Education Vs Literacy

THE PARODY OF AFRICAN CIVILITY
The greatest tragedy that stunted the growth of African Countries is the outright replacement of her pre-extant socio-cultural science and art. Africa’s heritage was the nucleus of her development; the ways of life of the people, idiosyncrasies, language, foods, and values are at the heart of the heritage. But colonization of the region was a tsunami that washed off the roots of the peoples’ existence.
The resonating effect of colonialists has left African continent in confusing double identity, where official axis is at extreme dissonance with the heritage dubbed unofficial. All African countries that adopted the language and mannerisms of dress of their colonial masters are ethnical mutants.
Altering the Devine nature of Africa is an unforgivable sin that has plagued the identity of the new hybrids, thereby creating a new ethos, and originality is lost. At early stage of school, an African child is subjected to two parallel modes of reasoning, the western mode that recognizes A for apple, and the, say Yoruba one that chants Ha! for Aja (dog). This is traumatic for any child whose environment is local, like seventy percent of the rural children. This bring to fore, the concept of Education.
The construct, Education is the most misconstrued phenomenon in African parlance. It is often associated with fluency in the official language. Education transcends what we have been made to study in an instituted school of learning. It is beyond being literate and or numerate. It is not measured in certifications that have overwhelmed the sanity of our labor sector.
Education is laakaye.
I wrote that smiling at our cute folly embedded in the struggle of translating Yoruba to English. So let me dare you dear reader to develop a word or words for high level of uncommon levels of common sense.
Laakaye is the expected level of reasoning and wisdom relative to age, trade, religions and countless phases of our live's prisms. It is a strong Yoruba word to mean maturity cum experience. It transcends PhD or any other highfalutin paper qualifications.
It is the dearth of laakaye that makes a police officer to solicit bribe, a judge to to be biased, a doctor to be carefree, a teacher to be lazy, a politician to be greedy, a pastor to be selfish, phcn to... Bewildered I am. Can't exhaust the list.
Literacy and numeracy are the shortest courses in Education. We learn to read and write to be literate, we learn logic of number dynamisms to be numerate; perfect. But these are just conduits to transport our education for human developments.
Inherent in laakaye are diligence and humility on which we prided and taught ourselves through those didactic Yoruba rhymes by Fagunwa & Co. It wasn't difficult to recognize the ingredients of success as a child. But our values are now on the wane, and no longer do we regard hard works as a noble thing.

Kopa Jummy walks taller

Kopa Jummy celebrated by FPI MCD

Kopa Jummy showing heartfelt appreciation 

Only me! God I thank You o

There are bigger celebrations ahead

Boss

My name sake mom

Dressing the li2 bride

Politics in Nigeria

POLITICS IN NIGERIA

Bukola Fakeye, Prof. S. Olagoke

At the adoption of social contract in the prehistoric dates, humans had learnt to submit to constituted authority for peaceful coexistence. The pre-existed governance in a West African Region that later morphed into Nigeria society comprised of definite power structures that were devoid of unnecessary complexity as found in today’s politics. There existed various clans and groups that succeeded the established seats of authorities after the demise of the antecedents. Much credence was given to the voice of oracles like Ifa in Yoruba land, Ezenmuo in Igbo land, and other deities of similar esteem peculiar to myriads of cultural settings in Nigeria.
Time after time, the aftermath of colonialism and slave trade which plunged the country Nigeria into abysmal wantonness and dearth of trustworthy leadership, who would prioritize the welfare of the people as against the fiefdom and perpetual dictatorial tendency of the few ruling elites/regents, the game – politics had begun.
Nigeria has evolved out of series of chilling militarization through fledgling representative governance, all of which still have impacts on her democracy today. Since civility had made military rule a misfit in this dispensation; a league of erstwhile military figures have shown further interests in the affairs of our dear country as many of them are exhibiting even better political craftsmanship compared to ‘bloody civilians’ whose sole selling points are either their seeming technocracy or sheer charisma.
In all these episodes of analysis, politics cannot still be said to be a brainchild of Democracy; No. it will be narrow and callous to even cast Politics into lone confine of governance. Politics is a subtle human culture that has spread its tentacles into various human endeavors. Governance is just a cardinal part of such human endeavors in that it is the constituted authority that human has relinquished his self-governance for peaceful coexistence with his neighbors. In Nigeria, religions, NGOs and other civil society organizations have remarkable relationships with and input in the country’s politics.
Politics, which could be blandly defined as civil political scheming towards gaining political powers has become a monumental practice in Nigeria in that the players seem to get the most coveted positions in their various walks of life. Merit selection of candidates for certain posts requiring expertise and technocracy is hardly come by in Nigeria. And establishment of worthless MDAs for sole purpose of enriching lives of politicians has been the bane of the country. Stage management for political considerations has permeated the whole systems in Nigeria that even civil society groups, and religious societies are infested in this regards.
General elections, 2011, that gave the mandate to Ebele Azikiwe Goodluck Jonathan, after his two year power wrestle that completed his late ‘boss’s tenure, was a remarkable religion-politics marriage in Nigeria. The marriage has, over the year, become more robust than anyone could imagine, but with dismal wane in sanity and propriety.
That year, 2011, somewhere in a camp of some religious fellows, the General Overseer uplifted the hand of a presidential aspirant and said some prayers that confirmed the movement’s support for that purported ‘Christian Candidate’ in the presence of close to a million congregants; disseminated to the viewership of borderless Nigerians and international Christians and non-Christians. The message was analogous to Samuel’s presenting Saul to be King of Israel (1Samuel:11). And it was well understood by Nigerians. The effect was high turnout of people to vote for the said candidate. Since that time onward, our political parties have started inculcating religious bias in candidate selection.
The reason of the bend is not far-fetched; Christianity and Islam are major platforms where prospective voters, electorates are found. Religious leaders have assumed the post of vote mongers as they are being sought after and pampered for this reason. Little wonder, in spite of the extreme religiosity of the country, it still reeks of corruption that has besotted even the holy of holies.
A comity of pastors, numbering in hundreds, decided to shoulder themselves with the tasks of praying and working for an incumbent governor to realize his second term ambition in south south region of Nigeria. They succeeded. The story became sour later when the money for job well done was to be shared, which was hi jacked by the team’s leadership.
Two major Pentecostal movements pitched tents against each other over Goodluck Jonathan and Muhannadu Buhari in 2015 general election that brought the later in after four unsuccessful attempts. The G.O. and the Bishop, whose anointing we were taught not to criticize became louder in their political stances that period, to the extent that gate of hell was declared open for some disobedient children of…?
Christ the Jesus, the humblest brother of the biblical record, that is the crux and identity of Christianity word over, was almost enthroned and made a terrestrial king/ruler because of his philosophies and personality, but he rejected the offer and ran away (John 6:15). As this is not a didactic excerpt to dissuade every Christian or other religions adherents from being political or accepting or vying for political offices, the level playing ground should be based on definite philosophies in tandem with the esoteric principles of the Faith. There is greater need to delineate political boundaries from religious and social courts. This is because the word ‘politics’ has assumed a universal derogatory meaning as can be gleaned from its perception by pundits and its players.
Machiavellian’s view that ‘politics have no relations to morals’ is apt for Nigerian parlance of politics. Nigerian politics is shrouded in mists of cabalism as pontificated by the retired generals in Agbada, subliminal theocracy led by our Daddy G.Os whose dogmas are held sacrosanct by a high number of Nigerians. This is where the sanity and propriety of civility suffer stunted growth. Our religious mindset is that which frowns at constructive criticisms of evolving questionable doctrines that only build on the hegemonies of various Pentecostal movements in their crowd sourcing stratagems. Political schemers have found our various worship centers virile grounds to propagate their political inclinations by partnering with the GOs whose political leanings cannot, yet, be queried by their sheepish followers. Some even get so extreme in their defenses of their GOs beyond the “touch not my anointed” cliche into physical expressions such as fights, isolating themselves from people with dissentient religious views and all that…which has culminated into infantile disposition of adults to the management of our dear country, thus puerile biases have eroded our sanity in deeming rightly, politically.
Chronicling PDP’s sixteen year tenure plus the grimy hope of change propounded by APC have quenched the hope of ever realizing the finesse of Democracy we were promised would materialize since its inception in 1999. Rather than developing concrete ideologues and standard for civil governance, political parties in Nigeria are volatile and cheap. A multi-party democracy with over fifty registered parties only has at it fore APC, PDP, and a dwindling APGA. The avalanche of mushroom parties become sellable during electioneering, as the few ones with national purview, strongest economic clout absorb them for their selfish political gains. The implication of this is that grass root politics / governance are eroded as the people cannot determine their representatives, who most times are handed down for them from the top. The elected representatives are there just to build on the hegemonies of the political parties without any recourse to the people. This is the lone reason why political manifestoes lack manifestations at the grass roots.
Albeit, the electorates have become aware that politicians cannot be held by their word, thus the herald of a new era of vote commercialization. Money, bag of rice, shirts, Ankara, and other petty stuffs have formed the main manifestoes that electorates in Nigeria understand. This in turn has nudges office holders to scoop extra benefits they can be magnanimous with during their second race.
The man behind the wheel of affairs does not know the destination, but being given directives by faceless cabals, whose vested interests dominate promulgations and enforcements of laws.
THE UNDOABLES IN NIGERIA
Recalling an elected politician by the electorate is impossible in Nigeria. Cases of elected governors and representatives that proved abortive nails the fact that Nigeria’s Democracy is for the politicians. The mechanisms that could have served as means of checkmating unpopular government have all been frustrated without any hope of resurrecting them in the nearest future. The only franchise electorates have in Nigeria is to elect, and not to recall; the main reason politicians turn defiant and become disinterested in peoples well-being
Floating a party without having rotten outcasts from other parties who carry same aura of corruption is a culture in Nigeria. In fact, the word cross-carpeting is peculiar to Nigeria’s politics. The politics is permeated with schemers who are always foraging for virile virgin platforms that are popular with majority to continue their business. This is the raison d’etre for incursion of our holy of holies – churches and mosques by these seeming magnanimous wealthy politicians, who buy votes through donations, givings, and other enlightened self-interests gestures to curry the supports of unsuspecting Nigerians.
Nigeria could seem to be plunging further into the ditch of hopelessness as the promised change has turned sour, and dividends of democracy into mirage. The course to chat out of the quandary is that which should be led by incorrigible youths, who can be voted for without being hoodwinked into popular corrupt parties. The implication of this is to encourage the mass media to propagate critical thinking on Nigerian politics to instill sanity into the system. There is need to shift our mentality from expensive politics that embellish extravagant governance.
We can longer afford to hide under the disguise of religions and let mediocrity linger on in our society. The religions handed down to us have been hijacked by who worship their bellies. Their goal is to maximize profit and gratify themselves without recourse to the creed of the holy writs, which preach selflessness, sound mind, and love. No religion is mutually exclusive, religions are meant to ossify our sanity, relationship with our neighbors while ascribing doing such to doing it to God.
Political offices are official, electorates are the employers; it's high time we stopped getting drown in sugarcoated manifestoes, we need to examine the credentials of the applicants-politicians, outline their track records in relation to what they are vying for. Expired military men cannot be the best to be the flag bearers of our seeming popular parties. Selfless and hardworking technocrats can be wooed from our various industries to serve the larger system called Nigeria. It would be wise to have the bigger picture in view, than satisfying the immediate needs.

Some Troubles Associated With Publishing In Nigeria

NIGERIA’S MULTI-CULTURAL SET UP AS A BANE OF BOOK PUBLISHING

Publishing is a branch, and in fact, the oldest form of Mass Communication in history. Little wonder Albert Lasker, regarded as father of Advertising defined Advertising as “salesmanship in print”. Those handy holy writs we bear and recite, in form of Holy Bible and Al-Quran have passed through several crude stages before they eventually found their ways into our handheld android gadgets. And the various propositions of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, down to Descartes would not have made it to this age if not for the profession f publishing.
The prospect of book publishing has been given a fillip through ever-advancing technological sophistications in recent years. However, the paradigm shift in book publishing has not come with such impeccable glory; it has come with a threat to the conventional book publishing. From all indications, the profession can be said to be susceptible to the vagaries of change in technology, and will always be.
Content-wise, peculiar to book publishing in Nigeria are more of contextual/conceptual and management issues rather than technology. The country is blessed with over two hundreds of tribal tongues, and with their differing idiosyncrasies. The blessing is a plague to book publishing as medium of mass communication. Yes; English is the official language in the country, but do we have to publish only officially? Or do we subject all publications to multi-lingua publishing? Do we have apt mechanisms to do this without offending the sensibilities of these myriads of culture? I bet the lone answer to these resounding questions is NO.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH BOOK PUBLISHING IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF MULTI-CULTURAL SET OF NIGERIA

Misfit Illustrations: book publishing is a composite of diction and illustrations to crystalize an idea being portrayed. Often times, cultural distinctions do cause misconceptions and ambiguity as per the use of illustrations in book publishing. Despite the depth of research undertaken before the arrival of the final book, there are various cultural quarters that oppose to certain uses of illustrations that are deem modest and illustrative in other quarters. This is a common problem associated with publishing of literacy materials for levels of education, especially at primary levels.
No relatable concepts in contents:  Book publishing, though, is an instrument of bridging and synthesizing cultures; little can be done without addressing frame of differing references peculiar to various cultures in Nigeria with respect to morality and propriety.
Another aspect to this is that, local content developers are often in the dilemma of what best ways to communicate their messages in book publishing. We do not have much book in the shelves that are spun in dialects because delineation of demographics that can guarantee best economic values is the cardinal purpose of private book publishing firms. Governments at various levels have done little to enhance parallel communications through publishing by adaptation.
Inadequacy of interpretative language: There is no enough synonyms in translative languages that can capture the exact intended meanings of the concepts and contexts. Even, English language that is the official code of communication in Nigeria is replete with denotative and connotative meanings. Mastery of meanings alone is not enough, there is also need for understanding of peculiar figurative and idiomatic expressions that gives aesthetic values to communications. This is not easily come by in a system that chunks out largely educational matters (about 61% of the book published in Nigeria) at interval as required by the educational system.
Wane in the quality of our valid culture as a result of poor disposition to our local language by publishing industry: As mentioned earlier, that game plan of a private publisher is to maximize profit by targeting the market segment that can guarantee the most cost-effective and efficient deals. Hard to come by are publications on cookery that can furnish the finesse of our local foods, medicines (herbs), and a deluge of other paraphernalia of our culture. The effect of neo-colonialism is weighing on our local structures and eroding our values, while paving way for inordinate development that do not benefit the existing structures. Any development that does not have at its core, the intent to sustain and develop the existing structures is erosion.
Focus on educational publishing: Nigerians are compulsive book buyers/readers. The lone raison why educational publications thrive more than other soft aspects of publishing. Fewer Nigerians kill boredom through reading at leisure. Most people can afford not to wink an eye to see to the end, a movie that has captured their interest, even in the depth of the night. The same people usually get drowsy when reading. We derive more pleasure in audio-visual matters, which floods in and floods out of our memory. Whereas, literacy materials, in form of books, that can advance critical thinking, which in turn would facilitate development are either catching dusts on the shelves or, still in manuscript stage begging for a shot at the limelight.
It is not enough to highlight few of the problems that have stunted the growth of book publishing in Nigeria’s context, a few cause to chart a way out of the quandary is worth our thoughts.
Glocalization is a concept popularized by the profession of PR to mean ‘thinking globally to solve local problems’. It is high time we started appreciating the nature of Africa, which we often perceive as crude and unrefined. No sophistication rained from heaven; it is sustenance and desire to improve standard of living that drive innovations. Africa was blessed with nice cultural perspectives that commensurate with the nature of the people. Infusion of morality and propriety is the desire that should drive our handing down our cultural heritage to our progenies. Books are necessary to keep the ancient aura of those charitable cultures that are blown away in the whirl wind of neo-colonialism. We can adopt various trends in book publishing to nurture our culture in line with international standards, i.e. specialized publications that would serve the interests of minority local groups should be accessible online.
The western world countries are daily projecting their culture one the virtual media through media contents. The crux is not just the fact that they are permeating the hearts of the young ones world over, but the fact that we have accepted and adopted their content as the yardstick to adjudge the standard of publications content-wise.
As we know, the kernel of online communication is pictorial representations for aestheticism (because virtual readers love to surf, there is need to use concrete images and info-graphs that can communicate faster and clearer), we can glean various local communicative pictorial contents and have more than enough in our arsenal like getty-image, that can project the frontiers of our culture.
Local stories that extol heroic feats of figures, peculiar to our culture could be serialized and publish online. The idea is to propagate our culture through literature in local language; online media can curry spontaneous responses online by readers who find the contents interesting, and this guarantees continuity and extent market frontiers for such publications.