Issues
Nigeria And The Education Sector Reforms
Nigeria’s educational sector is in a comatose state or for lack of better words a failed sector. Right from the tertiary, secondary and even primary level, you have a system that does not work. Our so-called graduates even from the ivory towers can hardly read and write properly or express themselves effectively in their chosen fields or on contemporcy issues.
In recent times and to the chagrin of this writer, most National Youth Service Corps members find it difficult to enter normal mandatory data or information required by the authorities, even as graduates of tertiary institutions. This speaks volumes of the extent of rot in our education system. Nowadays our higher institutions are usually on strike for most parts of the session. They lack adequate lecture, theaters, teaching staff, hostel facilities, libraries or research materials. Imagine in modern times a lot of these institutions don’t have computers or internet facilities. Indeed a lot has to be done on the part of government, the parents and students as well as the institutions to regulate entry and exit of graduands and maintain best standards at all times.
The rot in our education sector is most evident in our secondary or post-primary level, especially in the performance of students in major external examinations like the SSCE/GCE and JAMB examinations or the NECO examinations. Recent statistics of the Ministry of Education show that out of 1,184,907 secondary school candidates who wrote NECO Exam in May/June 2009, only a few 126,500 or about 10.53% (percent) passed the minimum number of credits required to earn them a place in a tertiary institution.
For the SSCE/GCE or WAEC (which is an exam body for the entire West African sub-region) 1,373,009 secondary school candidates sat for the exam and only 356,981 or 25.99% (percent) made the required credits. Then last year 2010 Nov/Dec NECO Exam shows that out of 256,827 secondary school candidates entered for the exams, only about 51,781 succeeded in making the mandatory requirements of five (5) credits representing a mere 20% (percent) of the over all number that sat for it. The same story is the case for JAMB. This explains why most universities insist on post-UME or JAMB aptitude test since a lot of students can not defend their results.
The million naira question is how and why did things get to this state or level since it has not always been like this. Really, in time past Nigerian secondary schools and even universities were among the best in Africa and comparable to those in other parts of the world, especially in terms of the quality of graduands. Times were when products of Nigerian schools including tertiary institutions would leave our shores for Britain, Germany, Russia, France or the United States and get direct admission and be among the top best in such schools. Both at the post-graduate and under-graduate levels, particularly in the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s. But the effect of brain drain-mass-exodus of quality teaching staff and professionals in various fields to foreign land more than any factor dealt the most fatal blow to our education system.
Of course, this was occasioned by the long neglect, poor funding and decay that became the lot of our educational sector, Governments both at the federal, state and local level failed to meet their obligations and responsibility to the citizenry and the nation. Agreements reached with universities or teachers unions like ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) ASUP (Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics) or NUT (Nigerian Union of Teachers) were often discarded and not implemented by governments, even till date. A lot of the times government’s inconsistency in policy and program implementation also help to worsen matters too. For instance a situation where the government is trying to change the 6-3-3-4 system of education after about two decades of introduction from the 6-5-4 system, when it has not been allowed to function properly indicates the fact that education administration is faced with huge challenges.
The Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme which makes primary education up to junior secondary school compulsory and free for all Nigerian school age children is suffering from inadequate funding and poor implementation in most parts of the country. As you can see a lot of children of school age not attending school. This situation is unacceptable and things have to change.
Most of our public schools have dilapidated infrastructure, poorly motivated teachers, lack of well equipped science laboratories, no libraries for pupils. Also there is a lot of unseriousness and lack of discipline on the parts of students in these schools. Nowadays there’s cultism even in primary schools.
There are cases of pupils bringing dangerous weapons to schools to fight fellow students or threaten their teachers because they were failed or reprimanded for wrong acts committed. I advocate that government should make legislation and take steps to protect teachers from these ugly incidents as failure to do so will leave our youths lawless and irresponsible citizens who grow up to be miscreants. Parents on their part should watch and monitor their children and wards and instill discipline in them from home as charity begins at home.
Also the Ministry of Education in the various states should do more in regulating the many private pre-primary and primary schools that flood our towns particularly the mushroom ones to ensure they conform to best set standards, so that those that do not meet required standards should be closed down and its owners made to face the full weight of the law to maintain sanity and ensure standards and quality.
However all hope is not lost for us to redress the trend. There’s need for a holistic approach and a total overhaul of the educational system in Nigeria at all levels, restore moral rectitude, fallen values/moves like respect for teachers and constituted authorities, instill discipline in our schools and students. It is fundamental to know that the foundation of anything matters, so from our pre-primary and primary level we need to get things right and straight. Let us evaluate and go back to the drawing board and see where we went wrong and make amend. Yes the world has moved on and fast with civilisation and modernisation tied to globalisation but knowledge will continue to rule the world.
Education is hinged on the peoples culture and tradition, you don’t build a super structure without as sound sub structure. What made our schools the envy of all in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s. We need to go back to so as to imbibe latest changes, innovations and improve on it. If a student is disciplined and has respect for teachers and constituted authorities, he will be diligent in his chosen field of specialisation and be a responsible law abiding citizen which will help reduce crime.
One of the cardinal points of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is access to quality and better education to all children of school age. And Nigeria really needs to improve to meet these set goals all stakeholders must be involved and the government should not be left alone in this. The Organised Private Sector (OPS), parents, wealthy individuals, corporate bodies various religious bodies, civil based organisations can do much by building or renovating schools and hostel facilities, endowing scholarships and awards for teachers and students, building capacity and collaborative efforts between students and industry concerns as well as informed career guidance indeed our children/youths and future generation of Nigerians deserve the best this country can give.
Ayooso is a public affairs analyst.
Sampson Ayooso
This is an open letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Your Excellency,
Sir, ordinarily, I would not be writing an open letter to you, but like a wise man once said, “Silence would be Treason.” So I prefer to stay alive than face the consequences of silence in the face of crime. With each passing day, and as the socio-political tides continue to turn, it has become more pertinent that more people speak up in a concerted MANNER to prevent the death of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as we appear to be, in the words of W. B. Yeats, “turning and turning in the widening gyre” heading for an end where the falcon will no longer hear the falconer
It is unfortunate that since losing control of the Federal Government, with the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the poll in 2015, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has continued on a downward spiral. It is much more painful, that where it is expected that leaders within the party should rise to the challenge and put an end to this decline of our great party, some have instead taken up roles as its undertaker.
It will be hypocritical to claim aloofness to what I believe is your grouse with the PDP and I am not a hypocrite. It will be uncharitable on my part to discountenance the role you have played in strengthening the PDP from 2015 up until the last Presidential primaries of the party. It is my belief that your grouse against certain members of the party who you perceived worked against the party and abandoned it in 2015 and then came around much later to take control of the party, is justified. Also know that your decision to remain in the Party and stifle its progress on the other hand, as a sort of payback, stands condemned. For a man of your pedigree and stature, it is a dishonorable act, highly dishonorable and stands as testimony against all you claim to stand for.
At least, it can be argued that those who you hold this grudge against, abandoned the party completely and did not sit back while actively working to destroy it from within. But what then can be the argument on your own part, seeing that those you are currently working with against your party are the same people who set in motion, and executed surgically, the plans that not only ended our Party’s leadership at the centre, but ended up dislodging the first Niger Deltan to occupy Aso Rock as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Is this not akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face?” That will be worse than folly. Let us not throw away the baby with the bath water because we do not like the soap used in bathing the baby. It will be a grave mistake.
Honourable Minister, sir, it is rather unfortunate that of all people, you have also decided to play the role of an undertaker not only for our party, but for our dear Rivers State.
I will like to take you down memory lane a little. Let me remind you of your emergence as Guber candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, against all fairness and justice in 2014. You will remember that despite the reality being that you as an Ikwerre man was poised to replace a fellow Ikwerre man in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in our multiethnic state, Rivers people overwhelmingly stood by you and pushed for your emergence as Executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015. I dare say that your popularity in the entire Niger Delta region was at an all-time high at this point.
I want you to understand why you were loved across board leading to your eventual emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015; it was because when it looked like all were against the second term ambitions of the first Niger Delta man to emerge as President of Nigeria, you became not just a pillar but a beacon of resistance by standing for Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers people, as grateful and rewarding as they can be, paid you back by ensuring your electoral victory against the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) led by your predecessor. On your emergence, where there were second term Governors in the region, you, a first term Governor, was seen by the people as not just the leader of the PDP, but the leader of the entire Niger Delta region. You earned it, and no one could dispute it.
In 2019, when your re-election bid was being challenged ferociously, Rivers people once again stood solidly behind you. Many were killed in the process of defending your votes. Do you remember Dr. Ferry Gberegbe that was shot and killed while trying to protect your votes in Khana Local Government Area? There are many more unnamed and unrecognised sons and daughters of Rivers State who sacrificed their lives so that you could emerge as a second term Governor of Rivers State.
In 2022/23, Honourable Minister, you oversaw a party primary across board that saw some candidates imprisoned and internal party democracy jettisoned for your wishes, leading to the emergence of flag bearers of our party all singlehandedly picked by you. You have on more than one occasion publicly stated that you paid for all their forms. Even those shortchanged in this process licked their wounds and continued to play their roles as party members to ensure the success of the party at all levels. In what will go down as one of the most keenly contested elections in recent Rivers history, with formidable candidates like Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the vibrant youth driven Labour Party (LP), PDP emerged victorious across board except for Phalga Constituency 1 that was lost to the Labour Party. (Not that you did not loose in some other LGA’s but let’s stick to the official figures declared by INEC).
It begs the question, why then do you want to burn down Rivers State, when everyone who now holds political office emerged through a process designed and endorsed by you? Is it that you do not care about Rivers people and you are all about yourself? If so, I am forced to believe that those around you are not telling you the truth. The truth being that in a state where your words were law; where houses and businesses could be demolished or closed down without any recourse to legalities, where Executive Orders could be deployed to stifle the opposition, that your popularity is now at an all-time low. Probably because they are afraid of you, or of losing the benefits they gain from you, they fail to tell you that what you might perceive as a battle against your successor, has slowly but gradually degenerating into a battle against Rivers State and Rivers people. You know, there is a popular saying that, a man can cook for the community and the community will finish the food, but when a community decides to cook for one man, the reverse is the case.
LEAVE FUBARA ALONE
You have gone on and on about being betrayed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. You point fingers forgetting that some of those same fingers quick to spot betrayals point straight back at you. It is not Governor Fubara that has betrayed the PDP by working against it in the just concluded General Election, and working with the opposition at the State and Federal level to destabilise the party. It is you, Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that betrayed Rivers people by instigating a political crisis with propensity to escalate ethnic tensions in Rivers State. It is you Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that has declared himself God over all in Rivers State and has no qualms with burning the state to the ground to prove a point. It is you Honourable Minister. It is you Honourable Minister who told the world that the APC was a cancer and you can never support a cancerous party. It is you Honourable Minister who ended up facilitating the emergence of the same “cancerous” APC that has accelerated the economic decline of this country and further impoverished our people with no remorse. All so you can be a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? The lack of self awareness is gobsmacking.
Some days back I came across a video where you talked about death and how you do not cry when you hear about the death of some people because you have no idea what might have caused it considering many a politician swear “over dead bodies” and still go back on their words. Those words made me think, and I could see the reason behind them. You see, in chosing to be God in the affairs of Rivers people, you have closed your eyes and ears to reason; you see nothing and hear nothing that can cause you to rethink on the path you have chosen. In your quest to “show Fubara” you have unwittingly united a vast majority of Rivers people behind him, so much that even those who despised him because of you, now like or love him, because of you too. In your scheming, I will advise you not to forget that “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Note that the war which you have or are waging against Governor Fubara, has gone beyond being merely political as you might see in your minds eye. It is now one that, fortunately for some and unfortunately for others, has evolved into a war against Rivers people. It is good to point out that no one has taken a stand against Rivers people and won. No one has gone against God and won. In your defiant characteristic manner, it will be unfortunate if you believe your own hubris and that of those around you on the possibility of you being the first to successfully go against Rivers people. It will be a needless gamble; one where if you win you create more enemies for yourself than you can withstand on your political journey, and if you lose, your legacy becomes an inglorious and irredeemable one in Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large. For your sake as regards posterity, it is my greatest wish that you have a moment of sobriety and a deep reflection and introspection on this path you have chosen.
Honourable Minister, sir, what is left of your legacy is on the brink of being completely desecrated and relegated to the dustbin of our political history, and it will be a sad end to what I will say has been a wonderful political career that many can only dream of. The ball is in your court, and may God Almighty have mercy on us all and forgive us for our shortcomings.
Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson
Dr Pidomson is former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and former member, Rivers State House of Assembly.
In 2015, I made a conscious decision to invest my financial resources, my time, and energy into supporting Nyesom Wike’s gubernatorial campaign. I poured my heart and soul into ensuring Nyesom Wike emerged victorious even at the risk of my personal safety.
Again in 2019, I doubled down on my commitment. I invested a significant amount of money to procure campaign outfits for all twenty-three Local Governments Areas of Rivers State. I spared no expense in supplementing Wike’s election efforts in my own local government, and once again putting myself at great risk to safeguard the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
However, despite my unwavering loyalty and sacrifices, I found myself abandoned and forgotten by Wike. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he failed to acknowledge my contributions or fulfill his promises and agreements. Even as a former Deputy Governor, Wike denied me my severance benefit.
My investment in Wike’s governorship was not just financial – it was a commitment of passion, dedication, and belief in a better future for Rivers State. Yet, his leadership style of dishonesty, greed, drunkenness and rash abuse of senior citizens brought me nothing but disappointment, misery and losses.
By the grace of God, today I speak not as a victim, but as a hero. I have accepted my losses, and I have moved on. And as I reflect on my experience, I cannot help but urge Wike to do the same and allow peace and development to reign in Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, when you speak of investing in Governor Sim Fubara’s election, remember those like me who also invested in you. Remember the sacrifices I made, the risks I took, and the promises and agreements you left unfulfilled.
It is time for you, Wike, to let go of the past and allow Governor Sim Fubara the breathing space he needs to lead Rivers State forward. Allow him to focus on the challenges of good governance and the aspirations of the people. Spare him these unwarranted and ill-conceived political manoeuvrings founded on personal agenda and not for general good of Rivers State and her people.
I may have lost my investment on Wike, but I have not lost hope in the future of Rivers State. And together, we will continue to strive for a brighter tomorrow.
Long Live the Governor to Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara!
Long Live the Good People of Rivers State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Engr Ikuru is former Deputy Governor of Rivers State.
Tele Ikuru
