When you visit Nigeria, like I have Russia, then you'll be in a position to make a comment on that issue based on your observations, not on what you are told by the media.
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So are you saying all these things reported across the world are lies??
When we see live footage of mob violence on the news are really telling me its false?
BTW: I work in this 'media' you so hate
Eg. is the article posted below lies? (not an aggressive article jus has some points im interested in)
Im asking as im genuinely interested
As for coming to visit... No offence, im sure nigeria has many reasons to visit it, but unless you get to hold the world cup or something similar or i have togo for work, i doubt i will go there
Behind Nigeria's violence
By Dan Isaacs
BBC, Nigeria
In the first four years following Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999, at least 10,000 people were killed in communal violence across the country, but in recent months, these clashes have been notably less frequent.
But this latest unrest in Plateau State is a worrying indication that these tensions remain never far from the surface, and that, in a country with such high levels of poverty, the underlying issues of access to scarce resources such as land and jobs are as much of an issue as ever.
Some of the violence has pitched Muslims against Christians, but all of them have fallen across different tribal and cultural divides.
From the deserts of the north to the tropical forest regions of the south and east, it is home to around 120 million people, divided up into some 250 different ethnic groups.
The broad characterisation of a Muslim Hausa-speaking north, and a Christian south made up of two dominant tribes - the Yoruba in the southwest and the Ibo in the southeast - is a vast over-simplification.
In some states across central Nigeria, for example, it is possible to drive down a road, stopping at each tiny settlement, encountering a different language spoken in every single one.
And to further complicate this ethnic mix, over the decades and even centuries, people have moved around what is now modern day Nigeria.
A substantial minority of southern Christians now live in the north, as many northern Hausa Muslims have migrated south.
Complex conflicts
So, conflict between these communities, when it does occur, is a complex affair.
It can be rooted in religious disagreements - the introduction of Islamic law, for example, in some northern states has proved extremely contentious.
But it most often boils down to competition between those that see themselves as the true 'indigens' of an area, and those that are considered to be more recent 'settlers'.
Whatever the historical justifications, the conflict is always and everywhere about access to scarce resources.
This might be farmland, or employment, or access to political power. It could even be jealousy over the provision of water or electricity to one village but not its neighbour.
Economic differences
At their root, these differences are not cultural or religious. They are economic.
The tragedy of Nigeria is that over the past few decades its population has grown rapidly, but despite the country's vast oil wealth, the economy has failed to keep pace.
Nigerians have been getting poorer by the year.
And along with this, the failure of the state to provide adequate education for the vast majority of the population, has produced a frustrated and angry underclass of largely urban, unemployed youths.
It is to this disempowered group that ambitious politicians and religious leaders look for support.
Sometimes it is for the best of motives - to find ways to improve their lot in life by representing their interests.
But more often, the motive is personal ambition.
A politician without a power base is worthless. A politician with an army of supporters behind him can win elections and influence people.
Social division
Many observers in Nigeria believe that the roots of the violence across much of the country are not religious or cultural.
They say the conflicts are created and stoked by politicians both at a local and national level who seek to gain advantage from social division.
It is a cynical view, but one that has strong evidence to support it.
One need look no further than means used to distribute the country's vast oil wealth from the federal government in Abuja to the local level.
It all travels down this path in the form of contracts handed out to political favourites.
Contracts for building roads, schools, and hospitals; for supplying electricity, water and medicines.
In fact, almost all economic activity in the country works on this principle - the awarding of contracts. It makes those with access to the source of power rich, and those who do not have power want it all the more.
Ordinary victims
And caught in the middle of all this are the ordinary Nigerians, whose local disputes are hijacked by cynical politicians prepared to pay sections of the community sums of money to foment unrest.
And that's all it takes.
Once triggered, the violence has its own momentum.
Muslims hear that Muslims are being killed elsewhere and take up arms to kills Christians in their own neighbourhood.
And then, perhaps, Christians in another part of the country will get to hear about their brothers being murdered and carry out reprisals on local Muslims.
It is a cycle that is difficult to break, particularly if it is repeatedly nudged over the edge by the politicians, or even external influences.
Take for example, the riots in the northern city of Kano in October 2001.
That began after a peaceful anti-US demonstration by local Muslims, angry at the bombing of Afghanistan.
It quickly degenerated however into a violent inter-faith battle, most probably stoked up by local political rivalries.
The cause, therefore, was not religious, but because the riots pitted Muslim against Christian, they had the appearance of being so.
When we see live footage of mob violence on the news are really telling me its false?
BTW: I work in this 'media' you so hate
Eg. is the article posted below lies? (not an aggressive article jus has some points im interested in)
Im asking as im genuinely interested
As for coming to visit... No offence, im sure nigeria has many reasons to visit it, but unless you get to hold the world cup or something similar or i have togo for work, i doubt i will go there
Behind Nigeria's violence
By Dan Isaacs
BBC, Nigeria
In the first four years following Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999, at least 10,000 people were killed in communal violence across the country, but in recent months, these clashes have been notably less frequent.
But this latest unrest in Plateau State is a worrying indication that these tensions remain never far from the surface, and that, in a country with such high levels of poverty, the underlying issues of access to scarce resources such as land and jobs are as much of an issue as ever.
Some of the violence has pitched Muslims against Christians, but all of them have fallen across different tribal and cultural divides.
From the deserts of the north to the tropical forest regions of the south and east, it is home to around 120 million people, divided up into some 250 different ethnic groups.
The broad characterisation of a Muslim Hausa-speaking north, and a Christian south made up of two dominant tribes - the Yoruba in the southwest and the Ibo in the southeast - is a vast over-simplification.
In some states across central Nigeria, for example, it is possible to drive down a road, stopping at each tiny settlement, encountering a different language spoken in every single one.
And to further complicate this ethnic mix, over the decades and even centuries, people have moved around what is now modern day Nigeria.
A substantial minority of southern Christians now live in the north, as many northern Hausa Muslims have migrated south.
Complex conflicts
So, conflict between these communities, when it does occur, is a complex affair.
It can be rooted in religious disagreements - the introduction of Islamic law, for example, in some northern states has proved extremely contentious.
But it most often boils down to competition between those that see themselves as the true 'indigens' of an area, and those that are considered to be more recent 'settlers'.
Whatever the historical justifications, the conflict is always and everywhere about access to scarce resources.
This might be farmland, or employment, or access to political power. It could even be jealousy over the provision of water or electricity to one village but not its neighbour.
Economic differences
At their root, these differences are not cultural or religious. They are economic.
The tragedy of Nigeria is that over the past few decades its population has grown rapidly, but despite the country's vast oil wealth, the economy has failed to keep pace.
Nigerians have been getting poorer by the year.
And along with this, the failure of the state to provide adequate education for the vast majority of the population, has produced a frustrated and angry underclass of largely urban, unemployed youths.
It is to this disempowered group that ambitious politicians and religious leaders look for support.
Sometimes it is for the best of motives - to find ways to improve their lot in life by representing their interests.
But more often, the motive is personal ambition.
A politician without a power base is worthless. A politician with an army of supporters behind him can win elections and influence people.
Social division
Many observers in Nigeria believe that the roots of the violence across much of the country are not religious or cultural.
They say the conflicts are created and stoked by politicians both at a local and national level who seek to gain advantage from social division.
It is a cynical view, but one that has strong evidence to support it.
One need look no further than means used to distribute the country's vast oil wealth from the federal government in Abuja to the local level.
It all travels down this path in the form of contracts handed out to political favourites.
Contracts for building roads, schools, and hospitals; for supplying electricity, water and medicines.
In fact, almost all economic activity in the country works on this principle - the awarding of contracts. It makes those with access to the source of power rich, and those who do not have power want it all the more.
Ordinary victims
And caught in the middle of all this are the ordinary Nigerians, whose local disputes are hijacked by cynical politicians prepared to pay sections of the community sums of money to foment unrest.
And that's all it takes.
Once triggered, the violence has its own momentum.
Muslims hear that Muslims are being killed elsewhere and take up arms to kills Christians in their own neighbourhood.
And then, perhaps, Christians in another part of the country will get to hear about their brothers being murdered and carry out reprisals on local Muslims.
It is a cycle that is difficult to break, particularly if it is repeatedly nudged over the edge by the politicians, or even external influences.
Take for example, the riots in the northern city of Kano in October 2001.
That began after a peaceful anti-US demonstration by local Muslims, angry at the bombing of Afghanistan.
It quickly degenerated however into a violent inter-faith battle, most probably stoked up by local political rivalries.
The cause, therefore, was not religious, but because the riots pitted Muslim against Christian, they had the appearance of being so.
Wouldnt need to if he had explained his meaning of russia being morally corupt.
He said worse than anywhere he'd been but comes from a place that has a history of attrocities... as such in the context of his words his posts were hypocriticle...
He then says dont beleive the media (who supply actual footage and different sources around the world all concur, and have constantly reported these issues for the last 50 odd years) but to beleive him as he has been there once... or in the nigeria case ,comes from there
So that essentially means i must disbeleive myself on the russia issue as i have been to russia on a few occasions and had a very different experience.
A short explanation to an easy question goes along way to alleviate these situations
He said worse than anywhere he'd been but comes from a place that has a history of attrocities... as such in the context of his words his posts were hypocriticle...
He then says dont beleive the media (who supply actual footage and different sources around the world all concur, and have constantly reported these issues for the last 50 odd years) but to beleive him as he has been there once... or in the nigeria case ,comes from there
So that essentially means i must disbeleive myself on the russia issue as i have been to russia on a few occasions and had a very different experience.
A short explanation to an easy question goes along way to alleviate these situations
I agree with Zlatan and mad lawyer here, Capitalism isn't all that,and communism isn't all terrible either. I think Europe in general still feels the effects of communism or socialist era, thats y we have germany and other countries providing soo much benefit for their citizens, its a cross system between the two.
Zlatan, I think that chxta's point was that we are not supposed to trust the media immediately, but he has seen with his own eyes the things that the medias were reporting.
Zlatan, I think that chxta's point was that we are not supposed to trust the media immediately, but he has seen with his own eyes the things that the medias were reporting.
Check out the coverage of the Iraq war.
And then I always ask myself a question, WHY IS IT THAT WE NEVER GET ANY GOOD MEDIA COVERAGE FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES (save South Africa, then once in a while other places). IT ALWAYS COMES ACROSS LIKE WE ARE A SET OF TRIBAL WARLORDS PERPETUALLY SPOILING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT.
That report Paul, the BBC report that you cited, has a lot of truths in it I accept that, but is highly tainted and gives a very false impression of what is happening in Nigeria.
You want the truth about Nigeria, Xinhua the Chinese news agency does a far better job than either BBC or CNN have ever done, and the way things are going, will ever do.
www.ngrguardiannews.com is the website of Nigeria's largest newspaper. Give sometime each day and take a look at it.
I am listening to a BBC World News report right now which claims that there are 20 million people infected with AIDS in Nigeria. HOW DID THEY GET THAT STATISTIC, AND WHERE DID THEY GET THAT FROM? That report is just an example of how your media just sit down in Atlanta and/or London and make up stories.
Please verify the facts before you swallow everything the media throw at you.
And then I always ask myself a question, WHY IS IT THAT WE NEVER GET ANY GOOD MEDIA COVERAGE FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES (save South Africa, then once in a while other places). IT ALWAYS COMES ACROSS LIKE WE ARE A SET OF TRIBAL WARLORDS PERPETUALLY SPOILING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT.
That report Paul, the BBC report that you cited, has a lot of truths in it I accept that, but is highly tainted and gives a very false impression of what is happening in Nigeria.
You want the truth about Nigeria, Xinhua the Chinese news agency does a far better job than either BBC or CNN have ever done, and the way things are going, will ever do.
www.ngrguardiannews.com is the website of Nigeria's largest newspaper. Give sometime each day and take a look at it.
I am listening to a BBC World News report right now which claims that there are 20 million people infected with AIDS in Nigeria. HOW DID THEY GET THAT STATISTIC, AND WHERE DID THEY GET THAT FROM? That report is just an example of how your media just sit down in Atlanta and/or London and make up stories.
Please verify the facts before you swallow everything the media throw at you.
