Happy New Year...and Checking and Getting Rid of Our GHID

Source: Internet

 
I really hoped that I'd come through with this post before the end of January. And here I am...barely a few hours before the end of January 2025, at least in Nigeria. There's nothing wonderful about saying Happy New Year in February of a new year. Yeah, I know - it's a silly habit we have developed in Nigeria: saying the greeting and felicitation without changing a thing about us. But we do it. We bid each other a wondrous New Year and hope that things will get better especially around money matters. We want full pockets of Naira, not to mention fat bank accounts that answer our itchy fingers at the ATMs, when we go to withdraw cash. New Year resolutions are common. You know what I'm talking about, don't ya? I'm not going into that but I'd like to spare a few moments and talk about GHID.

Source: Internet

I'm losing my finesse with words - I'm no longer eloquent; if I ever was. GHID, before I lose you to my soliloquy (did I get that from SLC, Utah?), means Gross Human Integrity Deficiency. It means (wo)mankind's inability to exhibit integrity, which allows us to have a safe world. It's a coinage, an acronym and perhaps a synonym for EVIL. Why are humans so evil to one another and our environment? Why are we threatened by other people?

Source: Internet

Gross Human Integrity Deficiency is why people vote in or elect bad leaders often knowing full well. It is why there are accidents on our highways and everywhere else human’s lack of integrity is responsible. I’m not talking about mistakes that speak to our flaws as human beings. Here, I need you to take yourself and others away from being disrespected. I’m not casting aspersions but seeing things the way they are. People tell lies that could derail trains and even cause plane crashes. Some humans are plain wicked. They lack integrity in a gross way. GHID is the root cause of corruption, not just greed or avarice.

Some killjoys have a sport doing very bad things. In the realm of politics, men and women go after one another even within the same political party and line to shame one another. They sell secrets or even fabricate tales against other people. I hardly repeat a tale I learnt from another without stating or alluding to my sources of information. I am a witness or you’ll be mentioned as my reliable source whether primary or secondary. Some seek revenge while others are spurned on by jealousy, envy, covetousness or a sheer determination to spoil the show for another or others. Shame on you, devil. Yes. Evil comes from the devil. Some even go ahead and form gangs of liars – 'let me lie for you' people. They tell their posterity that same lie and expect them to carry it on forever; changing nothing even after the truth has brought clarification and innocence.

GHID brings on double standard – not judging matters objectively. It breeds hypocrisy and endangers all and sundry. We may have our primordial reasons for remaining nonchalant but I’m shaming GHID. GHID ensures that the devil is well represented among men and women. In secular parlance, it gives strength to chaos, fear and doom. And in Nigeria, we often practise GHID through what some have called the Nigeria (n) Factor – choosing not to do right, choosing to do fraud and crime almost all the time. We prefer to show off our connections and how good we are with having our cake and eating it.

Sometimes we don’t even know that we have become power drunk or bloodthirsty. We just want to ensure that we kill the deal. Anyway, this New Year, if we really want to make the world a better place we should assess ourselves by doing some soul searching and asking ourselves these two questions: How much am I doing this (insert the deed or talk or thought) for GOOD? Who’s the beneficiary of the Good Deed?

For example, if we are serving someone a query at work, we simply ask ourselves: How much am I doing this (serving a query or terminating an appointment) for GOOD? Who’s the beneficiary of the Good Deed? Is it good for the company, business or for your selfish interests or pride? It isn’t rocket science, it’s doable.

Source: Internet

OK, that’s it. I posted in January 2025. Happy New Year 2025 and I hope that our GHID gets kicked to the curb this year. That also includes keeping good habits, friends, family and acquaintances and kicking out any bad influences no matter how long ago we’ve latched on to those and/or that thing which makes us vulnerable, selfish and without integrity, which integrity is a fine human trait.

10 Problems that Sap the Nigerian Economy and #Sapa Nigerians

 

I promised to write this piece sometime ago. I was going through a lot of #sapa owing to being jobless and chasing the dream of entrepreneurship. I have decided not to include the #japa syndrome as a problem since most people view it as a panacea for lucky Nigerians. Suit yourself. Or wicked law enforcement and law agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service. Here is my list and thoughts on this End Of Year topic and gift to Nigeria as a policy enthusiast. How're you enjoying the holidays? I thank Providence for an ongoing uninterrupted power supply in my area this festive season. Do you want to know where I live? I live in Osisioma, Abia State, Nigeria. 

Anyway...numero uno, I love being multilingual even though I'm bilingual - just my good ol' Igbo language and some retarded English grammar.... I own my mistakes and owe you no apology, pick the beans and trash the stones.

In addition, these thoughts are my personal insights as the blog name suggests. I don't belong to any political party anywhere in the world and I haven't changed my mind yet on the issue. It affords me my peace of mind. So, feel free to agree or disagree with, jettison, believe in or question these points of mine. I believe that these problems increase our national debt burden but with individual and often disparage consequences. Finally, I don't get paid to blog not even by Google AdSense; what is that? It's a long read. Enjoy, please. Thank you.

1. NYSC: People must disagree with me on this one because it's a fast cash cow for many lucky people and the only real tourism industry in the country. But how much does this exercise and corps cost Nigeria(ns) twice yearly sometimes three times in batches and streams? How does the corps check repeat service of corps members from one state to another? As there are repeat offenders in the judiciary, there are also career corpers of Nigeria who move from state to state in their green khaki dresses. There are 37 NYSC locations - 36 states and the the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Does biometrics check repeat service at the PPAs? How do you tell a corps member is a Nigerian? Because of one senseless civil war, Nigeria is wasting money and turning the corps into a trade in hopes of some criminal national unity while destroying the dreams of many people. The corps members don't have respect accorded them at the places of primary assignment owing to intercultural differences, with the employer often seeing them as children in dire need of the cane too. It derails a graduate's career plan and trajectory. During my time 2004/2005, nearly everybody was forced to teach in the classroom at Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State. What would a graduate of a bachelor's degree in the arts, social sciences, sciences, agriculture or even engineering be doing in the classroom without proper guidance and tutelage? Who taught them Micro-teaching in the university? Must every Nigerian graduate become a teacher? And the poor local pupils and students get no quality education for their time. The Corps retards a graduate's career projectile; it doesn't build upon skills learnt in higher institutions. If all graduates can teach, why have a faculty of education at the University where students are taught the craft of teaching through placements called Teaching Practice or even learn Curriculum and Instruction? NYSC is not a food stamp initiative of Nigeria for hungry Nigerian youth nor should it be the career albatross that it has become in the last decades. Many don't heed the age limit. Nigerians don't care and foreigners might even enter the country on empty stories and lies of being born to a Nigerian. Do we have enough mechanisms to check fraud and determine the incidence of under aged or over aged corps members? NYSC camps are the only place where credentials are cross-checked and decoys slipped in among the corps members move onward to the PPAs. Scraping the NYSC or mandating it to become a practical opportunity for career-related skill building will yield more productivity for the country. This argument doesn't include the often talked about death of corps members during the service year, real or imagined, in road accidents or corps incidents. The NYSC should be career relevant and not a career destroying imbecility full of impostors, prostitutes and criminals. NYSC discharge certificates should also contain the name of the higher institution and course (programme) the corps member graduated from. The picture is not enough. NYSC certified education in degrees (bachelor's and/or master's for foreign trained corps members) and higher national diplomas must have a one-time pass and lifetime use. Each graduate serves only once too even if they've gone to get another NYSC qualifying education even from the same or another higher institution and under the age of 30 years. Otherwise, it's a sham. Gimme a break. The corps should be serious business and not an event meant for food stamp, allowance, hero worship, vain arranged marriages and yearlong tourism in the hope of an elusive and commercialized national unity. In light with the foregoing, a typical NYSC discharge certificate in addition to having a biometrics picture should read, 'This is to certify that (Name of corps member as contained on school records and if needful supported by an authentic change of name by a Marriage Certificate and other identification documents such as NIN card/slip, publication, etc and NYSC Number with State Code and Year), whose picture appears here was born on or is (Age at the Beginning of Orientation Camp training as Date of Birth or in Words AND Number) and hails from (Community, State of Origin on school records and if needful supported by an authentic change of origin by a Marriage Certificate and other identification documents such as NIN card/slip, publication, etc), a graduate of or graduated from (Name of Higher Diploma/Degree Awarding Institution), having earned a/an (Name of Degree/HND, eg. BA, BSc, BEd, MBBS, HND, etc) in (Course of Study) has fulfilled the requirements of the (or as was written in mine "has satisfactorily completed") one year national service at (Place of Primary Assignment) from (Date of Opening of Orientation Camp) to (Date of End of the National Service) in accordance with Section 11 of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 51 of 1993 (or as the case may be from current provisions). It is not rocket science, you know. How many other African countries that experienced internal strife including civil war observe a national service? Rwanda is the only African nation that just recently started one over 15 years after the infamous genocide. The NYSC is not a diploma nor degree but those higher education qualifications are the entry point for the exercise. It has become another war against the Igbos only that Hausa and Yoruba leaders often at PPAs (places of primary assignment) use Igbo named harlots and prostitutes to shame bona fide Igbo graduates through identity fraud. But due to its monetary compensation and some say poverty, the so-called Igbos await NYSC commencement upon graduation each year and they are the repeat or career corpers I talk about. They are spies and concealed assassins on errand for friends and relatives in often far away places. In my own case, a woman only had the top khaki green shirt and lied that the corps had exhausted the uniform and she would go back for hers. She stayed put for the long year, whether she was a corps member or not I couldn't determine as there were no ID cards issued to us. Nigeria is a fraud waiting to happen. Nigerian leaders including heads of government are complicit of this crime and on a quest for personal vendetta. They are aiding and abetting NYSC career and life fraud. Nobody is above the law in most places except in Nigeria. Beasts of no nation. Nameless beasts and zombies. 
2. National Travel Passport: passport renewals cost Nigerians so much unnecessarily. Why renew what hasn’t elapsed with a new one? Why not find a way to extend than renew passports? Passports serve as identity card too. Why not allow passports to be renewed or replaced only when the pages have been used up or due to loss or theft than using the wasteful 5 year validity benchmark? I got my first travel passport in Nigeria in 2005. I travelled abroad and renewed it by getting another one in New York in 2010. I didn't use more than a page of the 32 pages of that one. I returned to Nigeria and got yet another one in 2017 that gave me 64 pages to use. It has expired all its 64 pages and I'm to pay some N80, 000 or so for another when I'm ready to travel. Those who want to use the Nigeria Immigration Service to be born again and receive a new name know that I'm bullony. Nigerians have mastered the art of deceit that corrupt officials to do a name change. It's a shame what people do for rites of passage these days. It is very bad of you no matter your excuse and this constant change than renewal passport policy is ugly. Of course I now have gray hair on my head than in 2005. Have all my facial features changed? We work very hard at deception in this country. Mana anu na echi, dinta a na echi. There will be consequences for all concerned entities.
3. Public Holiday: Nigerian public holidays should be national, regional or personal. National holidays rather than religious holidays build a nation and validate our collective statehood. Holidays should be meaningful and not a way to stay out of a day’s job or relax for the day or period. It doesn't foster national unity when they are religious. Religious holiday are full of ethos, craft, taboo and sensitivity. Leave people to do their thing and go to work. Of course, some religious holidays are regional, such as Christmas/New Year, Easter, Salah/Ramadan, etc. Let people celebrate in their regions, states or homes and let others go to work. Holidays are not for national camaraderie. Haba people. Some come back reluctant to return to work, or naturally want to recoup what they had spent during the festivities. And you're talking about corruption, yakking about graft. It's a shame that people steal, not the country. But Nigeria stops productivity through unproductive public holidays that have turned civil servants into national sacred cows. They get paid for no physical exertion at work under the fan or air conditioner if the national grid permits, or some have generators, get annual and casual leaves, free office spaces (they don't pay for shop rent). medical expenses paid for sometimes and still have over 12 days off each year as public holidays. And you want productivity from them, right? How many days are they even  at work each year? And that's a teeming population with even me struggling to join them. I recommend three (3) national holidays to be celebrated by all Nigerians whether in public or private sector, as they are affected. These are May 1, Worker's Day; June 12, Democracy Day and October 1, Independence Day. Other holidays should be celebrated on an individual basis as they are useful to the person, entity or region. One Christian mustn't be in the office during Ramadan in Kano State, for instance no matter what work can be done. Not sane, not safe. Nor should three Muslims be the only workers in an office in Cross River, Abia or Enugu State, on Christmas Day. Na so I see am.
4. No National Culture Leads to Ineffective National Policies: Nigerians have different ideas on how to address taboos, desires, lying, corruption, tax, bribery, money, sex, bravery, madness, crime, vice, hygiene, maturity, work, religion, etiquette and everything under the sun. Who are Nigerians? I don't really know. Where is Nigeria? That I know. Nigeria is a country on the west side of Africa, bordered by Cameroon to the East, Benin Republic to the West, Niger and Chad to the North and the Atlantic Ocean to the South. How can you tell a Nigerian from a Togolese? I don't know maybe the name might share some information about her or his perceived origin. How many tribes are found in Nigeria? Some say over 200. Do they all speak the same language? Yes. Which one? English. What other language do Nigerians speak? Pidgin English. Is that all? Ah, there are several others depending on the region, state of origin and tribe. Do Nigerians understand all the other languages spoken in the country? Well, it depends on your HIQ or SQ. What is that? It's called Hustle Intelligence Quotient or Struggle Quotient. Throw more light on it. If you are tired of the problems associated with your tribe or region, if you work hard enough to learn a new language, you become a member of that or those other states or tribes. So Nigerians who speak more languages do better in life. It depends also on their circumstances. Some children are taken in as house help or apprentice for some people and while in the struggle they integrate into the other's culture and use it for survival or to do crime. So, Nigerians don't have a unitary or uniform culture? No. And there's no way to tell one Nigerian from another when they are lying? No way, except if there are facial or tribal marks and scarification. Does an Igbo child with a Yoruba  tribal mark become Igbo or Yoruba? I don't know. It depends on their cultural orientation. If she's told she's Yoruba and called Bunmi or Tolu but behaves like Ngozi or Tochi she's likely Yoruba but might prefer having Igbo friends. Who is a Nigerian? Anybody born in Nigeria or who has Nigerian parents and origin. Haha...doesn't that lead to loss of national identity? Can there be a national culture of Nigeria? I don't know because Nigerians are ethnocentric and one culture wants to trump another even in toileting habits. Some use water after toileting and insist on it being the only hygienic way to be Nigerian. How can we address this ethnocentrism? Making it clear what Nigeria does for Nigerians and why we should value the country above and beyond ethnic sentiments is one way. Do all Nigerians value national policies the same way? Yes. Explain how. They don't adhere to them. They all abuse the national policy depending on how it affects their tribal identity. Today, a Nigerian is a lawyer defending a suspect in court, another day he's hoisting a stethoscope in a theatre performing a surgery. That's the HIQ or SQ at work. Should we rename Nigeria? Maybe. To what other name? Let me consult a dictionary first. We cannot be 'African' and a civil society. One must give way to the other.
5. Free and Fraudulent Government-Issued Cards:  Identity cards issued by the federal government should be paid for and not given out free of charge. Voter cards, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) cards, work identity cards were given to Nigerians free of charge. If it's taboo to charge for the initial card, Nigeria could charge any determined sum for a replacement. FRSC charges for driver's licenses so should INEC and NIMC and government offices. But federal university identity cards should be free or subsidized for the students. Haba, Nigeria. NIMC prints National Identification Number (NIN) slips on ordinary white paper allowing for all forms of organized fraud. Yes, the staff are human beings that have relatives. When relatives and friends ask for assistance, these people stoop very low and commit heinous identity frauds. What are the consequences of such evil designs? Nothing. Money exchanges hands and that's that. 
6. Prostitution: Hotels everywhere you go. Who is making use of them? Are those the new citadels of learning and 'wisening' up? Many people young female graduates now live in hotels because they provide accommodation, room service and security, and no harassment from a judgmental landlord/landlady. But is this innovation or tact, trick and stratagem to hide prostitution? The last time I checked having sex for compensation was still a crime in Nigeria. Maybe the times have changed and innovation has caught up with us. Nigeria should legalize prostitution but restrict its use. Whether we like it or not, many undergraduates have become full-fledged runsgirls that wait on their grandfathers or grandmothers for money. It is even called the name 'Abuja,' meaning that there's no girl or woman in the FCT, Abuja who isn't a call girl and prostitute no matter the name of their workplace, vocation or avocation. In fact, some of the 'assignments' given to the workers include sleeping with diplomats and expatriate workers in order to make money in foreign currency for the establishment. How? I don't know the modalities - government denies complicity of the crime, some of the girls insist that they will be sacked if they fail to comply. Nigerians are affected by being victims of police detention, brutality, extortion and sometimes even death in the  hands of ritual murderers and (wo)men of the underworld.
7. Federal Government Funding:  Government loans, grants and subsidies that aren’t transparent, useful and feasible are sapping life out of the Nigerian economy and causing hardship to Nigerians. Farmers are burdened with loans, when they are fortunate to receive any, have minimal yield and ROI (Return on Investment) due to a lot of factors including illiteracy, lack of feasibility study, no consideration for the fluctuating economy, incessant and arbitrary increase in the prices of agro-products such as fertilizers, pesticides, ransom for kidnapping, etc. Loans aren't free money. Many Nigerians don't like to learn this and those that do and know don't care. Funding burden from parastatals and federal secondary and tertiary schools and the National Assembly and Executive is giving us national debt. It is national debt but personal allowance for some sacred cows. National Debt Service has become a new corps among the elite and celebrities in and of Nigeria. Bogus National Assembly and Executive salaries real or make-believe should cripple any economy. Need I say more? No university in the so-called advanced or industrialized countries is funded by its federal government. E no get reason why? Those are funded through federal allocations to states. The states in turn fund their public schools. The population of Europe is not as dense as many African countries. While we breed children like rats here, we expect the federal government to carry everybody's fantasy. I find this mentality of Nigerians very disgusting. We are responsible for the corruption we cry about. Parastatals are meant to be privatized but they remain a huge burden to the Nigerian economy through federal budgetary allocations.
8. Job Rigging:  Job racketeering and fraud mean that jobs are in the hands of vendors and not workers. Those who pay for work are killing the Nigerian productivity and economy. Jobs have become a racket that are now seen as a mark of financial and social attainment and status especially among the Igbo tribe. They are traditionally merchants and think that their money can buy anything. Unfortunately, those who created the civil service did so to compensate humble and hard working citizens and not Merchants of Venice. E ji ego ego akpata ego does not work in civil service. It is only for people in business. When you pay for a job it becomes an investment rather than a job. So how to do you work for a pay or remuneration when you're looking for a profit or gain? No way will corruption and graft go away from our civil service when we pay for employment. It also means that the best talents have not necessarily been offered the positions if they didn't have the cash needed for employment. Some senators are responsible for job rigging. Some claim that that they bring the salaries of the workers and will only pay their own 'staff.' All politicians and technocrats are guilty of this anomaly and crime. When you employ the staff of a politician, they are wont to inform you that they call the shots. No queries, no sanctions because 'oga at the top' is involved. Again, some use their office to steal identity of other people using affidavits and testimonials to effect fake identities. Who is checking worker identity and the use of one or set of certificates for different government jobs? Is there a database that shows if a certificate is being used by different people and/or in different government jobs? Fraudulent citizens and not just leaders are doing harm to the Nigerian economy and causing everyone hardship because of personal benefits coming to them. How many government jobs do you have in your possession? Alert bazaar or are you using a market woman for your palm pay?Paying ghost workers is not development, it is corruption. Every year the mass media are awash with vain jingles and slogans to fight corruption. Who exactly fights corruption when the leaders were themselves one-time accessories? I think Nigerians should have a WIN - Worker Identification Number - that serves everybody in public and private sectors. This should regulate job rigging.
9. Vandalism: Government offices are clients of the Federal Government who are in turn clients of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Money allocated for development must yield the needed incentive. But when a mob destroys these properties, the people must suffer especially now that we are no longer getting much revenue from oil. When government property is vandalized, innocent people may pay for what they themselves haven’t damaged. This is done through raising tariff and initiating levies and fines. Train your children to control their anger. Protests are good, but riots are destructive. Who is government, your papa, my mama or President Tinubu? When his term is over he packs his bags and leave Abuja for his hometown in Osun State and you now queue in the sun for hours to get your PVC because one thing or another that has been vandalized in INEC office. Una go queue nah.
10. Irregular Foreign Exchange Rates and Price Hack: How much did you buy a bulb of onion recently? A wheelbarrow onion seller is a millionaire as you see him. Some wheelbarrows contain two million naira worth of commodity especially onion. Why? Dollar don rise. Yes, a Nigerian trader of farm produce is also affected by the unregulated foreign exchange market. The farmer uses farm equipment imported from abroad, he relies on fertilizers such as fertilizers to improve his crop yield. Even if he gets dung from his cows, assuming he trades in cattle too, he must have his neighbour for more dung. Chicken excreta comes to him at a fee which he mustn't regulate. He pays for irrigation too. This unregulated price hack is found across all commodities especially petroleum products and FMCGs. Cost of transporting goods from the market to the shop is dependent on the realities of the day namely the pump price and the whims of petroleum marketers. Why do we run a country full of lords and masters, scapegoats and sacred cows? Even the Judiciary have increased the amount of bail. Did a magistrate court ask somebody to pay N30 million for bail recently? How much does the magistrate make for a living annually? Could he or she pay such amount from their own salary and/or savings? Yeah, people should learn to stay out of trouble. Right?

WEDA Care....

 Women spend many work hours tending their young children. Does it matter that not all women would like to shelf their life dreams to do housework and give child care? 

WEDA Care is an affordable model that allows women to pay hourly, daily, monthly and even quarterly rates to access quality child care while freeing up time to pursue own dreams and aspirations.

Having access to crucial information about such services as WEDA Care will elevate the life outcome of many young and working wimen in Abia State and Nigeria.

Complaint About The Abysmal and Rogue Recruitment Pattern in Nigerian Private Schools Especially in Abia State

 

Hello, everybody. No long time no read? I have been away trying my best to swim across all the stormy waters of Nigeria viz the cashless policy troubles, the elections and now a static economy. But my people have a saying that when there's life there's hope, right? Anyway.... Recently, exactly last year, I got on the TRCN train and decided to get a license to become a certified teacher. I got around to getting a certificate this year and I've been itching to get a job. I had tried getting one in the last decade or so, here and there. I usually quit my jobs because of some of the things I'm going to talk about. But for the sake of time, let me list them here, the twin, triplet and quadruplet manifestations of corruption in recruitment done by private schools in my home state of Abia State and by extension other parts of Nigeria.

1. Opportunism/Avarice
2. Ineptitude/Mediocrity/Trickery
3. Witch Hunt/Disrespect/Acrimony
4. Fraud/Certificate Racketeering and Gathering
5. Bottom Power/Promiscuity
6. Patronage/Piper and the Patron
7. Lack of Transparent Regulation/Maladministration
8. Show Business/Pageantry
9. Coven Culture/Heathenism/Heathenry/Primordial Attachments
10. Herd Syndrome/Nepotism

Details later...this update somehow coincides with Halloween.... How do I win?

Ifeoma (Enekwechi) & 1: finding a job in Nigeria is not easy oh

 

urisbest: Still here when you are ready

kerenme: ok

kerenme: did u study on schorlarship?

urisbest: No

urisbest: I had some financial aid

urisbest: in the way research assistantship 

urisbest: then I used loans and savings

kerenme: pls explain simpler for me ok thanks

urisbest: when i applied for school

urisbest: I asked them if there were any kind of financial help available to foreigners

urisbest: they told me they can help me pay for a quarter of my fees in exchange for 5 hrs per week of work

urisbest: that's the financial aid

urisbest: then I borrowed money to pay part of it and used my savings to pay the rest

kerenme: oh ok

urisbest: It costs about $35,000 to go to school here every yeear

urisbest: some places are cheaper than boston

kerenme: babe i desperately need to do my masters otherwise no growth for me here

kerenme: my office recognises qualification so much

urisbest: yes 

urisbest: but you can get it from Nigeria part time

urisbest: but of course you can come to the US and return to your work after your studies

kerenme: nigeria cert rubbish now

urisbest: abi

kerenme: so what are u cooking?

urisbest: vegetable soup

urisbest: dry ugu

urisbest: i know you guys enjoy the fresh ones

kerenme: yeah girl

kerenme: real fresh

urisbest: na so na

urisbest: we eat the dried ones here

urisbest: dry like okporoko

kerenme: sory oooo

kerenme: my dear 

urisbest: lol

urisbest: it's OK

kerenme: fresh okro really tastes good

urisbest: it has its own goodies

urisbest: it does 

urisbest: we have frozen ones that can pass for fresh here

urisbest: actually we do have fresh ones from Mexicans

urisbest: sometimes some of our dishes taste alike

kerenme: ok

kerenme: so whats ur advice on the masters thing..i have one school in uk almost calling me everyday

urisbest: It depends on where you want to go

kerenme: the way they are calling me im wondering if they are real

urisbest: UK is good 

urisbest: many of my friends are students there

kerenme: but hard to make money abi?

urisbest: hard to make money in the UK?

kerenme: as i work and school same time

urisbest: I think you can do that anywhere

urisbest: in the US too except you can only work on campus for only 20 hours a day

kerenme: 20hrs a day?

kerenme: is that not alot

urisbest: hahahaha

kerenme: lol

kerenme: whats funny dear

kerenme: when do u have time to study?

urisbest: it's not a lot when you think of the bills you have to pay

kerenme: abi?

urisbest: yeah

urisbest: it depends on the city too

urisbest: boston is the third most expensive city in the us

urisbest: other places may be cheaper

kerenme: ok

kerenme: i was even thinking of online

kerenme: study

urisbest: There is a program offered by one of my departments

urisbest: it's on politics and public policy but cheaper than a master's degree

urisbest: It's $1335 per course

urisbest: and you need to take 6 courses to graduate

kerenme: i want to do anything that has to do with sales and management

urisbest: so with $1.2 million you can do that

urisbest: but it's not management

urisbest: 1.2million naira

kerenme: ok

kerenme: i wanted to faint

kerenme: when u sad 1.2million dollars

urisbest: lol

kerenme: what do u think about online study

urisbest: I haven't done it before so I can't tell

urisbest: but it's a common way of going to school here

urisbest: some people take all their courses online

kerenme: im thinking of doin that

kerenme: leaving my job now 4 study abroad is risky

urisbest: it's a good idea

urisbest: yes you don't want to risk it

urisbest: it may not be there when  you come back

urisbest: did u talk to anyone on my behalf

urisbest: are u guys still hiring?

kerenme: my dear my ad

kerenme: sorry my HR said not now

kerenme: that some audit will go on first

kerenme: some people are defrauding 

kerenme: i really dont know jire

urisbest: OK

urisbest: I' still hopeful

kerenme: he said there will definitely be changes but that is subject to our chairman's time and decision

urisbest: OK

urisbest: I guess I would have to wait and see

kerenme: but still spread ur net oo

urisbest: of course my dear

urisbest: I'm even thinking of starting a business ehen I return

urisbest: something to do with hair

urisbest: do women wax their eyebrows in Lagos?

kerenme: yep

kerenme: but depends on the area

kerenme: some areas in lagos cannot afford it

urisbest: what areas do you think might be good for it

urisbest: the hairstyle I will be introducing is also expensive

urisbest: might cost up to #50,000 to start 

kerenme: 50,000 for the weave on?

urisbest: no it's like locks except very micro

kerenme: ok

kerenme: 50k

urisbest: well it takes over ten hours to install it

urisbest: sometimes it can take the whole day

urisbest: are u at home?

kerenme: still in the office

urisbest: Ok

urisbest: because u usually leave at 4;30pm

kerenme: yea

kerenme: im waiting for the traffic to lessen heard its mad out there

urisbest: OK

urisbest: Do you take bus or taxi?

kerenme: usually go with my colleague

urisbest: Ok

urisbest: that works better

Malachy & I: lonely Nigerian

migwilo: Hello Ij?

urisbest: Hi Malachy!! I saw your email. Thanks so much.

migwilo: Cool

migwilo: We wait and see. I am in contact with them and I was hoping that they will be ready today but ...they are not

urisbest: No problem, that's Naija for us. I was worried about Princeton because their deadline is 1dec but they want it sent online so that isn't any problem at all.

urisbest: Sorry that I haven't checked what u asked of me. I have been sick :-(

migwilo: Sick? In America?

urisbest: Yeah, LOL!!! People die here everyday. But it's not my portion in Jesus name!!!

migwilo: Yes....but, we always thought that America is sickness free. It s all about the good life! Paradise!

urisbest: Paradise is relative. Remember that Americans are more depressed than Nigerians. Isn't that funny. So good life in itself doesn't guarantee happiness.

migwilo: Yes.. they are depresed becuase they are mostly lonely. Isn't that true?

urisbest: Hmmm...lonely? Americans party a lot and they are good at maintaining relationships. I think this place is just stressrul. Everyone is expected to be perfect and that is only utopian.

migwilo: I see then work too much! Frienship is hard to maintain becuase they are all at work nearly all the time! That is what is informing my point?

urisbest: They work too much because they have a lot of bills to pay: mortagage, insurance (car, health, etc), cell phone, utilities, etc. And when the holidays roll around, that's another means of expenditure. No wonder finances account for the number one reason for divorce in the United States. But in spite of all this, they still maintain friendships through partying, clubbing and going to the bar. some of them drink a lot too.

migwilo: It bafles me that they always divorce over money. Apart from this, someone can cut down on bills?

urisbest: Well of course but that means you may not really be enjoying the American dream. but it's a question of deciding what's important at any point in time.

migwilo: House, car, TRAVEL, serenity is important to me.

migwilo: I can get all this I guess without dying trying?

urisbest: Of course, but you may need to cut back on other expenses.

migwilo: That is cool. Ij...I have to go now. I am going home. I have a visitor from Lag. See u online tomorrow

Malachy & I: school run

 migwilo: The application for the transcripts has been made this morning. How are you?

migwilo: Good Morning

urisbest: Wonderful!!! You are a carrier of good news. Good morning to you too!!!

migwilo: well, good afternoon here

urisbest: Aha, I forgot the time difference issue, LOL!!!!

urisbest: Did u get my im about Princeton? they said that they don't need the original yet until I am offered admission.

migwilo: Well, I got your messgae. But how will they decide who and who gets the admission?

urisbest: Well, they said I should scan my current transcript and post it online. I guess, they would working with that for now,

urisbest: I have a copy of the official transcript from UI just not in a sealed envelope, :-)

migwilo: How much is their application fee?

urisbest: It depends on the department you are applying to. But if you apply by Dec 1, you pay $70 after that it's $90.

migwilo: Are they asking for account containing lots of money?

migwilo: I will not be able to apply if they are asking for such

urisbest: I haven't actually begun the application process yet. But you can get more information from their website.

migwilo: Yes.....I will check it out now

urisbest: I believe most schools in the US ask for that before they can issue the 1-20 needed to go for visa interview. It's such a headache.

migwilo: Yes.....that is why it is off limit for many Nigerians

urisbest: One of my friends actually had to pay the deposit fee, but she wasn't allowed to go for her interview. It was a bad way to lose $300.

migwilo: Deposit where?

urisbest: At a university that she was accepted, called Brandeis University.

migwilo: Brandeis is great....

migwilo: You mean the probelm is from Brandeis or American Embassy here?

urisbest: Well, I think it was from both. Brandeis tried hard to send the 1-20 but it arrived later than when she could have gone for the interview. The embassy refused to let select a date for an interview.

migwilo: Refused? Maybe she could not fix a date as fixing a date for interview here can be quite challenging

urisbest: Yeah, that was probably the issue. I didn't know if she fought hard enough.

urisbest: Some people come in the spring if the fall wasn't possible. That's the problem with some of our people we have a defeatist mentality. it's so easy for us to stop in our tracks once we encounter a problem. I have learned to persevere to the end, when possible.

migwilo: Me too? 

migwilo: I am VERY peristent

urisbest: No way!! I said some people, I didn't see u in that category, LOL!!!

migwilo: Yes....I know. I was not saying that you said I belong there.

urisbest: Hahahaha, my bad. I am thinking of studying Psychology. We definitely as a people need help in that area.

migwilo: Are comming back to Nigeria after stdusies?

migwilo: Psychology is pretty good in USA>

migwilo: But not in Nigeria yet.

urisbest: Yeah, because we are not accustomed to facing the truth about ourselves. We like to hide issues and hope that somehow they would disappear.

urisbest: Well it's either psychology or communication studies.

migwilo: Yes... We are basically cycophants here

urisbest: We will get there someday. If we try hard enough.

migwilo: Psychology will be more difficult for you. You must have mathematcal backgound before you do Psych. They will ask you to pass courses in Statistics and mathematics at Masters Level

urisbest: You are correct about the difficulty but I am considering the fact that there are social implications for that. It might be as tough as u imagine.

urisbest: It might not be as tough as you imagine and I can take tutorial classes for mostly statistics.

urisbest: It's funny but my GRE quantitative section is higher than the verbal.

urisbest: That's my score.

migwilo: So you have taken GRE?

migwilo: My Verbal is way too better than my quantitative and I got 6 in the analytical

urisbest: There u go, that's the point. Was your GRE taken on a computer?

migwilo: Yap....CAT

migwilo: Computer Adaptive Test

urisbest: I don't like the computer tests. I'm still old-fashioned preferring the paper tests. I never really had time to prepare for my exams. So I know I would have done better otherwise. But it is well.

migwilo: I tried to pass on the average mark.

migwilo: I have just finished looking at prinston's, I guess they are very heavy handed there. I saw their addmissio stat. For instance, 6600 people applied for PhD in faculty of Arts, only 650 were Taken! in the year 2006!

urisbest: Yeah, they appear to be heavy handed. That's why I was a little skeptical, but I have decided that if it's God's will for me, I would be one of the few accepted. Then it would be God's favor for my life. I am applying to other schools as well.

migwilo: ok..........

migwilo: I am sticking to Canada and Austrlia?

urisbest: The good news is that many people have studied else where in the world but teach in American universities. As long as you distinguish yourself, you will ALWAYS be hot stuff.

migwilo: That is what I am hoping on

migwilo: How is the accommodation there in Boston?

urisbest: It's quite expensive. Boston, I learned is the third most xpensive city in the US after New York and LA.

migwilo: Are you in Bston College, University of Bosto or Mattsachusetts?

urisbest: University of Massachusetts 

migwilo: On a Grant?

urisbest: No, but I have a research assistantship which provides limited financial assistance.

migwilo: SO you pay up to $5000

urisbest: It is possible but it is paid installmentally and it helps.

migwilo: Ok.....I guess. US is really good for education but this account things is a minus

urisbest: They have had students who came here and later couldn't pay their tuition. they don't like being burdened with other people's problems.

migwilo: The account thing started in Post-9/11 US. It was not like this before

migwilo: People usually go and work then pay the fees.

migwilo: They just want to know where the money is comming from to avoid terrorist sponsoring another hijakers

urisbest: But the US has always had limitations on students. Technically, they don't let students work more than 20 hours and must be on campus. Yes, the terrorist thing is also true.

migwilo: Well, the campus work is post-9/11 too.

migwilo: SO that they can keep tab on all students

urisbest: Yes, they even have this thing called SEVIS which is their new way of monitoring students. They keep track of even people's home addresses.

migwilo: It is cool. I do not balme them. But this account thing is bad. These was a time Condi Rice said they will make it easier for students to come to US especially for Post grad studies because Europe is taking scholars away from America but nothing came out of that pledge. It was just another Bush promises

urisbest: Yes...sometimes they feel empty.

urisbest: I get so stressed with the school stuff that I decide to abandon it and live my life.

migwilo: You have abandoned school?

urisbest: No, I mean I could decide to stop here at the master's level. The PhD can be quite stressful, I mean.

migwilo: No do ot stop. Keep moving. It is not like UI. You will be through in 3-4 years MAx>

urisbest: I know but getting seems to be so much stress. But I refuse to give up!!!

migwilo: yap....

migwilo: I have to go and eat. It is 10 to 3pm here

urisbest: OK, I need to have breakfast, LOL!!! Thank God for technology!!!

migwilo: Fried chicken I guess?

urisbest: For breakfast???? No way, a bowl of cereal.

migwilo: Filled with Milk shake?

migwilo: I heard you guys drink a lot of milk

urisbest: No soy milk.

migwilo: Whao..That's why you are loking like something out of heaven!

urisbest: hahahahaha, i biakwa!!!

migwilo: ehehehehe

migwilo: Yes.....

migwilo: See you soon.

urisbest: Thanx for all your help

migwilo: Well, talk to you soon

migwilo: Welcome

migwilo: HAve a good day

urisbest: U too.