Lost Empire: Conclusion

 Lost Empire

Lacerating Knowledge and Action

'Action without knowledge is futile,

knowledge without action is waste.'

-Confucius

Rather than challenge the system out-rightly, lecturers embark on industrial actions for more funding centred on recurrent expenditure not capital. The students too see no real reason in making the custodians know that their future is in real jeopardy due to their lackadaisical attitude and dispassionate zeal towards researches, mentoring and innovation. Students of University of Lagos trooped out en masse to protest the change of

nomenclature (from University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University) by the Federal Government, can they ever stage such against the university authority? Can they ever stage such against those who continue to sell and circumvent their future for their personal benefits? Capital NO. Misplaced mission. Teachers are cheaters.

Just like their political mentors, lecturers drive and change exotic cars at will in Nigeria. They complain of lack of funds yet they ride expensive cars creating a cycle of ostentatious competition. Same note of the 80s is given to students in 2012. No change in even the smallest alphabet. Education or Retardation? Lecturers are gods. Challenging them even when they glaringly teach inconsistently is going against one's grade for the job search after school. What a shame! Students want nothing other than money. Well, that is the worship centre of the society. Thinking otherwise is so debilitating and detrimental. Such an individual will become ostracised in a way in the family and among peers. A fact I can attest to personally.

In the other round of the game, if one goes the way of innovation or try to incite the revolutionary spirit for effervescent changes, one will die of paucity of funds and hunger. No one is ready to support the revolutionary or board the train of change. Futuristic plans and projections are anathema to many youths. The syndrome is 'make the cash now.' The system is so bad that the lecturers like the politicians are innately joyous because it brings more financial benefits than an accountable scheme where more will have to be spent on advancement and development and less for the pockets. As at 1986, Nigeria produced an African giant and Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka with worldwide recognition. Long before then, Africa made the world view her force with Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Ngugi wa Thiongo, Peter Abrahams, Leopold Sendar Senghor, David Birago Diop among others gave Africa strength and vigour.

China just got the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000 with the emergence of Gao Xingjian. Despite this, can Africa states combined raise eyebrow where China is? What went wrong? Avarice. Why has the Nobel Prize in Physics, Medicine, Science and even Economics eluded Africa? Why has Africa not fix names in these fields? Colonial Education. The type of education meant only for slaves is ubiquitous in the continent. Education for clerks and government scribes. Africans have become Doctors and Professors in speaking and writing but toddlers and pupils in innovation and technology. Almost zero in science. Finland revolutionize her educational system and beats the United States at it. Government in Finland has no stand when the US talks but education in Finland now can shut up the US. Singapore saw the need to build the future and it does nothing than massively invest in educating the youths.

Student Unionism back is those glorious eras was to influence policies for the FUTURE. The abrogation of defence pact with Britain in 1962 by the Nigerian Government was due largely to students' objection. How about challenging the military? Students then were simply awesome. Now, students wait to share crumbs. They beg for marks and worship those who continue to make them intellectually handicapped. Those who make them job-search vultures. In Africa today, Kenya is the country with awe-inspiring prospects of fielding names in the nearest future in technology and innovation. Despite being a foremost representation of African Democracy – Politics of the Tribes – she is gradually building a future around technology and innovation. The coming of the 'Silicon Valley' to Nairobi is the gateway. Accra is coming up too.

Students in 2005 made Jacque Chirac abrogate the controversial working policy proposed by the French Prime Minister of employing fresh graduates on contract for two years by companies and they can be laid off thereafter. Cars were burnt and many destruction occurred. Even as a staunch advocate of no destruction in protests, I cannot totally say it will not occur in diehard situations. The only caveat is that all incendiary actions must be on the perverse leaders and thieves. Recently in India, students protested the killing of a teacher who is against government policies that are anti-people. All these show that they are thoughtful of the future. They are strong and determined at heart. North African revolutions as well as the Arab Spring without the youths could have been nothing but bloody lost for the people but the zeal for a better future gingered the youths.

I wonder if Professors in Agriculture Institutes know that robots now work on farms. Well, they can go to Denmark for the latest innovation in robot-driven tractors and planters. Different seed improvement techniques, pest control mechanisms as well as genetic mutation of crops not excluding scientific cross-breeding exist yet none seems to be in reflection in the society with Agriculture Institutes. When all these are mentioned, these professors should have it in mind that they are not mechanisms and methods of the 60s and 70s that are referred to because textbooks on their shelves are dusty and brownish. A signal that they are outdated and out of usage. Graduates in agriculture after years of studying still see the same field as not meant for them. Dirty occupation. Not classy. It is not the oil industry and finance corporations where monies fly around with no records. What an education!

If indeed in Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) can consistently, continuously and constantly send students home for them to retire at age 70 and get more raw cash, I do not see reason(s) why students cannot close all gates nationwide and demand government stop their pay till they are committed to sound education. Hold them hostage today because they are holding tomorrow hostage too. They should be committed to giving the future the best and show signs of this before they can have the best too. Law of reciprocity. It is a gargantuan pity that students cannot and will not demand this. At least, they receive the patronage of these ones sometimes as well as the government.

Many of the student representatives go on bulky embezzlement spree. They sometimes do so in connivance with university authorities. Solace in personal deceit is the order. Self deceiving self. Many say they wait till they get around government circles to effect the changes. Laughable. The naked truth is that they wait impatiently to purloin funds meant for the populace. Student activists only wait for government’s employment locomotive to loot. Educated thugs. Becoming executives and representatives of students is the surest way to be in wealth and be patronised in no distant time. All the killers of education, from government to lecturers down to students who are benefiting from the rot are joyous because a decayed system ensures that some microscopic viruses continue to be enriched with unalloyed impunity. Irony is that many wait endlessly because the pen-robbers are replacing themselves with their children and loyal cronies. Foggy future.

This is the major and main reason why they are ready to deploy any and every medium to shut the caves of those genuinely interested in revolutionizing the sacred groove of learning. Nothing can secure the future than the dynamic education of the youths. These destructive elements have tenaciously held on to the instruments of violence and oppression with their corrupt wealth. Any dissenting voice or act will easily be silenced. Only collective actions with the elimination of fear can oust them. African youths wait for old men in their 50s, 60s and 70s to speak for them and their future. They wait for the frail ones whom they are meant to care for to announce protests and declare industrial actions against bad policies jettisoning their own future. Here is a continent where the youths subconsciously do not see themselves as the trustees of posterity.

I know of many a student whose calling is not to read and read, all they know are practicals and they are best at it but the only thing the system allows is theoretical digestion. Tears of pity. The practical inclination gave birth to the Bill Gate of Microsoft and the Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. South Korea closed her borders for ten years and the educational authorities taught the students an important slogan to make up and boost their morale for the temporary inconveniences: 'What we do not have, we do not need it. What we do not need, we must not have it. What we need, we must have it.' This was an anthem. Africa is the poorest yet the headquarters of worst ostentatious lifestyles. Here, youths have been fully indoctrinated in extravagance and profligacy. The victory of the 'terminators' of education are the derailed youths who now constitute the majority. All consciousness now is to swim in money. Get rich at all cost. No humanity. Where is the future? A rotten system has no accountability. Parents pay fees through their noses yet see no reasons to charge the system for efficient and durable deliveries. The submission.

Lost Empire

Lost Empire

Lacerating Knowledge and Action

'Action without knowledge is futile,

knowledge without action is waste.'

-Confucius

There is just about one thing education must teach: question anything and everything. Education like the resource curse has done almost nothing impressive to improve the African standards and exertions. The last time I checked, education is meant to simulate the creativity in students, it is meant to arouse the passion in learners which already is domiciled in their minds. Education sharpens intuition and create thought cycles that fuel polemics. The construction of the brain like a car has different components most centred on the creativity and passion of the mind. Just as it is called 'Automobile' in car manufacturing, it is called 'Education' in brain development.

For every innovation, there is a background knowledge. No one has ever given what he does not have or possess. African education ab initio was designed to produce clerks and colonial scribes. Has Africa moved beyond the prepared agenda? Largely, the answer to this will be unanimous among well-meaning Africans. Africa is averse to changes and dynamism. Policies are for men but in Africa, it is role reversal; men for policies. Stagnation. Viewing the world critically; education, if we question anything and everything should be able to inform us that our brains are designed so that the Supreme Being can be fair. That is why airplanes and submarines can be built, operating in remotest places. The only reason why there exist some events that befuddled man is for the constant and consistent realisation that there is a Supreme Designer. Metaphysics.

Back in the days of folklore and folktales, children and learners were made to answer puzzling questions. The answers supplied, the consistency and accuracy coupled with the acumen employed showcased the knowledge and wisdom of every child. Hence, from the word go, leaders were known. Community heads were closely watched from the outset especially from various royal and blue-blooded families. This is perfectly inherent in American democratic system. Talk of the Kennedy's, the Bush's, the Clinton's among others. Fathers were role models. Children were taken to various traditional icons to learn from though these were exceptions as children more often than not mirrored their parents. Emerging leaders were given special trainings and attention. It was not uncommon to trace adults' childhood days when they were suggested for positions. What is learned today?

Just as it is discussed today in the parlance of development, neocolonialism replaced colonialism and modern slavery replaced the heinous slave trade, brain drain replaced the colonial education of production of clerks and scribes. No war is so efficient and effective as the mental war. Once won, it stays forever or so it seems. For a counter-war on mental slavery, every aspect of the society must be on reset. Africans have believed nothing good can come out their educational systems. Can they be blamed? Appreciation in respect of this goes to the leaders, military and civilian who marvel in the enrichment of their pockets and in the luxury of sending their children overseas to study and still come back to take the places already prepared for them at the expense of the youths in the homeland.

When urine is combined, the foam formed forthwith could be as thick as phlegm. This is no exaggeration as the custodians of education have successfully aligned with those who have axed education and continue to chop it off to make it a brittle broom in the society. What does Professors profess? The educational system just like the society has tormentors in lieu of mentors. These ones internally kill the passion to learn. Failure glorifies them as their acts suggest. Almost all pages of newspapers have them castigating leaders day in, day out yet a cursory look at their own 'country', shows they are worst than the political leaders. Publicly blatantly, they corrupt female students. Sadly, they present the 'money-bag' proposal to male students. Certificates not knowledge.

Theories of the 19^th and 20^th centuries are taught and presented as if there are no advance researches. These lecturers and professors gag memories. Nothing kills curiosity like dead theories. It is just as if they only want to make sure the graduates and products dust their certificates at the end of their academic adventure and beg to be drivers. That they go down their kneels for those who in saner climes will rain accolades on them for making the society enlightened. It seems we hear of people like Bill Gates, John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie from them. If Bill Gate was to be trained in a school meant for clerks from childhood and live in a society where everything encompassing his brain is survival and nothing but survival because of hunger and extreme societal decadence, I wonder what will simulate the innovative spirit in him. Same goes for others aforementioned.

The education of these ones ensures that even at elementary schools, visions already

exist to trail and missions to accomplish. These are the compasses and maps. Without the university degree, they can exert the inner dynamism and draw from the spring prioritized by the sanity of the society to create an ocean of expertise, innovation, investment, invention, creativity, business, development, uncommon and groundbreaking discoveries. Many of these do not get bored by the compulsory study of civics to teach morality when children learn more by what they see. Teaching morality while embezzling billions. Insanity at its worst. In saner climes, children eat and drink technology from the most tender of ages if such is their passion not outdated theoretical physics, chemistry, civics and economics of the 70s and 80s.

African educational system with particular reference to Nigeria is modeled on bombardment of subjects, mostly highly irrelevant. Little wonder while Africans in Africa are never part of world inventors, innovators or discoverers. It is almost in this part of the world that Institutes of Technology have more students studying Accounting and Business Administration than in Science, Technology and Engineering. Where is the connexion in nomenclature and mission? We compound subjects and courses with disjointed and disconnected results. Learning Institutes not Pressure Cookers. Taking a leaf from the research competition organised by Siemens which brought the duo, Katie Barufka and Neil Davey to limelight, one would realise that our educational system is nothing but an avenue to be maintenance and repair experts not inventors and innovators.

The students contested in areas relevant not only to what they learn in school but also the trend in the society. In other words, education and society must marry. The students proved their mettle in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Bringing same competition to Nigeria for example, English Language will be included, in fact, Chinese language also with the growing trend. Engineering and Technology will definitely find their way out. Theories of old are the exclusive preserve of our education. Then we ask, what goal is our education really geared towards? It is just one; to create graduates seeking jobs and teeming employment beggars. If during research fairs in institutions, professors cannot come out with anything innovative over the long years, what future lies in African education then?

What is the basis of a professor retiring at age 70? So preposterous. Greed. Lack of innovation and foresight. Lost belief in self. Absence of managerial and futuristic plans. The foremost are cowardice, complacency and complicity. The Senate President of Nigeria spoke in support and shame engulfed me. Birds of a feather. They have become so lazy that nothing else can they do than to sit and wait for the cool cash even though many do not go to classes. Lords, alpha and omega they are in their institutions. No one dares challenge them. Extremely powerful. All these to the detriment of academic propulsion. To become a Professor is to be versed in politics and political craftiness. Exemptions exist though minute.

As if this is not enough, students have been silenced with failure threats. Really disturbing. Future leaders become so scared to challenge injustice and the unfolding death of their future. All about good grades anyway. Education for jobs. Innovation, no vacancy. Graduates in Agriculture working in banks. Do they plant crops in ATM machines? Only three sectors remain the dream of most African students and youths if given the privilege of choice; banking, oil and politics. Are the Asian Tigers not of earth? They invested in innovative education. Brasil was at par with Nigeria and many African countries in the last decade. Today, Nigeria and African countries buy airplanes and other manufactured goods from her. What went wrong in Africa? Vision-less leaders, depraved lecturers/professors and above all extremely docile, pliant and complacent students/youths. Conformity is the jailer of freedom; Chinua Achebe is right after-all.

The only transformational event since the era of fresh air is that corruption has been refreshed. Corruption has taken on a gigantic turn. It has succeeded in becoming more powerful than the Nigerian state. Corruption as nefariously smart as it is, has negatively plausibly created two toothless, clueless and clawless attack hyenas and cheetahs; EFCC and ICPC. Goodluck Nigeria.

From Africa to the World: The Game: Phase one

From Africa to the World: The Game: Phase one: A lot has been said, written and known about the inhuman slave trade and obnoxious colonialism, though the discourse can never ever be elimi...

In 1979, the world recorded the change of a formidable US ally; the Shah of Iran. It was the year of the Velayat; the Iranian revolution. The Ayatollahs came to the scene and ever since had controlled events in Tehran. America is a country where all wounds are new. She hasn't forgiven the Ayatollahs not to talk of forgetting the outlining events in the American Embassy Hostage and the botched rescue mission. Iran has always been in the red book of terrorism after these events. The American spy; Israel follows the step of his special sponsor, tagging Iran as her number one enemy in the Middle East; at least, Saddam is dead.

During the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), America gave heavy weapons and artilleries to Saddam Hussein of Iraq; weapons the latter only used a fraction and kept the most sophisticated. Part of these weapons were used to bomb Israel during the Iraq-Kuwait war. Rather than retaliation, the US paid billions of dollars to Israel to calm the tension so a decisive blow can be done to Saddam and his arsenal. It paid off. Saddam was defeated and a UN inspection team was sent to check his arsenal. He cooperated a little and later sent the team packing. Old wounds are new; George Bush finally dismantled the arsenal America assisted Saddam to assemble in the infamous Coalition of the Willing attack in 2003.

Iran refused to learn. Saddam was not directly immediately attacked. It started from sanctions to make the economy crumble, then gradually there was a gateway for a military assault. Ahmadinejad and Khamenei know full well that they exist in the midst of enemies whose battleships and warheads lie across the Strait of Hormuz. Why trading fisticuffs when your economy is right in front of their warheads? Though Iran has complete access to a nuclear technology and by extension a nuclear weapon, the irresponsibilty of the Ayatollahs and the Iranian leaders over the years blurr all prospects of support.

One good thing about Iranians is that they are good thinkers. Very thoughtful Persians who love the Beautiful Persian Cat and will not want its death and demise, hence they are conscious of any Libyan-like or Syrian-like revolt. Just as US and NATO lied over the No-fly zone in Libya and Gaddafi's death is giving Assad's Syria a chance to breath, Iraq's lies and Saddam's death is giving Ahmadinejad's Iran the dim prospect of an eventual attack. The world waits.

A continent of diverse people co-existing in relative peace with occasional warfare. Each season for a reason. Wars were not fought during the raining seasons as everyone would, as a matter of rationalism go back to the farms. No Lakhdar Brahimi to negotiate a truce or seek a ceasefire. No failed attempt by a Kofi Annan at that time. Africa was traditionally pragmatic; a reasonable diversed whole. As a King no matter how powerful you were, the will of the people once it was a unanimous whole must prevail over you. When African women were so famous; German women had locks on their private parts (around the 16th century) placed there by the men to prevent them from having sexual affinity with other men; barbarism.

Then came the transfer of the able-bodied down to Europe. An exploration and exploitation by the Europeans corroborated by African Kings and Chiefs though the Tarikh and many accounts not excluding Western accounts have proven that many of the slaves were got through raids and kidnappings. These too had African mercenaries anyway. The continent was depopulated and the best account of this can be got from nowhere else than Walter Rodney's 'How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.' Then came colonialism which finally launched Africa into the web of the International Economic Cabal; ably and jealously guided by the IMF and IBRD (World Bank) and guarded by NATO. Some Africans resisted colonialism but those successfully bribed came to protect the mission as in the slave trade.

All these are just background knowledge. The most nauseating and atrociously nauseous in all is that, African Kings and Chiefs were bribed with rums majorly and many demanded that more rums should be brought in exchange for slaves; their own people and blood. The same Africans and the newly created half-baked and half-literate ones also began drinking massively profusely during colonialism. During these two eras, the body exploitation of chastised 'holy skins'; the African women were launched. Rums and prostitution were ubiquitous. Suddenly, colonialism came crashing and power was transfered but 'The Rum Theory' never ended. Leaders became drunk with alcoholic power while followers became immersed and drunk in beer. Go to any little space; the people are drunk with either ethnicity and tribalism, religion, power or beer.

The youths who are meant to rise now at this critical time are more than drunk with all these. They have been co-opted into the system and relegated to the background to always dream backwards; to how their continent was formerly powerful. Almost none dream into the future. Drunk memory in ethnicity and tribalism, power, greed, corruption and beer is now the order. If we refuse to unite now, we will be remembered as a generation with most facts at its disposal but with myopic thoughts. We will be fulfilling the aphorism; children of smart phones but stupid brains and acts.

Africa: The Road Not Taken

The 60’s and 70’s opened a diverse road to an emerging world major power. The continent of Africa had the best prospects of becoming a great global influence. Immediately the transfer of power was done from the colonial masters to the indigenous political elites, the newest forms of woes and throes had their foundations in class struggle, greed, corruption, irresponsible leadership, docile followership and myopic plans with strategies. Succinctly, Africa’s present morass and quagmire has been planted long before now in conjunction with foreign powers with their nefarious whims and caprices.

The youths who are to be the future of the continent have been dragged and co-opted into the circle of corrupt practices. It should be noted this day and always that the only future the continent has lies in the hands, shoulders and brains of the de-tribalised and ethnically unconscious youths. A united front must from now, as a matter of urgent necessity, be sought and established for the virile future we all clamour for.