USA Africa Dialogue Series - Adeshina Afolayan: Death as employment strategy in Nigeria

"I am not interested in natural disasters. Nigeria is a wonderful country for another reason: We are a country with a unique national problem solving dynamics. The problems that other nations break their back and strain their brains to crack are easily resolved here. Consider this: The Nigerian ruling elites expunged History from the curriculum of its secondary schools. Wait for it! Of course, your normal and most immediate reaction would be outrage and vituperation. But then, think: History is a wicked reminder of obnoxious pasts, and who wants that? Why should we as a people be burdened by terrible and dusty tomes of terrible and dusty events gone bad and by? Even the students intuitively understand this needlessness, and so refused to take history in school! Of course, there are better subjects—the colonialists, out of the goodness of their hearts, left the global English language. Then there is Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and the almighty Mathematics. Even the Chinese language is about to make an appearance, as the counterpart of French, in a manner that further buries the primitive vernaculars (Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulfude and those others). Aren't the Chinese constructing our roads now? Don't we owe them the courtsey of learning their language as a mark of gratitude?

So, no serious nation on earth gives attention to history. To achieve progress in development terms, we face forward, not backward. Even Professor Ernest Renan counsels that we can actually become a nation when we collectively immolate ourselves in forgetfulness. Nigerians certainly should not be reminded about the horrors of the ugly Civil War, the primitive antics of 'heroes' and 'sheroes' (apologies to Professor Pius Adesanmi), and countless other irrelevant mistakes that are best forgotten. Master strokes! The Nigerian ruling elites know their onions!"

- Adeshina Afolayan

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			Death As Employment Strategy In Nigeria | Sahar... Nigeria is a wonderful country, no doubt.
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- Ikhide

 

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