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This news item is another example of doing the right thing the wrong way. I believe that the best way to curtail the activities of MENDS and Boko Haram and other such organizations lies in education. The Federal Government's action in this regard is very commendable. But sending them overseas for the training is the wrong way to do this.
And provides the wrong incentive.
Here are the reasons:
1. There used to be a policy that the FG does not send people abroad (even the brightest students) for training if the education can be had in Nigeria. I know this was the case in the 1960's and 1970's. Does this policy still exist? If so why violate this policy?
2. There are other Nigerian kids who lived by the rules, but did not get free education. What about them? This policy would seem to invite militancy in the future and in these days of unemployment people might have thoughts that if they fight the country they might wind up with foreign scholarship. It is a bad idea.
3. Many Nigerians who study abroad do not come back to Nigeria if they could help it. What is the mechanism in place to ensure that they come back to pay back what they have received? By the way I am an example. I am not back in Nigeria but I never received a dime from Nigeria for my college education and I paid primary school and high school fees when I attended those schools.
4. Opportunity for study abroad should be made available to all and only those who have the best chances for success should receive anything from the country's dwindling foreign reserve.
5. Part of the rehabilitation of militants should incorporate heavy doses of patriotism and a foreign education is not likely to incorporate this. In this sense a foreign education is counter productive.
6. As Mr. Ola Kassim already noted in his commentary, that job after education is important. For militants, technical/trade training, such as job guaranteed training: carpentry, plumbing electricians' license should take precedence over all others. This is the kind of retraining that would put them back in the community and make them contribute to the community in a positive way and actually help them mentor and counsel others who may have a different set of ideas.
7. The kids have fought a war against their country for which they could have been prosecuted for treason, but were forgiven. That is sufficient reward by itself. But in an effort to make them good citizens the FG has offered to retrain them. This should be more than enough.
These set of students have gone, but it is my hope that there should be no more of this waste of FG revenue. Education remains the best hope for every poor child and the very least we can do for our people is to give them education. The FG and the states have spent enormous amounts of money building colleges and universities. We should make full use of them and not spend any more money sending militants abroad when the sought for education can be received at Federal University of Otuoke just down the road. And if the courses are not in Nigeria, one of the new 9 institutions should be encouraged to offer them.
The type of education not yet available in Nigeria ought to be those in the latest technologies for which we do not have the teachers and the facilities yet.
I cannot think of one such course.
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
January 31, 2012
source: Igbo world forum
This news item is another example of doing the right thing the wrong way. I believe that the best way to curtail the activities of MENDS and Boko Haram and other such organizations lies in education. The Federal Government's action in this regard is very commendable. But sending them overseas for the training is the wrong way to do this.
And provides the wrong incentive.
Here are the reasons:
1. There used to be a policy that the FG does not send people abroad (even the brightest students) for training if the education can be had in Nigeria. I know this was the case in the 1960's and 1970's. Does this policy still exist? If so why violate this policy?
2. There are other Nigerian kids who lived by the rules, but did not get free education. What about them? This policy would seem to invite militancy in the future and in these days of unemployment people might have thoughts that if they fight the country they might wind up with foreign scholarship. It is a bad idea.
3. Many Nigerians who study abroad do not come back to Nigeria if they could help it. What is the mechanism in place to ensure that they come back to pay back what they have received? By the way I am an example. I am not back in Nigeria but I never received a dime from Nigeria for my college education and I paid primary school and high school fees when I attended those schools.
4. Opportunity for study abroad should be made available to all and only those who have the best chances for success should receive anything from the country's dwindling foreign reserve.
5. Part of the rehabilitation of militants should incorporate heavy doses of patriotism and a foreign education is not likely to incorporate this. In this sense a foreign education is counter productive.
6. As Mr. Ola Kassim already noted in his commentary, that job after education is important. For militants, technical/trade training, such as job guaranteed training: carpentry, plumbing electricians' license should take precedence over all others. This is the kind of retraining that would put them back in the community and make them contribute to the community in a positive way and actually help them mentor and counsel others who may have a different set of ideas.
7. The kids have fought a war against their country for which they could have been prosecuted for treason, but were forgiven. That is sufficient reward by itself. But in an effort to make them good citizens the FG has offered to retrain them. This should be more than enough.
These set of students have gone, but it is my hope that there should be no more of this waste of FG revenue. Education remains the best hope for every poor child and the very least we can do for our people is to give them education. The FG and the states have spent enormous amounts of money building colleges and universities. We should make full use of them and not spend any more money sending militants abroad when the sought for education can be received at Federal University of Otuoke just down the road. And if the courses are not in Nigeria, one of the new 9 institutions should be encouraged to offer them.
The type of education not yet available in Nigeria ought to be those in the latest technologies for which we do not have the teachers and the facilities yet.
I cannot think of one such course.
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
January 31, 2012
source: Igbo world forum
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