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PoliticsRe: Nigerian Senate Withdraws The United States Ultimatum by pcicero(m): 3:50pm On Jan 09, 2010
Did we really think the USA will take us serious? It is a clear manifestation that this nation is a huge joke. As for Aondoakaa, i don't know what hold he has over the FG. Maybe, he's Turai boyfriend, but the guy has turned himself into an untouchable. I have never seen such a loquacious AGF.
PoliticsRe: Abeokuta South Pupils To Wear Adire As Uniform by pcicero(m): 3:10pm On Jan 09, 2010
Abagworo:
The use of the word tribe and tribalistic has infected nigerians so much.this idea is such a great one looking at our dying textile industry.the uniforms could be a combo of cotton tops and adire skirts or trousers.the only thing that might seem funny is wearing agbada or bubu to school.
Very correct!
PoliticsRe: Is Nigeria Gradually Becoming A Failed State ? by pcicero(m): 3:03pm On Jan 09, 2010
Bishopking:
cry cry cry

Weeping for this dumb response! some people deserve a vantage place in the zoo!
The fool in you failed to notice the sarcasm? Idiot
RomanceRe: Can U Date A Yahoo Guy? by pcicero(m): 8:16pm On Jan 07, 2010
Is there a moderator in this section? You guys can try all these in the politics section. BTW, what crime did 'justwise' commit to deserve all those mindless attacks?? Though i think he provoked 'mrrock'.

@Tudor
The poster is asking if you can date a "yahoo guy"? I think the intention is to question the yahoo guy's character. She got diverse opinions including yours.
PoliticsRe: Is Nigeria Gradually Becoming A Failed State ? by pcicero(m): 10:26pm On Jan 05, 2010
Anyway, we are in good companies, Obama's Kenya is also listed.
PoliticsRe: Is Nigeria Gradually Becoming A Failed State ? by pcicero(m): 10:24pm On Jan 05, 2010
Ironically, we satisfy all the requirements for the categorisation as a failed state. A dwindling economy, incessant religious and political unrests, undemocratic tendencies, unscrupulous and unpatriotic politicians, endemic corruption, sick nation ruled by ailing leaders, absentee President,
PoliticsRe: Yar’adua Not With Us - Saudi Hospital by pcicero(m): 10:19pm On Jan 05, 2010
Umoru! Umoru!! Umoru!!! Where are youhuhhuhhuhhuhhuhhuhhuhhuhhuhhuh??
PoliticsRe: Obasanjo Has Spoken At Last by pcicero(m): 10:13pm On Jan 05, 2010
What did Aremu have to say about the "time bomb" he planted in Aso Rock by the name of Yar Adua? The effect of that bomb is more devastating than Mutallab's. Yar Adua is holding 150 million people hostage constitutionally, socially, economically, politically and spirituallly.
PoliticsRe: Dele Momodu Quits Column Writing by pcicero(m): 7:30pm On Jan 05, 2010
Haba Nairaland! Let the sleeping dog lie!
The guy has had enough of your bashing and has decided to call it quit (from the backpage). Aso Rock (his co -paymasters) needs him more than ever. Remember he took over from Segun Adeniyi and that dude hasn't been doing well as Yar Adull's media assistant. Particularly, he has brought so much disgrace to the presidency with the manner he has been handling the "President's Saudi Project" so much that "Dele's Aunty Dora" has taken over the brief from him.

By virtue of Dele's avowed closeness and support for any Government in Power, his Dear Aunty Dora has forwarded his name to Umoru on his sick bed alongside the 2010 budget.
Segun Adeniyi would resume back at Thisday while Dele Momodu would be announced as the new Adviser to the President on Media Matters to further compliment Aunty Dora's rebranding project using Ovation as the vista.
PoliticsRe: From The Moderator by pcicero(m): 11:52am On Dec 30, 2009
Power Sweet o! PDP!!!
PoliticsRe: Becomerich WINS, Jakumo Closes in, Beaf Waits by pcicero(m): 7:51am On Dec 21, 2009
At last,
Becomerich congrats! At least he was a popular candidate.
PoliticsRe: Yaradua May Not Return To Nigeria This Year by pcicero(m): 10:11am On Dec 04, 2009
MUZBO:
Who gives a rat's a$s when he'll return as long as he gets better. He may not return this month so whats the difference? . . . those tramp-a$s slutty journalists just want to make a nuclear bomb outta fireworks.
Without making any attempt to trivialize the issue, we should all care. The president's health is our concern, and the longer he stays outside, the more dangerous it becomes. His aides are not helping matters with the half-truths they dole out daily. All is not well with governance in this country (it has never been). The situation has already thrown the country into confusion. It's obvious that the president is critically ill and cannot cope with the demands of his office.
PoliticsRe: I Didn't Ask Yar'adua To Resign by pcicero(m): 10:05am On Dec 04, 2009
The next moment, he will be touting himself as a constitutional lawyer. Now, our revered professor is no longer speaking as someone versed in the contents of the constitution but as a politician.
PoliticsRe: C-river Abolishes First School Certificate by pcicero(m): 9:28am On Dec 04, 2009
If the intention is to encourage further education, then it is welcome development.
PoliticsRe: NL Political Personalities Of The Year! Nominations Ended. by pcicero(m): 11:17am On Dec 03, 2009
[quote author=Paroh_frey link=topic=358878.msg5039899#msg5039899 date=1259831829]You are insane and your imbecilic posts are detestable.[/quote]Ok. Those were the exact words i used for your asinine post in the job section. I still believe that your schizophrenic brain needs to be examined.
PoliticsRe: Fg Denies Granting Enugu Airport Int’l Status by pcicero(m): 3:31am On Dec 03, 2009
Eziachi:
The nectars of a flower will always attract a bee. How can you question Enugu airports viability based on its present passenger traffic? What is there to attract any serious airline or increase the passenger traffic as a result? Is it the obsolete infrastructures at Enugu, where the daily flight schedule is written on a black wooden board with white chalk because it lack such basic things like electronics notice board?

Enugu is the capital of a whole Igbo nation and still in 2009, there are no single international airport in the whole of south east and you think it’ okay. Before you hide behind tribal nonssense, tell me how many northerners/south westerners will be willing to travel from their states by bus or car Enugu to catch plane to London? Alternatively, how many of you will be quite all right to fly from New York to Enugu and then undertake another whole day journey by road to your states, navigating through bad road and armed robbers?

It easy make crass comments or dismissive what they are doing when the pinch is not inside your own shoes. Enugu airport will have the desired human traffic when the infrastructure and the incentive is there. I can’t imagine preferring to go to Lagos, Abuja, Kano or PH from London, if there are an international airport at Enugu, knowing that I will be safely home in a couple of hours after landing because it's close to home. It is common sense and economically wise to have at least an international airport at Enugu to take care of businesses in surrounding huge business towns like Nnewi, Aba, Onitsha and Awka. And will safe lives lost each year, when businessmen from these town are hijcked on the way by robber on their way to catch a flight from Lagos or Abuja. How can such idea be terriible or even open to a debate if not for crooked mind of those still fighting the psychological war with Ndigbo in Nigeria.

In a Biafra, do you think Igbos will wait for an Hausa man or Yoruba to tell them when they can make a progress like the rest of the world? I do not think so. That is the tragedy of Nigeria, we saw something good for our homeland that will improve the lives our people and bring job opportunities, and we cannot do it because our enemies will have to decide what we can have and what we cannot. That is a tragedy.
I don't think Omotoba started this remember Kema Chikwe too was there a few years ago. He admitted that some airports (including Enugu) are showing signs of improvements in flight operations hence the decision to upgrade facilities at the airport. Moreso, i think it is not a minister's sole prerogative to give an airport the "international" status.
PoliticsRe: I am not dead. I shall live my years. Yar Adua. by pcicero(m): 3:23am On Dec 03, 2009
Well, so far no one has told us how much his treatment has cost the nation. Must he continue living at our expense? How much i miss Gani Fawehinmi!
PoliticsRe: NL Political Personalities Of The Year! Nominations Ended. by pcicero(m): 3:16am On Dec 03, 2009
Afam, Eziachi (though we disagree sometimes) Aloy Emeka (unbiased and patriotic), Ibime, Nex, Nuzo, Sleezy8, DayoKanu(my good friend since Ife days), Afam4eva, Gbawe, Chosen04 ( i admire her) are also worthy of being mentioned.
PoliticsRe: NL Political Personalities Of The Year! Nominations Ended. by pcicero(m): 3:11am On Dec 03, 2009
It's very hard because it's been a long year and i've seen so many interesting perspectives on various issues. Sorry, but it's somehow tough.

My nominees:
Kobojunkie (you always stand aloof as if u're not a Nigerian, but i know u are from ur passion)
Jarus (intelligent and forthright)
Beaf ( i like u sha, good and spontaneous)
PoliticsRe: Yaradua's Obituary by pcicero(m): 3:03am On Dec 03, 2009
@Poster
I have seen it on facebook and i had to rush to NL to see if it has been posted here. lol,
PoliticsRe: Babatunde Fashola For President by pcicero(m): 2:53am On Dec 03, 2009
Well, i love Babatunde Fasola. He is my state governor and he has done so many things. However, being the governor of a state and the president of a country are different things.
I am from Epe LGA of Lagos state and i don't know if any of my folks, even on Nairaland can say we have benefitted anything from his government, ditto Badagry and Ikorodu. I am sure some people here will be quick to remind me that those are just three out of 20 LGs but it was out of those three (3) main divisions (out of 5, the others being Lagos and Ikeja; hence IBILE) that all the present LGs or LCDAs were created.
I am insisting that nothing has changed about those three divisions hence their reluctance to vote for Action Congress
Can you now imagine how some Geo-political zones will feel if Fasola were the president?
I am trying to be very objective here and if there is any contrary opinion, i will expect same to be constructive without any name-calling.
PoliticsRe: Sanusi Faults Olaniwun Ajayi On Northern Domination by pcicero(m): 2:38am On Dec 03, 2009
otokx:
SANUSI sure had some points in that write up; some of which include

1. There was some sort of civilization before the British came.

2. Corruption is not limited to any particular tribe
I don't think anyone has faulted that
PoliticsRe: You And Obasanjo One On One: What Would You Tell Him? by pcicero(m): 2:34am On Dec 03, 2009
chidichris:
if i meet obasanjo face to face, i will simply start with a smile.
i will start by thanking him as the best president nigeria has ever seen according to claims here as well as the best gift nigerians have ever had in the name of yar adua. i will thank him for all his effeorts in making nigeria a great country making my refference point to the gsm.
i will surelly thank him for all his efforts while in office and afterwards.

while all these were going on in the physical, i will be coursing him and his generations in my heart for all the sufferings he has caused nigerians both home and abroad. i will not fail to call him a dog in my heart for sleeping with his daughter inlaw.
I love that
Jobs/VacanciesRe: Recruitment, Please This Is For Limited Spaces. by pcicero(m): 2:16am On Dec 03, 2009
You are insane and your imbecilic posts are detestable. There are thousands of people who throng Nairaland daily to see genuine job vacancies and you are here distracting them.
PoliticsRe: Sanusi Faults Olaniwun Ajayi On Northern Domination by pcicero(m): 11:36am On Dec 02, 2009
JosBoy4Lif:
So most, if not all, of the education in Nigeria took place post-colonialism?
If so pcicero should apologies for his statement perpetrating that Sanusi is a history twister
I don't know where you got that from. However, the pattern of incursion of the Westerners was first through trade, then missionary activities and finally colonialism. If the schools were established before colonialism and later existed during and post colonialism, then which education are you referring to?
There were Islamic mission schools like Ahmaddiya, founded and funded by Islamic missioners. We should all endeavour to learn more.

http://www.onlinenigeria.com/education/?blurb=534

OVERVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRE-COLONIAL TO PRESENT DAY
Today:Wednesday, December 02, 2009


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By M. A. Mkpa


INTRODUCTION



Three main educational traditions, the Indigenous, Islamic and the Western, are known to have flourished at various times in Nigeria. Each type of education served its purpose for its consumers but also had its problems.



Even in these days of western-type education, and at this dawn of the new millennium, our educational system is still beset with numerous problems in spite of the progress so far made. This paper examines the trend in the educational development of Nigeria from pre-colonial times to the present, with a view to highlighting the progress made and problems encountered on the way.



More specifically, we present an overview of the indigenous, Quranic and the western-type education before and after independence. We also examine some problems in Nigerian education, especially access, discipline and funding and indi cate desirable direction for the future.





NATURE OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION



Indigenous education represents the type of education offered in the pre-literate era, within the community, by community members who possessed specialised skills or abilities in various fields of human endeavour. In most communities, prior to the introduction of formal education, boys were brought up to take to whatever occupation their fathers engaged in. In some other cases, the boys were sent to other masters as apprentices to learn various vocations and life etiquette.



Although occupations varied accord ing to the geographical areas in Nigeria, the major ones were farming, trading, craft work, fishing, cat tle rearing, wine tapping, traditional medicine and black-smithing. The boys also engaged in such other training activities as archery, tree climbing and wrestling. Intellectual training for them consisted of their sitting quietly beside their fathers at meetings and listening attentively to learn the process of such tasks and skills as arbitration of cases, oratory, wise sayings and use of proverbs.



All these stimulated their sense of rationality. Girls were often expected to stay back at home to learn domestic and other chores such as cook ing, sweeping, weeding the farmlands, hair weav ing, decorations of the body, dye production; and the like from their mothers. As in the case of the boys, the girls did almost exactly what their mothers trained them to do. Generally, therefore, in spite of geo-political variations, traditional or indigenous education in most parts of Nigeria trained individu als to fit usefully into their society by learning and practising economic skills for self-sustenance; adapting to their role expectations and contributing to the development of their society.



Although the traditional education offered by the community was comprehensive such that it provided training in physical, character, intellectual, social and voca tional development, it however had its limitations. For one thing, in the absence of writing, people depended on the power of their memories to facilitate the retention and transmission of all learned ideas to future generations. But memory could fail, and in the event of the death of a custodian of some useful information or skill, all was lost. There were, however, little or no cases of unemployment.



Islamic Education In Nigeria:

Records show that Islam was first accepted by a Kanern ruler, Umme Jilmi (1085 - 1097). Subsequent rulers, Dunama 1 (1097-1150) and Dunama II (1221 - 59), continued the tradition of Islamic learning such that by the end of the 13th Century, Kanern had become a centre of Islamic learning (Fafunwa, 1974:53).



In the early 14th Century, Islam was brought into Hausa land by traders and scholars who came from Wangarawa to Kano in the reign of Ali Yaji (1349 1385). Before long, most of what later became the Northern Nigeria was islamised. Islamic education brought along with it Arabic learning since Arabic is the language of the Quran and was therefore perceived as having great spiritual value. Arabic and Islam were taught simulta neously in primary schools. As a result of the polit ical and social influence which Islam and Quranic learning conferred on those who possessed it, many rulers employed Islamic scholars as administrators.



The Jihad by Uthman Dan Fodio helped to revive, spread and consolidate Islamic studies and extend access to education also to women. Thus, before the arrival in Nigeria of the Western type education in the 19th Century, Islamic learning had been established. Islamic studies had also pene trated the Western parts of Nigeria before the arrival of the Jihadists; but the Jihad strengthened the religion where it was weak. Support for Islamic education came from some Northern Nigerian lead ers, especially Abdullahi Bayero, (Emir of Kano), who, on his return from Mecca in 1934, introduced new ideas by building a Law School for training teachers of Islamic subjects and Arabic as well as English and Arithmetic.



The school continued to grow and expand in scope such that before long, and with the support of the then Northern Region Ministry of Education, it had grown into the popular Bayero College, Kano, which became a part of Ahmadu Bello University and later the present Bayero University, Kano. The institution helped to expand the scope of Islamic studies in Nigeria. Many institutions have sprung up over the years, in many parts of the country, for the purpose of teaching Islamic ideas and practices. However, one major problem of this educational tradition is the focus on Arabic which, in many parts of Nigeria, is not the language of literature, instruction and cor respondence.



The Western-Type Education. This educa tional tradition, began seriously in Nigeria with the arrival of the Wesleyan Christian Missionaries at Badagry in 1842. It has obviously been the most successful in meeting the overall formal education al needs of the consumers for the present and the future. Between 1842and 1914, abouttendifferent Christian missions had arrived and begun intensive missionary and educational work in Nigeria. Schools were built and the missions struggled for pupils/members such that there was a proliferation of primary schools established by different mis sions. Although literary educationin in the 4Rs (reading, writing, arithmetic and religion) was predominant, this new missionary education prepared the recipients for new job opportunities, as teachers, church evangelists or pastors, clerks and inter preters. Emphasis was also on character training. Most of the missions established primary schools and, initially, little emphasis was laid on secondary and higher education.



But following agitations by influential church members, rich merchants and emigrants living in Lagos, the CMS Grammar School Lagos, for example, was established in 1857. The .western-type education developed faster in the South than in the North of Nigeria because of the scepticism of the Muslims about the impact of Christian missionary education. By 1914, it was estimated that about 25,000 Quranic schools were already in existence all over Northern Nigeria. Thus, the arrival of Christian Western education met stiff opposition. However, in some parts of Northern Nigeria, the Christian missionaries did succeed to establish schools, at times, in collabora tion with Government.



Much of the educational work in Southern Nigerian, prior to 1882, was done by the missionar ies almost without government assistance. However, from 1882, the Government began a bold intervention by promulgating codes and regulations, guidelines and policies on organisation and man agement of schools. Government also began to appoint inspectors and to make grants to schools to ensure quality. Thus, between 1882 and 1950, many codes and regulations were issued by Government to regulate the quality of education in various parts of the country. Between 1952 and 1960, each of the then three regions enacted and operated new education laws (the West in 1955, both the East and North in 1956). The initial exper iment at Universal Primary Education Programme was started in the West and East in 1955 and 1957 respectively.



The West African Examination Council, (WAEC) was set up in 1952 as a corporate body charged with the responsibility of conducting examinations in the public interest in West Africa. Such examination were to qualify candidates for certificates which were equivalent to those from similar examining authorities in the United Kingdom (Adeyogbe, 1992).



Furthermore, in 1959, the Federal Government set up the Sir Eric Ashby Commission to identify the high-level manpower needs of the country for the future. The Ashby Report prescribed that education was indeed the tool for achieving national econom ic expansion and the social emancipation of the individual (Aliu, 1997).



It recommended the establishment of four Federal Universities in the country, and presented some vital courses for them. Five universities, instead of four, were subsequently opened as follows: University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1960), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1962), University of lfe, lle-ife (1962), University of Lagos, Lagos (1962), and University of lbadan, first established as University College, lbadan in 1948. University of Benin was later established (1972). As of 1999, Nigeria had forty-one universities made up of twenty-five Federal, twelve State and four Private-owned. Among them are specialised universities, including three Universities of Agriculture, seven Universities of Technology, as well as a military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.



These have been established in the bid to address specific areas of national needs. Other ter tiary educational institutions such as Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Colleges of Techno logy were also set up during the years. The National Universities Commission (NUC), established in 1962, has the task of co-ordinating the orderly development of the Nigerian university system and maintaining its academic standards. In 1977, the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) was created to regulate the admission of students into the universities, taking cognisance of available spaces and federal character. Student enrolment in universities has risen froin a mere 1,395 in 1960 to over 250,000 by 1998/9 session.
PoliticsRe: Sanusi Faults Olaniwun Ajayi On Northern Domination by pcicero(m): 11:18am On Dec 02, 2009
rethink:
@pcicero

The fact is that OK what were we before you were Niger delta western (yoruba) south east(igbo) Northern(hausa)? Why have we not become Nigerians is the question that Mr Sanusi seeks to answer.

It suites the Elites to speak from different sides of there mouths. IS IT NOT AMAZING THAT WE BLAME THE "NORTH" FOR OUR WOES WITH VERY LITTLE EDUCATION WHEN THE REAL PEOPLE RULING LIKE HE MENTIONED WERE NOT NORTHERNERS?

^^^^^^^^^^
Is this the fault of the northerners?

We are so foolish, we the lead and some of the elite pray that we remain fools for ever. That must stop now we are nigerians first. I dont care if you live in a house made of pareparts or you drink soup or you are a cow chasing man can you do the job can we trust you. Our eyes should not see people through the tribal glass.

Some Nigerians have very low expectation of what the leaders should do WE MAKE A DIRECTORY OF EXCUSES FOR OUR LEADERS. IT IS IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR FILMS AND EVEN ON NAIRALAND THIS MUST STOP NOW. The elite are getting away easily with this no expectation from the citizen.

THIS EXPECT NOTHING NEW MUST STOP
WE ARE CONDEMN TO IMAGINE GOOD OR WE ARE DOOMED

WE MUSTSTART WRITING WHAT WE WANT OUR LEADERS TO DO IF NOT THEY WILL GET AWAY WITH IT
Those who fail to learn from history will repeat the mistakes of history. I am only asking you to read in between the lines before making conclusions. The argument of which tribe has contributed more to our under-development is neither here nor there. But, just consider Sanusi's subtle attempts to lay it on other people's footsteps while exonerating the Fulani cabal.
Christianity EtcRe: Christians, Satanist And Atheist I Pity You by pcicero(m): 1:39am On Dec 02, 2009
Enough of this nonsense
PoliticsRe: Is Saharareporters Too Harsh On Umy-led Govt? by pcicero(m): 1:34am On Dec 02, 2009
[quote author=Paroh_frey link=topic=359202.msg5020842#msg5020842 date=1259568415]They are jokers, muppets and baby dolls.[/quote]Why are you always touchy on this Yar Adua's issue? Since the news of Yar Adua's illness broke out, you have posted hundred of comments on Nairaland. Haba!
PoliticsRe: Sanusi Faults Olaniwun Ajayi On Northern Domination by pcicero(m): 1:16am On Dec 02, 2009
@Oyb
Tanx. I attended CMS Grammar School and i'm quite familiar with the history of the Church in Nigeria. However Sanusi's distortion of history and attempt to stand logic on its head has to be highlighted.
I've been following his comments and i'm not convinced that he's not doing a hatchet job for the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy after all he is a Kano Prince and a potential Emir. I don't see anything bad in rising up to the defence of one's ethno-religious group but issues must be put in the right perspectives. Some of our write-ups and speeches (even comments on Nairaland) are veritable sources of information.
PoliticsRe: I am not dead. I shall live my years. Yar Adua. by pcicero(m): 11:26pm On Dec 01, 2009
Even Abacha said the same. He should continue living on our money.
PoliticsRe: Yar’adua; Pray For His Body And Soul Thursday —t.b. Joshua by pcicero(m): 11:25pm On Dec 01, 2009
I've been praying for Nigeria. This country is bigger than an individual.
PoliticsRe: Sanusi Faults Olaniwun Ajayi On Northern Domination by pcicero(m): 11:20pm On Dec 01, 2009
naijaking1:
Sanusi's recollection of history has always been eloquent, the problem is implementation.
If the British planned for the muslim north not to be educated, what has happened since after we sent the British home?
Eloquent? I will call him a rabble-rouser.

real4life:
As expected, this post has not drawn too many comments. Shame on all the nairalanders blaming the North for all of Nigerias problems, and shame on all those advocating for Nigeria to break up. WAKE UP!
It is because silence is golden. Maybe you will have a rethink when you read this.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/letters/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=011209&ptitle=Sanusi%27s%20comment%20on%20colonial%20policy




Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Sanusi's comment on colonial policy

SIR: Among the issues that the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi raised during the presentation of the book, Nigeria: Africa's failed asset, written by Chief Olaniwun Ajayi in Lagos recently, only one, in my view, requires polite response. That issue is the claim by Sanusi that the British Colonial masters avoided providing education for the Northerners to prevent breeding progressive minds as in Egypt.

In Sanusi's words as reproduced in some major national newspapers: "It is all too easy to keep up this myth of British love for the North. But it has been documented that the same British had an official policy of not educating Northerners, because they feared doing otherwise would breed progressive minds as in Egypt. And you tell me they loved us".

Wherever the very erudite CBN Governor got his documented official policy of British administration in Nigeria from, it should not be lost to the unwary that Sanusi's claim runs contrary to the much-documented activities of Christian Missionaries in some coastal towns in Southern Nigeria, which included the provision of educational facilities, long before British colonial rule took off in Nigeria.

The cities of Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bonny, Ahoada, Buguma among others have the oldest primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. Duke Town Primary School, Hope Waddel Training Institutes both in Calabar, C.M.S Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, St. Michael's Primary School in Omoku, St. Paul's in Ahoada are some pieces of evidence of Christian missionaries efforts and not British colonial administration. Christianity has had as its twin missions in Nigeria, the liberation of the soul and the liberation of the mind.

While the Northern heathen communities were in the throes of the Jihadists; the Bible-wielding Missionaries notably the Irish, Scottish, British and others - were building schools and church towers for their converts in the South.

The graphic historical chain of the Merchants - the Missionaries - the Majesties in such preceding order would make Sanusi's claim too simplistic. To limit Northern/Southern educational imbalance to the period of the Majesties which started later in time is to assert, albeit erroneously, that British colonial rule first brought western education to Nigeria. Worse still, it is on record that Nigerians of the South who opposed British colonial oppressive policies were in greater number, and most of them had enjoyed educational facilities provided by the Missionaries.

The revolutionary tendencies exhibited by some educated natives of the South during colonial rule were enough to make, and indeed made the Colonial power to repress Southerners in a most brutal fashion. It equally made the North a friend of the Colonial masters and this could not have led British to any fear as asserted by Sanusi.

Just as the British colonial administrators established some schools in the South, so did they in the North. There is evidence of such in the Northern cities of Jos, Keffi, Bida, Kaduna and others. But with the already existing schools in the south, made available by Christian missionaries, the South had an advantage over and above the North. Such schools in the South followed the pattern well-laid by the missionaries years before colonial administration took off in Nigeria.

It is on record that the first West African to obtain a university degree was Prince Domingo of Itsekiri in 1610. Instructively, he graduated in Theology. If the whole of the North could have only four university graduates as at 1960, while the Ijaw of Rivers State had its first university graduate in 1856 from the University of London in the person of John Jumbo, that should make Sanusi to seek a more convenient forum to rephrase his unhistorical thesis.

Until the polity is restructured and the present Constitutional imbalance created by Northern military rulers corrected in a fair and equitable manner, the tension and suspicion, no matter how mild, between the North and the South would not abate. Such correction is imperative, so much so when the imbalance is the basis of resources allocation, governmental policies and actions. The correction should start with the presentation of correct historical data. But not emotive oration laden with lopsided facts, no matter the applause such oration attracted!

Opunim Nwagbegbe,
Calabar,
Cross River State.

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