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NGN200,000 penalty for examination malpractice in Nigeria –The government has a misplaced priority.

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presidentGoodluckJonathan

 

The Federal Government of Nigeria have always neglected the counsel of bottom-top approach in all her dealings, especially when it has to do with packaging policies that directly touch the lives of the common man. However, the government favors the bottom-top approach when designing policies for punishment or/and keeping her citizens in an unfavorable state. My statement must not be mistaken for someone who lends a voice to examination malpractice. It is condemnable, despicable and as a matter of fact it contributes to the decay in our educational system and the high number of half-baked graduate in the country. But what am saying is simple, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, very old saying!

Many names have been coined by students in the process of achieving such colorful certificate in special centers. A friend once told me that names such as; “site the moon and hajj by road” are used in Borno, the state capital of Maiduguri. He explained that, site the moon implies that the students who are registered in the special centers have already seen the question papers before hand, while the hajj by road allows students to swap an improved answer script from outside the examination hall with the doodling script they had inside the hall, Surprise? How amazing things magically turn out?

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Most times the actions and inactions of government are lopsided, remarkable resemblance of persons bereft of ideas. It is too late to cry when the head is off, the school system have encouraged it in time past, even the examination bodies in the country, the SSCE, WAEC, JAMB, and other internal school exams students write. The term “special centers” was introduced in Nigeria and operated in collaboration with examination bodies. For the sake of those who claim to be fleeceable on the subject matter, special centers is a place where 100% success are guaranteed during examination irrespective of deficiency in knowledge, of course with a huge fee.

Holistically, Examination malpractice represents a meager part of Nigeria’s problem, so the proposed five year jail term with option of two hundred thousand Naira (NGN200,000) or suffering both, sounds like killing a fly with a sledgehammer, especially when there are other serious matter forcing the country down her kneels, like corruption which demand equal and immediate attention, if not more than the attention given to exam malpractice.

The truth remains that you can never find a healthy tooth in a rotten mouth. This same government has been advised severally to make tax laws that will prohibit rich people from building big houses and allowing them accommodate animals and insects where there are thousands of ordinary citizens who struggles for accommodation day after day. But they won’t buy any of it since they are the same people who own such houses. I really do not need to point fingers but isn’t it government’s job to ensure that oil theft is completely stopped or at least reduce to the barest minimum by way of tightening up security? It continued to be more obvious that the most important things that are currently affecting the growth and development of the nation are of less concern to Nigerian leaders.

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If a man does not embrace his past, he has no future. This is for the current Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, who said that “the demand by ASUU will cripple Nigeria.” In 2011 Nigeria spent all her foreign reserves on election campaign and it never crippled the nation, is it the investment that will secure the future of our nation, and contribute to the development of the country that will cripple Nigeria. I pity Nigerian student.

What we do in life echoes in eternity, this must sound as a warning to Nigerian leaders! Have you wondered why the law makers have refused to make laws sentencing any corrupt government officials found guilty of looting fund from public coffers to life imprisonment? Because they are same people who help themselves with public money and as such would not make law that affects them. A bill was once raised to prevent public office holders from sending their kids outside the shores of the country for educational purposes, so as to aid the development of Nigerian universities, that bill never passed the first reading in the National Assembly. Why? Your guess is as good as mine!

It is time our leaders start tackling issues that matters to the ordinary Nigerians. Address contents that will improve the standard of living of the people of Nigeria and stop basing efforts on trivia matters. Presently the topic on table in Nigeria is old PDP, new PDP, and merger of APC, when the nation is faced with more serious problems eating deep into the fabrics of the nation. Nigerians must refuse to be dragged into constantly discussing politics like our leaders want and concentrate on discussion of governance. Nigerians are watching, performance are being evaluated and questions will be asked, I do hope worthy answers will be provided when the time beckons.

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