(OPONION) OAU Convocation Ceremony: Lazy Nigerian youths or a ridiculous educational system?

Peter Oyebanji

Dec 13th, 14th and 15th were merry days on Obafemi Awolowo University's campus both for the convoking fellows and the non-convoking fellows, days when you didn't need to spend a dime unless you were  transporting. The university held her 43rd convocation ceremony for graduands of the last two sessions, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. One thing about convocation ceremonies is that they are always beautiful than imagined, especially in a beautiful place like Obafemi Awolowo University. Congratulations to the graduands, more cause for celebrations!

However, as I was jumping from tent to tent; I also kept my mind in a continual fret. How will an institution known for producing great minds, bookworms produce 182 first class out of over 13,000 graduands? Why should an institution contained and guided by intellectuals make a thing of such one of their sources of pride? Those were the thoughts that clouded my mind as I was basked in food.

OAU had 66 first class out of 6827 at her 42nd convocation, she had 45 out of 4885  at her 41st convocation, had 127 out of 9094 at her 40th convocation. University of Ibadan  had 245 first class out of 12638 at her last convocation while University of Ibadan had 201 out of 7577 graduands at her last convocation. So it is not a matter of the 43rd convocation nor is it a matter of Obafemi Awolowo University, it's a matter of the educational system.

No matter the angle you view it from, there is only one thing that is considered positive about this educational system and it's the unnedful stress that the lecturers and managements make one go through, they see it as a way of building resilience. Things like releasing a bulky material some days to an examination, things like black outs during an examination period; those are our own ways of building resilience, comical.

Academical staffs and school managements are supposed to be one of the intellectual guides of a nation but it's an ironic case here. I have to say this, it's an abuse of the word "intellectual" when you use it for people who are against intellectual gatherings, idealistic group and non-conformists. An academician who thinks a student who doesn't come to class regularly in an higher institution deserves to be punished is not an intellectual. An academician who breaks school rules to show superiority to a student is not an intellectual. An academician who indicts students for enjoying their rights is not an intellectual.

In the past three years, the budgets for education have not gone beyond 10 percent; perhaps, it has gotten to. Universities, despite fully aware of the state of our education and the finances available for it still take in students who are far more than the resources available. Let's us agree that politicians will always be politicians, what about those that are supposed to keep them in check? Ok, what about in the case where the ones that are supposed to keep them in check betrayed their conscience, what about those that are supposed to fight against it? We are busy hurrying to graduate; graduate to where? Lol.

Although, there is logic in what the protagonists of "Lazy Nigerian Youth" build their arguments on, but everything falls back on the system. There is nothing advantageous here, it's a hacked system. The only advantage is ourselves yet some have been threatened, most brainwashed. You've been told since the first day at school that those that decided to be conscious and thoughtful are the bad guys and you didn't ask why?

The people that decided to call it red when it's actually red and not black are the ones the management consider as the bad one. They don't want us to be common sensical, they want us to be hopeless and just do whatever we're told and it's actually working. If you think it is not working, you can give an explanation to why some students are against the indictment of a professor who sleeps with students for mark. An armed robber robbed a house before yours and you're against the court for giving him a deserved punishement, I don't know if you're not seeing it but it's mental slavery.

On the 13th, 14th and 15th of December, what you saw was people convoking but I saw people escaping. They're not getting out of school, they're getting out of hell. If you doubt that then I bet you're enjoying it.

I do not know if it's a "lazy Nigerian youths problem or a ridiculous educational system," but look at it again, now with liberation.

Peter Oyebanji is a Student Journalist and can be reached through
Gmail: adewuyipeter50@gmail.com
Twitter: anderpeter2