The 'general' view of certain phenomena abstracted as common sense is a product of human experience borne out of social evolution. Such senses will continue to be common and rational in so far they fulfill the requirement of the period. On the other hand, they cease to make sense once they no longer conform with the evolving realities. Before a perspective can be declared a common sense, it must have been tested and proven correct not by just an individual or ruling sect in the system, it must be widely accepted by the people.
The Nigerian Senator from Bayelsa, in defense of federal government's position of underfunding, stated that privatization of state owned and Federal institutions of the country is the solution to incessant strikes and underfunding of education in general. He proceeded with somewhat criminal analysis that privatization method is capable of attracting investors and improving quality of education, and at the same time, that the fund meant for education would be diverted into other infrastructures. He described his position as a common sense.
We should firstly ask the Senator, what happened to the return funds from subsidy removal on P.M.S pump price till today? What has been the fate of Nigerians after privatization of the Nigerian Telecommunications service, the PHCN, including NNPC which is largely controlled by cabals? These questions beg for answers before we know if discussion on privatization of education should be taken serious in any sense at all, and before it is described as common.
The quest for outrageous profit which is the nature of capitalism, has ensured that private institutions in the country and abroad today, by their enormous fees, are attended by wards of politicians like Murray Bruce and others. American University of Nigeria (Owned by Atiku Abubakar), among others that are owned by political investors including institutions owned by Religious investors, are not dared to be attended by average Nigerian child who's parent is not a politician nor business tycoon. What Senator Bruce termed common sense is only a sense to completely restrict education from the masses, except the rich. Unfortunately, this sense that is common to Mr Ben and the ruling cohort will no longer be commonsensical if we were to call for slash in the outrageous salaries and allowances of political officers in order to cater for public education. It is only commonsensical because the government is after taxing the poor the more while the rich get richer.
The Albert Einstein's popular quote, "insanity is doing same thing and expecting different result", has been the conspiracy theory against the demands of ASUU that the union keeps going on strike and expect results. But, the important demand still remains that funding the university system is the fundamental discussion which the government has been evading. In the real sense, the 'insanity' in Albert Einstein's statement has been displayed more by the federal government in often times by its same manner of underfunding education year in and out and expecting ASUU, innocent parents and students not to react. Can the government also keep doing the same thing and expect different result? It is rather obvious that some of our politicians are equally victims of poor education because it is displayed in their leadership behaviours and their adherence to empty and fraudulent ideas which they term common sense.
The Nigerian government and its apologists who maintain that education cannot be free should learn from the standards obtainable in Liberia, Fin Land, South Africa, Taiwan, to mention a few, and many other countries who have gone beyond negotiating whether or not education should be adequately funded, as they are currently advancing in research, innovations and other developmental projects. Nigeria is just a country that has mismanaged her resources by the character her bad leadership.
Mass and qualitative education of citizens remain the backbone of development and route to meeting up with 21st century demands. Mass illiteracy, borne out of denials to qualitative education will only continue to inform mass primitiveness, mass criminality and terrorism in the country.
Slash the outrageous budget for political officers, tax the business tycoons and fund education.
Gbenga Oloniniran Von writes from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
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