The Punch (8)

147

While I wish to admire the COURAGE of His Excellency President Muhammad Buhari by struggling to come to POWER through the ballot paper,which impressed me a lot, I want to request him to LOOK into how we can overcome most of our setbacks in agriculture. The Labours of our heroes past must never be in vain. Agriculture comprises of FOOD crop farming for edibles as well as Animal Farming such as setting up CATTLE RANCHES instead of living the Hausa/Fulani Herdsmen helpless to roam all over the country grazing and destroying food crops. The cattle having traversed extensive distances look not properly fed and mangy for our health. In the past around 40years back this country established River Basin Development Authority such that proper irrigation took place. That time Kano produced fresh tomato and was booming in freshness. We in addition had nomadic education in place. But today the North has appeared impoverished. There is NO problem this country has today that lacks SOLUTION. Just go into records of DEVELOPMENT PLANS to get the solution But today the Minister of Agriculture has abandoned his agricultural Development schemes into the indolent SHORT-CUTS of obnoxious CATTLE-GRAZING BILL purposely to feed the cattle. This does not that Nigeria can properly diagnose our problems and adopt a meaningful solution. It appears that the Lawmakers are busy looking for OUTLETS to waste our low funds on irrational and meaningless pursuits to divert our resources. Other developed countries develop their animal husbandry such that they get BYPRODUCTS like MILK, CHEESE etc from. We don't need to fractionalise this country worse than this. But I PRAY sincerely that as we ALL call GOD in all religions Christians and Islam Muslims THAT GOD will direct well-meaning advisers to support President Buhari's regime. Barka Da Sallah and may God help us to live up to our National Flag, Coat of Arms, Our PLEDGE and National Anthem. Buhari cannot do it well alone without support. So help us God.

- David Adedipe Friday July 8, 2016 10:49:40

146

Nigeria should nt go old ways by use coins.

- king Tor Wednesday August 19, 2015 12:8:41

145

why was the chiefs sacked i think the truth about why those soldiers was dismiss is now coming out .pls mr president bring back our brothers.


- eriashe smart Monday July 13, 2015 23:58:7

145

I Wil B Greatful If Mr President Can Creat Education 4 All.An Also Some Job For Graduate And Undergraduate,{from Muhammedjamiu Medinat}


- Muhammedjamiu Medina Friday June 5, 2015 21:47:17

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Saycekudda has won 3 major awards @CUBA. Colombia. NZUBE PETER also known as Saycekudda is now a hit in Nigeria since his recent online fight tweet with Wizkid

- Oscar Friday September 12, 2014 17:28:30

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@Olugbenga you have spoken well, your write up really moved me.it something I weep about almost everyday.it is only wen we allow the truth in dis nation of ours that we can only be set free• I pray we have good leaders DAT could at least restore tns.tnks to punch for creating did media

- Bakare Kabiru Sunday August 31, 2014 12:32:5

144

Changing 5,10and 20 naira notes to coins.What the Emir of CBN is saying is that nigeria has come of age not to buy even sarchet water less than fifty naira and those living in cities should not pay less than fifty naira for any bus fair no matter how short the journey.As a good economistSanusi only looks atone side of the coin.For me I see him carrying out the agender of the archenemies of the people of this country but ican asure you God will judge them all.Human Right Activist where are you now?

- J.O.E. Thursday August 30, 2012 9:46:8

143

Renaming unilag is a forgone conclusion mr president was only joking


- abimbola Wednesday July 25, 2012 14:56:29

142

Welcoming of the Delta state university students by the FUPRE comrade president Obaro
Photo: Welcoming of the Delta state university students by the FUPRE comrade presid. Obaro


Candidates and students eating and waiting for the election accreditation time. Students from FUPRE, DELSU, P.T.I, COEWA were all present.
Photo: Candidates and students eating and waiting for the election accreditation time. Students from FUPRE, DELSU, P.T.I, COEWA were all present.


All these new are reported to your by Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun press club called "FUPRE METAMORPHOSIS" the reporter is Osita Kingsley (07061170725)

- Osita Kingsley Sunday July 22, 2012 18:25:41

141

THE HONEST REACTION TO “THE NIGERIAN GRADUATES ARE UNEMPLOYABLE-OKONJO IWEALA”.
I bobbed out of bed at about 5:30 this morning. I reached for my blackberry Smartphone and I turned to my twitter page to glance through what the papers say. What caught my blurry eyes was the statement made by our ever intelligent minister for finance, Okonjo Iweala. I was moved to read through to see what reactions her statements had gathered. All I read were statements of angry youths trading blames on the government for this almost irreparable catastrophe ravaging our dear educational system. Immediately, I remembered the saying that when the heaven roars, the earth will definitely quake. This is too far a time when our “rulers” will begin to realize that he who learns the skill to throw a boomerang should also learn the skill to handle it when it returns.

When I was a child, I attended a private primary school. Then, I used to be happy because my school was one of the best in my area. I conceived the idea that those “deprived” children who attended public schools were nothing close to me. The complex grew so much that even the blind could see that the difference was clear. That period marked the era of our educational decadence. The privatization of our educational system is the main cause of our educational frailty and impoverishment in Nigeria. The public schools have been so educationally denigrated by the drift of qualified teachers from public to private educational system. Those who are left in the public school are trading teachers who extol making gains from their businesses than impacting knowledge in the students. I engaged myself in a discussion with one of my street brother sometimes ago and he intimated me with his experience of his primary school days. He was “unfortunate” to attend a public primary school. He told me that his class teacher would bring buckets of unpeeled melon for them to peel and put them in packs for sale afterwards. Any pupil who resisted working on the melon will find himself or herself in problem with the teacher. That was his experience about primary schooling. One question I ask myself is that why did the Nigerian government privatize our primary schools? Where are the supervisory bodies set up to act as watchdogs on the activities of the public and private primary school teachers and management? What steps are being taken to monitor and ensure that the private primary schools meet up with prescribed educational standards? What control mechanisms are being put in place to monitor teachers’ recruitment standards?

Stemming from the foregoing, in the late 80s the government took a further unwise step. They issued licences to private individuals to run secondary schools. This step further exacerbated the situation. The problem yet unattended to at the primary level was taken to a higher level. It aggravates my anger when I see students of these days, loitering around about 10 O’clock before noon. I wonder why the discipline we had back in those days have been laid to rest. Even the holy books reckon that spare the rod and spoil the child. The fear of the teachers is the beginning of academic excellence. But where the foundation is weak, the building cannot stand.

Before I delve into other causes of the educational decadence, permit me to say that the final straw that broke the camel’s back is our government’s disillusion and outright ignorance in allowing the privatization of the tertiary institutions. I have a lot to discuss at this point. Foremost, is the question “are the owners of these private tertiary institutions qualified academicians?“ or put explicitly “what criteria are being used to give licences to individuals to run private tertiary institutions?”. It bothers my mind why setting up of private tertiary institutions has become a competitive adventure among religious bodies. What criteria are being used to give them the licences? I am very sure that a major number of them are not qualified academicians but just clergymen who should only be concerned about winning souls to heaven. That’s a topic for another day. In another vein, I do not understand why private tertiary institutions have become dumping grounds for students who cannot academically qualify for government owned tertiary institutions. The idea of post UTME is to act as a balance scale in adjudging whether or not a student is really qualified for admission. It surprises me when students who have utterly failed the UTME partake in POST UTME exams. It also bothers me that some students do not partake in post UTME still gain admission into these private tertiary institutions. The most exasperating experience is that some of these private tertiary institutions surf for mobile numbers and e-mail addresses and send random offers for admission stating also information about the school fees and other fees to be paid without giving regards to the needed academic requirements. That shows that money is might and right. This saddens my mind. More so, another pressing problem is the jet speed of age at which students gain admission. Mostly in the privately owned institutions, we see students of 14 years or even less .These are students who have jumped from schools to schools in order to manoeuvre their ways into getting into tertiary institutions at an unripe age. But what goes around comes around. They end up being victims of their own circumstance. Age limits should be set by the Ministry of Education for each level of education in order to prevent influx of “children” who have cornered ways from gaining unworthy admission into schools.

Recent experience has shown the difference between students of 80s and early years on the one hand; and 90s and 2000s both of the other hand. When I was in primary school, I remember the front cover pages of my note books carried a picture of a running young man holding a lit torch in his hand. At the back cover pages were the metric table, multiplication table (from 2 to 20 times) and other academic information. We must surely recite all that as a morning mental exercise before the day’s job began. What do we have now at the front cove pages and back cover pages of students’ notebooks? The pictures of Drogba, Messi, Henry, Ronaldo, Fabregas and so on. Of what academic value are all these pictures to a learning student? Rather discuss about “the days of the week” or “the multiplication table”, they discuss football because that’s the reminder they get from their notebooks. All these little things enormously count. Academic books publishers should be compelled by law to put on academic books, information that will enhance and promote academic development and excellence. It is also their moral duties and responsibilities to educate students positively because they are the unseen teachers (like God is).

Finally, parental guidance is another important aspect of a child’s development. Parents are the first and primary teachers of student. Whatever ideas you put in your children live forever in them. I have seen situations where parents pay mercenaries to sit for their children during examinations. Any parent who does this has failed as a parent. Let your child do all that is necessary and worthy. Short cuts lead to short lives. What you sow, you shall surely reap. Engage your children in positive and educative exercises. Remember not to spare the rod when they err. On this note, I will let the sleeping dog lie.

OLUGBENGA LAMPEJO ESQ.

- OLUGBENGA LAMPEJO ESQ. Sunday July 22, 2012 12:14:13

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