The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • As El-Rufai’s son goes to public school

    Sir: The news that has generated buzz in the social and conversional media on Monday is the enrolment of Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s six-year old child in the public school. Abubakar was enrolled in Kaduna State Capital School on Monday in fulfilment of the governor’s campaign promises to take his son to public school.If one may recall, Governor El-Rufa’i since the time he assumed office to date, has been carrying out reforms aimed at repositioning the education sector. The reforms has led to the sacking of over 20 thousand primary school teachers whom he described as incompetent having failed to pass an aptitute test organised by the state government. However, the state government moved fast to fill the vacuum. It hired graduates and NCE holders to teach in the public schools.

    There are divergent views being expressed by people with regard to the enrolment of Abubakar El-Rufai into the public school. Some people view the bold action as timely particularly when many Nigerians have started losing confidence on public schools.

    Read Also: El-Rufai’s son public school enrolment, deceptive game for 2023 – Shehu Sani

    It is no longer news that our public schools have become shadow of their former selves. Most of our primary schools lack basic infrastructures, learning materials and above all competent teachers. These sorry conditions of our education sector has forced the ruling elite and other affluent members in our societies to take or enrol their children or wards to the private schools. To these catagories of people, the governor’s decision to enrol his son is a moral booster and will encourage school enrolment drive. However, other people view the governor’s move as politics. To  them, there is a world of difference between the Kaduna State Capital School which the governor took his son and the LGE Primary Schools where children of the common man attend.

    It was reliably gathered that the state government last year spent N195 million to renovate the capital school. This indicates, even by any standard, that the school where the governor enrolled his son is far better than most of our LGE schools.

    In most of the public schools, the children of the poor recieve lessons under dilapidated classrooms. Sometimes, under the shade of trees with the majority of pupils sitting in bare floor. This poor environment of learning still exists in spite of the much-talked or acclaimed investment in the sector. With this glaring evidence, the critics believe that Governor El-Rufai does not deserve applause or commendation. They have furthered stated that he just wants to make political capital out of the much-publicised public school enrolment.

    Untill the falling standard of education in the early 90’s, the children of our ruling elites shared the same class with wards of the poor people of the society. Governor El-Rufai, who is a beneficiary of public schools attested to this fact. The governor should go beyond taking his son to a public school and invest massively in the education for the development of Kaduna State.

     

    • Ibrahim Mustapha,

    Pambegua, Kaduna State.

  • Two ‘kidnappers’ killed in Bauchi

    THE Bauchi State police command said it has killed two suspected kidnappers, destroyed their camp and recovered some arms and ammunition in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

    In a statement Wednesday, signed by its spokesperson, DSP Kamal Abubakar, the command said the criminals were killed on Tuesday.

    “On Sept. 24, based on credible intelligence, the Command’s team attached to Operation Puff Adder, in collaboration with Danga security volunteers, trailed some kidnap/armed robbery suspects to their camp in Gali forest, in the said LGA,” the statement said. “On sighting the police team, the suspects engaged them in a gun duel but were successfully overpowered.

    Read Also: Bauchi vows to tackle yellow fever

    “Two of the suspects were gunned down, while the rest were believed to have escaped with bullets wounds.

    “The suspects were taken to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital for treatment but were later certified dead by medical doctors.”

    The command also said exhibits recovered during the operation included two AK-47 rifles, 11 rounds of live ammunition and four motorcycles.

     

  • Politics hindering power sector drive, says APGC

    The Association of Power Generation Companies of Nigeria (APGC) has said out of the 13, 427 megawatts (Mw) installed electricity capacity, only 7,500mw was available. Yet, of this available capacity, only 3,500mw is being utilised.

    The association noted there was a huge gap between what is being consumed and what we have, and, therefore, called for optimisation of what is on ground.

    APGC’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Joy Ogaji, who spoke with The Nation at an oil and gas forum in Lagos, said over 80 per cent of power generated in the country came through thermal power plants which use gas.

    According to her, that makes the gas sector a critical stakeholder to those that generate the power.

    “To that extent, there’s need to make that value chain or subsector very viable so that gas should be available for us to generate more power, she stated.”

    She recalled the Vision 20: 2020 with its expectation of attaining 40,000mw of electricity.

    “If we have a dream of getting to 40,000mw, should we not start by utilising all that’s available before we look for more. It’s good to make political statement but there’s need to focus on utilisation,’’ she said.

    The issue of generating and distributing sufficient power to meet domestic, commercial and industrial requirements of electricity consumers in the country had been a major challenge facing successive administrations in the country.

    The government’s efforts and plans to provide regular and efficient power supply from all indications so far has not yielded the anticipated result. The Federal Government’s ambition to place Nigeria among the world’s 20 biggest and strongest economies by 2020 is fast becoming illusory as epileptic electricity supply gradually constitutes the greatest encounter facing the country towards realising the vision.

    Sadly, the first thing that strikes one’s mind while recalling the Vision 20:2020 project is electricity which is yet to improve significantly despite billions of naira pumped into the power sector.  Regular power is critical to the realisation of the economic dream.

    Ogaji agreed the gas to power value chain was a good prospect. But she noted that 26,000mw was the demand for Nigerians because the system operator of the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) currently demanded up to that but what is installed was 13, 000mw, arguing there’s already a disparity.

  • How government fuels deaths on the roads

    Sir: The rate at which men and women, young and old are dying on the roads is alarming. From all indications, neither the arms of government nor the agencies in charge of road safety administration seem to show any serious concern to curtail the tragic losses.

    Today, people who do not know how to drive are getting the driver licence with ease on the payment of an amount higher than the official price.  Most of the would – be drivers and licence applicants no longer go to driving schools for the required comprehensive theory and practical training because they can easily procure the Driver Licence without training and testing. They are then left to driving by gambling, endangering human lives. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has failed to institute the final assessment test in the Driving School Portal before issuing the “Certificate of Proficiency/Competence” needed to process Driver Licence. Hence the incessant and disgraceful racketeering that has pervaded the Driver Licence Centre.

    Driving is a vocation and whoever is going into it must be well trained, tested and certified competent before licensed to drive. Anyone who will drive in Nigeria like in any other country must understand the whole content of the Nigeria Highway Code including the traffic signs and road markings, the national road traffic regulations and have a mastery of the super defensive driving techniques. Anything short of this will culminate into a creation of safety risks on the road. This is the tragedy in Nigeria’s road safety system as at today.

    The Vehicle Inspection Officers who have the constitutional role of administering pre – licence theory and practical tests as a check and balance against racketeering nationwide have abandoned or compromised this statutory function thereby fuelling the licensing of killer drivers and by extension, increasing the rate of road traffic crashes, injuries and deaths.

    The governments and their agencies responsible for road safety administration in Nigeria have not been taking effective proactive actions for reasons best known to them.

    The Road Transport Safety and Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) initiated by FRSC is a laudable programme but the shoddy implementation has made a mockery of it. I recently boarded a bus owned by a popular transport company that is accredited for RTSSS. The driver of the bus arrived Lagos from Port Harcourt around 2am and was booked to proceed back to Port Harcourt with 15 passengers without sleeping for more than three hours. The driver fought back sleep for a while before we compelled him to sleep at a filling station guest room for few hours before resuming the journey.  There are so many accidents on Nigeria roads caused by fatigue.

    What significant action has the FRSC taken to stem this evil tide? What reasonable action has the agency taken to stop the use of alcohol and other psychoactive drugs? What meaningful action has been taken to reduce over-speeding by drivers apart from the commercialised speed limiting devices which can never work as I said during the course of a public hearing at the National Assembly?

    We have heard enough from FRSC, VIOs and other government agencies about the causes of road traffic crashes. Nigerians are eager to see proactive actions effectively implemented without compromise and corruption. FRSC should engage the use of modern technology strategically positioned on the roads to more effectively check the causes of road traffic crashes instead of their current mode of operation which has dangerously downgraded their integrity through the massive bribery and corruption being exhibited by the Operation Officers on all roads. Drivers no longer fear nor respect the order of FRSC as in the 1980s because of bribery and compromise. A more effective re – engineering is urgently needed in Nigeria road safety administration. We can no longer be doing the same thing the same way and be expecting different results.

     

    • Jide Owatunmise,

    Kubwa, Abuja.

  • Diri: I will preside over government of continuity

    Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Senator Douye Diri has intensified his mobilisation for the November 16 poll across the eigth local governments. Allen Ibiba-Harry examines his manifesto, strengths, weaknesses, and prospects and constraints of his ambition.

    Since he emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State, it has been a flurry of activities for Senator Douye  Diri.

    He has been crisscrossing the state to feel the pulse of the people, mending fences and urging a sense of renewal, preaching his gospel of prosperity and assuring the populace of a new dawn of purposeful leadership. He has literally been on a voyage of selling his political values, pragmatic revival and hope of victory.

    From that momentous event at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, where a tumultuous crowd of party supporters and admirers welcomed him to the state, following the issuance of his certificate of return In Abuja, which he also presented to the people at the occasion, to the myriad of subsequent outings of significant political proportion and bonding with the people, Diri has been upbeat about being the rallying point in the PDP.

    He is lucky to have such broad spectrum of adroit supporters, whose loyalty transcends political affiliation to the PDP, but a keen sense of their reality and convictions that the senator representing Bayelsa Central in the Senate is a candidate of choice for the greater interest of the state.

    The PDP candidate has been effusive in his praises and commendation to the people who, he repeatedly said, were the real winners of the primary election that thrust him to the gubernatorial stage on September 3.

    The crowd at the Peace Park reception which was witnessed by key leaders of the party, including the party chairman,  Cleopas Moses , Speaker of the House of Assembly, Tonye  Isenah, PDP BoT member, Remi Kuku and some of the aspirants who lost to him at the primary election was unanimous in their endorsement of Senator Diri even with such remarkable explanations.

    In the words of the Secretary to the Government, Kemela Okara, a co-aspirant, “We all know as a party that we organised a very free, fair and credible primary election on the 3rd of September. As one family, we have voted and as one family, the man who is our choice is our brother, Senator Douye Diri. So many said it was not possible for our party to organise a primary with so many aspirants. They were speaking of all kinds of doom, but throughout the process, when we picked up our nomination forms, there was no rancor, there was no division, there was no bad blood. Everything we did was based on one objective: that the best among us should emerge.

    “We knew we were going  for a primary that had never happened before, we knew that as a state, we had never come to an end of a proper transition, we knew that like other states around us we had never done this before. But one thing was clear to all of us and that was that the unity of our party was sacrosanct and all the things we did was in the best interest of our brothers and sisters that make up not only Bayelsa State but the entire Ijaw speaking areas right from Ondo to Akwa Ibom State.

    “ We knew that this was a litmus test and that is why we are gathered here united solidly behind our brother. So we are solidly united, there are no division amongst us, we went to a keen contest and the best man has emerged. We are solidly behind him”.

    Other aspirants at the event, including Chief Benson Agadaga, Olivia Tari and David Alagoa, also endorsed the candidate and that the other aspirants who were unable to attend the reception had similarly called both Governor Seriake Dickson and the candidate to pledge their support.

    A contestant, Keneibi Okoko, while congratulating Diri, noted that “after due consultations with my team, I have formally visited the winner, Senator Douye Diri, to personally congratulate him on his victory. I have also been in touch with my brother, Chief Timi Alaibe, to support our great party to success”.

    Read Also: Senator Douye Diri shows love for sports and youth development

    Okoko clarified his position in an interview, stating: “Sometimes, if you don’t win and you have a way to help the party, do it so that whoever has won can learn from those things you suggested because no man is an island. That is why I was able to concede to Senator Douye Diri and congratulate him because in as much as I felt I should have won, he has emerged the winner. The best thing for me to do is to join hands with him and make him a better governor. Not to think of, oh I lost, I must fight him or move to another party. No.”

    Okoko, who called for politics of substance rather than that of desperation added:  “It must not always be about ourselves and our vision. It cannot be. The country or this state cannot move forward if we continue that way”.

    The PDP candidate has subsequently taken the cause of reconciliation to other aspirants including Dr. Nimibofa Ayawei and Hon. Konbowei Benson who lost to him at the primaries. He personally visited them at their respective homes where he called for unity, a message of hope and assurance which was well received by the aspirants as they pledged their total support to work together in the interest of the party.

    As charity begins at home, Senator Diri has also visited his maternal home in Ayamasa in Ekeremor Local Government Area where he was received with fanfare by the family members and the entire community.  In his address, the candidate enunciated his vision for a new and prosperous Bayelsa and the inherent possibilities which, he said, would facilitate development across board and provide answers to many of the teething socio-economic issues in the state.

    The people Diri of their unflinching support, stating that being their son, they would vote massively for him at the election. The situation was not different when he visited his town, Sampou, where he got a rousing welcome and prayers by the elders of the community as they gave their blessings.

    In a tweet, Diri later recounted his experience: ”I thank the elders of my community, Sampou of Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA for the warm welcome and spontaneous outpouring of prayers. Nothing can be greater compared with the blessings of our fathers and the show of support for my ambition. It was indeed a moment of honour.”

    Such optimism was also the rendition of the people of Amassoma when Diri visited the ancestral home of the first civilian governor of the state, the late Chief DSP Alamieyesigha, to present his vision and solicited support to actualize the vision by voting en masse for the PDP in the next election. Similar interest also necessitated his meeting with past and present councilors and many women groups which turned out to be a worthy engagement as all concerned both at Amassoma and the various political entities rose with one voice by acclaiming Senator Douye Diri’s candidature as pragmatic and best for the party ahead of the November governorship election.

    Along the line, the candidate extended his visit to the family of a deceased PDP chieftain in Nembe, the late Lady Karina Inemo and attended the funeral service of the late Mrs Modupe Amaegberi, wife of the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Students Loan Board. They were solemn moments when Senator Diri had to express his condolences and empathy with the two families.

    The mood in Diri’s political camp was, however, enlivened by the cheering news from Abuja that the Election Petitions Tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by Festus Daumiebi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the election of Douye Diri as senator.

    In the judgement delivered in Abuja, the tribunal held that the APC candidate could not sufficiently prove his case of being the winner of the Bayelsa Caentral senatorial election which was held on March 9, 2019.

    It described the petition by Daumiebi as lacking in substance and afformed Senator Diri as duly elected.

    In his reaction, Senator Diri said it was expected as the whole suit itself was baseless and frivolous.

    Yet, the candidate has been forthcoming on issues of policies and development in the state.  At an interactive session with reporters at the NUJ House in Yenagoa, the state capital, Diri spoke eloquently on expectations from the people, like building on Governor Seriake Dickson’s efforts in educational development, infrastructure and his massive project of economic revival which, he said, would help to create many good jobs especially for the teeming youths in the state. He hinged his economic agenda on industrialization, diversification with agriculture and aquaculture as pillars, sports and tourism. This is the essence of what he calls “Prosperity for All.”

    He also spoke the relationship between the level of development in the state and revenue allocation, electricity generation and the blackout, civil service reform and the challenge of reviving sports in Bayelsa State as he promised to proffer solutions when elected governor of the state.

    While he did not believe Bayelsa was getting enough from the Federal Government, which, he observed, had affected the level of development, he would want a situation where true federalism operates in the country and the respective states control their resources and pay royalties to the centre.

    “If Bayelsa is given so much by the federal system, why are we having only 13 percent and then, we are crying over that 13 percent that is nowhere near the challenge of development of the state, considering our terrain and our environment, that we have 13 percent out of 100 percent given to us. We should be talking about controlling our resources and paying taxes to the Federal Government, that is the practice worldwide.

    “Nobody goes to sit down  with their plates at the end of every month to collect what they call federal allocation and that federal allocation is used to develop other parts of Nigeria and here we are struggling and abusing ourselves with 13 percent. So, I want to urge you to join me in the crusade for the abrogation of the Land Use Act because that is what has deprived  the Niger Delta of its own wealth  and if that is done, then, we can be asking ourselves how much do we have? How much have we put in, in the development of  Bayelsa State.”

    On the electricity situation in the state, the candidate blamed the existing laws on how a state would have to get authority from Abuja before carrying out such action like independent electricity as he held the Power Holding Company of Nigeria responsible for whatever blackout being experienced in the state. Diri, however, promised to tackle the issue headlong when elected governor as he would also give due attention to the development of sports.

    He said: “The scenario in the concurrent legislative list is that the state government can also approximate power to have their own electricity but because they are all controlled from the federal , you need to go and talk to people in Abuja to do something in your state. If you want to have an independent power plant you need approval from Abuja, those are the things wrong with our federation and those were  the things I stood for in the green chambers…that’s the kind of country we are Into and we must understand all of these things so that you know that the  power situation is actually not from Bayelsa here but we will try to begin to get the approvals that they want us to get from the national and try to see how we can bring in independent power project the way Okilo and others did  when they were governors. And I am sure even this administration was fighting to settle discussion on bringing in more independent power project, you know we are sitting on gas in Bayelsa and all the major oil companies will engage them to the point that they will support us in the state and my government will productively go into looking out how we can bring in more independent power plants and solve the problems of darkness not only in Yenagoa but also in our local government headquarters in our various communities.”

    Senator Douye Diri, born on June 4th 1959 to the family of A.J.M Diri of Kalama-Owinari compound in Sampou community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is a man of history. A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, Senator Diri was the founding National Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), former Commissioner for Youths and  Sports, former member of the House of Representatives and currently senator representing Bayelsa Central.

  • El-Rufai goes to school

    It was an audacious pronouncement. In a state broadcast in December, 2017, the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had made a pledge to the people of the state that “I will by personal example ensure that my son that will be six years old in 2019 will be enrolled in a public school in Kaduna State by God’s grace.” The governor urged other public officers in the state to do likewise to demonstrate his administration’s determination and sincere commitment “to fix public education and raise their standards so that private education will become only a luxury”.

    This week, Governor el-Rufai proved that his promise was not just the empty rhetoric often associated with politicians. In an unusual and commendable move, he has enrolled his son, Abubakar, Al-Saddique el-Rufai in primary one at the Capital School, Malali, Kaduna State. Some cynics have referred sarcastically to the fanfare that attended young Abubakar el-Rufai’s going to school with all the media hype it attracted in comparison to other less privileged children who started school across the state in relative anonymity.

    Well, the child of the first citizen of the state can surely not be registered to commence his primary education in a public school, a practice against the prevalent norm, without attracting considerable attention. This is returning to the example of statesmen like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Lateef Jakande, in the first and second republics, respectively, whose children attended public schools even when their fathers held high political offices.

    Read Also: El-Rufai’s son public school enrolment, deceptive game for 2023 – Shehu Sani

    Even then, that was a period when there was still a lot of confidence in public schools and they compared favourably with private ones. Given the level of gross deterioration of public education at all levels in contemporary Nigeria, el-Rufai’s example is a remarkable and refreshing one.

    The el-Rufai administration in Kaduna State has taken commendable steps to re-position education in the state and transform the sector into an efficient and effective vehicle for achieving rapid development. Sometimes it has had to take courageous but painful decisions in this regard. For instance, the administration introduced proficiency tests for primary school teachers and had no option but to weed out those who were patently ill-equipped to impart qualitative education to pupils. In their place, 25,000 new qualified teachers were recruited to raise the quality of instruction in primary schools, the foundational level of education.

    In recognition of the critical role of education in extricating the state from debilitating poverty and underdevelopment, the el-Rufai administration declared the first nine years of schooling free for boys and the whole 12 years of primary and secondary education free for girls, thus doubling school enrolment from 1.1 million to nearly 2.1 million in the state. And through the Kaduna State Universal Education Board, the government has embarked on a massive school rehabilitation programme with humongous funds committed to the provision of modern classrooms, furniture, water, and toilet facilities.

    About 1,069, 140 pupils from primary one to primary three in 3,922 primary schools are also benefitting from the state’s school feeding programme at the cost of N70/child a day. This has impacted positively both on school enrolment numbers and the healthy growth of school children who are fed daily nutritious meals. Governor el-Rufai’s enrolment of his son in a public school demonstrates that his administration’s huge investment in the sector is no fluke. After all, the governor would not want his child to receive substandard education.

    Some critics contend that el –Rufai is only playing to the gallery and seeking publicity for the sake of politics. Whatever may be his motives, this is a salutary example of leadership worth emulating. If more prominent public officers follow in this path, governments would care more both for the quality of public education and the safety of pupils who attend them.

     

  • Delta: One dead in police clash with ‘cultists’

    AN unidentified man has died in a shootout between policemen and suspected cultists at Express Junction in Udu council area of Delta State.

    It was gathered that policemen from Ovwian/Aladja Division had gone to the area Tuesday evening to quell a clash between two suspected cult groups.

    The Nation learnt that one of the groups opened fire on the approaching security team, leading to an exchange of fire. .

    One of the suspects was gunned down, while others fled, the police said.

    The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke confirmed the development.

    He said, “Cultists clashed with police and one was shot dead.”

  • Steady progress

    Ever since the adoption and pursuit of its cashless policy in 2012, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has recorded steady progress in its objective of reducing the volume and frequency of cash-based transactions in the Nigerian economy. The marked success recorded in the actualisation of the policy thus far is easily visible in the substantial increase in the number of Nigerians who make use of electronic means of effecting payments for services rendered at petrol stations, supermarkets, restaurants and fast food joints, hotels, hair dressing and barbers’ shops, and in sundry other transactions which were hitherto mainly cash-based.

    One immediate benefit of this development is that it has become much less tempting and attractive for criminals to attack and rob these commercial centres in search of cash, which used to be allowed to accumulate before being deposited at banks through manual processes. One previously serious source of the country’s protracted security challenge has thus been effectively checkmated. Furthermore, the culture of conducting transactions through the formal monetary system has been strengthened, thus reducing the amount of transactions operating outside the framework of the banks, even if only marginally for now.

    Read Also: CBN cashless policy’ll benefit Nigerians, says PayAttitude founder Apochi

    Against this background, it is commendable that the CBN, last week, commenced another phase of its cashless policy in Lagos, Ogun, Abia, Anambra, Rivers states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where bank customers either depositing or withdrawing cash above stipulated thresholds will pay specified charges. Individual accounts transactions will attract processing fees of 3% for withdrawals and 3% for lodgments above N500,000.00, respectively. In a similar vein, corporate accounts will attract processing fees of 5% for withdrawals and 3% for lodgments above N3 million. These charges will go beyond the six pilot major commercial centres and become applicable nationwide from March 31, 2020.

    Significantly reducing the incidence of cash transactions, which is the objective of the policy, will not only reduce threats of insecurity to individual and commercial entities who will no longer have to store or convey large amounts of cash, it will also help increase the confidence level of the public in banks through increased online financial transactions. The caveat here, however, is that the banks themselves must enhance their levels of efficiency, effectiveness and integrity to win and sustain enduring public trust. Ultimately, the successful and enduring inculcation of the cashless policy will depend largely on a higher level of ethical standards by the financial institutions.

    Enhancing the culture of electronic relative to personal cash transactions will also, even if indirectly, engender greater respect for the national currency, which is subjected to gross abuse through such practices, for instance, as obscene ‘spraying‘ of the Naira at parties. Pervasive and untrammeled cash transactions also leads to frequent mishandling of the Naira resulting to large scale deterioration and mutilation of the currency, with high replacement costs. There is also the added advantage that electronic bank transactions, especially through mobile phone devices, will reduce the need for large numbers of customers to physically visit banks, thus helping to reduce pressure on transportation and road traffic facilities.

    It would appear that much of the initial negative reactions to the new initiative stems from misunderstanding of aspects of the cashless policy. The CBN has thus explained that the new charges on large deposits and withdrawals apply only to cash transactions. Those who do not want to pay such fees can make use of the various alternative electronic payment modes that attract no charges. As the CBN also explained, the deposit/withdrawal charge is only on the amount above the stipulated sums and not the entire amount. The CBN no doubt needs to intensify its public enlightenment effort on details of the new policy.

  • Is education still key to success?

    The poor economy and high level of unemployment as well as societal appreciation of wealth make many disillusioned about the value of education, particularly at tertiary level. However, regardless of the difficulties graduates face getting jobs, education is not a tradeoff. Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, Damola Kola-Dare, Adepeju Lawal and Ayodele Adedamola

    Two young men relaxed briefly after offloading a truck of consumer goods to a neighbourhood store.   They got talking about another colleague who was not present.

    “Did Ade not study Business Administration?”, one asked the other. “Yes he did”, came the reply.  “But what did he end up doing with it?  He cannot even run a business.  He just wasted his family’s money.”

    The high rate of unemployment raises question about the necessity of spending four years or more acquiring tertiary qualifications only for graduates not to get jobs in their chosen fields.

    Once upon a time, jobs were waiting before students graduated.  However, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate for third quarter of 2018 was 23.1 per cent.  Many students who are unable to find jobs after graduation go back to learn other skills so they can take blue collar jobs.

    A sales man, Mr Alfred Martins, believes that tertiary education is a big fraud.  He blamed the government for not being able to provide jobs for its teeming youth population of graduates.

    He said: “Well, generally school is a place where learning takes place. The only two educational stages that are beneficial to man in Nigeria are primary and secondary. This is because one needs basic knowledge in one’s day-to-day activities throughout one’s life.

    “But when the word ‘school’ is now narrowed down to tertiary form of education, I will confidently say it is a big scam because getting a job after graduation becomes hell for any Nigerian graduate without vocational training. Nigeria is a failed nation in the creation of job hence tertiary schooling is an irredeemable scam.”

    Though he does not agree that education is a scam, Fajuyigbe Gideon blames political leaders for making it seem like that.  According to him, school becomes a scam once a graduate goes back to learn tailoring or establishes a barbing salon upon graduation.

    “Education has brought a lot of intellectual development into the society. Our leaders made it look like a scam. No plan for the young ones; no adequate data to know our exact population and how to plan. And obviously the ultimate aim of every graduate is to get employed after being educated.

    “It becomes a scam when a graduate begins to learn tailoring after spending years in the university or when a graduate opens a barber’s shop,” he said.

    Damilola Bamigbopa, an accountant, does not however believe that if a graduate learns skills, then it is bad.

    Bamigbopa, who is a fashion designer on the side, said people should not go to school with the mindset of just gaining paid employment.

    “We always think school gives you a job in a company. Those who established companies started off from the scratch. Innovation rules the world. The jobs are few, many are qualified for it, so few gets it. We all think the government will provide job for us all. No they can’t! Even China has more entrepreneurs than those in offices,” he said.

    Adebayo Eroyalesun, who works in a sports betting shop, said the flamboyant lives of entertainers, particularly musicians, and politicians confuse young people to think they can do well in life without  education.

    He said: “It is just a saying to brainwash youths to think that school is actually useless because most people think they can make more money without going through education or with their certificates.

    “The sole reasons for this are clear: We have cases of politicians who embezzle billions with just a signature and most of them didn’t even get proper education as most of their educational flaws are being displayed for all to see.

    “It isn’t a myth the negative impact that Nigerian singers have had on today’s youths.  We have a lot of upstarts who are mostly bitter about circumstances around them, what they have passed through, government negligence and other repulsive backgrounds they had.

    “They obviously have succeeded in winning over a larger part of the youth into believing that education is practically useless which is untrue.  Their derogatory remarks, use of urban languages, and most importantly their extravagant lifestyle which obviously did not come from working in a firm or being a civil servant is enough to entice youths into believing they could ignore education, thread on the same path and succeed.”

    Eroyalesun also said illicit gains from cybercrime also mislead youths into thinking education is not worth it.

    “Cybercrime is a very delicate aspect that has to do with instant wealth.   Youths can now open mails, clone accounts, set up identity under false pretext to defraud people.

    “Someone who makes millions off this route won’t think of going to an institution for over four years or settle for a meagre amount of money called a salary. This issue is very complex and can’t be discussed with levity.  Certificates are important for who knows what it really is but in this modern day world, particularly in Nigeria, our leaders have only shown us that ‘School Na Scam’”.

    To reduce the disappointment of what formal education can achieve, some respondents said young people need to understand that education is not synonymous with wealth.

    Olabisi Akande said many are oblivious to the essence of education and go to school because of the craze for certificates.

    On the contrary, she said education should be seen as an avenue for the development of the total man and not a money-making venture.

    “People have the wrong notion about school, hence, they tag it as scam,” she said.

    Alex Raphael also said: “The thing is to know the true meaning of education; education does not equate to wealth, neither is it financial incapacity.Education is about enlightening the mind – to redefine how you see things.

    “Education can lead to wealth but it is not primarily about wealth.  It is about creating wealth through creative reasoning.”

    Older people want education

    For older people who were not opportune to go to school, education remains important.

    Madam Bimpe Oyebade, a trader, said she would stop financing her children’s education if she finds they think school is not important.

    She said: “If I should find any of my children saying that rubbish, he/she will just stop going to school because I see no reason why I would be suffering to send a child to school and he will think the school is a scam; I should just keep my money for myself.”

    Madam Oyebade regrets not going to school so she ensured her children got educated to tertiary level.

    “I am not educated and it has really affected me in a lot of areas in life. My business is doing well but I know if I were to be educated, it will  bloom more because I will add the knowledge I learned in school to it.

    “All my children learnt one skill or the other before going to higher institutions and I did it so that they could be self-employed and not live on salary for the rest of their lives. Education is not equivalent to wealth but they will be able to speak without being waved aside among their peers in the future,” she said.

    A middle-aged butcher, who pleaded anonymity, also regretted not being educated.

    He said though not equivalent to wealth, education is essential.

    “I do not honour my educated friends’ invitation to events because I do not want to be the only different person among them.  I am doing better than some of them but their education qualification makes them stand out. I wish I had the opportunity to go to school but I have vowed to make sure my children are educated. Education is not a scam,” he said.

  • The crisis of values

    I once participated in a project: “The impact of communication on values.” I was in a sub-committee that looked at the impact of integrity, honesty, tolerance and cohesion on society, and the role that communication can play in instilling these values in our youth. Part of the strategy was to arrange focus groups meetings in tertiary institutions.

    In the groups I coordinated, I asked them one simple question: “what will you do if you find a missing N500, 000.00 in a bag in your institution?” I was shocked that only about five percent of the over 200 undergraduates I engaged said they would return the money to the owner, if they know who he is, or to the authorities to find the rightful owner. The responses I got were; “I’d be a big fool to return the money.” “God must have provided the money to pay my school fees.” “I’ll be a ‘happening’ guy on campus.” ”With that kind of money, I can pay for a room for myself in the hostel.” Etc. The project was about exploring the glue that holds society together thus it focused on nationalism, patriotism, tolerance, honesty and integrity, citizenship, development, cohesion etc.

    I was glad that at the end of each day’s deliberation, some of those who affirmed that they would keep the money eventually agreed it was the wrong thing to do. I recollect one of those on the side of integrity raising an important question: “if you succeed in keeping and spending the money then what next?” That question really got home and provided the opportunity for us to look at honesty and integrity dispassionately.

    Basic values are traditional and historic, reflecting aspects of the experience of a society. These values like right and wrong, tolerance, empathy, dedication etc. are oftentimes extracted from the main religious teachings of the society. In fact, a value system is based on averaging the total human experiences and producing a compromised version for all to follow. Religion is often present at the heart of a human value system.

    But our society is today at a values crossroad. The rate at which our youth engage in criminal enterprise has spiked in recent times. The most common is cybercrime and kidnapping. Cybercrime is ‘justified’ – by those who engage in it – on the ground that it does not ‘hurt anyone.’ Kidnapping is getting ‘dues’ from the ‘oppressors.’ This warped reasoning predominates among our youth today.

    As the outcome of the project I mentioned earlier stressed, communication has an important role to play in moving society in the right direction. World leaders realised this following the massive devastation of the World War II period. One of the disruptions that took place was in the area of communication.

    That disruption led to the evolution of communication for development (C4D) which mirrored broader shifts in theories and models of economic and social development. The basic assumption is that there are no countries or communities that function completely autonomously and that are completely self-sufficient, nor are there any nations whose development is exclusively determined by external factors. Every society is dependent in one way or another, both in form and in degree.

    Consequently, communication initiatives adopted a diffusion approach, which uses communication to carry out a transfer of information. This includes large-scale media campaigns, social marketing, dissemination of printed materials, ‘education-entertainment’ and other forms of one-way transmission of information from the sender to the receiver.

    With time, proponents of diffusion theory recognised the limitations of mass media – the way it was being run – in promoting sustained behavioural change. The new thinking thus incorporated interpersonal communication: face-to-face communication that can either be one-on-one or in small groups. The objectives are to share information, respond to questions, and motivate specific behavioural practices. The belief is that while mass media allows for the learning of new ideas, interpersonal networks encourage the shift from knowledge to continued practice. That was why the project I mentioned earlier engaged in focus group discussions.

    Communication for development has thus come to be seen as a way to amplify voice, facilitate meaningful participation, and foster social change. The 2006 World Congress on C4D defined it as “a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods. It is also about seeking change at different levels including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating and learning for sustained and meaningful change.” Such two-way, horizontal approaches to communication include public hearings, debates, deliberations and stakeholder consultations, participatory radio and video, community-based theatre and story-telling, and web forums.

    While the west had known this for long, we only started imbibing them about two decades ago with the establishment of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), a parastatal in the federal Ministry of Information and Culture. If an opinion poll is conducted today, I believe most Nigerians would be shocked that an agency like NOA still exists; one can practically conclude that it is “irrelevant” because of its non-impact and the way it has been run.

    The NOA – because of its spread and network – is supposed to be a game changer in propagating our value system. I will advocate a disruption to professionalise the NOA by engaging professionals with vast knowledge of integrated marketing communication – who know what strategic communication is all about to assist.

    The NOA was established by Decree 100 on 23rd August, 1993. The Decree merged the Public Enlightenment (PE), War Against Indiscipline (WAI), and National Orientation Movement (NOM) Divisions of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture with the Directorate for Social Mobilization, Self-Reliance and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).

    The rationale for the merger was to harmonise and consolidate efforts and resources of the government in the fields of public enlightenment, social mobilization and value re-orientation. The main objectives are: to ensure that government programmes and policies are better understood by the general public; mobilize favourable public opinion for such programmes and policies; encourage informal education through public enlightenment activities and publications.

    Others include establishing feedback channels to government on all aspects of Nigerian national life; establish appropriate national framework for educating, orientating and indoctrinating Nigerians towards attitudes, values and culture which project individual’s national pride and positive national image for Nigeria; awaken the consciousness of Nigerians to their responsibilities to the promotion of national unity, citizens commitment to their human rights to build a free, just and progressive society; develop among Nigerians of all ages and sex, social and cultural values and awareness which will inculcate the spirit of patriotism, nationalism, self-discipline and self-reliance.

    The final set of objectives include encouraging the people to actively and freely participate in discussions and decisions on matters affecting their general welfare; promote new sets of attitudes and culture for the attainment of the goals and objectives of a united Nigeria State; ensure and uphold leadership by example; foster respect for constituted authority; and instill in the citizens a sense of loyalty to the fatherland.

    I doubt if there’s anyone out there who would disagree that these are not a fantastic set of objectives. The question to ask is why have they not been achieved? Why didn’t we make progress and why were Nigerians not better informed about the workings of government? The simple answer is professional incapacity and strategy.

    The United Nations (UN) realises the critical importance of capacity this is why it employs the services of key and knowledgeable professionals to manage its interaction with people of diverse cultures and nationalities. Managing information is fundamental toward progress because it a delicate balance between progress and anarchy; It is not “job for the boys.” One of the major reasons for the Rwanda genocide was the poor management of information.

    It is amazing that when the world is moving forward, we are either static or moving backward. I see this happening daily. One of the ways to address this is for the NOA to explore ways of partnering with institutions and schools – tertiary, secondary and basic – to use their platforms to communicate with the students. They already have offices in all the local government areas in the country. So what is holding the agency back? Could it be dearth of capacity and strategy?