By Akurose Ohagwa
It is quite laughable, indeed comical and somewhat befuddling that Nigeria, a country that has almost 100,000 PhD holders, is arguing about the word “and” in a specific section of the Constitution.As the argument gathers momentum and about to explode in court in the next few days at the Presidential Election Tribunal, it is helpful to put the discourse trending in the nation in perspective.
1. In seeking admission into a university, after scoring above 200, Universities tell applicants that you must get at least five credit scores to get admitted into a course. These credit scores must be in at least three subjects related to your intended course of course of study *AND* Mathematics and English Language. This simply implies that even if you get 8 A’s in all other subjects but get a “D” or “E” or “F” Mathematics and English Language, no university will admit you. Despite this clear, simple meaning of the word “and” in the requirement for qualification, Nigerians are arguing over it.
2. In an examination, if the instruction reads: answer three questions in section A “and” the question in section B, this means if you answer all the six questions in section A, but do not answer THE QUESTION IN SECTION B (which carries 60% of the total marks), WILL YOU SCORE MORE THAN 40% in the examination? Again, despite this clear, simple meaning of the word “AND” in the illustration above, Nigerians are arguing over “and” in a particular section of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).
3. In your place of work, the Managing Director gives a simple instruction: “For your promotions to be considered, at least two-thirds of the new recruits” AND” The Secretary must be present in the meeting. If ALL the recruits attend the meeting, but the secretary fails to attend, WILL ANYBODY’S PROMOTION BE CONSIDERED DURING THE MEETING?
But Nigerians are hotly arguing over the simple meaning of “AND” in the particular section of the Constitution.More annoying in all these is that those arguing stupidly are the “ *EDUCATED* “ Nigerians because of their innate selfish desires.Why then did they go to school? Like the popular nursery school rhyme about Johnbull whose father sent to school to learn how to spell his name. Are we to understand that the “educated” Nigerians who are arguing over the clear and explicit meaning of “and” in the particular section of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) on the grounds of expediency, forgot what the learnt in school? If they were to seek admission today into a Nigerian university with their current warped interpretation of “and” will the Registrar of the Joint Administrations and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof Ishaq Oluyede agree with them and allow them to given admission by any university. Going by his avowed integrity for the observance of the rule of law and enforcement of due process, he oppose the admission offered and could even go to court, to seek Judicial prevention of such travesty in the interpretation of the simple, meaning of “and” in JAMB requirements for admission. This clearly applies to the raging argument in the political and legal circles about the simple word “and” which has become contentious in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election. Meanwhile, are still arguing…
Ohagwa, an entrepreneur and chief executive of Kudos FMCG Distribution Logistics, adapted this piece from an anonymous WhatsApp post.