dayokanu:

Buzugee,

Its obvious you havent lived in Nigeria for a long time.

The Almajiris that scavenge dustbins for food, What percentage do they make? Are Almajiris not Nigerians too?

Do you know the poor in America can get welfare, food stamp and even section 8 houses?

What govt aid can people in Nigeria get when they are poor?

Why the reference to only almajirin kids as if they alone live in Nigeria? What about ijaw, yoruba, ibo, edo, and calabar kids? They also scavenge for their food?

That American welfare is worse than a barrow pusher can get back home, some barrow pushers have kids in university.

cap28:

You are talking out of your back passage!! if she was a harlot what on earth was she doing living under a bridge?  is that where harlots live?  and even if she were a harlot - is she not a human being?  should she have been abused and abandoned under a bridge like human debris? 

The fact that you chose to believe sensationalized stories is not helping your ignorance. Does every girl in naija live under the bridge, why not a church, mosque or relatives house? Dont come here to expose yourself.

ada24:

buzz - the little i can tell from some of your posts clearly indicate that your an intelligent guy but to come out here and tell us the poor and rich in Nigeria are dining alike is too ridiculous for words - hence why i went to the bottled water factor - or don't human being drink water again?

the fact is the rich and poor do not eat alike and trust me the poor do not shop in supermarkets like the rich - i mean its very hard to see fat kids in a poor family but there are just way too many overweight kids wandering around Palms (whenever i have been there) anyway i digress, the point is I think this is a statement that u should either retract or tell the truth about.

I didn't grow up in Nigeria but stayed there for a few years and have been on lots of holidays and trust me if u have money in Nigeria its very hard to want to live in the west but no everyone has money in Nigeria and I do find it very disturbing that because of the level of poverty back home it has infected the mentality of many people who have a very strange moral code.

If things in Nigeria worked trust me a lot of people who come home but u also have to understand that no matter how much money u have if you have kids u really do have to think about their safety b4 u even contemplate moving back. I am always going on about healthcare cos I personally believe that it is important that everyone no matter how rich or poor u are have access to basic medical care and I'm sorry but I don't know how people can come on here posting pics of mansions shouting about young boys driving brand new (foreign) cars when people are dying of simple strains of malaria and more women die in childbirth in Nigeria more than any other country ON THIS earth apart from India. That is what we should be trying to eradicate and not a material d*ck measuring competition.

preciate your kind words. however let me break down your post

When it comes to food in nigeria ? hun the rich and the poor eat exactly the same thing. the kids in palms may be fatter because while the less fortunate kids are hustling with their parents, the kids in palms are having siesta. thats the difference. the food is the same

if people are dying because of simple strains of malaria, they need to be informed of places where to get preventative measures and treatment. this is no ones fault but the person who is in the dark. i just googled hospitals in nigeria and over 1000 hospitals and clinics came up. this is 2010, folks need to take responsibility for their own existence. nobody is going to spoon-feed you.

as per people and their ostentatious cars and mansions ? people do it all over the world. it is just human nature to want to display wealth. i am sure you are aware of the phenom called 'cribs'

invisible!:

The fact that you chose to believe sensationalized stories is not helping your ignorance. Does every girl in naija live under the bridge, why not a church, mosque or relatives house? Dont come here to expose yourself.

tomorrow callous i.diots like you will troop into churches and mosques pretending to worship "god" - what a joke!  people like you lack common human decency, everyone in your eyes is "up to something".  the fact that not every girl in nigeria lives like this does not mean that we should turn away from the tragedies that occur on  a daily basis in nigeria.  You are a hard hearted and callous person that is why this girl's story did not touch your heart, be gone evil one!!!

cap28:

in america there is a safety net, there is welfare, there is medicaid, last time i checked nigeria couldnt even provide proper health care facilities for its citizens who pay for the service  so don't even go there.

Also in america, there are so many charities, churches, not for profit groups who actually help poor and vulnerable people, the other day i watched a documentary about a town in california (fresno) where an overwhelming majority of its inhabitants are substance abusers they were using a drug called crystal meth - a cheap drug which can be bought for just $10 which gives you a temporary high and escape from your problems - but you should see the support services in place to help these people, even to the extent that many were given help and advice on how to wean themselves off the drug, now i know that nigeria should not be compared to america as both countries are light years apart but  you are saying you would rather be poor in nigeria which is a ruthless, society where its every man to himself whereas with america despite its emphasis on materialism, selfishness and individuality it STILL provides a safety net for the weak and vulnerable.

bruh ? charities are needed in the west because without charity the poor will die a slow and torturous death. the west is a fiercely individualistic society. their is no community cohesiveness. in nigeria, their is community cohesiveness hence why we do not need charity organizations. gerrit ?

dayokanu:

Obviously you know Nothing about Nigeria. Just hang out with your uncles in lekki and enjoy life.

Recyclable things to sell? You are very funny. Ask anyone what Almajiris are? And what are their numbers like

X amount of yrs, How long does Govt in Nigeria give poor people welfare for?

Fstranger. Go talk to a social worker. Do you know people who lose their jobs get unemployment benefits?

Welfare, Food stamp, medicaid,


Those unemployed people in Port Harcourt stadium, how many of them get unemployment benefits

Most of those people in port harcourt stadium have other jobs lives with family, unlike their American jobless counterparts who are 'on their own' its not the same thing at all. A friend I know is jobless in naija for seven years and is still feeding a family through side jobs till he got a job.

buzz,
pleaseeeeee stop this the poor and the rich eat "exactly" the same food thing.Though a trivial point it really makes you look like a clown  

invisible!:

The fact that you chose to believe sensationalized stories is not helping your ignorance. Does every girl in naija live under the bridge, why not a church, mosque or relatives house? Dont come here to expose yourself.

right right. dude pulls 1 sorrow story out and we are supposed to paint a nation of 150 million people black because of 1 horror story ? that 1 story that he produced ? that is the daily existence of most african amercan, hispanic and white women in low income neighborhoods in america.   dude aint seen nothing yet

invisible!:

Why the reference to only almajirin kids as if they alone live in Nigeria? What about ijaw, yoruba, ibo, edo, and calabar kids? They also scavenge for their food?

That American welfare is worse than a barrow pusher can get back home, some barrow pushers have kids in university.

So we can remove Almajiri from the equation because they are not Nigerians?

Welfare that gives them houses, food is worse than the Nigerians sleeping under the bridge, In garages or on the fields

Most of those people in port harcourt stadium have other jobs lives with family, unlike their American jobless counterparts who are 'on their own' its not the same thing at all. A friend I know is jobless in naija for seven years and is still feeding a family through side jobs till he got a job

And in America, poor people dont live with their families? or what point are you making? Side jobs like what? What would someone with a decent income go and sit in a 40,000 stadium to write a test for.

Isnt it in the same Nigeria that job seekers were fired with Tear gas? How would someone with an income to feed a family go and wait inside tear gas to get a job

ada24:

If things in Nigeria worked trust me a lot of people who come home but u also have to understand that no matter how much money u have if you have kids u really do have to think about their safety b4 u even contemplate moving back. I am always going on about healthcare cos I personally believe that it is important that everyone no matter how rich or poor u are have access to basic medical care and I'm sorry but I don't know how people can come on here posting pics of mansions shouting about young boys driving brand new (foreign) cars when people are dying of simple strains of malaria and more women die in childbirth in Nigeria more than any other country ON THIS earth apart from India. That is what we should be trying to eradicate and not a material d*ck measuring competition.

Well let's get things clear that a country like Nigeria is still developing which means that it is far far away from having the kind of integrated infrastructure and social security systems that are taken for granted in Western Countries. So hypothesizing that if Nigeria worked is  really irrelevant in this instance.

Still it would be pretty lame and myopic for anyone to choose to be an illegal immigrant in the West because of these infrastructural issues.

In fact most people travel out of Nigeria to other countries purely and simply to seek their fortune and not merely to enjoy the laid down facilities.

ok buzz I think I shall leave this topic but your a bit harsh - i'm not talking about people not having the information but the funds to get adequate medical care. plus u talk of information as if people are given that information so widely or have that access.

come on now your not really suggesting that the rich and poor are buying and eating chicken in shoprite side by side or buying their kitchen ware from game are u? but like I said let me leave those that know naija (dora don't kill me o!!) to continue on this thread and will only put my 2 cents if i read anything again that is just a bit strange.

as for those who are being harsh on that girl that slept under a bridge - it is sad u have this opinion on life cos u have no idea what kind of life she has that could have driven her to that situation - abeg have some compassion!!!

tensor777:

Well let's get things clear that a country like Nigeria is still developing which means that it is far far away from having the kind of integrated infrastructure and social security systems that are taken for granted in Western Countries. So hypothesizing that if Nigeria worked is  really irrelevant in this instance.

Still it would be pretty lame and myopic for anyone to choose to be an illegal immigrant in the West because of these infrastructural issues.

In fact most people travel out of Nigeria to other countries purely and simply to seek their fortune and not merely to enjoy the laid down facilities.

with all our wealth i always ask why we are still developing. I know rome was not bulit in a day and China did not become what it s today overnight but we are so richly blessed as a nation that I don't get why things don't work or we are still seen as a developing third world country. I watched a CNN segment yesterday about cholera deaths in the north and could not believe it was the same Nigeria I was seeing, chei i felt like crying for those people.

justwonder:

buzz,
pleaseeeeee stop this the poor and the rich eat "exactly" the same food thing.Though a trivial point it really makes you look like a clown  

if i gotta dance around and do summersaults and backflips and wear big red nose like a clown to make yall see that the life of the poor in nigeria is better than the life of the poor in america ? then doggone it thats just what am gonna havta do. just call me bozo  

cap28:

tomorrow callous i.diots like you will troop into churches and mosques pretending to worship "god" - what a joke!  people like you lack common human decency, everyone in your eyes is "up to something".  the fact that not every girl in nigeria lives like this does not mean that we should turn away from the tragedies that occur on  a daily basis in nigeria.  You are a hard hearted and callous person that is why this girl's story did not touch your heart, be gone evil one!!!

E dey pain you? Then find a rope and hang yourself. I repeat, you are getting carried away by sensationalism, unless you know the girl yourself. If not you are just making up stories to give Nigeria a bad name, have you watched crime and investigation based on stories from abroad, rap.ists, kidnappers, robbers and murderers are running free there, have you gone to save them?
Go and find a solution to your misfortune and stop crying over the internet.

but seriously,whats the point arguing which poor ppl are better off,like poverty should be a goal or are you saying you know nigerians living in "poverty" abroad that were better off living in "poverty in nigeria".
PPL will migrate for whatever reasons they choose be it better oppurtunities,comfort,security,ORDER and whatever!!!
I love nigeria but i think nigerians,

ada24:

ok buzz I think I shall leave this topic but your a bit harsh - i'm not talking about people not having the information but the funds to get adequate medical care. plus u talk of information as if people are given that information so widely or have that access.

come on now your not really suggesting that the rich and poor are buying and eating chicken in shoprite side by side or buying their kitchen ware from game are u? but like I said let me leave those that know naija (dora don't kill me o!!) to continue on this thread and will only put my 2 cents if i read anything again that is just a bit strange.

as for those who are being harsh on that girl that slept under a bridge - it is sad u have this opinion on life cos u have no idea what kind of life she has that could have driven her to that situation - abeg have some compassion!!!

hun life is harsh. its just the way it is. funds to get malaria shots ? how much is it to get a malaria shot ? and information is widely available now. you just have to look for it. you have to be resourceful to survive in this new world order. get on the bus or get left behind. hey i didnt write the book. i am just passing the message along.

as per shoprite chicken ? chicken is chicken. does not matter if it is from shoprite or baba yakubus farm. matter of fact the chicken from baba yakubus farm is more likely to be organic so the poor are eating organic food.

as per the girl who died, RIP, i feel her sorrow, but i am simply saying that her reality is the reality of millions of women in america today as we speak. her story is not unique. so to pluck that one story out as a symbol of how bad nigeria supposedly is, is quite frankly kinda ridiculous.

@ buzugee and co.

Why do Nigerians in Nigeria top the list of DV US lottery each year. Look at other countries that good living conditions. You hardly see five people apply for US DV. Why people they are care off by their governments unlike you corrupt leader starched your nation wealth in other countries when they have banks in their backyard.

invisible!:

E dey pain you? Then find a rope and hang yourself. I repeat, you are getting carried away by sensationalism, unless you know the girl yourself. If not you are just making up stories to give Nigeria a bad name, have you watched crime and investigation based on stories from abroad, rap.ists, kidnappers, robbers and murderers are running free there, have you gone to save them?
Go and find a solution to your misfortune and stop crying over the internet.

dayokanu:

So we can remove Almajiri from the equation because they are not Nigerians?

Welfare that gives them houses, food is worse than the Nigerians sleeping under the bridge, In garages or on the fields

And in America, poor people dont live with their families? or what point are you making? Side jobs like what? What would someone with a decent income go and sit in a 40,000 stadium to write a test for.

Isnt it in the same Nigeria that job seekers were fired with Tear gas? How would someone with an income to feed a family go and wait inside tear gas to get a job

Sometimes I wonder if you are Nigerian, what tiny percent does almajirin kids make? What of other kids?

I think the jobless in America suffer more than those in naija cause its all man to his own, you ask if they dont have families? What are you talking about, do they come back to sleep in their fathers house in naija?
Be realistic, where else does nigerians sleep under few bridges except Lagos? But in US every city have homeless peeps sleeping on city parks and anywhere.

OvieE:

@ buzugee and co.

Why do Nigerians in Nigeria top the list of DV US lottery each year. Look at other countries that good living conditions. You hardly see five people apply for US DV. Why people they are care off by their governments unlike you corrupt leader starched your nation wealth in other countries when they have banks in their backyard.

nigerians apply for the US visa lottery because quite frankly a lot of them are silly. yeah i said it   now i can see someone trying to go to america in the pre-internet era. the illusion of america was magnified in everyones mind because we simply could not fathom how great it really is. it was this utopia in all our minds buoyed by the pictures of the few things we see it in nigeria such as 'right on' magazine and ebony magazine. the allure of america was captivating to all, both kids and adults. i can see how people were falling all over themselves to migrate to america in those times. but doggone it this is 2010. just go on youtube and see what kinda place it really is, shatter the illusion by exploring on the internet to see what it really is. it is no longer an illusion. you can actually see every crevice, nook and cranny of america on the internet. i would think this would have shattered the illusion. so people still trying to migrate in 2010 are simply lazy myopic fools. yeah i said it  

dayokanu:

So we can remove Almajiri from the equation because they are not Nigerians?

Welfare that gives them houses, food is worse than the Nigerians sleeping under the bridge, In garages or on the fields

And in America, poor people dont live with their families? or what point are you making? Side jobs like what? What would someone with a decent income go and sit in a 40,000 stadium to write a test for.

Isnt it in the same Nigeria that job seekers were fired with Tear gas? How would someone with an income to feed a family go and wait inside tear gas to get a job

Sometimes I wonder if you are Nigerian, what tiny percent does almajirin kids make? What of other kids?

I think the jobless in America suffer more than those in naija cause its all man to his own, you ask if they dont have families? What are you talking about, do they come back to sleep in their fathers house in naija?
Be realistic, where else does nigerians sleep under few bridges except Lagos? But in US every city have homeless peeps sleeping on city parks and anywhere.

invisible!:

Sometimes I wonder if you are Nigerian, what tiny percent does almajirin kids make? What of other kids?

I think the jobless in America suffer more than those in naija cause its all man to his own, you ask if they dont have families? What are you talking about, do they come back to sleep in their fathers house in naija?
Be realistic, where else does nigerians sleep under few bridges except Lagos? But in US every city have homeless peeps sleeping on city parks and anywhere.

you have said it all

i would think this would have shattered the illusion. so people still trying to migrate in 2010 are simply lazy myopic fools. yeah i said it.

buzz-man,so me that won a visa lottery,and is using it to do my masters in telecoms engineering and intend to get some I.T which would have been quite challenging is myopic,lazy and foolish abi?
you see yourself, you can never know someone until you allow him to run his mouth.Nice of you to paint ppl with a wide brush

invisible!:

Sometimes I wonder if you are Nigerian, what tiny percent does almajirin kids make? What of other kids?

I think the jobless in America suffer more than those in naija cause its all man to his own, you ask if they dont have families? What are you talking about, do they come back to sleep in their fathers house in naija?
Be realistic, where else does nigerians sleep under few bridges except Lagos? But in US every city have homeless peeps sleeping on city parks and anywhere.

If you are Nigerian at all, i doubt you have ever left your village. Go to any Northern city and ask that question again.

I live for a while in Northern Nigeria. Bauchi precisely and I know what i am telling you.

Your ignorance is not only limited to Nigeria but to the western world as well. A large number of Americans especially black men over 30yrs still live with their mom.

I have seen a 52yr old man living with his mother

You have a greater chance of converting Osama Bin Laden to a prophet of love than getting the likes of invisible and buzugee to understand the realities of Nigeria.

I have to heed Jay Bee's advice and stop now - you cannot repair utter ignorance by arguing on the internet.

@ buzugee and invisible

If you are so much in love with Nigeria, you don't have to make a plan to settle back there one. Just pack your bags today 11/17/2010 and leave you immensities you are enjoy today.

Denial is killing both of you.

debosky:

You have a greater chance of converting Osama Bin Laden to a prophet of love than getting the likes of invisible and buzugee to understand the realities of Nigeria.

I have to heed Jay Bee's advice and stop now - you cannot repair utter ignorance by arguing on the internet.

I am with you bro. They love seeing their mates suffer until they die while he is hiding and enjoy life elsewhere.

Their ignorant is too much.
Lets end the conversation with this blind side people who I believe are not Nigerian or ever been to Nigeria to see the reality of life at hand there.



PEACE OUT

'regret?' the word cannot enter the mind of the average nigerian emigree. how could it when all he has to do is look at the exotic car parked outside his three/four bedroom semi-detached house in a nice suburb of the city; or when he glances reassuringly at his latest bank statement showing just much dollars or pounds he has recently been remunerated from his well-paid job; or when he looks adoringly at his chubby-cheeked children, their futures assured, and who he knows will never know the 'pleasure' of being able to shout 'up NEPA'. No, there could never be any regrets. None whatsoever.
And to this man I say, well done. congratulations. But then I have to ask, 'Is that it? Is that all there is to life?' Remember, 'a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things that he possesses,'as the Book says. If the only reason we have NOT to regret is based on the accumulation of the various status symbols of our adopted western lifestyles, then we need to question the motives for moving abroad in the first place(as stated in my previous post, see page 11).
a fellow emigree's recent confession brings home the point. after almost twenty years of living in london, he said he discovered that he was more self-fulfilled, more of a blessing, more in tune with God, and more aware of his divine destiny in life when he was in nigeria - this despite having only a fraction of the material possessions he has now. the problem wasn't with his moving abroad, the problem was with not making the move an integral part of the next phase in the unfolding of the plan he was discovering God had for his life. simply put, he moved to escape the hardships of nigeria and the ridicule of those who had previously emigrated and came back home on holidays to flaunt their new 'elevated' status in his face.
as i said before, God made us africans, indeed nigerians for a purpose; but where the fulfillment of our divine destinies may lay may not necessarily be in the land of our births. finding this divine destiny should be the motive for our moving or staying - not the pursuit of material benefits which have little eternal value.

invisible!:

Sometimes I wonder if you are Nigerian, what tiny percent does almajirin kids make? What of other kids?

I think the jobless in America suffer more than those in naija cause its all man to his own, you ask if they dont have families? What are you talking about, do they come back to sleep in their fathers house in naija?
Be realistic, where else does nigerians sleep under few bridges except Lagos? But in US every city have homeless peeps sleeping on city parks and anywhere.

see how illiteracy is wreaking havoc in nigeria!!!  where did you get the above information from dummy?  have you lived in america before? do you understand anything about the socio economic structure of america, try keeping your mouth closed for a few seconds and listen to the rubbish that swirls around in that thing you call a brain.  the unemployed in america are entitled to welfare, food stamps and medicaid fool, unless you can give me an example of a similar programme in nigeria then you are just talking out of your back passage once again.  

IBB really destroyed the educational system in nigeria and i can see by your way of reasoning that you are one of its casualties!!

9ja is not as bad as u guys are trying to make it look. yes there are almajiris but have u forgotten that they have a muslim cleric compd they will all go back to sleep at nyt. Our problems are there but they always heavily magnified by the western media. I quite agree with buzugee, the rich man in 9ja can decide to shop at palms go to silverbird gallleria etc the poor man has a close substitute, by shopping at mama tawas outside the houz kiosk or yaba or oshodi, he can also rent VCDs @ NGN50 to watch films. You shd realise that the western media has always and will always keep portraying africa(not only nigeria) in bad lyt to stiffle investment flow into the continent.

In conclusion, we all make choices in life and we should always stand by them. If u chose to leave the 9ja and make other countries your home its your choice and make God help u but it is not a license to talk down on the people back home.

cap28:

see how illiteracy is wreaking havoc in nigeria!!! where did you get the above information from dummy? have you lived in america before? do you understand anything about the socio economic structure of america, try keeping your mouth closed for a few seconds and listen to the rubbish that swirls around in that thing you call a brain. the unemployed in america are entitled to welfare, food stamps and medicaid fool, unless you can give me an example of a similar programme in nigeria then you are just talking out of your back passage once again.

IBB really destroyed the educational system in nigeria and i can see by your way of reasoning that you are one of its casualties!!

God bless you. Also remember if you're lay off or fire, the government pay half of your salary for six months and if after that and still no job they extend it. For example, if you where making $4000 a month, you will receive unemployment of $2000. Is time you need to ignore the like of cap28, invisible and buzugee. They are confused and out of touch in reality.

u men are making me chuckle this evening abeg.

OvieE:


God bless you. Also remember if you're lay off or fire, the government pay half of your salary for six months and if after that and still no job they extend it. For example, if you where making $4000 a month, you will receive unemployment of $2000. Is time you need to ignore the like of cap28, invisible and buzugee. They are confused and out of touch in reality.

just thought id let you know - that was my quote!!