Tag Archives: Muhammad Karamba

Between Buhari & Osinbajo: The Missing Ingredient – By Muhammad Karamba

Posted on by
38

Buhari’s absence has brought to light some interesting aspects of the current government which Nigerians should be proud of.

The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is doing an excellent job while his boss is away. Some are already calling for Osinbajo 2019.

But who is to take credit? What is the reason for such disparity between the stewardship of a Boss and his deputy?

One thing is for certain, Prof Osinbajo was chosen by President Buhari. Whatever good comes from the former came as a result of a decision by the latter.

The least we could do is to give Buhari the credit of choosing such a capable hand to be in charge of this Nation in his absence.

Moreover, Osinbajo cannot make any critical decision without contacting his boss. Everything the Acting President has been given credit for has to be sanctioned by the President himself.

The only area where the VP has superseded his boss is one which I call “The missing ingredient”

The success of any government depends greatly on its Public Relations management. Buhari doesn’t have the best of PR management teams.

His PR team is characterized by either making statements and systematically retracting them or staying mute when the nation is asking for answers or refusing to give the voice of the people a listening ear. This has mostly been the case.

A good PR team is one which scrutinizes the meaning of every word or statement that should be said in the name of the Presidency down to the comprehension of the most biased Nigerian. It is one which forces the President to make statements when the need arise and vice-versa.

It is one which understands that citizens deserve comprehensible truth when they demand for them and even when they don’t. It is one which understands that, it is the makeup artist which determines whether citizens see good president or an ugly one.

Prof Yemi Osinbajo has a good PR team and we all have seen the difference it has made. Few days and people are already appreciating.

This is the litmus that has exposed a flaw in Buhari’s administration.

It is time for the President to look beyond political affiliation and choose the best artists to paint a picture of his administration.

I wish the President a healthy return and a successful tenure. God bless Nigeria

 

Muhammad  Karamba

Twitter: @Mukib_

Examination Malpractice: The Seed of Corruption – By Muhammad Karamba

Posted on by
68

This is mid February. For most O’level students, this means hustling by all means to get the minimum required grades. It means making connections to get leaked papers. Miracle centers have already registered their candidates and are arranging a smooth ride for them. This is the reality our educational system is in today.

The saddest of it all is that, we have accepted the status-quo. Parents give their children money to register at miracle centers. Teachers get involved in all forms of malpractices.

School managements pay officials of examination bodies so they turn a blind eye. It has become a norm and we hardly see anything bad in it. Are we then being sincere when we call our leaders corrupt?

The SSCE examination is the first (and most important) ticket that introduces a student into the intellectual realm and it ultimately defines his success in it. Unfortunately, he could have that ticket without earning it and almost everyone in his society will be ok with it; some will even congratulate him.

How will he appreciate scholarship? How will such a student dedicate his time to studies when he could take shortcuts to the certificate? Come to think of the poor hardworking student who dedicates everything to rightfully earn his certificate.

We voted for change but indeed change begins with us. Maybe we restrict the meaning of change to only apply to the change we see on the elites. But if we are really sincere about it, we will begin here.

Just like the popular saying “be the change you want to see”. We are betraying our brothers, students and children by letting them go into this path. They would one day be the leaders of this nation and should we expect a corrupt free government from someone who has known shortcuts all his life? We need a serious campaign against this and it has to start from our immediate homes and communities.

Our governments are virtually doing nothing to remedy this cancer that has crippled our educational system. I thought examination malpractice was a form of corruption. Apparently, it is yet to be in Nigeria. A serious task force needs to be put in place.

There has to be a resistance. Probably a whistleblowers act too. It is the duty of the government to enforce the law.

I have met quite a number of people who are disturbed by this issue but have given up due to societal pressure. You soon become an outcast when you stand for causes like this. But no positive change has ever been welcomed in its initial stages.

We say we want change but what we mostly actually want is for the system to work whenever we need it to and vice-versa. Let’s fight examination malpractice now. CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME.

 

Muhammad Karamba

Twitter: @Mukib_