Nelson A.Osuala [17 November 2016]
In this piece, Patrick Benblag – a philosophy graduate from University of Calabar, took us through a voyage of discovery and exposition about our Institutions.
He saw into the future of our dear Country, Nigeria from today; and then carefully revealed what to my mind are the seemingly problematics that have adversely affected our Educational sector.
He highlighted some of the problems plaguing the Nigerian nation and attempted to bring to fore, the issues that confront our Educational institutions as well as our socioeconomic and political collectiveness and progress.
What follows are his exact thoughts and recommendations which is an article culled from his Facebook wall, below is the original text as we deemed it fit to publish in this noble outfit.
An excerpt reads:
"The development of a country is brought about by people, not by money. Money, and the wealth it represents, is the result and not the basis of development." ~ Julius Nyerere
The above views expressed by one of Africa's great intellectual and educationalist best explains what I've been emphasising over the past few years. No amount of money or natural resources can make a nation rich and successful without properly developed and competent minds to manage those resources.
I have been clamouring for the need to overhaul and rejuvenate our entire education system and tailor it towards solving the cornucopia of social, economic and political problems that our nation and continent is besotted with. However, these calls seem to have largely fallen on deaf and unfertile ears.
Furthermore, the major reason for this hinges on our societal ill-fated notion that ties prosperity and human development to monetary capital while neglecting the basic and most essential idea of human capital, value and development.
We have been telling ourselves the expensive lies that money solves all problems, but in the process have forgotten the fundamental idea that money on its own is valueless without the value ascribed to it by the human person.
Vladimir Lenin, the revolutionary and first USSR leader once said that "a lie told often enough becomes the truth", this is very true of the Nigerian and indeed the African situation as we have continue to delude ourselves with the economic and political ideology which propagates and promulgates the notion that "abundant natural resources equals wealth" – (ANR = W) while becoming oblivious of human beings constituting the center of those wealth.
This African formula (ANR = W) for wealth creation has continue to characterize the driving force behind our policy making machinery and has sadly impede our social, economic and political progress.
We need to start thinking progressively and try out new ideas/methods if the old and neoclassical ones have proven to be a failure or not in tune with the demands of our society and existential conditions and revelations.
The way forward still lies in revolutionising our society through proactive educational policies and leadership practices that:
Identifies the problems in our system;
Identify where the problems exist;
Proffer the most effective solution that best suits the nature of our society;
Make policies that are in tandem with the proffered solutions;
And Lastly, put in place proper machineries and mechanisms that will ensure the swift and adequate implementation of those policies and adopted solutions.
I'll like to submit by saying that the social, cultural and economic aberrations and the political /leadership excesses in our country Nigeria and indeed the African continent can be drastically curbed if we embark on values rejuvenation/reorientation and proper educational program that is contextually driven.
The education in question does not end within the four walls of the academic institutions, but should and must permeate all aspects of our society and become a part and parcel of our social, cultural, political and national/continental psyche.
– by Patrick Benblag
Disclaimer: The thoughts shared reflects those of the author and not directly that of the Publisher.
Nelson A. Osuala
Is a Blogger & the Associate Editor of Negroidhaven.org
