Nigerian Born Migrant voting IN

As a Nigerian Born Migrant in Britain, today I will be voting to REMAIN in the European Union.

My personal convictions and politics have always been Left of Centre Liberal and so naturally I will gravitate towards remain. However in this case, my decision is based mainly on capitalist leanings. Britain is a more prosperous country being a member of the EU and leaving will have a telling effect on the economy in the short term and possibly the long term. Yes, Britain will survive outside the EU and have done so for over a thousand years but if given a choice between merely surviving and economic prosperity most rational people will choose the latter.

Immigration has been of 'Net Benefit' to the economy of the U.K. The leavers will tell you that immigrants from the EU undercut the indigenous population on wages. The inconvenient truth is that these lower wages helps British companies to remain competitive against cheaper imports. Lower wages means lower cost of production all other factors remaining constant. Without these lower wages, a lot of British industries will fold up and the economic benefits will be lost. Have we forgotten just a few years ago when we lived in 'outsourced' Britain? In the short term, if these migrants leave, wages will probably increase for a few. It will increase to a point that the companies can no longer afford these wages and probably be forced to close. What next? Import these same goods from abroad, most probably the EU?

Another argument is that Britain pays a big price to sustain the EU. They say £350m a week before rebates of about 66%. On the surface this looks like a very big price to pay and could be spent on better things. Let's look at this from a purely business point of view. These payments are a necessary investment, the U.K. invests these payments in building its main trading market. It's worth noting that the EU is Britain's biggest trading partner. The payments are used to develop its market, a more prosperous Europe means a high net worth market that Britain can leverage upon. It's no coincidence that the biggest economies and exporters like Germany and France are also the largest net contributors.

For the above reasons and more I am IN.

Brexit and Nigerians in the UK

One sad fact I have always known have been confirmed by this #brexit campaign. A good number of Nigerians in addition to being rabid tribalists are also quite racist and xenophobic as well.

A lot of the Nigerian Leavers, claim that the Eastern Europeans are taking all 'their' jobs and working for lower wages. In the past few days I have heard Nigerians describe Eastern Europeans as destitute, criminals, refugees, pick pockets and wait for it, fraudsters. Their whole rhetoric is based on the fact that they see the Europeans as competition and want them out of their way.

The annoying thing is that these were the same description that were used by the indigenous population on the early migrants and we are quite happy to use it on others simply because we are more settled than they are. 

I personally will be voting Remain because I believe Britain will be better economically and I believe that migration has contributed 'net  positively' to the prosperity of the UK.

For those who think the lot of Nigerians in Britain will be better off if all the European migrants leave, all I can say is that "Today UKIP came for them, tomorrow they will come for you"

#Njikoka 

#Stronger2gether

Master Your Mouth

Once an old man spread rumours that his neighbour was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After being released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In the court the old man told the Judge: “They were just comments, didn’t harm anyone.” The judge told the old man: “Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.”

Next day, the judge told the old man: “Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.”

The old man said: “I can’t do that! The wind spread them and I won’t know where to find them.”

The judge then replied: “The same way, simple comments may destroy the honour of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can’t speak well of someone, rather don’t say anything.”

Moral: Let’s all be masters of our mouths, so that we won’t be slaves of our words.

Good day !!!

RIP Muhammad Ali

The greatest of all ages

The Senatorial Gravy Train

21 senators currently receiving pensions from government as ex-governors and deputy governors.

The current senators who once served as governors are Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Kabiru Gaya of Kano, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi of Kwara, Joshua Dariye of Plateau Jonah Jang of Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima of Zamfara, Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, George Akume of Benue and Isiaka Adeleke of Osun. 

The  former deputy governors in the Senate are Ms Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti and Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe of Abia. Danladi Abubakar Sani served as the acting governor of Taraba state.

Many former governors are also in Buhari's Cabinet as Ministers. This includes: Ngige, Fayemi, Amaechi and Fashola (SAN).).

In Akwa Ibom State, the ex governors and deputy governors receive pension equivalent to the salaries of the incumbent. The package also includes a new official car and a utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for his deputy governor.

In Rivers, the law provides 100 percent of annual basic salaries for the ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for the former governor “anywhere of his choice in Nigeria”; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years and two cars for the deputy every four years. 

In Lagos, a former governor will get two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja, estimated at N500 million in Lagos and N700 million in Abuja. He also receives six new cars to be replaced every three years; a furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a N30 million pension annually for life.

This is the reality for all the 21 ex govenors and deputy governors who are currently serving as senators. This same is also true of ex governors who are now serving as Ministers.

NOW I ASK: 

How many years did these guys serve their states as governors and deputy governors? Is it more than 8years? Is that a reason to be entitled to pensions for life? Even if they are entitled to pension for life, must it be so outrageous?

As if that is not enough: HOW on earth can any public servant with conscience collect salaries and allowances as a senator or minister, and still have the audacity to claim pensions equivalent to the salaries of a serving governor in Nigeria?

IT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE......

Once you are elected a senator or appointed a minister, you must forfeit any pension accruing to you from government at any level until you vacate office. This should also apply to senators collecting military pensions like former Senate President David Mark. (Copied)

Femi Gbajabiamila on fuel hike

FROM FEMI GBAJABIMILLA 

-------------------

.....I was at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday May 11th where a stakeholders meeting involving the leadership of the National Assembly, governors, Labour leadership, minister of state for Petroleum, ministers of Information and that of labour held. The meeting was chaired by the Vice President. It was a consultative meeting ostensibly to get the buy in of stakeholders. I was pumped and ready to challenge any proposition for an increase in pump price and my position was known to most people I spoke with.

However by the time the Honourable minister for petroleum finished his doomsday prognosis and gave a graphic account supported with facts and figures of where we are and where we would be in a matter of months if we did not alter the approach or fundamentally change the status quo, I had no option but to capitulate. It was the first time I had been confronted with such a gloomy picture. I found myself between a rock and a hard place. The facts were incontrovertible and the prognosis and consequences dire. We were in an economic cul-de-sac and the country was spiraling down fast due to no fault of this present administration. In fact it was clear that any responsible administration needed to apply the brakes, bring this to a screeching and painful halt and at least for now remove subsidy and deregulate. It was a short term remedy which, all things being equal, would produce a long term solution when the economy would have recalibrated. I struggled with my inner angel and knew this was the only way out. It was made abundantly clear to all seated that in two months there would be no federal allocation to states and no state would be able to pay salaries, including the buoyant ones. The Nigerian nation was on tenterhooks. That’s how bad a picture it was. Indeed I was the first to ask questions after the presentation still looking for a way out when I knew there was none.

Whilst I still believe in the principles I held on to so passionately years ago, including the need to bring any deregulation exercise in conformity with the law and the constitution, I believe this is such a time when we should look at the times we are in and our practical situation as a country. I believe (without sounding Trumpist) that Nigeria will be great again but we must rejig and reboot our economy and take another look at the subsidy regime. Many will say, but why did some of us kick in 2012 and if it was not good then why is it good now? It’s a great question and they are right, but again the times are different. In 2012, we were earning a lot of money from oil. Oil was selling at about 100 dollars or thereabout. We had foreign exchange and petro dollars to continue with subsidy. Now things are different. The economy is comatose and Nigeria is on life support. Oil is selling at below 40 dollars and the currency (dollar) needed to purchase the refined petrol is no longer available.

I want to plead with my constituents and all Nigerians to work with the government. You are the most important stakeholders, never mind those of us that gathered around a long table and cushy chairs in the Vice President’s Office on Wednesday May 11th to take this far reaching decision. We did so only in a representative capacity. I urge that you please give this government the benefit of doubt and lets take a chance on whether or not the analogy and parallel often drawn by proponents of deregulation in the oil industry to telecommunications industry may end up a truism and that the price of fuel in a laissez-faire, free market will come crashing in months. Lets consider it a temporary sacrifice for the greater good, with the hope that as promised we will be better off in the long term. This problem is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is instructive that other oil producing countries e.g. Bahrain, have been hit hard by the crash in oil price and are towing the same line and reviewing their subsidy policies.

With this new development I intend to fight with all I have for a review of the minimum wage of all workers in Nigeria. Our country was built on social justice and I cannot, no matter the realities, accept a situation where the cost of living will be increased without a corresponding increase in wages. The sacrifices that we need to make must be comprehensive. Indeed I believe the “wealthy” must not only pay their fair share of taxes, if need be, there must be an upward review of taxes paid by the highest income earners to enable government review the wages of those on the lower rung. It is time to be our brothers’ keepers.

I know this is a painful road to take and I hate that I have to flip flop on this one, but isn’t what they say true, that “no pain, no gain”.

Femi Gbajabiamila is Leader of Nigeria’s

Take people for who they are

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water..

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

  'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.' 

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

 Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

 You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them