Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should be the Standard-bearer of the Third Force

Low level formal education for a politician, particularly in a national leader, is dangerous.

With all due respect to Ken, I cant see what justification he has for his view on the unnecessity of higher education in a national leader, using the US as an example.

What is his point of reference? Trump? Trump is US  President largely bcs of the dismay of those who are appalled that   those who were once slaves have now become US President.

That is the only factor that can explain how such a social misfit, a person still living in pre-modern, pre-civil rights, pre-women's rights, Jim Crow America can be US President, a profile which if cultivated by a Hillary or by its equivalent by a Black person , such a one would not even approach the party's primaries as candidate bcs their candidacy would have long exploded.

As for those Nigerians who are arguing that there should be no minimum educational criteria to become a President of Nigeria, I wonder what their motivation is.

This approach is being presented by a man with a PhD in his field, a professor and former vice-chancellor.

He is being supported by another person who makes a great show of scholarship while engaging in debates on social media.

In observing such aberrations, I become afraid.

Does this mean that these people think the years they spent in formal education were a waste of time?

Don't they understand that formal education is the primary means by which the fruits of civilization are passed on to succeeding generations?

Has Bolaji Aluko not learnt his lessons from  his endorsement of the disaster that is Buhari, a person, who, till tomorrow, evidence of his acquisition of the most basic educational qualifications remains in doubt, the same Buhari whom Aluko triumphantly informed readers when the controversy broke out pre-2015 elections that there are those who will vote for Buhari even if he presents only a NEPA [ electricity] bill?

Are we not seeing the fruition of a  NEPA bill Presidency?

The constitution that Salimonu invokes in support of such ideas, Salimonu being a person  whose effort at a scholarly style of debate demonstrates a commitment to Western education even as he tries to denigrate that system on account of a confused understanding of the relationship between education and development , is a constitution understood by some, me included, as created by a particular group in Nigeria's ruling class at the time it was written, the little educated Northern Muslim military rulers in the time of Abdulsalami Abubakar,  a group, who, through the massacre their predecessors instituted in the July 1966 counter coup had eliminated the well educated Southern Nigerian officers in the higher ranks of the army and placed themselves in the forcefully vacated positions. Anyone who wants better education on the restructuring of the hierarchy of the Nigerian army through the counter coup may see Max Siollun's  day by day account of the coup in Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria's Military Cup Culture 1966-1976. 

Nigeria's Muslim North is facing a crisis of identity between the radical Islam imported by the conquest of the region by Usman dan Fodio's jihad and the contemporary global dominance of Western education, a crisis faced by Islamic civilization generally particularly since the vacuum created by the sharp decline of the once globally leading intellectual achievements of that civilization has not been filled, the power centres of the civilization preferring to focus on restrictive religious policies that help sustain their elite in power rather than  contribute to crafting  new modes of religio-intellectual consensus that will galvanize the creativity of their people. Identification with policies demonstrating the disjunctions of such a conflicted and confused environment whose leaders mask their failures in developing their people through desperate hunger for political power is a recipe for continuous failure   while the rest of the world is metaphorically and literally  heading for the moon.

The mindset that denigrates formal education, particularly on account of the dysfunctionality of Nigeria, is one we must grow out of. It is possible to be self educated. Most of my education is self education and I once fought not to enter the university bcs I wanted to focus on self education.Most people, however, do not know how to educate themselves.  The low level of knowledge penetration in Nigeria, knowledge penetration being the readiness of access to knowledge, as different from information-knowledge being the  selection,  distillation, interpretation and reframing of  information-on account of a very poor public library culture, depression in presence of bookshops on account of economic constraints, the dominance of public space by questionable religious propaganda and low level of disposable income among other poor economic indices,  makes self education particularly challenging in contemporary Nigeria.

If the APC coalition had had Tinubu or another Yoruba leader of similar capacity as President and someone without the crude mindset of a Buhari as vice president, we wont have the horrors we are having today. Tinubu and his AC group belong to what is known in Yoruba as the culture of  'laju', to have one's eyes open, one's perceptions expanded to embrace new developments in society and work with them for one's advancement, in other words, a commitment to modernity. 

Tinubu is castigated in the belief that he amasses wealth for himself through  cornering Lagos State contracts, but people are not saying the projects in question are not functional, whether its bridges and their toll gates or refuse disposal. People criticise the inadequacies in Ambode's artistic projects in Lagos but no one can deny the potency of the impact of the entire project. Some claim Fayemi lost in Ekiti bcs his policies were not grassroots oriented, but such critics begin from the understanding that he instituted and executed some lofty policies. Critics claim that Aregbesola's opon imo educational strategy in Osun did not achieve much bcs of the corrupt mode of its execution, but the concept itself remains a model to be examined for ease of access to educational materials in a depressed economy like Nigeria.

I am yet to read anyone from the Muslim North demonstrating an appreciative response to the GEJ govt's initiative on almajiri schools in that region, an initiative meant to educate the socially disenfranchised almajiri, the best I have read from the region being a newspaper's comprehensive survey based on visiting the schools across the region but concluding in a belittling  assertion that contradicts their own investigations. 

Ken states that  "We should vote for people because they advance ideas we agree with. And as they do not govern alone, any decent ruler will have counsellors of merit in all departments.  Knowing how to rely on others who are expert in their fields is what matters".

How 

​does one reach the level of appreciating one's mental limitations, leading to relying on others who know better than one?​ How does one become a person who can cultivate and appreciate ideas?

We have a NEPA bill/tissue paper [another paradigm used to describe the Buhari scenario] secondary school leaving certificate national ruler, ​whose is not known for any efforts at self advancement outside govt appointments, whose default mode is to resort to military strategy after being handed a historic opportunity on the backs of the hopes of numerous people across the nation, signalling his primary orientation by loading the security agencies and the electoral body with his ethno/religious kins, delaying  appointments of ministers for six months, claiming  ministers are are 'noise makers', 

and

​eventually making ​

himself minister of petroleum, 

​appointing a journalist ethno-religious kinsman  with a masters in journalism as minister of education who then proceeds to sack the vice chancellors of the universities created by the GEJ govt, replacing them mostly with ethno-religious figures, most of them from one state, Kano, while the greatest achievement of the national ruler is that of trying to create a national empire for his Fulani ethnicity by backing a nation wide  terrorist initiative  using nomadic Fulani cattle herders as a launching pad.

That is what you get from a NEPA bill President, a banana republic. 

Aluko and Salimonu might think they are in the same world with Ken Harrow whose  "As for educational requirements, I am not convinced that they signify much of anything" is of little significance, apologies to Ken,  in an environment in which the default education for a Presidential candidate seems to have become  an Ivy League education, a educational sector with perhaps the world's most selective admissions rates, and sporting stupendous facilities, in a general national environment rich in possibilities for education, from libraries to museums to bookshops, to free courses from various quarters,  an environment in which the Presidents from Trump  to Bush snr are Ivy League graduates. Not only is self education much more a likelihood in the US, the system is so strong it can compensate for the inadequacies of leaders, as the struggles of the Trump era indicate, much better than in Nigeria, where politicians are like gods.

In a world more complex and more dynamic than ever, its vital to emphasize significant education in how to deal with the dynamics of such a world.

​thanks

toyin​

 ​

On 3 February 2018 at 00:03, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

SK:

Reading these sections more closely, it is clear that the minimum qualification is INEC's determination of a candidate's competency that is equivalent to attendance/education (but not necessarily passing) Primary Six certificate.  When we couple those sections with age requirement, only my stark illiterate would be excluded by INEC.  Section 131(d) should be replaced by Section 318c(iii) and d, and Section 318 deleted.

Bolaji Aluko

On Friday, February 2, 2018, Salimonu Kadiri <ogunlakaiye@hotmail.com> wrote:

Bolaji,

In support of yours underneath, this is what the constitution says about the qualification required to contest for the office of President in Nigeria. Section 131 (d) He must have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. What Section 131(d) means is clarified in Part IV, article 318(1) of the Constitution thus : (a) a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher's Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or (b) Education up to Secondary Certificate level; or (c) Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent and (i) Service in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years, and (ii) Attendance at courses and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totalling up to a minimum of one year, and (iii) the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission; and (d) any other qualification acceptable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

S. Kadiri 

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Från: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> för Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com>
Skickat: den 2 februari 2018 19:30
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Ämne: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should be the Standard-bearer of the Third Force

 

Segun:

There should be no minimum requirement of educational qualification.  

However, they must demonstrate minimum competency in reading, writing and comprehension-  unassisted- communications in the official language  ( or languages)  of the Nigerian Constitution, from filling their election forms to understanding laws of the land to participating in debates to being able to understand simple  financial statements.  Clearly completely stark illiterates will not qualify, but self taught people without degrees like thermometers could. 

And there you have it

Bolaji Aluko 

On Friday, February 2, 2018, Segun Ogungbemi <seguno2013@gmail.com> wrote:

What is the minimum education of those to be elected to perform the leadership role of the country? 

Sent from my iPhone 

On Feb 2, 2018, at 5:36 AM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

Olayinka Agbetuyi:

Yes, intentional collective leadership, not the magical emergence of a Messiahnic leader from a revolutionary vanguard movement is what we need in Nigeria.  It is indeed the best we can hope for, otherwise we will continue unhappily for a long time along this rickety bridge to erwhon. 

Nigeria has to be restructured along federal geopolitical state-grouped  zones with equal status relative to a strategically - devolved center -  if we are to escape from our present morass. 

A unicameral Parliamentary system at all levels, with a Prime Minister at the Federal level, Premiers at the zonal levels, Governors at the state level and Chairmen at the LG levels should be considered.  At the Center, a National  Presidium should be considered working alongside the partisan Prime Minister.  The Presidium should be  composed of one person per zone, elected from among the  elected Governors of each zone.  Each person so elected to the Presidium shall then renounce partisan politics immediately, and be replaced by his or her deputy at the state level.   The Parliament shall always act in consultation with the Presidium. 

The Federal Government should be vested with no more than 10% outright ownership (eminent domain) of land on each state, with states owning the rest.  The federal and state levels should be fully empowered to fully exploit the land, sea and water properly designated under their control. The Federal Government should have taxation rights and redistributive responsibilities  on the Zones only, and the Zones  similar rights and responsibilities on the states and local governments. 

To elevate local government input and reduce cost of governsnce, the state executives should be composed only of local council elected officials.  The Governor may be obtained through a second election among those who won local council Chairmanship elections, for example. 

Reduction of cost of governance,  local control of resources and governance as close as possible to the People should be constant watchword. 

Systems development, collective leadership and timely accountability in governance,  not Messiahs, are what will guarantee national development in Nigeria. 

And there you have it. 

Bolaji Aluko

On Thursday, February 1, 2018, Olayinka Agbetuyi <yagbetuyi@hotmail.com> wrote:

The idea of leadership by consillient force is ok in theory on paper but leadership to undertake collective projects(which essentially is what a nation is about) entails division of labour into camps and someone has to take responsibility for the work of each camp and answer for its successes and failures.  The nearest I got to the collective leadership in a pluralistic polity is my suggestion of collective presidency of geo-political interests in which there is a rotational transient coordinating figure.  As sioon as the term of office of this group expires another group succeeds them

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: Kenneth Harrow <harrow@msu.edu>

Date: 31/01/2018 16:08 (GMT+00:00)

To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should betheStandard-bearer  of the Third Force

Hi obi

Are you sure about what you are saying? Vanguardism was contested from the start in the arguments against bolshevism. I don't want to pour over the literature. I started one quick search, and immediately got this. 3CLR James rejection of the vanguard is addressed here http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057%2F9781137284761_8#page-1

I bet you could come up with a broad list. I will simply say I am happier with anarchism, a la camus and the 1930s anarchists. I certainly endorse a socialist model, and take Hannah arendt as an ideal, especially in her critique of soviet totalitarianism in The Origins of Totalitarianism. Don't you agree with her politics there?

And more recently mouffe and laclau also express political views I agree with.

ken

 

Kenneth Harrow

Dept of English and Film Studies

Michigan State University

619 Red Cedar Rd

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

http://www.english.msu.edu/people/faculty/kenneth-harrow/

From: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Rex Marinus <rexmarinus@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Date: Tuesday 30 January 2018 at 21:56
To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should be theStandard-bearer of the Third Force

 

Reformists will need a "talented tenth," and the revolutionary alternative will depend on a "revolutionary vanguard." Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Gramsci, C.L.R. James - all the theorists of power and society were clear about it. The "single leader" was the Stalinist heresy that created the profound contradiction of the Russian revolution, and what Stalin did was to embark on a murderous terror campaign that destroyed the vanguard and moved for the kind of power that  concentrated authority on "the leader." CLR James in fact demonstrates the same contradiction in the Black Jacobins, in pointing out that the Haitian revolution was compromised with the rise of Toussaint as the single iconic, and symbolic leader, and subsequently, when the council of Generals chose Dessalines as "the leader." Leadership that regenerates the moral purpose of a society is driven by consillient force, not by "A  GOOD LEADER."

Obi Nwakanma

 

 

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Farooq A. Kperogi <farooqkperogi@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 11:20 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should be theStandard-bearer of the Third Force

 

Even when I used to be a doctrinaire Marxist, I also struggled with the praxis and moral propriety of vanguardism. As you said, a select elite few can't possibly embody and give expression to the aspirations of the masses of the people. Nevertheless, the masses, who are often diffident and fatalistic, need to be prodded to shake up the system. And there lies the tension in Marxian epistemology: the notion of an inexorable, deterministic imperative that will propel the masses to take their destiny into their own hands and the reality that the masses need a vanguard to raise their consciousness and to help them extirpate an oppressive system. This tensile epistemological stress is at the core of Laclau and Mouffe's notion of the "double void" in Marxist thought.

 

But wherever one stands in this debate, it would be escapist to imagine that a leaderless, self-propelled change is possible.

 

Farooq 

Farooq A. Kperogi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Journalism & Emerging Media
School of Communication & Media

Social Science Building 

Room 5092 MD 2207

402 Bartow Avenue
Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia, USA 30144
Cell: (+1) 404-573-9697
Personal website: www.farooqkperogi.com

Twitter: @farooqkperog

Author of Glocal English: The Changing Face and Forms of Nigerian English in a Global World

"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will

 

On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 4:37 PM, Kenneth Harrow <harrow@msu.edu> wrote:

Well, vanguardism is one approach—lenin over Trotsky, or over the socialists. Me, I favour socialists, or better still the anarchists of the 30s.

I always took it that the vanguardism of the communists was their worst mistake.

Mistake under stalin

mistake under mao

mistake corrected over and over by Gramsci, by Raymond Williams, by some other notion of consciousness besides that of the elite few who claim to know what the masses don't know

ken

 

Kenneth Harrow

Dept of English and Film Studies

Michigan State University

619 Red Cedar Rd

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

http://www.english.msu.edu/people/faculty/kenneth-harrow/

From: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of "Farooq A. Kperogi" <farooqkperogi@gmail.com>
Reply-To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Date: Tuesday 30 January 2018 at 13:38
To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Why Dangiwa Umar Should be theStandard-bearer of the Third Force

 

But even in revolutionary thinking, which requires the extirpation of the old order for the inauguration of a new one, you need a vanguard, and all vanguards are led by someone. Either way, you can't avoid coming to terms with the instrumentality of leadership in bringing about systemic changes.

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