….Or can’t I?
Anyone who has ever searched for anything on the internet must be aware of the Nigerian 419 scams splattered all over. From eBay to local classifieds websites to even Nigerian websites, desperate people are inventing new ways to con people out of their hard-earned money.
The question is : How can we bring an end to this and save our already tainted image? I guess the answer to this question lies at the very root of the problem, as the saying goes : There is not smoke without fire. What is the “fire” underneath 419? Who are the people and why do they do this? I tried to google in “419 statistics” there were no profitable results. I guess I’ll have to go with “head statistics” then. Most of these people range between 14 and 45. Most of them are usually secondary school dropouts, secondary school graduates who cannot make it into university. University drop-outs, job-seekers, layabouts etc. What these people have in common is that they need to find a source of income, for self and for family, by hook or by crook, even if it is at the expense of others in foreign countries, or even at the expense of their own lives.
How can we give these people alternative routes acheiving their goals? By creating new jobs? If so, how can one create options which are free and fair to everyone and do not depend on one having “connections”, first class honours or being under 40 years of age? Do we encourage young people to start their businesses? (Theory being if 1million young people employ 10 people each….) If we decide to go down that route, we will need to support them. Financially and otherwise.. no be for mouth (Not just by speaking) Or do we develop one BIG wheel which we can churn from one end, while they can churn the other, providing them with a source of income without making them have to invest money they do’t have? Hmm that sounds feasible. That is what Awoof is all about. Inventing that wheel. Synergy. Empowering people. Stomping out 419.
Thieves will always be thieves. The only way to stop them is to make them suffer consequences. Nigeria is not the poorest African country, so why should we be the most fraudulent? It’s just because we don’t catch them.
Going by what you said, most of the people who indulges themsleves in this shameful act were not drop-outs as you stated here. There are lot who got involved as a result of peer pressure and so on.
I think it can be eradicated or reduced by educating people about the menace.
Thanks, Femi but what percentage of people who participate in 419 – have completed their education up to University level? If they had better options presented to them, would they have gone down this route? Besides, what more education do Nigerians need about 419? I believe we have all experienced it at one point or the other in our lives. Either personally, or through someone we know. I believe the solution is empowering people and giving them more options. People need to survive and I believe that many Nigerians, if presented with more options, would choose to survive decently. We are not as amoral as the world thinks.
I very much second seun’s opinion. Theft runs in the blood. Most of these guys wont work even if you offer them a job bcos they prefer the easy way out.
I think all said has been a good talk on how this bad and nation imaage and reputation destroying disease could be reduced to a bearable minimum… Its quite obvious that although this might not be completely eradicated, but that it could be reduced to a bearable minimum, also I am optimistic that with time its menace shall be completely wipe off!
I think our government should take a inch of step forward to introduce knew means by which this can be reduced, since the EFCC can not do it all, everyone of us has an important role to play in this field as well individually…..
1.Good employment oppor…..should be created by the government.
2.Improvement of our standard of living
3.Public sensitization and enlightenment on the effects of this activity on the development of our nation.
4.Various Job Empowermwnt Workshop should be organized to empower drop outs from schools, unemployed graduates, young, middle age, and old ones on how to have their own business.
5.Our leaders should caution themselves in the way they rule us, they should lead by example as well.
The above and many more will help to reduce the menace of this corruption practice, and help to uphold our nation’s image and individual reputation……if they are strictly taken.
Nathaniel
Hello, I want to let you know that most people that indulge in the act are not drop outs but fully educated people with high standard education. if you try to study what the so called yahoo boys do online you will know that only the educated people can partake in it.
Thanks for all your comments… However, even if “theft runs in the blood” like you imply, I still believe that the babu should not be thrown out with the bathwater,and measures can still be taken to prevent this “theft” from even happening in the first place. Thanks, Nathan for the optimism.
The honest truth is, we’re just lazy. And greedy. Even some guys I know that are graduates with jobs, are always striving to make cash on the side. I really don’t understand it either.
P.S. I love ur site theme.
Well educated
people like senior secondary Students,Students of higher Institution and graduates indulge most in yahoo frudulent especially those in Nigeria Cities.And according Seun Osewa “Nigeria is not the poorest African country, so why should we be the most fraudulent? “Bible had said it all in 2Timothy 2 2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents.
Ya,i think the problem is still rested on the shoulders of the Govt.i think if they can let this guys know that that is not the way to quick money or riches,by educating them,by book like “good sucess” by Ps.Chris,and other things like that,they would have a re-think.
Moreso,fight the cause of the problem by they indulge in such act should the done.
I really like the post.
Thank you for this Opport.
Regards
Listen Folks,
We should stop talking about 419 in Nigeria. It is just political. Our leaders whose corrupt practices the world uses as an index to rate us as the most curropt country continue to steal our money to foreign countries, and at the end of the day stolen no one bring them to book. These things are clear, if our leaders can channel the money they steal back into the economy, people will have jobs, and those who are into private small businesses can survive, but the issue is fraud in the high places. Those yahoo boys you guys talk about, are just a fraction of the kind of fraud in Nigeria. I am not supporting them, but I think they have a case for what they are doing and I beleive no one has the right to judge anyone except God the Almighty. The rate of crine in a city like New York alone is 100 times bigger than the fraud in Nigeria the whole year, yet the American Government doesn’t make anyone know about it, they make an internal issue, but in Nigeria our leaders go out there to paint their citizens red just to earn credibilty for their looted funds.
In USA, you can go to jail for defaulting in tax, even as little as 10 dollars, but here, it is the other way round.
That is my submission, thank you.
DH20