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Something massive is evolving in a little, far-flung part of the globe. The globe is totally aware and indeed is closely monitoring the developing story. Sadly though, as is the wont of the continent concerned, the people whose son is the brain behind this global event are half-aware, one quarter interested and zero supportive. Now, you get the context of why such epochal piece of future history has generated very little frenzy right at its backyard.
It’s a crying shame how this continent, this country, this state almost always prefer on one hand to excellencify nonsense and on the other nonsensify excellence. We allot peanuts to scholarship but a fortune to entertainment. Entertainment, by the way, being just a fine name for rubbish, like perfume on dirt. We show respect to entertainment calling it Big Brother as if education is small brother.
We glorify idiocy and such immoralities as nudity, sex, alcohol and gossip by handing their best purveyors (read the worst of the worst) prime time on all media platforms as well as hundreds of millions of naira while first-class academic performers are offered discouraging anathemas in the name of reward. Over the weekend, we pretended to hide our faces in shame when so-called Big Brother stars could not answer kindergarten general knowledge questions on live television. “What does CAC, a government agency, stand for?” “Which body is responsible for making laws in Nigeria?”
A lawyer, said to have been called to the Nigerian bar at 22, (she’s 30) said it’s the judiciary that makes laws in Nigeria. Are we not making progress, albeit backwardly so? Alas, she was not alone: her colleagues drew blank on every count. “Who’s featured on the Nigerian hundred naira bill?”
For crying out loud, Nigerian adults who call themselves educated don’t know the acronym, NAFDAC; nor the product of 11 and 7; nor the continent of Mount Everest; nor the six classes of food. Shouldn’t we run to court today to seek perpetual injunction against these shows of shame? However, our reaction is the trademark hypocrisy that has become our second nature, pretenders all of us. We cannot and should not scapegoat Big Brother participants because my dear, come on, in which other sector have we not sacrificed unassailable excellence on the altar of crass mediocrity?
Check out those who work like ants but earn like elephants. We should hold open written and oral examinations for all cadres of our political office holders. I know this won’t happen (in fact most of them would take out court orders to stop it) but you know what, I don’t need to be a prophet to tell that 80% would feign ill or travel on that day, and only one percent of the 20 who grudgingly appear shall strike gold. Laugh even if you can’t, but this is our collective tragedy.
What this means is that so far only scant attention has been paid to education and anything pertaining thereto. If we want a change, we must recalibrate our leadership recruitment process. When we elect quality, quality shall show up in appointments and invariably in the efforts and results across all strata of our national life. That is not rocket science, or is it?
If against all odds, we choose to play the same card that we have deployed man and boy, we shall come to the same reality namely that you cannot harvest yam when you planted cocoyam. Yet, before we can talk of the political will to fix Nigeria, Nigerians must have the moral will to select leaders who can be agents of that change. Nigeria is in dire need of better leaders, better followers, better teachers, better students, better preachers, better faithful; better everybody, better everything. Until we sort ourselves out, this country is going nowhere.
Feel free to replace country with continent, or with race, or with state or with LGA or with village or even with family. This should help you to see that the rot is total and ubiquitous. We need help, urgent total help. We need to read our society back into reckoning; back to sense!
Let’s now connect the dots. Bibliophile, journalist and journalism teacher, Dr Udeme Nana of Uyo Book Club, and John Obot, Greek grammar and syntax tutor, freethinker and good governance advocate, are staging a quiet intellectual revolution in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in the deep south of Nigeria. Mr Obot, whose father, John Obot, died in active service road accident as a Radio Nigeria network reporter, looks to break and create Guinness World Record on the longest marathon reading aloud by an individual. I was at Readmania for about an hour, last Saturday just before he clocked 100 hours (he targets 145 which he would have by the time you read this).
I loved and still love a few things the visit afforded me the opportunity to see firsthand. But, I hate(d) many things I didn’t see. I love(d) the setting of the venue, City View Hall of Watbridge Hotels and Suites located on IBB Avenue. I love(d) the spirit and zeal of the chief programme director of the John Obot Guinness World Record attempt, Dr Udeme Nana and his 70-man team.
What about John himself? Oh, my! It is his humongous quality and resilience and patience and sense of humour and presence of mind, for me. Being our first meeting, I thought we connected too easily; especially against the background of the global pressure he’s clearly under.
The husband and father of one was reading the late Elder Nnamso Umoren’s book, from canoe boy to permanent secretary, up until he took the break during which we took photos and I left shortly afterwards. While I shall eternally treasure the quality of the first impression the marathon reader accorded me, I want it on record that the guy is a born reader. He reads like a reader. His pace, his tone and above all his reaction per time prove that he understands what he reads -unlike most readers whose reading shows they don’t understand a thing.
I say that because this trained teacher and member of Nigeria Union of Teachers is not making this attempt for show. He qualifies to do it and as I see it, he seeks to point youngsters and indeed humanity to how passion, energy, resolve, focus, commitment and excellence can combine to engender change. BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA, of which I am President-at-large, shall next Friday treat the record breaker-cum-maker complete with his wife, child, no-nonsense schoolteacher mother, his team et al to a luncheon at Watbridge Hotels and Suites, Uyo. Which brings me to what I didn’t love and shall never love about the beautiful event.
Why is it so impossible to rally round people who bring light? Conversely, why does darkness so easily and so powerfully and so publicly support darkness? What is in light that repels light so badly and what is in darkness that attracts darkness so much? Why do most people of power and means hate to support genuine positive efforts?
…Continued next Monday
