There should be a paradigm shift. Those youths who burn the midnight candles and achieve fantastic results in our education institutions should be rewarded and celebrated too… The country and those who have a say in the reward system here, must give our budding scholars and inventors the platform to deepen their excellence through adequate compensation.
Let it be stated from the onset that the angst is not against the humongous mouthwatering prizes totaling N85 Million earmarked for the winner of Big Brother Naija Season 5. At the end of the 10-week show – a riveting spectacle pandering to sheer entertainment and momentary pleasure – a new multi-millionaire will be minted. The problem is the pittance usually grudgingly given out to those who perform excellently in the country’s higher institutions and other levels of education. Some best graduating students take home N5,000 and books totaling, may be, N2,500 after finishing with first class degrees and working at it through four to five years, or seven to eight years, in the case of the medical sciences. In most cases, students who excel in competitions at the secondary and university levels get only plaques with little or no monetary reward.
Worse still, students and experts who invent products that can lead to industrial breakthroughs and development of the country, like Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, whose invention of an indigenous car was killed by government tardiness and sabotage, are never supported. There are so many inventions and products gathering dusts in many institutions and research outlets mainly due to the lack of government support, leading to frustrations on the part of the individuals responsible for their conceptualisation and development.
But when it comes to the big stage of entertainment, exotic prizes, recognition, big monies and multiple forms of support come tumbling down from all corners, including from corporate bodies and even government agencies. Prime time television and the information superhighway join in the frenzy. Everybody, including fans in diverse places, wants to be part of the party and wants a piece of the action.
It is therefore no longer an impression but a stark reality: The country’s reward system is warped and skewed against excellence and endeavours of lasting values. Inanities are well compensated, while those which can lead to a better citizenry and better environment are either completely neglected or not given their just reward.
For the record, the winner of Big Brother Naija Season 5, for just ‘acting’ and creating an impression for about three months will win the following: a N30 million cash prize; a two-bedroom apartment; a top of the range SUV; a trip to Dublin; home appliances; a trip to Dubai; a year’s supply of noodles and toothpaste; a year’s supply of a popular drink; a branded chiller and a trip to watch the UEFA Champions League finale; and a brand new mobile smartphone, according to the organisers. Interestingly, the prizes were donated by national and multinational companies whose corporate social responsibility to education is, to use the known cliché, nothing to write home about.
And the members of the new generation are taking it all in and it is shaping their ways of life. Little wonder the ‘Hushppupi’ aberration is catching on. They have noted the way those involved in schemes of everlasting benefits to all are maltreated and neglected. And the way those who perform for personal gains are not only celebrated but also generously rewarded.
It is therefore no longer an impression but a stark reality: The country’s reward system is warped and skewed against excellence and endeavours of lasting values. Inanities are well compensated, while those which can lead to a better citizenry and better environment are either completely neglected or not given their just reward. No wonder more and more Nigerian youths are headed in the wrong directions of soulless debauchery, unbridled love for materialism and lust for money.
It is therefore right, just and in the national interest for the authorities to also find a way round the dangers of the pandemic in order for schools to reopen for the good of students and the country.
There should be a paradigm shift. Those youths who burn the midnight candles and achieve fantastic results in our education institutions should be rewarded and celebrated too. They also deserve the big stage and focus of prime time television. The country and those who have a say in the reward system here, must give our budding scholars and inventors the platform to deepen their excellence through adequate compensation. They should be fully supported for the good of all. Grants and sponsorships should come in torrents to them. After all, the country stands to gain more from them than those who appeal only to our emotions through make-belief reality shows.
Of course, in spite of the coronavirus, the odds are in favour of the big brother show to go on, while schools would still have to wait before reopening. The authorities gave the go ahead and the organisers found a way round the pandemic for the reality show to be staged with little or no encumbrance.
It is therefore right, just and in the national interest for the authorities to also find a way round the dangers of the pandemic in order for schools to reopen for the good of students and the country.
Adegbenro Adebanjo sent this piece via obanijesu@yahoo.com.
