Now this is a reply to this https://www.nairaland.com/2877481/nigerians-live-paradise-dont-even written by jayfolarin

"Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches"

Nothing truer than the above in relation to what Jayfolarin wrote. It is fallacious to claim to know about the paradise in Nigeria than Nigerians living in Nigeria.

In Nigeria we pay Light bills when the only light we use comes from generator for those who have. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we pay water bills when the only water we get are from private dug boreholes and wells. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we pay taxes for protection to Police and the rest, when the only protection we get is from God and mere Luck. How is that Paradise?

In Nigeria we ply bad roads day in day out struggling to make ends meet to survive. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we have oil but still import petroleum products and buy it at exorbitant prices than any oil producing country. How is that paradise?

I'll love to go on and on, but i'm sure you get the point now and of course other Nairalanders will have theirs to share.

Dear jayfolarin, We don't live in Paradise and we know it. No amount of brainwashing or delusion can erode the reality on ground. Nigerians are hardworking people who contribute so much to the commonwealth of the nation but have seen their work flushed down the drain by the greedy and ruthless system in place, and YES! NIGERIANS PAY TAXES. Please leave wherever you are and come stay in this 'paradise for a month. Enough said.

good thread.

This is a clear case of 'robbery'.

If a government's minimum wage is low compared to what obtains in other countries, if a country is unable to reduce unemployment rate, if a country is unable make things relatively easy for her citizens then the sacrifices towards correcting these ills must begin with the government.

Slash budgetary allocations to non-profit yielding things such as extravagant cars, feeding, govt house sports, animals etc.

Slash salary of public officials to a larger extent.

Reduce size of government - Senate & Reps na pure redundancy, cancel one and allocate the salaries and allowances to other things.

Having set above examples and more then you can tax us to death, we will comply.

The jayfolarin OP and his co-travellers, out of wanting to form 'exposed' or maybe out of being APC idi0ts have refused to face the realities with the Nigerian state.

This is the FG's way of making the masses bear the weight of the 5,000 Naira stipend since we won't let it go.

Tell em. Exactly the reason why corruption thrives in our society. Lets look at this scenario: a man buys a plot of land in say an undeveloped area, creates access roads by himself, digs a well and sinks a borehole to provide water for his site's development, builds his house by himself, buys the electric poles and draws the line to his house by himself, and if possible organizes with neighbours to buy a transformer, buys a generator to provide his electricity then contributes for the local vigilante plus still sends his kids to private school because of the inadequacies associated with most public schools, and also takes care of dependent relatives (unemployed plus not well to do) that should otherwise be taken care of by the government, still has his taxes deducted by his employers and someone sits abroad to say such a man is living in paradise. Which of us will be happy paying for services that are not rendered. The government is running after contractors today for contracts paid for but not executed, do they know they are also in a "social contract" with the citizenry of which they are failing in their part of the agreement. All my years living abroad i never felt bad about paying the taxes, but here in Nigeria "i swear e dey pain me die".

If one is self sufficient and salary doesnt take into account provision of all these amenities, then you find people looking for every means to meet up. Or who would say he has ever received a salary that makes provision for connecting electricity, or maintaining the road to his residence?

oga you are on point

Nigeria is hell on earth and we know it

Though the issues raised in the previous writeup may be true, the post had one major flaw - it was unbalanced.
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Before you compare the EXPENSE profile of Nigerian residents with their counterparts in other parts of the world, you may need to first compare their INCOME.
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The average minimum wage in many relatively developed countries may be around $7/hr or more. Working 40hrs/week that translates to around $300/week and around $1200/month. In today's exchange rate, that is around N350k/month. And this is for the very least paid job cadre. Now compare that with the official minimum wage of N18k in Nigeria, while also noting that many in the private and informal sector earn much less than that. Professionals in those climes earn as high as $5k/month (~N1.5m/mth) or more, while professionals down here struggle for N200k/mth.
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The OP of that writeup should also have told us if public officials in those climes are as irresponsible and reckless with public finances the way they are in Nigeria, before berating Nigerians for not paying taxes.
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My point, basically, is that the OP of that writeup should have made his comparison in RELATIVE terms rather than in ABSOLUTE terms. And as someone commented earlier on that post, if Nigerians are, indeed, living in PARADISE, why has the OP not relocated back home to join in the jolliment?

Cc Lalasticlala

Here's a reply devoid of insults, worthy of FP.

Thank you for unlocking it.

NavierStokes:
Tell em. Exactly the reason why corruption thrives in our society. Lets look at this scenario: a man buys a plot of land in say an undeveloped area, creates access roads by himself, digs a well and sinks a borehole to provide water for his site's development, builds his house by himself, buys the electric poles and draws the line to his house by himself, and if possible organizes with neighbours to buy a transformer, buys a generator to provide his electricity then contributes for the local vigilante plus still sends his kids to private school because of the inadequacies associated with most public schools, and also takes care of dependent relatives (unemployed plus not well to do) that should otherwise be taken care of by the government, still has his taxes deducted by his employers and someone sits abroad to say such a man is living in paradise. Which of us will be happy paying for services that are not rendered. The government is running after contractors today for contracts paid for but not executed, do they know they are also in a "social contract" with the citizenry of which they are failing in their part of the agreement. All my years living abroad i never felt bad about paying the taxes, but here in Nigeria "i swear e dey pain me die".

If one is self sufficient and salary doesnt take into account provision of all these amenities, then you find people looking for every means to meet up. Or who would say he has ever received a salary that makes provision for connecting electricity, or maintaining the road to his residence?

Don't mind that man joor..that thread was really annoying. .it really provoked me..paradise in deed ....the senseless guy doesn't know that till recently PHCN gave me a bill of 30k every month for light I never saw and they ate the money I paid for prepaid meter and I had to get another through some extortion route because I was so tired of paying 30 k for light I don't see .

idupaul:


Don't mind that man joor..that thread was really annoying. .it really provoked me..paradise in deed ....the senseless guy doesn't know that till recently PHCN gave me a bill of 30k every month for light I never saw and they ate the money I paid for prepaid meter and I had to get another through some extortion route because I was so tired of paying 30 k for light I don't see .

If only government can live up to her responsibilities, I wonder how tax payment will be a challenge. Imagine paying someone money for doing nothing, very similar to the "slavery" that was ongoing in Ethiopia (early 20th century), when the tenants owed half of their earnings and proceeds to the Lords including working for free with any skills they had.

I live in Banana Island and I can say we live in paradise

Nigeria is HELL FIRE!!! I'm not proud to be a Nigerian!!!

The previous poster that wrote the nonsense he called reasons why we live in paradise is just that ....a misguided idi.ot.

He listed the cost of essentials services such power, water, housing as the reason why Nigerians are enjoying.
Someone should tell him we already pay one of the highest bills that is NOT commensurate with the services been provided.

In Europe and America, you can sue service providers who don't match what they promise.
You can't litigate successfully in Nigeria yet.

In Europe and America/the regulators enforce and ensure quality.
Here in Nigeria, from pencom to NCC, to Nigeria police commission, NUC to NHIS. All the watchdog are in hands with the operators to rip off citizens.

When you make an analysis, put everything into perspective. Not just one area and then say Nigerians are living in paradise.
The citizens are trying given the daily challenges of life.

Apt Response bro. We aren't living in fools paradise. The Earlier writer was myopic aiut this Nation. He wasn't factual but full of bias. Well done Op

Even in the midst of the chaos in this country, we still have a place to call home

There is no one who is not guilty of what Nigeria is today, no one.

You can create paradise even in the desert.

Look at Dubai.

Here we go
Clearly the earlier poster has a lot to understand about fundamental economics. You don't compare apple and pineapples; neither do you buy apples for the price of pineapples merely because they both grow out of the ground.

hmmm, like to be honest, everything for naija
na struggle, u won go football screening, u
won go job interview, like damn tired meen, all
crazy... may GOD help me in my football
career...crazy coaches, crazy coaches
everywhere

Paradise K, where the Angels seffff ?

Dahveydson:
Now this is a reply to this https://www.nairaland.com/2877481/nigerians-live-paradise-dont-even written by jayfolarin

"Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches"

Nothing truer than the above in relation to what Jayfolarin wrote. It is fallacious to claim to know about the paradise in Nigeria than Nigerians living in Nigeria.

In Nigeria we pay Light bills when the only light we use comes from generator for those who have. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we pay water bills when the only water we get are from private dug boreholes and wells. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we pay taxes for protection to Police and the rest, when the only protection we get is from God and mere Luck. How is that Paradise?

In Nigeria we ply bad roads day in day out struggling to make ends meet to survive. How is that paradise?

In Nigeria we have oil but still import petroleum products and buy it at exorbitant prices than any oil producing country. How is that paradise?

I'll love to go on and on, but i'm sure you get the point now and of course other Nairalanders will have theirs to share.

Dear jayfolarin, We don't live in Paradise and we know it. No amount of brainwashing or delusion can erode the reality on ground. Nigerians are hardworking people who contribute so much to the commonwealth of the nation but have seen their work flushed down the drain by the greedy and ruthless system in place, and YES! NIGERIANS PAY TAXES. Please leave wherever you are and come stay in this 'paradise for a month. Enough said.

Whether we live in paradise or not

We are living somewhere sha but not roaming this streets, hiding from police and walk only at night. We are living in a free country

Gbam!

I concur

Paradise khor parasite nii, mtcheew #walkattatread

Imagine...i wan rent one room...my landlord charge me for one bedroom flat..i ask am why...him say him wan collect the money so him go fit upgrade my one room to one bedroom flat...
the government cant charge for service not rendered..

Only in Nigeria will an Appeal Court judge declare a contestant in Bayelsa winner of the election by oral pronouncement but when his written judgement comes out a month later it is having a different judgement calling for rerun elections; thats not paradise.