Favour, (abbreviation of God’s Favour) is my second daughter and the fourth in the family. Born in Lagos on 5th March 2003, she came to this world, like every other Nigerian child, full of hopes and aspirations with promises of a better future for herself and her country. While she was growing up, she was taught at home and in school, that Nigeria is one nation, one people with one God. She was told the story of Nigeria’s emergence as a one-united country. She was told that in 1914, one man called Lord Luggard amalgamated the Southern and Northern provinces into what is today known as Nigeria. Favour was taught to love and cherish other children, to respect elders, to sing the National Anthem and National Pledge, to see our country as a land full of opportunities where any citizen can aspire to any height without fear, favour or hindrance. My daughter, while in basic school was also made to read the Nigerian constitution which guaranteed every citizen right to freedom including right to live anywhere in Nigeria, to attend any educational institution and to be whatever she wishes to be and achieve whatever she desires to achieve. In fact, she saw Nigeria as a country holding out good tidings. At 10 she was already prepared to enter secondary school having last year received double promotion from primary 4 to 6 due to her excellent performance in school.
But today, this little girl is sad, writhing in agony and frustration. At 10, she has come to the stark reality that Nigeria is not what she thought it was. In the first place, although she was born in Lagos, she is shocked that she cannot lay claim to being an indigene of that state because her parents are Ibos. At least Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola said so recently when he deported thousands of Ibos on the excuse that they were non-indigenes. This is despite the fact that Fashola himself is from Ekiti State.
She is equally disappointed that in her state, Imo, appointments and admissions to state-owned schools are made on local government basis. She would need to get a letter from both her traditional ruler and local government chairman to affirm her indigeneship despite the fact that her parents are from there. Again, she has come to realize that based on the UBE law, the free education the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha promised was a ruse. He is only giving the pupils and students what rightfully belong to them. Even the tertiary education scholarship is only a bursary award which few privileged students got. And should she agree to school in Imo, she is not sure of her safety. She is afraid of being kidnapped beacuse Imo state has come to be acknowledged as new headquarters of kidnappers after peace returned to Abia.
Where would she then go? As a resident of the Federal Capital Territory for 10 years going, her father is still regarded as non-indigene, hence she cannot claim FCT as her state of origin, despite it being called centre of Unity. “ Daddy if Abuja is centre of unity, where is the unity with bombings, killings, land grabbing and armed robbery?’ she asked me one day. Honestly, I could not proffer any answer but marveled at her level of reasoning. But can Favour try Kano or any of the northern states for anything or recommend same to her friends? No, she wont. Not with the menace of Boko Haram insurgents. Not with the hatred and animosity in those states. Not with the current political turmoil, bad blood, treachery and hatred. Not with burgeoning tribalism.
Since she could not get admission in Lagos, Imo or any other place, I advised her to sit for the National Common Entrance Examination conducted by NECO for admission into Federal Unity Colleges. It took me time to explain to her what the unity colleges stand for and the benefits she would derive if given admission. But she had her doubts as in every thing Nigerian. She preferred schools abroad where she would not be discriminated against. I eventually succeeded in convincing this brilliant child of mine to accept writing the exam on the assurance that it is organized by a federal government agency and that there would not be any discrimination once she passes the examination. I even allowed her to make her own choice of unity school. She selected Federal Government College Bwari, Abuja.
Today, after Favour had taken the unity colleges’ examination and the admission list released, I have found it difficult to tell her anything again she will believe. Her anger is not far fetched. She scored 120 out of 200 (which is 60%, an excellent grade in any competitive examination anywhere in the world). And mind you it was her first time of writing any external examination. But my daughter is sad because she was denied admission not because she failed, but because she filled Imo State as her state of origin. Favour is angry that pupils from other states with as low as 3 marks were offered admission against her 120 score. Favour is angry because, I, her father, deceived her by saying that the constitution is against discrimination. She is angry because she has come to realize that all she was taught at home and in school were mere academics, far from reality. She is sad that I did not fill FCT or any northern state as her state of origin; at least she would have been admitted. Daddy, why, why?’, she continued to ask. But who will give her a convincing response?
After seeing the above results published in the newspapers, my little daughter became infuriated: “Daddy, why the disparity in terms of cut off marks?.Do those states with lower acceptable marks have a down graded Nigeria to serve? What are their state governors doing in delivering quality education? This is complete rubbish. This is not how to improve literacy level. This is joy in ignorance! A dumb way of trying to move forward. Those responsible for this pathetic scenario should hang themselves. Governors indeed! Terrible, laughable. How do you assemble someone with a score of 133 and someone that scored 3 and say they are eligible for admission in same institution? Really, terrible. Daddy these pupils did they sit for different exams other than the one I took? More and more questions.
But come to think of it, Favour and other thousands of children denied admission this year and years past, are right, very right. The statistical summary above reflects the deep trouble in the heart of Nigerian problems. In the light of the critical role education plays in any nation’s life, the cut- off marks are simply telling us that there are clearly two groups (or, rather two countries) in one. This dichotomization has been our nemesis since Luggard made that terrible mistake of combining incompatibles.
The data tells it all about the reason for abundance of terrorists in the North East and North West. What the data depicts is a serious national problem and, more tragically, the so-called northern leaders mix this tragic level of performance in education with religion and crude politics. Now we have strong evidence as to why Boko Haram members and their supporters hate western education. The big question is: How will the country remain united and, more importantly, progress aggressively with the rest of the world under this type of tragic schism in education? Is it right to put a student with a 3-point score and a student with a 130-point score on the same platform together in the same classroom in the name of so-called national interest and federal character? Doing so simply removes character from federal character. What are the governors from these educationally depressed areas doing with their monthly allocations? On sponsoring people to Pilgrimage, on supporting marrying people away as done in Kano, or on marrying many wives? It’s a pity.