question: can Nigerians ever develop the culture that abhors corruption

Its not news anymore that Nigeria is morally corrupt. It isnt news either that our leaders are the architects and engineers of corruption. Listening to a couple of people talking in a commercial bus, a man says “to be a politician, you have to be corrupt, if fact, if you are not corrupt, you cannot be accepted into politics”. Quite insightful indeed.

They went on to say that even who are not in politics are already corrupt, for example: bus drivers/conductors, market men and women who want to make 100% profit over something they didn’t add value to, staff of government agencies / parastatals, etc. These and many other people, ‘the average Nigerian in summary’, are on the way to the top – therefore when they ‘get there’, we cannot expect them to do any good thing for this country.

The discussion went on and on, and arrived on the average Nigerian child who, at his/her young age, ‘even a 6–year old kid’ knows how to cheat and lie for financial gain. A man went on to ask: “if we say our children, our youths are the hope of Nigeria’s tomorrow, and these children are already corrupt in their young age, does Nigeria really have a future”?

“Ki lo de ehn, what kind of a devil is in this country” an elderly woman joined in the discussion, then she asked in the Yoruba language the question which I’ve translated to English and used as the title of this post: can Nigerians ever develop the culture that abhors corruption?, as in, is it ever possible?

We were about 10 in the bus, and unfortunately, 6(six) concluded that they were not sure - it was impossible that Nigerians ever develop a corruption – free mentality. I noted to myself: are people not loosing hope in this country?

I’ll like to know what your own opinion / answer is: can Nigerians ever develop the culture that abhors corruption? Yes / No; why / why not!

Yar Adua is sick – I listened to some people talking at a bus stop

I remembered my Yar Adua is sick post this morning as I stood by a newspaper stand at a bus stop. While some of us were more concerned about getting to our places of work early, others were busy arguing about President Yar Adua’s state of Health – besides that he just jetted out of the country 2–days ago, for a health checkup.

Of all the men standing by the newspaper-vendor’s stand, only one person did not agree that Yar Adua is sick. According to him, its the pressure of the work: – the work of leading a nation like Nigeria. Below is Mr. President’s picture on todays edition of the Nigerian Punch newspaper – which was the main cause of arguement.

I heard a lot of things, part of which are the following: M for Male:

M1: pointing with his fore-finger to the newspaper’s pic, this man is sick, lets face the fact. Just look at him. Anyone who says this man isnt sick doesnt like him.

M2:  wetin do am sef, sey na cancer, or na wetin

M3: I read the news in the paper sometimes ago, I forgot wetin dem call the name of his sickness, maybe na liver problem, ahhhhh, I’ve forgotten o. If this guy is not careful, he go die in Aso rock, and he will have himself to blame.

M4: ehn, at least if he’s dead, we will know hes dead. This one wey we no know whether he don die or he dey alive nko?

M5 see, you guys don’t understand. He is an old man. How can you see someone like this and you say this is sickness. This one no be sickness, I’m very sure, this guy don pass 70–years old.

M6: 70–kini? Yar Adua 70–years old? 70? The guy na 57 years old. The guy never nak. 60. I’m sure of that. The guy never nak 60.

M4: If Yar Adua na 70, who old pass: Obasanjo or Yar Adua?

M5: how can you say this man is 57 years old. Look at his throat. Look at his forehead, see all these heavy heavy wrinkles: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Maybe the guy don do afidavit before he entered politics jare. 57 ko, 57 ni.

M6: nooooo, noooo, see. Yar Adua is a young man. He is just 57. I use to know him when he was doing youth service. There is this em……..this school where he did his youth service….em, em, em.’man scratches his head, trying to remember the info’…….ooooo, I cant remember the name, but I knew him since 1974, he was around 22 then as a youth corper.

M5: see, my brothers. What we should pray for is that God should not allow us to see sickness. Even if you dont have money to eat, just pray that God will keep you health. 57 or no 57, I believe this man don pass 70. Pray that you never fall sick o, the kin sickness wey fit add like 10years wrinkle to your face in a matter of weeks.

M7: abeg, make you no talk go that side. Let me tell you the truth. Obasanjo old pass this guy well well. Obasanjo don pass 70 oh, and even if Yar adua is 70, Obasanjo still fine pass this guy, today, today, he still fine pass. See, let me be on the safe side eh, Obasanjo take at least 10years from this guy. Im very sure of that one.

M3: that one na true o. I know someone who feel sick for like a couple of weeks, sometime early this year. When dem discharge the guy for hospital, the children no recognize am o.. me sef, I tire wen I see am.

M7: sebi dem talk say he don go Saudi, wishing him well sha. How many Naija Presidents sef don die for office? He might be the first? sey we get president wey don die for office?

M5: another thing is this: do you know the pressures associated with being Mr. President? the guy fit no dey get 5–hours of sleep everyday, and he has to attend this meeting and that meeting. Even if he’s 57, or 70, or even 32, by the time someone undergoes such a pressure for like 1–month, things will change o. Politics no be enjoyment o, coz even if you wan do something good, and you call 10 of your advisers, you no go fit just dey take action because the 10 of them agree on a point – you have to think through yourself.

M4: sir, that one na theory o. Politics is Politics. Like me now, if dem talk say make I come dom politics, I go tell them say I no get stamina. Before anyone say I wan go do politics, he suppose check himself first, abi? Pressure or no pressure, who get pressure pass. Sey yar adua get pressure pass George Bush; sey he get pressure pass Obama. See fine boy Obama dey remove his shirt everyday, dey take picture for paparazzi. His wife sef get time to wear sleeveless. If Yar Adua pressure pass that of Obama, Nigeria for don better, abi. No be the same pressure all former Nigerian president get? Obasanjo get pressure, he dey wear fine agbada everyday. The only pressure wey dey for Naija politics na the pressure to chop money.

‘people burst into a laugh’

M8: see, na covetousness dey worry the man. You see, this politics thing, its not just a physical issue. Its a spiritual matter. The thing go dey push am, push am, say, stay there, stay there, until the guy quench, he no go know. Why can’t he resign and let Jonathan continue, ehn, why?

M1: Jona-wetin. Jonathan? Who is Jonathan? Its like you dont know that Yar Adua is a Hausa man.

M8: ehn, so what happened, whats the problem if hes a Hausa man.

M1: you dont know Hausa men? see, in the Nigeria of today, if you are not Yoruba, if you are not Ibo, If you are not Hausa, you cannot be President, you have no voice in Nigerian politics, you cannot rule this country. Besides, see, if you know Hausa men very well, their mind set is somehow. They dont recognize anyone except Ibos and Yoruba. Until this Yoruba, Hausa and Ibo thing be erased from this country, we cannot move forward. There must come a time when everyone, regardless of whether you are Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba or wherever – will be considered a Nigerian.

M4: thats why PDP was talking about Turai. When husband leave the place, wife go take over. Nigeria don become family buisness be that ehn. ‘people break into a laugh’.

M1: see, this guy go prefer die there, or however he fit wangle wangle, make Turai become President, but not Jonathan. See, Hausa men are not open minded people. You know how many people dey push am? This is politics o, no be dem talk say na do or die affair. See, if na normal person wey dey work for his own buisness / for company, if such a person fall sick, sey he no go siddown for house take medicine, take care of himself. He know say if he die there, dem go employ anoda person shap shap.

M8: how can you say Hausa men are not open minded? abeg careful o, mallam dey nearby o.

M1: ok, im sorry about that, but its the truth. You hardly find very well educated Hausas. Being open minded is a result of education, if one is not educated, what can we expect. Im not saying Hausa’s are totally uneducated o, but they have just a handful.

M3: my own be say, the guy dey seriously sick, and he for leave this Presidency thing, besides, he is not performing. He should just go find somewhere sit down, rest and enjoy the rest of his life. See, let me ask me ask you all one thing: When Obasanjo was President, regardless of all the problems in the country, didn’t he look better than this ‘pointing to Yar Adua’s picture’?

M2: ‘laughing’ – my broda, you know say Baba Obasanjo na Military civilian. The guy know how to chop better food.

– Oga wey say Hausa men are not open minded, you right small o, its because of education.

M3: you mean to say, na hunger dey worry Yar Adua? he no get wife? sey stove no dey for Aso rock? sey, na the way NEPA dey take light for your house dem dey take light for Aso rock? this one no be food. See, the way Yar Adua looks today is the way Obasanjo looked when he was released from Prison years ago.

hahaha – laughter from left and right 

M2: bros, your own too much o, how you fit say that kin thing.

M3: see, no be say anything personal dey here. Na truth. See, Nigerians wey dey for Prison abroad, dem no fine pass this? My own be say make the guy commot, make someone else take over – at least,  let us move forward as a Nation.

my bus arrived after the above, i couldn’t continue taking notes.

Its noteworthy that Nigerians are more concerned about Mr. President’s well being than about his impact as Mr. President. The stunner however is: the way Yar Adua looks today is the way Obasanjo looked when he was released from Prison years ago.

May God have mercy!

re – FG to make Ph.D minimum qualification for academic staff

FG to make Ph.D minimum qualification for academic staff
Uchechukwu Olisah, Benin City – 23.11.2009

THE Federal Government has said plans are underway to make doctorate degree the minimum qualification for any academic staff in tertiary institutions in the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, made this known at the 17th convocation ceremony of the Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, adding that technical education would be required to provide technical manpower to drive the process.

He said part of efforts to achieve the goal was an agreement the Federal Government, through the Education Trust Fund (ETF), entered with the International Science Fund for the provision of laboratories and technical equipment in tertiary institutions in the country.

Egwu, who was represented by a permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, said the education sector was undergoing repositioning to enable it to meet its roles in the country, adding that one of the steps taken to realise the repositioning was the adoption of a road map for the education sector.

“We are embarking on a critical staff upgrade to ensure that academic staff in our tertiary institutions have a minimum of doctorate degree,” the minister said.

Besides, Dr. Egwu spoke of the need for all tutors in tertiary institutions to be computer literate, adding that “as it stands today, no staff of a tertiary institution will be relevant in future if such is not computer literate.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is, in fact, considering putting a deadline by which all staff of tertiary institutions must show ability to use the computer.”

He lamented that substantial amount of money voted for research annually by the ministry was not being accessed for undisclosed reasons and directed that such annual grants be brought to the attention of relevant staff.

Dr. Egwu promised that the government would implement all agreements reached with the unions.

source: click here

 

The news article above is really an interesting news. The first feel is: finally, the Nigerian educational sector will be revamped, and finally, our students will start learning something in school. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, I’ve come to summarize the pronouncements of our leaders in government to be worse than bluffs. 

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I remember a lecturer friend of mine. I met him on a trip to the UNILAG sometime 2005. I went there to enquire about UNILAG, the possibility of enrolling for a post-graduate course etc. I went back a couple of times later and we became friends. On one of our meetings we had a long talk – I mean long talk, I laughed so hard, tears came out of my eyes, and I had to apologize that I didn’t mean to be funny – as he opened up, telling me about his studies at the UNILAG. Heres a short snip: he gave me himself as an example. He had been enrolled as a PhD student on UNILAG scholarship in engineering for past 10years(95–2005) and yet he was no where near graduation.

The main reasons:

Politics: Existing professors usually made students pass through the needles eye unnecessarily, and even to the extreme(he had become the personal driver for his professor’s kids to/fro school everyday, even in his own personal car). I actually thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. He informed me that a student he had lectured in a Masters degree class had transferred to the UK to finish his PhD degree, had returned and was now lecturing in another department, was now his senior as far as qualifications are concerned – yet, he(Mr. Lecturer) was still a PhD student. I was like wow!

Between research and relevant research: I laughed as I asked if his research topic 10–years ago was still relevant 10–years after. I rummaged my mind for the number of keyboards I’ve used in the past 10years. According to my-guy, it wasn’t a matter of being relevant, it was just finishing the degree, having the paali(paper). I asked why he didn’t just drop the UNILAG like a hot cake and go the the UK / somewhere else to complete his own studies. He informed me that he lacked sponsorship, besides he had been teaching at the UNILAG for quite a while, so he was considering his accrued benefits. As I spoke to him, I wondered how funny his CV would look like: PhD (1995–present) in 2005.

Professor Jack of all trades: another low down he gave me was the difficulty of finding professors who were extra-sound when it comes to the technicalities or R&D about a subject matter. According to him, there was the option in the Nigerian University system, that if there was no professor who could serve as adviser in your enrolled institution-A (for example), you could do have a remote advisor in institution-B. So if UNILAG was institution-A, and the UI / UNIBEN / UNIPORT was insitution-B, you as the student has to figure out how to shuttle from one to the other maybe weekly/monthly just to give 30–minute updates(for example) to your adviser. And he added “when you get there, you’ll discover he just travelled”, coz Prof is also hustling – teaching at another University / engaged in another sideline buisness, just to make two ends meet – and yet Prof gave you the assurance he will be around when you arrive.

Emails: so I’m like, ‘can’t you be communicating on email’? My-guy went: “emails ke? the person you cannot meet in his office / see with your two eyes, is he the one who will answer your emails”? Does he even have time to check his emails?”.

I remember feeling as if I should cry for my-guy.

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Presently wonder if the above developments, supposing it becomes a reality will make any difference.