During ultimate year in universities, you will witness faculties and departments having dinner and award nights upandan. Well, you will agree with me that having fun after 8-12 semesters in university is not a bad thing. But let take a microscopic look at the processes involved in various dinner and award nights.

I took a quick look at award categories of some faculties, and I got a better understanding of what makes people steal public funds and why our youth may struggle to have financial freedom amidst misplacement of priorities.

Example of common award categories are;

1. Tightest Wardrobe

So I wonder if this can be termed as achievements, when Zukerberg's trademark is simple grey round neck. Don't get me wrong, looking good is a good business. But celebrating wardrobe in a country with over 38 million unemployed graduates is the beginning of mediocrity. What is wrong with thinking ahead by preparing for life after school? Owners of jobberman started from the corners of their hostels.

2. Tightest Ride

Of course, you know that this is simple celebrations of internet fraud (yahoo-yahoo) , robbery, kidnapping and all other shady deals. Actually we have winners whose parents are rich, but it is laughable when one get such award because he's a beneficiary of benevolent hands.

3. Best Couple

This is how best Nigerian students know how to celebrate premarital affairs in universities. Then we clap for the two ignoramus as they walk majestically to claim shameful award.

What is wrong with having award categories like; most innovative student, best service, best entrepreneur, best essayist and orator.

Do you not think that that guy who sacrificed his reading time to tutor junior students deserve commendation? Or the guy that taught a faculty/department how to use a software for free do not deserve an award?

What happened to class rep/governor who has shown exemplary leadership skills in his department?

What about the girl/guy that always volunteer to execute different important tasks in student union or association?

What about that poor scholar, you think there's no need to present an award to him because university is giving him stipend abi?

It is high time we put on our thinking caps as youth. We may not be too young to rule, but we can be unprepared to rule. A bad/corrupt student leader in university will not do well in any level leadership, whether at national, state, local government or organisational level. Let begin to hail values over mediocrity.

true....i can relate... I tried bringing some change back then... when I was in school.... but unfortunately I met a very stiff opposition... infact almost the whole department was against me.......mediocrity everywhere.

TANKDESTROYER:

Thanks for dropping a comment, this will actually change if we don't keep mute. I am in the process of convincing some organisers to include these award categories. Change should begin from our schools.


@ Richiez, Fynestboi and olawalebabs, please help bring this to limelight so our youth can be informed better. Thanks.

God bless you for this