Democracy Day : Indeed worth Celebration.

 

After 13 years of abject poverty, inept and epileptic power supply, decline in economy, high rate of siphoning and embezzling of public funds and a myriads of others to mention, the government have the temerity to come out to us with some false and fabricated speech that they have achieved something, and are proud of it.
When our Universities are there, constantly striking like thunders, poor and woeful failure in SSCE exams, aggravated with poor facilities and unqualified teachers especially the north. I see no reason for the celebration of the 'democracy day' except may be they reframe it to 'developmental plan day'.
The power sector is the most woeful sector that kept many Nigerians wondering since the inception of democracy in Nigeria. The then president Olusegun Obasanjo told Nigerians to get rid of all their generator sets and within the shortest possible time, power shortage is going to be a story. But to the bewilderment of many Nigerians, we have not seen any glimpse of hope that showcase to us we're improving. Nigeria has now become the world wide business tycoon as far as Mikano, FG Wilson, and Lord Mart generators are concerned. These generator sets are found in the national assembly and virtually almost every established home occupied by government dignitries and panjandrums.
The issue of insecurity which emanates from ethno-religious crises, secterian crises as well as tribal crises is very appropos to mention. Many innocent lives have been persistently killed either directly or indirectly from such crises. Nigeria been known for it high tranquilty in the past is now in a pole position of entring the US terrorist list, this is very unfortunate.
People have called for dialogue which is aimed at peace keeping, but the government discard such claims and concentrate fully on other anonymous issues that are less important like ECOWAS and going to neighbouring african countries for peace keeping.
The same poor masses that came out under a very igneous hash weather to vote for them, starve themselves of food, and drink are now the people suffering severely for it.
Civil servants both in State and Federal are suffering tremendously due to lack of payment, despite their salary been meagre, yet it has not been paid to them on a consistent basis.
Permit me to include the NYSC corps in this article.
This are youths believed to be serving their fatherland and have taking oath to serve their country to the best of their abilities, hitherto, they were also not been paid their monthly meagre allowances. Is this how we are going to continue? when our law makers are the highest paid in the world, driving luxurious cars, buying facilities and investing enormously in foreign countries. Sorry is all i say for Nigeria.
Health is another sector that is in disarray. Going through our hospitals and mortuaries, you'll found people lying dead without any appropriate measures been taking. Doctors keeps on going on striker everynow and then leaving people idle. Many poor masses couldn't afford to go to the private hospitals been owned by our medical doctors due to high cost, they only resort to government depleted hospitals for treatment.
Since we're in demoracy, and everybody has the right to express his acrimony, its hightime the government come to the rescue of Nigerians by providing the following;
(1) Adequate and unepileptic power supply.
(2). Adequate Security at all levels in the country.
(3). Quality education needed for the production of good citizenry that would develop the country in the long run.
(4). Curb corruption and other malaprops acts.
(5). Increase the standard of living by providing quality transportation routes, agricultural practices, modern hospitals not to mention but a few.
(6). Provide employment opportunities with good remuneration.

United ends decades of mishaps at the bridge

Manchester United demolished Chelsea 3-2 at the bridge to end a jinx of almost a decade without a win at the Bridge since the famous 3-0 win in 2002.

The visitors took the lead when Van Persie's shot hit the woodwork and eventually deflected off David Luis back to earn them a 1-0 lead in the 3rd minute. The dutch ace received a superb curling pass from the speedy Antonio Valencia.

The reds continue to press until they got the deserved goal via Van Persie. The former Arsenal skipper fired in a shot that went beyond the grasp of Peter Cech.

The homside pressurized United and really gave them a torrid last 15 mins of first half. They almost scored on numerous occassions thanks to several opulent shots save from the burgeoning David De Gea.

Juan Mata scores a sensational freekick that was justifiably beyond the reach of De Gea. Wayne Rooney was a little bit languid with the ball in front of the box to enable Hazard steal the ball. The england star conspicuously brought down the Chelsea man to enable Mata fired in the resultant freekick.

The second half started with the blues dominating virtually every aspect of the game and they got the deserved equaliser as Ramires rose above Tom Cleverley to clinch the equaliser that made it 2-2 and sparkle a sweet moment at the bridge.

A couple of dubious decisions from referee Mark Clattenburg left the world of football in great bewilderment when he sent off two Chelsea men. Fernando Torres, who was booked before, recieved his marching orders in what looks like an innoculous challenge from Jonny Evans. Everyone thought it was a freekick against United only for the ref to flash a yellow card to Torres that eventually sent him furiously into the tunnel.
Not more than 15 mins difference, Branislav Ivanovich, who happens to be the last man in the defence line was rightfully sent off for bringing down Ashley Young. The referee indicated from a skysports conversation from former referee Gallagher that it was very impossible for him to have judge from such angle and he thought Torres dived in order to decieve him. Although Gallagher did admit that it was a very complicated challenge, but it shouldn't have culminated into giving Torres his marching orders.

However Chelsea have reported to the FA that the referee furiously made a racial abuse towards Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel after he stunned the crowd by giving Antonia Valencia a yellow card after video replay indicates there was a conspicuous contact between them. The Chelsea officials have reportedly notify the FA that he also abused Torres, and Mata all in the same game. The football association are now awaiting a pending report from Mark Clattenburg about the game and the referee might face desciplinary actions. One funny thing is that, the referees association has refutes such claims and are ready to battle it out for the ref. However, information from his two line men and Mike Jones; the ref that gifted Newcastle United a dubious penalty last year at Old Trafford could prove to be significant.

United finally got the winner through super sub Javier Hernandez. Van Persie's shot that almost crossed the touchline was magnificiently parried away by Peter Cech to allow Rafael firing in another
Shot that was tapped in by Chicharito to put United 3-2.

David De Gea pull out a series of sensational saves to deny Chelsea any hope of equaliser. The spanish young star made about 5 saves that obviously looked like a goal. He denied the likes of Hazard, Mata, Torres not to mention but few. United lies second in the league with just a solitary point between them and the blues.

Flood: Nature fighting back.

Man is a slave to the environment and in his case to satisfy his unending needs and wants, he has usually bring home the bacon to see that his basic priorities are met either in a positive or negative manner. This made man to obtain resources directly from the environment. No wonder the environment have been persistently depleted and degraded by man's activities. Recently, research has shown that flooding in Nigeria is nature fighting back, this is however as a result of man's vigorous actions towards the environment.

Over the years, instead of people to live in harmony with nature and preserve nature for sustainable development, it has become a factor to be conquered with. Its pertinent we realise that environmental degradations have supercede beyond transboundary and this made the international community to embark on a plan of action to preserve, conserve, maintain and protect the ailing ecosystem for posterity. The issues of enviroment is now in the limelight as it has occupied global,regional, national and international attention. Every country is now basically talking about the concept of sustainable development.

The recent flood that has plagued Northern Nigeria recently is a major sign that nature is fighting back and we're now facing the upshots as well as the repercussion. Over the years, global warming which brings about climate change has distorted the ecosytem. When the environment is heated up usually under a very igneous temperatute, the rate of evapo-transpiration increases subsequently. With time, the entire temperature of the earth increases simulteneously, this of course led to the high rate of increase in global temperature that culminated into melting of the glacier and ice in the artic and polar regions thus increases the volume of water and make that area more assailable and vulnerable to flooding.
Also, when the earth's temperature is heated up as a results of the emission of unwanted gasses like sulphur (iv) and carbon (iv) etc. There is a sudden increase in temprature, that which has a strong correlation with an increase in the amount of evaporation. Heated molecules migrate to the atmosphere and later condenses and comes back as rain. When this rain drops, it increases the volume of water bodies as well as the oceans, rising and falling of tides also increases. There would be a time where the water bodies can't stand such pressure other than to overflow to the land surface which culminated into the loss of lands and properties, soil nutrient loss, killing of biodiversities not to mention but a few.

Tansboundary environmental pollution should really be a subject of concern. That is the main reason behind the enactment or the provision of the National Policy on the environment of 1989. Environmental degradtions has no transboundary as the atmosphere is a constant variable. The recent flooding in Nigeria resulted from the release of the cameroun dams into the Northern Nigeria. Earlier on, the Cameroun agencies signalled Nigeria about the potential flood and that appropriate measures should be taken. The Nigerian authorities took the case with levity and no appropriate measures was taken and the dams eventually flooded.

Over the years, Nigeria have participated in somany conventions on the need to ensure environmental sustainability. Nigeria is a ratified member of a plethora of convensions and treaties under the the United Nation since the infelicitous koko toxic waste of 1988 that destroys many lives and properties as the killing of biodiversities.

Its hightime man allow nature to prevail as we can't cheat nature and we can't not change nature. There is the great need to note that there is only one mother earth, and if by any means it is destroyed, then man should bear in mind that he's jeopardizing his future needs as well as that of the generations yet unborn.

Pragmatism and the Nigerian Education

Over the years, the Nigerian educational system have been perisitently declining due to the fact that it lacks the neccessary prerequisites to succeed and yeild a desired citinzenry that loves their country with full passion and enthusiasm. This goes a long way to the development of such nation in terms of technology and scientific discoveries.

Having lucubrated alot in the exordium, there is need for a strict and comprehensive review of the teaching methodlologies in the country.

I came across a series of philosophies and ideologies of people that is applicable to the development of Nigeria. If Nigerian educational system can be pragmatic in nature, there is no doubt that the rate of effective teaching and learning would be enhanced tremendously. I'm optimistic that its one of the fundamental issue that back pedal the affairs of the teaching and learning process.

Pragmatism as a method of teaching allows the learner to view the concept he is expected to learn in a more practical, contextual, logical, and comprehensive basis rather than the normal mere class room activities that is tagged to be more of an abtract thing.

John Dewey is one of the proponents of this school of taught in philosophy. He believes that practical prevails better than action. The pragmatist are concerned more with the result rather than the means. They are on the premise that anything that could be seing, feel and touched provides a logical, and ever lasting experience on the childs cognitive, affective and psychmotor domain of the learner. And on the other hand, anything that is been taught that is considered to be abstract is very weird to the students' intellectual understanding.
They also argue that anything that yields positive values should be accepted and anything that yeilds a negative values should be discarded.

In a situation where a teacher is passing an intruction related to the concept of rocks, plateau, etc he can simple take the students to a field trip in mountainous regions to investigate the real topography and terrian of an area. If a student is taught that a plateau is a table like structure formed as a result of the ejection of hot liquid magma that cools and solidify, they can simple be shown one of the greatest plateaus and allow them to review the physical setting, structures and types. This would go a long way to having a formative image on their cognitive domain compared to if they are been taught in classes via diagrams.

Additionally during the course of a lesson that involves formation of rainfall, the teacher can as well take them to the lab for a practical that best explains such concept. He can have a boiling pot covered firmly for some time. After the water have been boiled under an intense pressure and temperature, he then open the pot and raise the cover to the students. The remaining droplets that drops from the cover represents the atmospheric rainfall, while where it falls back is the earth. By implication, rainfall arises scientifically when the earth is heated up, molecules then evaporate from the earth to the atmosphere in form of gasses. When they are condensed, they now melt and comes back as rain. So as the hot water boils, the heated molecules are transfered and hanged on the cover which serves as the atmosphere. And after it has been cooled, it then comes back into the main pot which serves as the earth.

In conclusion, pragmatism is very neccessary in terms of effective teaching and learning. Its said to be distincetively a 20th century philosophy that originated from America and are been used by teachers to enhance learning. Pragmatism has reduced the rate of class duration and activities as all that the learners requires is been explained in a short basis; that is on practical basies. It has also led to more of a field work and practicals rather than just stay in the class and talk.

Creativity: The basic weapon of life for self reliance in this contemporary time. By Muhd El-Bonga Ibrahim.

Creativity is the characteristics missing in almost everyone in this our contemporary time. Creativity entails both the innate ability of an individual as well as the divergent thinking ability.

For you to be creative, you have to be a divergent thinker, someone who can see and forecast something frequently before people could even code and comprehend. Creativity involves a series of research and inquiry about nature and about the earth untill a maximum point of satifaction is attained.

Many people often turn their brain to be a cold ice instead of a hot water. Research has shown that constant usage of the brain makes it ready and active which of course has a high correlation with yielding a maximum satisfaction and a positive points. This is based on the premise of E.L Thondike's laws of learning by conditioning (law of use and disuse).

People resort to normal memorization of ideas, facts, beliefs and a plethora of others but forgetfull of the fact to have a time to think and form something new to the world. Albert Einstein usually proclaimed that we shouldn't leave our brain idle, it must be utilized to its maximum ability.

Reaearch in the areas of cognitive psychology has indicated that the brain reaches it's maximum peak and obtains it's full growth and development at the age of 20-21. So at this age, its believed that the brain can think beyond mere imagination, it thinks more of abtract than concrete. So i envisaged on the need to be creative for it brings about a great potential for someone to be self reliance in life.

Great men of history have persistently utilized their brain marvellously to ensure they've achieved something they have in mind. Their research is geared towards the desired goal they have in mind and felicitously, there live to achieve such dreams.

Isaac Newton spent a maximum of 20 good years trying to invent something that would go along way to be remembered in the entire globe. He succeeded in the invention of electricity that is been enjoyed and used world wide. He dedicated his time and whole life trying to create something that would benefit the entire humanity and luckily for him, he was able to achieve that. Isaac Newton died morethan a century ago, but he will surely be remembered and honoured as the first man to invent electricity both in britain as well as the world at large.

When Bill Gates dropped out from school to concentrate fully on the aspect he felt would be great for him, it becomes a subject of hullabaloo amongs his peers and family members. He is of the view that schooling isn't the best option for him and that the cognitive abilty to cope with the stress of going to school for ages is just unbearable to him, he opted to combine both the cognitive domain and a myriads of others to invent something mesmerizing to the world. Bill Gates later succeded in the production of the microsoft computer that is been used in every offices, schools, homes etc in the entire globe. Computers are now replacing human beings in order to produce a logical, comprensive and accurate result within a short period of time compared to the former manual activities that wastes time and full of errors. Bill Gates friends, teachers, as well as a team of certified and professional engineeres all joined hand to make sure he achieved his aims and the result is now quite conspicuous to the world.

Creativity entails someone to be patient and fully dedicated to the act not mere a passive concep or laziness. It requires you to give your maximum time to the task and ignore and discard all sort of disturbance. When a creative person has something in mind, he becomes restless and very curious. All he tries to do is to makes sure he achieve such target otherwise, he'll surely be furious and frustrated with himself; always self withdrawn and tried so many tips to ensure accuracy and perfect result. Atimes due to the frustration of not getting a perfect result, he ignores the creative process untill he had a sudden flash of insight then he gets back to business.

Having gone so far, its pertinent and appropos we realise that creativity is the global and aggreagate ability of an individual to be inventive, explorative and productive using his intellectual sagacity. The dimension Nigeris is going through is quite infelicitous, it therefore demands that once we've got the proper brain, it can be used to achieve something and clears the road for someone to be self reliance. We've heard cases where quite a number of individuals were able to invent planes, generators, etc but they lack the financial support to achieve their dreams. That shouldn't be a barrier to our creative process. Once we get there, the world will be there to testify that you're really and intellect. With the rising concern of unemployment in Nigeria, one can decide to use his brain judiciously in order to ensure he invents something that could be used for the betterment of him as well as the society. Creativity can be in the form of science, opening a business with a sumptuous return, or even during vocational activities that involves the use of hand.

Corruption as a concern for national development: Nigeria as a case study

Corruption has been one of the major bane of modern life especially in less develop nations like nigeria. It has persistently become the bane of modern living as well as hinders the social-economic activities of a particular country.

Corruption as a major concern in the world economic, political and social agenda, has to be carefully taken care of to pave way for effective development and growth of a particular nation and citizenry as a whole. Corruption to a lay man may mean issueing bribe in order for someone to compromise something into ones favour, but its much more than that. Corruption has a plethora of components to its disposal.

Corruption simple refers to all sort of immoralities, incompetencies as well as disparities brought about as a result of selfishness and greediness. In most cases, it involves issueing of things which is usually of monetary terms in order to gain favours, and values. It arises usually when man tries to divert what is unlawful in order to make it lawful by all means irrespective of the upshots it may have in the long run.

In African countries, Nigeria as a case study, the major issues of corruption been recorded and observed worldwide is the issuence of favours in monetry terms to gain favours, positions, and a plethora of others to mention.

Corruptipn has degraded the nigerian civil servies tremendously to the extent that people no longer have passion and love for their work. Yes, we know that the nigerian salary stucture is very meagre, but that doesn't mean that issues geared towards ensuring sustainable living to be taken with levity. The rising issue of contracts inflation is a major concern of a typical nigerian settings. Most atimes, people often lobby for contract and bribe the officials before they are been granted such offers. And when they are been given, in most cases, they hardly execute such contracts or inflate the price to almost twice the inital agreement.

Coming down to our educational system, corruption has really settle it grounds there. There have been a rising concern about the nature of quality students produced with a direct proportionality to the level of growth and development such nation might attain. By implication, a good educational background as well as settings culminated into the advancement of a particular nation in terms of science, technology, and creativity. Our ailing educational sector is now producing a woeful sets of students that relies on leaked papers in order to pass a particular subject. Students are no longer reading their books because they know they can be able to bribe the respected dignitaries for marks in order to pass.

The Nigerian government has set up some committies and organization in order to curb the massive issues of corruption that has tanished the image of the nation both locally and internationally. Organazitions like EFCC (Economic and financial crimes commission), ICPC (Independent corrupt practices commission) etc have been charged with the mandate of tackling such an unfortunate situation that has plague nigeria both in the past and present. There is the great need to realise that any nation plague with corruption under the belt will never develop economically,financially, scientifically, technologically not mention but few. This is based on the premise that they'll be charged with the responsibilty of battling and dealing with corruption cases while other will be there thinking of how to move forward and develop reasonably.

Corruption usually back pedal the activities of a nation by rendering it idle in the areas of self reliance and creativity. It has contributed to the rising concern of unemployment and so many menaces troubling nigeria. Its the duty of every nation to produce highly intellectual citizenry full of technological and scientific innovations that is aimed at elevating the profile of particular. But its highly unfortunate in nigeria as reverse is the case as the citizens are unemployed, uneducated and most importantly lacks creativity and support to succeed in life.

Nigeria set up an organization with the mandate of achieving a strong economic reform that would ensure economic stability in the world. Its tagged as vission 20:20:20 and hope to achieve such status by the year 2020. But as earlier signs had shown as well as the prevailing signals, its really impossible to achieve such a dream as the funds been set aside for such project have been persistently siphoned by some uscrupulous individuals who are highly self centred.

The subisdy saga is very pertinent to mention. About N2 trillion was looted by some key government individuals who are considered to be above the law by the media report. A committe was set up to investigate the saga, yet its to no avail.

Finally, corruption is the chief agent of destruction of any nation. It destroys dreams, goals, policies, and objectives set aside in order to ensure sustainablity. Therefore all efforts set aside to curb it shouldn't be taken with levity and must be taken with utmost importance and priority.

The Review of Nigerian Education by Muhd El-Bonga Ibrahim

Indigenous education is that type of education that requires the curriculum to e shifted or centred around the traditional and local settings of a particular nation. It involves the various ways by which different cultural norms, values, skills, attitudes and cultures are been transfered from one generation to another. It encompases rhe need to the transmission of the traditions, laws, as well as the entire teaching and learning process involved in that area.

For indigenous education to be effective, there is strong need to improve the language of education and to shape it in such a way that both the learner and the teacher would enjoy a perfect communication process eithet within the classroom situation or outside the classroom. Nigeria been a multi-linguistic society, its very difficult to adopt a perfect language that could be used to impact knowledge.

In the past, Nigeria's philosophy of education as well as its indigenous education is geared based on the concept of functional eduction process. Funcational education is that education in which the various cultural and vocational activities of a country is been included in its educational curriculum. Nigeria before the coming of the british imperialists have their own traditional education. Children learn by imitation from elders. Learning as of then is been done in a different form. Children learns from play, story telling, practical etc. During that period, training like weaving, fishing, farming, etc are very common in the society. They are all impacted unto the children by their various parents. Every member of the society is charged with the task of been a parent surrogate. It musn't necessarily be the parent that will discipline their children, but rather each and every member of that society. That is why the society is viewed on a holistic perspective not an integrated whole.

It was reported over time that the various curriculum of education is as old as man himself. Children are usually enrolled into the Islamic system of education in the north as far as early as 4-5 years. The Mallams usually take care of all that the child needs, and they are in his custody till they're graduated. Under the mallams, they learn all about the Qur'an, stories of the past about Islam, and also memorise the Qur'an. After each session of lesson, the children are then allowed to go for some occupations like weaving, fishing, farming, amulet making, etc so as to sustain themselves. The various Quranic schools usually have the same method of teaching and learning using the slate and local ink called ''tawada''. They learn by repeating from the Mallam untill its commited into memory. Some of them upon graduating are been retain to teach the younger ones and that how the routine is passed on.

The main aim and objective of such type of eduation is to make the child a self reliant person and find an alternative to living not just depend on one source of living. And it quite manifiest in such away the children becomes knowledgeable, and also have a source of income to themsevles rather than depends on the government for jobs that only exist in dreams or for those who have God-fathers to their disposal.

Our forefathers, having succeded in implementing such a curriculum that is been used both in the northern and southern Nigeria are now nowhere to be found, but there effort is indeed worth commending. The colonial imperialists came to Nigeria and met us practicing our own functional education as well as a well arranged system of leadership. The usual language of intruction is chosen based on the culture and traditions of such area. In a typical ''Makarantar Allo'' (Quranic School), the language of instruction is usually the hausa language such that its very easy and familiar among members of the soceity. The first damage or set back our educational sector suffers is the introduction of English as an alternative to our indigenous language thus making teaching and learning process very difficult. The succeded in changing the Nigerian educational curriculum by introducing a different concept based on the system of the 3 R's (i.e the Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) of learning. It now replaced the previous hand, head and heart we're using in the past. Most of the jobs and vocational works we're doing the past comprises of practical activities. Farming, weaving, dyeing, craft etc comprises of a practical thing not mere abstract and complicated concept. The learning is usually pragmatic and thus there was a quality and comprehensive education in the past than now. We now have more class sessions than practicals, thus making learning very difficult.

After so many years, Nigeria is now beginning to see the various upshots and started taken measures that is of too late to have been tackled. English language is now used extensively in all levels of education ranging from elementary to tertiary levels and ignoring our local languages. There is now a strong concern in the education sector as teachers will find it very difficult to learn english language as a second language and uses it to teach effectively, and also the student find it difficult to understand english compared to their normal mother tongue.

In advanced nations like China, Russia, Germany, France etc, the language of instruction is usually their own native language. Non of them adopt english language as a first language in teaching, it only comes as a second language after their own indeginous language. In Russian schools, the native Russian language is used to impact knowldge. Take for instance if I, as a Fulani man should be taught in school using my local ''fulfulde'' language, i bet you that i won't find more difficulties in learning as all thats been said is already known to me and i'm more familiar with it from birth. The difficulty now in using english language is due to the fact that, the child will spend more time trying to find meaning, translating grammatical expressions like '' gentle man on the road'' meaning arm rubber; ''a snake on a lambs body'' meaning a cruel person etc. The time we spend checking our dictionary to be conversant with english grammers and expression is enough for us to have learn alot compared to if we're using our local language.Finally, i'll like to urge the educational minstry to include our local languages into our curriculum right from the elementary level up to the secondary level. Our local languages like Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba should be used to teach and learn. In a typical northern states, massive failures arises due to the unavailability of the children to speak fluent english and it affect them even in their University levels.Local language can be used in the elementary school as a first language and english should come later on as a second language. This will help reduce the massive failures in exams. In countries like France, Russian, they have english schools, but mostly in their tertiary institutions, you must spend your first year to learn their local language before commencing full time lesson.