Hi Henmag,
You were given an interview date. You need to get online to find out what it is. Go to -- https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/pages/welcome and select "Query your application payment status", then enter in the pertinent info (application ID, Reference No and validation number if applicable -- hope you saved these during the app. process?). When you submit the info., your applicant details will show up including the date of your interview. Hope that helps!

Tensor, that's the problem. I was reading Kobojunkie's replies to me very carefully and not paying much attention to other people's posts so I didn't realize that she (he?) was just making a mockery of another thread. Easy enough mistake to make, I mean there are a lot of interesting views on this forum so it wasn't immediately apparent that she wasn't being for real. And as I mentioned earlier, I wasn't looking for an easy target or looking to shoot down obtuse views just for the heck of it. I thought she was being sincere and that we were engaging in a healthy debate.

But Ileke . . . Kobo is a female now. Kobo, abi no be so? Are you of the male or female orientation? Please show thyself. Why does your siggy say female?

Isss a lie! Ay, Paddylo you dey fall my hand o!

LMAO! Okay, you got me good Kobojunkie You just dodged a big bullet there though as I was about to name you Public Enemy #1 and target you for destruction and eventual elimination. As in, I was seriously thinking "wharrahell. Obtuse people like this need to be rooted out and eradicated from the Nairaland population." I even called Prof. Paddylo for backup. Lol!

Okay, bye bye and keep your wits about you until next time when I have real reason to call you out on your bs!

Damn, I'm really quite good actually I should join the debate team.

So Kobojunkie, what are you saying? Have you been against the creation of new states all this while then? I wasn't looking for an easy target, I thought you were actually being serious. I was getting pretty frustrated with you actually, like what the hell, are there people that actually think this way? LOL!

LMAO! OAM4J, I did actually miss bk.babe97y's post, anyhow, I clap for myself. I've just made a stellar argument for why we should not create new states!

Psssh, sure.

LMAO! What a clever way to say "you've backed me into a corner and I don't know what to say next. Em, what was my argument again?" Sarcasm, my ass. I know sarcasm when I see it.

Umm, Kobo, you've missed the bus FOR REAL! No pun intended but what does the gist of this article have to do with the price of tea in China? Why don't you actually defend your inane position on this state creation thing instead of letting some irrelevant article speak for you?

Okay, what is the article stating in summary? "Nigeria's population will hit 300 million in 3 decades. Country must focus on industrial sector and revamp agricultural sector.The country is endowed with agric resources and other potentials but we are not making good use of them.In U.S., Indonesia, Bangladesh and India, they take the population number serious, because it influences where industries should be, where infrastructure would be placed, not for the sake of politics but for the survival of the nation, etc, etc". Tell me something I don't already know!

I don't know what the article has to do with our discussion but let me try and tie it in. My question to you is this: If our current calibre of governors, local govt. chairmen and other state civil servants do not have the cojones, the will or the desire to develop their respective states (by investing in the industrial and agricultural sectors, for instance), how will adding to their ranks (by creating more states) solve the problem? We both know that a new crop of state governors will only compound our problems. Why? Nigerian politicians are all cut from the same cloth.

Please give me a straight answer.

Kobo: "Shows how little you know of corruption in America . . . is madoff not an america? What about the current  senator faces charges of misappropriation in America?"

Sigh. Madoff isn't a governor so why bring him into the discussion? I'm comparing state leadership in the two countries. I'll concede that there are several bad egg senators/governors in there with dirty hands but corruption on a state level is not anywhere close to the type that we see in Nigeria and you know this. You can't compare the situation on ground here (where govs loot state treasuries with passion and abandon, not even bothering to cover up their tracks) with the kind of small-scale misappropriation they do in America (where 8 times out of 10 the guilty party is caught and punished to the full extent of the law). At the end of the day, you have to agree that even if some US governors are chopping small they are still performing!

Kobo: "You do not understand the reason for state creation do you? I suggest you go get yourself an education. State creation helps with distribution of wealth and also helps with policy making. By focusing on a smaller area and population, states are better able to devise policies that better cater to the people and ensure that money alloted for development can be best applied and monitored."

Go get yourself an education? LWKMD! Sweetheart, I'm not gonna even start comparing degrees and levels of education with you on this forum because that's just petty. Suffice it to say that I am very well educated thank you! All these yarns you're spouting just sound to me like theories from a Pol. Sci. textbook! As far as I'm concerned the argument that "state creation helps with distribution of wealth and policy making" is debatable at best but even if it were the gospel truth, you musn't forget the monster that is Naija.  It is a living, breathing contradiction where nothing works as it should. Yes, after state creation the new governors may be "better able to devise policies that better cater to the people and ensure that money alloted for development can be best applied and monitored" (I am absolutely unconvinced of this btw) but will they actually work for the people or for themselves? Based on governor's track records in this country I think you know the answer.

Kobojunkie: "In much the same way Nigeria needs a population increase to grow it's market as China, India and Brazil have, creating more states for the new population will help us develop better policies to help, yes you guessed it, boost our economy and market. Make us one of the major players in the world."

Kobo, first of all I don't know which "market" you keep referring to. Can you be a little more specific?

Secondly, population increase alone will not grow a country's economy substantially. Granted, the countries you mentioned are blessed with large populations but it's not so cut and dry. Many other positive factors have contributed to their economic growth, with one of the most important being an increase in their citizens' productivity as a result of advances in technology (Prof. Paddylo, I need you to back me up on this one!)

Thirdly, you're basing your argument on a rather twisted premise and you're still being very vague. How can you even compare population growth with growth in the number of states in a country? Economically, there really is no parallel between the two. Yes, you can quote me on this. There is no positive correlation between economic growth and the number of states, provinces, regions or what have you a country has!

At the end of the day, the major hindrance to Nigeria's success is our rotten leaders. Maybe I'm thick but I really don't understand your postulation that having more governors and state parastatals will lead to the creation of "better policies". Na today?! We can divide and whittle the country down into states till kingdom come but until political appointments are awarded on merit alone and we can hold our leaders accountable for each and every action Nigeria will continue to be a shithole. It will probably be even worse because there will be so many people at the table dining on the "national cake" that there won't be funds left for anything else.

To address your previous post Madam Kobo, nobody is arguing that the US is flawless. Yes, it has a major drug problem as well as many other societal ills but at the end of the day the fact remains that they have responsible leaders (on the state and federal level) whose actions enhance the country's development, maintain its exceptional standard of living and esconce the country's position as a world power. You don't see governors carting away a state's entire treasury and storing it for private use in European banks like we see here in Naija every other day,

Your argument that "if the USA can have 50 states why can't we have even more" is absolutely worthless. What have we done with the 36 states that we have presently? Can you name even one that has an internationally acceptable standard of living? Can you name one state (aside from maybe Lagos, which is a work in progress) that is not a miserable failure? Can you name one where the majority of the masses are not desperately poor? The answer is no and you know this which is why you're trying to get around the question.

Let me put the question this way. Assume that you're incredibly rich ok and you have 5 sons, age 22, 21, 18, and 16 yr old twins. Now one day you decide to give them two cars to use and share among the 5 of them -- let's say two of the latest VW Passats. Instead of being responsible, your sons pocket the money you gave them to pay the car's insurance and also pocket the money you set aside for the monthly car payments. They trash the cars, get into several accidents and finally the two cars end up totaled and completely condemned. Would it then make sense for you as a parent to immediately turn around and dash each of those five boys a Ferrari for their personal use? How will doing so correct their behavior?

Oh Kobojunkie, so having more states will "build our economy and boost our market" eh? Wow, that's so very obvious and straight forward. Why, didn't I think of that?

Mcheeewww! Please don't just siddown there bandying vague "economic" terms around any how, SHOW ME THE MONEY! Yes, Madam Chief Economist of the FRN, break it down for me. How exactly will more states boost our economy? I need a concrete argument (well thought out and clearly spelled out in layman's terms with some bullet points if you please) explaining the various ways creating more states will benefit the country as a whole and the average man/woman, I am waiting.

Kobojunkie,
As a member of a minority group that is agitating for one of the 32 new states in question, I should be in support of this move but instead, I am totally against it. Why? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever! Forget "bad-belleism", political grudges and whatever else you mentioned.

The creation of these states is a completely regressive initiative that will do much more harm to the nation than good. If our leaders (governors, local government chairmen/councils, etc.) cannot manage and develop 36 states effectively, how can they be expected to manage 68? (68 states fa! That's even more states than the great United States of America!This is not a laughing matter at all.) The creation of these states will only instill more bureaucracy and red tape (thereby cutting down on the productivity/efficiency of state civil servants), create more avenues for corrupt individuals to enrich themselves and their families, drain government funds that could be channeled towards development projects (to pay salaries to a whole new hoard of gov. workers and ghost workers) and just create a state of general confusion and inefficacy.

I think what really matters here is the quality (living standards and such) of our states rather than the quantity. It would be much wiser to consolidate our states instead of multiplying them. Imagine if the present states were consolidated into 10 for example. It would be much, much easier to keep track of our state leaders and investigate and hold them accountable for their actions (because there would be fewer of them). I think consolidating would in the long-run also help Nigerian nationals to overcome their tribalistic insticts.

Finally, if for no other reason, I would oppose this move for more states for the simple fact that it's leading us in the wrong direction. I mean, where will it stop? What if five years down the line, there's another call for say, 30 more states? Will we then create another batch of states? Will we continue dividing down until we have a state for each of the approximately 250 tribes in Nigeria? Now Kobojunkie, please share with us precisely how creating these states will benefit the people? And I'm not talking tribalistic terms, I mean on a concrete economical and developmental level?

Leahdee, you've either 1) lost your marbles like my good friend Becomrich or 2) you somehow fell out of the family tree and lost whatever brains God might have blessed you with. Either way, I rest my case. I will no longer attempt to engage someone like you in a meaningful discussion. Goodbye.

Leahdee, did I ever state that your post was directed to me alone? You said "@Seanato2, @Ranoscky and @Elaineh" so obviously your post in its entirety was meant for all three of us. In any case, I don't see how that's relevant to our argument! Whether you insult me or you insult me and two other people at the same time, I will stand up for myself. If Seanato2 and Ranoscky don't want to take you on then that's their prerogative but I repeat, I WILL come out and defend myself.

And I really don't know what you mean by "U want to compare intelligence on NL forum?". Aren't you guilty of doing that very thing, hypocrite? Who mentioned "Nigerian's stupidity" in a previous post? Who stated that "u (Nigerians) may be 200m but clearly intellect wins" (intellect meaning Cameroonians)? Isn't that comparing the intelligence levels of two different nationalities, genius? What have I done that you haven't perfected before me?

Sigh. Why am I not surprised that my post made no sense to you? How would it? You probably couldn't pay attention long enough to finish reading it in its entirety! Fool. Don't be so quick to dish out abuse if you can't take it!

Leahdee, Leahdee, Leadhdee, tsk, tsk, how many times did I call you?
Answer me these questions:

1) Where exactly in my post did I use the words "morons/balls"?
2) How does my post portray "moral decadence" and "stupidity"?
3) Define "moral decadence".
4) What do you mean by "words wc where never put at their disposal put b/c dey know they exist so it must be used"? Do I have to wait until a word is "put at my disposal" before I use it? Did God come down from his throne and annoint certain individuals as "they who shall put words at the disposal of mortals"? LWKMD! Who are these lucky individuals, are you one of them? Methinks, you're just annoyed because I used some words that made you have to run for your dictionary. It's not my fault that English isn't your first language now is it? Why take it out on me?

Darling, let me set you straight on some things. First of all, I'm not a man. Secondly, one would only have to glance briefly at my post and compare it to your most recent one to see who is truly more intelligent. How dare you accuse me of having an "empty container" for a head and a "mouth dat speak only water" (whatever that means)? Between you and I, who has the better written and more coherent post?

You sound like an extremely frustrated person whose pride and patriotism has been injured by hearing the truth. I'm sorry sweetheart but there isn't an iota of falsehood in my post. If Paul Biya even attempts to make a formal claim on Obudu, Nigeria will declare war on Cameroon and the Nigerian army will annihilate Western Cameroon, yes, they will make short work of your army and that's a fact. You simply don't have the military wherewithal, manpower or what have you to withstand an attack from us.

Now, I honestly don't know the history behind Bakassi so I'm not even going to argue the illegality of its handover to Cameroon. But just by looking at a map, I can see how Cameroon could get away with laying claim to that land. The Obudu resort on the other hand, is quite a ways inland so Cameroon would not only take the resort but also an impressive chunk of Southeastern Nigeria with it. You don't really expect us to take such a claim lightly now, do you?

Instead of developing his country, Biya just twiddles his thumbs and waits until his strategists/advisers spot a suitable "jewel" in Nigeria that they can lay claim on and milk dry. And where does the money he gets go? Straight to his wife's hideous, Beyonce-esque golden blonde weaves and trips to Paris!

I need to have a drag of whatever "herb" Paul Biya is on. It's obviously very potent because the man is having delusions of grandeur and feelings of invincibility that are causing him to act recklessly and put his nation in peril. I'm just itching for him to formally make a bid for Obudu resort and its surrounding environs because I can't wait to see Naija's military prowess in all it's glory. Who knows? Maybe by the time we finish dealing with them we will not only have defended Obudu but also reclaimed Bakassi and seized some additional Cameroonian territory as jara! Lol

I swear, I've been saying it since. Becomrich needs a strong cocktail of psychotropic medicines (I prescribe daily doses of aripripazole, zotapine and risperidone, yes, those would do nicely) and then he needs to be banned from here so that he can recover from the effects of the drugs. He's constantly littering the place with nonsensical, repetitive/obsessive and irritating threads. I don't even understand why people indulge the loco guy by replying to his posts,

RSA, it is glaringly obvious to me from following your posts on here, that you detest/resent Nigeria, Nigerians and anything even remotely connected to Nigeria! Why then, pray tell, are you such an active member of Nairaland? All you ever seem to do here is insult Nigerians, put down our country and rub into our faces how much more "developed" SA is! I don't get it

Hmmm, that's a tough one to pinpoint. Several trillion sha o, dollars that is, lol.

Kenyaman, as you can see no one is really interested in this topic. Just let it rest already.

bk/babe90 or whatever you call yourself, I'm not even Igbo but I've gotta say that this your virulent anti-Igbo campaign is getting old real fast. If you have such an issue with Igbos why not take it up with God or whatever higher power you believe in instead of spewing your drivel all over Nairaland? How does sharing your hatred and vile thoughts about Igbos on this forum soothe your anger and address the real issue at the heart of your problem?

Ezeagu, I give up. Your logic escapes me COMPLETELY.

Ah okay, good to know! Thanks for your input

Justwise, are you sure? Have you personally gone for the e-passport interview?

But Ezeagu, how many times have paddy_lo and co. stated that this is NOT a government project? It is being undertaken by PRIVATE companies for their own benefit. It is not the responsibility of private corporations to ensure that all of the state's roads are tarred, that its slums are developed, etc. Building this city on the mainland would require razing people's property, destroying people's homes, rerouting existing roads, etc. Is that what you'd like to see happen? Certainly, I don't need to explain to you why that would be a problem. Are the private entities who want this city realized supposed to wait until the Lagos state government has hiroshimad an acceptable plot of land (twice the present size of VI, no less) on the mainland before they can start to build? Meanwhile, the Tokyos, Dubais and New Yorks of the world will continue to leave Lagos even farther behind in the dust.

I have never seen a situation where adding acreage to a country's existing territory by pushing back the waters and building on an area that was once just the deep blue sea is considered a problem. It blows my mind.

@Kuntamah,

You must not be a Nigerian. How can you say that "Bullshit and corruption are an integral part of the Nigerian ethnicity, i.e. - how you are brought up, and that Nigerians have no moral checkpoints or moral compass"? How dare you?! Please, if you're going to put down your country in such a way just make sure to specify that you are speaking for yourself and your experience only and not speaking for a population of 150 million! When non-Nigerians make such dismissive generalisations about Nigeria it infuriates me but when it's a Nigerian speaking that way it just sends me off the wall. I don't know how you were brought up o, but as for me, my parents were a very active moral compass/checkpoint in my life and they still are. From the time I was born, they taught me to denounce dishonesty and they have shaped me into a woman of deep integrity and unshakeable moral principle. And there are many, many Nigerians just like myself it is just that unfortunately, our flawed political system/history has made it near impossible for people like myself to enter the political arena. You of all people should know that our corrupt politicians are not representative of Nigeria as a whole, they are simply put, the scum of the society.

Kenyaman,
If your genuine intent was indeed to compare notes with Nigerians as to how best to tackle the problem of corruption on the African continent, why then did you give your thread the title "Kenyans are less corrupt than Nigerians" and begin the thread by stating "Why are Nigerian government officials so corrupt,? In my country, Kenya it is surely a fact that they are less corrupt." Would it have been so difficult to entitle it it "Corruption in Africa: How can we rid ourselves of this scourge?" or something of the like? To be honest, reading this thread has made me pretty pissed because your posts smack of self-righteousness, arrogance and perhaps a little resentment. To me, your intention for this thread was never for it to be a calm, intellectual and objective discussion on how Africans as a whole can overcome corruption. Your ulterior motives for starting the discussion were to put down Nigeria, espouse that Kenyans are somehow more morally upright than Nigerians and finally to stir up people's anger. Granted, corruption is a HUGE problem in Nigeria, but who's to say that Kenyan politicians, the Kenyan judiciary, civil servants, etc. would not have been just as corrupt (or worse) if massive reserves of oil had been found there 50 years ago rather than in Nigeria? Do you know for a fact that that would not have been the case? How would you feel if I were to go onto a Kenyan forum and start a thread entitled "There are more serial killers and chronic alcoholics in Kenya than there are in Nigeria"? If you are a true Kenyan you would probably be very angry and  defensive and you would probably wonder what on earth would motivate me to come to a Kenyan forum spouting such, not right?