Popular blogger explains why the Education Minister’s N6 Million gift to 10-year-old poet for prowess in poem is funny.
Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike
“Chukwuemeka Obi-Obasi, a 10-year-old poet and son of friend and writer, Chinyere Obi-Obasi, has been rewarded by the Federal Government with N6 million scholarship for his display of literary talent. The supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, announced the award, and said President Goodluck Jonathan approved the scholarship to encourage the emergence of fresh talents.”
If I talk now they will say I am hating. They will say how can you not be happy that this boy has gotten N6,000,000 for his exceptional talent.
But you see, the issue is not whether his talent is exceptional or not, the issue is under what program, what budget is this money coming from, is it tax payers money or oil money. The other issue is whether Nigerians … common Nigerians actually had knowledge about this donation I mean scholarship program I mean I don’t even know what to call it.
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This is the Federal Minister of Education that happened to hear a poetry performance at an event and was so moved by it that he called the President of Nigeria, who approved the scholarship almost immediately! The same two people who have been dragging their feet on the ASUP strike for months!
The same people in charge of shitty dorms and hostels that pester our universities … the same people that are in the midst of student protests from school fee increase in OAU. Should the N6,000,000 not be used for something else? Who knows?
But again I ask, what program? Whose Budget? Where is this N6,000,000 coming from?
Or is this simply the case of that talented kid with the connected mum that happened to be at the right place at the right time simply because of connection?
If the federal government really really wants to encourage the emergence of fresh talents. Maybe they should set up an actual program that cuts across the 36 states of Nigeria, maybe they should publicize it so that as many people as possible know about it, maybe they could partner with one of the game shows, such as Nigeria Got Talent or Nigerian Idol to publicize their interest for youth talent.
But no … all that is too complex … too unsexy, they will rather lazily give it to that chance kid in front of the cameras so they can be seen as doing something good. So they can add it to their list of achievements before 2015 reaches … meanwhile our schools burn in neglect.
And what about us? We Nigerians? We are too excited to see the bullshitness of the whole situation, the irony of the whole situation. We are instead caught up with the story of an exceptionally talented kid that no one actually heard perform (not doubting his talent), caught up with the generosity of our President and Educational Minister. Blown away by their expediency to act on things … while we ignore the serious shit ravaging our country’s Educational sector due to their inaction.
At the end of day I am sad for our nation and congratulate Emeka for the 6 million he received… but then again I ask what program, whose budget?
Written By Okechukwu Ofili of ofilispeaks.com
