Akintokunbo\u00a0 Adejumo,
\nin his book Rejuvenating Nigeria’s Collapsed Educational System: The Roles of Alumni And Old Students, wrote that “the survival of the Nigerian State as a viable, progressive and democratic society will depend on the state or health\u00a0 of her educational system-primary, secondary and tertiary, in addition to how the political\u00a0 class and masters decide to grapple with the challenges that are synonymous with the system.
\nHis contention is predicated on the premise that a prolonged neglect of a human\u00a0 resources sector like\u00a0 education can only result in social paralysis, the consequences ofcourse could be witnessed in the upsurge of “area boys”, cultism, armed robbery, very high\u00a0 unemployment rate, brain drain, under development and a general rot in the Nigerian Society.
\nFor Elder (Dr) George O. Ibeatuche a social analyst, the enthronement of a viable and progressive Nigeria will remain a far cry if the federal and state governments in the Nigerian federation fail to be fully committed\u00a0 to\u00a0 mapping out new administrative\u00a0 policies geared towards improving the general wellbeing of the suffering\u00a0 serving and retired\u00a0 Nigerian workers in view of\u00a0 the obvious fact that their\u00a0 sacrificial services have been contributing immensely to the growth of the states and national economy.
\nDr. George in his contribution on the 2015 workers’ Day Celebration, called on the newly elected states and federal lawmakers\u00a0 to enact development-oriented\u00a0 laws that will encourage\u00a0 electricity generation, establishment of petro-chemical industries\u00a0 and oil\u00a0 refineries with\u00a0 a view to boosting the growth of the nation’s\u00a0 economy while creating more job opportunities and sustaining public transportation with subsidized fares.
\nLike Akintokunbo, George\u00a0 believes that updating the educational curriculum with subjects that reflect on current realities will go a long way in catapulting the Nigerian State to its anticipated destination of self reliance.
\nAccording to him, skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development\u00a0 subjects will create avenues\u00a0 through which\u00a0 numerous school leavers would become self reliant in various productive ventures which services\u00a0 would provide\u00a0 sustainable jobs for other job seekers.
\nThis, ofcourse, requires\u00a0 that both states and federal governments must be willing and readily disposed to granting loan facilities to enable needy unemployed youths establish their own\u00a0 revenue yielding cottage industries focused on sustaining their future.
\nFrom the foregoing, the picture of a viable and progressive Nigeria seems\u00a0 to get clearer, as President Muhammadu Buhari, in his inaugural\u00a0 speech admits that though Nigerian\u00a0 economy is in deep trouble, it is not beyond\u00a0 redemption.
\nInspite of a whooping $20 billion spent on\u00a0 the power sector by the past administration without any visible light, President Buhari remained optimistic to addressing\u00a0 fuel and power\u00a0 shortages nation wide. His courage and optimism\u00a0 may have been hinged on the fact that our founding\u00a0 fathers laid a foundation for a viable\u00a0 and progressive country, and for him a retracal to the original structure as envisaged by our past heroes will definitely bring about their dreams\u00a0 of a formidable Nigeria.
\nPresident Buhari in his\u00a0 research on solving Nigeria’s problems, discovered that “in recent times,\u00a0 Nigerian leaders appeared to have misread our mission”, stating that our\u00a0 founding fathers Mr Herbert\u00a0 Macauley,\u00a0 Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Ballo, the Sarduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, Malam Aminu Kano and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance, even though\u00a0 they\u00a0 may have\u00a0 differed\u00a0 in method, tactics or details, yet they\u00a0 were united in establishing\u00a0 a viable\u00a0 and progressive country.
\nStill convinced that he has what it takes\u00a0 to turn the fortune of Nigeria and Nigerians around for the better,\u00a0 President Buhari\u00a0 maintained that “daunting as the task may be, it is by no\u00a0 means insurmountable”, but he insists that we must consciously work the democratic\u00a0 system especially now that there seems to be a national consensus that our chosen\u00a0 route\u00a0 to national\u00a0 development is democracy.
\nFor me, achieving\u00a0 a viable and progressive Nigeria is a task that ought to be\u00a0 done not only by\u00a0 the President but by all of us. I think the President also acknowledges\u00a0 this fact when he begged the Organised\u00a0 Labour\u00a0 and the press to rally around his\u00a0 administration to succeed.
\nI also figured out this success in collectivism\u00a0 when he said “no matter how well organised\u00a0 the governments of the federation are, they cannot\u00a0 succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of Labour\u00a0 union, organised\u00a0 private\u00a0 sector, the press and civil society organisations”. Hence\u00a0 his appeal to employers and workers alike\u00a0 to “unite in raising productivity so that\u00a0 everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity”.
\nBuhari’s\u00a0 resolve not to succumb to hopelessness and defeatism in the face of serious national crises is a proof that given the maximum\u00a0 support from all of us, he can definitely fix our\u00a0 problems ranging from the immediate concerns of insecurity, pervasive\u00a0 corruption, the seemingly unending fuel\u00a0 and power\u00a0 shortages\u00a0 to depleted foreign reserves, fallen oil prices, leakages and debt, not forgetting unemployment, education, medicare and physical infrastructure.
\nIf others could make it, we too can.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Akintokunbo\u00a0 Adejumo, in his book Rejuvenating Nigeria’s Collapsed Educational System: The Roles of Alumni And Old Students, wrote that “the survival of the Nigerian State as a viable, progressive and democratic society will depend on the state or health\u00a0 of her educational system-primary, secondary and tertiary, in addition to how the political\u00a0 class and masters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n