When ‘Kelly Handsome’ planned to Kidnap Education Minister

Take a nation rich with oil wealth and suffering from decades of corrupt governance with the new administration on a vision attempt at rebranding the nation. Add almost 20 years of tussles and bustles between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and a series of unsigned agreements and broken promises. Pick the basked of millions of youths that wake up every morning and watch people in powerful positions live in absolute luxury, with their children abroad who return occassionally to rub their parents ill gotten wealth in their faces and pick out the number who have struggled through Nigerias half baked educational system at primary and secondary levels and have entered into the University. Those few that emerged after much struggle and ‘man know man’ to afford themselves a chance at a better life… even if they get in there and realise that the system is hardly working and all but give up on themselves and on life. Then garnish the scenario with a President, Vice President and Education Minister who all have graced the corridors of Nigerian citadels of higher learning, and seen the struggle between the ASUU and FG from within. Take this mixture and place it in the steaming oven of National austerity and financial melt down (which Nigeria jumped into, uninvited) and leave all these ingredients for close to three months. Ignore the bloody kitchen, hell, take out time to celebrate your wedding anniversary while you’re at it (well deserved as it might be). What do you think will result out of this?

http://www.tribune.com.ng/18092009/news/news1.html

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/18/education-labour-ministers-escape-kidnap-plot/comment-page-7/

Three Nigerian youths (of University of Abuja) instigated and supported by a 58 year old self styled entrepreneur are reported to have been caught plotting to kidnap two ministers, demand a ransom and obtain a forced agreement to the terms of ASUU for the strike to be called off.

While I totally and completely condemn their actions, and their naivety, probably born from too much TV (that is on the signing of the agreement part), I can only afford frightened and furtive gaze into the plethora of greed and evil that has become the order of the day in our dear country and stifle a tear. In other words, water don full my eye.

The environment one finds oneself has been recognised as one of the most important factors in character and development. I do not even want to go into the ways that the average nigerian youth is disenfranchised and disillusioned… career path, the role of hardwork, attitude to cheating and malpractice, the appeal of easy money etc. Evil tenets which are continuously rubbed in daily when we see fraudulent embezzlers of the nation’s collective wealth walk the street like kings. In the words of Femi Kuti… Truth don die (truth is dead). Integrity don die (integrity is dead), and now school wey bin sick, don die ma! (and education which was struggling is dead also).

Tribune quotes the Education Minister as saying  ‘it must be the work of some disgruntled elements in the system that do not want the progress of the nation’ . Well I am tempted to say that game recognises game, and you, Sir Minister and that statement are looking mighty familiar, but I wont. Why? Because the problem is bigger than one man. The problem is a tradition of institutionalised mediocrity, corruption and bigotry that has created massive backwardness in the nation, as people cry out for the government to #lightupnigeria; that has caused massive unrest in the Niger Delta; let me leave you to finish up the list.

Urrggghh!

The strike will end, eventually. That is certain. But I fear that the rift and the damage which is being done to the psyche of the Nigerian youth might be around for a much longer time to come. It is already a ghost stalking our campuses, scoping out or streets, scaring our consciousness and making us fear. And the fear is a justified one. Cos I bet if the situation stays status quo, that meal is gonna cook and someone is gonna eat it. And when they eat it, MAGA MUST PAY!

PS

One of the kidnappers’  alias is kelly handsome. The reference to the song is merely for creative/humour purposes.

Exam Fever!

Encarta defines an Exam as a test designed to assess somebody’s knowledge in a particular area or field. It is logical that someone in school should be examined every now and then. In the mind of the average student, however, the word examination has come to have a negative connotation. I just finished writing ten (10) exams being my first semester in my final year in the University. 8 of those courses were final year courses, while two were courses from the last academic year. Carry Overs, if you like. Except, I didn’t fail any course last year. What happened was, I wrote the exams with the rest of my course mates, adhered strictly to all instructions, submitted my paper and went to undergo six months internship as required by the school. On return, I discovered that the scores of papers I had written, with proof and witnesses, were tagged as missing!

I attempted to locate those papers all to no avail, and the rest they say is history. What strikes me now is this. Exam fever is supposed to be a feeling that a student faces when he knows that a big exam lies ahead of him. It may occur whether he is ready or not, simply put, it is anxiety. I wrote my tenth paper this evening and I believe I have done rather well in these exams, yet, my exam fever is only beginning. Why won’t it, when there is a chance that results may fail to show up when the next semester starts?

I heard through some quarters that the Vice Chancellor of my university has given a decree (couldn’t resist that) that all lecturers that misplace student’s results will have to forfeit some allowances. I have not confirmed that, but the thought of it is heartwarming, almost like an aspirin to my exam fever.