AMASA FIRDAUS: A MODEL FOR NIGERIAN YOUTHS
University education and indeed at tertiary levels is targeted at developing minds. The one who had passed through that stage and undergone such process is expected to be creative, self dependent and above all, have self confidence and self discovery. He/she has been adjudged and certified to have fair capacity to make decisions in the face of challenges and confrontations.
Whether in law, engineering, medicine, accounting or education, the academic and research outputs that he/she had delivered are assumed to be adequate enough for the good assessment of the state of his/her memory and depth of his/her thought. He/she is expected to be logical and decisive, not to be naive and ridiculous. However, this seems to be lost in Nigeria.
A number of Nigerian youths with their loads of degrees are cheap and self-lost. They cannot simply think out of box. They follow what is in vogue and not what is absolutely a reality and logic. It is either the schools have lost their roles or the young graduates had only attended these institutions to become literates only. They have not been educated. Literacy is just to know how to read, write and speak, may be, in a language foreign to the native. Education is a fact-finding process to acquire new skills, attitude, concept, worldview and behaviours.
How has education made our youths think differently about our recycled politicians and repeated money elections in this country? How many have questioned the history of sagging before putting their trousers down the waists? How many educated ones truly researched into the factual genesis of valentine's day, April fools etc before making 'worths' of these days? Even, in the age of googles and computer phones!
How many have not lost their mentality to the western cultures and seen native attires as taboo in formal occasions such as interviews, conferences, even project presentations and seminars in home-based environments? I actually acquainted who emphasized 'suit and tie' for a Nigerian student in Nigeria! Thanks to our president and law makers leading us well in this direction and preaching to us to disregard such 'jungle' views.
It has come to a stage where we do not speak native languages to our children anymore and even beat them for speaking it let alone dress them in local wears. Because we learn western education, we must be western. We must deride our home and lose ourselves in wilderness. And we say we are no more slaves or colonized! How truly independent are we if our psyche is still western in a black skin? No human culture is more superior to others. The jacket and tie is as good as Ibo native wears with feather cap. I see the latter better for an Ibo man anywhere just as the whites are proud of theirs anywhere.
How many graduates are aware of how to officially arrange their names and not put surname first? I have never seen or heard Obama Barrack, Buhari Muhammad or Obasanjo Olusegun. Surname is the last or family name. It must not be put first except otherwise stated or specified. Such specifications are exceptional cases asking one to evade the conventional as we may seldom encounter in some forms and documents. We keep recycling this error without questioning! Then where is education? Where are the matured, trained and developed minds?
We are in this state of self pity in today Nigeria because leaders born in the age of thought and conscience had gone and most of the youths who constitute about 37% of the led are graduates who refuse to grow. It is no doubt that education that has transformed others into liberation and emancipation in other lands is in our case a means of emasculation. The fear of denial of academic degrees or certificates as 'meal tickets' makes us act like buffoons when it is most critical to act as those who are truly educated beyond O'levels. We follow the crowd and act by baseless norms without intellectual and principle-based stance as graduates. What makes us different from non-educated literates?
An exception from this sad order is one graduate of law denied of being called to bar recently. Her name was said to be Amasa Firdaus. Her name was everywhere in the news because of her courage to be herself. She became the newest heroine and model for other Nigerian graduates to have self-respect and confidence. Her action was manly and honest. She was a true Nigerian who was not hypocritical. She declared what she wanted and defended her right. What an ordinary Nigerian graduate would have done in such cases of 'labelling', 'ostracism' and 'discrimination' was clear. Not only Amasa was a Muslim lady at that ceremony who had been using the covering for years while on campus or even prior to. Others were unquestionably compliants for fear of stigmatization even as would-be lawyers who have been trained on the merits of logic and facts.
Amasa has sent a message to all Nigerians. It is time to challenge the status quos that have retarded us over the years. Old customs that have no bearing in our mutual needs for togetherness, mutual co-existence and progress must be reviewed. Those that are foreign must be domesticated to match our value systems. If homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are trending in the so-called 'great' worlds, we must continue to oppose it as Africans. Those drafted by our colonialists or indigenous fathers can be moderated if necessary in accordance with the need of the moment. If an ex-president would have to be punished for Nigeria to be decent and free, somebody must challenge the custom that sees it as a taboo. Society dictates the laws first before it in turn begins to dictate the society.
Muslims have been erroneously accused of poor girl child's education, gender discrimination against women and early girl child's marriage. These allegations are not founded in true light. But if those crying these wolves are sincere and actually passionate about their agitation to liberate a Muslim woman, did Amasa not deserve encouragement? Besides the fact that the rule of no hijab is no written law but a norm (as we were made to know), do they intend to destroy or make Amasa by their actions? Do they want to send her back to the streets even as a promising prospective female lawyer?!
Even, if 'no hijab' were a statutory law, has anyone asked how does that piece of cloth worn as covering under (not over) the official robe impair the practice of law? A law that does not accommodate religious cultures and belief of people in an heterogeneous society is myopic, subjective and oppressive. A worse oppression is a wish to compel others to live by a standard set for oneself.
Such is a rule that seeks to schedule that important ceremony on Sunday morning where the Nigerian Christians attend church or attempts to disapprove hijab when it is the only attire known with a Muslim woman. Makers of such unfair rule may be pagans. A moderation would not be out of place in Nigeria to accommodate the religious rights of the participants.
Nothing is more a myth than the belief that Nigeria is a secular state. Religion is an integral part of Nigeria. It has remained part and parcel of our daily lives. If the practice of law entails dispense of justice and defence of rights, Amasa deserves commendation and compensation.
I invite all graduates to the courage and principle of Amasa. You have been trained to discover yourself and be yourself. You are made to invent and set new future for others not to dwell blindly or become trapped in old ways and illogical traditions. For employers, you would find courage, trust, intelligence, decency, accountability and above all, fear of God in Amasa. The one who fears no man or afraid of losing all in the face of truth and her right would be one of the best lawyers in your chambers.
To suitors, I hope you would begin to search for the like of Amasa for a better half. For my country, the like Amasa must always be protected and recognized for showing us the worth of education and the quality of their universities. In this time that our judiciary is seriously in need of new bloods that would be decent and courageous to stand for justice, fairness and equity without fear or favour, Amasa must be celebrated to encourage others.
I hope, from the episode of Amasa and the Nigerian Law School, other professional bodies and institutions would take lessons. We do not build to destroy. We build to nurse, support, encourage, trust and rely upon.
By Uncleyat
peace_lifeseries@yahoo.com
University education and indeed at tertiary levels is targeted at developing minds. The one who had passed through that stage and undergone such process is expected to be creative, self dependent and above all, have self confidence and self discovery. He/she has been adjudged and certified to have fair capacity to make decisions in the face of challenges and confrontations.
Whether in law, engineering, medicine, accounting or education, the academic and research outputs that he/she had delivered are assumed to be adequate enough for the good assessment of the state of his/her memory and depth of his/her thought. He/she is expected to be logical and decisive, not to be naive and ridiculous. However, this seems to be lost in Nigeria.
A number of Nigerian youths with their loads of degrees are cheap and self-lost. They cannot simply think out of box. They follow what is in vogue and not what is absolutely a reality and logic. It is either the schools have lost their roles or the young graduates had only attended these institutions to become literates only. They have not been educated. Literacy is just to know how to read, write and speak, may be, in a language foreign to the native. Education is a fact-finding process to acquire new skills, attitude, concept, worldview and behaviours.
How has education made our youths think differently about our recycled politicians and repeated money elections in this country? How many have questioned the history of sagging before putting their trousers down the waists? How many educated ones truly researched into the factual genesis of valentine's day, April fools etc before making 'worths' of these days? Even, in the age of googles and computer phones!
How many have not lost their mentality to the western cultures and seen native attires as taboo in formal occasions such as interviews, conferences, even project presentations and seminars in home-based environments? I actually acquainted who emphasized 'suit and tie' for a Nigerian student in Nigeria! Thanks to our president and law makers leading us well in this direction and preaching to us to disregard such 'jungle' views.
It has come to a stage where we do not speak native languages to our children anymore and even beat them for speaking it let alone dress them in local wears. Because we learn western education, we must be western. We must deride our home and lose ourselves in wilderness. And we say we are no more slaves or colonized! How truly independent are we if our psyche is still western in a black skin? No human culture is more superior to others. The jacket and tie is as good as Ibo native wears with feather cap. I see the latter better for an Ibo man anywhere just as the whites are proud of theirs anywhere.
How many graduates are aware of how to officially arrange their names and not put surname first? I have never seen or heard Obama Barrack, Buhari Muhammad or Obasanjo Olusegun. Surname is the last or family name. It must not be put first except otherwise stated or specified. Such specifications are exceptional cases asking one to evade the conventional as we may seldom encounter in some forms and documents. We keep recycling this error without questioning! Then where is education? Where are the matured, trained and developed minds?
We are in this state of self pity in today Nigeria because leaders born in the age of thought and conscience had gone and most of the youths who constitute about 37% of the led are graduates who refuse to grow. It is no doubt that education that has transformed others into liberation and emancipation in other lands is in our case a means of emasculation. The fear of denial of academic degrees or certificates as 'meal tickets' makes us act like buffoons when it is most critical to act as those who are truly educated beyond O'levels. We follow the crowd and act by baseless norms without intellectual and principle-based stance as graduates. What makes us different from non-educated literates?
An exception from this sad order is one graduate of law denied of being called to bar recently. Her name was said to be Amasa Firdaus. Her name was everywhere in the news because of her courage to be herself. She became the newest heroine and model for other Nigerian graduates to have self-respect and confidence. Her action was manly and honest. She was a true Nigerian who was not hypocritical. She declared what she wanted and defended her right. What an ordinary Nigerian graduate would have done in such cases of 'labelling', 'ostracism' and 'discrimination' was clear. Not only Amasa was a Muslim lady at that ceremony who had been using the covering for years while on campus or even prior to. Others were unquestionably compliants for fear of stigmatization even as would-be lawyers who have been trained on the merits of logic and facts.
Amasa has sent a message to all Nigerians. It is time to challenge the status quos that have retarded us over the years. Old customs that have no bearing in our mutual needs for togetherness, mutual co-existence and progress must be reviewed. Those that are foreign must be domesticated to match our value systems. If homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are trending in the so-called 'great' worlds, we must continue to oppose it as Africans. Those drafted by our colonialists or indigenous fathers can be moderated if necessary in accordance with the need of the moment. If an ex-president would have to be punished for Nigeria to be decent and free, somebody must challenge the custom that sees it as a taboo. Society dictates the laws first before it in turn begins to dictate the society.
Muslims have been erroneously accused of poor girl child's education, gender discrimination against women and early girl child's marriage. These allegations are not founded in true light. But if those crying these wolves are sincere and actually passionate about their agitation to liberate a Muslim woman, did Amasa not deserve encouragement? Besides the fact that the rule of no hijab is no written law but a norm (as we were made to know), do they intend to destroy or make Amasa by their actions? Do they want to send her back to the streets even as a promising prospective female lawyer?!
Even, if 'no hijab' were a statutory law, has anyone asked how does that piece of cloth worn as covering under (not over) the official robe impair the practice of law? A law that does not accommodate religious cultures and belief of people in an heterogeneous society is myopic, subjective and oppressive. A worse oppression is a wish to compel others to live by a standard set for oneself.
Such is a rule that seeks to schedule that important ceremony on Sunday morning where the Nigerian Christians attend church or attempts to disapprove hijab when it is the only attire known with a Muslim woman. Makers of such unfair rule may be pagans. A moderation would not be out of place in Nigeria to accommodate the religious rights of the participants.
Nothing is more a myth than the belief that Nigeria is a secular state. Religion is an integral part of Nigeria. It has remained part and parcel of our daily lives. If the practice of law entails dispense of justice and defence of rights, Amasa deserves commendation and compensation.
I invite all graduates to the courage and principle of Amasa. You have been trained to discover yourself and be yourself. You are made to invent and set new future for others not to dwell blindly or become trapped in old ways and illogical traditions. For employers, you would find courage, trust, intelligence, decency, accountability and above all, fear of God in Amasa. The one who fears no man or afraid of losing all in the face of truth and her right would be one of the best lawyers in your chambers.
To suitors, I hope you would begin to search for the like of Amasa for a better half. For my country, the like Amasa must always be protected and recognized for showing us the worth of education and the quality of their universities. In this time that our judiciary is seriously in need of new bloods that would be decent and courageous to stand for justice, fairness and equity without fear or favour, Amasa must be celebrated to encourage others.
I hope, from the episode of Amasa and the Nigerian Law School, other professional bodies and institutions would take lessons. We do not build to destroy. We build to nurse, support, encourage, trust and rely upon.
By Uncleyat
peace_lifeseries@yahoo.com
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