President Buhari, Bring Back Education Glory

By Matthew Ozah

The fact that everyone confesses that education brings a brighter future and by extension shines a light on a nation does not make the most government give education the attention it deserves. Therefore, it is hard to over-emphasise the wretchedness and difficult position which the ruling government has made education become in recent time.

Notwithstanding the government’s continued flying a kite with a slogan that education is the light of a nation. Even inscriptions in some schools’ motto such as ‘Knowledge is power’, or ‘Knowledge is light’ among other signs depicting that education is indeed the key to unlock the future as well as eradicate poverty in the society do not sway politicians to do the needful on education.

Nigeria’s Democracy And Clouds Of Uncertainty

By Matthew Ozah

A common way to describe Nigeria’s democracy is to liken it to a gilded tea-cup made for a specific type of people. Hence, Nigeria’s political elite usually see themselves as special breed, who are larger-than-life and most often above the law.

*President Buhari 

They need no introduction in the public sphere as their ego and brocade dress speaks volume of them. The political class is witnessing a cycle of twisting events in its chequered history that is embedded in nepotism, poor performance and washing of dirty “political” linen in public.

Unemployment, Corruption And Nigeria’s Youth Dilemma

By Matthew Ozah

Their story is very pathetic and heart-breaking: You cannot help but feel sorry for Nigeria’s youth. At every step the Nigerian youth wonders where he or she is going and why. They worry about unemployment and cost of living as the creeping inflation following the recent economic recession which has raised prices of commodities. In the face of all these challenges, youths across the country are determined as they struggle to make themselves relevant by acquiring university education.

However, being a graduate does not save one from enlisting in the army of unemployed people. The strong expectation and desire to be gainfully employed saw the youth entangled with the All Progressives Congress (APC) change trap. The sound of ‘change’ that engulfed the entire nation then, was like the midnight drumming sound Alex Harley described in his book: Roots, which led some slaves in America during the era of slavery to escape to freedom. Indeed, Nigeria’s youths were captivated and entangled with the APC’s change bait to escape joblessness and live a good life. As we all know, the APC promised to create millions of job and pay unemployed graduates a stipend of five thousand naira monthly among other mouth watering promises which are still in wait three years on.

President Buhari, Before You Seek Reelection

By Matthew Ozah

I write not to dissuade you from running in 2019 elections just like two notable statesmen in the country and others did the other day.

Nevertheless, you have done well to ask the messengers of the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ intention to give you some time to think about a second term.

*President Buhari 

As you may know, many Nigerians were charmed to ride that gravy train with you because of your pedigree, captivating campaign promise to fight corruption and other miracles that you pledged to perform during your election campaign in 2014/2015.

The recent corruption rating of the country by Transparency International (TI) triggered this letter. From the foregoing, it seems obvious that corruption has taken an armchair in your administration.

Hurdles Before The Nigerian Youth

By Matthew Ozah

There are plenty of good reasons for a young person to enlist in the ‘army’ to fight the war in the four walls of a university.

Some of such reasons are intellectual growth, career opportunities among others. Of course, fun cannot be divorced from the excessive freedom one derived from being a student in tertiary institutions. But the danger is that most students are unable to control their feelings in the flight of fancy as they chose to gallivant on campus and refuse to be committed to the fight to acquire a sound degree. These students most often become easy prey for cult activities.

2019 Elections And Nigeria’s Future

By Matthew Ozah

Elections will be held in 2019. That simple statement of fact ought not to send shivers down the spines of anybody. But, it’s scary going by the way and manners elections usually take shape in this part of the world where most politicians regard it as a do-or-die affair. It is even more chaotic if a rising and promising young politician challenges an incumbent or powers from the old set-up.

However, one safe prediction for the 2019 elections is that, the biggest problems we face as a nation will not disappear overnight. Without mincing words, that will be the metaphor and emphasis for visionless politicians during the campaign. This is because politicians use all sorts of logic and promise to woo the electorate. Just like President Muhammadu Buhari has used restructuring, corruption fight, payments of N5,000 stipends to jobless youth, stable electricity and steady fuel pump price among others to water the pathway and win his ‘change’ election slogan in 2015. Therefore, Nigerians should not be surprised to see political parties fly all sorts of kites in the name of promises to better the lives of the people.

Fake Certificates Saga And A Nation’s Future

By Matthew Ozah

Among a group of young men gathered in a barber’s shop, the other day, as I had a hair-cut, the topic of the conversation was how to gain admission into the institution of higher learning to acquire basic knowledge and be awarded a degree certificate.

One among them said: “Why would I waste my time in the four walls of a university for four, maybe five or six years, strike inclusive to obtain a sheet of paper called certificate”? The easiest way, as he reckoned, was to visit Oluwole and within minutes, you have a certificate at hand to brandish as a graduate and gain employment with.

Without mincing words, education is the key to unlock success in today’s society. Hence, it has become everyone’s desire to acquire a moderate qualification in any field of endeavour. It is, however, disheartening to say that many unscrupulous persons, like the young man in the barber’s shop, in their desperate quest to reap where they did not sow, are ready to go at any length to achieve their aim.

Such is the case in point, as recently reported in Cross River State, over certificate scam, where a head teacher was demoted to a gateman and a security man equally became a teacher.

Over the years, the decay in the education sector has been alarming and a lot has been cited as the cause. Of course, teachers with fake certificates are not without a share of the blame, as they cannot give what they do not have. More so, paucity of funds and the inconsistency of the education system among others have contributed to the decadence.

Poverty And Hunger Amid Opulence

By Matthew Ozah  

I shall begin this piece on a morbid note, with other disturbing tales. A news report that went viral on the internet has it that a seven-year-old boy in Lagos was lynched for allegedly stealing garri, perhaps to quench hunger with it. Of course, the wickedness and horror that followed the public anger shows signs of the times in the country.

President Buhari's 72nd Birthday party 

Also, President Muhammadu Buhari recently raised the alarm and warned Nigerians to brace themselves for an imminent outbreak of famine in the country. In the same breath, he called on religious and traditional leaders to assist him prevail on the selfish businessmen who took advantage of the huge demand for Nigerian grains in the global market, to embark on mindless and profit sojourn exporting grains across our borders and put local market and citizens out of food. Another horrendous situation is the United Nations’ warning that 75,000 North East children risk dying of hunger if we don’t do something urgently about it.

Oddly enough, in the face of all these heartbreaking news coupled with inflation and looming economic hardship in the country, the pomposity about wealth and how it’s being exhibited by the political elite is evidence that opulence has found a new home in Nigeria. The position the political elite chose to place themselves and the masses is like a tale of two cities, on the one hand, is a view of a world dominated by an empire without a king on which the sun proverbially never set, on the other, an amorphous blob in which people have dissolved into areas of darkness and are not remembered until election period.

Nigerians will find much to intrigue, entertain and absolutely electrify while wondering and trying to figure out the mind-set and the subtle difference occasioned by the wide gaps between politicians and the masses. By their very nature, you need no interpretation to discover their deceit and everywhere they exhibit their prowess, that immediate striking influence which requires no labels will sense and expose their presence. It is, therefore, hurting that politicians are insensitive or they pretend not to have any clue about the sufferings of the masses, of whom they cajole with mouth watering promises during election campaigns. They fight for their self aggrandizement once in power.

A case in point is a recent report of N3.6 billion expended on exotic cars for members of the House of Representatives. They chose to splash money on luxury cars at a time the country’s economy is having some difficulty and when crude oil price, the major foreign exchange earner for the country is dropping on a daily basis. In defence, they rebuff any one that dares to question their misdeed, claiming that the cars are not ‘luxury’ and that it is long overdue for their oversight functions and they cannot sacrifice anything for it. Yet, they are quick to ask Nigerians to endure the economic hardship and sacrifice more for the nation. But when it affects them, they shall be first served.