Great Ife And The Failure Of The Gown

By Reuben Abati

I HAVE been reading some depressing stories about the state of the Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly University of Ife, which provide an equally depressing metaphor for the state of higher education in Nigeria. Great Ife as that university is known to its staff, students and alumni, is probably Nigeria’s first model university in every respect. Its major competitors were the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

But Ife was far ahead in terms of the beauty of its environment and the facilities made available to staff and students. Built with Cocoa money (not petro-dollar!) by the Western Region Government, that university was a perfect illustration of the idea of the university and it managed to produce generations of scholars and students, known for nothing but distinction.

I studied at the University of Calabar (Malabites!), and at the time, I took time out to visit all the universities I mentioned earlier. In those days, the top universities in Nigeria were tourism destinations.  Ibadan and ABU had the best bookshops anyone could think of, and the bookshop in UNILAG was also professionally run. UNN students insisted that they attended the University of Nigeria! But Ife had the most beautiful campus. It was the only university that had a special publication titled “Ife University in Pictures.” I remember receiving copies of that publication as a gift at different times from my friends: Kola Ogunleye, Akeem Adewuyi, and Kayode Ajala who served in the university as a youth corps member.

Whenever UNIFE students spoke about their university, you would think it was a little piece of heaven that had been converted to a university. They spoke about beauty, excellence, intellect and great scholarship. Every lecturer on the campus was painted like an Oracle at Delphi. So much mythology mixed with tales of absolute excitement attracted other students to the university. Curiosity once took the better part of me also, and I went on a visit to see the marvelous depiction of a campus in physical reality.  I was not disappointed. Great Ife was great. I did not go to the classrooms, but my friends took me round. The University had just opened a Bukateria at the time, where everything was available. Driving into the campus itself was a delight; well-manicured flowers at both ends, long, comforting, welcoming drive.

We moved from one hall of residence to the other, where the students felt as if they were God’s special creations, lucky to be receiving education in one of the brightest spots on planet earth. I didn’t like the arrogance of the typical Ife student or graduate, even the girls had a special bounce to their gait, even if less pretty than our girls in Calabar, and I always quipped that flowers and beauty do not make a university, rather it is the intellectual content, but even in this regard, Ife was well-regarded. It boasted of some of the brightest guys in academia: that was in those days when Nigerian universities were centres of excellence, knowledge, discipline and distinction. Let’s add culture, for truly culture matters, and in educational matters, culture is perhaps everything, and there were scholars in Ife who had grown to become cultural icons in their respective fields.

The visits to Ife as expected always ended up at the newly launched Bukateria. Good food. Great ambience.  And from the Bukateria Complex, there was a place we always visited for palm wine. I think they called it Old Bukka, close to the theatre. The halls of residence – Awolowo, Fajuyi, Moremi, Angola, Mozambique were exciting too; the students behaved as if each hall was a country unto itself, with each student having a permanent badge of identity. The students had quadrangles in every Faculty, and a Sports Complex, where my friend Akeem ended up with a black belt in Karate in addition to a degree in Architecture.

Indeed, the University of Ife that I describe could compete at the time with any top university in the world. I have been to quite a few as a regular or executive student, there is no doubt that the university environment, where the gown is a special symbol, is meant to be a combination of everything that is excellent, to impart knowledge in a friendly environment where the student is groomed to become great citizens in society and for knowledge to be produced for the advancement of mankind. That is the ideal!

This is why it is particularly tragic that the same Great Ife is now a shadow of its former self.  These days, more than 30 years after that glorious era that I describe, students of Obafemi Awolowo University, are now reported to be protesting over dilapidated halls of residence and terrible facilities. That bad? There was even a picture in the newspapers of OAU students fetching water from a stream! And I read one columnist calling on the university’s alumni to hurry up and rescue their alma mater. Please, is it that bad? But the story of this tragedy is the larger story of the Nigerian education system.

My generation (waoh, man don dey old oh) went to school in this same country, and from kindergarten to doctorate, we can only recall in comparison with emergent realities, good memories. Once upon a time, our secondary schools were like higher institutions, but today our universities, with a few exceptions, are no better than secondary schools, and the secondary schools are no better than poultries. In those days, there were school principals who were more famous than state governors, commissioners, and traditional rulers, because they were known for their ability to manage schools and produce excellent students. There were government schools, there were mission schools, there were private schools, but there were standards, competition and quality.

A whole generation of students has now passed through the Nigerian education system without any memory of those good old days. What they know is the story of distracted teachers who sell handouts or beg for money from parents. What they know is the tragedy of a school system where teachers are perpetually protesting about lack of pay, lack of facilities and the inadequacy of everything. What they know are lecherous male teachers asking for sex in exchange for marks. What they know are ugly campuses, with no toilet facilities, no water, no light. When they hear about the gown, what they imagine is a gown in tatters, now terribly disconnected from the town. In our time, companies and government departments came to campuses or the NYSC camp to recruit staff, the school-to-work transition was so smooth and certain that even nurses and midwives upon graduation were sure of a decent future.

As an undergraduate, our room was cleaned, our beds were laid, and the cafeteria fed us well at cheap rates; we had water, we had uninterrupted electricity supply, our teachers were smart and committed, life was good. There were students in Nigerian universities from all parts of the world; the ones from Southern Africa were even sponsored by the Nigerian government and they were happy to be here, so happy some of them focused on our girls and caused problems each time they got drunk. But today, who will send a student to Nigeria?

Everything changed the moment government went mad, and till date that madness has not been cured. That madness started in 1984 with the removal of education subsidy. My point is: the present administration must see the need to properly define the role of government in the education sector, and further work out the details about sustainable development. The rot of past decades is so deep, the crisis so bad, as has been described, and the marks are still evident, only sustained intervention can make the difference. And if I may say so, this is one sector where government subsidy will be a good idea.

It is, of course, clear that President Buhari in his second coming wants to be remembered as the man who fixed Nigeria.
He tried it in his first coming but he didn’t have a definite mandate. Now, he has the people’s mandate, plus extra-ordinary goodwill, and he is still determined to achieve his original objective. He wants to catch thieves. Fine. The only irony is that even General Sani Abacha did exactly the same thing, but other governments came and rewrote the narrative. Thief-catching is certainly okay! Perfect. It will excite the mob, extract vengeance, and may be promote justice, but President Buhari must begin to look to the future and build his own concrete legacy.  His record in Nigeria in the long run, will be his legacy, but it must be that kind of legacy that cannot be re-written by revisionists.

So, what then, is his legacy project? I believe he can capture the society at the younger level: by investing in the historians of tomorrow and making their today better; by re-creating the future of Nigeria, by atoning for the past, by using public funds to secure the future of Nigerian children.

Those young boys and girls in Nigerian public schools who are being poorly served, sitting in badly shaped classrooms, being taught by unpaid teachers; those undergraduates in higher institutions who graduate and have to be re-schooled by their employers before they can be found manageable; those graduates who learn research and science by simulation and who cannot compete in the international arena of skills; those unhappy teachers in our schools who are busy looking for other jobs on the side; all the children in special schools who have been forgotten by government, all the Nigerian children who are out of school, all those boys and kids who graduate from university but know nothing – they all need President Buhari.

And time is not on his side.  And he cannot do it alone.  Many state Governors have shown that they take their cue from him: most of them refused to appoint Commissioners, until he appointed Ministers. They should be part of this legacy project.

The President should launch an aggressive restoration programme in the education sector that takes off from where the Jonathan administration signed off. The rot is so age-long, so deep, that no Nigerian President in many years to come can ever have enough time to fix all the problems with Nigeria. But every President that comes along can either leave a scratch, a mark, or a legacy.  It is up to President Buhari to make his choice.  Salaam.

18 things successful people do in the first 10 minutes of the workday

By Jacquelyn Smith and Rachel Gillett

How you handle the first 10 minutes of your workday can largely determine how productive and effective you’ll be the rest of the day.

“Getting off on the right foot isn’t just important with relationships, it’s important with the start of any workday, as well — particularly busy ones,” says Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of “You Can’t Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work.”

“The first 10 minutes can also set the tone and your attitude for the day — so it’s imperative that you start it off right, with a clean slate,” he says.

Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,” she says.

“The first few minutes at the office can be the most stressful because there’s a level of anxiety about what you may face: a sudden onslaught of urgent emails; last minute crises or meetings; a call to stop by the boss’s office; a cranky coworker, and so on. It takes greater self-awareness, a positive mindset, and self-training each morning to counter what feels like negative gravity pulling you down as you face overwhelming demands,” she explains.

Kerr says successful people tend to thrive on routine and habits. “Creating consistent habits is largely what makes them successful,” he explains. “And a key time for habit-forming practices is at the start of the day.”

Here are 18 things the most successful people do in the first 10 minutes of their workday:

1. They reflect.

Achieving your best results requires you to reflect on where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going, says Taylor. “Successful people build in quiet time and solitude to do this first thing. They ask themselves: ‘What did I accomplish toward my goals so far this week — or last week?’ ‘What is the status of my current projects?’ ‘What do I need to accomplish today in light of this?'”

2. They take a moment to pause and be present.

‘This may sound very ‘Buddha-like,’ but it’s important,” Kerr says.

“If you arrive and walk into a tumultuous situation with phones ringing and people clambering to see you, you run the risk of starting off on the wrong foot, getting derailed both emotionally and time-wise, and letting other people set the agenda for you,” he explains.

Centering yourself and being fully present will help make sure you manage the day ahead, rather than allowing it to manage you.

3. They get comfortable.

Successful people take a minute at the beginning of the workday to make sure their chair is adjusted properly and the items they frequently access — keyboard, phone, computer mouse — are all in comfortable reach, Taylor says. “Ensure that you have proper lighting,” she adds. “Your day will go well if you have an ergonomic environment that’s functional.”

4. They organize their workspace area.

Not being able to find things is a huge office time waster. “So while you may pride yourself on jumping into the fray with no down time, clutter will catch up to you,” says Taylor. “Facing a clean or cleaner slate on your desk and desktop will better clear your mind for the day’s tasks.”

5. They stretch, stand, and walk.
Successful people make sure to stretch and get their circulation going before they get into a sedentary sitting position. “Consider walking or standing in the first few minutes of your workday,” Taylor suggests. “This can give you a feeling of greater control, too, as you tackle the day’s agenda — much as speakers establish authority by standing before their audience.”

6. They review their to-do list and prioritize.

“Get yourself current on priorities and tasks,” Taylor suggests. “Go beyond just making a list, and challenge yourself to create a realistic hierarchy for your projects.”

It’s vital to put the most important tasks first. Though the least desirable but critical projects are easy to put off first thing in the morning, your energy is strongest then, so that’s the ideal time to confront the most difficult assignments.

7. They visualize success.

By envisioning the positive outcomes of various projects at hand, you can work backward and determine the necessary steps to get your desired results.

“This helps them remember the need to stick to the plan and focus on the things that are truly important, and not simply urgent,” Kerr explains.

Mentally running through the day “can also help you see where potential challenges may lie with how you’ve scheduled your day, so you can make the necessary adjustments,” Kerr says.

8. They adjust and map out their day.

Successful people review their calendars to assess if anything needs changing or rearranging with how their day is planned, and to see if there’s any preparatory work that might need scheduling in before a call or meeting.

9. They don’t multitask.

Multi-tasking in the morning — when you have lots to do, tons of energy, and it feels like you can do two or three things at once — is tempting, but it sets your whole day back. Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time.

10. They anticipate distractions.

We all face some of the same anticipated distractions at the start of the day, and recognizing them is the first step to mitigating distractions.

“These may include low priority calls, unnecessary optional meetings, chatty coworkers, new incoming emails or texts, social media, or other low priority notifications — all of which challenge you to focus on your day’s plan.”

11. They say “no.”

“Successful business professionals know how to mitigate distractions to maximize their first few minutes at their office,” Taylor says. “They can diplomatically and politely say ‘no’ to colleagues by offering to engage at a later time.”

If your boss needs you, that is clearly an exception. However, if you have crucial calls to make or meetings to attend, give your boss the heads-up.

Being a people pleaser isn’t good for anyone, Taylor explains. “Generally, no one ends up being pleased, as you can’t do your best work with conflicting priorities.”

12. They block out negativity.

Successful people don’t dwell on any challenging events that occurred the previous night or on the morning commute, or other frivolous thoughts. “Compartmentalize by putting them in a separate ‘box’ as you start your week,” Taylor says.

13. They take time to greet their team.

This is especially critical if you are a leader, Kerr says. “But no matter what role you’re in, it’s important.”

Taylor says visiting and checking in with your boss and team will help yourself andothers kickstart the day.

“To advance in your career, you just can’t skimp on your people skills,” she says. “You can be the most technically savvy person in the room, but your attitude can amplify or chip away at the value of your technical skills.”

Being friendly first thing in the morning makes the workplace more pleasant for everyone — “and your humanistic approach will be contagious.”

14. They take a temperature read of their staff/coworkers.

Strong managers take a moment in the morning to talk briefly with their staff to ensure they seem engaged and motivated. “At a glance, these savvy professionals can often get a cursory reading of the energy level and job satisfaction of their staff,” Taylor says. “If things seem awry, they are best tackled later on in the day.”

15. They smile and laugh.

“Many successful people I know have a routine of starting their morning with a simple chuckle — whether it’s from a ‘joke of the day’ email they subscribe to, or some tradition they’ve created to give themselves a chance to laugh each morning,” says Kerr. “starting their day with a smile has become a must-do for them as a simple way to check their attitude and start with the right frame of mind.”

Taylor notes that studies consistently show that by using your “smile muscles,” your mood becomes more positive. “You don’t need to create a phony smile, but a pleasant expression will have the added benefit of reminding you of your power.”

16. They take a moment to be grateful.

“A great way that successful people start their day is to identify something they’re grateful for, and it may be personal or business-related,” Taylor notes. “It’s motivational and reminds them to put small things in perspective.

Taylor says all successful people take advantage of the first few minutes of their workday to get grounded and focused. “Once you’ve adopted the right mindset and routine for success, the rest of the day flows much more smoothly.”

17. They think about how they can help others.

According to Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute and author of the book “The Conservative Heart,” adopting a service mindset can reduce stress and raises job satisfaction because it displaces the object of attention from oneself.

“When I am working for myself, any disappointing outcome is a stressful, unpleasant reflection on me,” he writes. “When I am serving, on the other hand, the work is always intrinsically valuable because of its intention.”

18. They strategically check email.

“I emphasize ‘strategically’ because email can quickly become a time-wasting, distracting quagmire,” Kerr explains. “Checking email can become one of those tasks that make it feel like you are accomplishing things, wherein the danger is you are not attending to priority action items and you’re letting others set your agenda.”

Successful people understand this, and are extremely efficient with email, which means their first 10 minutes of the day may simply mean a quick scan and prioritizing of emails to answer later as part of your pre-planned day — not necessarily diving into the entire mass at once.

Be Different, Make impact!

To whom much is given, much is expected. Nigeria is endowed with a vast amount of resources and talents but still regarded as a third world country as many African countries has been classified. It's been said time without number that our problem started from colonialism. But decades after independence, the blame has shifted slightly from colonialist factor to bad leadership and mismanagement which has continue to thronged and  plague this black beauty. Some have also recognised black power, black magic as one of the many major setbacks the black race is facing.

55 years seems like yesterday, yet seems like we have a long way to go. Individual progress is often not encouraged, much less group development. How can Mr A better at what he does than me is another hindrance to our development. Ms Z is an exceptional employer until she asked for a raise, then she becomes the black sheep.

Trust has become a major issue in every sphere of our lives. He who doesn't inspire trust shouldn't demand it. Trust is meant to be earned not demanded nor commanded. If we don't push for individual progress, how can we attain collective goals. Chopping off your neighbours furniture into pieces doesn't make yours any better.

Some of us are out to make a difference, not just locally but on the global scene as well. And by Allah, we will do so by #any #mean #necessary. Some of us are out to learn a helping hand to others who needs it in other to make this society a greater place for all, and we will stop at nothing, even if it kills us. The major challenge with leadership is, you must be ready to sacrifice personal comfort in other to inspire the desired #change. Inspired that change now, in your family, group, at work. If everybody plays the #Boss, then the confucious theory will be justified.

Dig deep and be the #change you want to see.
Be the best at what you do and don't let anything or anyone make you feel less.
Don't see yourself as an end, be open to ideas. It's one of the ways you can grow.

#ArtHakeemAre #Signatures
#adekscubes

Senator Bukola Saraki stoned during EID prayer

https://youtu.be/0dLLbpXrYlA

WESTERNIZATON vs INDIGENIZATION; SEARCH FOR TRUE IDENTITY???

Western influence and westernization have led to the extinction of indigenous languages and cultures of many societies in the world. Nigerian cultures and native languages have suffered base on the adoption of western language (English) and values. The Chinese people have been a culturally sensitive people and they have done wonderfully well in preserving their language and cultures from going into extinction more than any country in the world. They never assimilate western language in their every day communication and education; unlike the Nigerian society where English language has been adopted as the official language for education and day to day communication. 

Western influence on the developing countries of the world has been an interesting area of study. Many countries especially some of the developing countries have lost their cultural uniqueness and identities due to western –inspired model ways of doing things. Many countries desire to be progressive and successful in order to meet up with the fast changes of modern times; therefore, the desire and fascination for change and transformation are very inevitable.

In Nigeria, westernization is seen as the effects of western invasion and colonization on some native societies of the world which had both positive and negative impacts. Nigerians have been westernized due to their past British colonial influence and leadership which relegated the Nigerian cultures to the background. There have been different levels of western cultural domination and destruction of Nigeria’s local customs yet there were also resistance and modification of the native Nigerian cultures. However, some of the Nigeria’s traditional cultures have gone into extinction as a result of western influence and impacts.

There are some good and bad effects of western influence; and their influence could be traced from Nigerian colonial past. During the colonial era, the British used western education as a tool in cultivating their western religion and cultural hegemony in Nigerians. They oppressed the indigenous natives by subjecting them to western values, so Nigerian natives were forced to accept the superiority of western cultures over their own unique Nigerian culture.

Amongst the good effects of westernization are the abolition of some Nigerian cultures, like the killing of twins, slave trade businesses, the cast system and burying of people alive in the evil forest. Though western influence and British colonial rule had put Nigerian some languages and cultures into extinction; yet they have saved the lives of many people who belonged to the above mentioned categories. 

While i was growing up, i got hold of some fascinating age-long cultures. Some of which i read in the course of my education. Others, i was told by grannies, or elderly ones i was fortunate to meet. One particular story struck me, only years after i had heard it. In past, i was told that traders don't usually/or never stay by their wares. What they do back then was simply display their wares. Then they use either stones or pebbles to indicate the amount of each wares. That whenever any one wants to buy anything, all they need do was look at the amount of stones/pebbles placed beside that particular item to know it's amount. They will then pick the items they wanted and replace it with the money. The owner of the stale comes back much later in the day to take stock of what has been bought, collects the money and restock, then go back home. 

Why this story particularly resonates is that some of these things are still being practiced in some hidden villages. One of such places is Ife in Osun State. I witness this while i was an undergraduate at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The local farmers often leave the farm produce such as Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions and so on outside and even overnight using a number of stones to indicate the amount.

However, this was only done by the local farmers who sell farm produce.

I think this age-long practice is what gave birth to modern day price tagging we see in supermarket only that this time, you have attendants, with all manner of security gadgets and personnel. Some malls are even so security conscious such that aside paying for the goods you bought in the mall, you have to present your receipt to the security at the exit for clearance.

In the contemporary Nigerian society, western values and influences have affected almost every part of the Nigerian cultures such as:

• Language: Many Nigerian languages have gone into extinction and are no longer in use. English language has been adopted as the official language and has been used in educating Nigerian citizens. Many people in Nigeria are ashamed of speaking their native languages and as result of this; the new generation of Nigerian youths could not speak their languages fluently.

• Weddings and Traditions: Many Nigerians have been converted to Christianity and some do not value their traditional values again as a result of their belief in Christianity. The western wedding has been fashioned by many people in Nigeria as the modern type of wedding and they believe that marriage is not complete without the western type of wedding. So they combine the western and the traditional wedding together.

• Dress Codes: Western fashions and styles have been adopted as a model although some people still wear Nigerian clothes. Western wedding dresses and men’s suites have been adopted for church weddings.

• Buildings: western designs and skylines had been adopted and seen as a model for modernity.

• Music: pop music, acrobatic movements, fashion style, dyed hair etc have been emulated from the western culture and at the same time seen as the real trend of modernity in Nigeria; anybody that is not associated with all these does not belong to the modern generation.

Westernization or western influence has been a persuasive and accelerating force across the globe today. The British and Americans want non-developed societies to adopt western values, industries, technologies, law, politics, lifestyles, languages, diet, alphabets, religion and philosophy to the detriment of their traditional cultures. They simply want these societies to change toward a more westernized society, in the hope of attaining western values. Though they introduced modern facilities, industries, education and technologies, many countries of the world have lost their cultural uniqueness and identities due to western trend of modernity. As a result of this, many indigenous languages and cultures are now on the verge of extinction because of globalization and western influence.

In Nigeria, the citizens have been forced to adopt and be educated using the English language. Also, English language is the official language for learning and every day communication which made some of the Nigerian languages to die off. As a result of this, many traditions and customs are lost to modernization and western influence.

Language plays an integral role in the preservation of our Cultures and Traditions, yet it has become the most vulnerable aspect of education in this part of the world especially with the 21th Century parents. Some parents forbids their children from communicating in their local dialect. They push their kids to only communicate in the English.

Local languages are not properly inserted into the school curriculum. Neither are they given adequate attention. The English Language is given far more importance, and this shows in the amount of different books school invest its resources on. More time is allotted on the Time Table for English and even now, gradually, the education system is beginning to embrace the Francophone language. More time is equally being allotted to these other languages than our indigenous.

Our elders fear the extinction of Cultures and Traditions, majorly our language. The Aged are moving on to answer the inevitable call of nature, going with our ancient wisdoms and knowledge while we, the youth watch on believing our cultural norms and traditions are old school. We only want to catch up with new trends. One then begs the question, What then becomes of our identity in the next Thirty(30) years or say, Fifty(50) years from now?

Written by Abdul Hakeem Adegoke-Are