I am not in any way doubting the existence of coronavirus or its killing capacity but believably, it is not, and can never remain the only agent of destruction in my country.
Education is one of the means through which hopes are rekindled and lives are saved. Where the opposite manifests, the reverse is always the case. People who lose hope may seek for another alternative, which in most cases is through jungle justice or destruction. That has a repercussion, as we are witnessing in banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and a lot of deviations.
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For over decades and under the watch of various successive governments, both civilian and military, education has been deliberately subjected to gross neglect and lack of focus.
What is more glaring and touching is that it is still very common across the public primary schools in the federation to see children taking lessons on the bare floor!
In universities and other tertiary institutions of learning one can only differentiate them by their nomenclature but the neglect and operation is the same. Their classes and hostels are too congested. What keeps students busy is lectures,which in most cases are being interrupted by highly avoidable strikes.
Today, FG hides under the cover of COVID-19 to prolong the resumption of schools. On the other hand, officials attend marriage rites and engage in political campaigns without their audience wearing facemasks.
Mohammed Bella Umar writes from Azare, Bauchi State
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