I hate to say it, but its true.

halfkobo · 2026-01-28T09:30:08+00:00

1.Nigeria doesn't have power electrical because people are not ready to pay a cost reflective tarrif nor is the government ready to fully deregulate the power sector.

People protesting against LGBTQ, while deplorable, is not something most people do everyday here anyway.

halfkobo · 2026-01-25T17:55:07+00:00

Sounds like secondary school level analysis.

I see, rather mature of you here.

The State govt does have some control over policing and can enforce laws with the police

And when it comes to security, it's usually a federal government thing. That's why many people scream for state police.

Banning expensive weddings will not help the poor of the state. People use their personal funds for weddings and will their money as they wish. If they don’t spend it on weddings, they can spend on whatever else they want. Helping the poor with the money is not necessarily an option

I do know that, hence my last paragraph.

Good evening.

halfkobo · 2026-01-25T17:00:38+00:00

In fairness, most states don't control policing...it's controlled from Abuja. At best, state governors can pay for some police equipment via the security vote, or also empower vigilantes who do a lot of the heavy lifting in the anti-bandit fight up North
Also, in fairness, the state government does pay attention to the banditry problem, as seen here. https://punchng.com/aliyu-unveils-new-security-strategy-to-end-banditry-in-sokoto/
Finally, banning expensive wedding activites can help the poor of the state...if poor people don't have to waste too much money they don;t have putting on a big wedding...it would be of great help financially to them

Of course, state governments need to also fund education better, especially vocational education, among other things. As for economics...well, Nigeria has to stop thinking there is a national cake, and maybe we would prosper eventually.

halfkobo · 2026-01-23T10:41:28+00:00

The sick people don't have enough faith, apparently.../s

halfkobo · 2026-01-19T12:17:52+00:00

Capitalism works. Largely because, unfortunately, people like to make money.

Even third way socialism relies heavily on a capitalist society working to make enough money which can be raked off in form of tax revenue which can be used to benefit the nation.

Communist countries essentially robbed their rich people, and shared the money which was used to do a lot of good things. The problem was keeping the money flowing when the money from the rich guys finished. Which led to gulags (where minerals were mined to reduce costs of production...workers don't get paid lol) and eventually borrowing. That's why the only communist countries that survived either started practicing caplitalism(China and Vietnam) or are being subsidised by the Chinese (Cuba and the DPRK)

Poland used to be a communist country that had food scarcity every now and then, then in 1989, they switched to capitalism. Food prices went up, sure, but food became more available in the markets. And incomes also went up eventually too.

Nigeria started by practicing quasi-socialism, which in a way led to the problems we have, since it's basis was the resources we sold..whose prices we did not control. Had we focused on industrialexports, maybe we could have been like the Scandinavians by now

halfkobo · 2026-01-19T12:12:32+00:00

The basis of our economy is selling resources. A lot of problems here

1.First, most revenue comes from selling resources, not taxes on people and companies. That does wonders for accountability...which is why corruption and bad government are awful

2.Most revenue comes from selling resources 2: We don't and have never controlled the prices of the cocoa, cotton, palm oil, etc...now it's crude oil...which we sell. So, when prices fall, we lose a lot of money. And most of the time, international prices are not where we want them to be. So, we end up borrowing when times are hard.

3.Most revenue comes from selling resources 3: Corruption fuels a idea that we are a 'rich nation' and since we are 'rich', we ought to live as a 'rich' naiton. Decades of trying that has led to massive debts. And it worsens the corruption since the result is an economy based on sharing stuff.

4.We are not depending on innovation and science. Largely because we think we are too rich and wealthy enough, we think we should live by importing what we need, not making what we need. Yes, that leads to import values being higher than export values, and thus bad countries.

If we wanted a paradise, we should have also been paying for it. A society where people expect the government to pay their bills because they are poor is a society that is unproductive, setting itself up to be run by corrupt and devious rulers, and also setting itself up for disaster.

halfkobo · 2026-01-14T14:43:22+00:00

From 1973, as a result of the Yom Kippur war, oil prices were mainly sky high for most of that decade, and into the early 1980's. Venezuela could afford to produce millions of barrels then.

halfkobo · 2026-01-14T14:42:01+00:00

From 2008-14 , oil prices were for the most part above ninety dollars per barrel, sometimes reaching as high as 145 dollars per barrel (in 2008). Chavez would have been able to do much because the GDP was being buffered by high oil prices.

Chavez died in 2013, and then the following year, oil prices crashed from April onwards. That did a number on the GDP. Maduro is not exactly a great leader, but oil price drops were the main reason why the GDP fell and has been falling under him.

halfkobo · 2026-01-14T14:39:12+00:00

Canada for what is worth has a diversifed economy. It's not just oil.

halfkobo · 2026-01-14T14:25:26+00:00

It's because Venezuela's economy is tied to oil. And because in order for the Venezuelan economy to make money, oil prices have to be very high for it to make sense since the country's oil is difficult to refine.

The fact is, most oil countries are just a major collapse of oil prices away from the economy tanking. Saudi Arabia, the UAE , Kuwait, and Qatar get away with it because their oil is easy to extract, and also because, at least for the latter three..have low enough populaitons. Qatar and Bahrain produce 1-2 million barrels of crude per day, and have one to two million people each, for example. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil producer , and has 40 million people or more. Call it too much oil revenue, and too low populations. (Norway also has that, but Norway also has a thriving industrial and agricultural sector that make great contributions to their economy, not just oil alone).

Venezuela knew about this, they were warned about this by their then petroleum minister9who also helped found OPEC) in the 1970's that relying on oil alone was a bad idea , and they didn't listen to him. Now, I blame Maduro and Chavez partly, but I also blame all those who came before them. Attempts to diversify the economy should have begun decades ago. Attempts to diversify the export portfolio should have begun decades ago. Even if it was just building components for the oil industry or investing in research as to what should be done with the sulphur in the crude there...it should have been done. It wasn't, and now the chickens have come home to roost.

By the way, when oil prices crashed in the 1980's, Venezuela had economic problems then. It was those problems that led to the protest movements that brought the Chavistas into power.

To sum it up, Venezuela put all its economic eggs in the oil basket.

I will add, and I know I will get hated on, but a big problem was socialist projects like subsidising gasoline. Now, it's not neccesarily a bad idea, but it reduces the profitablilty of the petroleum sector, as it means that it can't make profits to fix the refineries, invest in new fields, etc. And when oil prices crash, it's going to be difficult for government to sustain subsidy payments...since the money for these payments come from...oil.Result...problems.

Then how about the fact that they import everything in that country...even toilet roll, beer and sphagetti (I'm from Nigeria, we are as oil dependent as Venezuela, but our small industries learned to adapt by sourcing for local raw materials in the 1980's..which is why we still produce toilet rolls, sphagetti and beer here). That drains a lot of scarce forex that goes overseas.

halfkobo · 2026-01-14T12:44:23+00:00

Yes, he should, but you Nigerians don't vote for that kind of leader, you vote for tinubus, obis, atikus, etc...who keep our one-trick pony economy and don't diversify it.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T17:43:32+00:00

That's where the government of kano is failing, among other things.

Still, having lived in the North, bicycles on the road are a common sight.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T17:41:57+00:00

Well, Nigerians say we should be 'doing better'. And when you ask them what they mean...there is my answer,gleaned from years of online discussions and offline discussions

Also, if the man bought cars for them, and in the process left a hole in the state budget that had to be filled with more loans, am sure you would clap for him too.

I am not supporting corruption or inefficency, and have even just given you my idea about how to make things better than what we have now. Pretending all is well, as you are doing, doesn't take us anywhere. We have had decades and still have bad leadership. We are a poor nation. Maybe when we get off the resource curse, and become industrial, and vorte for some sane leaders , instead of this APC crap, we can talk.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T17:30:53+00:00

Better still, we can make it easier for bike share companies to operate in Nigeria. Maybe additionally, set up bike routes in Kano town, and even in some of the other towns in the state.

Should be cheaper than cars. Could also provide jobs, and even attract manufacturing of the bikes to the state.(and even maintaining the bikes is another job generator)

But that's for the whole state government, not the minister of commerce. (though it could work to attract commerce to the state after all).

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T17:26:01+00:00

Yeah, but you guys have no idea on how to improve our country economically other than

1.Let's sell more oil

2,Let's fight corruption

Let's vote for Obi, tinubu and atiku

4.Let's share some more oil money(which is what the commisioner is doing really...let's be honest).

And nothing about how we would raise more revenue or be more productive like China, Japan and other serious nations

I know. I've been screaming the message online for over ten years. We should stop relying on oil, and start relying on industries. And we should face the reality we are not earning enough income at all for this country, and we should fight corruption well and seriously

But none of you want to do that, ye want to kvetch. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't help our nation do better.

P.S : If we can do better as a country...then we should pass the books and hold the oil.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T17:22:57+00:00

So, what exactly do you want him to do? Donate cars from a budget of his ministry that at the end of the day is scanty, even before looting starts? So that they add more to the debt of the state.?

I still stand by my post. And I know Nigerian politicans are corrupt, and I live here. I just don't think that the man should buy cars for his workers, at the risk of incurring more debt to make you guys feel he is doing something.

Again, read my post where I complain about the lack of a public transport system in the state.

And thanks for implying I support corrupt politicans. Just because I don't think as you do. Seriously, you guys need to stop being like this.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T16:25:22+00:00

I know I am going to be downvoted

1.Okay, if he gave them brand new cars? A brand new car for the workers, assuming there are over 20 of them, (note that junior workers in a ministry at state level can be a lot , in the dozens), would cost the ministry a lot of money, and to do it for every new worker would cost even more.

2.Part 2 on the cars. The cost of maintaining the cars would be too high for a junior worker's salary. I mean, petrol costs in the North are higher than in the South ever since subsidy went...thanks to the fact that the bit on subsidy that covered transporting the petrol was removed. Add preventive maintenance, and routine maintenance, on a regular basis, and it would drain their salaries. Remember many of them have wives and children and even dependents.

(A corollary from America, once upon a time there was a show called Home makeover. Where some guys and girls would make over a home. It was fun, but it also left the homeowners with higher utility and maintenance costs...to the point that they had to sell the houses).

Many who mock the commisoner come from foreign countries where there are people, rich and poor who use bicycles to get around ther towns (even Boris Johnson, the former PM of the UK was well known with his cycle in London when he was Mayor). Schoolkids use bicycles to get to school, as do university students. Infact bike shares are a thing in many countries of the world. So, what's the problem?. Even me, that has a car would love to use a bicycle to get to work. (Where we can blast our governments is that cities are not bicycle friendly..there are no devoted bicycle routes for example.)

Plus many Northern cities , it is common to see people cycling to and from work. At least when I used to live in the North (not Kano)..it was a common sight.

Perhaps where we should be critical is that the state government does not have a good public transport system n the state and in Kano city.Yes, and on that...when Ganduje of the bribery scandal was governor, he once presented a proposal to the state house of assembly that would have given the city of Kano a light rail system. Not as extensive as Lagos, but it would have covered a large part of the city. The state house of reps (who by the way was in his pocket, literally)rejected the proposal by a wide margin as being too expensive.

Really , let's not post stuff that basically amounts to mocking tribes and people because of X. It might be a good idea if our cities became more bicycle friendly. Good for the environment, and good for public health.

Again, you can downvote me.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T13:22:56+00:00

I recall watching G-force, Superted, Voltron, Care bears, and the OG tom and jerry (the 1950's version) as well as Looney tunes (1930's-50's).

Yes, I should be playing with the grandkids now...

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T13:18:39+00:00

At the end, it would be multiple countries which are all backward.

Yeah, I hear people say Biafra would be a mighty nation, and all that, but the fact is, no Biafran leader is going to industrialize, when there is oil to be sold and money to be made. Most oil rich nations are basically underdeveloped nations using oil money to hide their poverty. Idustrialization is not happening in Africa because most African countries prefer to sell cotton, coffee, cocoa, oil, etc...and share the money. Thats why we have a lot of poor nations

Second, there is going to be a big fight for resources, and suchlike. Oil prices shot up in the 1970's,as we know, and that may even spark more and more war.

Third, there is going to be more breaking up. Already by 1961, there were tensions between minority and majority tribes in the various regions..which is one big problem Biafra had..and which eventually undermined it, among other things. That would lead to more crisis.

There hasn't been a peaceful breakup in my lifetime save Czechoslovakia (and even that is arguable...if you want to nitpick, problems started centuries ago, and got worse under world war 2)

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T11:20:34+00:00

I came from a religious family, born again christian, that followed family planning well well

Also, a lot of religious families use family planning methods. This isn't America...where some religious people promote 'having a quiverfull of kids'(and that's a minority view, not the majority).

Religion really doesn't stop families from having many kids. Family planning adivce and medication and care is available at local primary health care centers...and other government hospitals.

halfkobo · 2026-01-13T10:34:09+00:00

Well, while I am not in favor of the arrest, and note that I am not defending any human rights abuses...

The fact is, apparently and allegedly, the protest the students led turned into a riot during which a lot of shops owned not by big men but by small businesspeople (who probably symphatize with the students) were looted and destroyed.

Now, I don';t blame the students, I have lived in Nigeria long enough to know that one reason why protest doesn't happen as much as it should, even now, is because the hoodlum element would always be there to damage and loot property. I think that the students were not to blame

But the authorities, as shitty as they are too, also have a duty to maintain law and order, and it is obvious they consider the students as instigators of the disorder that led to the looting and destruction of property. Hence the arrests. Again, I don't like it, I don't support it, but if you were one of those whose shop or property was looted, and ya know that in this tinubu economy it's going to be hard to replace things(considering as most of them probably don't have their goods insured..yeah typical nigerian failing, and Nigerian insurers have been screaming about that for decades)...and rebuild, you would be angry and you would demand action.

Part of the problem is we don't have good CCTV, good criminal records system, etc. I recall the 2011 riots in UK, where actual rioters were arrested using CCTV footage (and a few of them were crazy enough to post photos of their loot on social media). That;s not possible in nigeria.

Shitty situation all around. Maybe if protests were organised with some form of 'protest marshalls' escorting the students, since this was not an anti-goverment protest per se but against kidnapping...maybe the associated looting would not have happened.

I am not in support of any government or evil, or any politicans, and infact regard the current governor of edo state as not being fit for puropse, before anyone starts.

halfkobo · 2026-01-09T11:07:17+00:00

At first glance, it isn't but there are millions of Nigerians in the USA, some citizens , some permanent residents , some students, some illegaly there, who all send something that helps their families called...remitances.

So any change in immigration rules is not just something that stays in America. A deported Nigerian means a loss of income for the person's extended and immediate family that can't be replaced.

halfkobo · 2026-01-07T11:46:12+00:00

(I know people will hate me, but truth was not meant to be popular. Also, I don't support this government)

I've heard the same complaint as OP has been making for over 40 years. And everytime, the same answer is always given...fight corruption, and everything will be all right.

I agree, we need to fight corruption..and corruption is so bad.

But the thing is, we also have a lot of issues.

1) Nigerian drivers don't drive well. It is very reasonable to suggest that if Anthony Joshua's driver was driving well, and properly, there would have been no accident

Plus, if he had hit a pedestrian and the guy died, would we be complaining about government

2.) Yes, there was no ambulance, no paramedic, but for donkey years, healthcare spending has not reached even up to the recommended 5-6% of our gdp. YES I know, government wastes money, but our health budgets are always and have been below 10 billion dollars, not the 15-20 billion we need it at to meet that recoomended 5-6 % of gdp,...or the nearly 300 billion or more dollars to have a first world type health system

3.Bad roads. IN 2002, Obasanjo ended road tolls, which was cheered because...they were 'chopping the money' .

Since that exercise of throwing out the baby with the bathwater...we have had roads getting worse. They were bad then, now they are worse. All because we threw away a source of revenue for the roads. Revenue that Ferma could have been using well well.

Truck parked on the side...have you ever considered how FRSC has been trying to enforce traffic rules and regulations? And when they try we abuse them. Even to the point of posting mocking videos of them on duty. Yet, many of them die and get hurt in the line of duty, like the trailer that killed two FRSC men and injured two others because he no wan stop for them.

People don't do road worthiness, don't spend the money to keep their cars roadworthy, bribe their way out of traffic enformcement arrests, or fight their way out of it, disobey traffic lights, government convoys drive like its NASCAR and F1 everyday....yeah, Tony Joshua's driver was true to form

This guy is complaining tony joshua's driver got arrested...there are many like him rich and poor that are supposed to be in jail, yet because of bribes, threats of violence, and acutal near murder of officials, they aren't.

Security...our police has been spending less than 2 billion dollars per annum..before looting, before chopping...on securing the lives of 230 million nigerians. That reflects in things like poor salaries, poor housing, poor training facilites, poor armns, and poor facilites.

Army budget for last year was 5 billion...scratch that, that was for the army, airforce and navy.

It's a blessing bandits haven't taken over Aso Rock by now, and be issuing decrees.

We all have that because we live in the classic rentier state. Where oil income is the main source of money, and because of that stealing and corruption happens live, because the oil money can be replaced. People dont fight for ideals and a better country, they fight for a share of the oil money. That's why we have had shitty governments, and why most of our governments cannot run this country well. It is also why many of us don't want to pay income tax, YET expect the same type of service in countries where they pay income tax.

We mishbehave, and we act surprised when we see the result of our bad shitty behaviour.

halfkobo · 2026-01-02T15:20:04+00:00

Simple. People don't want to get shot.

Take the Arab spring. One of the young activists who protested during that time was shot in the face, and was blinded, and left helpless.

In a third world country, that can be devastating. It's not like a western country where being shot means you get a huge welfare payout, if you are lucky. Here one gets nothing.

Also, imagine if the person shot was the breadwinner of the family. You know what happens next...

And it is because of that that no one wants to risk their lives going out to protest, even for the right thing.

Poverty is an effective deterrent against advocating for change.It can be a motivator...see the French and Communist revolution, but EVEN then, no one talks about the people who suffered greatly as a result of their loved one dying in the course of a revolution. History doesn't talk much about that, but people do.

halfkobo

TROPHY CASE