By Innocent Okon
Nigeria has never ceased to throw up seasonal past times to keep jaws dropping and tongues wagging.
From religion to politics, there must be a unique introduction that owes its roots to Nigeria, either for good or for bad!
In the early 70s, a pragmatic variant of christian faith birthed in Nigeria. It was a radical departure from the “old time ” orthodox ways of worship which emphasised doctrine and less materialism.
The “old school religion” brought hospitals, schools and moral values before Pentecostalism came with trends and frenzy!
The latter brand now holds sway and much emphasis is on miracles and materialism!
Private jets, high brow schools, mega cathedrals and palatial homes are now key indicators of a successful Ministry (as churches are now charitably called by their founders).
One don’t need to spend a lifetime in Nigeria to identify and flow with any fad in any endeavour.
In Education, virtually every known name beyond his place of birthday with access to political power and attendant war chest wants to own a private university!
The purpose may be far from contributing to the expansion of knowledge and economic needs of its immediate or larger location, but for prestige and influence.
When the then military dictator and President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly called IBB, in the 90s commenced a veiled convoluted political project to birth civil governance in the country, he introduced a massive ethical orientation programme called Mass mobilization for Self-Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).
It was an initiative to promote civic education, patriotism, and economic self-reliance. It was designed to address societal issues by changing public attitudes pertaining to corruption and waste, by encouraging
patriotism through citizen participation in national development and promoting reliance on local products.
This social vehicle arguably brought the need for basic academic training as a
catalyst for effective public service.
The poorly educated political players started to feel inadequate in the face of the phenomenal enlightened voting constituency. They returned to school or plotted a way to be certificated (the ‘Nigerian’ way)!
Since then, academic qualification has become an unwritten non-negotiable visa for political vista to public office.
Sad to confess that neither merit nor standard academic culture has been spared obscene violation by the majority of these politicians!
Academic grades have been traded with obscene impunity for political and financial favours. The graduation motto has morphed from “After being found worthy in character and learning” to “After being found worthy in high inducement and academic amusement” .
Like a ravenous cancer, the abuse has now moved from the primary stage of possession of a political meal ticket to acquisition of higher degrees for prestige and special relevance.
A random survey in recent times has revealed that a majority of politicians who have bagged these higher degrees are active politicians holding demanding public offices!
They are either elected or appointed public officers, and most of the institutions attended are located many hours flight from their duty locations.
How did they meet the mandatory class attendance and course work while still performing their public functions? This is the question that beg for an answer.
At post-graduate levels, seminar presentations and researches are key to successful completion of any programme of study. How did these public officers fulfill these mandatory requirements without compromising the demands of their statutory jobs?
These questions are pertinent because a background check on most of these higher degree holders in public offices are sponsoring their children in foreign universities and private ones in the country.
Why did they prefer public universities for themselves instead of foreign or private varsities at home, despite the enormous wealth at their disposal?
Why prefer public universities in Nigeria which are notorious for disruption of academic programmes by intermittent strikes and poor infrastructure?
One may say the answers to these disturbing questions are blowing in the wind, but they are too heavy to be uprooted by a windstorm!
The academia and health should be the last key human development sectors in any civilisation to be infiltrated, polluted and bastardised by charlatans!
Intellectual pursuit should always be a sincere voluntary rigorous endeavour bereft of political histrionics and social gymnastics! Not in Nigeria.
PhDs should be allowed to remain the terminal point of academic excellence for those with genuine commitment and desire for knowledge.
Okon, a journalist and lawyer, lives in Uyo.
