Any Nigerians Out There?

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Word. That's why sh!t is so f*cked up now.  After the Brits bounced the country finally got to take its own direction and you can see the learning curve manifested in the slow but steady progress that has been made since the 60's.  Is it where it should be?  No where close.  But bringing in foreign rule again isn't the solution.  I hear what you're saying but Nigeria, relatively speaking, just got the training wheels taken off.  It has to learn to balance itself on its own now. 

[Jontor]

I feel you on that Burning Sands. The same group of criminals has been ruling the counrty since 1960 and they are bound to continue rulling till God knows when...I wasn't even born the first time Obasonjo ruled Nigeria and he came back after how many years..The only ting we need now is tsunami in Abuja when they are all in session....I love Nigeria but I continue to believe tha my generation is the most deprieved generation ...NIgeria didn't do sh** for us we paid for primary Education....Secondary...Tert iary. Hopefully someday we will be able to do something for Naija and help preserve that country for our grandkids.

[Victor]

I was just talkin reckless.  Of course Nigerians don't suck.

Its just that sometimes I am aggrivated by the behavior of our people you know?

Word, son!

[onyeigbo]

Interesting..

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

By the end of the trip -I was seriously like despite being a totally radical idea -- the only potential solution I see working for Nigeria right now is to reinstate foreign rule -people who will not fall prey to corruption (and I am a very proud Nigerian)

OH HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL NOOOO!!! No you didn't just say that?? 

Foreign rule?? As in re-colonization..I mean things are bad but saying we should throw out our nascent republic and call back Her Majesty's Horseguards parade ain't it. I'm not too crazy about Naija politics now (with the Godfatherism and Gov's piling up cash by looting their state's treasury) but we are experiencing democracy any newbie does (Iraq, Afghanistan and yes even the US decades after the republic was founded). We've got a long way to go but that option is not even worth considering. I'm shocked ma'am..shocked I tells ya !!

Yes -  well at least I am glad that you are so passionate about Nigerian politics - but honestly - until you are there - I cannot believe that you can really understand what people are going through daily -- its complete desperation - and I know abt the horrors of colonization - my parents were in the Biafran war and trust me - I have heard the stories - but what do you suggest? the only non-corrupt gov official - the woman who is the head of naija food and health - her life has been threatened severely b/c she does not give into bribes and such - its all fun and games when you view nigerian politics through our foreign lenses - but if you want immediate results - i say that local rule is horrible! i am just being realistic.
[/quote]

Divo - I can feel you on that.  Like I said earlier, Nigeria just got the training wheels off and is learning to balance.  If we could get past our own tribal beef and get our act together Nigeria has all the makings of a world super power, on par with the rest of the world super powers...

I am jaded b/c my Dad is a petroleum engineer in Delta State, and he sees first hand the business & politics behind our oil exportation.  The US and Europe are constantly in there making deals and lobbying the oil companies, and the nigerian officials are right there in the middle not even realizing what kind of gold mind they're sitting on.  And meanwhile, all the money generated over this resource somehow never seems to make its way back to the people.  You have cats rollin around in Mercedes Benze in the city, and you drive 10 minutes north and you have cats looking like a scene out of Tears of the Sun.  But what can you do?  Question a government that has killed its own officials by firing squad?

[windowshopper]

naija in the house!  looks like we're taking over LSD too.

[Stencilasnusky]

Yes -  well at least I am glad that you are so passionate about Nigerian politics - but honestly - until you are there - I cannot believe that you can really understand what people are going through daily -- its complete desperation - and I know abt the horrors of colonization - my parents were in the Biafran war and trust me - I have heard the stories - but what do you suggest? 
[/quote]

(Assumptions Assumptions)..I think the main point of your issue was whether the country is better off now or when we were a British protectorate. I don't know how to frame that other than asking if you are better off being led or being independent. I'll take the latter anyday since I don't believe those "leaders" are that much better. Like Sands said the training wheels just came off and we are a little wobbly. It happened here and see how far they've come..Japan post-World War II had an elected Prime Minister and a Diet, so did Germany (ever heard of Konrad Adenauer?) and the US was primarily there for defensive purposes against Communist Russia (in the case of Germany) and Communist China and Korea (in case they got the jimmies and wanted revenge on a newly democratic Japan). Certainly the US was not there as a colonial master if so, why would they watch Japan and Germany rise up big time to be the 2nd and 3rd largest economies of today. We are still learning and we will do better. Afterall, I don't think it was an oversight on God's part that we were born Nigerians.

PS: This logic applies to any freedom loving nation in the world, it's a little hard in the beginning but some years later one can look back proudly and say "My..see how far I've come"!!

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Well said.

[Stencilasnusky]

I also want to note that the issue of political Godfatherism is tolerated by the current administration which sickens me and makes me wonder how genuine a reformer the incumbent claims to be. But so that we don't turn this into a never ending debate/discussion of Nigeria's never ending problems, I'd like to drop it and move to other issues like how we can help our fellow brothas/sistas trying to get a leg up the law school thing...Anyone accepted/attending GWU or GULC? How do folks even afford to live there?

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

LOL  agreed. we can go on for days talking about the politics of Nigeria.

Although she's not nigerian (hey, nobody's perfect) Blk Reign attended GW Law so she can speak on making it out there in DC.  We've got a few DC cats on the board.