Women
Rumbles In The Academia
Granted that many of our Public institutions have over the years been buffeted by fumbling and bungling through years of neglect, inadequate funding and administrative flip flop, issues which the Yar’Adua’s administration has been grappling with, but none has been so barraged to knuckle under as the academia due to many factors including the insensitivity of lecturers to, the plight of their students who bear the brunt of recurrent strikes. The result of this is the continued rail in the standard of education and any doubting ‘Thomas can apply any of the parameters to determine the level at which it has sunk and ten extrapolate dispassionate conclusion.
A few years before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo left Aso Rock he promised to give jobs to some graduates who performed creditably well in their degree examinations and as the ball was in the court of the Federal Civil Service Commission to conduct the recruitment exercise. it set a competitive examination, not just oral interview for the exercise, an examination which exposed the undies of our graduates. The performance or these graduates who was too appalling to be believable; some people who made first class and second class honours upper division scored 30 percent. Worse of it all is that even some mass communication graduates who scaled this examination hurdle and therefore adjudged to be intellectually sound can not write a publishable feature article after practicing for more that two years in media organizations.
Another invent that exposed the Achilles Heels of these graduates is a recent interactive session the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga held with the media. Disappointed by lacluster performance of the corps members the Director General disclosed to his bewildered audience that some corps members were so educationally deficient that they could not appropriately fill the forms given to them. He said that in other to clear the doubt whether these people were not fake graduates he often enquired from relevant institutions whether the offending corps members were indeed their graduates. He said that the response was usually in the positive.
Some years ago when this writer was in the now defunct feature section of the ministry, he had a terrible experience with three of these semi-illiterate and half-baked graduates. The three of them were employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission which deployed them to the Ministry of Information. This was at a time the Government of the day was being lacerated unsparingly by the media for obnoxious policies and we needed more hands in the features section to be able to cope with the momentum of incessant media pillory. As a sequel the trio was posted to the section. The three were given a file containing news paper cuttings which were based on unfavourable comments on the government and we were faced with adverse press reports from six newspapers from where they should select for their rejoinders but after days of musing and sighing they admitted they could not react to the stories. They where bold to tell this writer that they were not mass communication majors for which I gave them topics which they should handle as term papers or projects. They fumbled and bungled the whole exercise for which they where sent packing from the section. This is the sorry state of education in spite of the fact that the universities subject candidates to pass the litmus test by going through a chain of examinations; the Post-UME Test after writing WAEC and NECO Examinations and above all the JAMB University matriculation examination.
Lecturers know the effect of long absence from the class room on their students yet at the slightest disagreement with the Federal Government they resort to strikes as a means of redressing their grievances and when invited to conference tables often prove intransigent thus prolonging the strike. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the 14th time embarked on another indefinite strike which as usual paralyzed academic activities in the universities affiliated to the union. The union’s demand this time include adequate funding of the university, adequate remuneration, autonomy and extension or retirement age amongst others. Those who justify the strike on the ground that the universities are at the bottom of .both Africa and global ratings in terms of wages and fringe benefits should have a rethink when they find out that since 1993 ASUU has gone on strike for 14 times, one strike too many:-
I 993 Three months
1994 Six months
1995 Four months
1996 Seven months
1999 Five months
2000 Two months
200I Three months
2002 One week
2003 Two weeks
2005 One week
2006 Three months
2007 Two weeks
2009 Warning strike: two weeks
Present strike; since June 23rd.
To resolve the dispute a committee comprising representative or the Federal Government as well- as ASUU was set up. The federal government team comprised Deacon Gameliel Onosode, Six pro-Chancellors, Senator Abdalla Wali (a former pro-chancellor) and the Executive secretary of the educational tax fund, 11 Advisers made up of the education secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), three former Vice Chancellors, three Serving vice Chancellors, one former University registrar and one serving registrar. Government has 12 observers comprising two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour, one deputy executive secretary (NUCY one representative from special services in the presidency, one representative from the Federal Ministry of Education, two representatives from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Justice, one representative from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and two representatives of The Federal Ministry of Finance. ASUU has 28 representatives from both Federal and State Universities.
The committee was to reverse the decay in the university system …, reverse the brain drain not only by enhancing the remuneration of the academic staff … , to restore Nigeria Universities through immediate massive and sustained financial intervention and to ensure genuine University autonomy and academic freedom.
The high point of the debacle is the rejection by ASUU of the 40% salary increase accorded to it by the Federal Government. The Federal Government delegation led by Deacon Gamaliel Onosode urged the lecturers to return to the classroom before further negotiation could commence. Government insists that having met three of the four demands, ASUU should reciprocate the gesture by returning to classroom while ASUU on its own insists that the federal government should sign the agreement reached before they call off the strike.
ASUU should back pedal because it has lost the sympathy of all. The state governments support the government arguing that had the Federal Government signed the agreement it would have negated the principal of federalism. Further more both the Federal Ministry of Labour and Industrial Arbitration panel had asked ASUU to call off the strike and resume work in support of the Federal Government’s stand of no-work-no-pay. The Senate Committee on Education which was brokering a truce between the Federal Government and ASUU was not happy with the stand of ASUU as a result or which it cancelled the truce.
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
