₦airaland Forum

It's easy to castigate Amnesty International if you or your loved ones have never been a victim of police/military brutality. The fundamental principle of justice is that all accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty! Even if you catch someone red handed, it is still not conclusive because the person may be mentally derailed. Abdulmutallab (the underwear suicide bomber in a US plane en route Detroit) was given a fair hearing despite being caught in the act. I'm sure if it were Nigeria, our soldiers would have killed him on the spot thereby jeopardizing the possibility of extracting useful Intel from him.

rawpadgin:
each time i hear Nigerian science students bragging about their certificate i just laugh

the mentality of an average Nigerian science student is.... after graduation get employed in a company that pays 200k per month, then get married

while the U.S science students are thinking of the next machine to invent

Words on marble! You just hit the issue at its root.

EagleNest:
There was a currency... History of Naira/Dollar exchange at a glance

Date Naira per US $
1972 0.658
1973 0.658
1974 0.63
1975 0.616
1976 0.62
1977 0.647
1978 0.606
1979 0.596
1980 0.550 (0.900 PM)
1981 0.61
1982 0.673
1983 0.724
1984 0.765
1985 0.894 (1.70 PM)
1986 2.02 (3.90 PM)
1987 4.02 (5.90 PM)
1988 4.54 (6.70 PM)
1989 7.39 (10.70 PM)
1990 7.39 (10.70 PM)
1991 8.04 (9.30 PM)
1992 9.91
1993 17.30 (21.90 PM)
1994 22.33 (56.80 PM)
1995 21.89 (71.70 PM)
1996 21.89 (84.58 PM)
1997 21.89 (84.58 PM)
1998 21.89 (84.70 PM)
1999 21.89 (88-90 PM)
2000 85.98 (105.00 PM)
2001 99-106 (104-122 PM)
2002 109-113 (122-140 PM)
2003 114-127 (135-137 PM)
2004 127-130 (137-144 PM)
2005 132-136
2006 128.50-131.80
2007 120-125
2008 115.50-120
2009 145-171
2010 148.21-154.8
2011 151.05-165.1
2012 155.09-161.5
2013 153.21-162.9

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_naira

Nigeria lost its power over dollar in 1986 when Babangida was head

This is what happens when a country fails to build local capacity and indigenous technology. We import everything, even toothpicks. Here is a chart based on your data. The devaluation is very visible here.

I have attached copies of the Bill seeking to end the discrimination in jpeg and pdf formats. I must confess I earlier thought the bill is one of those only concerned about the level 14 barricade in civil service, while ignoring other aspects of the discrimination. After reading through, I realised why the Senate President maintained that what the bill seeks to achieve is "impossible". If passed, this bill will end the discrimination in all ramifications. I'm really proud of the Senator that sponsored it. He has a deep understanding of the issue and intends to uproot it at its core and all areas of manifestation. The bad news is that it met a brick-wall like the propositions of Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili in 2007. The Senate President ordered a public hearing on the bill and that may be the last we'll hear of it. Nothing is in the news about the public hearing despite the fact that the Senate President asked the committee on education to report back to the house in four weeks (from October 22 when the bill scaled through second reading). It will be four weeks by 19th. November, 2014. The Secretary of the committee is Felix Orumwense and his number is 08037880471. For those residing at Abuja and can go to the National Assembly, the secretary's office is at S 109-Room 19 according to the information on their website. We can play our own part by calling that number or sending our views as sms to it. I was hoping they'll have an e-mail address where I can send in my detailed suggestions.

Useful links:

http://www.nassnig.org/nass/committees.php?id=17
http://www.nassnig.org/nass/news.php?id=615
http://www.nassnig.org/nass/legislation.php?pageNum_bill=1&totalRows_bill=31

zebra:
Let all polytechnic stakeholders come out in mass whether physically or online and support the removal of this discrimination. If the Nigerian HND is not equivalent to a Bsc how comes it is respected by many european countries and the US and its holders are given direct masters admission without going thru the PGD route? That's a good question to ask.

They know it is equivalent and even better in fields like Engineerin, Accountancy and Mass Communications. They won't just admit because doing so will mean losing jobs and dominance enjoyed by degree holders. A level playing ground will result to some degree holders losing their jobs to HND holders. The fundamental problem with HND is failure to Amend the Polytechnic Act, limiting polytechnics to the production of middle level manpower, before the commencement of the programme. In fact, the HND programme was ill-conceived. Polytechnics ought to have been empowered to offer bachelors degree when their was a need for highly skilled technical manpower.
The bill in question will only be implementable after amending the Polytechnic Act, COREN Act and other laws and policies of NUC and JAMB discriminating the polytechnics.

The discrimination is deeply entrenched and I don't think this bill or any court judgement can stop it. Those who will be required to enforce the bill, when it becomes a law or the court judgement, are those who started the discrimination in the first place and are benefiting from it. Another thing is that the bill and the court case seem to focus on the discrimination of HND holders in the civil service while ignoring other areas like:

1. In-house discrimination of HND holders in the Polytechnics whereby they are employed as "Instructors" against their University counterparts employed as "Lecturers". That's why I don't take ASUP serious when they complain about the discrimination. Charity they say begins at home. If ASUP wants to end the discrimination against their products, they should start by treating HND and degree holders in the union equally. The lip service they pay to the discrimination issue is not unexpected since degree holders dominate the union and occupy its top echelon.

2. Discrimination of HND holders in the private sector: [/b]As it stands today, almost all multinational companies discriminate against HND holders in their GRADUATE TRAINEE recruitment. I don't think this bill or any court judgement can stop that.

[b]3. PGD route and 3years direct-entry programme: Universities will still mandate HND holders to pass through PGD programme before admission to master's degree programme, despite the fact that this policy represents hypocrisy of the highest order (you say HND is not equal to a degree yet you accept the qualification for a postgraduate programme). HND holders will still be required to spend 3years to get a degree. This dimension of the discrimination has a wider implication in the sense that it impedes the HND holder from acquiring higher qualifications. It also by implication, excludes HND holders from all scholarship programmes for master's degree (government and private sponsored), even after acquiring a PGD. The Presidential Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development is the latest of such blatant discrimination. Holders of HND+PGD (Distinction) are excluded from this scheme like others(PTDF, TETFUND,NNPC etc.) despite the fact that HND holders can secure admission directly to masters degree programmes (without PGD) in universities outside Nigeria, where HND is better appreciated.

4. Discrimination by COREN: Historical facts show that COREN institutionalized this discrimination by sending out letters to government establishments and private companies mandating them not to employ HND holders as "Engineers". The battle with COREN to end this discrimination and equate HND with degree will be the dirtiest. Who will implement it? The degree-holders-controlled COREN?

5. Societal prejudice and perception: As it stands today, the predominant belief (very unfortunate) is that the average polytechnic graduate is not as smart as their university counterpart. The lower entry requirement (particularly JAMB) for polytechnics is not even helping matters.



What then is the way forward?

1. HND programmes should be discontinued. Polytechnics should only run ND programmes and other short-duration courses leading to the award of certificates.

2. Deserving Polytechnics should be upgraded to full-fledged Universities. We must be careful not to adopt the 'City University' and B.Tech degree nonsense otherwise the B.Tech degree from such institutions will be second-rated to that of conventional universities.

3. A 1-year top-up degree programme should be designed by NUC to replace PGD programme for HND holders. Existing HND holders, who desire a bachelors degree, can go for this 1-year programme, as obtainable in the UK, to get a bachelors degree.

akinsadeez:
The discrimination is really bad and I honestly feel for those students who go through the rigours of a polytechnic only to come out and be made to feel inferior to their peers.

However, even the polytechnics are not helping themselves. A polytechnic lecturer was brought on a radio station last weekend to comment on this raging issue. He however disclosed the fact that even the polytechnics are discriminating against themselves. He narrated his own story about how he was denied promotion in his own department in the polytechnic because he did not have a university degree. His colleagues in the department who had additional university degrees were promoted. He was denied the promotion until he went to back to get a degree from a university. This was despite the fact that he had two masters already. I was later to discover that this is quite rampant in polytechnics. Lecturers and staff who have additional university degrees move up the ladder rapidly in the polytechnics than their counterparts.

Now, how can Polytechnics expect people to treat them equally when they themselves do not value their certificate.? How can people rate their graduates on par when they do not rate their own graduates at par.
Charity they say begins at home. In this fight against discrimination, Polytechnics should first look inwards before looking outwards.

The in-house discrimination is the most pathetic of all. It is painful and shameful. That is why I see ASUP as hypocrites anytime they are calling for equality. The standard all over the world is that lecturers in a tertiary institution must possess a qualification adjudged to be higher than the minimum qualification obtainable in their institution. That is why degree holders are employed as Assistant Lecturers or Graduate Assistant (not full Lecturer) in the University system. One would expect that HND holders should also enjoy the same thing in the polytechnic but they are referred to as Instructors and even denied promotion to Lecturing Cadre after bagging a master's degree. I think this aspect of the discrimination is still existing today because before the commencement of the HND programme, the Polytechnics were controlled by degree holders. With the introduction of the HND, it will mean that all polytechnic staff must upgrade their qualifications from bachelor's to at least master's degree (to comply with global best practices as stated earlier) if HND is adjudged equal to bachelor's degree. Trust the lazy average Nigerian to take the easy route of maintaining that HND is lower so as to remain secure with his/her bachelor's degree within the polytechnic system. That's the politics of ASUP and I never take them seriously whenever they talk about discrimination because they are benefiting from it.

goldfish80:
Sorry to say but ure actually missing my point. The polytech students jamb cut off mark is actually for admission into ND program after which the student get OND cert. To get Hnd, the student have to re-apply and re-take an entry examination with his/her OND certificate in hand to gain admission for Hnd program. So cumulatively the polytech student must have passed through more stringent process to get a Hnd cert than his university counterpart.
That's my angle to the argument.

I agree with you bro but the prejudiced minds won't see it that way. I was just trying to point out the root of the prejudice against HND holders. The perception is that since the JAMB cut-off mark for the ND that feeds the HND programme is below that of the University, then the HND programme also bears the baggage that comes with the low ND requirement. That's why the ridiculous discrepancy in the JAMB cut-off must be stopped otherwise they should stop calling the exam a UNIFIED exam. The facts speak for itself:

1. Some polytechnic students scored far above their university counterparts but where denied university admission for frivolous reasons.
2. Some polytechnics still insist on the minimum cut-off mark for Universities as their own minimum entry requirement.
3. JAMB only exists to streamline admission seekers to a number that can be accommodated by the limited capacities in our tertiary institutions. O'level is the fundamental requirement for admission into any tertiary institutions and the O'level requirements is the same 5 credit passes across all institutions.

goldfish80:
People talking about jamb cut off marks being unequal in both institutions are oblivious of the fact that poly students have to take another entry exam to get re-admited to study for Hnd after coming back from their internship program.
A poly student must have made a cumulative larger score in both jamb and Hnd entry exam than a university student who scored 300 in jamb.
Just another perspective to the argument.

The JAMB cut-off issue is where the entrenched discrimination starts from. It's just plain hypocrisy. You call an exam a UNIFIED exam yet there is discrepancy in cut-off marks for institutions. The case is even more pathetic for Colleges of Education, that is now unattractive to serious students because of the ugly cut-off. A complete system overhaul is urgently needed before this madness goes out of hand.

It takes integrity to rise above primordial sentiments and say the truth the way it is. Didn't expect anything less from the Prof. Some of his bigoted colleagues and students are now covering their face in shame. We all know the Nigerian HND is a threat to bachelor's degree. I'll be back with a short story on how this whole discrimination started in the Engineering field and spread to other areas.

Here is the story. I tried summarizing it but I felt that will amount to watering it down. So don't mind the length:

Engineering Education trails far behind all other branches in Nigeria, and the first attempt whatsoever made at grappling with the challenge of modern technology in the country came as a result of the welfare act passed by the British government in 1940. It was on the basis’ of this act that the Nigerian Ten-year Technical Education Development Plan was formulated in 1944. In 1948, the Yaba Higher College (started about 1930) was broken up and the departments were transferred to form the nucleus of the University College Ibadan.

What remained of the Higher College was renamed Yaba Technical Institute to give practical expression to the new Technical Education Development Plan. Technical Education was then a novelty in the country and the government had to bring together various training centres being run by public departments to form the Yaba Technical Institute. Such centres included the Lands and Survey Training Centre which started in 1908, Marine in 1928, the P.W.D. in 1931, the Post and Telegraphs also in 1931 and the Railways in 1942.

[b]Why did our Colonial Masters give engineering education a separate and distinct development plan? Why was a faculty of engineering not introduced along with other disciplines at the inception of Ibadan University College? Different people have different ways of looking at these questions, but with the benefit of a hindsight, two reasons can now be positively adduced. In the first place if the University of Ibadan had to turn out graduate engineers in the early fifties, there would have been no industries to absorb such graduates. Secondly and most importantly, however, such modus operandi would have to run counter to established British tradition in the development of education.

In early days in Britain, every student engineer starts his career by first receiving a sound practical training under factory conditions, and progresses along professional ladder depending on individual talent, intellect and interest. The situation was such that nobody graduated to a professional engineer without indomitable bent in the practicals.[/b]

Even after the second world war, Britain adopted massive training of engineering personnel through full-time, part-time evening/day release courses in Technical Colleges to make-up for shortage of manpower in engineering industries leading to ONC/OND qualifications in engineering with sound practical know-how. The British track of development was undoubtedly what our colonial Masters envisaged in their ten-year technical education progranmme for Nigeria. Certainly, in ten years, with little attention, the Yaba Technical Institute would have been ripe enough to turn out its first batch of authentic Nigerian engineers trained to the 1st degree level while at the same time providing enough manpower at the middle-level cadre. This is in fact the practice in Britain and throughout Europe.

However, in the Nigerian history, which is now being reviewed, partly because our colonial Masters saw Africa foremost as raw materials workshop, and partly due to our own defective sense of appreciation. Technical Education was never developed in Nigeria.

Yaba Technical Institute was allowed to suffer a slow and emaciated growth. Ten years went by, but nothing was again heard of the ten-year development plan. The attitude ran through a span of almost one and half decades, and up to the dawn of our independence.

Immediately, after independence a floodgate of University campuses was thrown open, with the University of Lagos coming into existence by an act of Parliament in 1960. Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University and Ife followed in quick succession. Nigerians had known the pride of wearing academic robe in law and Theology but they seemed to have totally forgotten that in Engineering, the hood does not make the monk.

Indeed, all the Universities came up with facilities in engineering, thus bringing an upsurge of entrants into engineering profession at the graduate level. Two things had immediately gone wrong. In less than ten years after independence, the nation was already filled with graduate engineers who were in actual fact no more than Science boys - because in the words of Professor Terry, “nobody ever learnt engineering from a book anymore than that a person ever acquired the art of swimming or bicycling theoretically in an armchair”.

Second wrong thing was the irony of building a house from roof top. As it were, Nigeria had succeeded in building an economy with the apex of technical manpower cadre overcrowded, and the middle level none-existent. Soon, questions were being raised about the quality of locally trained engineers, while the dearth of middle level manpower was embarrassingly acute.

Government started looking for solutions. Everybody knew quite well that solution lies in restructuring our system of engineering education; but from where do we start? Suddenly, it appeared the policy makers decided that the solutions start and end with restructuring the old Yaba Technical Institute but which had by 1963 metamorphosed into Yaba College of Technology. Many reasons were advanced:-

Firstly, records showed that the Yaba Technical Institute at its inauguration in 1948 was intended to produce the middle level man-power requirements of the country. The first solution to solving the problem of middle level manpower shortage therefore is to keep ‘Yaba’ well within its defined objectives of over 30 years back.

This view was sold to government, and it was generously accepted. There seemed to be no single person to recall that a ten-year technical education development plan should at the close of the planned period be able to produce very high level technological manpower.

Secondly, having regards to the nation’s poor technological performance, the source was almost certainly traced again to the College of Technology curriculum. Various papers were presented to show that Yaba boys were doing too much theory. This has to be cut to size while emphasis must be on the practical skills.

The arguments were as maliciously unsound as they were curiously illogical, but yet they held sway. In retrospect, it would seem so strange that in all this, the university engineering curriculum was left severely alone. In the ostensible quest for solution to acute shortage of middle level manpower, hilarious and rather effective propaganda was mounted to ensure that all products of Yaba College of Technology at whatever level were tagged middle-level manpower.

Technology students stood against all the onslaught. Very bold and daring attacks were actually launched to destroy the new enviable status of the Institution, but it was like trying to obliterate Mounts Olympus from the surface of the earth - for the 1968 College of Technology graduates are definitely not the same as the 1948 pioneers; not only have they now the right training, but theirs is a professional struggle and they have fought it to the surface.

Indeed, Technological education had already taken a firm and solid shape in Nigeria. The Old Yaba Technical Institute has yielded place to Technical Colleges as the main centres for the production of middle-level manpower; and it equally turns out a cream of Ordinary Diploma graduates in the middle level cadre. The Higher Diploma which is now the highest qualification being awarded had been hard worn and the battle to retain and enhance it continues till this day.

It has to be recalled that the renaming of Yaba Technical Institute as Yaba College of Technology in 1963 was itself not done until a very hot students’ agitation. The renaming brought in its wake the enrolment of students for the Higher Technician Diploma of the City and Guilds of London.

Still in research of progress, Yaba students went on strike again in 1969 calling for the abrogation of the Higher Technician Diploma and autonomy for the College. In July 1969, Decree No. 23 was promulgated after students’ agitation which necessitated shutting down the institution for five weeks! The old Technical Institute has at last graduated into motherhood.

Section 1 (a) of Decree 23 of July 1969 states:-
“To provide courses of Instruction, Training and RESEARCH in Applied Science, Technology, Commerce, Management, and such other field of learning as the Council may from time to time determine”.

A comparison of Decree 23 of 1969 which re-established the Yaba College of Technology with the University of Lagos Decree 3 of 1967 is quite revealing:-
1 (3) The objects of the University shall be:-
1 (3) (b) “To provide courses of instruction and other facilities for the pursuit of learning in all its branches, and to make those facilities available on proper terms to such persons as are equipped to benefit from them”.
1 (3) (c) “To encourage, promote and conduct research in all fields of learning and human endeavor”

The Decree 23 of 1969 was nothing but a fulfillment of the philosophy that gave birth to polytechnic education the world over and it was indicative of the level of technological development in post-independence Nigeria.

In the early 70’s, many of the product of Yaba College of Technology graduated with H.N.D. certificates were accepted and worked in companies as Engineers. In those days also after the Nigerian Civil War, developments was going on in all aspects of the nation’s economy, and as such, the early professional returnees from the U.K. and other oversea countries established consultancy firms in the country with H.N.D. /H.N.C. holders from the U.K. and Yaba College of Technology employed in their firms as Engineers, and were performing creditably well.

Soon after, Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) was established, and was then strongly believed it was through the assistance of members of Nigerian Society of Engineers. This belief was soon confirmed when COREN Decree of 1970 was obtained, with Newspaper publications coupled with direct letters to Government Ministries and companies, limiting only holders of B.Sc. qualifications to be employed as engineers.

That action was seen as discriminations against graduates of Colleges of Technology and Polytechnics.

Source: [url] http://www.nateonline.org/History.asp[/url]


Those letters sent out by COREN to Government Ministries and Companies to employ only B.Sc. holder as Engineers, institutionalized and entrenched the discrimination! Nothing motivated those letters other than VENDETTA! There was rivalry between the two categories of Engineers before the formation of COREN. As a result of that rivalry, a homogenous professional body could not be formed hence there was NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (for degree holders) and NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF TECHNOLOGICAL ENGINEERS (for HND holders). Employers preferred the HND holders because of their practical depth. In fact the failure of the first sets of "Engineers" churned out by the Universities to live up to expectation necessitated the development of the HND programme in the polytechnic as buttressed in the above article.

Instead of developing another diploma programme (the HND), the sane thing to do then was to upgrade YABATECH and other polytechnics to degree awarding institutions and ultimately Universities of Technology, but those who feel Polytechnics must continue to wear the toga of "middle level manpower" institutions never welcomed that idea. This same title of "middle level manpower" which originally belongs to the ORDINARY NATIONAL DIPLOMA graduates of Polytechnics was then extended to HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA HOLDERS who, by all academic standards and justifications, are at par with their University counterparts. Following the relegation of engineering graduates of polytechnics to the background by COREN, graduates in other fields from the polytechnics were also placed under their university counterparts.

1. Electromagnetic Field Theory (Maxwell Equations) - I think Maxwell is the only one that understands this course.

2. Digital Signal Processing (Fourier Transform)

3. Microprocessor Programming: Teaching a computer how to add just two numbers can be a pain in the ass. Computers are actually dumb.

4. Digital Design (Minimization techniques using 6-variable Karnaugh map and advanced boolean algebra, flip flops)

5. Circuit Analysis (Third Order Circuits, Frequency response, Phasor analysis, Hybrid Parameters of Transistors etc.)

6. Instrumentation and Control (Sampling and quantization, calibration, transfer functions, stability, block diagram reduction etc.)

FolabiCash:
Thanks so much for this enlightenment, think I'll go with the ND , then write JAMB along , so even if I prolly get admitted through JAMB I'll still have my ND certificate and if it doesn't pull through I'll try Direct entry or just go for HND , then Start work and later Start a program abroad. is that good enough bruh?

The choice is all yours. Whatever makes you happy is good enough besides, age is still on your side.

tempem:
Any help for civil engineering student? I mean how he could enjoy his stay being in school and chances of getting employed.. Currently in part2, if things works out fine, I should graduate by the age of 23... Hope that's OK too? Bro, what other things do you think I could learn that's in line with my course of study...

Look for a construction firm around you no matter how small. Offer yourself to work for free during long vacations. Don't wait till your school mandates you to go for SIWES. You can even attach yourself to a building contractor or any practicing civil engineer you know, as apprentice. There is Voluntary Industrial Experience (VIE) in developed countries whereby students can walk in to any company and apply to work for free just for the experience. It's unfortunate that's not the trend here. The point is, try to get as much work experience as you can before graduating. Proficiency in the use of civil engineering software like AUTO CAD, before graduating, will also be an advantage.

FolabiCash:
GUYS PLEASE I'M CURRENTLY 20 YEARS OLD & I WOULD BE 21 ON JUNE 16 , AND STILL WITHOUT ADMISSION , BUT NOW I WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DOING ND AND PRE DEGREE , GUYS PLEASE WHICH SHOULD I GO HAVING IN MIND THAT IM GOING FOR AN ENGINEERING COURSE AND THE VERY HARD CHANCES OF DIRECT ENTRY THROUGH ND . GUYS HELP ME PLEASE I NEED YOUR CANDID ADVICES

It all depends on your future plans.

Since you are interested in Engineering, I'll advise you go for ND. With ND in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, you stand a chance of securing placement as Production Operator or Technician in many multinational companies and earn unbelievable income. You can work for 3years, save enough money and go to the UK for 2-years top-up degree in Engineering. Your 3years experience will give you an edge after your degree in the UK thereby landing you a juicy offer back here in Nigeria. That's a good plan, though it's not that straightforward or easy.

Alternatively, you can go for your pre-degree. Admission to 100level is guaranteed in most schools if you pass your pre-degree exams and meet the jamb cut-off (because most schools do register their pre-degree students for utme to regularise with jamb). That way you'll graduate at 26 (suppose there is no ASUU strike... lol) which is still ok. Most companies still set age limit of 28 in their graduate trainee programmes and all things being equal, you'll be less than that on completion of NYSC. So you are still on track. It is however more challenging to secure a job as fresh engineering graduate with a degree/HND than ND. One Engineer (degree/HND) is needed to supervise four Technicians (ND).

Experience is key in engineering. If you however don't have the intention to practice, perhaps you are interested in lecturing or want to be an engineering scientist, don't go the ND route. Get your first degree and proceed to masters and Ph.D thereafter.

zebra:
The issue scaled for second reading in the house of senate today.

That's some good news. We hope the bill will eventually become a law. There is also a case in the Industrial Court on the issue.

It's easy to quickly dismiss this on the grounds of "accidental drop" but we all know the whole ISIS gra gra is a false flag operation to justify the need for a broader military response culminating in the overthrow of Assad in Syria.

horpe132:
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8.. The $1billion loan that was approved by the "Senate abit weytin dem call their self".............what is it meant for ?
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9.. The money that was seized in SA is meant for ammunition against boko haram...,,,..How will they use the "armo" during this cease fire deal ?
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10.. Will the cease fire deal expire after Election ?....
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11.. NA is gaining ground now in the north-east,,,why can't they finish what they started ones & for all ?
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12.. Was this deal brokered by Politicians or Security Experts

Other thought provoking dimensions. Obviously we are not being told all the truths about this Boko Haram debacle.

Whatever will bring back the Chibok girls and restore peace and order in the haramist-infested States is welcome. However, the following questions are begging for answer:

1. Is Boko Haram, a supposedly faceless group, now having a face when elections are near?

2. After proscribing Boko Haram, does it not amount to illegality to negotiate with a proscribed group?

3. Can Boko Haram be trusted? Wouldn't they renege on their agreements and use the ceasefire opportunity to regroup and reemerge more formidable?

4. What will Boko Haram be getting in return for their agreement?

5. How will the victims of Boko Haram get justice?

6. Will this sort of negotiations not encourage future insurgency by another group?

Two things I hate about religion: Bigotry and Hypocrisy!

Asa's greatest! I'm a diehard fan. Checkout this thread for track by track analysis of Bed of Stone.
https://www.nairaland.com/1894476/asas-bed-stone-music-like

Submarine launched ICBMs are the deadliest.

Guys relax. They can't ban it. Even the Minister and those farmers he's adressing eat ponmo. Who wouldn't especially when it is diced into efo riro? Another thing is ponmo is not just the 'meat' of the poor as portrayed here, the rich also consume it especially those who are avoiding red meat cos of fat and other associated disadvantages.

The lovers of Asa’s songs will agree that her songs are like poetry. Each track usually carries encoded messages. Decoding of these messages is subjected to the perception of the listener/interpreter. In Bed of Stone, Asa takes this uniqueness of her songs to another level.

“Never has Asa’s voice been so precise and emotionally pure!”-www.asa-official.com

Here are my own interpretations of the tracks in Bed of Stone. Feel free to add yours.


1. Dead Again
Have you ever been betrayed by a friend or someone you trust? Play this to the chagrin of the betrayers of trust. The backstabbers!

2. Eyo
Asa originally dedicates this track to Lagos, her home. The track also talks about a special place we all hope to be, a utopia, a break from life’s stressful endless circle, a place of love, a home indeed.
Excerpt:

“… going home, going home
where this road goes I already know
where everybody cares for one another
and they take you as their brother”

3. Satan be gone
Thinks the title of the track says it all!

“Ahhh Esu beleke mi o fe ri e mo nile mi ah…
A fi enu soro, a fara soro, gbogbo ara la fi ba o wi yeah…
Amoni se ni, Aimoni se ni, Olorun ma je ari ah….
…. Satan be gone….”

4. Bed of Stone
Life is a mystery. Listening to this track and following the story in it will reveal that life is indeed like a Bed of Stone. A bed is supposed to be a comfortable resting place, but not when it’s made of stone! This track also exposes the futility of most struggles in life.

5. Moving on
Are you struggling to let go of your past or trying hard to forget something bad that happened to you? This track reminds you that you can’t change it. You can only learn from it and move on.

Excerpt:

“ I had to run away and hide
Something happened in the middle of the night
They came inside without a sound
Suddenly my life was turning upside down…”

Chorus:
Where do you go when you're by yourself?
Who comes along when you cry for help?
I know I can't change the past, but as the river keeps flowing
I'll keep on moving on

6. Grateful
Most people call on God only when they are in distress. This track tells us why it shouldn’t be like that. It also teaches that when you thank God for little things, He rewards you with greater ones. It’s a perfect track to wake you up every morning.

7. Society
This is a track I’m still finding hard to crack.

8. How Did Love Find Me?
Have you given up on your love life? Have you concluded no one will ever love you like you dream? Love might just find you when and where you least expected, like it did Asa in this track!

Excerpt:

“Can you do this for me, whisper a prayer
Something is happening, I’m so scared
What I waited so long for, is finally here
Why did it feel so wrong, why the tears?
I always give love, Never thought I deserve
To be the one who gets love, oh no…
….. Over mountain overseas,
Where I thought no man could reach
How did you find me?
How did love find me?...”

9. Ife
A powerful love song dedicated to all lovers especially those in distance relationships, relationships envied by many and those lovers having a misunderstanding as a result of gossips etc.

Excerpt:

“They try to tear us apart
Saying we are not meant for each other
Telling things about me so unflattering
Like I’m someone new and you have forgotten me
All day long it never ends
Could you come back home it feels like hell…”

10. Situation
Yet another track I’m still listening to over and over again trying to figure out what Asa is really saying. It appears on the surface she’s talking about the changing world and its effects on us but I still feel it’s deeper than that.

11. New Year
We are usually resistant to change whereas we’ll only witness transformation in our life when we allow evolution to take its natural course. The only thing that’s permanent in life is change. So we have to know when to peel off old skin and move on.

12. The One That Never Comes
You’ve waited so long for Mr. Right and even concluded he’s not coming only to realize he’s that guy you friendzoned.

13. Sometimes I wonder
Play this to the chagrin of your detractors. When she released her last Album, Beautiful Imperfection, some critics accused her of deviating from her original concept and yielding to commercialization. In this track, Asa reminds them that Artists are dynamic. So to all those that try to analyze her, you might just be surprised. She also lashes out at those spreading dirty rumours about her, those envious of her achievements.

14. Shine Your Lights!
What a wonderful way to end a great album.
Never let anyone tell you it’s impossible, you can’t do it, you’re not qualified etc. Everyone’s got a potential. A burning fire within, waiting to be unleashed. Life may present u with difficult situations, but there is nothing you are presently passing through that someone else hasn’t survived. Therefore, nothing should stop u from realizing our dreams.

The job of the opposition is not to praise the incumbent. Their job is to expose the weaknesses, shortcomings and incompetence of the incumbent while offering better alternatives. Democracy will be meaningless without a vibrant opposition no matter how selfish, ruthless or hypocritical the opposition is. It's not peculiar with the APC. Opposition parties all over the world attack unreasonably especially when elections are near.

Cohabiting is a kind of "Internship" for future wife/husband to gather experience before marriage...

The word easy is important here. So judging from the perspective of 'easy to get one self-employed' I'll say Electrical/Electronics Engineering. Areas of Electrical/Electronics Engineering you can easily build a business around include:

1. Domestic and Industrial Electrical Installation.
2. Electrical/Electronic appliances maintenance and repair
3. Winding of Transformers, coils for pumping machines, electric fans etc.
4. Solar Panel and Inverter procurement, Installation and Maintenance service.
5. AC Installation.
6. Information Technology among others.

However, you may not make it big quickly doing all these.

Guess that's why most commentators here favour Civil Engineering. The difficulty with Civil Engineering is getting your first contract even after successfully floating a Civil Engineering firm through partnership. But a single juicy Civil Engineering contract can send you off the hook.

kovak: Well articulated write up. Succinct and balanced view of the matter.

However, my misgiving toward the unjust discrimination is based on the misguided enactments which prolong the tenor of polytechnic education from a reasonable 2years period! The internet is readily available, so I implore you to visit the web site of University of Manchester, or any other prominent university in the UK.

These universities offer 2-year courses in management sciences and award such graduates with HND. For engineering students, they would have to go for 3 years.

In Nigeria (remember that our education system was carved out of the British system), you'd have to spend 5 years of your life running a similar program that would take only two years in the UK!

Now this is the most interesting part: in the UK, if you proceed to spend an extra year writing your thesis (project), you'd be awarded a BSC!

So my question is: what is the basis for this unjust discrimination? If the polytechnic apologists are fighting from this standpoint, then I'm in full support

Thanks for re-emphasizing the crux of the matter. I emphasized these points too in my previous post. The BTEC-HND of the UK is equivalent to the Nigerian ND (National Diploma).

It's ON officially. Check http://admission.unaab.edu.ng for details. The cut-off mark has been reviewed upward to 200 this year as earlier speculated.

The earlier you register, the better. If you are at Abeokuta and looking for a good Cyber Cafe, where you can be guided professionally in filling the application form, come to READYHANDS TECHNOLOGIES located at Suite 4, Ogunsola Memorial Plaza, Opposite OLG Primary School, beside Promotower, Somorin, Obantoko, Abeokuta. E-mail: readyhandstechnologies@yahoo.com. Best of luck to all prospective students.

Will this debate ever end? No!

Will Nigerian HND ever be made equal to bachelor’s degree? That’s not gonna happen either.

Why?

1. According to an article titled “The Conversion of Federal Polytechnics into Universities: the funding aspects” in African Research Review Journal: The polytechnic education was not originally intended to belong to the tertiary tier of education. It was initially conceived by the French and perfected by the English and Russians to be education and training aimed at discouraging elitisms and geared towards the practical preparation of its recipients to fulfill prescribed norms of the economy, which are lacking in the traditional academic institutions. The aim was to evolve an educational system based on work and training. This was later reformed in China, which led to its being regarded as university level institution, specializing in Engineering and Technology and providing inservice training and continuous education.

2. The Nigerian HND programme is an ill-conceived programme. Why? Nigerian Polytechnics are established with the mandate to produce middle level manpower. The term ‘middle level manpower’ by implication means graduates of Polytechnics (no matter how robust their programme is) will never be considered equal to their University counterparts, who are regarded as the ‘higher level manpower’. It has been argued that the National Diploma (ND) holders from the polytechnics constitute the 'middle level manpower' referred to in the polytechnic Act. If that’s the case, then the laws establishing polytechnics ought to have been amended or polytechnics converted to Universities before they are allowed to run a programme higher than the ND. The HND programme was introduced without doing any of that. What were they thinking? The HND programme of the British government, from which our own HND was copied, does not require a prerequisite two-year diploma like ours. It’s an independent two-year programme and is considered equivalent to the first two years of a 3year bachelor’s degree programme, that is with the British HND, you’ll only need to spend one more year in the University to get a bachelor’s degree. Clearly, those who designed the Nigerian HND programme didn’t know what they were doing. The ND programme was sufficient to supply the much needed middle level manpower.

3. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? My first point highlighted the prejudice against Polytechnics generally from inception and the second point highlighted the fact that Nigerian Polytechnics were never intended to produce graduates adjudged as being capable of leadership, hence the institutionalized discrimination!

Why are HND holders agitating?

1. It takes 5years to get Nigerian HND unlike the 2-year British HND that many compare it to. Courses worth more than 120 Credit-Hours, the minimum required internationally to bag a bachelor’s degree, must have been passed before earning HND. The clamour for equality by HND holders is based partly on this premise and World Educational Services (WES) has been affirmative in this regard by revealing that Nigerian HND is equivalent to bachelor's degree in their evaluations.

2. The discrepancy in admission requirements (O’level and JAMB cut-off marks) occurs only at ND level and most reputable Federal Polytechnics don not tolerate such discrepancy in their admission requirements. NO POLYTECHNIC (federal, state or private) will admit you to its HND programme if you do not meet the minimum 5 O’level Credit requirements.

The way forward:

1. HND programmes should be discontinued in Polytechnics.
2. A one-year Top-up degree programme should be designed by NUC to allow existing HND holders obtain bachelor’s degree.
3. Polytechnics should be re-focused to run only technical courses and the highest qualification obtainable from there should be ND, the original middle level manpower.
4. Existing Polytechnics with the requisite facilities be converted to Universities.

For further reading on this issue:

[url]
https://www.nairaland.com/1315065/breaking-yoke-discrimination-against-higher[/url]
https://www.nairaland.com/1312040/asup-strike-hnd-discrimination-conspiracy

Olugbenger: He only asked a question, requesting a direct answer, not explanations or conjectures about how you arrived at it.

Only a mad man does things without reason. I had to explain so that the prejudiced minds will see the real reasons behind my choices. I have observed that you and destino24 are only interested in winning arguments instead of reasoning logically and making unbiased deductions like the engineer you claim to be. You are embarrassing the sound engineers if you don't know.

destino24: I have a question for you

If you had the opportunity of sending your first son to any higher institution of your choice.
Which one would it be, poly or uni?

Well that's private. But for the avoidance of doubt, if he's interested in engineering, he'll have to go to the Polytechnic first or a Technical institute like (Institute for Industrial Technology, Lagos) to get his hands dirty and learn the rudiments of engineering. I'll then advice him to work for a minimum of 2years before sponsoring him abroad for bachelor's degree in engineering. Of course I won't let him get close to HND because of the entrenched discrimination against the certificate. Neither will I allow him to study engineering in any of the Nigerian Universities so that he will not end up being like a tiger on a piece of paper.

If he's however interested in Arts or humanities, I'll prefer he goes to the university directly for his 4-year B.A or B.Sc. No need going near the polytechnic because of discrimination (not because University is better, but the unfortunate reality is that premium is placed on it in this part of the world).

We do not value Polytechnic education in Nigeria and that explains why we import the most ridiculous of things like toothpicks.

Soyedele1: You are yet to answer this ;

In uni, for engineering students, You do induction and You are part of the NSE(Nigeria Society of Engineers)..is that also applicable to Poly Grads?

That's not applicable because NSE and COREN made it so. We emphasise NOMENCLATURE and TITLES a lot in Nigeria. That's why some people believe a 'graduate' is only someone who completes a University degree programme forgetting the fact that a secondary school leaver is also a graduate. Similarly, COREN believes only the University degree holder can use the title 'Engineer'. An Engineer is simply someone who practices engineering thus, a Craftsman is also an Engineer at his own level or cadre. The hypocrisy of COREN is exposed where it recognises B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) holders as 'Engineers' and term HND holders Technologists.