By Abdul Alli
Nigerian students have been charged to take its rightful position as catalysts for global development. Students from across the country were also tasked to make history again and change the order of the lopsided political structure in the country. This clarion call was the key message at the Project Victory Call Initiative’s press conference held in commemoration with the World Students’ Day in Lagos.
Also known as PVC-NAIJA, the group which is a political advocacy and sensitization movement also unveils a political education project tagged: Relay 2050.
Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi, the National Coordinator of the group stated that Nigerian students have been the lifeline of this nation. He added that the struggle for our independence was championed by people who were mostly students in their days, and those who were not, caught, the bug while they were students abroad, enduring the temptation to abort their studies to join the struggle for the sole of their motherland from our then colonial Master.
PVC-NAIJA recalled how Ladipo Solanke a Nigerian student demonstrated the high sense of responsibility through the formation of West Africa Student Union (WASU) in 1925.
“At twist and turn in the journey of our father land towards democracy, the voice of Nigerian students has been loud. Their courage was a force; they joined with others like NUJ, NBA, NLC and groups like NADECO who were products of the June 12 struggle to see the military off to the barrack”. Dr. Akinyemi, the National Coordinator of the group said.
“Nigerian students are indeed great. That greatness, we are here to acknowledge and celebrate. “Education is the key to liberation from pre-modal governance, the path way to human intellectual advancements and societal development, A people without education are covenanted to poverty”
“In the past, we have often missed the take when it comes to electing our leaders, but the mistake became very obvious when desperation for change, led to change without a change of order, preparation was not made for the change we make”.
Participants at the occasion
The PVC-NAIJA Coordinator noted that “If Nigeria must be saved come 2019, A step must be taken in the right direction. There is the need to set up a structure of enlightenment for our illiterate voters, Farmers, Artisans, market men and women. They are the proud parents of the great Nigerian students whose simplicities are manipulated for gullibility. This has remained an asset to the political class”.
“Our parents must be rescued through political education. Though, the illiteracy of vast majority of our people are counterproductive at making informed decision. Very disturbing is the illiteracy of our “educated illiterates” which has sustained the role that fake news and propaganda plays in our political decisions.
The state of our polity is a function of political illiteracy; our social media is awash with political ignorance.
Kofi Anan, said, “Knowledge is power, information is liberating, education is the premise of progress in every society, in family.
Dr. Akinyemi quoted late Kofi Anan model of bottom to top approach to trigger a process of godly change in our society adding that “from LG’s, States and National Government), from the family units to the larger societies, there is need for us to do the needful; educate our teeming illiterate populace”.
“Knowledge must be disseminated via education upon which every societal progress is premised.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”- Malcom X
“Students and Youths being that class of our society to which the future belong, must be given the right to lead in making decisions that will impact on their future. They constitute the numerical strength of our voting population and their strength will be harnessed and deployed to prepare a glorious future for them. Their deployment to “RACING WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD” is imperative”.
“The world is in a race, a race so defined to provoke our creativity, but ignored till date by our leaders, defined by the phrase which qualifies the place we are occupying in a racing world; third world country! There is no doubt that the world has left us behind, but must we remain behind?”
“The behind position of Africa is not due to the absence of natural resources. Nigeria alone is more endowed with this, than the whole of Europe put together. It is not in want of intellectual capacities for Africans are among the best of human resources contributing their quota to make other nations and continents attain greatness. We are about the best in every field of life, the realities of life and facts on record attest to this. This speech will end rhetorically without out a mentioned of very few”
Of, Oluwole Akinwande, the poet who gets you dizzy. Bukola Elemide popularly known as “ASA” the “little hawk” because when she was young, will often ran away and changed direction like a hawk. Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, indeed a wizard at his trade, they call him wizkid. Chimamanda Adichie, the pen merchant whose first two strokes on paper won a literary award. Adeola Sagoe has given the world of fashion a strict challenge for its tittle.
Genevieve Nnaji has brought fame, glamour and elegance to the Nollywood Industry. Oluchi and Agbani are among the best of ladies on the walk way.
Shola Ladoja who is redefining the critical area of our agricultural productivity, filling the gap of processing and preservation of farm products. Laolu Isaac Sebanjo, whose work added value to Beyonce’s on her way to the Grammy. Jelani Aliyu, the leading Nigeria car designer with General Motors, brought back home to head and give directions to National Automotive Design Development Council, (NADDC).
Also, Bosun Tijani, whose exploit and work in ICT commanded the attention of Mark Zuckerberg to visit Nigeria. The list is endless!
The peril of Africa, is that the educated are not politically educated. The best are led by “The beast” and the mentality of the beast is perpetually to remain primordial so that ancient landmark are maintained, even when they stand in the path of the road we must construct for our development. Status quo, we must maintain even when they tend towards income loss, animals would not be ranched and his environment underdeveloped to retain the identity of a “giant jungle”. He said.
