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By Ibrahim Jabir Isah
The agitations for restructuring have become a national discourse with senior analysts, columnists, and academics contributing their own quota to the debate. Restructuring is all about bringing changes that will lead to a sustainable development. I believe many people have done justice to the discourse precisely the likes of Prof. Jega in his lecture delivered on the 4th of August 2021 at Nasarawa State University Keffi and Mr. Simon Kolawole’s column published on This Day Newspaper on the 27th June 2021, as well as Dr. Ali Ibrahim Abbas’s article published in Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs on the 1st of June 2018. However, there is one thing missing in all the contributions I have read, which to my own belief and understanding it ought to be given more emphasis and priority.
Restructuring is not an easy task to embark on especially in a multi ethnic/religious nation like ours. Nevertheless, restructuring is fundamental and necessary and I believe it can only be achieved with determination, dedication and commitment towards a good cause. Without much digression, I will like to go straight to discuss the missing element in the restructuring discourse.
To me, education should be the focal point of agitation by the restructuring agitators because; it is the bed rock of any nation and the engine of any sustainable development.
Our educational sector is on the verge of collapse. Some are of the opinion that it has collapsed already. Therefore if all those agitations for restructuring were able to see the light of the day, without a tangible and meaningful reform on the educational sector I bet we will still remain where we are today or be in a more pathetic situation.
No nation can record a meaningful development without standardizing its educational sector especially in the field of sciences and technology. Our nation is blessed with abundance of both human and natural resources which if fully utilized; we will definitely record a meaningful and sustainable development.
However, our stakeholders are not ready for such development that will take the masses out of the mental and political slavery they have been subjected to since before independence. That is why the politicians try as much as they can to destroy the public schools by starving it funds and qualified teachers.
To put record straight that all the developed nations of the Western world as well as developing nations of Asia and Latin America were not just developed based on the natural endowment at their disposals but rather based on human resources which strive and flourish on the basis of education thereby propelling development.
Aristotle affirms that “education is of primary importance in a polity because it promotes the progress of the constitution by positively molding the character and perception of the citizens”. As such, he insists that education should be guided by legislation (standard). He further stresses that children should, during their early years, be carefully protected from injurious associations. And their first two stages ( i.e. age 7 to puberty and puberty to 21 years) should be undertaken by the state.
Knowing fully that education (especially science and technology) is one of the most important channel to development, the President of Nigeria in the Second Republic, late Alhaji Shehu Shagari established some Federal institutions whose focus are on science and technology. The schools are Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi (ATBU), Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), and Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology Yola (MAUTECH) among others. The rationale behind the establishment of these institutions was to groom students solely in the field of science and technology and to ensure that graduates from these institutions are employable in Ajaokuta Steel Company.
The Nigerian iron mill company was commissioned in 1979, with the intention of utilizing the natural endowment (iron) and diversifying the economy. However, it has been lying idle and stagnant ever since its commission because, the mission and vision of those institutions have been defeated and there have being lack of will for the company to kick off on the side of the politicians.
The neglect on the Educational sector and academic rape by some stakeholders is the reason why we are in the current state we find ourselves. Other countries like the United States is counting the number of illiterates it has (because that is the easiest task for them) and we are counting the number of graduates we have (because counting the number of illiterates is tantamount to census) it is so pathetic!
Education should be made compulsory and if possible freely available to all and also it should be standardized with updated curriculums and qualified teachers should be employed.
Late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi once advised the government to educate the Fulani and upgrade their standard of living (by providing basic amenities like schools, hospitals, roads and portable drinking water) for they are like time bomb if not educated, they will explode one day. We are now witnessing the explosion.
The violent and criminal acts perpetrated in our country today are not peculiar to the illiterate Fulanis alone. Illiterates of other ethnicities share in this criminality. Even if it is argued that their masterminds are educated, the large chunk of those perpetrating the heinous crime of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and robbery are the illiterates. Hence I aver that education should be one of the focuses (central theme) of restructuring.
A collapse of educational system will give birth to nothing but a collapse nation.
That is why it is boldly written at the entrance of the University of South Africa that: “To destroy a nation you do not need any Missiles or Atomic bombs, all you need to do is to destroy its education”.
The politicians will never want education to be affordable to the children of the masses because they want the leadership of the country, as well as heading of strategic positions, to remain within their family, friends and loyalist cycle as they continue to subject the poor to mental, political and economic slavery.
I hope the agitators of restructuring will look into this and strive to understand the importance of education in the development of a nation if truly their agitations are centered on national development.
I pray and hope the government at both Federal and State level will make education a priority and also make it affordable to all. For education will serve as one of the long lasting solutions to the perennial insecurity, underdevelopment, and mono-cultural economy to mention but a few.
Ibrahim Jabir Isah can be reached via:
Ibrahimjabir62@gmail.com
