posted
What do you expect from a country being run by criminals and led by the worst of all the criminals Obasonjo your President. He sure is not my President bacuase I'm a Biafran.
Read on!
Subject: Re: NIGERIA HOUSE By Yinka Adeyemi (UN Bureau, Daily Times [Nigeria])
yadeyemi@juno.com
The $40 million Nigeria House, which is widely regarded with pride and disbelief by all Africans here, is fast becoming a citadel of shame and disgrace, according to an investigation by the DAILY TIMES ON SATURDAY. And the rot starts from the mundane to the life-threatening: from a defaced little national flag to the pathological tendency to owe and refuse to pay.
For months now, the green-white-green Nigeria flag which proudly flies atop the roof of the 22-floor building has metamorphosed into a limp white-green cloth; officials blame the strong New York wind while many who visit the building daily see it as a symptom of a larger problem with a country which has lost its leadership role at the United Nations and whose diplomats now routinely appear in court over unpaid bills, hapless victims of an uncaring system.
According to our investigations, none of the eight property owned by Nigeria in New York has a liability insurance, a wise requirement for all sensible property owners who want to insure against fire or any other sort of structural damage that Nigerians have grown accustomed to since the mysterious fires of the Net building and the domestic airport. Mission officials say $97,000 is needed to renew the policy on Nigeria House alone, which lapsed in March; while on the rest of the property, policy renewal would cost $33,000. Yet, as at the writing of this report on Thursday, the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United nations had less than $1,000 in its bank account, according to officials, a troubling sum for a Mission which must pay $68,000 in monthly allowance to officers and $58,000 monthly to locally recruited staff.
None of its diplomats has received a foreign service allowance in six months while locally recruited staff have not been paid in three months. Mission drivers, most of them non-Nigerians, say they are forced to work overtime, even though their overtime salary has not been paid in close to two years.
For owing about $30,000 in outstanding bills, the Mission's health insurance policy, taken for the benefit of home-based officers, was recently canceled. Scrounging officers, who are contending with children kicked out of school, are now confronted by another reality: fall sick and die.
Many of those officers who assumed duty in 2000 are still waiting for their apartments to be furnished, while those who were posted in February are still awaiting their official apartments. For a country which is now well-known in small claims court for habitual nonpayment of rent, housing the new officers is proving impossible. Angry landlords told DAILY TIMES ON SATURDAY that rents have not been paid in three months. Many are in court to evict their deadwood tenants. So is a New York company which leased computers to the Mission a few years ago: it is asking for $59,000 to cover the cost of the computers as agreed to by the Mission.
Hard times are not limited to the officers corps. The telephone company recently disconnected the fax line of the Permanent Representative, Chief Arthur Mbanefo. The company says the main line would soon go, too, unless they receive some money quickly. At the official residence of the Deputy Permanent Representative, Segun Apata, electricity is scheduled for disconnection on November 17 due to nonpayment of $615. Officials here say Ambassador Apata, who also has not received his allowances in months, has been paying his own electricity bill for over three months.
He is one of officers who, these days, come to the rescue of the Missions with their credit cards. Chief Mbanefo himself reportedly paid for an officer's trip to South Africa with his personal credit card, while on Tuesday, an officer loaned the country about $15 to procure printing paper needed for an important speech at the UN.
The list of debtors is endless, still. The security company hired to protect the building is owed $140,000; the management company which runs the Nigeria House is owed $100,000; the engineering company which services the elevators is owed thousands of dollars and has refused to service one of the elevators, while ConEdison, the company that supplies electricity and heat to the building is owed $80,000. The heating bill this month alone, when temperature is hovering around freezing point, is $12,000.
According to our investigations, Chase Bank, to which Nigerian Mission had always turned in the past for loan has also had enough of the country's disgraceful behavior and nonpayment of loans. Recently, the bank confiscated $750,000 of Nigeria's money which was meant to pay Nigeria's time-honored pledges to the United Nations Training and Research (UNITAR).
Officials here say many memos had been sent to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja and the presidency about the financial situations of the Mission and that while, senior officers, including the Minister and President had promised help within weeks, nothing has been done.
A source told DAILY TIMES ON SATURDAY that although the President has approved the Mission's money, "someone with high authority at the Finance Ministry has written KIV (Keep in View) on the folder. That means expect nothing soon." At the Presidency in Abuja, a source says the president cannot be seen to be overreaching on behalf of any foreign Mission once he has performed his statutory duties, lest erroneous meanings be read into such assistance.
And as for the defaced flag flying atop Nigeria House, a senior official told DAILY TIMES ON SATURDAY: "Look we have not been paid in six months; this house can burn down right now without repercussion, and you talk about a stupid flag.!"
Stupid flag! That's what our national symbol is referred to today by citizens who feel betrayed by today's politicians; citizens who ask for nothing other than their due allowances.
Why are you not proud of your country and show some patriotism? Since you came here, all you've is chant Biafra this, Biafra that, and if it's not Biafra, nothing else matters. Let it be known to you, that until you realize the biafran dream you are still a Nigerian whether you like it or not.
___________________ NA MY PAPA BORN ME Posts: 389 | From: Eugene, Oregon | Registered: Jul 2002
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I'm a Biafran whether you like it or not. I will continue to sing the song of Biafra until the actualization happens. You can be proud of Nigeria if you want, myself NOOOOO! I don't have to be proud of Nigeria and as far as I'm concerned I'm not a Nigerian. Deal with it.
___________________ BIAFRA MUST RISE AGAIN. LONG LIVE BIAFRA!! Posts: 1080 | From: California, USA. | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Nwabiafra Amen WE are Biafra and anybody that doesn't like it, too bad. Tijani give me one thing be proud of your washed up Nigeria? then I will be patriotic, until then shot your mouth.
posted
Tijani, You either deal with the story posted by Nwabiafra or shut up, by the way, a little or nothing has been heard from you after the jihadist terrorist threat to the webmaster.
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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Wise men in here have spoken to you. I ask you to listen to them and abide by their recommendation. Let me repeat what they told you. " If you have nothing to say SHUT UP". Further can you answer Biafra's question? What is the one thing good about Nigeria to be patriotic about? The whole world is waiting for an answer from you. I bet you don't have any!
___________________ BIAFRA MUST RISE AGAIN. LONG LIVE BIAFRA!! Posts: 1080 | From: California, USA. | Registered: Oct 2002
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Dr. B, Good point you made here. I wish Tijani, Ednut and the other Efulefus in here would listen. I hope one day they will pull their heads out of their asses and see the light. Nigeria has gone beyond repair. Biafra Rules!!!
quote:Originally posted by Tijani: NwaBiafra: Why are you not proud of your country and show some patriotism? Since you came here, all you've is chant Biafra this, Biafra that, and if it's not Biafra, nothing else matters. .
Mba a na bara agu. (meaning; Impotent scold. like a scolding to a lion)
Tijani please dont allow yourself to suffer a heart attack trying to change us.
The Biafra we believe in is more tangible than the Nigeria that you see.
NwaBiafra did you a favour by starting this thread to show patriotic Nigerians like you that the maggot infested cesspool of a country which you claim is begining to ooze out smells to the rest of the world (in this case New York) and can no longer be covered with cosmetic measures.
How do you thank him? you start scolding him with your dribble about "patriotism".
While the civilized world holds their noses with one hand from the stench your country oozes, they are not averse to continuing to rape it dry with the other hand motioning the degenerate Alkaida awusa and the unscrupulous and cowardly yoroba to prop up their quarry for better exploitation. Toward this end they effect the selection of "Leaders" like Obasanjo, Gowon, IBB and co and you wonder why things remain as they are?
Is that what you claim for a country? I'd be ashamed if I were you, but it seems your sense of shame has been numbed or cinged a long time ago.
I feel for you though my brother, but there is an alternative to your pain, its called Biafra. We have chosen it and no one can take it away from us.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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