Au Revoir,
Today, the whole world stands at attention
The Church assembles radiant with appreciation
Heaven rings with the noise of celebration
The elements of nature nod in deep affirmation
“God is organizing a promotion”
At your finger tip lays divine elevation
And as we all witness this valediction
We applaud your courage and determination
We thank God for your redemption and salvation
Your profound and commendable perspiration
In the day and hour of academic aspiration
Soon you will enter your manifestation
We cherish our moments together every semester
When we fellowship with God our father
When we read, talk, sing and eat as brother/sister
So sweet it’s like we should continue forever
So rich our hearts grow fonder under this shelter
You are beloved, brethren, you’re tender
But as you step out into the evil world
Never forget to go with your blazing sword
Never neglect the efficacy of His precious blood
So you don’t fall into sin’s shameful mud
“Watch and pray”, warns your Lord
Because the way to hell is broad
Keep aglow the Holy-Ghost fire
Which was kindled in the days of your hire
When you trusted with intense desire
Your saviour whom you did admire
Should it backfire, never retire
But rewire to the messiah
But to you who gave nothing away
Because you so long delay
And went astray
The Lord has this to say:
“Make right your way and pray,
Before Him your all lay today”
Serve Him wherever you may go
Give, unreservedly sow
Don’t relax you have a deadly foe
Don’t sit; you could be shot with an arrow
It’s not safe to lie low
Work, let the light in you show.
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Nigeria at 50, the story of a failed nation
From my memoir of October 1st (50th Anniversary Independence Day)
by Folarin Samson
It was Independence Day. I was at home reclining on our sitting room sofa when I thought of a message to send across to my friends in the spirit of the Independence Day. Yes, I was able to compose one but, sorry it was negative. Here it is:
‘Compatriot, we celebrate Nigeria’s golden jubilee, but is it worth it? As long as education is a calamity and electricity is an albatross, I refuse to join in the mediocre celebration’.
I shared the text with my mum who opposed and criticised it on the ground it was pessimistic. My grandma was however close by to support my argument. She added an ancient dimension by saying that my sceptical remark reminded her of late Major General Tunde Idiagbon’s once broadcast controversial statement. He was quoted to have said Nigerians are suffering from the problem of not knowing when to cry and laugh. He allegedly said Nigerians should laugh once in a year because we have no reason for such luxury of mirth. Perhaps that’s too much of an extreme. But fellow Nigerians (as those politicians hypocritically tease us), was the 50th birthday of this toddler called Nigeria a day to laugh or mourn? 50 years of independence from what or whom? Wole Soyinka, the great eccentric Nobel Laureate was recently quoted as saying that those who celebrate Nigeria are suffering from acute ignorance or amnesia. I share his view.
To have a proper perspective of this issue, a review of the word ‘Independence’ will be helpful. Independence in today’s world connotes such general terms as freedom, choice, liberty, right to self-determination. Are these depictions of the entity called Nigeria? I will quickly share the aspects of our national life that affect the average man.
Mobile phone communication used to be foreign to an average Nigerian until 2000 when MTN blazed the trail with its foray into the Nigerian telecommunication industry. Then others followed. It was a good relationship at first. But now, Nigerians have a unanimous verdict on the telecommunication companies. The poor service of these companies is nauseating and still, they don’t offer apology. Many of them exploit consumers through bogus packages and Greek offers. On the day when Nigerians were supposedly celebrating their 50th independence, none of these companies (for all I know) appeared to be sharing in the delusive euphoria. For instance, my service provider only wished me well through my account balance checking with this: ‘*** celebrates you Mycustomer as we celebrate Nigeria at 50. Happy customer week!’ What does that show? I thought they would be nicer by declaring October 1st a day for free call or free text; or give recharge cards or credit bonuses. Despite all the billions of naira these companies make from helpless Nigerian consumers, they still want more. For independence, they churn out exploitative offers and all other commercial sophistry and deceptions. Independence day, exploitation day!
Well, this has already become part of our lives. So, the hue and cry over poor services is silenced by aggressive advert campaigns and the unsurprising ineptitude of governmental regulatory agencies. Few months to the independence however, NECO released another ground breaking result. It was another celebration of mediocrity. 79% of those who wrote the exam failed English, a core subject. This was an improvement on the previous year woeful and scandalous result in which 98% could not obtain five credits in core subjects including maths and English. So, with these ‘beautiful results’ I guess October 1st should be a day to throw party. It is common knowledge that our educational system is frivolous and faulty. Our wall is not cracked but crashed. What is the hope of a nation whose future is bedevilled with academic poverty and intellectual bankruptcy? Can we see another Wole soyinka, Philip Emegwelli, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Chinua Achebe, Dorah Akunyili in this generation. It is comforting that our youths are also not idle. But what are their preoccupations? Thuggery, crime, cultism, beauty contest, music, football, home video and other transient and ephemeral things that can add no value to our structure and culture as a African nation. Thanks to the foreign multinationals that have imported these dregs into our society. It was in such a tensed atmosphere of failure as this I heard over the radio someone was saying they are trying to encourage sports among the youths so they can re-channel their talents to useful things. I laughed, I mean, I cried. Japan that is dominating the world today has never won a world cup and yet, we invest chunk of our scarce resources on hiring and firing foreign coaches. What of education? Not so important, you know. 6% of the budget is okay. But isn’t it a shame that Botswana and Ghana invest 29%, south Africa 35% and Singapore 37% of their national budget to education despite their less mineral, material and human endowment in comparison with Nigeria.
It is not only education that is nothing to write home about, the epileptic power supply in the country to say the least is depressive. I just returned from campus where we had a measure of constant power supply. But when I got home, I came face-to-face with the reality of an average Nigerian. For days, you may not have the benefit of a ‘flash’. Then few hours to 50th independence, someone tipped that there would be an unprecedented 24 hours power supply in commemoration of the celebration. Yours sincerely, the heat of that day was terrible. A little boy innocently but sarcastically remarked: ‘Nigeria is not independent, if we were, then there will not be power outage on such a day as this’. Ah, it’s hard to be a Nigerian. Even after 50 years, electricity is still a mystery no government has been able to unravel. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo remains an unforgivable villain anytime the electricity debacle crops up in public discourse.
What can be said about our inter-ethnic correlation? The dust was yet to settle over the Jos carnage in which 500 souls were reportedly lost in a reprisal inter-ethnic clash when recently again, the Boko Haram sect resurfaced to continue their pogrom. Is there no cause for grave concern over the security of lives and property in the country? From where is this group of murderers coming again? At 50, we can’t sleep and snore peacefully in our homeland without the fear of being killed by some extremists or religious bigots. We seriously need supernatural intervention or else we might all be dead before the wake of another day. I am sure Mr. President knows he is not as safe as the air around him suggests. Saboteurs are everywhere.
Our hospitals are preparatory mortuary grounds. The apparatus and facilities are either obsolete or in a state of utter disrepair. The rich are flown abroad for proper medical attention, the poor die like fowls with no one to come to their aid. We lost over 1500 of our people to cholera just this year.
At 50, I want to submit from the foregoing analysis of our paralysis that Nigeria has got no reason for celebration. The democracy we are quick to mention in the actual sense of it is no democracy. Votes don’t count; the electorate is not sovereign; justice is selectively served. At best, we can say Nigeria has a re-invention of democratic tenets and principles, not the one Abraham Lincoln had in mind in his Gettysburg speech which he defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
So, currently we are celebrating 50 years of exploitation, epileptic power, inter-tribal conflict, sub-standard education, failing economy, sick foreign diplomacy (thanks to the Abdumutallib genius of a boy), poor health care services, ailing banking system, corruption, political god-fatherism, unemployment, brain-drain and legislative thuggery.
On the day of the independence, I stepped out of my room. Then I saw true Nigerians; I mean the masses, still going about their businesses: a truck pusher trudging along with a sand-filled truck and a young man giving him a support. Although looking haggard, with sweats adorning their pulsating fore-heads, they moved on in the Nigerian spirit, oblivious of any celebration. A vulcanizer bent to pump air into the threadbare tire before him. A pepper seller wearily waiting and expecting interested passers-by. I saw little boys and girls romping the streets in tattered dresses, their uniform to celebrate Nigeria. These are the masses. Forget about the myriads and crowds you see at the stadia. As long as the common man is not touched, there is a yawning hole in our national harmony.
So, what’s my prescription for an ailing nation like ours?
First, let’s dedicate our independence day to reflection; a day when we consider our past, present and future. What are our potentials? What are we supposed to have achieved? Where have we lagged behind? What makes us a laughing stock in the comity of nations? How do we address our national challenges? It should be a day for Nigerians to have unrestricted access to their president to counsel, advise, appeal, encourage and challenge him. Independence Day should not be devoted to frivolous fanfare and funfair that makes us insensible to our predicament, pour garlands and lay wreaths on our shame and sure in the hope it will fizzle out with merriment.
Besides, the president with other governmental and NGOs should touch the common man through condescending gestures of kindness. The masses should be made to smile. They should be clad in national uniforms and rewarded for their industry. Business organisations and companies should give unconditional benefits to their customers.
Finally, we must pray. Religious leaders should assemble their members on Independence Day to fast and pray for the peace, prosperity and posterity of Nigeria. Politicians, traditional rulers, elders, leaders, government officials, business tycoons should unite to pray. Prayer works; prayer walks.
My prescription may appear too simplistic to solve our monstrous crises. But isn’t it true that small and insignificant drugs cure great and terrible sicknesses? This is all I think we need for a change. I started with a text message; I’ll end with the reply I got from one of my friends.
‘As far as we’re not in Somalia, Afghanistan or Palestine, let’s thank God and have hope. Let’s be optimistic despite the problems’
Sounds like a typical Nigerian.
By Folarin Samson,
Mass communication, University of Lagos, Akoka
08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
by Folarin Samson
It was Independence Day. I was at home reclining on our sitting room sofa when I thought of a message to send across to my friends in the spirit of the Independence Day. Yes, I was able to compose one but, sorry it was negative. Here it is:
‘Compatriot, we celebrate Nigeria’s golden jubilee, but is it worth it? As long as education is a calamity and electricity is an albatross, I refuse to join in the mediocre celebration’.
I shared the text with my mum who opposed and criticised it on the ground it was pessimistic. My grandma was however close by to support my argument. She added an ancient dimension by saying that my sceptical remark reminded her of late Major General Tunde Idiagbon’s once broadcast controversial statement. He was quoted to have said Nigerians are suffering from the problem of not knowing when to cry and laugh. He allegedly said Nigerians should laugh once in a year because we have no reason for such luxury of mirth. Perhaps that’s too much of an extreme. But fellow Nigerians (as those politicians hypocritically tease us), was the 50th birthday of this toddler called Nigeria a day to laugh or mourn? 50 years of independence from what or whom? Wole Soyinka, the great eccentric Nobel Laureate was recently quoted as saying that those who celebrate Nigeria are suffering from acute ignorance or amnesia. I share his view.
To have a proper perspective of this issue, a review of the word ‘Independence’ will be helpful. Independence in today’s world connotes such general terms as freedom, choice, liberty, right to self-determination. Are these depictions of the entity called Nigeria? I will quickly share the aspects of our national life that affect the average man.
Mobile phone communication used to be foreign to an average Nigerian until 2000 when MTN blazed the trail with its foray into the Nigerian telecommunication industry. Then others followed. It was a good relationship at first. But now, Nigerians have a unanimous verdict on the telecommunication companies. The poor service of these companies is nauseating and still, they don’t offer apology. Many of them exploit consumers through bogus packages and Greek offers. On the day when Nigerians were supposedly celebrating their 50th independence, none of these companies (for all I know) appeared to be sharing in the delusive euphoria. For instance, my service provider only wished me well through my account balance checking with this: ‘*** celebrates you Mycustomer as we celebrate Nigeria at 50. Happy customer week!’ What does that show? I thought they would be nicer by declaring October 1st a day for free call or free text; or give recharge cards or credit bonuses. Despite all the billions of naira these companies make from helpless Nigerian consumers, they still want more. For independence, they churn out exploitative offers and all other commercial sophistry and deceptions. Independence day, exploitation day!
Well, this has already become part of our lives. So, the hue and cry over poor services is silenced by aggressive advert campaigns and the unsurprising ineptitude of governmental regulatory agencies. Few months to the independence however, NECO released another ground breaking result. It was another celebration of mediocrity. 79% of those who wrote the exam failed English, a core subject. This was an improvement on the previous year woeful and scandalous result in which 98% could not obtain five credits in core subjects including maths and English. So, with these ‘beautiful results’ I guess October 1st should be a day to throw party. It is common knowledge that our educational system is frivolous and faulty. Our wall is not cracked but crashed. What is the hope of a nation whose future is bedevilled with academic poverty and intellectual bankruptcy? Can we see another Wole soyinka, Philip Emegwelli, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Chinua Achebe, Dorah Akunyili in this generation. It is comforting that our youths are also not idle. But what are their preoccupations? Thuggery, crime, cultism, beauty contest, music, football, home video and other transient and ephemeral things that can add no value to our structure and culture as a African nation. Thanks to the foreign multinationals that have imported these dregs into our society. It was in such a tensed atmosphere of failure as this I heard over the radio someone was saying they are trying to encourage sports among the youths so they can re-channel their talents to useful things. I laughed, I mean, I cried. Japan that is dominating the world today has never won a world cup and yet, we invest chunk of our scarce resources on hiring and firing foreign coaches. What of education? Not so important, you know. 6% of the budget is okay. But isn’t it a shame that Botswana and Ghana invest 29%, south Africa 35% and Singapore 37% of their national budget to education despite their less mineral, material and human endowment in comparison with Nigeria.
It is not only education that is nothing to write home about, the epileptic power supply in the country to say the least is depressive. I just returned from campus where we had a measure of constant power supply. But when I got home, I came face-to-face with the reality of an average Nigerian. For days, you may not have the benefit of a ‘flash’. Then few hours to 50th independence, someone tipped that there would be an unprecedented 24 hours power supply in commemoration of the celebration. Yours sincerely, the heat of that day was terrible. A little boy innocently but sarcastically remarked: ‘Nigeria is not independent, if we were, then there will not be power outage on such a day as this’. Ah, it’s hard to be a Nigerian. Even after 50 years, electricity is still a mystery no government has been able to unravel. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo remains an unforgivable villain anytime the electricity debacle crops up in public discourse.
What can be said about our inter-ethnic correlation? The dust was yet to settle over the Jos carnage in which 500 souls were reportedly lost in a reprisal inter-ethnic clash when recently again, the Boko Haram sect resurfaced to continue their pogrom. Is there no cause for grave concern over the security of lives and property in the country? From where is this group of murderers coming again? At 50, we can’t sleep and snore peacefully in our homeland without the fear of being killed by some extremists or religious bigots. We seriously need supernatural intervention or else we might all be dead before the wake of another day. I am sure Mr. President knows he is not as safe as the air around him suggests. Saboteurs are everywhere.
Our hospitals are preparatory mortuary grounds. The apparatus and facilities are either obsolete or in a state of utter disrepair. The rich are flown abroad for proper medical attention, the poor die like fowls with no one to come to their aid. We lost over 1500 of our people to cholera just this year.
At 50, I want to submit from the foregoing analysis of our paralysis that Nigeria has got no reason for celebration. The democracy we are quick to mention in the actual sense of it is no democracy. Votes don’t count; the electorate is not sovereign; justice is selectively served. At best, we can say Nigeria has a re-invention of democratic tenets and principles, not the one Abraham Lincoln had in mind in his Gettysburg speech which he defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
So, currently we are celebrating 50 years of exploitation, epileptic power, inter-tribal conflict, sub-standard education, failing economy, sick foreign diplomacy (thanks to the Abdumutallib genius of a boy), poor health care services, ailing banking system, corruption, political god-fatherism, unemployment, brain-drain and legislative thuggery.
On the day of the independence, I stepped out of my room. Then I saw true Nigerians; I mean the masses, still going about their businesses: a truck pusher trudging along with a sand-filled truck and a young man giving him a support. Although looking haggard, with sweats adorning their pulsating fore-heads, they moved on in the Nigerian spirit, oblivious of any celebration. A vulcanizer bent to pump air into the threadbare tire before him. A pepper seller wearily waiting and expecting interested passers-by. I saw little boys and girls romping the streets in tattered dresses, their uniform to celebrate Nigeria. These are the masses. Forget about the myriads and crowds you see at the stadia. As long as the common man is not touched, there is a yawning hole in our national harmony.
So, what’s my prescription for an ailing nation like ours?
First, let’s dedicate our independence day to reflection; a day when we consider our past, present and future. What are our potentials? What are we supposed to have achieved? Where have we lagged behind? What makes us a laughing stock in the comity of nations? How do we address our national challenges? It should be a day for Nigerians to have unrestricted access to their president to counsel, advise, appeal, encourage and challenge him. Independence Day should not be devoted to frivolous fanfare and funfair that makes us insensible to our predicament, pour garlands and lay wreaths on our shame and sure in the hope it will fizzle out with merriment.
Besides, the president with other governmental and NGOs should touch the common man through condescending gestures of kindness. The masses should be made to smile. They should be clad in national uniforms and rewarded for their industry. Business organisations and companies should give unconditional benefits to their customers.
Finally, we must pray. Religious leaders should assemble their members on Independence Day to fast and pray for the peace, prosperity and posterity of Nigeria. Politicians, traditional rulers, elders, leaders, government officials, business tycoons should unite to pray. Prayer works; prayer walks.
My prescription may appear too simplistic to solve our monstrous crises. But isn’t it true that small and insignificant drugs cure great and terrible sicknesses? This is all I think we need for a change. I started with a text message; I’ll end with the reply I got from one of my friends.
‘As far as we’re not in Somalia, Afghanistan or Palestine, let’s thank God and have hope. Let’s be optimistic despite the problems’
Sounds like a typical Nigerian.
By Folarin Samson,
Mass communication, University of Lagos, Akoka
08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The New Mrs Kumuyi
This article was published in compass, businessday and Guardian. Send your comments
The Press, Deeper Life and the New Mrs. Kumuyi
It’s no news by now that the general superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi has remarried. But the variegated subjective perceptions and interpretations of members of the public that have trailed the matter remain an issue. While some have expressed shock, surprise and disappointment at the “suddenness” and “secrecy” of the marriage, some have maintained curious silence and indifference while others have decided to “let the will of God be done” It took visual evidence for sceptical others to believe. Whichever category you belong, the indisputable fact is that Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi of Deeper Life has remarried. There are however few things to ponder on.
The early reporters of the development had sensationalised the story to besmirch the image and personality of the man of God. First was the age which was falsified to be 71, instead of 69 (He was born on June, 1941). Second, it was said that the marriage was secretly conducted, shielded from cameras and the press which was not correct. Deeper Life leaders have since watched the video of the marriage. However, to expect that the wedding will be publicised and celebrated with mundane pomp and pageantry is to strike at the very foundation of the church’s convictions. Such ostentatious display will not even honour the memory of the departed.
As an academician and student journalist, when the story was reported I decided to monitor public opinion on it so I visited such sites as nairaland.com, among others. I saw terrible and disgusting reactions and comments, a reflection of the resentments for the pastor. But the one that struck me most was the one that purported that the cleric’s remarriage was to satisfy his starved libido and produce more children. How on earth could anyone reason that the ever busy generalissimo would have time to care for such things? While not denying the fact that he is human, the unconscionable emphasis of such a triviality is too demeaning.
Besides, more reactions have been generated by the ‘suddenness’ and ‘earliness’ of the marriage. Sincerely, the Bible did not prescribe the time frame for the remarriage of a bereaved widower or widow. So, the argument is baseless. But we have a culture that prides itself in lies and deceptions. We are made to believe that a man’s length of years before remarriage or his celibacy after the demise of his spouse quantifies the love for his late wife. So, a man could painfully and lonely wait for years before remarrying. During those years of harrowing pain of ‘mourning’, he could get emaciated and probably die in solitary confinement; who cares? I think we need to begin to change our orientation. But pastor Kumuyi has not premised his decision to remarry ‘early or suddenly’ on loneliness. In fact, he stated in a conference with leaders of the Church that he is not suffering from such a complex. Instead, it appears the burden of leadership of the women ministry, and the constraint of missionary exploration made the development inevitable.
I am not Deeper Life public relations officer to explain all of pastor Kumuyi’s motives, intentions and decisions. But as a Christian and student journalist, I felt obligated to correct some of these erroneous impressions which could spoil the minds of credulous young believers and admirers of the church and the pastor. At such a critical time of transition in the life and ministry of pastor Kumuyi, I think the Christendom is indebted to him.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) need to rally round him. They need to assure him that he is not alone by offering words of encouragement and advice. Their respect for him must not diminish. The members of the church also have to support him in prayers and show more understanding. There should be a strong bond of unity and solidarity that will help to dispel the unfounded accusations and perverted arguments of opposers and enemies of the faith.
I also have a word for the new Mummy Kumuyi, Mrs. Esther Folashade Kumuyi. She is here at this time because God wants it so. With all due respect, I wish to say that she should try to heal the wound caused by the home call of Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. She has a dual role to play. She is not just the wife of the GS, she is also the pastor of the women wing of the church and both duties must be well discharged. But there is a caveat. She must not succumb to the pressure to imitate the late Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. Originality and distinction should be the watch word. The church must also understand that there will be a lot of differences since people are physically, genetically, biologically and psychologically different. In fact, spiritual levels also differ. Mrs Esther Kumuyi can never be MrsBiodun Kumuyi and the church must come to terms with that. They should therefore show love, cooperation, respect and submission to her leadership. Carnal comparison, gossiping and backbiting should be avoided. The case of Miriam should be a sufficient deterrent.
To the pastor, I have this admonition in the word of James Taylor who said: ‘Let no cross be considered too heavy to be borne in following Christ, no loss too great to be sustained for Christ, and no path too holy in going after Christ’ Sir, do not be distracted by sarcastic comments and press lies. You are a challenge to the youths and preachers of your generation. This new experience of your life will make you higher, deeper and richer in the knowledge of Christ. O, lest I forget, I was not in UK to say Happy Married Life to my mentor.
By Folarin Samson,
A final year student of Mass communication, University of Lagos .
08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
The Press, Deeper Life and the New Mrs. Kumuyi
It’s no news by now that the general superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi has remarried. But the variegated subjective perceptions and interpretations of members of the public that have trailed the matter remain an issue. While some have expressed shock, surprise and disappointment at the “suddenness” and “secrecy” of the marriage, some have maintained curious silence and indifference while others have decided to “let the will of God be done” It took visual evidence for sceptical others to believe. Whichever category you belong, the indisputable fact is that Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi of Deeper Life has remarried. There are however few things to ponder on.
The early reporters of the development had sensationalised the story to besmirch the image and personality of the man of God. First was the age which was falsified to be 71, instead of 69 (He was born on June, 1941). Second, it was said that the marriage was secretly conducted, shielded from cameras and the press which was not correct. Deeper Life leaders have since watched the video of the marriage. However, to expect that the wedding will be publicised and celebrated with mundane pomp and pageantry is to strike at the very foundation of the church’s convictions. Such ostentatious display will not even honour the memory of the departed.
As an academician and student journalist, when the story was reported I decided to monitor public opinion on it so I visited such sites as nairaland.com, among others. I saw terrible and disgusting reactions and comments, a reflection of the resentments for the pastor. But the one that struck me most was the one that purported that the cleric’s remarriage was to satisfy his starved libido and produce more children. How on earth could anyone reason that the ever busy generalissimo would have time to care for such things? While not denying the fact that he is human, the unconscionable emphasis of such a triviality is too demeaning.
Besides, more reactions have been generated by the ‘suddenness’ and ‘earliness’ of the marriage. Sincerely, the Bible did not prescribe the time frame for the remarriage of a bereaved widower or widow. So, the argument is baseless. But we have a culture that prides itself in lies and deceptions. We are made to believe that a man’s length of years before remarriage or his celibacy after the demise of his spouse quantifies the love for his late wife. So, a man could painfully and lonely wait for years before remarrying. During those years of harrowing pain of ‘mourning’, he could get emaciated and probably die in solitary confinement; who cares? I think we need to begin to change our orientation. But pastor Kumuyi has not premised his decision to remarry ‘early or suddenly’ on loneliness. In fact, he stated in a conference with leaders of the Church that he is not suffering from such a complex. Instead, it appears the burden of leadership of the women ministry, and the constraint of missionary exploration made the development inevitable.
I am not Deeper Life public relations officer to explain all of pastor Kumuyi’s motives, intentions and decisions. But as a Christian and student journalist, I felt obligated to correct some of these erroneous impressions which could spoil the minds of credulous young believers and admirers of the church and the pastor. At such a critical time of transition in the life and ministry of pastor Kumuyi, I think the Christendom is indebted to him.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) need to rally round him. They need to assure him that he is not alone by offering words of encouragement and advice. Their respect for him must not diminish. The members of the church also have to support him in prayers and show more understanding. There should be a strong bond of unity and solidarity that will help to dispel the unfounded accusations and perverted arguments of opposers and enemies of the faith.
I also have a word for the new Mummy Kumuyi, Mrs. Esther Folashade Kumuyi. She is here at this time because God wants it so. With all due respect, I wish to say that she should try to heal the wound caused by the home call of Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. She has a dual role to play. She is not just the wife of the GS, she is also the pastor of the women wing of the church and both duties must be well discharged. But there is a caveat. She must not succumb to the pressure to imitate the late Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. Originality and distinction should be the watch word. The church must also understand that there will be a lot of differences since people are physically, genetically, biologically and psychologically different. In fact, spiritual levels also differ. Mrs Esther Kumuyi can never be MrsBiodun Kumuyi and the church must come to terms with that. They should therefore show love, cooperation, respect and submission to her leadership. Carnal comparison, gossiping and backbiting should be avoided. The case of Miriam should be a sufficient deterrent.
To the pastor, I have this admonition in the word of James Taylor who said: ‘Let no cross be considered too heavy to be borne in following Christ, no loss too great to be sustained for Christ, and no path too holy in going after Christ’ Sir, do not be distracted by sarcastic comments and press lies. You are a challenge to the youths and preachers of your generation. This new experience of your life will make you higher, deeper and richer in the knowledge of Christ. O, lest I forget, I was not in UK to say Happy Married Life to my mentor.
By Folarin Samson,
A final year student of Mass communication, University of Lagos .
08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
Why Christian students fail (A must read)
Why Christians fail
By Folarin Samson
Success is the desire of every student. It is a corollary of academic diligence and attracts admiration and accolade from friends, families and even foes. This is why many are so desperate to succeed by hook or crook. But for a Christian student, success seems to be guaranteed and assured by several scriptural promises to which he could lay claims to. Often quoted is the fifth book of the Pentateuch called Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 13 that says: ‘Thou shalt be the head...’ Sadly, despite these promises, only few Christian students succeed. One then asks the question: ‘Why?’ People are quick to point out that their overzealousness account for their failure. Some think they have no earth to gain since heaven is their home. Others form guesses and conjectures that suggest the hard conviction of Christian students in a corrupt society like ours where wrong is right and right wrong as their main militating albatross. It is nonetheless clear that these are merely insinuations of misinformed and cynical minds. If their allegations are anything to go by, how then do others manage to succeed? The point has to be made. Failure of Christian students cannot and should not be attributed to their faith or fate. They do not fail because it is a cross they must carry willy-nilly. As a matter of fact, success is their birth right! The scripture affirms this: ‘The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour’ Prov 12:26 But why do Christians fail? Is that suppose to be a mirage? A will-o-the-wisp question? Research has revealed that quite a number of factors are actually responsible for this disgraceful phenomenon called failure. Few of these are beyond his control while others are due to his negligence and carelessness. These are examined in turns.
Abraham Maslow, a great psychologist once propounded a theory in which he ranked human needs. The basic needs he called physiological needs. The basic needs which include inter alia: food, water and sleep are followed by other needs and at the apex of his conceptual pyramid is self actualisation. According to him, if the basic needs are not met, the next stage is unattainable. No doubt, there are Christian students that are suffering from this disease. They are embattled with financial crisis. They can barely eat three square meal a day let alone afford the outrageous prices of campus textbooks and handouts due to inadequate stipends. They are uncoordinated in class and rarely attend lectures because they know they won’t concentrate. And like Somerset Maughan rightly pointed out, ‘money is like a sixth sense—and you can’t make use of the other five without it’ What does one expect from such a student in the exam? Of course poor performance! One does not need any clairvoyance to predict this because even his CA had been blinking red. He does not have any textbook and is ashamed to borrow because he would not want to be exposed to scorn and ridicule. He has got no one to run to. His poor parents in the village had to sell the much prized land inherited from their forebears to be able to pay his school fees. His brethren in the fellowship wear scary faces as if they are saying: ‘me self never chop’ In the department he has got no friends because in the world, ‘no money, no friend’ is the order of the day. He takes solace in the night of tears when he cries to his Father for his daily bread and without grumbling accepts his demeaning grades.
One thing leads to another. Lack of money gets him into activities that can fetch him peanuts. At least, if he has no money, he has got time to barter for a token. He does what is popularly called ‘PP’ The precious time that is supposed to be devoted to private personal study is channelled into teaching noisy primary school pupils or a secondary school student somewhere. He begins to stab lectures so as to meet up with time. He is a victim of lecturers who organise impromptu tests and emergency quiz when students are fewer in class. His chances of making an A slims. If he was so unlucky that the test he missed accounts for the whole 40% of the CA, he is sure to come out of that semester wounded and battered. All because he is pursuing N8,000 or N10,000 he will be offered at the end of the month at the expense of a certificate that could fetch him a plum job in an oil company. He is choked up in activities. He is a student, an active member of an association on campus, a worker in his fellowship, an ‘uncle’ in the house of a big man somewhere and also a counsellor to some of his fellowship’s members. He begins to perform below his ability and capacity. So brilliant and intelligent that he made 50 marks in the exam, but his CA is his waterloo.
Discouragement sets in. There is no motivation from any point or angle. He settles for less. He resigns to fate and believes that’s his own lot in life. First class after all was not meant for him. His CGPA starts to plummet and he shows no concern. He hopes to escape with a 2.1 but alas his GP tilts to 2.2. Helpless and hopeless, he throws in the towel and embraces whatever chances throw at him. He consoles himself with the ‘Amended Situational Version’ of his Bible: ‘What shall it profit a man even though he gains GP and loses his soul’ And because he no longer aspires, he stops to inspire and he begins to expire by the day! He completely loses relevance and is considered a pariah, a failure, a bowl for everyone’s spit and unfortunately a reproach to the name of God.
Some other Christian students have found themselves in the despicable valley of failure due to what the Bible calls over-righteousness. They practice faith without work. They don’t plan or pay attention to their academics. They fantasise and anticipate the miracle of an invisible man giving them answer to questions in the exam hall which rarely happen and so when they fail, they are quick to pick on God and vent the fury of their self-inflicted failure on Him. They never realise that God seldom does what men can do.
If there is anything that fans the ember of failure, it is laziness. Sir Thomas Buxton captured it all when he said: ‘Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains...’ Some Christians are lazy and flabby. They don’t write notes in class, they hurriedly write assignments and starts reading for exam the day the exam time-table is pasted on the departmental notice boards. What do they spend the time doing ? Gisting. Talking. Debating. Eating. Playing. Before they could bat an eyelid, the exam time is near. They are caught unprepared or ill-prepared. Only to face the furious dangling red pen of their lecturers on their badly written exam scripts. They are ashamed to wobble their feet to the notice board where their F’s are curiously waiting for them. Too late to cry when the head is off.
While it is not sufficient to conclude ipso facto that the Christian student is solely responsible for his woe of failure, he is largely accountable for his successes and defeats. Difficult and hard-to-please lecturers can however stand on his way to excelling. It is no news that some faithful Christian sisters have had cause to carry over courses because of a randy lecturer who desires to have carnal knowledge of them in exchange for good grades. It is not also strange that there are still bad legs among academics who threaten to fail students unless they collaborate, cooperate and contribute out of their meagre allowances to ‘oil their palms.’ Neither is it new that there are also masochists among lecturers who delight in failing students and relishes the sight of a distressed student who despite all his assiduous studying still fails. They will go any length to ensure no student surpasses their own records because in their own days as students, they believe some other people stood on their way. They therefore sit as retributive lords dispensing unjustifiable justice to their hapless victims who must pay dearly for a crime they are ignorant of.
The family background is another contributory factor. Christian students who come from broken homes could be psychologically affected. Many a believer have failed because of inferiority complex. They see themselves as not being able to match equally their colleagues because they are children of wealthy people in the society. They believe the plebeian-patrician dichotomy in the society cuts across every area of life including academics. The young Christian student looks down on his own ability. He believes he cannot do better than them and says it repeatedly to himself. His mental faculty adjusts to his mind set and true to it, he performs averagely and is limited by his short-sightedness and low self-esteem. Perhaps this was what Solomon saw that made him remark: ‘I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth’ Eccl 10:7 ‘There is nothing spectacular about him’, his colleagues will spitefully comment when his name crops up in discussions.
There are Christian students that have failed due to satanic manipulation. It is not uncommon to hear of missing scripts, missing results and other Satan-engineered mysterious occurrences. There are also students that have lost their composure to write exams because of a bad news they received from home few days to exam time. Some students fall sick only during exam time which adversely affects their performance. Others have failing health. Unknown to some are generational curses that have been pronounced on their family that they will not rise above their peers. They find themselves struggling. They work like elephants but eat like ants in terms of result; nothing to show for their hard labour.
The status quo is maintained through prayerlessness. He ‘jerks’ 24/7 in the library and relegates prayer to the background. When he decides to pray, he slowly and consciously drifts into sleep, begins snoring heavily and generously oozing out large gob of saliva. Alexis Carrel once noted that the ‘most powerful form of energy one can generate is not mechanical, electronic or even atomic energy, but prayer energy.’ Too many anomalies are attributed to acts of God. He is not ready for a change,another ‘Jacob at Jabok’ experience. The devil therefore has a field day. He savours the hot tears that stream down his cheek at the discovery of another disappointment in his result.
In conclusion, I will like to emphasise that God is interested in the success of His children and that was why he made ample provision for it. But the scripture cannot be broken: ‘...whoso breaketh an hedge, the serpent shall bite him’ Eccl 10:8 A Christian student who does not play his part cannot expect God to become a magician. If he breaks the fundamental principles of success like proper time management, avoidance of procrastination and others highlighted above, he is sure to face the consequence of his action. But as to the uncontrollable factors and limitations, he should seek for counselling and be open to the leadership for financial, moral, psychological and material support and assistance.
By Folarin Samson
Success is the desire of every student. It is a corollary of academic diligence and attracts admiration and accolade from friends, families and even foes. This is why many are so desperate to succeed by hook or crook. But for a Christian student, success seems to be guaranteed and assured by several scriptural promises to which he could lay claims to. Often quoted is the fifth book of the Pentateuch called Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 13 that says: ‘Thou shalt be the head...’ Sadly, despite these promises, only few Christian students succeed. One then asks the question: ‘Why?’ People are quick to point out that their overzealousness account for their failure. Some think they have no earth to gain since heaven is their home. Others form guesses and conjectures that suggest the hard conviction of Christian students in a corrupt society like ours where wrong is right and right wrong as their main militating albatross. It is nonetheless clear that these are merely insinuations of misinformed and cynical minds. If their allegations are anything to go by, how then do others manage to succeed? The point has to be made. Failure of Christian students cannot and should not be attributed to their faith or fate. They do not fail because it is a cross they must carry willy-nilly. As a matter of fact, success is their birth right! The scripture affirms this: ‘The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour’ Prov 12:26 But why do Christians fail? Is that suppose to be a mirage? A will-o-the-wisp question? Research has revealed that quite a number of factors are actually responsible for this disgraceful phenomenon called failure. Few of these are beyond his control while others are due to his negligence and carelessness. These are examined in turns.
Abraham Maslow, a great psychologist once propounded a theory in which he ranked human needs. The basic needs he called physiological needs. The basic needs which include inter alia: food, water and sleep are followed by other needs and at the apex of his conceptual pyramid is self actualisation. According to him, if the basic needs are not met, the next stage is unattainable. No doubt, there are Christian students that are suffering from this disease. They are embattled with financial crisis. They can barely eat three square meal a day let alone afford the outrageous prices of campus textbooks and handouts due to inadequate stipends. They are uncoordinated in class and rarely attend lectures because they know they won’t concentrate. And like Somerset Maughan rightly pointed out, ‘money is like a sixth sense—and you can’t make use of the other five without it’ What does one expect from such a student in the exam? Of course poor performance! One does not need any clairvoyance to predict this because even his CA had been blinking red. He does not have any textbook and is ashamed to borrow because he would not want to be exposed to scorn and ridicule. He has got no one to run to. His poor parents in the village had to sell the much prized land inherited from their forebears to be able to pay his school fees. His brethren in the fellowship wear scary faces as if they are saying: ‘me self never chop’ In the department he has got no friends because in the world, ‘no money, no friend’ is the order of the day. He takes solace in the night of tears when he cries to his Father for his daily bread and without grumbling accepts his demeaning grades.
One thing leads to another. Lack of money gets him into activities that can fetch him peanuts. At least, if he has no money, he has got time to barter for a token. He does what is popularly called ‘PP’ The precious time that is supposed to be devoted to private personal study is channelled into teaching noisy primary school pupils or a secondary school student somewhere. He begins to stab lectures so as to meet up with time. He is a victim of lecturers who organise impromptu tests and emergency quiz when students are fewer in class. His chances of making an A slims. If he was so unlucky that the test he missed accounts for the whole 40% of the CA, he is sure to come out of that semester wounded and battered. All because he is pursuing N8,000 or N10,000 he will be offered at the end of the month at the expense of a certificate that could fetch him a plum job in an oil company. He is choked up in activities. He is a student, an active member of an association on campus, a worker in his fellowship, an ‘uncle’ in the house of a big man somewhere and also a counsellor to some of his fellowship’s members. He begins to perform below his ability and capacity. So brilliant and intelligent that he made 50 marks in the exam, but his CA is his waterloo.
Discouragement sets in. There is no motivation from any point or angle. He settles for less. He resigns to fate and believes that’s his own lot in life. First class after all was not meant for him. His CGPA starts to plummet and he shows no concern. He hopes to escape with a 2.1 but alas his GP tilts to 2.2. Helpless and hopeless, he throws in the towel and embraces whatever chances throw at him. He consoles himself with the ‘Amended Situational Version’ of his Bible: ‘What shall it profit a man even though he gains GP and loses his soul’ And because he no longer aspires, he stops to inspire and he begins to expire by the day! He completely loses relevance and is considered a pariah, a failure, a bowl for everyone’s spit and unfortunately a reproach to the name of God.
Some other Christian students have found themselves in the despicable valley of failure due to what the Bible calls over-righteousness. They practice faith without work. They don’t plan or pay attention to their academics. They fantasise and anticipate the miracle of an invisible man giving them answer to questions in the exam hall which rarely happen and so when they fail, they are quick to pick on God and vent the fury of their self-inflicted failure on Him. They never realise that God seldom does what men can do.
If there is anything that fans the ember of failure, it is laziness. Sir Thomas Buxton captured it all when he said: ‘Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains...’ Some Christians are lazy and flabby. They don’t write notes in class, they hurriedly write assignments and starts reading for exam the day the exam time-table is pasted on the departmental notice boards. What do they spend the time doing ? Gisting. Talking. Debating. Eating. Playing. Before they could bat an eyelid, the exam time is near. They are caught unprepared or ill-prepared. Only to face the furious dangling red pen of their lecturers on their badly written exam scripts. They are ashamed to wobble their feet to the notice board where their F’s are curiously waiting for them. Too late to cry when the head is off.
While it is not sufficient to conclude ipso facto that the Christian student is solely responsible for his woe of failure, he is largely accountable for his successes and defeats. Difficult and hard-to-please lecturers can however stand on his way to excelling. It is no news that some faithful Christian sisters have had cause to carry over courses because of a randy lecturer who desires to have carnal knowledge of them in exchange for good grades. It is not also strange that there are still bad legs among academics who threaten to fail students unless they collaborate, cooperate and contribute out of their meagre allowances to ‘oil their palms.’ Neither is it new that there are also masochists among lecturers who delight in failing students and relishes the sight of a distressed student who despite all his assiduous studying still fails. They will go any length to ensure no student surpasses their own records because in their own days as students, they believe some other people stood on their way. They therefore sit as retributive lords dispensing unjustifiable justice to their hapless victims who must pay dearly for a crime they are ignorant of.
The family background is another contributory factor. Christian students who come from broken homes could be psychologically affected. Many a believer have failed because of inferiority complex. They see themselves as not being able to match equally their colleagues because they are children of wealthy people in the society. They believe the plebeian-patrician dichotomy in the society cuts across every area of life including academics. The young Christian student looks down on his own ability. He believes he cannot do better than them and says it repeatedly to himself. His mental faculty adjusts to his mind set and true to it, he performs averagely and is limited by his short-sightedness and low self-esteem. Perhaps this was what Solomon saw that made him remark: ‘I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth’ Eccl 10:7 ‘There is nothing spectacular about him’, his colleagues will spitefully comment when his name crops up in discussions.
There are Christian students that have failed due to satanic manipulation. It is not uncommon to hear of missing scripts, missing results and other Satan-engineered mysterious occurrences. There are also students that have lost their composure to write exams because of a bad news they received from home few days to exam time. Some students fall sick only during exam time which adversely affects their performance. Others have failing health. Unknown to some are generational curses that have been pronounced on their family that they will not rise above their peers. They find themselves struggling. They work like elephants but eat like ants in terms of result; nothing to show for their hard labour.
The status quo is maintained through prayerlessness. He ‘jerks’ 24/7 in the library and relegates prayer to the background. When he decides to pray, he slowly and consciously drifts into sleep, begins snoring heavily and generously oozing out large gob of saliva. Alexis Carrel once noted that the ‘most powerful form of energy one can generate is not mechanical, electronic or even atomic energy, but prayer energy.’ Too many anomalies are attributed to acts of God. He is not ready for a change,another ‘Jacob at Jabok’ experience. The devil therefore has a field day. He savours the hot tears that stream down his cheek at the discovery of another disappointment in his result.
In conclusion, I will like to emphasise that God is interested in the success of His children and that was why he made ample provision for it. But the scripture cannot be broken: ‘...whoso breaketh an hedge, the serpent shall bite him’ Eccl 10:8 A Christian student who does not play his part cannot expect God to become a magician. If he breaks the fundamental principles of success like proper time management, avoidance of procrastination and others highlighted above, he is sure to face the consequence of his action. But as to the uncontrollable factors and limitations, he should seek for counselling and be open to the leadership for financial, moral, psychological and material support and assistance.
On ASUU's two weeks strike suspension
Opinion
ASUU’S TOO WEAK STRIKE SUSPENSION
I am one of the many Nigerian students who clamoured for the resolution of the FG-ASUU rift which had resulted in the avoidable three month strike. My joy knew no bounds when a friend broke the news to me that the strike had been suspended. I could not help thanking God for answers to prayers.
Monday morning I enthusiastically woke up hoping to find my ever-vivacious friends in class. I had really missed them. But to my greatest surprise, I was greeted with an empty department and a deserted campus begging for students’ presence. Hostels were dry and there were just few students trudging the dusty roads. The tufts of grass around were vehemently protesting with their sharp blades the absence of human gracious treading. Classrooms were under lock and key. Disappointed and almost moved to tears, I asked: ‘Why?’
But it never took me time to unravel my own puzzle. Suspension is not the same as call-off and ASUU perfunctorily asked students to resume. Only unsuspecting and innocent students like me will swallow the suspension pill hook, line and sinker. Or have I also forgotten that NASU, the gate keeper and SSANU, the captain of the ship are still on strike? You can’t beat them.
While ruminating over the issue, I found answers to students’ reluctance to return to school. ASUU, in my assessment, were wrong on certain grounds.
Isn’t it ridiculous to imagine that an agreement that was not signed since 2001 will be approved within two magical weeks? Improbable! Perhaps, we might need to hypnotize the whole government functionaries before we will achieve such a tall feat. ASUU will have us believe that the FG will be repentant just within a fortnight. Such thinking is least expected of our academics. I can imagine the government savouring the delight of their luck.
Nonetheless, if without any abracadabra the Federal Government yields and meets the deadline, it will be with a severe modification that will aggravate the issue. ASUU’s demand would have been seriously slashed as to render it useless and worthless. If however the lofty demands will be met, it is not within a two-week ultimatum. I suppose ASUU’s train of thought is logically bound for a predictable disaster.
But if I must excuse our amiable lecturers for this decision, I can only come to one conclusion—ASUU has actually decided to call off the strike but to save their face decided to give an empty threat. At least that will make Nigerians think they are not tired of the struggle as their name contradictorily suggest in my Yoruba tongue. But in the real sense, the strike is over.
Let me briefly touch on the Adam Oshiomole’s factor in this morass. The former radical labour leader has been unfairly criticized for just taking care of ASUU without thinking of SSANU and NASU. In my candid opinion, Governor Oshiomole is not to blame. He was only a government appointed mediator with the mandate to return the striking lecturers to the classroom. Period. I honestly believe ASUU should take the buck. Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie should have known that if ASUU is to enjoy the benefit of a favourable negotiation with the FG, the other unions cannot be neglected or relegated as is presently the case. The three bodies though separated by certificate, experience and salary should have been united so the issues are settled once and for all. I don’t want to say ASUU was selfish though it is evident they were. ASUU may be the central processing unit of the university system; NASU is the monitor that displays their intelligent quotient while SSANU constitutes the input device without which they are incapacitated. Though separate, they are never mutually exclusive!
Since ASUU has then decided to suspend its strike, NASU and SSANU have collaborated to frustrate the effort of their darling brother. Pity. NASU says even if ASUU has decided to teach, it will be in an open field, not in classrooms.
So, with the foregoing analysis of our paralysis, the reaction of students should suffice to show their disappointment at ASUU’s insincerity and selfishness.
I want to advise that ASUU should not think of resuming the strike after two weeks. It will amount to descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. That will be excessive. I support the resumption but not to the exclusion of NASU and SSANU and not at ASUU’s postscript of a return after two weeks. It will not be in their honour to resume fight after handing down their weapons and calling for a truce. If that happens they will be riding roughshod on Nigerian students’ patience and understanding. They will also be portraying themselves as not worthy of trust and confidence.
No doubt I have also triggered a question— ‘what else could ASUU have done?’ Call off the strike, fold their hands and watch helplessly as the government continues to subject our educational system to undeserved torture? Of course not. I will never pander to such a base submission. My solidarity is to ASUU knowing fully I have a stake in the struggle. My recommendation is simple—Let ASUU intensify negotiation with the FG in a friendly atmosphere devoid of rancor or resentment until the issues are completely thrashed out. At least the FG has promised to accede to their demands only on the condition of returning to classroom. Governor Oshiomole, who we all appreciate for his masses spirit, has also been involved. So, if they reneged on this sacred promise, then we can take them to the cleaners.
If the agreement is not signed, Yar’dua’s administration shall be remembered for its unreliability and undependability; for its unfulfilled promises; for raising expectations and dashing it, breaking our hearts. We will not forget him as the president who made Nigerian students stage a protest on the country’s 49th Independence Anniversary. No, Never! Let the Yar’adua administration embark on an image redemption campaign especially among students and academics before the chapter of his smeared administration is sealed. It is only a piece of advice.
To my courageous academics I’ll like to say this. It is high time we dropped this hackneyed idea of strike action as the only means of venting grievances on authorities. The idea is too crude and costly. Our professors think up another effective alternative. Posterity will appreciate an effort directed towards fashioning a creative way of seeking equity, justice and fair treatment when the occasion calls for it in the near future. So that Nigeria can be great and the labour of our heroes past may not in vain.
Folarin Samson
Editor-in-chief, UnilagSun Newspaper.
08030572852
Childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
ASUU’S TOO WEAK STRIKE SUSPENSION
I am one of the many Nigerian students who clamoured for the resolution of the FG-ASUU rift which had resulted in the avoidable three month strike. My joy knew no bounds when a friend broke the news to me that the strike had been suspended. I could not help thanking God for answers to prayers.
Monday morning I enthusiastically woke up hoping to find my ever-vivacious friends in class. I had really missed them. But to my greatest surprise, I was greeted with an empty department and a deserted campus begging for students’ presence. Hostels were dry and there were just few students trudging the dusty roads. The tufts of grass around were vehemently protesting with their sharp blades the absence of human gracious treading. Classrooms were under lock and key. Disappointed and almost moved to tears, I asked: ‘Why?’
But it never took me time to unravel my own puzzle. Suspension is not the same as call-off and ASUU perfunctorily asked students to resume. Only unsuspecting and innocent students like me will swallow the suspension pill hook, line and sinker. Or have I also forgotten that NASU, the gate keeper and SSANU, the captain of the ship are still on strike? You can’t beat them.
While ruminating over the issue, I found answers to students’ reluctance to return to school. ASUU, in my assessment, were wrong on certain grounds.
Isn’t it ridiculous to imagine that an agreement that was not signed since 2001 will be approved within two magical weeks? Improbable! Perhaps, we might need to hypnotize the whole government functionaries before we will achieve such a tall feat. ASUU will have us believe that the FG will be repentant just within a fortnight. Such thinking is least expected of our academics. I can imagine the government savouring the delight of their luck.
Nonetheless, if without any abracadabra the Federal Government yields and meets the deadline, it will be with a severe modification that will aggravate the issue. ASUU’s demand would have been seriously slashed as to render it useless and worthless. If however the lofty demands will be met, it is not within a two-week ultimatum. I suppose ASUU’s train of thought is logically bound for a predictable disaster.
But if I must excuse our amiable lecturers for this decision, I can only come to one conclusion—ASUU has actually decided to call off the strike but to save their face decided to give an empty threat. At least that will make Nigerians think they are not tired of the struggle as their name contradictorily suggest in my Yoruba tongue. But in the real sense, the strike is over.
Let me briefly touch on the Adam Oshiomole’s factor in this morass. The former radical labour leader has been unfairly criticized for just taking care of ASUU without thinking of SSANU and NASU. In my candid opinion, Governor Oshiomole is not to blame. He was only a government appointed mediator with the mandate to return the striking lecturers to the classroom. Period. I honestly believe ASUU should take the buck. Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie should have known that if ASUU is to enjoy the benefit of a favourable negotiation with the FG, the other unions cannot be neglected or relegated as is presently the case. The three bodies though separated by certificate, experience and salary should have been united so the issues are settled once and for all. I don’t want to say ASUU was selfish though it is evident they were. ASUU may be the central processing unit of the university system; NASU is the monitor that displays their intelligent quotient while SSANU constitutes the input device without which they are incapacitated. Though separate, they are never mutually exclusive!
Since ASUU has then decided to suspend its strike, NASU and SSANU have collaborated to frustrate the effort of their darling brother. Pity. NASU says even if ASUU has decided to teach, it will be in an open field, not in classrooms.
So, with the foregoing analysis of our paralysis, the reaction of students should suffice to show their disappointment at ASUU’s insincerity and selfishness.
I want to advise that ASUU should not think of resuming the strike after two weeks. It will amount to descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. That will be excessive. I support the resumption but not to the exclusion of NASU and SSANU and not at ASUU’s postscript of a return after two weeks. It will not be in their honour to resume fight after handing down their weapons and calling for a truce. If that happens they will be riding roughshod on Nigerian students’ patience and understanding. They will also be portraying themselves as not worthy of trust and confidence.
No doubt I have also triggered a question— ‘what else could ASUU have done?’ Call off the strike, fold their hands and watch helplessly as the government continues to subject our educational system to undeserved torture? Of course not. I will never pander to such a base submission. My solidarity is to ASUU knowing fully I have a stake in the struggle. My recommendation is simple—Let ASUU intensify negotiation with the FG in a friendly atmosphere devoid of rancor or resentment until the issues are completely thrashed out. At least the FG has promised to accede to their demands only on the condition of returning to classroom. Governor Oshiomole, who we all appreciate for his masses spirit, has also been involved. So, if they reneged on this sacred promise, then we can take them to the cleaners.
If the agreement is not signed, Yar’dua’s administration shall be remembered for its unreliability and undependability; for its unfulfilled promises; for raising expectations and dashing it, breaking our hearts. We will not forget him as the president who made Nigerian students stage a protest on the country’s 49th Independence Anniversary. No, Never! Let the Yar’adua administration embark on an image redemption campaign especially among students and academics before the chapter of his smeared administration is sealed. It is only a piece of advice.
To my courageous academics I’ll like to say this. It is high time we dropped this hackneyed idea of strike action as the only means of venting grievances on authorities. The idea is too crude and costly. Our professors think up another effective alternative. Posterity will appreciate an effort directed towards fashioning a creative way of seeking equity, justice and fair treatment when the occasion calls for it in the near future. So that Nigeria can be great and the labour of our heroes past may not in vain.
Folarin Samson
Editor-in-chief, UnilagSun Newspaper.
08030572852
Childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
ASUU vs FG: My Dillemma
Opinion article
ASUU vs FG: The dilemma of a Nigerian student
It will be highly reprehensible if at this stage ASUU calls off its strike without having something substantial to lay hand on as fruit of this struggle. They would have needlessly wasted the time of thousands of Nigerian students who had stayed at home because of the strike. On the other hand, it will be sheer wickedness and wanton insensitivity to the plight of the poor if this strike is allowed to continue. I seem to be putting ASUU in a quagmire. But what else can I do?
As a Nigerian student studying in one of the highly reputable universities in the country, I have watched with growing disinterest as things degenerate. I had thought the federal government would have shown a sense of responsibility and maturity to swing into action when this strike was announced two months ago. But I was wrong. Instead, the FG has only made feeble attempts to satisfy the disgruntled academics. As if on cue, NASU and SSANU followed suit. Ever since then, things have continued to take precarious turns. Many of us are being hunted by the fear of tomorrow in our father’s land.
To worsen the whole situation, ASUU has vowed not to return to the negotiation table unless the Federal Government signs the agreement. The Federal Government has also resolved not to meet the sacrosanct demands until the lecturers return to the classroom. So, where do we go from here? If the Federal Government has decided not to be sympathetic to the cause of the youth of this nation, won’t ASUU give it a thought to toe the line of Mahatma Ghandi, who said ‘An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind’
ASUU may have got enough reasons to nail the federal government. The profligacy of the government on negligible things ranks next to absurdity. Ours is a culture that celebrates mediocrity and promotes illiteracy. Today, the round leather holds sway in public circles and takes the centre of attention and fascination. School children drop out of school to become football stars, gain cheap popularity and pile accolades and national honours for being skilful and selfish; although sincere.
The unconscionable spending for the militants in the Niger-Delta is another case in point. The Federal Government is only ready to pacify these self-serving militants who obviously are not interested in the betterment of their community but the gratification of their greedy buccal cavity. Former militants now cruise around in exotic cars courtesy of federal government magnificence.
It is also common knowledge that public ‘servants’ live in splendour while lecturers rot in squalor. Is it not shocking to believe that while an average senator earns 36.8 million Naira per annum, a member of the house of representatives earns 35.9 million Naira and a local government chairman earns 13.9 million Naira per annum (excluding allowances and gratuities), while my professor who has spent the better part of his life studying and devouring volumes of books is paid a paltry 3.9 million Naira per annum! The pay packet decreases as one moves down the academic cadre. Yet, lecturers are trained specialists only that they are meagrely remunerated for their labour.
I can go on and on to show how these builders of the nation’s future are being degraded, abused and misused. However, I will not like to accentuate this disservice at the expense of the object of my article. My main aim is to make our academics realise that it is time for them to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.
We must however be ready to face the fact. A letter written by the ASUU branch of my school and addressed to students which reads in part “As students of/in Nigerian Universities you experience and bear the brunt of the consequences of the inaction of government on education (but I want to add) and the reaction of ASUU to government’s inaction” shows the union is passing the bulk completely to the government which will not augur well for us.
My piece of advice goes in the noble and immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.’ To continue with the strike is to turn deaf ears to the pleas and cries of Nigerian students who are at the receiving end. To continue with the strike is to give the opposition a voice in the day of reckoning and stand in jeopardy of suffering shame and sharing in the blame for the calamitous state of our educational system. To continue with the strike is to fight without due consideration of the implication on students who are already dabbling into crimes and anti-social behaviour (an idle hand is the devil’s workshop). ASUU should remember that two wrongs can never make a right. They cannot afford to have a pyrrhic victory. Nigerian students will not celebrate that.
People are no longer appealing to the conscience of our government, seeing their minds are already made up. ASUU is our last resort. They will have to sheath their sword or else many students will be inadvertently slain with that same sword intended for their defence. The academic union must show concern because ‘We are the world, we are the children, we are the future.’
By:Folarin Samson
Editor-in-chief, UnilagSun Newspaper
Childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
08030572852
ASUU vs FG: The dilemma of a Nigerian student
It will be highly reprehensible if at this stage ASUU calls off its strike without having something substantial to lay hand on as fruit of this struggle. They would have needlessly wasted the time of thousands of Nigerian students who had stayed at home because of the strike. On the other hand, it will be sheer wickedness and wanton insensitivity to the plight of the poor if this strike is allowed to continue. I seem to be putting ASUU in a quagmire. But what else can I do?
As a Nigerian student studying in one of the highly reputable universities in the country, I have watched with growing disinterest as things degenerate. I had thought the federal government would have shown a sense of responsibility and maturity to swing into action when this strike was announced two months ago. But I was wrong. Instead, the FG has only made feeble attempts to satisfy the disgruntled academics. As if on cue, NASU and SSANU followed suit. Ever since then, things have continued to take precarious turns. Many of us are being hunted by the fear of tomorrow in our father’s land.
To worsen the whole situation, ASUU has vowed not to return to the negotiation table unless the Federal Government signs the agreement. The Federal Government has also resolved not to meet the sacrosanct demands until the lecturers return to the classroom. So, where do we go from here? If the Federal Government has decided not to be sympathetic to the cause of the youth of this nation, won’t ASUU give it a thought to toe the line of Mahatma Ghandi, who said ‘An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind’
ASUU may have got enough reasons to nail the federal government. The profligacy of the government on negligible things ranks next to absurdity. Ours is a culture that celebrates mediocrity and promotes illiteracy. Today, the round leather holds sway in public circles and takes the centre of attention and fascination. School children drop out of school to become football stars, gain cheap popularity and pile accolades and national honours for being skilful and selfish; although sincere.
The unconscionable spending for the militants in the Niger-Delta is another case in point. The Federal Government is only ready to pacify these self-serving militants who obviously are not interested in the betterment of their community but the gratification of their greedy buccal cavity. Former militants now cruise around in exotic cars courtesy of federal government magnificence.
It is also common knowledge that public ‘servants’ live in splendour while lecturers rot in squalor. Is it not shocking to believe that while an average senator earns 36.8 million Naira per annum, a member of the house of representatives earns 35.9 million Naira and a local government chairman earns 13.9 million Naira per annum (excluding allowances and gratuities), while my professor who has spent the better part of his life studying and devouring volumes of books is paid a paltry 3.9 million Naira per annum! The pay packet decreases as one moves down the academic cadre. Yet, lecturers are trained specialists only that they are meagrely remunerated for their labour.
I can go on and on to show how these builders of the nation’s future are being degraded, abused and misused. However, I will not like to accentuate this disservice at the expense of the object of my article. My main aim is to make our academics realise that it is time for them to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.
We must however be ready to face the fact. A letter written by the ASUU branch of my school and addressed to students which reads in part “As students of/in Nigerian Universities you experience and bear the brunt of the consequences of the inaction of government on education (but I want to add) and the reaction of ASUU to government’s inaction” shows the union is passing the bulk completely to the government which will not augur well for us.
My piece of advice goes in the noble and immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.’ To continue with the strike is to turn deaf ears to the pleas and cries of Nigerian students who are at the receiving end. To continue with the strike is to give the opposition a voice in the day of reckoning and stand in jeopardy of suffering shame and sharing in the blame for the calamitous state of our educational system. To continue with the strike is to fight without due consideration of the implication on students who are already dabbling into crimes and anti-social behaviour (an idle hand is the devil’s workshop). ASUU should remember that two wrongs can never make a right. They cannot afford to have a pyrrhic victory. Nigerian students will not celebrate that.
People are no longer appealing to the conscience of our government, seeing their minds are already made up. ASUU is our last resort. They will have to sheath their sword or else many students will be inadvertently slain with that same sword intended for their defence. The academic union must show concern because ‘We are the world, we are the children, we are the future.’
By:Folarin Samson
Editor-in-chief, UnilagSun Newspaper
Childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
08030572852
The Jos crisis
Jos Crisis saga: Who will be the Next?
By Folarin Samson
Yet again, the newspapers were awashed on Monday with the gruesome story of how not less than 500 people perished in Jos (In media parlance, bad news is good news).What annoys more is that harmless women and children fell the highest victims. I am afraid. I feel terrified by this wanton bloodshed and carnage of innocent citizens. In Nigeria, people now die like fowls. A crisis here and before one says jack, another has surfaced. Who then knows the time of the next onslaught? Who will be the next victim of a sadistic pogrom? We are no longer safe in our own country. Insecurity looms large at us. We are back to the state of nature described by Thomas Hobbes as nasty, brutish and short. Predictably, the police would emerge from their hideouts to shamelessly and insensitively sputter their nauseating and disgusting mantra: ‘We are thoroughly investigating the issue and culprits will soon be brought to book’. Arrant nonsense! Gibberish! Just as they brought to book the killers of Alfred Marshal, Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, Bayo Ohu, et al. Who are they deceiving? And by the way, we are no longer hearing about the serial orgy killer, Clifford Orji. Failed armed force!
But who are these elusive and sporadic killers? Without any bias or prejudice, they are a clique of subversive elements of Hausa/Fulani extraction. Like Chameleons, they either put on the cloak of Boko Haram today or Kalo Kato tomorrow. They also have a cruel way of snuffing out lives from hapless citizens. Their chief tool is an awkwardly long curved sharp knife, the sight of which alone could petrify. All they do is seize their victim, grab his neck and slit it in a moment. Then blood gushes out like from a broken pipe. Blood stained, they proceed to another victim, grinning as they conduct the same dastardly rites on him or her. Do we say these people are human beings at all?
The spate of killing took another dimension in the slaughtering of about 5oo people. The murderers were identified as Fulani herdsmen. It seems to me that they were dissatisfied with butchering animals and so decided to shift to fellow human beings. This does not only portray these Hausa/Fulani as callous but bestial. Or how can one describe a situation where a group of devilish Fulani bandit sneaked into people’s homes in the wee hours of the night, turned their neck while still in sweet dreamland, oblivious to their imminent death and with no chance of possibly saying a goodbye to friends and folks, only to die like a fowl; worse than a fowl.
Unfortunately, these satanic emissaries did not spare kids. They also decapitated them in a flash of their bloody knife. Cruel, hot death! Oh God, 500 souls in a single swoop of human brutality? I can’t understand.
But why Jos again? Is this a religious fight or another ethnic struggle? This state that was once the land of tourist attraction for sometime now has been the hotbed for devastation. Lives are no longer safe. After a religious or sectarian attack in which hundreds of lives were lost, we still ask ourselves who will be the next? There are so many animalistic and cannibalistic humans around that you don’t know who is who.
As I write this article I could not help but shed tears. You wonder why I have been sounding so emotional and acerbic? I am a final year student in a Nigerian University who will soon be herded by some unfortunate fellows into some of these dreaded dens. Some of my senior colleagues have already been posted. How will they cope?
My recommendations are spiky. I want the police to wake up. What we know them for is money, more money and all the money. They collect money from the Government (increment in salary) and citizens (at T-junctions and bus-stops. This has now become a convention). Whenever incidents like this happen, the first thing the Inspector General of Police should do is to first tender an unreserved public apology for his ineptitude and conspicuous debacle and then promise to run the criminals to earth or upon default, resign. We are tired of this egocentric political spirit of effusive pledges and promises without delivery! The rule should be: For a life lost based on insecurity and dereliction of duty, a police officer must be relieved of his or her duty. For two, a police station should be heavily sanctioned. For three or more, a top officer must of necessity resign and if he is stubborn, fired!
Yes, I want those areas with blood-thirsty human-demons delisted from the NYSC list. Walahi Talahi I shall not serve in these evil areas. It is foolhardiness to go and serve in a place like Jos or Bauchi in the name of patriotism. I believe that serving my country should not even be for a single year. It is a lifetime affair. If to save my life I don’t serve for a single year, I know I will have the opportunity in the future. Please, government officials in charge of posting, save the youths.
To those of you who finance destruction of lives and property, psyche up illiterates, semi-literates and educated illiterates with religious sentiments and animosity to achieve your selfish ends, I want to say the God who tracked down Abacha has not gone out of business. You cannot go unpunished, as long as the world stands. If retribution does not catch up with you, be sure your posterity will bear the brunt of your wickedness. As for aljunnah (heaven), you will be shut out of it. And to those mercenaries, who go on killing assignments for pecuniary gains and evil thrills, your reward is more imminent than you can ever imagine.
My country people, we cannot continue like this. We have been accused of docility and passivity. The people in government trample on us; the bad politicians deceive us and take our humility for stupidity. And alas, our own blood brothers and sisters join forces with these dark powers to destroy us. You should not expect me to talk about secession as the solution to our crisis. I will not urge reprisal attacks on you as a measure to halt this altercation. Peace loving Nigerians, in this hour of political, social, economic and ethnic brouhaha, we cannot neglect the efficacy of prayer. Did I disappoint you? No, of course not. We have done it before. Let’s pray that the shenanigans be deposed and dealt with like Tafa Balogun and Diepreye Alamasiaya; that the untouchable ‘cabals’ go the way of Abacha. The holy writ says ‘when thy judgments are upon the earth, the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness’ QED.
Folarin Samson is a student of the University of Lagos, Akoka. 08030572852 Text only. childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
By Folarin Samson
Yet again, the newspapers were awashed on Monday with the gruesome story of how not less than 500 people perished in Jos (In media parlance, bad news is good news).What annoys more is that harmless women and children fell the highest victims. I am afraid. I feel terrified by this wanton bloodshed and carnage of innocent citizens. In Nigeria, people now die like fowls. A crisis here and before one says jack, another has surfaced. Who then knows the time of the next onslaught? Who will be the next victim of a sadistic pogrom? We are no longer safe in our own country. Insecurity looms large at us. We are back to the state of nature described by Thomas Hobbes as nasty, brutish and short. Predictably, the police would emerge from their hideouts to shamelessly and insensitively sputter their nauseating and disgusting mantra: ‘We are thoroughly investigating the issue and culprits will soon be brought to book’. Arrant nonsense! Gibberish! Just as they brought to book the killers of Alfred Marshal, Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, Bayo Ohu, et al. Who are they deceiving? And by the way, we are no longer hearing about the serial orgy killer, Clifford Orji. Failed armed force!
But who are these elusive and sporadic killers? Without any bias or prejudice, they are a clique of subversive elements of Hausa/Fulani extraction. Like Chameleons, they either put on the cloak of Boko Haram today or Kalo Kato tomorrow. They also have a cruel way of snuffing out lives from hapless citizens. Their chief tool is an awkwardly long curved sharp knife, the sight of which alone could petrify. All they do is seize their victim, grab his neck and slit it in a moment. Then blood gushes out like from a broken pipe. Blood stained, they proceed to another victim, grinning as they conduct the same dastardly rites on him or her. Do we say these people are human beings at all?
The spate of killing took another dimension in the slaughtering of about 5oo people. The murderers were identified as Fulani herdsmen. It seems to me that they were dissatisfied with butchering animals and so decided to shift to fellow human beings. This does not only portray these Hausa/Fulani as callous but bestial. Or how can one describe a situation where a group of devilish Fulani bandit sneaked into people’s homes in the wee hours of the night, turned their neck while still in sweet dreamland, oblivious to their imminent death and with no chance of possibly saying a goodbye to friends and folks, only to die like a fowl; worse than a fowl.
Unfortunately, these satanic emissaries did not spare kids. They also decapitated them in a flash of their bloody knife. Cruel, hot death! Oh God, 500 souls in a single swoop of human brutality? I can’t understand.
But why Jos again? Is this a religious fight or another ethnic struggle? This state that was once the land of tourist attraction for sometime now has been the hotbed for devastation. Lives are no longer safe. After a religious or sectarian attack in which hundreds of lives were lost, we still ask ourselves who will be the next? There are so many animalistic and cannibalistic humans around that you don’t know who is who.
As I write this article I could not help but shed tears. You wonder why I have been sounding so emotional and acerbic? I am a final year student in a Nigerian University who will soon be herded by some unfortunate fellows into some of these dreaded dens. Some of my senior colleagues have already been posted. How will they cope?
My recommendations are spiky. I want the police to wake up. What we know them for is money, more money and all the money. They collect money from the Government (increment in salary) and citizens (at T-junctions and bus-stops. This has now become a convention). Whenever incidents like this happen, the first thing the Inspector General of Police should do is to first tender an unreserved public apology for his ineptitude and conspicuous debacle and then promise to run the criminals to earth or upon default, resign. We are tired of this egocentric political spirit of effusive pledges and promises without delivery! The rule should be: For a life lost based on insecurity and dereliction of duty, a police officer must be relieved of his or her duty. For two, a police station should be heavily sanctioned. For three or more, a top officer must of necessity resign and if he is stubborn, fired!
Yes, I want those areas with blood-thirsty human-demons delisted from the NYSC list. Walahi Talahi I shall not serve in these evil areas. It is foolhardiness to go and serve in a place like Jos or Bauchi in the name of patriotism. I believe that serving my country should not even be for a single year. It is a lifetime affair. If to save my life I don’t serve for a single year, I know I will have the opportunity in the future. Please, government officials in charge of posting, save the youths.
To those of you who finance destruction of lives and property, psyche up illiterates, semi-literates and educated illiterates with religious sentiments and animosity to achieve your selfish ends, I want to say the God who tracked down Abacha has not gone out of business. You cannot go unpunished, as long as the world stands. If retribution does not catch up with you, be sure your posterity will bear the brunt of your wickedness. As for aljunnah (heaven), you will be shut out of it. And to those mercenaries, who go on killing assignments for pecuniary gains and evil thrills, your reward is more imminent than you can ever imagine.
My country people, we cannot continue like this. We have been accused of docility and passivity. The people in government trample on us; the bad politicians deceive us and take our humility for stupidity. And alas, our own blood brothers and sisters join forces with these dark powers to destroy us. You should not expect me to talk about secession as the solution to our crisis. I will not urge reprisal attacks on you as a measure to halt this altercation. Peace loving Nigerians, in this hour of political, social, economic and ethnic brouhaha, we cannot neglect the efficacy of prayer. Did I disappoint you? No, of course not. We have done it before. Let’s pray that the shenanigans be deposed and dealt with like Tafa Balogun and Diepreye Alamasiaya; that the untouchable ‘cabals’ go the way of Abacha. The holy writ says ‘when thy judgments are upon the earth, the inhabitants of the earth will learn righteousness’ QED.
Folarin Samson is a student of the University of Lagos, Akoka. 08030572852 Text only. childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
Aristorism
Aristorism on our campus: stemming the tide
By Folarin Samson, 400l Mass Communication, Unilag childofdkingdom@yahoo.com/08030572852
When Nollywood star actress, Funke Akindele released her block buster movie ‘Jenifa’, everyone applauded the creativity and ingenuity she brought to bear in the verisimilitude. The young actress was widely celebrated. She won numerous awards and prizes. To crown it all, she became Globacom ambassador after sealing a contract with the telecommunication giant. Eureka ! Bravo! Bottom line: Funke made her cool money and her popularity soared to the heavens.
But before we are lost in the fulsome complement that trailed her box office movie, there is need to see its contribution to the society in moral terms. To me, that is the acid test of the success of her story. Any change in the lifestyle of promiscuous ladies to whom the movie was addressed? Has the number of skimpily dressed seductress reduced on our campuses today? Have the big flashy borrowed cars stopped cruising our boulevard at ungodly hours of the night? I am sure to these posers we have a common answer which is an emphatic NO.
So, here is my surmise. The movie industry cannot help us combat the monstrous malady of glorified prostitution. You may doubt my conclusion, but it is factual. People are only excited by the transient passion films kindle which dies no sooner than it comes. After all, is it not called ‘the world of make believe’? Nothing real; all imagined, fabricated by an egocentric movie genius who is more driven by quest for money and fame than societal change. Movies only have entertainment values and nothing more. Any didactic purpose is lost in the flurry of thrills and frills that eclipse the whole essence of the movie. I appear to be stereotyping Nollywood. My apologies.
I have no aversion for Nollywood, I only intend to make you realize that aristorism as a problem cannot be solved by child’s play. It is a serious issue that requires a strong and determined action plan. What makes it hard to put an end to this scourge is the moral pervasion and decadence that has beclouded the sense of judgment of some of our university authorities.
But what is aristorism?
Aristorism is the practice of old shameless wealthy men chasing teenagers and young undergraduate girls whom they are old enough to father. It is very rampant in the urban centres which are infested with various forms of behavioural and sexual anomalies due to exposure to wild civilization.
Different reasons have been adduced for this heathenism. Money has been fingered as the principal cause. Girls from poor homes are more vulnerable because they are made to believe that they can make ends meet by sleeping with their father’s age mates. Others join the band wagon in a bid to feel ‘belong’ or join the ‘big girls’ on campus and be able to affords expensive gadgets and accessories. Whatever the reason, aristorism is evil and should be dealt with decisively. Apart from the high possibility of contracting deadly diseases or becoming a victim of ritualists who callously dismember their preys, there are more reasons the phenomenon should be halted or reduced to the barest minimum.
Aristorism diminishes our societal moral values and sacrifices chastity and purity on the altar of materialism. It makes nonsense of campus ladies and puts their virtue in question. Aristorism is a vicious vice that makes young men doubt the home value and worth of ladies. Our educational system is not spared. Unlike the days of yore when students would read over night, today’s reality is a far cry and a cause for lamentation and sober reflection. The night is spent in a hotel down town and in the early hours of the morning, the unfortunate stinking lady is brought back to school by her shameless randy ‘sugar daddy’, after placing a dole of filthy lucre on her lap.
So what can be done? Or should we look on, pretend as if all is well while things fester and our universities turn to brothels at night? How do we salvage such a bad situation as this that has discredited our school system and made it appear a breeding ground for ladies of easy virtue?
First, parents need to be concerned about the welfare of their wards. Parental negligence is the root of moral decadence and immoral indulgence. A periodic visit can go a long way in forestalling such this evil. They should ask who their children walk with, how they fend for themselves and other pertinent questions. Second, there is need for a reorientation campaign. Aggressive publicity should be mounted through every available media to redirect the minds of ladies and point them to the hazards of such a useless, worthless venture. Also, the university management should work out a financial empowerment scheme to help indigent students. A work-study programme is a good option. Besides, there is the need to beef up the security unit. A strict stance should be taken on campus kerb-crawlers by interrogating, embarrassing and investigating them. Furthermore, schools with students unions should unite to fight this scourge. But this should be properly managed so it does not degenerate to harassment of innocent visitors. It is high time we all arose to save our university, nay our nation, from moral degradation and sexual pervasion that are endemic in our campus community.
By Folarin Samson, 400l Mass Communication, Unilag childofdkingdom@yahoo.com/08030572852
When Nollywood star actress, Funke Akindele released her block buster movie ‘Jenifa’, everyone applauded the creativity and ingenuity she brought to bear in the verisimilitude. The young actress was widely celebrated. She won numerous awards and prizes. To crown it all, she became Globacom ambassador after sealing a contract with the telecommunication giant. Eureka ! Bravo! Bottom line: Funke made her cool money and her popularity soared to the heavens.
But before we are lost in the fulsome complement that trailed her box office movie, there is need to see its contribution to the society in moral terms. To me, that is the acid test of the success of her story. Any change in the lifestyle of promiscuous ladies to whom the movie was addressed? Has the number of skimpily dressed seductress reduced on our campuses today? Have the big flashy borrowed cars stopped cruising our boulevard at ungodly hours of the night? I am sure to these posers we have a common answer which is an emphatic NO.
So, here is my surmise. The movie industry cannot help us combat the monstrous malady of glorified prostitution. You may doubt my conclusion, but it is factual. People are only excited by the transient passion films kindle which dies no sooner than it comes. After all, is it not called ‘the world of make believe’? Nothing real; all imagined, fabricated by an egocentric movie genius who is more driven by quest for money and fame than societal change. Movies only have entertainment values and nothing more. Any didactic purpose is lost in the flurry of thrills and frills that eclipse the whole essence of the movie. I appear to be stereotyping Nollywood. My apologies.
I have no aversion for Nollywood, I only intend to make you realize that aristorism as a problem cannot be solved by child’s play. It is a serious issue that requires a strong and determined action plan. What makes it hard to put an end to this scourge is the moral pervasion and decadence that has beclouded the sense of judgment of some of our university authorities.
But what is aristorism?
Aristorism is the practice of old shameless wealthy men chasing teenagers and young undergraduate girls whom they are old enough to father. It is very rampant in the urban centres which are infested with various forms of behavioural and sexual anomalies due to exposure to wild civilization.
Different reasons have been adduced for this heathenism. Money has been fingered as the principal cause. Girls from poor homes are more vulnerable because they are made to believe that they can make ends meet by sleeping with their father’s age mates. Others join the band wagon in a bid to feel ‘belong’ or join the ‘big girls’ on campus and be able to affords expensive gadgets and accessories. Whatever the reason, aristorism is evil and should be dealt with decisively. Apart from the high possibility of contracting deadly diseases or becoming a victim of ritualists who callously dismember their preys, there are more reasons the phenomenon should be halted or reduced to the barest minimum.
Aristorism diminishes our societal moral values and sacrifices chastity and purity on the altar of materialism. It makes nonsense of campus ladies and puts their virtue in question. Aristorism is a vicious vice that makes young men doubt the home value and worth of ladies. Our educational system is not spared. Unlike the days of yore when students would read over night, today’s reality is a far cry and a cause for lamentation and sober reflection. The night is spent in a hotel down town and in the early hours of the morning, the unfortunate stinking lady is brought back to school by her shameless randy ‘sugar daddy’, after placing a dole of filthy lucre on her lap.
So what can be done? Or should we look on, pretend as if all is well while things fester and our universities turn to brothels at night? How do we salvage such a bad situation as this that has discredited our school system and made it appear a breeding ground for ladies of easy virtue?
First, parents need to be concerned about the welfare of their wards. Parental negligence is the root of moral decadence and immoral indulgence. A periodic visit can go a long way in forestalling such this evil. They should ask who their children walk with, how they fend for themselves and other pertinent questions. Second, there is need for a reorientation campaign. Aggressive publicity should be mounted through every available media to redirect the minds of ladies and point them to the hazards of such a useless, worthless venture. Also, the university management should work out a financial empowerment scheme to help indigent students. A work-study programme is a good option. Besides, there is the need to beef up the security unit. A strict stance should be taken on campus kerb-crawlers by interrogating, embarrassing and investigating them. Furthermore, schools with students unions should unite to fight this scourge. But this should be properly managed so it does not degenerate to harassment of innocent visitors. It is high time we all arose to save our university, nay our nation, from moral degradation and sexual pervasion that are endemic in our campus community.
The Calamitous Ayobo Road
Ayobo Road, Bisi Yusuf and Fashola’s failed promise
It was a cloudy afternoon in a Lagos suburb. I was returning from a youth congress together with many campus students in the popular Lagos BRT. Suddenly, it started to rain. It was pouring in furious torrents. But as we burst into the opening, it became clear to us we were in for a terrible experience. We were actually on the calamitous Ipaja-Ayobo Road. Ahead were gullies with pools of stagnant filthy water, bellowing audible threats to oncoming vehicles. Houses and shops were sealed and their occupants taken under house arrest as the waters flooded their homes and extended to the streets. Two young men took cover by turning large iron sheets on themselves. Cars were recklessly parked on the road, abandoned by their frustrated owners. I also observed heaps of sands beside the road, eroded by previous downpours with weeds freely playing on their remains. There were rolls of concretes and slabs apparently meant for the reconstruction of the road pelted with grey matters to protest their neglect and desertion. It was the story of an area without any governmental oversight. Distraught, I hung my head in shame.
The BRT we were travelling in also had its fair share of the assault. At a particular point, it came to a screeching halt. The tired vehicle could not continue the hazardous journey as the carcass was already badly cut and damaged by the hard core of the parched road which had not been covered by the deluge. One of us had to courageously step into the deep muddy water to assist the driver in picking parts of the carcass that had been torn by the road. The driver’s indignation was palpable and understandable but thankfully, the bus is the property of the owner of the road. But as we moved a little further one of those in the bus intoned: ‘May the road of our lives not be like this Ipaja-Ayobo Road’ A resonating Amen greeted the prayer. But who would believe that only two months ago, Ipaja-Ayobo along with Mushin Local Government, was adjudged the best performing LCDA in Lagos by the NUJ under the chairmanship of Mr. Wahab Oba?
The Ipaja-Ayobo road has remained an albatross. Every Lagosian that has ever plied that road has a sad tale to tell. Cars are stuck in the innumerable potholes that adorn the road and traffic jam is a usual sight. Businesses have crumbled and commuters stranded because of the shortage of vehicles plying the area. In fact, the road is a monument of disgrace to the mega city of Lagos.
Every community efforts made to fix the road has proved abortive. Every time it rains, the efforts are drained and the condition of the road festered. The youths in the area have also shown commendable resilience to find a lasting solution to the challenge. But the limitations of their human and material resources render them impotent in the face of this Kilimanjaro of a problem.
The road in question was constructed about 13 years ago without drainage and that is why there has been the perennial problem of flooding. The road is said to be under the administration of the state government. What’s surprising is that the government are not unaware of the deplorable condition of the road. They know about the economic loss of the residents of Ipaja-Ayobo, yet they look the other side. It was claimed that the Ipaja-Ayobo Chairman, Mr. Bisi Yusuf relocated to Victoria Island which he denied. But why should anyone believe him? It was also alleged that he prevented Deeper Life and Winners Chapel from reconstructing the road. What a Luddite! Does he or any of his acolytes make any gain from the problem? He shamelessly said in a recent interview in Punch newspaper ‘We have commenced the filling and grading of the road from Ayetoro boundary to Abesan Estate Gate’. It is important that Yusuf gives an account of his stewardship. After almost four years in office, all he could do is filling and grading. The reporter of the story could not hide his disappointment over the feeble effort of the local government as he said he saw ‘workmen’, who described themselves as members of the Abesan Gate Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, using bare hands to pick slabs of hard tar that seemed to have been brought from another failed road to fill whatever they could of the failed road. I read the bitter comment of one of his party loyalists on Facebook. The man swore to turn his back on the party if nothing is done before 2011 and even urged people to vote against the party. What a shame!
What is the the state government doing about this? Governor Fashola’s exploit in giving Lagos a facelift is widely publicised and celebrated. He delivered on many of his promises and showed that he could be trusted. So far, he has done creditably well and deserves the accolades. Sincerely, I did not pay attention to all the promises he made during his campaigns and so, I am not qualified to score him vis-Ã -vis his achievements. But I was there when he publicly declared before cameras and videos at the burial ceremony of Pastor Kumuyi’s wife that he would start working on the Ipaja-Ayobo road. He received rapturous applause. It was a single promise hence the ease of monitoring its fulfilment as opposed to the flurry of political promises which may be hard to assess. That was about two years ago. Nothing has been done. I have since then been disappointed in the state government for abandoning the people of Ipaja-Ayobo to their fate despite the heavy tax they pay into the state’s coffers.
I want to appeal to the conscience of the Governor to rise and give the residents of Ipaja-Ayobo a sense of belonging and a new lease of life. I am not living in the area but I sure feel their pulse in my occasional visits. What do they have to show for the four years of BRF administration? Destroyed property, wasted opportunities, irrevocable economic losses and governmental deception I suppose. What right does he have to expect votes from the people of the area who are obviously not reaping the dividends of democracy? Fashola’s government is ineffectual as far as they wake up every morning and return only to bemoan their woes. If he is not paying lip service to his mantra ‘Eko O ni baje’, then the people of Ayobo must receive immediate attention and intervention. Not in the next tenure, but now!
I also want to strongly appeal to the people of Ipaja-Ayobo to shine their eyes and make the right choice in the coming election. They must not vote for any political demagogue based on sentiments and sweet talk. It is so sad that for many years they have been going through this distressing experience and successive state and local governments have not shown serious commitment to the reconstruction of the road. They must vote out selfish and irresponsible governments that plunder their resources and sabotage their efforts. Ipaja-Ayobo people, your vote is your voice!
By Folarin Samson
400 Level, Mass communication, University of Lagos, Akoka
childofdkingdom@yahoo.com, 080305772852
It was a cloudy afternoon in a Lagos suburb. I was returning from a youth congress together with many campus students in the popular Lagos BRT. Suddenly, it started to rain. It was pouring in furious torrents. But as we burst into the opening, it became clear to us we were in for a terrible experience. We were actually on the calamitous Ipaja-Ayobo Road. Ahead were gullies with pools of stagnant filthy water, bellowing audible threats to oncoming vehicles. Houses and shops were sealed and their occupants taken under house arrest as the waters flooded their homes and extended to the streets. Two young men took cover by turning large iron sheets on themselves. Cars were recklessly parked on the road, abandoned by their frustrated owners. I also observed heaps of sands beside the road, eroded by previous downpours with weeds freely playing on their remains. There were rolls of concretes and slabs apparently meant for the reconstruction of the road pelted with grey matters to protest their neglect and desertion. It was the story of an area without any governmental oversight. Distraught, I hung my head in shame.
The BRT we were travelling in also had its fair share of the assault. At a particular point, it came to a screeching halt. The tired vehicle could not continue the hazardous journey as the carcass was already badly cut and damaged by the hard core of the parched road which had not been covered by the deluge. One of us had to courageously step into the deep muddy water to assist the driver in picking parts of the carcass that had been torn by the road. The driver’s indignation was palpable and understandable but thankfully, the bus is the property of the owner of the road. But as we moved a little further one of those in the bus intoned: ‘May the road of our lives not be like this Ipaja-Ayobo Road’ A resonating Amen greeted the prayer. But who would believe that only two months ago, Ipaja-Ayobo along with Mushin Local Government, was adjudged the best performing LCDA in Lagos by the NUJ under the chairmanship of Mr. Wahab Oba?
The Ipaja-Ayobo road has remained an albatross. Every Lagosian that has ever plied that road has a sad tale to tell. Cars are stuck in the innumerable potholes that adorn the road and traffic jam is a usual sight. Businesses have crumbled and commuters stranded because of the shortage of vehicles plying the area. In fact, the road is a monument of disgrace to the mega city of Lagos.
Every community efforts made to fix the road has proved abortive. Every time it rains, the efforts are drained and the condition of the road festered. The youths in the area have also shown commendable resilience to find a lasting solution to the challenge. But the limitations of their human and material resources render them impotent in the face of this Kilimanjaro of a problem.
The road in question was constructed about 13 years ago without drainage and that is why there has been the perennial problem of flooding. The road is said to be under the administration of the state government. What’s surprising is that the government are not unaware of the deplorable condition of the road. They know about the economic loss of the residents of Ipaja-Ayobo, yet they look the other side. It was claimed that the Ipaja-Ayobo Chairman, Mr. Bisi Yusuf relocated to Victoria Island which he denied. But why should anyone believe him? It was also alleged that he prevented Deeper Life and Winners Chapel from reconstructing the road. What a Luddite! Does he or any of his acolytes make any gain from the problem? He shamelessly said in a recent interview in Punch newspaper ‘We have commenced the filling and grading of the road from Ayetoro boundary to Abesan Estate Gate’. It is important that Yusuf gives an account of his stewardship. After almost four years in office, all he could do is filling and grading. The reporter of the story could not hide his disappointment over the feeble effort of the local government as he said he saw ‘workmen’, who described themselves as members of the Abesan Gate Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, using bare hands to pick slabs of hard tar that seemed to have been brought from another failed road to fill whatever they could of the failed road. I read the bitter comment of one of his party loyalists on Facebook. The man swore to turn his back on the party if nothing is done before 2011 and even urged people to vote against the party. What a shame!
What is the the state government doing about this? Governor Fashola’s exploit in giving Lagos a facelift is widely publicised and celebrated. He delivered on many of his promises and showed that he could be trusted. So far, he has done creditably well and deserves the accolades. Sincerely, I did not pay attention to all the promises he made during his campaigns and so, I am not qualified to score him vis-Ã -vis his achievements. But I was there when he publicly declared before cameras and videos at the burial ceremony of Pastor Kumuyi’s wife that he would start working on the Ipaja-Ayobo road. He received rapturous applause. It was a single promise hence the ease of monitoring its fulfilment as opposed to the flurry of political promises which may be hard to assess. That was about two years ago. Nothing has been done. I have since then been disappointed in the state government for abandoning the people of Ipaja-Ayobo to their fate despite the heavy tax they pay into the state’s coffers.
I want to appeal to the conscience of the Governor to rise and give the residents of Ipaja-Ayobo a sense of belonging and a new lease of life. I am not living in the area but I sure feel their pulse in my occasional visits. What do they have to show for the four years of BRF administration? Destroyed property, wasted opportunities, irrevocable economic losses and governmental deception I suppose. What right does he have to expect votes from the people of the area who are obviously not reaping the dividends of democracy? Fashola’s government is ineffectual as far as they wake up every morning and return only to bemoan their woes. If he is not paying lip service to his mantra ‘Eko O ni baje’, then the people of Ayobo must receive immediate attention and intervention. Not in the next tenure, but now!
I also want to strongly appeal to the people of Ipaja-Ayobo to shine their eyes and make the right choice in the coming election. They must not vote for any political demagogue based on sentiments and sweet talk. It is so sad that for many years they have been going through this distressing experience and successive state and local governments have not shown serious commitment to the reconstruction of the road. They must vote out selfish and irresponsible governments that plunder their resources and sabotage their efforts. Ipaja-Ayobo people, your vote is your voice!
By Folarin Samson
400 Level, Mass communication, University of Lagos, Akoka
childofdkingdom@yahoo.com, 080305772852
Aluta with sense and maturity
Young journalists… Aluta continua, Victoria acerta
By Samson FolarinPublished 13/05/2010Campus
Time and time again, we have witnessed bizarre carnages in our noble profession. Men of the underworld have continued to hound and hunt journalists with the intent of dousing their zeal, muzzling their acerbic pen, damping their morals and making future genii of the profession tremulous and dispirited. As the hope of this profession, we are tempted to rethink our commitment. We are confronted with the arduous challenge of convincing apprehensive parents and loved ones about our intention to make the difference in our world through the aperture journalism offers. And truly, their concern appears reasonable.
First, the state of security in the country is worrisome. The government seems not to care for our protection while discharging our duties. They are also not ready to facilitate our national and constitutionally assigned duty by deliberately frustrating the FOI bill. I can only imagine some of those feckless juggernauts sneering and savouring the wanton death of journalists and perhaps saying: "good for them" although they may be publicly shedding crocodile tears and hauling shallow tantrums at killers of journalists.
The media organisations obviously are not helping matters. Journalists are only paid stipends. It is unimaginable to see journalists drive luxurious cars. While people in other professions revel in millions, journalists languish in abject poverty. No insurance for the journalist, because his employers don’t value his life. If he dies, the work continues. His death will only cost a page of "Life and times of…"; a few days of tributes and commendations for a life well spent. What about his family members? What about his helpless children? A heavy hush envelopes the rest of the story.
What about the society? The society does not offer any form of consolation. The people, for whom the journalist risks his life to obtain stories to prosecute public officers and drag them to the court of human and judicial justice, do not value the effort. To start with, very few journalists have their pictures in the papers to gain any celebrity status. They are not welcome wherever they go. Ours is a society where we don’t appreciate the truth. The innocent journalist is suspected at every occasion. They treat him like the plague.
So tell me why should I be a journalist? Why shouldn’t I listen to my people? Why should I risk my neck for an ungrateful society, pernicious and hell-bent public officers who will go out of their way to eliminate me for practicing my profession truthfully? Why should I put my life on the line for an unrewarding profession that requires a dose of rascality? Why not become an accountant working in an air-conditioned office with secretaries at my beck and call?
It must be stated that journalism is a profession of the heart. It is a call to duty. It offers the platform to confront the powerful in the society. While the accountant, engineer, architect fizzle out and is forgotten after making his money, the journalist’s name is etched in gold for his invaluable contribution to humanity. It is a risky and life threatening discipline, but it is an avenue for the activist and radical leftist to fight with his last blood.
Comrades, to the question of whether we will relent after these unfathomable serial killings of journalists, I dare to say the fight has only begun. The holy writ confounds us with a paradox that the more the Egyptian burdened and afflicted the Israelites, the more they appeared stronger with bulging and intimidating biceps. After the murder of our courageous heroes, we will continue to multiply and proliferate like sands on the seashore. More than ever before, our pen will lacerate callous politicians and deceitful public officers who have defaulted on their constitutional pledge. The blood of the journalist is seed.
Yes, they may murder Dele Giwa, mow Bayo Ohu, Tayo Awotusi, Edo Ugbagwu, but they cannot kill the truth. Truth will ever prevail. We are only the conveyor belt of truth, equity and justice. Death has got no power over truth.
In this struggle to wrest our beloved country from the hands of greedy and glorified hoodlums in suit, my advice to young journalists and distressed reporters goes in the words of the ancient Greek historian and author, Thucydides who said: "The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." To chicken out of the fight in a bid to save our lives will tantamount to cowardice.
The dead journalists have made their own mark. Their names have continued to re-echo their exploits, courage, character and charisma. Journalism may offer no pleasure but pain; it may promise no accolade but accusation; it may give no cheers but jeers. Yes, we may get no national honour and award, but it gives one thing: the satisfaction of making the comfortable uncomfortable and the sorrowful joyful.
Samson, 400-L Mass Comm., UNILAG
Can Unilag new VC make it?
Can Unilag new VC make it?.
Monday, 01 March 2010 00:00 Nigerian Compass .Share 0University of Lagos, one of the prestigious and highly competitive universities in Nigeria has got a new Vice Chancellor. That may not surprise many because change is the only constant thing in the world. Nonetheless, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi, the former Vice chancellor would be missed because he was an amiable, accessible and affable leader. A sort of a man of the people.
Unilag had a facelift during his stewardship. Outstanding, remarkable and landmark achievements echoed through the four-walls of the 48-year-old institution as they were etched in gold. Staff-academic and non-academic alike-unanimously agreed he was a man of his words; he paid salaries 25th of every month. Students were not left out. They benefited from the largesse of this man. He was able to set in motion the machinery for the restoration of unionism before age caught up with him. Apart from his widely criticised support for the FG in the twilight of his tenure during the three-months grinding ASUU strike which pitched him against his staff, Odugbemi appeared to have vigorously and vociferously imparted on the lives of people in the Unilag academia. Many still have soft spot for him despite his foible that they wish he could continue.
But change must take its due course. The story must change. There is a new man. I mean, an old new man. He is a veteran in the university. Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe is not new in the system. He has acted in various capacities in the university. During the administration of the late Prof. Jelili Omotola, he served as the Dean of Faculty of Science. Under Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, he functioned as the Director of Academic Planning and under Prof. Tolu Odugbemi; he was the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management and services). He had worked assiduously to rise steadily through the ranks to earn the position of the Vice Chancellor. So, one can conclude the office is well deserved. No other academic can know Unilag better than Sofoluwe. He will surely have no problem traversing this familiar terrain.
However, there are important questions people seem to be asking: Can he match the sterling performance of his predecessor? Is he loaded enough to deliver? Can he exceed expectation and set the Thames on fire? Sofoluwe will leave no one in doubt of his ability. Yes, Mr. VC has spoken: ‘I shall ensure Unilag by the midterm of my vice chancellorship is ranked amongst the first 100 universities in the world’. Brilliant. Isn’t it? But is this not rather a tall order?
Presently, no Nigerian university is rated among the one to 500 in the world. (I stand to be corrected). Sadly and surprisingly, no Nigerian university is among the first 50 in Africa. The reason is clear and obvious. Government lackadaisical attitude to education is a major factor for the deepening malaise of our education system. That is why the dilapidated ageing structures, poor power supply (not all universities), inadequate learning tools all remind us of our educational cancerous disease.
So how will Sofoluwe accomplish this lofty and incredible goal seeing he has a Kilimanjaro of an obstacle to confront? I am not a Thomas but my concern is definitely genuine. Oh, he even said the deadline for the realisation of this goal is ‘mid-term of my vice-chancellorship’. That’s in two years and six months time. Wonderful!
If Mr. Vice Chancellor had said the first in Africa (sounds a little degrading for a first class school like Unilag) he would have gained credibility. But to say he would launch Unilag to the moon in a jiffy beats my imagination. Rome was not built in a day!
As a concerned Nigerian student, I want to suggest to Sofoluwe to concentrate on the task at hand and stop sycophants and lackeys from distracting him with irrelevances including media publicity and propaganda. He should continue from where Odugbemi stopped. Let the aggressive crusade against cultism, violence and other academic vices continue (now that student associations are on).Let the welfare of students and staff take priority in policies and programmes. Let the facilities and equipment which make learning easy and stress-free be the major focus in senate discussions and deliberations. Having perused his vision for the university, I have no doubt he is the best man for the job. His knowledge and experience as a computer scientist will be most effective in transforming the university to a top class institution.
There are basic pressing issues that students would like him to face. The yearly hassle and tussle over accommodation should be given a lasting solution without any outrageous financial implication. More hostels, less banks and commercial structures which portray the school as a commercial venture. Transportation should be facilitated with more buses to convey students as they shuttle from hostels to lecture theatres.Enough of epilieptic power supply! For how long will students put up with erratic power supply especially at crucial moments like examination time?
By Folarin Samson
Samson ,Mass Communication, Unilag. 08030572852.
Monday, 01 March 2010 00:00 Nigerian Compass .Share 0University of Lagos, one of the prestigious and highly competitive universities in Nigeria has got a new Vice Chancellor. That may not surprise many because change is the only constant thing in the world. Nonetheless, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi, the former Vice chancellor would be missed because he was an amiable, accessible and affable leader. A sort of a man of the people.
Unilag had a facelift during his stewardship. Outstanding, remarkable and landmark achievements echoed through the four-walls of the 48-year-old institution as they were etched in gold. Staff-academic and non-academic alike-unanimously agreed he was a man of his words; he paid salaries 25th of every month. Students were not left out. They benefited from the largesse of this man. He was able to set in motion the machinery for the restoration of unionism before age caught up with him. Apart from his widely criticised support for the FG in the twilight of his tenure during the three-months grinding ASUU strike which pitched him against his staff, Odugbemi appeared to have vigorously and vociferously imparted on the lives of people in the Unilag academia. Many still have soft spot for him despite his foible that they wish he could continue.
But change must take its due course. The story must change. There is a new man. I mean, an old new man. He is a veteran in the university. Prof. Adetokunbo Sofoluwe is not new in the system. He has acted in various capacities in the university. During the administration of the late Prof. Jelili Omotola, he served as the Dean of Faculty of Science. Under Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, he functioned as the Director of Academic Planning and under Prof. Tolu Odugbemi; he was the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management and services). He had worked assiduously to rise steadily through the ranks to earn the position of the Vice Chancellor. So, one can conclude the office is well deserved. No other academic can know Unilag better than Sofoluwe. He will surely have no problem traversing this familiar terrain.
However, there are important questions people seem to be asking: Can he match the sterling performance of his predecessor? Is he loaded enough to deliver? Can he exceed expectation and set the Thames on fire? Sofoluwe will leave no one in doubt of his ability. Yes, Mr. VC has spoken: ‘I shall ensure Unilag by the midterm of my vice chancellorship is ranked amongst the first 100 universities in the world’. Brilliant. Isn’t it? But is this not rather a tall order?
Presently, no Nigerian university is rated among the one to 500 in the world. (I stand to be corrected). Sadly and surprisingly, no Nigerian university is among the first 50 in Africa. The reason is clear and obvious. Government lackadaisical attitude to education is a major factor for the deepening malaise of our education system. That is why the dilapidated ageing structures, poor power supply (not all universities), inadequate learning tools all remind us of our educational cancerous disease.
So how will Sofoluwe accomplish this lofty and incredible goal seeing he has a Kilimanjaro of an obstacle to confront? I am not a Thomas but my concern is definitely genuine. Oh, he even said the deadline for the realisation of this goal is ‘mid-term of my vice-chancellorship’. That’s in two years and six months time. Wonderful!
If Mr. Vice Chancellor had said the first in Africa (sounds a little degrading for a first class school like Unilag) he would have gained credibility. But to say he would launch Unilag to the moon in a jiffy beats my imagination. Rome was not built in a day!
As a concerned Nigerian student, I want to suggest to Sofoluwe to concentrate on the task at hand and stop sycophants and lackeys from distracting him with irrelevances including media publicity and propaganda. He should continue from where Odugbemi stopped. Let the aggressive crusade against cultism, violence and other academic vices continue (now that student associations are on).Let the welfare of students and staff take priority in policies and programmes. Let the facilities and equipment which make learning easy and stress-free be the major focus in senate discussions and deliberations. Having perused his vision for the university, I have no doubt he is the best man for the job. His knowledge and experience as a computer scientist will be most effective in transforming the university to a top class institution.
There are basic pressing issues that students would like him to face. The yearly hassle and tussle over accommodation should be given a lasting solution without any outrageous financial implication. More hostels, less banks and commercial structures which portray the school as a commercial venture. Transportation should be facilitated with more buses to convey students as they shuttle from hostels to lecture theatres.Enough of epilieptic power supply! For how long will students put up with erratic power supply especially at crucial moments like examination time?
By Folarin Samson
Samson ,Mass Communication, Unilag. 08030572852.
Deeper Life and the new Mrs. Kumuyi.
It’s no news by now that the general superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi has remarried. But the variegated subjective perceptions and interpretations of members of the public that have trailed the matter remain an issue. While some have expressed shock, surprise and disappointment at the “suddenness” and “secrecy” of the marriage, some have maintained curious silence and indifference while others have decided to “let the will of God be done” It took visual evidence for sceptical others to believe. Whichever category you belong, the indisputable fact is that Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi of Deeper Life has remarried. There are however few things to ponder on.
The early reporters of the development had sensationalised the story to besmirch the image and personality of the man of God. First was the age which was falsified to be 71, instead of 69 (He was born in June 1941). Second, it was said that the marriage was secretly conducted, shielded from cameras and the press which was not correct. Deeper Life leaders have since watched the video of the marriage. However, to expect that the wedding will be publicised and celebrated with mundane pomp and pageantry is to strike at the very foundation of the church’s convictions. Such ostentatious display will not even honour the memory of the departed.
As an academician and student journalist, when the story was reported I decided to monitor public opinion on it so I visited such sites as nairaland.com, among others. I saw terrible and disgusting reactions and comments, a reflection of the resentments for the pastor. But the one that struck me most was the one that purported that the cleric’s remarriage was to satisfy his starved libido and produce more children. How on earth could anyone reason that the ever busy generalissimo would have time to care for such things? While not denying the fact that he is human, the unconscionable emphasis of such a triviality is too demeaning.
Besides, more reactions have been generated by the ‘suddenness’ and ‘earliness’ of the marriage. Sincerely, the Bible did not prescribe the time frame for the remarriage of a bereaved widower or widow. So, the argument is baseless. But we have a culture that prides itself in lies and deceptions. We are made to believe that a man’s length of years before remarriage or his celibacy after the demise of his spouse quantifies the love for his late wife. So, a man could painfully and lonely wait for years before remarrying. During those years of harrowing pain of ‘mourning’, he could get emaciated and probably die in solitary confinement; who cares? I think we need to begin to change our orientation. But Kumuyi has not premised his decision to remarry ‘early or suddenly’ on loneliness. In fact, he stated in a conference with leaders of the Church that he is not suffering from such a complex. Instead, it appears the burden of leadership of the women ministry, and the constraint of missionary exploration made the development inevitable.
I am not Deeper Life public relations officer to explain all of Kumuyi’s motives, intentions and decisions. But as a Christian and student journalist, I felt obligated to correct some of these erroneous impressions which could spoil the minds of credulous young believers and admirers of the church and the pastor. At such a critical time of transition in the life and ministry of Kumuyi, I think the Christendom is indebted to him.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) need to rally round him. They need to assure him that he is not alone by offering words of encouragement and advice. Their respect for him must not diminish. The members of the church also have to support him in prayers and show more understanding. There should be a strong bond of unity and solidarity that will help to dispel the unfounded accusations and perverted arguments of opposers and enemies of the faith.
I also have a word for the new Mummy Kumuyi, Mrs. Esther Folashade Kumuyi. She is here at this time because God wants it so. With all due respect, I wish to say that she should try to heal the wound caused by the home call of Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. She has a dual role to play. She is not just the wife of the GS, she is also the pastor of the women wing of the church and both duties must be well discharged. But there is a caveat. She must not succumb to the pressure to imitate the late Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. Originality and distinction should be the watch word. The church must also understand that there will be a lot of difference since people are physically, genetically, biologically and psychologically different. In fact, spiritual levels also differ. Mrs Esther Kumuyi can never be like Mrs Biodun Kumuyi and the church must come to terms with that. They should therefore show love, cooperation, respect and submission to her leadership. Carnal comparison, gossiping and backbiting should be avoided. The case of Miriam should be a sufficient deterrent.
To the pastor, I have this admonition in the word of James Taylor who said: ‘Let no cross be considered too heavy to be borne in following Christ, no loss too great to be sustained for Christ, and no path too holy in going after Christ’ Sir, do not be distracted by sarcastic comments and press lies. You are a challenge to the youths and preachers of your generation. This new experience of your life will make you higher, deeper and richer in the knowledge of Christ. O, lest I forget, I was not in UK to say Happy Married Life to my mentor.
By Folarin Samson, a final year student of Mass Communication University of Lagos. 08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
It’s no news by now that the general superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F Kumuyi has remarried. But the variegated subjective perceptions and interpretations of members of the public that have trailed the matter remain an issue. While some have expressed shock, surprise and disappointment at the “suddenness” and “secrecy” of the marriage, some have maintained curious silence and indifference while others have decided to “let the will of God be done” It took visual evidence for sceptical others to believe. Whichever category you belong, the indisputable fact is that Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi of Deeper Life has remarried. There are however few things to ponder on.
The early reporters of the development had sensationalised the story to besmirch the image and personality of the man of God. First was the age which was falsified to be 71, instead of 69 (He was born in June 1941). Second, it was said that the marriage was secretly conducted, shielded from cameras and the press which was not correct. Deeper Life leaders have since watched the video of the marriage. However, to expect that the wedding will be publicised and celebrated with mundane pomp and pageantry is to strike at the very foundation of the church’s convictions. Such ostentatious display will not even honour the memory of the departed.
As an academician and student journalist, when the story was reported I decided to monitor public opinion on it so I visited such sites as nairaland.com, among others. I saw terrible and disgusting reactions and comments, a reflection of the resentments for the pastor. But the one that struck me most was the one that purported that the cleric’s remarriage was to satisfy his starved libido and produce more children. How on earth could anyone reason that the ever busy generalissimo would have time to care for such things? While not denying the fact that he is human, the unconscionable emphasis of such a triviality is too demeaning.
Besides, more reactions have been generated by the ‘suddenness’ and ‘earliness’ of the marriage. Sincerely, the Bible did not prescribe the time frame for the remarriage of a bereaved widower or widow. So, the argument is baseless. But we have a culture that prides itself in lies and deceptions. We are made to believe that a man’s length of years before remarriage or his celibacy after the demise of his spouse quantifies the love for his late wife. So, a man could painfully and lonely wait for years before remarrying. During those years of harrowing pain of ‘mourning’, he could get emaciated and probably die in solitary confinement; who cares? I think we need to begin to change our orientation. But Kumuyi has not premised his decision to remarry ‘early or suddenly’ on loneliness. In fact, he stated in a conference with leaders of the Church that he is not suffering from such a complex. Instead, it appears the burden of leadership of the women ministry, and the constraint of missionary exploration made the development inevitable.
I am not Deeper Life public relations officer to explain all of Kumuyi’s motives, intentions and decisions. But as a Christian and student journalist, I felt obligated to correct some of these erroneous impressions which could spoil the minds of credulous young believers and admirers of the church and the pastor. At such a critical time of transition in the life and ministry of Kumuyi, I think the Christendom is indebted to him.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) need to rally round him. They need to assure him that he is not alone by offering words of encouragement and advice. Their respect for him must not diminish. The members of the church also have to support him in prayers and show more understanding. There should be a strong bond of unity and solidarity that will help to dispel the unfounded accusations and perverted arguments of opposers and enemies of the faith.
I also have a word for the new Mummy Kumuyi, Mrs. Esther Folashade Kumuyi. She is here at this time because God wants it so. With all due respect, I wish to say that she should try to heal the wound caused by the home call of Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. She has a dual role to play. She is not just the wife of the GS, she is also the pastor of the women wing of the church and both duties must be well discharged. But there is a caveat. She must not succumb to the pressure to imitate the late Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi. Originality and distinction should be the watch word. The church must also understand that there will be a lot of difference since people are physically, genetically, biologically and psychologically different. In fact, spiritual levels also differ. Mrs Esther Kumuyi can never be like Mrs Biodun Kumuyi and the church must come to terms with that. They should therefore show love, cooperation, respect and submission to her leadership. Carnal comparison, gossiping and backbiting should be avoided. The case of Miriam should be a sufficient deterrent.
To the pastor, I have this admonition in the word of James Taylor who said: ‘Let no cross be considered too heavy to be borne in following Christ, no loss too great to be sustained for Christ, and no path too holy in going after Christ’ Sir, do not be distracted by sarcastic comments and press lies. You are a challenge to the youths and preachers of your generation. This new experience of your life will make you higher, deeper and richer in the knowledge of Christ. O, lest I forget, I was not in UK to say Happy Married Life to my mentor.
By Folarin Samson, a final year student of Mass Communication University of Lagos. 08030572852, childofdkingdom@yahoo.com
Saturday, November 27, 2010
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