NATIONAL EDUCATION III

Some time ago I mentioned to our church members that some people had been stealing the fittings in the water closets in our toilets. Most worshippers were shocked. But come to think of it, people steal street lights, road railings, and public funds in our country. The level of depravity to which people have sunk in their thinking is alarming. And it is largely due to the fact that most people in our country don’t know how to succeed the right way.

While on the cross, Christ prayed for His murderers, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In other words, people will always perform to the best of their knowledge per time. When you look at our society today, you see that one of the greatest challenges that are besetting us is that of ignorance.

What makes the difference between human beings and animals is knowledge. Animals are designed to live by instinct. They do not have the cognitive and reasoning capacity that human beings have. They do what they feel like doing. Human beings also have instinct but beyond the power of instinct, we have the power of knowledge. We have the power of rationalization.

When we feel like doing anything we can rationalize based on the quality of information available to us. Then we can decide whether we would do it or not. But when knowledge is not available, man is reduced to the level of the lifestyle of an animal. Man lives by instinct. The way people drive on our roads sometimes puts a big question mark on the quality of thought of the average person on the road.

When someone who beats the traffic light or creates a third lane where you should have two thinks he is very smart, there is a big problem. We really need to educate people to make progress. Disseminating information can be on two levels. It’s either we succeed in inputting information into somebody’s head or we impart information that invariably brings about a transformation in a person’s life.

When you become a different person you will do things differently and get different results. The purpose of the kind of education that we are advocating is not just information but formation. Of course, the root of formation is information. Hence we need to find and utilize every means of educating our people. Some time ago, I read an interview between a national daily and the Nigerian-born U.S based IT genius, Mr. Philip Emeagwali.

He has been out of Nigeria for 29 years and has not been back since then. He is in the ‘Who Is Who’ lists in the United States. He was able to develop a concept that he used to solve one of the 20 most difficult mathematical questions in the world. He gets awards around the world.

An award that was usually given to 20 scientists combined was given to him alone in one year. Asked what he thinks about the brain-drain syndrome, he said Africa and Asia’s brain drain is Europe and America’s brain gain. He said that the root of our problem is that we place a low value on the development and use of the human mind.

We value our natural resources more than our human resources. Natural resources are depleted with use. One thing you invest in that appreciates in value is the human mind. The gap between the developed and the undeveloped world is created by the gap in the development and use of the mind. Nigerians produce outstanding results when they find the right environment.

That’s why I sincerely believe that any attempt at developing this country without first bringing about some improvement in the quality of thinking of the people is a farce. It is an exercise in self-deception. However beautiful we make our streets; if the minds of the people do not become beautiful they would reduce the street to the quality of their minds.

Mr. Emeagwali suggested that we take all the money we make from oil and invest in education. I agree with him. I feel that the greatest need of this country is education. If any country or continent ever needed the truth it’s this country and continent we live in. The raw materials that the soul processes are thought, ideas, concepts, knowledge, and wisdom. With training, the mind can create wealth and a better world.

It can dream and create plans to turn those dreams into reality. So I ask you, dear reader, do what you can do to improve the quality of thinking of our people. If you can start school, go ahead. There’s such a big need for well-run schools. Start a university if you have enough funds. If not start a secondary school, or a primary or a Day Care center.

The best time to shape a person’s mind is when they are young, after some time they become unbendable. It becomes a bit difficult for them to have a change in their behavior and thinking. Dr. David Oyedepo says it is only God who can bend a dry fish without breaking it. It is already rooted in the minds of our people, even children, that you must cut corners to get anything done in this country.

So, we need reprogramming through a powerful education program. We need to teach wealth-building principles. A lot of people can not afford to go to schools to learn the skills that are relevant to the development of this nation. The schools are not even enough. This country needs to be informed. The National Orientation Agency would do well to do massive campaigns that would create radical changes in our way of thinking, through the media.

Nigeria will Succeed!