Opinion
Ooni And The New Generation
The nation’s political class has since independence been dominated in recycling dimension a clique of old political figures in both the executive and legislative arms, that are conservative in decision-making, but progressives in acquiring exquisite properties across the globe by questionable means. Few that served the nation alongside the majority that mundanely did for their personal interests but were eventually retired by statutory benchmarks refused to leave the scene for the younger generation except to deploy these youths as political thugs, militants, body guards or errand boys on essential duties, especially for moving loots in and out of banks’ strong-rooms. Over times, reasons for shortchanging the youths are treacherously anchored on maladroitness.
General Ibrahim Babangida, for instance, was once reported to claim during his presidential ambition in the past that the youths were not prepared to take up leadership positions. Unfortunately, the nation under the administration of these retired but never-tired class of citizens never fared well in contradistinction to few opportunities available to the younger generation. Recall the decaying conditions of old banks operationally taken over by younger administrators then and the sudden turn arounds that followed. The Nigerian youths, in rejoinder to the military general are evidently adept, and should be given a chance in the polity instead of being reduced to officious bystanders in perpetuity. Infact, as soon as the present administration succeeds laying a sustainable framework, a paradigm shift is inevitable. The world is changing speedily on daily basis and those that reject change should be made to adhere albeit within the ambits of civility. The next political dispensation may likely witness a political revolution in the country between these two taxonomies; the worn-out and new generation leaders.
The savoir-faire in the present generation which also manifested by unprecedented visit of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi on his 45th coronation anniversary last year; the first in the history of Ife monarchy since 1937, cannot still be overemphasized and clearly attested that youths are malleable to adapt to contemporary vicissitudes and realities. The young monarch broke the first protocol by prostrating unusually in a church service in submission to the Creator. The action simultaneously generated both criticisms and encomiums from sundry quarters. Unequivocally, headdressed it, made it bold that the supreme ruler is the Almighty-God and therefore holds no apologies for those aggrieved over his action instead vowed to do the same times all over.
The heroic visit ended supremacy battle which lingered between the Alaafin and Ooni monarchy over the years and manifested irrepressibly during the reign of his predecessor, Oba Okunade Sijuade. The squabbles had climaxed to an extent that the two monarchs existed in isolation without any form of reverence to each other. The Ooni who since his coronation maintained exemplary propensities selflessly embarked on the uninvited visit to celebrate with the Alaafin despite his comparable high-office, solely on the overall interest of the people. Indeed, this is leadership exemplified; making the people a priority, thereby crucifying personal ego on the altar of communalism unlike what is obtainable among the present leadership class. This irrefutably demonstrated that youths are more animated, effervescent and ready to lead. Ooni energetically remarked;
“It is a new dawn for all Yoruba sons and daughters around the globe. We are friends and not enemies. I am here today though not invited but as the Arole Oduduwa, the onus is on me to felicitate with all sons and daughters wherever they are and to show my solidarity for any of them. I am ready to damn any consequences or insinuations from anywhere; my mission here is to preach peace among the Yoruba, both home and abroad and I am ready to work with the Aalafin of Oyo, Oba Olayiwola Adeyemi, to project the unity and love which we believe existed in the days of our forefathers”.
To the host who was flabbergasted, he responded, “May your reign be long, Ooni. I am happy with Ooni Ogunwusi’s moves to unite all Yoruba Obas. This special visit was done last in March 1937 that was the first time the kings in Yoruba land met in Oyo town. Today, history was made with the visit of Arole of Oodua Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II and I feel delighted to host you and to reassure you that I will be ready to work with you. I had a close relationship with Ooni Adesoji Aderemi and I did not want to relent my bound with any Ooni of Ife that assumed the post, but everybody has his own little differences”.
Indisputably, Ooni’s ebullient dispositions above attest to the intellectual capacity and exceptional leadership qualities inherent among the youths in the country, not just only in the traditional sphere but extended to political and corporate governance. The outstanding exploits in the private sector are traceable to the youths; hence, if more opportunities are made available particularly in the leadership of the country, without a doubt, excellent results would auspiciously occur. Nigeria urgently needs innovative leaders who will be ready to do the needful and damn the consequences rather than keeping to faulty trends and frequencies engraved in ancient books for several centuries at the expense of societal progression.
Undeniably, the youths of the nation have been subjected to excruciating ostracism by this outgoing generation. Presently, to acquire education in good schools which is a basic right of every young person is exclusively for those in this class who are capable of meeting the financial commitments unlike in their time. Even the missionary schools that used to be a saving grace are presently no-go areas for the average class who even contributed to the building funds. Obviously, there’s nothing in the pipelines for the upcoming generation. President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is quite excusable knowing that it is a child of necessity due to undeniable absence of a viable foundation upon which the youths can take-off from, particularly the extraordinary willpower to touch the ‘untouchables’. Its mission is no enigma. However, with traits like that of Ooni Ogunwusi and a whole others, quintessentially, Nigerian youths could be trusted with leadership and civic responsibilities to take destinies in their hands. As 2019 draws closer, it may not be business as usual.
Umegboro, public affairs analyst/social activist, is the head, Pinnacle InfoGallery (www.pinnacleinfogallery.com)
Quote:”Communities have rights to peace, safety, and quality of life. Noise pollution, crowds, or other impacts from religious activities can affect these rights. Balancing these interests requires consideration and dialogue”.
“All work and no play”, its said, “makes Jack a dull boy.” Despite this age-long maxim that recognises the role of play in early childhood development, play appears to be eluding many Nigerian kids. The deprivation of play opportunities comes in different forms for the Nigerian child depending on family’s social setting or status, but the effect is much the same. For children in Nigerian poor families, life is becoming as much a hassle as it is for their struggling parents. Due to harsh economic conditions, many families resort to engaging their kids prematurely in trading activities especially in hawking, to help boost family revenues, when these kids should be enjoying leisure after school. Some of these children barely attend schools while being forced to spend much of their childhood hustling in the streets. For children from well-off families, time could be as crunchy as it is for their busy parents when, obsessed with setting agenda for the future of their kids, parents arrange stringent educational regiment too early for their kids.
These group of children are made to get-off the bed by 5.30am every weekday, get ready for private school buses that call at 6.00am, otherwise report by however means to school at 7.20am.The situation is worse for kids in the city of Lagos where the need to beat urban traffic rush-hours is very high. Most children are further subjected to extra hours of lessons after school at 2.00pm, only to be released with loads of homework. On many occasions children who leave home for school at 6.30am get back by 3.30pm. With hardly enough time to eat, do school assignments and take afternoon naps, these children hardly had time for plays before dinners. In Nigeria, kids of ages between 3 and 12 spend averages of 9 hours a day and 45 hours a week to and from schools, and additional hours doing home assignments and domestic jobs, whereas their peers in developed countries spend about half that duration and have more time for leisure.
Any remaining spare time left after school work or street hustle is further stolen, when kids who usually are fascinated by gadgets, are exposed to household electronics like phones, tablets and gaming consoles. Electronic games may create a sense of leisure, but the difference with human interactions is that kids doing games interface mostly with machines or with programme structured in ways that entrap a child’s pysch directionally, according to the game’s programming, in ways that may not encourage independent thinking. Moreso, attraction to such gadgets displaces kids’ attention from important television and radio programmes. The prevalent tight, academic schedules for some Nigerian kids, though intended for academic excellence, encroaches on childhood leisure time needed to achieve an all-round childhood development, and could make children to resent formal education altogether. Besides, academic excellence or economic pursuit, is not all there is to living a well-nurtured life.
Children’s leisure time, defined as time left over after sleeping, eating, personal hygiene and attending school or day-care, is very crucial to childhood development. Sociologists recommend that children should have at least 40 per ceny of the day as leisure. According to Berry Brazelton, a former pediatrician at Harvard Medical School, “Play is the most powerful way a child explores the world and learns about him or herself.” Unstructured play encourages independent thinking and allows the young to negotiate their relationships with their peers, and in the process build self-confidence and self-control. Play is one of the important ways in which young children gain essential knowledge and skills. Leisure time enhances learning as fun enables children to learn at their own level and pace. Young children naturally explore and learn many skills by making cognitive connections from events that catch their attention.
Unstructured plays help children developed their cognitive, physical and communication skills that make them acquire social qualities necessary in navigating relationships in adult life. Plays enable children assess how others feel and learn perspectives as well as empathy through observing differences in facial expressions, body language and even tone of voice, which helps them copy how to express themselves to others, and therefore develop socially acceptable behavours that build relationships. In cooperative activities, children willingly take things in turn and may delegate roles. Children can also share the glory of winnings through competitive games, which is all great for working together in task sharing. Aside encouraging parents to ensure adequate leisure time for their kids at home, schools should make plays and exercises an integral part of the educational curriculum. The educational curriculum set by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) includes specific training durations and break periods, as well as sporting activities, as part of the school system.
Due to poor government funding, sports in public schools have declined, while most private schools lack sporting infrastructure or even play grounds. These make recreational activities and sports implementation almost impossible in schools. Also, the increasing rate of urbanisation in Nigerian communities is gradually eroding ancient playgrounds, while established urban centres have lost community playgrounds. With tightening apartment spaces now being the norm in most urban residential areas, many kids are forced to wriggle within burglary-proof enclosures. Nigerian governments and the relevant agencies should ensure that existing child labour protection laws, educational and urban development codes are implemented in the country, to enable proper nurturing of children as the future stakeholders of our society. Private schools, especially, should be supervised to ensure they follow the educational curriculum standards set by NERDC.
In a bid to impress parents and draw more patronage as better option than public schools, private schools, most of whom operate in cramped environments, have continued to set high regiments of training schedules beyond the capacity of most kids, and even encourage enrollment of pre-school age kids who can not sit still to listen for an extended periods of time. Schools, from creche to secondary levels, without playgrounds and recreational facilities should not be allowed to operate, and should be made to understand and implement appropriate curriculum and training durations. Many Nigerian kids, whether from rich or poor families, appear to have been set-up inadvertently, in the same leisure denial that affects their parents. All work and no play could lead to some messed-up kids who grow up not understanding social cues, and being unemotional and self-centered, manifest later as obsessive-compulsive adults.
By: Joseph Nwankwo
We thank God who is above all human contrivance and arrogance. Congratulations, Your Excellency Amaopusenibo Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara. Your victory takes us back to the Bible as a living document of a God that rules in the affairs of all His creation. In a manner of speaking, welcome back from your first war with Phillistines, Your Excellency! Yes, first example is David and Goliath! And like David, Your Excellency stands over Goliath in victory. But that is not enough. Our real enemy is that Your Excellency is Governor of a State with a wretched economy. Indigenes of Your State are today reduced to battalions of beggars waiting for who will hire their loyalty on the usual “pay-as-you-go” basis.
Your Excellency, it brings us to another Bible- based parallel. Conscientious Rivers indigenes above 50, should identify with and commit our all to this second parallel. It is to liberate the economy and people of Rivers people from 23 years enslavement and poverty, for us to regain our dignity and pride. When the economy of Egypt was drifting into a disaster zone, even Pharaoh did not know it. He also did not know what to do. But God sent a Joseph to build the economy into a fortress of good fortune that overcame the economic and social disaster Egypt did not know was ahead. Your Excellency for 23 years, Rivers State has been ruled without any logical, credible and consistent PLAN of how to overcome mass poverty from our dehydrated local economies.
Your Excellency, Rivers State cannot survive one month without Federal allocation! So called IGR only about 10 per cent of Federal allocation.It is also not based on what we produce but on tax from other people’s productivity that pass through our State. Pharaoh did not know what to do in the case of Egypt. May it please God to position another Joseph in Governor Siminalayi Joseph Fubara to heal Rivers State and build an economy that all Africa will come to access in order to chart a new course out of worsening economic hardship that is caused by near zero investment in productivity and endemic reckless looting. They are the twin chambers nursing a corporate cancer unfolding across Nigeria and Africa. The hard work begins today, Your Excellency.
We need an economic blueprint that will enrich every Rivers senatorial district from investment to grow productivity and to enrich every Rivers person from career-based productive labour, just as Pharaoh was enriched by Joseph’s economic Blueprint. Let Rivers State stop the trend of waiting the lives of young Rivers people recruited by Phillistines into cultism, thuggery and easy money, as a career. These Phillistines believe they have only lost one phase of many legal battles and battles by other means. But from comments in the public media, their eyes are fixed on 4-years of war and more! Your Excellency, we the people will not let you forget what you owe us. We have to make unbelievers see that your leadership is different and that we are uprooting the old order of an unproductive Feudal System. That system makes a few persons and their cronies to monopolise our collective wealth, while the majority are left in misery. Let’s put an end to enslavement by cabals and mass poverty in Rivers State. That is when the Phillistines will surrender.
By: Amaopusenibo Brown