NewStats: 3,265,127 , 8,185,743 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 03:01 PM 345z1k

They cannot even spell "Chatham" properly! I don't believe this section of the Nigerian youth is any different from others; they must be an intelligent lot. However, one of the many insidious defects of aligning with Mr Buhari, is the propensity of callous senility of the cerebral. Now we known why Nigeria is suffering!

This news just sent chills down my spine..I was in communication with the said scholar sometime in January. May his soul rest in peace.

LaaJiblik:
Hi Williams:
Did you say BVN card? What is a BVN card?

Plus, which of the airports did you get the Travelex-issued PTA from? Abuja? Lagos? Enugu? Kano? And when did you get that please?

the travelex centre at the lagos Airport..as at Saturday,8th oct,2016,they were selling. and yes the bvn card.they will not sell to u without it. just go to ur bnk

LaaJiblik:
Hi Williams:
Did you say BVN card? What is a BVN card?

Plus, which of the airports did you get the Travelex-issued PTA from? Abuja? Lagos? Enugu? Kano? And when did you get that please?

the travelex centre at the lagos Airport..as at Saturday,8th oct,2016,they were selling. and yes the bvn card.they will not sell to u without. just

Hi everyone.. I'm currently enjoying my time in Hull; small and quiet city. btw,u can get Pta at the airport travelex. but make sure u go on time,check-in and obtain ur boarding (u'll need that). Go with photocopies o ur visa and port, naira equivalent(pls carry cash)..and BVN card(very very essential)..the rate is 356 naira to a dollar.

I got my visa today...I bless God for everything..@OlowoB yo da real MVP,God bless u man..I how I struggled with my tuition deposit payment(had to send money tru moneyGram and western Union). I thank everyone on this platform.u guys contributed in so many ways;your own experiences,suggestions,tidbits and ideas. Just like @Fizzle opined,I had to feel the package first before opening. Anyone traveling on saturday?

Pls has anyone paid for visa and IHS recently. Although I'm convinced my IHS will cost$301(£225) but I keep hearing different visa fee; is it $446 or $521.

Pls What's the correct fee for IHS..it's £150 on the site but I heard some people paid $301. Which one is the correct price pls. Thanks

Since there's a $1000 limit for western union,can I get another person(my mum)to send another $1000 to the same person(the school)making it $2000;then I'll complete the rest deposit with MasterCard.Can it work this way?

blank:


Depends on your bank. GTbank has a limit of $1000 per month. Don't know about other banks. MonyGram is per quarter.

Good thinking..which means I can use two GT cards(my bro and my sis)to pay about $2000 then pay the rest using Western Union..

blank:


Pay half with MoneyGram, i think max will be $1000 then pay the other half with your Mastercard. Some bank rates are lower than others. Some banks also have a cap of $1000 for forex transactions.

Hmmmm..nice idea..If I pay about $1000(which is like £600). I'll be left with £1400. Can I pay in instalments with MasterCard(daily)?

justwise:


Split the payment.

Thanks @justwise.. Do I split the payment using only western union(the bank also said that the $1000 limit for WU is quarterly,which makes it impossible to split)? Or do I split the payment using GT bank ATM? Pls what's d daily limit for GT online transaction?

Thanks

Pls nairalanders help me..I'm completely dispirited..I never knew how tough this forex thing is,until today. I'm trying to pay for my tuition deposit £2000. Due to time constraint(with visa in mind)the form A is a big gamble..the university suggested I use western union option,only for me to get to the bank this morning and they said there's a limit of $1000. Pls how can I pay this deposit..is there a limit on MasterCard payment?
@justwise @fizzle @et al

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions..I've been able to secure the complete tuition..pls has anyone paid for visa and health insurance? What's d best bank for such transaction;at what rate? Also,can I fill the online visa application and book an appointment the same week?(that's after the 28days)

claremont:


Hahaha I like the way you have calculated everything even before you have set foot in the UK, you have made a lot of assumptions. Firstly, you will need to zero-wise your mind from using the proceeds of a possible part-time job to pay your tuition and accommodation bills. A part-time job MIGHT be able to pay for your accommodation, but depending on it to pay for tuition as well is going too far.

My brother,I need to calculate and make mock forecast before jumping on a plane na. I really wanna complete my masters before settling down.

OlowoB:


@williams, before you can get proper guidance, i would like you to state what you would be paying the school from here, the remaining balance you will have left to pay and the period the school has asked you to pay (specific dates or months and in how many instalments) also do you have any relatives in hull?. When you provide these details, then i will tell you if it is possible or not.

I'll be paying £2000(tuition deposit)..after this payment,I'll be left with £4000 balance. I don't knw of any time frame for tuition fee payment. I have relatives in Birmingham. The issue is how to cope with a £4000 balance and accommodation.

I really appreciate ur responses. I just did an amateur calculation;let's say I make £7 an hour,in 20Hrs I'll be making £140. Which means in one month,I'll get around £560. My MA study runs for one year. With that monthly wage,I can only make about £6720 and I still have a tuition fee debt of £6000 plus accommodation wahala.Hmmmm,it's looking almost impossible. although,my brother promised to pay £2000 before I leave naija.so technically I'm left with a £4000 debt plus accommodation issues. Abeg I need more views,observation and advice. Thanks

Nice work guys,I've been following this thread intently. I need some clarification and advise concerning schooling in the UK. I got a partial tuition fee waiver(left with £6000). How feasible is it to coup with accommodation and also pay-off my remaining tuition through part-time jobs? I intend on going with paltry cash to pay for my first three months accommodation and also feeding. I'm going to hull.. Abeg make una help

DEAFandDUMB:


Wow.. You've got an anonymous student here Sir.. Lol.
Thanks for Your great input.. But I would love to ask you my own dicy question.. Why can't the two major political parties we have in Nigeria present an Igbo man as there presidential candidate for an election??

How best do I answer ur question but with illustration.Permit me to take u on a journey down memory lane;that's d historian in me. In Northern America(USA)we have a dichotomy;white and black distrust and overt malfeasance and bigotry. We had anemic laws upholding this bitterness and angst(dred scot,jim crow and so on)..even when Lincoln emancipated the slaves in 1863,the white folks still felt superior(ask a kkk). Now we had Dr.King frm d South and Malcom frm d North ..can u forget King's "I have a dream" speech? With is non-violent antics..today,has his dream not materialised(Obama)even amidst the hate and spitefulness..so my dear...I Henryking Voltaire,I HAVE A DREAM..one day this nation will rise above hate and ethnicity and reap the true meaning of democracy and federalism!

gevans:


why are some people afraid of secession? if any region wish to go so b it, after all it is not by force to stay together as one nation in this 21st century.

Hmmmmm..is secession really a helpful solution?if I give u Nigeria on a platter,how will u divide it?four regions wld be my guess..will u consider the mid-west problem(Edo and delta),even with pockets of Igbo communities e.g. Okwasshiukwu..even if u call them South-South,where they not extracted from the western region in 1962?also consider their proximity..now,let's go across the niger bridge,rivers,Abia,akwa ibom,IMO,anambra,how close are they?do u the creation of 12 states that further separated them in 1967?..
Now,away frm geography,what happens to family ties(inter-marriages)?
Is it flag independence that matters or viability of the state?will weak states not depend on foreign powers(neocolonialism)?

I'll stop here,for now.

DEAFandDUMB:


Then the big question now is , which way forward??

Hmmmmm...U're the second person asking this sensitive question today..I've been mobbed by my students on this issue..earlier today I received a barrage of questions on issues plaguing Nigeria..I will keep saying the same thing.. We are the way forward..we either agree to live together of agree to leave...
The central government shld be more inclusive and ethnic-blind..This will help reduce tension and bring all regions into the system. Now another problem is our mutual suspicion and distrust..someone asked me today and I quote,"sir,can an Igbo man rule Nigeria?"..believe me,I strained my brain to answer this dicy question. The truth is,there's mutual distrust(especially North and East)..but we must manage it through inclusion

DEAFandDUMB:


I must comend your great intellent Sir.. Please I would love to know what system of government are we practising presently in Nigeria and why is the system not working out...
At the bolded on your quoted submission, please Sir, from your explanations, confederacy is equal to giving up our untiy and togetherness.. But are we truely united? Or claimed to be united whereas we are all strange bed fellows.

The issue of unity have been trashed out in my previous post..the amalgamation was and is faulty..our past leader also saw it that way..if fact we have really nudge forward in some ways..during the first republic,how many parties were really national?..AG created in 1951 was a western part..NCNC was eastern,NPC for the North..The leaders preyed on ethnic sentiments just for self-serving purposes.
Fast forward a bit,the reason why our federalism is not working is because it is sick and ailing..it's an extractive system;only feeding a few individuals(it has become a do-or die thing)..If only we can purge ourselves of greed,an inclusive system is a strong palliative.

nkemjacob2:
some day, any how tru federalism wil b achieved in nigeria. dat z what nnamdi azikiwe was working after, wen awolowo refused. all region control ur resources. but now look @ what our economy has turn into. d disadvantages in tru federalism is, state dis unity, but 2 cub dis, rules and policies wil b put in place.

Hmmmmmm.."laws cannot change the mind,but will only restrict the heartless"..and in such cases as what U're opining,laws can be broken. Nigeria from inception has not had a single destiny..our erstwhile leader upheld this fact in both their comments and deeds..Frm awolowo(mere geographical expression)to Abubarkar...Even the colonialists themselves(Hugh Clifford) saw Nigeria as independent nations with different destiny..Now,that's our problem..the way we manage this disparity in destinies will mar or make us..if u say confederacy,U're surreptitiously seeking for a break-away..if u say federalism,U' believe in our unity against all odds stacked high up against us.

We either stand together as one or perish separately as fool.

ogwuche4u:

federalism will divide Nigeria and Nigeria must not divide. The pioneers of Nigeria will always stand against. lets just forget federalism and embrace power at the center. God knows why he made Nigeria. we all need each other to survive. one blessed nation. all we need do is know the fact that death will come to us all one day and no man is immortal. with that at the back of our mind, fairness and equity, peace and progress will lead. we have what it takes to make Nigeria great but greed and corruption has eaten so deep into each and everyone one of us.

The purpose of this thread,I believe,is for us to learn an sharpen our hitherto understanding..That's d reason I took out time to explain both concepts(federalism and confederacy/"true federalism).
Federalism,if practised appropriately will unite and allay ethnic sentiments(due to a central government).on the other hand,confederacy will only highlight ethnic differences. We will become conscious of our echelon. Thereby,further polarising the country. Also,federalism,if anemic,will also heighten ethnic consciousness..the marginalised group will react and call for separation.
The truth does not change,only our knowledge of it does..Confederacy is tantamount to giving up our unity and oneness.

ozimec:



Dear thanks for raising this important matter. Our leaders both past and present know this obvious fact that true fiscal federalism is the only way we can remain a country but, greed and hunger for power to enrich themselves never let them do the needful. we are just deceiving ourselves here because, there has never been peace and unity in this country because of this feeding bottle system of government we are currently practicing. Disunity is a symptom. We just live in a denial here and keep massaging the truth. The solution to all these agitations lies in ending this feeding bottle structure that we practice which encourages neocolonialism, the amalgamation of North and South is a big fraud. There is so much injustice, inequity, subjugation, winner-takes-it-all. There can't be peace under this structure, and if there is no peace there can't be unity or progress. Everyone must be made to feel involved, protected and represented for there to be first, a sense of patriotism, then unity. In this present structure where you have too strong center, one people use the instrument of the state to oppress and marginalize others. And when they protest they get killed. And we are talking about peace and unity. Let's be sincere, where in the world would security operatives open fire on unarmed civilian doing peaceful protest? Let's stop massaging the truthThis feeding bottle system of government we are running in this nation is the cause of all these problems. We need to end this structure. I am in total of true fiscal federalism where every zones contribute a token to the centre and take their future and pace of growth in their own hands, and express their cultures and religion freely, and practice their vocations unhindered. I strongly believed that this is the only way to end this injustice. People must agitate for self determination and for resource control when they feel marginalized and abandoned.
So, let every well meaning Nigerians begin to the proposed fiscal federalism instead of engaging in all these tribal sentiments and insult because, it will only bring hatred and more agitations.
Everyone must be made to feel involved, protected and represented for there to be first, a sense of patriotism, then unity.

I agree with u solemnly on everything save for the issue of neo-colonialism(colonialism through other means)..which according to Nkrumah is the last and most dangerous stage of imperialism. One major instrument of neocolonialism is Balkanization..the creation of non-viable states who become dependent on foreign aid..That one reason I'll stand against confederacy,because it will lead to "Somalianalisation" and ultimately slide into secession..Thereby create states of irregular sizes and viability. Francophone ex colonies in west Africa still rely heavily on .;'weak states'

Confederacy or federalism...nothing like true federalism..anybody routing for the first system is either an IPod or a disgruntled wailer...Confederacy and secession are bed fellows...

We really need to conceptualise these various governmental organisations/formation..
Federalism simply means a system of government where power is shared between a strong centre and component states.this is opposed to a unitary system which excites total centralisation at the top(mostly suitable for small nations). Why dissecting or interpolating federalism,u shld try to draw a fine line between federalism and a confederal state..A confederal state has a weak centre and strong regions(E.g UN..Somalia to some extend;they recline to their five ethnic echelons).. Those people calling for true federalism and restructuring must not make the mistake of calling for a confederacy(giving more power to the regions)..this will inevitably lead or precipitate secession-one region develops more than others,the next instinct is to leave.In fact a confederacy is like having many states under on facade umbrella nation. I won't devote time to bemoaning the fallouts of an eventual break-up which confederacy will promote. Federalism helps promote cohesion,oneness and unity and at the same time,allow the regions/states to develop;to some extent..e.g.Lagos,Akwa Ibom etc. The main problem of this form of government is that since power is at the centre,it becomes a do-or-die affair;the winner takes all...anybody that controls the centre,becomes the big-man of his ethnic inclination- "ethnic Bigmanism",government of patronage and patrimonialism...There's nothing wrong with federalism,but the way we play it.
What we need is to choose between running an inclusive system or part ways(divide)..At some point,we'll have to answer this tough question..With inclusion,federalism is sustained,marginalisation is starved-off,progress is a fait accompli.

All na lip service...anyone who believes this is not only gullible buh also a PDP/Jonathan apologist!!...can any good thing come out of Jonah?
All anti-TAN Abeg hit like...#thinkGMB

In the words of Nyerere,"my people av bin oppressed
a great deal,they av bin exploited a great deal and
they've bin disregarded a great deal".2014 is a year
not to be (at least not for good)in d nation's
political ambiance. Any attempt to bemoan all the vile practices concocted by our publicly elected officers
will only leave one in a maze of obscurity.A year
when terror was unleashed in astronomical proportion
in d northern part of d country;even to d point of world
recognition..giving infamous encomium to an
egregious terror group.well after fervent trials by d government to reassert it's position on the
issue,patriotic Nigerians might as well score the
government's performance below par and
ineffectual.A year which witnessed d abduction of
young school girls.such display of malevolence only
questioned d government's capabilities.Yet,this unabashed assemblage called Jonathan's
istration still remain comatose!Government
remains non-committal even to d simplest of
interrogations:#whereAretheGirls?...An adequate verdict will suppose;that this istration is not fit
to #BringBackOurGirls. After a tortuous journey bereft of subsidy,Nigerians are yet to visibly locate d
dividends of such ambitious and self-serving projects
impinged upon Us by this notorious Government!
Today,in Nigeria,wen we talk of impunity,it cld only be
likened to doomsday scenario.perhaps Mr.president
should be crown king and our constitution effectively jettisoned. His death squad,media propagandism and
unabated display of vengeance with d dismissal of
public officers at will...remains legendary.Wen all is
said and done,we,Nigerians bear d brunt.we've bin
afflicted a great deal but surely,affliction will never
rise again.For what shall it profit Nigerians to vote for a seemingly clueless demeanour and suffer in 2015?
As we draw up our individual resolution(s) for d new
yr,we must also proliferate a national resolution!we
must say No to clueless leaders..#Change #happyNewYear#SaiBuhari

Hmmmmmmm...so many brief people around here!!well,if dat "consoles d little man"