Hearty Congratulations to the prodigy -- our dear Farooq who has just earned a well deserved honor of full professor by his university in the USA.What often impressed me more than ordinary is not only about his evident prodigy as the humble affable ,versatile historian Professor Toyin Falola who shared out the good news has also identified in him but his fearless and fecund analysis of any news or personality in focus.His style is nonetheless robust with necessary or required stats.That aspect should still remain dynamic in him insofar there s no underlying pathological jealousy in his piece which is hardly gaunt in anatomy.No Qualms.We need more Nigerians' in the Diaspora journalizing critically not 'acting' nor currying favor as the Late Marlon Brando ,American actor and Civil Rights activist would like to describe writers professing otherwise.
Farooq 's style Iis a signatory -no matter how high the echelon he s criticizing.
Are you like that from the womb? Is it because your hailed from a state that ethnologically bordered on ten states of Nigeria - and the fall out it permitted turned out to be an endogenous asset to be proud of cerebrally?l
Are the traditional arts and religion you grew up with culturally ,osmotically tacitly paid off as it did to Olu Obafemi,Dramatist ,Director ,Prof and Prominent drummer @ Easter Cantata in his boyhood days?
Nigeria in the 21st c needs more of Farooq to sensitize his increasingly wider audience beyond academics to cultivste the habit of not just reading newspapers but also ASK Questions gernane to development,economics and politics and human values.
What's the use of these elements of governance if they are not reflected dispassionately and eclectically analyzed from Nigeria s past ,present and the future from her 9th Assembly status?
Why is this spiritually urgent and needs sustained journalistic analytical input of the likes of Farooq and many more of the ubiquitous historian, TF, to continue pressing the status quo objectively We need to dissect what development change should be by customised design and delivery that should touch lives and impact progress by all measures of wellbeing How many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals have been adapted in concept and content to improve lives at the grassroots and in the city?
Are our international deals holistically healthy enough?
Are we thoughtful that our global alliance if any that impacted the individual and the environment must be harmless.
Are we ingeniously wary to ensure we are not selling ourselves out cheaply as if Nigerian -- Africans have not been exposed to Western education in the sciences and medicine since the 1870s?
Are our political and bureacratic leaders consulting appropriately with their advisers to deliver the best yet watching endogenous barometers too?
Or are they embracing the West and her alien development structures and programmes - without prior adequate filtration of whatever they are bringing or intend to patronise e.g. covid vaccines and humongous loans inclusive.?
Not to digress too much from felicitating with Dr Farooq s promotion to full professor by K U.USA don't you think that Nigerian elites are part of the problem of Nigeria s sloth or stagnation in development from 1960 till date -60 years + after?
That's a raw material for avalanche of stories for the creative media or critical press and the academia later ..
What of the academics do you support or condone their perennial aloofness from partisan politics?Please with modesty don't ask me-- is politics their primary vocation or calling? A few others among us have more than one calling.You might also say, are they not to advise the government of the day or whatever political party is most popular? Yes and No.
Just as a lot of well- meaning but not so holistically thoughtful Nigerians' used to think across decades of underperforming democracies -- that politics is dirty and therefore they naively stay away from the good but not selfish gold - mining for all that politics ought to be!
My generation and the likes that liken partisan politics as dirty really got it wrong !
I don't think we have not missed the road for so long in our history of wobbling and fumbling towards a Just democracy since an ideal democracy is rare to witness .Yet model democracies and federations exist and worth emulating to annul develipmrnt infrastructure imbalance.
In summary politics controls everything on every geopolitical space on planet earth.
Just that we cannot all be Governors and Presidents and even Chairmen of LGAS few of Nigerian academics ought to be in Active Politics by which I mean that they shouldn't be waiting -- as usual -- to be appointed as advisers!
Evidently across the years the most professorial haven't been so honoured to act to their fullest advisory. Therefore if such academic in politics is not the pliable or protean or compliant one he might be asked to resign or could be sacked on the pages of newspapers!.Yes there s something honorable in this if professionally ethically dissected although it may look disgraceful to others with less objective thinking.
To impact ramifying individual development and productive corporate change other than political gimmick in a developing country like Nigeria we need patriotic professional decolonized Go Getters to serve in Nigetisn partisan politics otherwise we will continue to wallow in neocolonialism which will mar our own heritage as if we have nothing to Contribute to humankind other than our rich history and the arts but much more modern African scientists can marvellously and scientifically contribute to vaccine research as evident in Nigetisns doing fine as immigrants in academics,politics sports and other legitimate business
(OZY news).Their remittance back home is another proof.
Truthfully any credible Citizen with knowledge, wisdom selfless gift to develop others should be attracted to politics but lack of genuine wholehearted committed half a dozen academics in a polity will not augur well in all ramifications especially if such a dozen have no iota of OMOLUABI concept in them to discharge for their constituencies and other aspirants to emulate.
When academics JOIN partisan politics dividends of democracy will be expanded beyond monetary enrichment of actors and players and spectators of the activities of the Executive and the Legislative arms.Informed observations and presentation of proposals and reviews of the same inhouse will be deeper and wider not just for popular digest but Concise implications, benefits and consequences of political & bureacratic actions will be x-rayed to the general public.
They will see and weigh options -- which one is likely to be
benign or maligning outcome of a bill being sponsored and in the process of becoming a law
.Whst of labor actions? are all Group. Strikes and down-tooling okay for Nigeria? What if the strike is pregnant with many goodies in the offing like ASUU s prolonged strike.We feel it's for better infrasructure and better conditions of work in tune with global practice etc integral and legitimate to demand from the FG,NUC controlling university service?
I opine with modesty that such prolonged strike ought to have been avoided by the FG by a reliable and strong assurance that definitely their request will be looked into within 4 weeks at most !
The implications of deserting more than 60% of the universities for almost a year is dangerous not only on the social econonies but also on the social insecurity and untinely deaths.Do you know in an attempt not to keep idle at least a few lecturers and students will like to keep themselves busy outside the intellectual environment .For example a 200 level student sought for a casual job in a factory where the mother works and was consumed by a factory machine he wasn't oriented to operate. Don't think of any big compensation for the guy .Despite legal follow up of the industrial murder the compensation law of the company is archaic and very infinitesimal to behold as a succor for the irreplaceable human life already wasted accidentally .The newspaper also reported a needless motor accident by ambush of an enterprising female lecturer who explored Pure & Bottled water supply business & she was thriving but bad luck was on her side as she couldn't fulfill police demands on her way to a supply venue and an accident occur during the argument that broke out badly..This savvy woman met her death during this prolonged strike.
Again who knows maybe African bioscientists, immunologists and related molecular scientists could have joined their counterparts working on covid vaccines in more than 70 labs globally and possibly discover half a dozen formulation or remedy useful for tackling our own variant of the contagion if ANY at all.Why should we spontaneously comply with every directive regarding the pandemic or rush to huge foreign loans because America is also owing hugely whereas no developing country has exportable quality goods and hardware to attract equal balance of payments as the USA today.Top echelons are smart to herogize such governor's that have penchant seeking loans to execute projects!
What of repayment terms and indebtedness to unborn generation of Nigerians'? We need more academics in partisan politics not just those who will be loyal to existing political parties.
Politics is the fulcrum of development and the smart tool to overhaul our colonial curricula.
Salute to Ngugi Wathiogo who had pruned most of alien Classical studies in his University in Kenya before his passage -- as retold by the philosopher Prof,Tunji Olaopa.
Without political will of the right thinking and innovative yet decolonized minded intellectuals most of these Laudable thoughts and revolutionary projects will not see the light of the day other than wasting away in analog files or at best embalmed as Keep In View ideas - without political back up!
Tell me how else social and political progress will be otherwise accelerated without due process and righteous politics with the right mission to serve the public with their talent & skills and certified knowledge?
We are talking glowingly of cerebral and digital possessions wealthy enough to turn around our manifold blessings - copious human and natural resources into individual & societal security ,food production & education arena security and if these are assured why shouldn't we morph to tech security and carve a niche for ourselves.and for global patronage?
Why can't we wholesomely develop agriculture seriously enough to yield surpluses to develop other sectors? Is it not a delight that less than 5% of Americans are engaged in agriculture?
Why are we blockading ourselves with food or beef?
What could've ve moved a group of bandits to plan and execute mass Haulage of school children as kidnappers in the 21st c?
Why is humongous money the root cause of every crime these days in the Nigerians' habitat?
Dr Farooq -- I felicitate with your promotion to full Professor by your University.
Best Wishes & Effective Living.
Gbemi Tijani MST
Paul Harris Fellow
#civicconcrn
#capacityconcern
On Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 5:05 PM Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:
--Dear all:
It brings me great joy to let you know that his university has elevated the great Farooq to full professorship.
I know that many of you will think it is long overdue given his prodigiousness. I think it is long overdue. His service to the academy and the public, especially his relentless commitment to transformation, represented by his weekly column, will dominate his legacy. He has written himself into our archives. I told someone to write his Ph.D. on him only two days ago as the data is there. Farooq, Bolaji Aluko, Bimbo Adelakun, Jibrin Ibrahim, and Ayo Olukotun have become the nation's archives. Their names can never be erased in our collective journeys.
Farooq is a highly charming, harmless, and intelligent guy. I have spoken about Farooq so many times that I cannot remember how many. A few days ago, it was an hour-long conversation with him and a friend on Hijab. Folks in Abuja have called me and asked me to pressure him to stop his column, and I will ask them to talk to him directly. I am not his gateman.
He is very humble. When I thought he went too far in criticizing Jibrin, a blessing to Nigeria, I told him so. At a fish joint where some of us were, his name came up with his former neighbor. I called Farooq to apologize to Jibrin, and he did. This enhanced his stock and reputation with me. I have written an essay on him, a chapter in a book that I have completed but not mature enough even for a first draft.
I don't know whether he reads the Quran. Whether he does so or not, he should go back to Surah Al-Asar Al-Ra'd, where the stress is on how we spend our time and for what purpose and the righteous deeds that must accompany them. May he not depart from the commitment to the pursuit of peace, contentment, and peace. The prescriptive 20:14 seeks a complete surrender to Allah.
Congratulations, the great one.
TF
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