereign exercises the "prerogative of mercy", which is used to pardon convicted offenders or reduce sentences.

The monarch is the "fount of honour", the source of all honours and dignities in the United Kingdom. The Crown creates all peerages, appoints members of the orders of chivalry, grants knighthoods and awards other honours. Although peerages and most other honours are granted on the advice of the Prime Minister, some honours are within the personal gift of the Sovereign, and are not granted on ministerial advice. The monarch alone appoints members of the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of Merit.

Again, the last time the Monarch in England exercised any real power over the Parliament as per you quote was over 300 years ago. Damn if you are going to quote something that is suppose to disprove my statement do it, All I see you doing is helping my argument along. the monarch in England is a vestigial figure-head with no real powers. It is an over glorified mascot nowadays. So I suggest you to shut the hell up you functioning illiterates.

Biina you misguided fool, are you really trying to argue that the Monarchy in the U.k. is nothing but a figure-head? That its functions isn't merely ceremonial? Hahaha, Yeah, Lizzy is the one who decides who runs the country, the PM your mps chose is dismissed at the whims of the queen. Oh god, thanks for the laugh. You idiots really are something else. And here I thought Tony Blair/Brown  and Labour have been the ones running the U.K. for the past 12 years. Apparently its "heeellloooo" Elizabeth. Next you'll claim that the Kennedy are descendants of Arthur.

If capitalization for Nigerian Banks had not been increased many of the consolidated conglomerate banks would not be standing now. The global crises occurred because under capitalized banks were taking risks that they could not possibly cover. Subprime banking doesn't work and I am afraid neither will Lamido. Seriously, just because he speaks with a British accent does not make him more qualified to run CBN.

What the hell? What the hell with it? Kosovo is in L.A.? And judging by his writing he is a programmer that is spewing some of the most idiotic, intellectually bankrupt, and morally dubious defense of an idiotic tradition. These asshole points to the fact that some Western countries have monarchs: England, for example, does indeed have a monarch--with no power whatsoever. The queen cannot make decrees and expect Britons to follow them as if imbued with a mandate from heaven. No, Hundreds of years ago guys called Pitt "The younger" went to war against monarchist and established a parliamentary republic that did not suffer the flits of a mad monarch. Louis XV got his head chopped off once it became clear that the monarchy wasn't serving the interests of the people. Whatever remains of the monarchy in the west is nothing more than a vestigial figure-head, a living museum, or to put it more crudely a national mascot slightly more elevated than the likes of Mario, Sonic, and Princess Peach--to bring it to the level of  the idiot kosovo going to e3. You keep asking those who disagree with this feudal system to go to the palace and say this to the king; shouldn't the question be why are you in L.A. if you so ardently believe in the wisdom of the King? As a true-believer shouldn't you be the one prostrating yourself before the man? Or at the very least shield his eyes from the evil Palm Fruits that doth offend his highness so much. You chastise logic as the way of the Oyinbos, Logic is not the exclusive domain of any race, but I find it ironic that in living in America you are championing the elevation of monarchy above all else, you protect ignorance as culture, and label dissenters heretics. I am more than willing to let you keep throwing stones from this precariously built,or programmed glass house, when it crashes down on you I will be outside laughing.

This is just simply amazing. Literate people or barely literate defending the capricious whims of an educated fool empowered by a tradition that has atrophied to irrelevance. My ancestors rejected the norm of their day and chose to educate their children. My grandfather rejected multiple wives for the conspicuous showing of wealth and chose to send his children to school rather than toil away on the farm. It is because of the decision of my rational and logical grandparents that I am educated today, have cousins that are lawyers, doctors, and doctorate holders. This unthinking clinging to a tradition that is irrelevant to the lives of most Nigeria would be baffling if not for the massive ignorance of the Nigerian people at large irrespective of ethnicity. It doesn't matter if our leaders are educated if the masses are not likely empowered to keep them in check. I do not believe in anything but strings, quarks, and atoms. Religion is the bane of Africa, I would say that it is a source of hope, but the perpetual fatalism of most Africans makes this argument moot: A majority of Africans when confronted with horrific evil will abdicate any right to redress that wrong themselves by leaving it up to God. We pray to God and Gods for our salvation when we have the power to manumit ourselves from the enslaving blights of ignorance, poverty, poor leadership, and so on. Respect those only who've earned it. oda oba oba oda

Just how exactly does it work? You kidnap and murder an innocent person and hope that their body magically turns into Nairas? If it doesn't work you try again, and again, and again. At what point does it dawn on them that Juju is crap? That only idiots and fools fall for it. If people truly believe in Juju, charms, and trinkets well let me test their faith in these craps. I will go and buy a nice shotgun, load it up nice and pretty, and ask these fools to keep still while I prove the effectiveness of Juju to them. Oh sure if one dies does it mean Juju doesn't work?How can I know if I don't keep trying until there is no one left that believes in such foolishness in Nigeria.

Yes, but not during my lifetime, and I am in my 20s. If a 100 years from now Nigeria is still home to the corrupt and the sheep, then yes by then I will have given up hope.

Onenaija if Nigeria doesn't work why will the United State of Africa works? I don't get it, if a bunch of failed african states can't go it alone due to corruption, ineptitude, greed, and callous indifference due to a large and indolent bureaucracy, Why will magnifying all these traits into that amorphous United States of Africa be any different? Gaddafi and his racist believe that he can lead all of Africa can go to hell.

Wtf, they are de-fanging an already crippled animal. If anyone should have their powers be limited is the Presidency. So why call it the Independent? If the legislators pass this bill then they must be extremely stupid.

Ha, Just because Nigeria does well in a couple of football tournament does not a national identity make. A failure of citizenship is certainly one reason but it again ties back to the so called leaders. If they felt a deep connection to their constituents and not see them are cows to the milked then maybe just maybe Things can get done in Nigeria. To the second poster other countries do not concern me and nor did I say Nigeria was the only corrupt country in the world. Do not participate in a discussion if you plan to talk about shits on the moon when the subject is shits on earth. In other words what does a point that I never mentioned and didn't intimate be used to point to a flaw in my argument? That is another topic. I still believe that Nigeria should be disintegrated into its constituents parts. Let the Igbos go and form Igbo land, Yoruba to Yoruba land, and Hausa to Hausa land. They certainly can't do worse than the country is doing now.

Nigeria is an entity compiled from hundreds of cultures and traditions. This is nothing new, it is also true that the government does nothing to little to distribute the huge wealth that it weens itself on from the Delta and so on. Countries with less than a quarter of our resources are raking in double, triple, quadruple the amount in their gdp compared to Nigeria. If the country isn't being served by the current government and past government and for the foreseeable future governments why keep it intact? I am convinced that Nigeria and Nigerians will be better served if balkanized, peacefully, not like Biafra in the 60s. I am convinced that once nations are drawn along ethnically homogeneous lines rather from an amalgamation of nations still enslaved to colonial demarcation then Nigeria will be and continue to be an embarrassing failure as a state. Do we really have a national identity? I am not convinced that we do, If we did rampant corruption will not be the bane of Nigerians; The government or those in charge will think twice before dicking over Nigerians if they felt that their actions will be having an adverse effect on their people, not only on Yoruba, Igbos, Hausa, Edo, etc. A federation we are not, heck, it isn't even a confederacy. It is a thiefocracy hiding cynically behind religiosity and democracy. Of course these are only my thoughts. What are yours?

yay happy bday nigeria.

I will probably be playing games, watching tv, or at work. I know I am not going anywhere. Heaven can wait or hell for that matter.

I am listening to Kaya and Uprsing by Bob Marley and the Wailers and man this has got to be one of the greatest albums imo. I am just wondering what are your taughts on Bob Marley in general. Did you grow up listening to the tapes in Nigeria or have you never listened to his songs. post.

I want to take the gsat and go to law school. I was always under the impression that Lawyers rarely need to lie because they are experts in manipulating language and words.

I doubt the gender of our president is enough to surmount our insurmountable problems in nigeria.

@ anton, look at the south east asian countries then, they don't have a big empire that resulted in the death of millions of indigenous people, yet they were able to turn their economy around after ww2 when they gained their independence. Sure racism does exist but I think that is actually less of a problem in africa than any where else in the world. throwing racisim into the issue is just distracting us from the question as to why have we had incompetent leaders who run our country with an iron dictatorship and concentrate wealth in the hands of the few.

I prefer pc gaming over console gaming. if you want to know a place where you can dl any software imaginable just hit me up with a pm. Caveat Emptor, pc gaming is hella expensive. I have spent a lot of money building and upgrading my computer. I would suggest console gaming for the ease of things but if you have a passion for computers and the money to support the habit then I would say go for it.

well it is not really a loaded question, Despite the huge wealth of natural resources that many African countries lay claim to, we are still largely dependent on the cash crop. It is a shame that not that many african countries are leading exporters in the agricultural field because we have one of the most arable lands in the world. Nigeria is largely dependent on the largesse that comes in from the oil industry. The corruption and shoddy infastructure leads to the capital flight of all the influx of foreign capital into Nigeria. Instead of investing in other sectors of the country such as roads, railways, et cetera. The big conglomorates operates largely on the philosopy of making money with african oil and getting as much of it out of the country as possible before our officials steal it away from them. It would be nice if we weren't largely dependent on importing food from other countries but alas until we start addressing this issues. I am afraid that economic parity with the west won't happen in my generation.

good points so far.

I understand how Wole Soyinka got into the arguement because he is a playwright, but how does a computer scientist like Philip Emeagwali get into a discussion about film making? its not like his big point of research is in the film industry, its using massively parrallel computers to predict weather patterns. Last I check that isn't something that makes for compelling cinema. I think its a bit naive to think that a few famous names who aren't even involved in the film industry to a large extent other than as peripherals to it are expected to save it from itself. If you want them to change vote with your money and stop buying the movies. That will get them to take notice. I would have to agree that the arguement did digress when someone started mentioning famous playwrights, authors, and computer scientists.