1 YEAR GONE - PMB's REPORT CARD

In exactly seventeen days, it would be 1 year since the current president was sworn into office. How has he fared so far I ask? What has he been able to accomplish? Is the office worse than he expected? Is it no more what it used to be in the early 80's? Well, that is for Mr. President to answer. Today, I just want to give my own personal appraisal of his time so far. For so reason, I don't have the patience to wait for seventeen more days. 

The last post I wrote before I took an almost 1 year holiday from blogging was one with the country in a terrible fuel crisis, funny that I should begin publishing  again with the same fuel kpalava. In the last one year, Nigeria has seen some of the worse fuel crisis in its history (well since I was born and that's a lot of years). Funny enough, sometimes I can't seem to rationalize the reasons behind these crisis. It's either the independent marketers are not satisfied or the Niger-deltans are blowing up the pipelines like they always do or just some other funny story. So, today you can imagine the feelings of many Nigerians when it was announced that the current price of fuel is N145/per litre since fuel subsidy has been removed. Well, let's all watch and see how it all plays out.

Secondly, let's take a look at the dollar, the exchange rate moved from N150 to $1 to well "they say the official exchange rate is N197 per $1 but I can't seen to find anyone who has changed at that rate in the last one year. Last I checked, a dollar was going for N320+. For a country that is highly dependent on importation, I wonder how we are suppose to fare. God dey.

PMB promised us security, well in that aspect, maybe there has been some improvement, because it's been awhile since I heard any gist on boko haram. So it's either really true that they have been slowed down or I don't really watch the news. But how do we explain these fulani herdsmen who are attacking people randomly all over the country? The worst part is oga president has not said a word to rebuke it. I'm not saying it's his fault oh! But when you are the leader of a large amount of people from diverse cultures who are maybe 50% ignorant and who get most news from hearsay/gossip (salt and pepper added), it is better to say a few words to pacify than to be quite.

The biafra issue of a few months ago is story for another day. I simply can't go into that now. (If you really want to know what I think of the matter, just hit me up in the comment box below).

Who can tell me the exact number of trips the president has been on in the past year. I've lost count and worse part is we mostly don't know the reasons for these travels. We still dey look.

Finally, the policies are killing us, and not softly. I think I believe PMB like GEJ has good plans for the country, the problem is the implementation. While GEJ couldn't seem to find the courage to implement and carry out "his plans", PMB is pouring his out without checks. He bans the ability of people to pay-in dollars to their domiciliary accounts, that plan backfires, then it's reversed. He bans the importation of generators, increase the light bill when PHCN (the Nigerian light company) carries out it's daily operations on generator. As I write this post, I'm running on generator. And so many policies I can't even bear to remember right now.

PMB may have great plans, but he can only succeed if he carries Nigerians along. That is one task I don't wish on anyone because frankly speaking, majority of us are a bunch of culturally, religiously, politically biased impatience people. My fellow Naija people try patient small,maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Like I've always said PMB is not the messiah of Nigeria, he may be the John the baptist or even Isaiah , who knows? We still have a long way to go.

I don talk my own. Talk your own make we hear.

Cheers...

FUEL CRISIS IN NIGERIA

Hello everyone,

I know it's been a while and it seems like I abandoned ship for almost one month now, however, I just have to take a break from blogging after the month long blogging challenge I got into for April. I never realized how tasking it would be. The reason for my sudden reappearance is nothing else but vent out my frustration. (Blogging helps me do that sometimes). Also, it wouldn't seem right to me if for the first time in my life, I was actively involved in Nigerian politics/electoral process and didn't see it through to the end. In other words, my reappearance is like a teaser. Kpele.

To start off, let's take a look at the nation 4 days to the handover ceremony. A picture is more than a thousand words and as such here is one such photo.

This is my city from my balcony. That little light is powered by a generator.

In the last 24 hours, many corporate bodies have issued warnings of an inability to function optimally should the current crisis continue. (photos of such warnings can be seen below). Some radio stations have shut down operations till further notice and so on.

Normally, I would have analyzed the whole situation for you,. How PDP is accusing APC (the incoming government) is sabotaging everything. How the so called transition committee is refusing to transition properly and waiting till May 28th, a day to the handing over, (who does that by the way). How people somehow want to blame Buhari the president elect for not handling this problems very well and even having to grant an interview where he said he doesn't believe in the subsidy (something he has always said by the way). Normally, I'd even write on how an oil producing country like Nigeria shouldn't have fuel crisis as one of its major problems at all.

No, none of that today. Today, I give you funny photos which Nigerians have used as a source of comic relief. Something I now realize has become a part of Nigerians when faced with stressful, near impossible situations. We did the same thing with Ebola, remember? Enjoy!

This is what the filling stations that have fuel look like these days

We got lucky though and the strikes, (plenty of them going on at the same time) have been called off. Hopefully, we look forward to a better and brighter future.

Cheers... 

DAILY EXPERIENCE: DUPED

Hello everyone,

Something very annoying happened to me yesterday. It was made all the more annoying because it was caused by a NNPC. However, as I sat down to write this post, I reflected on the events of my day and I could only shake my head. Let me continue by asking this questions;

• Do you live in Nigeria?
• Do you own or drive a car in Nigeria?
• Have you ever bought fuel you car in Nigeria?
• Have you ever been defrauded by the person refilling the fuel?

My day started unusually early yesterday because I had to drop someone off to catch an early morning bus. As I was leaving the park, I had things in my hands including my car keys. I didn't realize that one of the items had dropped from my hands. A man selling meat by the road side, drew my attention to it after several attempts. (To tell the truth I didn't want to respond to his calls but when he persisted, I did). Lo and behold! I had dropped the N5,000 that I planned on using to fill my tank later that day. I thanked him, picked up the cash, and as I drove off, I wondered what would have happened if it had been someone else (maybe the park  touts or even a bystander). The fact the he is a Muslim didn't shock me because I know that apart from the extremist, Muslims are quite good.

Later in the day, I went to buy the proposed fuel. I went to NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation). You see, I was tired of buying from the privateers where almost anything goes, so I decided to buy from only multinationals like total and Co. I opened the fuel tank and I'm watching the meter closely, this guy puts in N100 worth of fuel and tells me it is N1,000, (according to him, he thought I said N1000) I begin to scold him that he was wrong and he tells me to look on the other side, that there is something wrong with the meter. Before I could walk to the other side, he erases it and types in N4,000's worth.

He fills in the remaining fuel and I start my car. The fuel didn't get to the level that it should. I started to argue about him cheating me and he's telling me many stories. I couldn't even yell or harass him. I had children in the car and it was almost 8pm and the area was becoming deserted. I didn't know what to do. I was scared of what might have happened if I raised an alarm (especially with the children inside the car). At this point, I realize it was of no use arguing. I made the big mistake. I should have checked my fuel gauge the first time he said he already put in N1,000 and that the meter was bad. I decided instead to bring it to your notice. Please observe the following very carefully when buying fuel even though you have been doing it before because if the hunters have learnt to shoot without missing, the birds must learn to fly without perching.

• Always know the level of your fuel gauge before you start to buy.
• Be especially careful during early mornings and late evenings and nights. That's when the crooks come out to play for obvious reasons. You are most likely rushing for an appointment or to get home.
• Always observe both the fuel pump meter and the activity of the sellers.
• If they ever say things like "sorry it suddenly stopped, I have put in a certain amount already" or "I thought you said this amount, I didn't realize you said that amount", watch out! that's the trick language. At this point, tell them to hold on so you can confirm from your car fuel gauge before they continue to fill.
• Multinational company or not, if you are in Nigeria, I believe there is no difference after this my experience.

Just in case, this gets to the CEOs and managers of this company, this occurred in NNPC, Wuse zone 1, Abuja, opp Oando filling station. Please Nigerians, I understand that there is a lot of poverty and stress right now but stealing never solved any problems and honesty pays. We can all learn from the taxi man who was given a national honor for returning 18 million naira to a stranger who forgot his briefcase in his cab.

The part that made me shake my head while I reflected on my day was that, while one man gave me my money when he would have easily stolen it without been caught, another duped me from a good and service I was already paying for.

Remember my posts about the airline theft and fraudulent activities? This isn't funny anymore fellow Nigerians. It has to STOP!!! If we don't build our country, no one else can make it right for us. We have to effect good change individually, regardless of what is now seen as the norm. God help us!

Cheers.....