By Busuyi Mekusi

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Yesterday is always better, by reason of the indiscretions of today. As a result, the past becomes a toast and bride of the present and future. While the rustic past remains a catalyzing agent for an improved present and robust future, it must be left behind, for the sake of newly invented ‘hollowness’ that must attain relevance. It is noteworthy that increase in knowledge production is accompanied by multiple annihilating problems. The ‘greenness’ of the past has been sacrificed for the hot-headedness that produced the scourges with which we supplanted creativity with artificiality.
This reminds me of my former undergraduate Composition teacher who would yell: “why are you so green?”, in apparent reference to supposed ’emptiness’ of a student. Greenness has become unproductive in the era of artificial intelligence! As the pillaging of the environment continues, ecological vexations remain unmitigated. The world now exists like a nut we repeatedly nibble, itching towards extinction. My condolences as Chadwick Boseman bows to one of the enemies of greenness! ‘Bath’ and ‘bathe’ remain difficult English lexicons for second users, amidst Nigerian variants, even as many teachers now ‘teach nonsense’.
Things in nature and the environment teach different lessons. Man is not only intrusive but invasive in his unguided colonization of the physical space. Africans have very deep wise saying and proverbial inscriptions about virtually all animals; from the elephant to be enthroned as king, to the tortoise that had a scabrous back by reason of unmitigated greed. Similarly, the Bible recognises little ants, as teachers of all times and seasons. Ants are good examples of conscientious planning and retention of surplus for the raining day, when their audacious venturing goes beyond vulnerability, and equals suicide. This valuable attribute of ants contrasts with that of most African leaders, who use future hope to redress present irresponsibility. Loans with tormenting conditions obtained come with the twin evil of economic burden and palpable profligacy of the political elites. Another lesson traceable to ants was that given by ‘Pastor D’ at a service of songs when he likened the exit of man from earth to that of an ant with a ‘catch’ too big to get into its hole, thereby underpinning the futility of human’s ravenous material acquisition.
In terms of mis-governance and insatiable appetite for misappropriation and misapplication, Nigerian higher institutions of learning, particularly Universities, are at best departments in the NDDC. Cairo Ojougboh should be reminded that naming and shaming is not tantamount to ‘breaking’. Universities have been reduced to ‘cash-cows’ and centres for economic contestations, pushing learning and research to the background, with consumable frivolities taking the front seat.
One gentleman and expatriate at the department of Classics, University of Ibadan and others, typify the bohemian and regimented pattern of university life. Universities are since adorned in oversized garments, as against moderate gowns. TETFund offers the golden milk that is siphoned and spilled in the rush to overdo one another. The tangles over this intervening fund are abusive and cannibalistic, akin to vultures’ scramble for prey, or Europe for Africa. This trend reminds us of the intrigues in Soyinka’s Alápatà Ãpáta, and the poisonous knife with which we cut out portions from the debilitated ‘national cake’. The funds released to to institutions, which are grossly inadequate, are abused and expended, often times, on poorly-built infrastructure, obsolete equipment, bogus training and conferences, etc. Private universities have clearly demonstrated how scarce little resources could be used to achieve maximum results. No doubt, private endeavours parade more financial and attitudinal discipline than the public spheres where impunity and indiscipline are dangerous allies. Who will bell the cat!
The allegations and counter-allegations as well as the brouhaha between the suspended Vice Chancellor and Chairman of Council at UNILAG are reminiscent of executive kleptomaniac preponderance. In better climes, being a shrewd businessman like Babalakin would not be enough to guarantee his appointment, but demonstrative evidential capacity to attract funding for the University. An overview of his business interests would suggest the direction of clash of contractual interests with the embattled Chief Executive, whose executive powers were said to have aided his executed pillaging. Across universities in the country, Chief Executives, characteristic of political privileging in remunerations, have for grab fat allowances and obnoxious end-of-tenure benefits, that are drawn from coffers of institutions that could barely pay staff salary or contemplate the improvement of learning and teaching facilities. We like to eat our tomorrow today!
This official recklessness is made possible as greedy Pro Chancellors roguishly conspire with the Chief Executives, after s/he must have been sufficiently lavished with undeserving privileges, to the detriment of the system. There is the case of an avaricious Chief Executive who at different placements waited towards the end of his tenures to purchase for himself expensive vehicles, whereas the policy he relied on merely supports that he go away with his official vehicle. These financial oddities are kept top-secret because of the outlandish prodigious tendencies, particularly with a workforce left to ‘feed on pigs’ husks’ due to non-payment of salary. He should learn from ants the futility of ‘oversized acquisition’! ASUU and its members who get buffeted each time they agitate for an improved system have been bitten several times as the structures, such as Budget Monitoring Committee, evolved to checkmate abuses are subverted by smart and obtrusive Chief Executives and their handlers. However offensive the behaviours of these moles are, we must be reminded of the view of William Gaddis that “power doesn’t corrupt, people corrupt power”.
Efforts made to reverse the negative trends in public institutions in Nigeria, by way of visitations, are often lackluster, as members would; ‘see and hear no evil’, and end up as vendors or employees in institutions assigned to. Governments similarly dissemble even when far-reaching recommendations are made. We wait to see how the special visitation to UNILAG turns out! Painfully enough, policy makers and political appointees and representatives giving directives on how Universities should run are practically educationally or experientially less qualified to do so. Looters are now calling the shots, with honourary degrees as cheap as chieftaincy titles! Skewed templates rival avowed transparency; double-standard precipitates standard liabilities. Favouritism and tokenism breed acrimonious unproductive workforce and inter/intra personal relationships, even as malleability and ‘cabalisation’ inform warped preposterous opportunistic placements. The ants don’t teach nonsense! Like an unknown mind enthused, “corruption is Authority plus Monopoly minus Transparency”.
Nigeria is like the soup pot, invaded by swam of ants. The educational, judicial, legislative executive, political, etc., spaces experience the swarming tendencies of players and holders of stakes. There is the need to allow for diligent access to the soup-pot for reasonable ‘bites’. Declaration of state-of-emergency in the educational sector is long overdue. TETFund should emplace Project Evaluation Committee, made up of tested Nigerians and reputable organizations, to review its projects. We all must learn from the ant and its burdensome ‘share’ that cannot go to its hole, even as Wes Fesler reminds us that “hypocrisy is the audacity to preach integrity from a den of corruption”. NBA’s cancerous festering calls for circumspection, even as I wish AfDB Adeshina more victories over Trump-like conspiracies!