The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Let’s call Asari-Dokubo to order

    THE sage was right. Violence does not pay. There is nowhere that violence yields positive result; it breeds only chaos and disorderliness. The threat of it, if left unchecked, can snowball into an uncontrollable monster. It is a pity that Nigeria is a place where anything happens. It is, undoubtedly, a place where despicable things can be done freely. Surprising is the fact that, in the face of such wicked acts, silence remains the response from the people whose responsibility it is to enforce law and order.

    Recently, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, who thinks he is bigger than the country; a ‘repentant’ militant, who despite being given the grace of amnesty, taunted Nigerians, when he declared that Nigeria will know no peace if Jonathan did not return as president in 2015 elections.

    Inflammatory as this statement may be, a patient man may ignore it as the ranting of an idle man. Anybody taking the statement lightly does so at his own risk because when Asari-Dokubo was pressured to retract the comment, the sturdy ex-Niger Delta militant dropped another broadside, which seemed to make his initial threat more disturbing.

    He said: “I stand by my statement; there will be no peace, not only in Niger Delta, but in Nigeria, if Jonathan is not elected president by 2015.”

    Coincidentally, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta and chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Kingsley Kuku, also made similar war-mongering statement in the United States (US).

    Given his autecedents, Asari-Dokubo is known to be vile.

    It was noted by T. Lawrence that “all men dream, but not equally”. Those who dream by night wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes and make it possible.

    Asari-Dokubo is indeed a dreamer of the day, and it is disturbing that after he made the provocative statement, nothing has been done to caution his unbridled lips. Yes, there was a call by the Aminu Tambuwal-led House of Representatives on the law enforcement agency to charge him with incitement. Yes, there have been requests to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the duo of Kuku and Asari-Dokubo.

    But this is Nigeria where people and authorities don’t act proactively. Absolutely nothing will come out of the call for prosecution of the two Niger Delta men. We know that Asari-Dokubo will continue to walk freely, despite the fact that his statement has potential to incite Nigerians against one another.

    The worrisome comments and other events can make one question the very essence of amnesty for the Niger Delta militants. Etymologically, the word amnesty originated from the Greek word, “amnestia”, which implies pardon of wrong offences or misdeed. Past offences are, after granting amnesty, forgiven but such pardon is indeed predicated on the promise by the person(s) being forgiven not to err again.

    So, the amnesty-giver says to the beneficiary: “go and sin no more”. But in Nigerian context, the reverse is the case. In 2009, the Niger Delta militants were given amnesty and Asari-Dokubo was among the beneficiary. But it didn’t end there; by being the garrison commander of 4,000 militants, Asari-Dokubo got cash gifts and patronage to surrender his group’s arsenal to the authority.

    Given his criminal activities in the creeks of the Niger Delta, Asari-Dokubo deserves state punishment. But he was pardoned. Now, a man who was asked ‘to go and sin no more’ has come back again to dare us to our faces, threatening hell and fury should his benefactor failed to return to the country’s coveted office of the presidency in 2015. This is the product of amnesty!

    What makes Asari-Dokubo so sure that Goodluck Jonathan is popular among the Nigerian electorate? Though the election is two years away, there is no gainsaying the fact that Asari-Dokubo and his co-travellers in “no Jonathan, no Nigeria” must have been scheming to make the 2015 electoral process a fait accompli.

    The comments from these petty people should be seen as drumbeats of violence, which could mar the election. In my past articles on these pages, I noted that there is fire on the Nigerian mountain. Truly, the conflagration is still much around, burning rapidly and threatening to consume the mountain itself.

    The evil of violence or the threat of it is often long-lived and catastrophic. Sophocles Antigone, a philosopher, noted: “There is no greater evil than anarchy”. The wave of anarchy and terrorism ravaging the nation were undermined in the past. Now, suicide bombing and large-scale terrorism is with us.

    This is why the law enforcement agency must not disregard the statement credited to Asari-Dokubo and Kuku, for their incendiary comments may assume life of their own and give vent to another rebellion, which may tear the country apart.

    True, like every other Nigerian, Asari dokubo has his right to freedom of expression, but the right of one man ends where the right of another begins. By virtue of Section 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the right of freedom of expression can be derogated from and curtailed (a) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality…or (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.

    Asari-Dokubo and his co-travellers should be cautioned and compelled by security agents to issue a public apology to Nigerians. In Nigeria’s Criminal Law, Asari-Dokubo’s and Kuku’s comments do not amount to treason, and the statements have not been criminalised by any municipal law. As such, legal action may not be taken against them. The onus, therefore, lies on our lawmakers to fix this lacuna in our laws, and enact a law which will, henceforth, criminalise incendiary comments.

    Uche, 500-Level Law, UNIZIK

  • ‘Govt can’t enforce rationality’

    Can government or any other entity enforce rationality on humans without affecting the course of justice? The poser was subject of the discourse at the Forum for Intellectual Entrepreneur organised by African Liberty Organisation last Sunday. The seminar was held in the hall of Methodist Primary School, Oshodi, Lagos.

    Emile Phaneuf, a libertarian from the United States, who delivered a paper titled Defending liberty against arguments of human irrationality, believed that by nature, humans are rational and are free to be irrational, saying government did not have a right to help people think rationally in choosing choices. He said if people could choose from ranges of options without interference from the government, why would any entity or authority claim to possess a right to enforce rationality.

    He said rational model of decision in International Relations held that all levels of decision-makers made decision rationally by weighing options, calculating risks and competing interests, from which best or the least bad option would be chosen. The framework, he said, should be used as model to predict human behaviour at all levels.

    Phaneuf dismissed the argument put forward in Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness co-authored by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, that it is possible to steer people’s choices in the direction that will improve their lives. He said influencing people’s choice would make them lose their freedom to choose independently.

    Using drug addiction to explain rationality, Phaneuf said a drug addict preferred a short-term pleasure to a long-term health, adding that nobody could contest the choice because the drug user would have weighed various rational options before taking to drug.

    He said: “If human are irrational, then it could be said that governments are run by irrationally-behaving humans and factions with many competing interests. Why then do government officials want to force irrational decision on other?”

    Concluding, Phaneuf noted: “When government operates outside the boundaries of protecting justice, justice itself is sacrificed. Life, liberty and property are sacrificed. If man was irrational before, try allowing any person or entity including government to think for him for a decade or two and then grant him his freedom, you will find that irrationality becomes more normalised than ever.”

    Earlier, the convener, Mr Dayo Thomas, said the seminar was held to promote entrepreneurship among the youths, stressing that without freedom to choose, there would not be liberty and justice in the society. Participants at the seminar included Corps members, students and industry professionals.

  • Projecting African culture in French

    Every week, international students from Nigeria and Ghana on exchange programme at the Centre Internationale de Recherhe et d’Etude de Langue (CIREL), Village du Benin, Lomé, Togo, are required to showcase their culture using French language. JOHNPAUL NNAMDI reports one of the events.

    When a man sees a girl he likes and wants to marry, he traces her to her house. Then, in the company of his father or elderly relatives, he goes to the girl’s house with a bottle of Schnapps gin. This is referred to as “knocking.”

    After making his intention known to the girl’s family, he will be given a date to return while his family and that of the girl investigate each other’s attitude, antecedents and life styles. If they are comfortable with their findings, the two families will make them known and the man proceeds to pay the girl’s dowry.

    In paying the dowry, the materials to be brought for the girl’s family include sewing machine, jewelry, pieces of clothes, a bottle of Schnapps gin, cooking utensils, foodstuff and domestic animals, among others. The potential husband also buys gifts for the girl’s parents and pays Akunta sika – a sum of money to be given to the girl’s siblings, which is to appreciate them for taking care of her.

    The marriage follows and the couple will be blessed by their parents and offered gifts amid merriment.

    This narrative depicts marital processes in several regions of Ghana. The process was rehearsed by students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, at the Centre Internationale de Recherhe et d’Etude de Langue (CIREL), Village du Benin, Lomé, Togo.

    The students are on an exchange programme at the Lomé School of Language. Every week, international students studying at the school are made to participate in a cultural activity termed “Soirée Culturel”.

    It is a cultural affair for students to showcase their customs and traditional beliefs. Participants are mostly students studying French from Nigerian and Ghanaian universities.

    Each group of students is to hold the activity for a week. Throughout the week, the group holds a series of events, including traditional dance, drama, comedy, traditional drama and traditional fashion parade, among others.

    The highpoint of the event is the exhibition, portrayal and dramatisation of key cultural and time-honoured values, mores and civilisation of the tribe in question.

    Nigerian universities, which had staged performances include the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State; Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka (Anambra), Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (Enugu).

    Others are the Nasarawa State University, Lafia (NSUK); Delta State University (DELSU); University of Benin (Edo); Ignatius Ajaru University, Port Harcourt (Rivers); and Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado.

    The Cape Coast University displayed the culture of the people of the central region in Ghana; students of the University of Education Winneba, showcased the traditional practices in the various regions of Ghana.

    Students of DELSU spiced their week by putting up interesting traditional dance steps to showcase the culture of the people in the Niger Delta. They also demonstrated the traditional marriage ceremony of the Agbor people.

    But as the students are required to depict their customs and tradition, they are also compelled, while learning the French, study the culture, history, civilisation and politics of France.

    In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, the lecturer in-charge of socio-cultural activities, Mr Kalessou Thierry, said the primary objective of the “soirée culturel” was to give students a forum to be in touch with their background and to also make them express themselves in French.

    “We have to also learn about our indigenous tradition and its origin. That is why we have the ‘soirée culturel’ in our curriculum. This will enable students not to forget where they come from. And while performing, they are required to use French to communicate which will in turn improve their mastery of French language. In the process, we would have achieved more than one goal,” he said.

    Daniel Osabuohian, 300-Level, UNIBEN, said “soirée culturel” was not just a platform for students to showcase their traditions and cultures, but an opportunity to socially engage them in order to develop confidence and fluency while speaking the language. He added that most students had learned and mastered “good native expressions and proverbs” using French.

    Ndubisi Adikankwo, 300-Level, UNN, said: “I believe this weekly event is a sort of recreational activity that makes it possible for Africans to be aware of the differences in our culture, create an atmosphere for interaction, and know the culture and language of other African countries so that there can be alignment between us.”

    “At this point, it is a challenge for us as Africans. We should not be afraid or shy to expose, popularise, and broadcast our local customs. Anywhere we find ourselves, it is pertinent to demonstrate what we have because we have it,” said Bruno Gadazaezo of University of Education Winneba, Winneba, Ghana.

  • VC condoles with NANS

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, has commiserated with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and students on the death of five NANS officials, who died in a road crash last Thursday.

    The students’ leaders led by the NANS Senate President, Donald Onukaogu, were going to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital to mediate in crisis rocking the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) when the incident happened.

    Ambali spoke at the inauguration of the recently-elected Students’ Union Government (SUG) executive of the university held last Saturday in the school auditorium.

    The VC described the death of the students as unfortunate and a great loss to the nation.

    In his speech titled, Obey the rules, Ambali enjoined the union officers to obey the rules and regulations of the school, and carry out all their activities in accordance with the union constitution. This, he said, would require the executive to be disciplined, responsible, peaceful and cooperative, adding that great things would be achieved in a situation where people work together.

    “As long as you obey the rules and regulations of the university, you will always find us as partners in progress,” he noted.

    Ambali charged the union officials to continue to sustain the culture of peace and stability established in the university through the use of dialogue in addressing issues, stressing that students should not take law into their hands or engage in socially disruptive behaviour in advocating their interests.

    The VC also stressed the determination and commitment of his administration to ensure that students of the institution receive the best university education in the most conducive environment.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Omotesho, said his unit would continue to work with the leadership of the SUG to promote the mutual understanding between the school authority and the students’ body.

    The Dean said that the unit would organise a leadership workshop for the union leaders to orientate them on task ahead of them. He commended the outgoing executive led by Abdulmalik Aremu for recording successes during its tenure.

    Present at the event were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof Bayo Lawal, his Management and Research, Technology and Innovation counterparts, Prof Yisa Fakunle and Prof Felix Olawale, Bursar Mr Ayo Sijuola, and other principal officers of the school.

    The union is led by Ahmed Lawal. Other members include Modupe Hassan, Vice President, Kabir Jimoh, General Secretary, Timothy Orupe, Assistant General Secretary, Roland Ajetunmobi, Financial Secretary, Lukman Ayilara, Welfare Secretary, Olarenwaju Balogun, Public Relations Officers (PRO), Isiaq Akande, Sport Secretary, Ikhuemein Oyakhire, Social Secretary ans Kamil Akorede, PRO II.

    Members of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) were also sworn in. The council is led by Mumeen Alawaye, Speaker while Olajide Taiwo, was elected the Deputy Speaker and Abiodun Ishowo, the Clerk.

    Ahmed thanked the university community and students, who he said have given him the opportunity to lead them. He stressed that his administration would not encourage corruption.

    In an interview with CAMPUSLIFE, Modupe solicited for support and cooperation of the students so that the union would improve on the successes recorded by its predecessor.

  • Corps members celebrate with orphans

    The Charity Community Development Service Group of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Oyo State chapter, Ibadan has held a party for orphans and the physically challenged children to mark the Children Day. The event held at Ibadan North Local Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

    The orphanage homes present at the event included Jesus Kids Home for the Disabled, FOMWAN Orphanage Home, Mercy of God Orphanage, Winners Castle Orphanage Home, and Kings Kid Children Village, all in Ibadan.

    The excited children were treated to sumptuous meals as they also participated in different games and contest.

    Speaking at the event, Mr Rotimi Salawu, the Head of Department, Community Development Service of NYSC, reiterated the need to show love to the less privileged in the society. He decried the lack of attention towards the plight of the physically challenged children. He enjoined the operators of orphanage homes across the state not to relent in their effort in providing adequate care for the children under their care.

    Also, Pastor Ololade Adamolekun of Jesus Kids Home for the Disabled, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE after the event, lamented the rate at which people abandon children not minding the danger they could be exposed to. She said: “We have to refer abandoned children to other orphanage homes due to the large number we are dealing with.”

  • My Youth Service experience

    For me, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was an eye opener. It is the dream of many young Nigerians to participate in the scheme. The Youth Service is a significant national programme, which discharge certificate or exemption letter remains one of the requirements for a fresh graduate to proceed for Master’s or any other post graduate course. Without the NYSC certificate, one may not even get a job.

    After 12 months in Nasarawa State serving the country, I believe I should share my experience with others. My stay in Keffi and other parts of the state was fun-filled, though not without its challenges. But, to God be the glory, everything has finally come to an end.

    When I went to check my posting for the youth service, I felt so bad after I saw Nasarawa State against my name because I was expecting my posting to be within the Southwest. I had never travelled out of the Southwest region all my life, having received primary to tertiary education in the region.

    I would have preferred the far North, but the security challenges changed my aspiration. So, I was dejected when I saw Nasarawa State in my posting letter. Two of my classmates immediately deferred their posting when they saw Sokoto State in their posting letters.

    Having known that I had little or no option other than to go to Keffi, I braced up and was among the first set of graduates that got to Magaji Dan Yunusa Permanent Orientation Camp, Keffi. I was the eighth registered Corps member in with state code NS/12B/0008.

    I had the opinion that, maybe my early arrival could affect my re-posting to the state capital. I did my registration and relaxed. But when camp posting was done, it was another shocker for me. I was sent to teach at Government Secondary School, Lokogoma in Gadabuke Development Area of the state. Though I heard that majority of the Corps members would be deployed to schools to teach but my mind was in Lafia, the state capital.

    But I had no teaching experience, having graduated from Mass Communication Department in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA).

    At that point, I took the posting in good faith, hoping that my place of primary assignment (PPA) would be blessing in disguise for me. But I was surprised again when I got to my PPA and the community where I would dwell in for another 11 months was without electricity and mobile telephone network, especially the MTN. I began to imagine how I would survive in a place where there is no electricity and GSM network.

    I did my best to change my posting to a better community, but it failed at the last stage. So, I made up mind to stay and serve my father land in a place where there is no social amenity and nothing to enjoy. It was really challenging for me.

    The first day at my PPA, the thought of absconding ran through my mind. I never had passion for teaching in the first instance, but when I entered the class, I could notice my mistake standing before the pupils to explain myself. I was given English Language to teach and I was told that pupils in the area had challenges in the subject. The pupils stared at me in confusion just as I looked at them perplexed.

    I don’t understand Hausa language neither do they understand Yoruba, my local dialect. But I know that the language of communication is English, which is not a problem for me. At the end of the class, I asked the students: “do you understand?” They all chorused: “Yes”. I asked if any of them had question, none signified.

    But I was surprised when I asked a simple question from what I taught them that day. All the pupils looked back at me without mentioning anything. None of them understood my message. The teaching business continued for another 11 months until I passed out of the service, though with some of them improving in the subject. The rest is now history.

    I learned many things during my service year. I have learnt how to survive anywhere; I have learned how to be confident and how to manage challenges even as I successfully led a charity Community Development Service (CDS) as president. Members of the organisation in Gadabuke Development Area embarked on so many life-changing projects that boosted my morale to be a better leader and to affect lives positively. I have learnt a bit of Hausa language during my service year and I can say with all confidence that I came, I saw and I conquered.

    Dayo, recently finished youth service, in Keffi

  • In search of knowledge

    Students of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and the University of Ibadan (UI) have visited the National Assembly to enrich their knowledge, MARK ORGU (YABATECH) and HAMMED HAMZAT (300-Level Educational Management, UI) report.

    Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) and the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Yaba, have visited the National Assembly to enrich their knowledge.

    The visitors are members of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), the legislative arm of their institutions’ Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The UI students were led by the SRC Speaker, Oluyemi Sarumi, and other principal officers of the union; their colleagues from YABATECH were led by Simiat Arikawe, the Speaker.

    On arrival at the National Assembly complex, YABATECH students were taken by the Chief Security Officer and Sergeant-at-Arm Mr Adedeji Alabi, to the hearing room for an introductory session.

    Alabi lectured the students on the workings of the chambers, stressing that during proceedings, phones and other electronic devices are not allowed.

    In the upper chamber, Senate President David Mark welcomed the students.

    In response, the students stood for recognition. The students later left for the House of Representatives, where they were received by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    Tambuwal reiterated the House commitment to championing good causes for the country’s wellbeing.

    At 9:40am on Tuesday, the UI students were received by Alabi, an alumnus of the premier university. He urged students to refrain from actions that may interrupt proceedings in the chamber and to abide by any instructions given to them.

    At 10:25am, the students welcomed a procession led by the Senate President. After Senator Mark said the opening prayer, he called on the visiting students to rise for recognition. The students rose and took a bow before the Senators.

    Senator Ahmed Lawan moved a motion to start the proceedings; Senator Ganiyu Solomon seconded the motion.

    The students witnessed the submission of proposed amendment to the constitution by Senator Ike Ekweremadu and confirmation of Mr Mike Okiro as chairman Police Service Commission.

    After the plenary, the UI students visited senators representing Oyo State in their offices. Senator Ayoade Adeseun, who is representing Oyo Central, told that the students that society does not appreciate the lawmakers. He said attention was being given to the president and his ministers, who he said could not do anything unless the legislators approved of it.

    Senator Olufemi Lanlehin promised to attend the union’s legislative conference scheduled to hold in August.

    On what informed the visit, Oluyemi said the excursion was to enhance legislative standard in the union. Ifeoluwa Egunjobi, Deputy Speaker, said: “I have learnt how to preside over the sitting in the speaker’s absence.”

    The YABATECH students also met with the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Solomon and Senator Olugbenga Ashafa. While advising the students, the senators urged them to brace for challenges ahead of the them as leaders of tomorrow.

  • Kwara NANS gets leaders

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Kwara State axis, has inaugurated its leaders to oversee the affairs of the association for another one year. The ceremony, which held in Stella Obasanjo Hall of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY), was graced by past and present students’ leaders in and outside the state.

    Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA), who was present on the occasion, charged the students’ to fight the spread of cultism on their various campuses, saying: “cultism is a menace that only jeopardises the future of students who engage in it.”

    Oyeleke, who is a former Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, urged political leaders in the country to be responsive and responsible to the yearning and aspirations of the populace, stressing that Nigerian leaders had not done enough in ensuring better welfare for the citizens.

    The Special Adviser to Kwara State Governor on Students’ Affairs, Architect Akanbi Lamidi, an architect, who represented Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, said the government would not renege on its promise in support students’ cause for a better Nigeria.

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Zonal Commander for Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states, Kehinde Adeleye, delivered a lecture on Security challenges in Nigeria and its adverse effects on national development: The role of Nigerian youths. He said the security challenges facing the country could only be overcome if the government could provided functional amenities, employment and ensure the establishment of stable economic policies.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Architect Lola Ashiru, a politician, congratulated the outgoing executive for “a job well done” and also urged the incoming leaders to emulate and surpass the achievement of their predecessors.

    The highpoint of the occasion was the swearing in of the officers. The Chairman of the Convention Committee, Ibrahim Jatto, administered the oath of office on the new chairman, who also repeated the same on the members of the executive.

    The elected officers were AbdulRazaq Ibrahim, chairman, Hommamed Edogi, Vice-Chairman, Ibrahim Sheriff, General Secretary, Abdulmalik Musediq, Treasurer, Abdulganiyu Dikko, Assistant General Secretary, Saheed Ibrahim, Director of Sport, Issa Lukmon, Ex-officio, Kayode Alabede, Ex-officio II, Qudus Audu, Director of Mobilisation, AbdulGaneey AbdulRaheem, Financial Secretary and Ridwan Adekunle, Public Relations Officer.

  • Nigeria of my dreams

    I may not be as old as my nation neither can I claim to be as wise as our leaders. I cannot even say that I am as intelligent as political advisers, yet I have dreams and aspirations – dreams for my life, family, community and my beloved country, Nigeria.

    My dreams for my nation dates back to my childhood in the late 1980s when Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was metaphorically referred to as Maradona. At the time, my mother used to trade in rice and beans in the Maroko slum before it was pulled down by the government of Brig.Gen Raji Rasaki.

    Maybe my dreams were too lofty; maybe my nation had no bounty; maybe our leaders shunned honesty and maybe Nigeria is not even a country. The list of ‘maybes’ is endless.

    These days I have been asking questions; questions to which answers are simple but too abstract. When did our problems start? Where exactly did they spring from? Who were the parties who masterminded our tribulations and how are we going to get out of the rot? Question upon questions, answers are provided but swept under the carpet. Maybe I should being agitating and join them since I have not been able to beat them.

    Sometimes, I wonder why my country emerges first from the rear; why our best brains are drained by other nations; why our resources are not sufficient enough to cater for the need of every citizen; how my beloved nation became a fertile ground for terrorism; why citizens still sleep under bridges. Is this country governed by human beings? When will Nigeria of my dreams come to fruition? I must be a dreamer fantasising in the world of reality.

    During my countless wonderings, the reality of it all became glaring: we are plagued by our professed socialism. Suffice it to say that Nigeria’s enemy is within the socio-political system it is practising. If Marx and Engels were to return and address humanity, typified by the Nigerian socialists, they would exclaim: “See what man has made of man!”

    Yes, deception is everywhere, in different degrees and magnitude. In Nigeria, “people deceiving people” is a tradition – it is the source of people’s income. In a country where the rulers and the ruled are constantly playing a game of deceit, the outcome is often corruption. It is, therefore, not surprising that our nation ranks top on the list of corrupt nations.

    There are too many Marxists in Nigeria, yet we are not reaping the benefits of socialism. This brings us to the question: who is deceiving who? Marxists, by my reckoning, are not supposed to amass wealth – they do not accumulate but distribute wealth. They are people who fight in the interest of the masses and chart a progressive course for the proletariats. Yet, things are done conversely in Nigeria.

    The so-called socialists are ranked amongst the wealthiest. They live in high-class mansions, use posh cars and live in affluence at the expense of the masses. Their children attend the best of schools within and outside the country. They share in the national cake but in their hypocrisy tell the masses “no course for alarm”. All we hear from them are words without actions. The truth be told, there is no saviour anywhere; all of us are struggling for survival.

    Sincerely, the problem with Nigeria should not be found in the type of government we have but in our national mentality. Ask a poor man on the street or a layman what he would do if he were to be elected into any public office. The response is not going to be different from material accumulation. Are we building the nation or wrecking it?

    It is only in Nigeria, and other countries with same mentality, that we abandon cause of leprosy and chase rashes. A poor man is the terrorist, the suicide bomber, the kidnapper, the blackmailer, and so on. Have we ever attempted to find who their sponsors are and bring them to book? It is obvious that those who are arrested for crime do not work for themselves. They have bosses, who are protected by the law of the land. My country is the place where everything sensible makes no sense.

    My country is a country where material wealth reigns supreme; a country where one man can own fleet of cars, build hundreds of houses, acquire property without paying commensurate taxes; a country where accountability is strange to government; a country where the rich man’s dog feed better than a poor man’s child; a country where the rule of law is means lawlessness; alas, a country that should not be called a country.

    Notwithstanding, I have high hopes, dreams and aspirations for my beloved country. I see it in my dreams and imaginations; I see it in our kids, who are yet to be corrupted. However, I have fears for the “beautiful ones” born in my nation. I shed tears for the boom that comes with a doom. I shed tears for the dying visions of our heroes past, whose legacies might soon die.

    The Nigeria of my dreams is a nation where mediocrity will not be celebrated; a nation where the rich and poor would both be seen and treated as humans; a nation where bridges and slums won’t be befitting homes for humanity; a nation where there won’t be hunger in the midst of plenty; a nation where leadership won’t destroy the followership; a nation where the rule of law would reign supreme; a nation where corruption would hit the rock and be mocked by all; a nation where the beautiful ones shall be born again. That would be the Nigeria of my dreams.

    Oladele, recently finished from English, OAU, Ile-Ife

  • ‘Our June 12 memories’

    June 12, 1993 will never be forgotten in the annals of the country. It was the day millions of Nigerians voted for  the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola as president to end military rule. Some students in higher tertiary institutions, who were babies then, speak on the events of that day. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (400-Level Language Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) writes.

    The 20th Anniversary of June 12, 1993 presidential election was marked last week. Several symposia were held to commemorate the day, which is significant to the democratic struggle.

    What led to the June 12 saga was the annulment of the election described as the country’s freest and fairest election ever by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The election was widely believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola.

    To key political players of the time, such as members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), June 12 is a dark blot in the nation’s history, which must be removed to ensure “total” democratisation of Nigeria. For undergraduates between 20 and 23, the June 12 struggle may not be totally understood.

    “I was three years old when the election was annulled. I could not fully understand what was going on then but I knew Chief MKO Abiola was popular. I perceived him as a great man with immense value. Given that I was underage and ignorant of what was going on and its implication, I voted during the election, but not the real thing. My parents took me to the polling booth and the electoral officer in charge put my hand on the ink pad and pressed on a paper, not the ballot paper. I could hear people chanting egbe olope nike dibo fun (vote for a party with palm tree emblem), John Godfrey, 100L-English Education, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, said.

    Oluwatosin Alawode, 300-Level English, OAU, who was 12 months old at the time, said he was told about June 12. “As a toddler, I could not have known Abiola but from what I heard, he was popular even in faraway Southeast and the North. Had it been the military allowed the election to stay, Nigeria would not have been playing politics of ethnicity and sentiment.”

    Mercy Ojo, 400-Level Mass Communication, Bowen University (BOWEN), Iwo, Osun State, said: “Then, I was just one year old. I knew nothing about Nigeria and even Abiola. But, as I grew up, I learned MKO Abiola was a good man with brilliant ideas to govern Nigeria. I learned that his struggle was a conscious move to abort the reign of dictatorship and tyranny in Nigeria.”

    Oluwatunmise Oladoyinbo, 400-Level English Education, OAU, was a few days old when the military annulled the election. He said: “It was not in my consciousness whether anybody won any election or anything happened. As I grew up, through books, I learnt it was the most free and fair elections and Abiola won the contest.

    “To me, Abiola was a man of great potential and his foray into politics raised the bar of leadership. If given the chance, he would have led the country to a state of total development. With what is happening in the country, the efforts of our past heroes are being eroded.”

    Omolade Oke, 300-Level Sociology and Anthropology, OAU said: “I was a year old at that time but as I grew up, I observed that on every June 12, we don’t go to school. Even my parents stay indoors throughout the day. They would share with me Abiola’s good work and how the most credible election he won was annulled by the Evil Genius.

    “I later developed interest in Abiola’s biography and how he was said to have committed treason with the Epetedo Declaration. I also learned that the annulment was partly a power play between the North and the South.”