What does Nigeria represent?

Look
I am not proud of being a Nigerian
if you are, well, that's good for you
as for me, I choose to be pragmatic


But why do I say that am I not "proud to be a Nigerian"
well, it boils down to my interpretation of that phrase
For me, it means that I should take delight in the character of the coutry
or its aspirations

A good place to start
From what I've read in the media so far, the hospital "First consultant" were Patrick Sawyer
was treated is presently feeling the pain of our betrayal
can you imagine that!!


...those guys were sensible and nice enough to alert the authories of Patient zero
This has so far prevented what would have otherwise been an epidemic
that could have snuffed the lifes out of many of us


Please let's be sensible
First consultant management staff (especially the doctor presently in Quarantine who
insisted that Sawyer should not be discharged) deserve a national award.
I hope that her name features on the next list whether dead or alive.


...I hope it is alive

Love yourself if not your neighbour

OK, if we have no qualms about the treatment we mete to these unfortunate ebola cases
at least for the sake of self preservation, we need to be sensible


With our present systemic disposition, do we honestly think that any Nigerian who suspects
that he's got Ebola will turn himself over to the Nigerian authorities
Well, ...honestly,....I know that I won't.
I'm not sure that you would either.


I'd be nice enough to avoid contact with others (much like Patrick Sawyer did initially),
but I'll desperately try to get myself accross to a Western world and declare the disease there.
Over there, I'm confident that I'll be treated with some dignity even if the disease kills me.

You,
...some of you might not have the financial resources for such trip
nor have empathy or the discipline to keep off contact with others.
You'd probably run to the church, prayer house or village thearapist
and infect loads of people along the way.

We're are also human

Go read electronic comments in the foreign media....
The intersting paradox is that an unschooled lot outside our shores
also treat us in the same way as we have treated our own
they'd rather that we all (you and I included) be zipped up in a continental bag and burned
to eradicate any risk of this becoming a global epidemic

And guess what,... some countries are treating our nationals like outcasts too
that is why we had to pull out from the China games

Love thine neighbour as thine self


Those quarantined are still humans
Have you seen the way a lot of Nigerians have reacted to the story
of people and nations battling the ebola scourge.

I read a comment by someone in Thisday website were he said all Liberians cannot be trusted
all because of Patrick Sawyer and another Liberian that defrauded him


Such ranters filled the e-space and other communication spaces
spewing stuff that imply that victims (both those with Ebola and those quarantined)
should be treated as outcasts, without any personality requiring at least some miniscule empathy

I even hear that the officials directly handling the cases of those that have been quarantined in Lagos
treat them as sub-humans that are marked for no greater glory than a countdown to a cremated grave.

The whole thing almost sounds like the stories of yore, when folks with perceived terminal illness
were considered as an abomination to community and cast into an evil forrest filled with wild beasts
until they met their demise (which ever tool that death chose to wield to accomplish this).

DueTime: @esere826, what happened? It's over 1 year since you last enlightened us.

've been busy
hope ur doing good

Ishilove:
Bitter kola, salt and Akpu. No Liberian virus can withstand that kind of deadly combo. Nigeria sufferhead has built up our immune system.

I pray for their full recovery.

...umhh
^^^ reminds me of a certain thread opened by a certain person
wondering why people make light of issues or something like that

....umhh

In conclusion

There is a strong likelihood that if the Ebola Virus spreads further in Nigeria
Countries who understand the threat the size and mobility of Nigerians pose will be hostile towards Nigerians

US AND UK
These countries are a major tourist destination receiving milions of visitors yearly. This means they can potentially easilly recive 100's of infected cases. Thankfully, they have good healthcare facilities

SOUTH AFRICA
This is a melting point of Africans and other races and a popular tourist destination. The mixing of races here provides an opportunity for cross racial infection

SAUDI ARABIA
Receives millions of pilgrims yearly to Mecca who move together in close proximity when carryoing out their religious rites. This is a potential hotspot

Now that we have an idea of what the tipping point is all about
I'll share my concerns

There are some 6 countries that I believe would be in the UN watch list because they are the biggest threats to the initiation of the epidemic worlwide:
They include:
1 Nigeria
2 India
3 US & UK
4 Saudi Arabia
5 South Africa

NIGERIA
We have a huge population that can be a breeding ground for the Ebola virus especially with our porr health care. Plus we travel alot, and are in almost every country in the world.

INDIA
Chares the same attributes as Nigeria

A se.xually promiscous corper called Mandigo was posted from lagos state to Yobe state
He had se.x with 2 infected people in Yobe, and at the end of his service year travelled back to Lagos

On his way back to Lagos he stopped by in 10 brothels in transit states, and infected 10 girls there
When he got to Lagos, within 4 months, he had slept with 20 runs girls, 5 official ashies and 3 of his girlfriends and infected all of them them with the STD

He dumped two of his girlfriends who went on to have new boyfriends
one a musician who lives in Calabar and the other who lives in Kano
-both guys are also very promiscous

The runs girls went on to infect their boyfriends and politicians
the ashis went on to infect the tipper drivers and armed robbers that patronize them


.......with this narrative, I bet you can easilly visualize how the infection would have spread from 100 to a million people in 2 years
especially if their country is a none caring one

..TBC

Let's start our small lesson

Imagine that 10 years ago there was a deadly STD contained only in Yobe state, with only a few 100's of people catching it
then suddenly 2 yrs ago there was an epidemic of the same STD in the whole of Nigeria, with millions of people getting infected

Gladwell provides an interesting theory to explain how this could have happened. It would go something like this:

Sadly, we're in an Ebola season
typical of me, i'll apply myself to the situation and create narratives that are informative and can be consumed as the reader deems fit

Today I remembered the book called tipping point (written by Gladwell) that I read some years ago
it sets out a theory behind the spread of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and innovations that have shaken the world
I advice you read it

DRealGeesam1: My confession and apology

Dear nairalanders and everyone who have heard of the ebola Prevention "News", My name is Adesewa, I am coming out clean because what started has a joke has escalated into the unprecedented.
How it started
Yesterday i was with friend in her hostel, we were talking about this Ebola out break, when one of my friends, Funke (she introduced me to nairaland) brought the idea of Us playing a prank on our friends. The first suggestion was to tell people that aloe very could cure Ebola, but we thought it would sound too ridiculous so we forgot about it.

Later that even an idea came to me (i now regret that i did it).
I decided to send a BBM broadcast message to my friends, telling them that the Ministry of Health has asked everyone to bathe with salt and warm water and drink some of it.
I sent the message 7:08pm yesterday

Later this midnight i started getting calls and messages that i should drink salt water and bath with it.

All efforts to tell people that i was the one who started the joke failed. Only my friends who i mentioned earlier believed me. Even my mum could me this morning, i did not know what to tell her.

I am using this medium to beg you all to warn and tell everyone, before they drink salt and damage their health.

Please dont be hash on me. I know this has gone out of hand. I never knew it will be this serious. Some have even added to the original message i sent.

A scenario of what could happen to you
...Imagine that the Nigerian system is a smart one and want to teach you a lesson

the security agencies will do a search through all network databases to check for the first source of the rumour
this is quite easy. Its like searching for keywords using google.
When they've identified your number, they'll then use that in getting your name
They'll then search through bank records and telphone details to identify your location
They'll contact your university and so identify your department
they'll get an informant in your department to squeal on your school and house address

They'll invite the news media when they arrest you
More sales for the media when you are front page
you being handcuffed will be on TV and newspapers as the source of the rumour

You'll spend some days in the cell with loads of mosquitoes
You will then be charged to court
your defense lawyer will argue that you were remosrseful hence you alerted the public through NL
you may thereafter be discharged and acquited if there are no laws to handle your case

...However, all this would have served as a deterent to others who take jokes too far

birdman:

@AK, you will find that in Nigeria at least, we already have a generation or two that has this double consciousness. Wether it is on Nairaland or blogs or twitter, you will find Nigerians (some with reputable awards) arguing points of view that are completely alien to their culture. When you ask them to explain their thought process, they invariably regurgitate life stories and examples from other cultures that they have never been to or experienced. In other words, through TV and mostly the internet, we have Nigerians that have been seduced into living the lives, values and expectations of other peoples. I think part of the reason for this double mindedness is that the same media subtly implies the unworthiness of local African thought, and a significant portion of our educated youth (me included) has absorbed this message.

Shared communication gradually leads to people developing a shared culture
This is one strength that fortified Northern Nigeria for a long time.

The mainstream media is presently pushing a mainly western communication paradigm
As long as we don't push out our own narrative, we end up being assimilated in theirs.
resistance is almost futile

So the only way to successfully engage while holding on to our own culture is to create new ones that incorporate both

For example:
1) afro pop -incorporates nigerian and western beats
2) A guy subtly permitted to have multiple girlfriends apart from his wife -incorporates monogamy and polygamy

Politics
Expect our State and Federal governments to use this as an oppurtunity to redirect and borrow funds
towards eradicating Ebola. I hope it doesn't end up in individuals pockets

Sales of Ebola defying products
This has apparently already started. My fears is that folks could feel confidient that this is the ultimate weapon, and end up becoming careless in other hygienic habits
I imagine a scenario where some after touching ebola infected materials will simply cleanse their hands with anti ebola products and then dig same fingers into into a bowl of Amala


Miracle cures
I do sincerely hope that invitations for ebola miracle cures do not end up attracting the infected to the none-infected and unwittingly unleeching mass infections if no miracles happen in those instances.
Afterall, not everyone who goes to a crusade to get healed does get healed.


The North
we are hearing of reactive but nevertheless quick interventions in the South. Hope the Nothern elites get off their bums and fight this if it gets there, not blaming Jonathan or saying its the will of God.
Fortunately, the muslim north buries their dead same day. This should limit contact with too many people.

Boko Haram
If Ebola persists and gets to the camps of Boko Haram, this would be the end of the insurgency. these guys practically bath in blood and would therefore be very susceptible to an outbreak.


...Finally, please guys stay safe and follow as much hygienic routine as possible

Ebola virus as finally berthed on our shores
not one, but 2 confirmed cases
I must commend the Lagos state government for their almost proactive approach to this issue

I hope Ebele doesn't make a broadcast where he would say that "Ebola Virus is here to stay"


I sat back to think about the impact of the virus on the country
and typical of me, I began to draw up scenarios that could play out

I hope Ebola doesn't persist, however, if it does, there is no doubt that it could bring about some scenarios that I'd wish to point out.

I wrote this in a hurry as I need to head home
I've not hard time to think it through properly to ensure it's not offensive or stuff like that

Ishilove:
Why did you delete the thread before?

delete doesn't sound right in this case

@ Xenaf

Remember that the AS, SS issue is essentially about your offsprings and not you two
if you plan to tie you womb, or get impregnated by an AA sperm using artificial means
then there should be no problem apart from costs

If you choose to follow the path of faith
ensure that faith changes ur genotype before marriage

And for you,,
.. u probably shld think of moving outside the Nigerian shores, to were the healthcare facilities are modest
you might even then have local lovers that don't have the sickle cell genetic problem

i'm sure you're aware that sickle cell is common mainly in blacks
its our genetic way of fighting against malaria.

...I wish you the best

So this calls for the application of some wisdom when advertising your 'potential' miracle working power

Xtian gragra : you're a doubter of faith and the healing power of Jesus

Logic : Not so. Perhaps, it would be much better if the pastor moves his headquarters to the parts of Guinea that are infected
Xtian gragra : But daz not the way miracles work. You have to come to the source to show your willingness to get healed

Logic : But Jesus said we shld go into the world to preach the gospel and heal the sick
and besides, if the missionaries waited outside our shores, we won't have gone to them to get saved

xtian gragra and Logic then reach a compromise: Perhaps pastor can open the church in the infested villages in Guinea far from Nigeria and without going outside the church building simply advertise that they should all come to him for healing.
yes,

...that looks like faith

Logic : Let's talk about sex outside the label of sin
if you have sex with a lady that was developed in a petri dish
without human contact till today and she is past the age of menopause
you won't think about using a condom would you?

afterall, folks use CDs for sex primarily for two reasons
1) Preventing unwanted Pregnancy
2) Preventing STD


Now, if folks feel otherwise, then you'd find out that they'll have loads of unprotected sex, right?
and a lot of them will end up with diseases and unwanted pregnancy
Whereas, those that were more cautious would then to have lesser incidence of such

So this calls for the application of some wisdom when advertising your 'potential' miracle working power

I am a christian, with a strong leaning towords the envangelical strain
and its associated gift of miracle working

I am also a student of science and its requirement for some rigorous thinking

I recently read a post about a Nigerian pastor emphasising his 'potential' Ebola curing miracolus powers
The xtian gragra part of me was more than happy to accept this
but instantly, my science bit cautioned me to think a little bit and apply some logic

@ishilove

I'll explain why we're like this.
I'll do so using a bad example

1) when a few males or females in a society are molested once or twice when they are mature
the individuals and the society they belong to take the matter very seriously

2) but when an entire community has been consistently (almost on a daily bases) molested from childhood
the reaction is different
they make jokes about it and rationalise it
u might then hear stuff like:

-"But he was gentle when doing it"
-"At least I chop him money b4 him do am"
-"I wish he used a CD"
-"no mind am, with him short staff"


Some nations are like the first
ours is like the second ..so we don't easily get shocked

^^^
your question can also be viewed in another way
hence I highlighted 'particular' in the earlier post

"Why do junk foods tend to be cheaper than fresh foods?"

The answer to this is that whereas fresh food is perishable thus making the seller susceptible to financial loss
junk food on the other hand, lasts for a long time and so can be easily imported from countries where cost of production is very low

^^^

Let's use the example of vegetable vs egusi.

As a 'rich' guy, if you go to the market to buy either of them
the prices of both will be hiked once they see you
The 'poor' guy won't suffer any of such hike

But when both poor and rich go to same restaurant, the prices are already set
so no bargaining
the propietor of the restaurant will gradually start increasing the price
of the food that she notices that the rich person likes a lot

BedLam: It's not like much energy or money were spent on producing this healthy food. Junk food tend to have more killing ingredients. But why are they more cheaper? For instance:

A bottle of Eva water is sold for 100#. 50CL coke is sold for 70#, but why? (note, water is natural, not much production is needed except purification)

- At a regular "bukka", vegetable soup is expensive than egusi but egusi is more expensive in the market.
- Meat is cheaper than fish.
- Wheat bread is expensive than white bread.
- Ofada rice is also expensive than "normal" rice. (cooked).

Your particular question might answer itself more easilly if it is presented this way?
"Why is it that foods that have higher demand from wealthier people
tend to be more expensive"?

The answer is something like this:
1) Even if the food is unhealthy and the richer folks go for it, it will tend to be more expensive
2) The reason is because the richer you are, the less your tendency to stress by haggling or 'pricing' stuff.
3) This in turn makes the trader/middleman more comfortable in setting higher prices for things that you like

@OP

Yes, this unique economic ideology is not properly documented
however we are exporting it to other West African countries like Ghana

our unique global xtian evangelism and nollywood is also spreading same ideology globally
just the way the West introduced their ideology to us through xtianity
and the Arabs gave us theirs through trans saharan Islam

@Op

lets break the article into its constituent bits and then analyse (without losing sight of the thrust of the article)

Capitalism, communism and "africanism"

There has always been capitalism an communism 'ideology' in all parts of the world including africa even before Smith and Marx
what those fellas simply did was write about it and attach some reasoning to their write up
leaders then went ahead to adopt the reasoning and created dominant national policies based on them and sought to protect or push their economic reasoning

So today, you can call the US a capitalist economy, and NKorea a communist society
We (Nigeria) have not really adopted any of these.

Our economic principle is simply but not yet documented:
Harness as much resources from your environment and that of your neighbour to feed yourself, your family and your Chi

I think this ^^^^ is quite an original reasoning even if you argue that it is defeatist or retrogressive

@OP

interesting article
however my critique is that it seeks to tackle too many issues within a small space
consequently the minuscule message that scales through albeit scattered
is the demise or non-ascendancy of sub-saharan values/ideologies

^^^^
oops just realised that I forgot to add conditional formatting in the video
sorry about that

this is how you do it:

Highlight d15 to G21
go to "conditional formating"
go to "new rule"
go to the last one called "use a formula to determine which cell to format"

in the "format value where this formula is true" box
type $f15="Red"
click format
got to "fill"

choose red
click ok
click ok

Repeat
using $f15="Yellow"

Then finally, repeat using $f15="Green"

catchdwind4rmkd: I am still waiting sir

Hope this helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsH18S_pysI