These are very heady times. As Nigerians waited on May 29 as regards whether an authentic change was in the offing, an implicit debate of sorts occurred between two seemingly different individuals.
These two individuals were Professor Niyi Akinnaso on the one hand and Ben Bruce on the other. The former is a columnist with The PUNCH newspaper, while Bruce is a visible figure in the entertainment world who has just been elected into our highly privileged Senate.
Continue..
The common denominator between these two men is that they are both public-spirited. They are out there in the public space, canvassing respective positions which appear to strike at the soul of Nigeria. Let us start out with our Professor. Akinnaso comes across as a very objective writer, who even has the capacity to run against the wind. This is because on some occasions, rather than endorse the position of his visible political friends in Ondo State, he has walked away in the other direction. Another word for this is conviction.
This is partly why I took more than a passing interest in his article about tuition in Nigerian universities recently. Specifically, in the article, he contends that tuition fees are too low in our universities, and to this extent, our universities are underfunded. He has made a case, a very good one at that for gradual increases in tuition fees in our universities. He also goes into the comparative portal by engaging in comparisons between what obtains here and Britain as well as the United States. This is not surprising, if only because Akinnaso has lived the comparative experience.
This is in view of his stints in various places like the Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos State University and Temple University. But even then, comparisons by their very nature can be odious. Our man in making his case for higher tuition fees has glossed over other realities which abound in these three social formations. In Nigeria, you cannot completely trust the prime movers of our university system. Stories abound about sticky-fingered Vice-Chancellors who have made good in the Nigerian fashion. In other words, higher tuition fees may only translate ultimately into more resources for the boys in the context of privatisation Nigerian-style. This is not to say that managers of the system out there are saints. No. On one occasion for instance, a major figure in Stanford University was indicted for a lavish lifestyle that was funded, courtesy of institutional resources.
This is where I believe that Akinnaso, as earnest and honest as he seems to be, has not sufficiently factored in all the variables in making his case. For instance, the level of poverty here is daunting. It is so daunting that although there is a high demand for university education, the effective demand is not there. By effective demand, I refer to a situation in which a lot of Nigerians cannot really afford high tuition fees as canvassed by Akinnaso. For instance, I had a stint at one of those high voltage private universities in Nigeria. And it was a shock to learn that many of the parents are really struggling to see their children through this institution. This may well explain why many of the private universities, save for a few, are really contending with many unfilled spaces.
Consequently, many parents in their wisdom prefer the state universities, where the fees range from the low to moderate. And this is where, perhaps, Akinnaso has a point. That what is on offer, courtesy of the low fees, cannot really be regarded as education. But then, the state ought to intervene. Unfortunately here, we are talking about the Nigerian state, whose managers are as bankrupt as they are irresponsible. And mind you, I am not wasting words here. On one memorable occasion, I had cause to listen to a French Professor at a seminar in Oxford University.
He spoke to what he called, the “threat potential” to Nigeria. According to him, the threat potential to Nigeria is the Nigerian leadership. There is nothing novel in this assertion, yet it was fresh. In other words, if we had a less chloroformed leadership, resources from the state can easily have been pushed into our universities such that, these universities will not continue to lag in terms of quality and ratings.
And this where Ben Bruce comes in. Since his election, he has served notice on other members of the ruling (ruining) class that it will not be business as usual. Along with other social forces like Olisa Agbakoba and Dino Melaye, he has condemned the stratospheric salaries and allowances which our legislators have appropriated for themselves. By most accounts, including that of the authoritative Economist of London, Senators and Members of the House of Representatives get respectively (not earn) something in the order of N30m and N25m every month. Meanwhile, these are just the visibles. The reader can well imagine what goes into their bottomless pockets by way of invisibles. And in any case, and such matters go, these lawmakers in conformity with the law of life do not really need much in terms of satisfying their basic needs. After all, Sam Aluko has thoughtfully posed the question: How much can a man eat? The rest will be frittered away on baubles that will only feed the ego. Little wonder, it has also been said that Nigeria has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed. This contention could well have loomed large in the consciousness of Bruce. In the Vanguard edition of May 20, 2015, he announced his resolve to fight Nigeria’s wayward political elite. Methinks however that he has served the notice too early. The decadent status quo will certainly give him a good run for his crusading ideals. But then, I digress.
What is more pertinent here is that he spoke in graphic terms about a ruling class which has a huge disposition for misplaced priorities. According to him, it is absurd that a few elected officials monopolise the resources of the country, living a champagne life while a majority of Nigerians live below a dollar per day. He continues… “when they drink that champagne that can educate a child, they should know that I am fighting them. I am totally against their lifestyles.” He also contends that “imagine a situation where governors fly private jets, commissioners drive a N20m… Commissioners living like kings while the state cannot pay the salaries of its workers…”
In a sense, there is nothing novel in much of these. But then, Bruce has said enough, to unwittingly perhaps, fault Akinnaso’s well intentioned argument about why tuition fees should be increased. If our leaders tone down significantly on waste, and direct resources to honest managers of the university system, this would go a long way to solve funding problems in our tertiary institutions.
The irony of the implicit interplay between these two individuals is that Bruce in his assertion comes across as a Nigerian version of Noam Chomsky-that intellectual tormentor of the power elite in Washington. Meanwhile, chances are that this Gregorian with a sybaritic profile that is honed in the entertainment world may not be familiar with Chomsky, a Professor of linguistics. By contrast, as a scholar of linguistics, Akinnaso must know a lot about this irreverent and public intellectual.
Therefore, I urge Akinnaso to do the needful: In consonance with his calling and disposition, he should line up behind seemingly powerless conscience in its struggle against conscienceless power, as Bruce has surprisingly done.
Soremekun is a Professor at the National Open University of Nigeria
Continue..
The common denominator between these two men is that they are both public-spirited. They are out there in the public space, canvassing respective positions which appear to strike at the soul of Nigeria. Let us start out with our Professor. Akinnaso comes across as a very objective writer, who even has the capacity to run against the wind. This is because on some occasions, rather than endorse the position of his visible political friends in Ondo State, he has walked away in the other direction. Another word for this is conviction.
This is partly why I took more than a passing interest in his article about tuition in Nigerian universities recently. Specifically, in the article, he contends that tuition fees are too low in our universities, and to this extent, our universities are underfunded. He has made a case, a very good one at that for gradual increases in tuition fees in our universities. He also goes into the comparative portal by engaging in comparisons between what obtains here and Britain as well as the United States. This is not surprising, if only because Akinnaso has lived the comparative experience.
This is in view of his stints in various places like the Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos State University and Temple University. But even then, comparisons by their very nature can be odious. Our man in making his case for higher tuition fees has glossed over other realities which abound in these three social formations. In Nigeria, you cannot completely trust the prime movers of our university system. Stories abound about sticky-fingered Vice-Chancellors who have made good in the Nigerian fashion. In other words, higher tuition fees may only translate ultimately into more resources for the boys in the context of privatisation Nigerian-style. This is not to say that managers of the system out there are saints. No. On one occasion for instance, a major figure in Stanford University was indicted for a lavish lifestyle that was funded, courtesy of institutional resources.
This is where I believe that Akinnaso, as earnest and honest as he seems to be, has not sufficiently factored in all the variables in making his case. For instance, the level of poverty here is daunting. It is so daunting that although there is a high demand for university education, the effective demand is not there. By effective demand, I refer to a situation in which a lot of Nigerians cannot really afford high tuition fees as canvassed by Akinnaso. For instance, I had a stint at one of those high voltage private universities in Nigeria. And it was a shock to learn that many of the parents are really struggling to see their children through this institution. This may well explain why many of the private universities, save for a few, are really contending with many unfilled spaces.
Consequently, many parents in their wisdom prefer the state universities, where the fees range from the low to moderate. And this is where, perhaps, Akinnaso has a point. That what is on offer, courtesy of the low fees, cannot really be regarded as education. But then, the state ought to intervene. Unfortunately here, we are talking about the Nigerian state, whose managers are as bankrupt as they are irresponsible. And mind you, I am not wasting words here. On one memorable occasion, I had cause to listen to a French Professor at a seminar in Oxford University.
He spoke to what he called, the “threat potential” to Nigeria. According to him, the threat potential to Nigeria is the Nigerian leadership. There is nothing novel in this assertion, yet it was fresh. In other words, if we had a less chloroformed leadership, resources from the state can easily have been pushed into our universities such that, these universities will not continue to lag in terms of quality and ratings.
And this where Ben Bruce comes in. Since his election, he has served notice on other members of the ruling (ruining) class that it will not be business as usual. Along with other social forces like Olisa Agbakoba and Dino Melaye, he has condemned the stratospheric salaries and allowances which our legislators have appropriated for themselves. By most accounts, including that of the authoritative Economist of London, Senators and Members of the House of Representatives get respectively (not earn) something in the order of N30m and N25m every month. Meanwhile, these are just the visibles. The reader can well imagine what goes into their bottomless pockets by way of invisibles. And in any case, and such matters go, these lawmakers in conformity with the law of life do not really need much in terms of satisfying their basic needs. After all, Sam Aluko has thoughtfully posed the question: How much can a man eat? The rest will be frittered away on baubles that will only feed the ego. Little wonder, it has also been said that Nigeria has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed. This contention could well have loomed large in the consciousness of Bruce. In the Vanguard edition of May 20, 2015, he announced his resolve to fight Nigeria’s wayward political elite. Methinks however that he has served the notice too early. The decadent status quo will certainly give him a good run for his crusading ideals. But then, I digress.
What is more pertinent here is that he spoke in graphic terms about a ruling class which has a huge disposition for misplaced priorities. According to him, it is absurd that a few elected officials monopolise the resources of the country, living a champagne life while a majority of Nigerians live below a dollar per day. He continues… “when they drink that champagne that can educate a child, they should know that I am fighting them. I am totally against their lifestyles.” He also contends that “imagine a situation where governors fly private jets, commissioners drive a N20m… Commissioners living like kings while the state cannot pay the salaries of its workers…”
In a sense, there is nothing novel in much of these. But then, Bruce has said enough, to unwittingly perhaps, fault Akinnaso’s well intentioned argument about why tuition fees should be increased. If our leaders tone down significantly on waste, and direct resources to honest managers of the university system, this would go a long way to solve funding problems in our tertiary institutions.
The irony of the implicit interplay between these two individuals is that Bruce in his assertion comes across as a Nigerian version of Noam Chomsky-that intellectual tormentor of the power elite in Washington. Meanwhile, chances are that this Gregorian with a sybaritic profile that is honed in the entertainment world may not be familiar with Chomsky, a Professor of linguistics. By contrast, as a scholar of linguistics, Akinnaso must know a lot about this irreverent and public intellectual.
Therefore, I urge Akinnaso to do the needful: In consonance with his calling and disposition, he should line up behind seemingly powerless conscience in its struggle against conscienceless power, as Bruce has surprisingly done.
Soremekun is a Professor at the National Open University of Nigeria
No comments:
Post a Comment