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Politics / Re: Petrol At 1,000 Naira Per Litre: Nigerians are going through hell by ramafama: 2:03pm On Sep 10
Thanks for your answer. As black Africans we have entrenched this culture where we do anything (in the moment) to look go to our fellow man and to feel good about ourselves.
We need re-orientation as a people. I don't know if it would happen in my life time. Maybe not.

I remember a time in my Engineering final year on a trip to Warri Refinery in the 90s. We got to the Refinery, the Engineer there was so disinterested in the work and tour, wouldn't answer questions as we went around. His concern as we walked around with our HOD was to get our HOD to ensure his person blantantly got admission in University.
On that trip, I was encouraging all of us to band together to do something, build something for the future. No one was interested. They all believed they would get jobs in Shell or Mobil. Nigeria was good. We will all be fine. It would favour us.
Where are they today? I am fine but I am a broomstick. If we had done something together, we could have been a broom and we would have swept.

Sometimes, I wish the Lord would remove the desire I have to be part of the solution, to do something. I am getting old and I am tired of my people and their inability to see beyond themselves and their immediate needs.

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Politics / Re: Petrol At 1,000 Naira Per Litre: Nigerians are going through hell by ramafama: 11:15am On Sep 10
Hello IbeOkehie
What do you think is holding us back as Black Africans?
IbeOkehie:


Seriously...despite all the colonization, racism and what not, Black Africans could do better IF THEY HAVE THE ABILITY to do better.

It's not the White Man holding us back. Deep down I think you know it. Don't ruin or damage your life with hope of an African Renaissance. It won't happen.

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Travel / Re: Essex To Cumbria Road Trip (Photos) by ramafama: 3:20am On May 26
Lovely pics
The Lake district is one of UK's spectacular areas. We did a trip to Ullswater and stayed in Glenridding years back. It was 300+ miles from London. Would love to go again but can't drive for that long. Might catch the train instead.

4 Likes

Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by ramafama: 3:27pm On Feb 18
Lexusgs430:


But he would have to self manage the SIPP account...... Is OP brave enough....... 😜🤣

Yes, HMRC gives a % based on contributions..... But your SIPP provider, would also charge you a fee....... 🤣

He/She can put the pension funds into simple low cost index funds like Vanguard. I believe all pension providers charge a fee for management or do you know any free ones?
Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by ramafama: 10:34pm On Feb 16
Walexwal:
Dear all, I kinda need your advice on a pension-ish.

I have 20k in my pension pot from my former job. Now, I have moved to a teacher's pension. How best can I utilise the money effectively or what can I invest it in? I don't want to just leave it dormant in that pot. It had stayed one year already @Lexusgs430.
Thanks in advance

You can open a SIPP - Self invested private pension and transfer all of the pension from the old employer to the new SIPP. You can pay privately into the new Sipp and the HMRC will top up about 20% or so.
Please verify this figure.

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Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 3) by ramafama: 11:24pm On Oct 30, 2023
abubarakat:
Has anyone been able to return successfully to Nigerian recently with an expired Nigerian Passport?

I'm going back in December through Virgin. I was there last December too and could see the banners at the arrival section stating that Nigerians with expired passports are allowed to return to the country.

Mine expired last month and i've tried to apply for a replacement but don't yet have the NIN number. I registered for it in Nigeria last year and i collected the slip. Truth be told, i'm sincerely not looking forward to that dreadful journey to the High Commission in London. The thought of that place alone sends shivers down my spine but you've gotta what you gotta do.

I've got a British Passport so the return trip shouldn't be an issue.


I travelled to Nigeria last year on an expired passport on a Virgin flight. On entering Nigeria, customs alerted me to the fact that my passport was expired but still stamped it. No questions asked.
On my way back to the UK, customs asked why I was travelling with an expired passport. (I have a UK passport as well and I had already done biometrics for my Nigerian passport and was just waiting to receive the passport itself). I explained this and produced my acknowledgement slip and I was allowed to continue my journey.

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Travel / Re: Can You Still Travel Back To Nigeria With An Expired Passport? by ramafama: 9:52pm On Mar 05, 2023
Yes I travelled with an expired Nigerian passport and a valid UK passport last year. I flew into Lagos with Virgin. I had already done my biometrics for a new Nigerian passport in the UK so I took all the evidence with me.
I had no problem at Heathrow. I had no problem on entry. I was asked by the immigration officer if I knew my passport was expired I replied yes. He stamped it or whatever he did and handed it back.
On departure from Lagos, Virgin Atlantic marked my luggage with green tags and said as my passport was expired they may need to pull my luggage out if immigration said so.
I went to immigration and was asked if I had applied for a new Nigerian passport. I said I had an I was asked to show my application form. I went one better and showed my acknowledgement slip which showed I had done my biometrics. He let me through.
Another person I know travelled end of January 2023 with an expired passport and a valid UK passport. She too flew on Virgin.

6 Likes 1 Share

Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by ramafama: 3:03pm On Sep 30, 2022
Hello All

I have some questions I would appreciate answers to. I have just done biometrics for my Nigerian passport renewal, hopefully it is sent to me soon but if not, I would need to go to Lagos with my UK passport and expired Nigerian passport. Does anyone know if Virgin would let me board? I called them and they were not helpful at all.
Does anyone have any experience of flying Virgin with an expired Nigerian passport and a UK passport?
Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by ramafama: 6:19pm On Sep 10, 2022
Ticha:

This is a wise way to go but could you share your vetting processes? I left this to the managing agent for my rental property but I am thinking about taking it over.

I am buying as long as the deal stacks up! No one is creating more land. My tenant vetting processes have always been robust and we aim for tenants that any black mark on their credit would be abhorrent to them. The one 'bad' tenant we had paid rent throughout even with her skoin skoin.

Scotland has a rent increase and eviction ban in place till March 2023 at least. England is currently in consultations over a rental cap. Wales has stringent regulations in place. If you are aware of all the regulations and potential pitfalls, it's easier to manage. Property is like running any other business. Enter with a solid strategy and arm yourself with knowledge.
Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by ramafama: 10:55am On Mar 17, 2022
zeb04:
Guys I finally got a job in the Uk after trying for 2 years from Nigeria . To God be the glory.

My office is in Wilmsow Cheshire Manchester. Unfortunately, resumption time is 7:30am-5pm.

We are a family of 3 but i will be coming alone first.

I wonder how, i would juggle it out with my child and school and still resume work by 7:30am when my family moves in with him.

I have asked this question before but i am looking for a place close to wilmslow that is affordable in terms of rent and schools for kids. Please suggest the closest towns i can live in.

Thank you, May God bless you all.
If you are working full time and you have kids that are not in primary school, you need to get full time childcare provision for them. This is usually a 10 hour a day cover.This maybe in form of a nursery or child minder. The latter is usually an 8am -6pm affair. They are not usually flexible. Childminder may be more flexible. These are the government recognised options.
Non-governmental recognised options include grandmas in church, grandma's nearby etc. They will be cheaper and more flexible but they usually have a lot more children under their care.
Childcare in the UK is very expensive.
For primary school kids (over 5s) you can use a breakfast club/afterschool club provision.
Again most start at 8 and end 5pm or 6pm max. They are not cheap and even if you can afford them. You end up running upandan to drop off and pick up kids.
That said it is possible but you must prepare yourself it is not easy. All the best wink

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Travel / Re: Living In The Uk-life Of An Immigrant (part 2) by ramafama: 10:40pm On Mar 15, 2022
Specialtee:
Hello everyone. Please does anyone know if you are allowed to bring in your mobile phone, wallet and keys to the US embassy in London?

I don't have a car and I'm wondering where to keep all these items if it is like their embassy in Nigeria.

Thanks.


All you mentioned are allowed but laptops and large bags are not

1 Like

Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by ramafama: 10:09am On Jun 07, 2021
jwizzy:
Guys I need advise My wife is coming for her master's at university but we intend travelling together with our two kids.
I would like to know if it's a wise decision for me as I have a government job paying above 100k.
Considering starting from the scratch..how easy can I get a job as a graduate accountant with over 10 years experience.
All advises are welcome

If you can take a short study leave. Come with the family and inspect the lay of the land. Be open minded and ready to be change.
UK is not a place to attempt without a plan.
It is a small island. There are opportunities but you will use your torchlight to find them.

Forget your 10 years experience in accountancy. Please don't be sentimental about it. You want to be able to thrive in a new place, you must learn new things.
Be ready to start from scratch. Have you done ACCA? Sprinkle everything you do with IT. So think IT with Accounting. Look up jobserve.com and see the kind of jobs available. Pay attention to the skills and experience needed.
After checking out the land, maybe go back with the kids (because childcare is a killer in the UK) , go back to your old job and study all you can online. Reinvent yourself. Then come back ready and hit the ground running.
Just my two pennies grin

3 Likes

Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by ramafama: 9:36pm On Jun 06, 2021
Mamatukwas:



If you can afford it, don’t invest all in crypto et al, please consider private schools. E get why.

I hear you @mamatukwas
A strict and disciplined school is great to have. Some of our comprehensives just cater to the slowest/neediest children leaving swatches of able kids unchallenged academically and left to fend for themselves.

I calculated what it would cost to send my kids to the cheapest private. It was over £216k embarassed embarassed embarassed
I still had to buy a good house and save for retirement among other things after that. My hand no strong reach.

I can't burn it all in the hope that my kids would take care of me.
The next best thing for us was moving out of the inner city to suburbs for good schools.

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Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by ramafama: 9:25pm On Jun 06, 2021
Lexusgs430:



Money dey to pay ransom nah..... Naira is almost £1 - N750........ cheesy

Kidnappers are bad market. They still kill victim after collecting ransom. cry

1 Like

Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by ramafama: 5:10pm On Jun 04, 2021
LagosismyHome:



We now have to think of a new way to reset the children brain if misbehaving.

Very true. We need a new way of brain resetting for UK based kids grin

I was on the verge of sending my child to Nigeria a few years back to experience the reset. Nigeria was not that bad then. In the last few years kasala has burst. I was shook to think how I would have been coping with a child in a Nigerian secondary school with all these people swooping down on them as kidnapping targets!!

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Properties / Re: How Much Will Complete This Building In Ado Ekiti? by ramafama: 3:57pm On Aug 25, 2018
That is definitely possible. Mine would have been cheaper if I planned to build the size I eventually built. I reconsidered at foundation stage and reduced the footprint of the house.
Properties / Re: How Much Will Complete This Building In Ado Ekiti? by ramafama: 3:38pm On Aug 25, 2018
eazymanfia:
Seems things are expensive there.

It may be. Lagos and maybe SW? material prices are a cheaper. But labour is cheaper here. No omo-omile as I built in an estate. cheesy
Properties / Re: How Much Will Complete This Building In Ado Ekiti? by ramafama: 1:55pm On Aug 25, 2018
3.68m completed everything from plans and drawings to lintel level blockwork. Then it got expensive!
Properties / Re: How Much Will Complete This Building In Ado Ekiti? by ramafama: 1:35pm On Aug 25, 2018
At least 12m. I am building a similar structure in Nigeria. I have installed casement windows (with buglary and net) and iron doors and plastered through out. I did longspan roofing 0.45mm. I have spent around 9m so far. I need to complete flooring, ceilings, electrical and plumbing fittings and painting. So I have about 3m more to find. All the best.
Agriculture / Re: Cassava Investment Is Very Lucrative: Be A Farmer On Proxy. by ramafama: 11:26pm On Dec 24, 2017
xxxdelete

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