By Ogu Bundu Nwadike, M.A
The legendary afrobeat music god, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in one of his admonitory numbers, established that there are too many incompetent people in positions of power and authority. He called them “suwegbe”!
In Nigeria there has always been an underscored reign of glorified illiterates in offices and positions of power and authority.
But the worrisome trend has been statutorily adopted with a constitutional clause which stipulates that education and proof of education by the global standard documentary evidence of certification isn’t required to canvass and secure votes in elections to represent the people at any level.
According to the Nigerian Constitution (As Amended) all a citizen requires to qualify to represent the people is ability to speak and understand spoken English. No documentary evidence of schooling is required!
Hitherto, the minimum requirement was clearly stated in the Constitution to be senior secondary schools certificate. First School Leaving Certificate wasn’t fanciful.
But for obvious reason of avoiding the “disenfranchising” of illiterates, the Constitution was amended to expunge the stipulations about academic qualifications and academic certificates.
Thus, representative leadership in Nigeria has been reduced to an all comers affairs. Crude, brawly illiterates now engage refined brainy literates in contest for tickets to represent the party and the people.
And from an unstructured research, it’s been proven that there is a worrisome increase in number of illiterates occupying offices and positions of power and authority by virtue of “victories” in elections, in which teachers, bachelors, masters, doctors and professors were defeated by the illiterates.
Dr. Orlando Owoh, a legendary folklore musician, in one of his highly philosophical numbers, taught that “when a wise man dies at the backyard of a foolish man, e get as e be”!
Truly, the worrisome system of illiterates, without any academic certificates to prove their schooling and education, winning elections and occupying elevated offices to represent the people over highly educated citizens calls for a national intervention.
The practice has left very dire consequences for the development of education in the country. Attending school in this generation is going out of fashion. What with unemployment, joblessness, and businesslessness?
Making money by all means and at all cost is in vogue among the people of today, and sadly and unfortunately among the people of yesterday that are still around. That practice fertilizes the rapid transformation of the country into a dark age haven of glorified illiterates, that lead the country in different spheres of life.
Watching lawmakers debate on the Red and Green chambers of the National Assembly, and State Assemblies, then watching most supposedly elected operators of the Executive arm of government, it’s clear that there are too many illiterates on the corridors of power and authority.
It has never been as bad as it is now, particularly since 2015 when the APC seized political power via political violence, threats to life and all sorts of electoral irregularities and malpractices.
Since then the system abound of illiterates without academic certificates, and those that had jankara, oluwole, toronto concocted pieces of designed paper that they sneaked in as their academic certificates.
They’re those who pronounce “cerfiticate” for “certificate” that populate elective political offices and positions in Nigeria.
Mr. Frank Ibezim, the fellow that was sworn in recently at the Senate as representative of Imo North (Okigwe Zone) Senatorial District didn’t possess a genuine academic certificate.
A High Court disqualified him for that reason and his disqualification was upheld by the Court of Appeal, only for the Supreme Court to condemn the judgements of the lower courts and accept the “cerfiticates” presented by Ibezim as certificate!
What all of the above is leading to is that except the expected comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria and crafting of a new constitution is achieved, then citizens interested in elective politics shouldn’t bother about academic qualifications and certificates.
With the financial capacity and the right political lineup, victory is sure, without any certificate. The Nigerian Constitution supports that.
Trouble is that representational politics is being debased and destroyed by the watery loopholes that unleash unqualified fellows to be representing qualified citizens. E get as e be!
Nigeria and Nigerians will keep suffering the consequences of such retrogressive policies that serve as great disservice to the country and the people.
Source: Imo Global News
