@elonmusk So you still remember that Nigeria exist even use her as an example but you become blind, dumb, deaf to see atrocities of Nigeria government and foreign governments committing against the indigenous people in Nigeria..hypocrite everywhere....
I thought of a deepened shift from the fee increase itself to a broader question about what citizens have come to accept.
The suspension of the proposed ₦50,000 WAEC and NECO examination fee has been welcomed by many.
But I cannot celebrate because the conversation was never about ₦50,000 alone.
The conversation is about the consciousness of a nation that has conditioned its people to celebrate receiving less than what they deserve.
The proposed increase may have been suspended, but families earning the national minimum wage of ₦70,000 and millions earning even less are still expected to pay for examinations that should be part of a public education system.
Basic education should be free & free indeed!
Not free in government's press statements & during elections, but free in the lived reality of every child.
Parents should not have to choose between feeding their families & educating their children. Education is not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. It is one of the primary responsibilities of a conscious & accountable state.
Tell me, where in Nigeria does an ordinary family truly enjoy free education from the beginning? Even before a child enters primary school, parents are already burdened with nursery fees, reception fees, admission fees, uniforms, books, transport, PTA levies, development levies, examination levies, and countless other charges.
Then look at the conditions under which many of these children are expected to learn.
Children study in dilapidated classrooms with leaking roofs, collapsing ceilings, broken walls and unsafe buildings. Some learn under trees. Some now share their classrooms with snakes as was published sometime ago. Others have no desks, no libraries, no laboratories, no clean water, no electricity & no functional toilets. Teachers are expected to produce excellence while working in conditions that deny dignity, safety and hope.
Yet after years of asking parents to carry the burden of an education system that has been neglected, those same parents are still expected to pay for WAEC, NECO and JAMB - the very examinations required for their children to move forward in life.
So forgive me if I do not celebrate.
Suspending an increase does not solve the problem.
The problem remains.
A parent earning ₦70,000 a month is still expected to find tens of thousands of naira to register one child for an examination. What of those earning below the minimum wage? What of families with two or three children? What of widows, pensioners & unemployed parents?
This is not a victory.
It is simply the withdrawal of a proposal that should never have existed in the first place.
What concerns me even more is how easily people celebrate.
People have been conditioned to applaud whenever a burden is made slightly lighter, instead of asking why that burden exists at all.
That is the consciousness of low expectations.
A people repeatedly denied their rights eventually begin to mistake temporary relief for justice.
You celebrate crumbs because you have forgotten what a full meal looks like.
And so I ask:
Where is the money going?
Nigeria has borrowed enormous sums over the years. Where have those borrowed funds gone?
Nigeria has also received substantial development assistance from international partners. How much of it has transformed public education? Where are the results?
Reports have highlighted millions of dollars spent on international lobbying and public relations. If resources can be found for those priorities, why can they not be found to guarantee every child safe classrooms, quality teachers and free access to WAEC, NECO and JAMB?
Continue in the comment section 👇...
Meanwhile the Nigerian government is busy lying to politicians in DC about the ongoing killings and destruction.
All the refugee camps where thousands of Christians languish in abject poverty remain.
Virtually all the kidnap victims remain in captivity till this day.
All the towns taken by terrorists remain under their control.
All the farms taken from Christians, remain with the terrorists.
But somehow, Nigeria wants the whole world to believe it has defeated terrorism and genocide against Christians. No. It rages on, with even greater intensity!
@IsraelMFA The Nigeria government and fulani ter-rorists herdsmen are killing indigenous people including children and women in Nigeria because they are Christians who want their fundamental rights for selves determination for Biafra freedom
I stand for an independent Christian state in Biafra, where the Christian people can live in security and peace, practice their faith freely, and determine their own future.
After years of violence and marginalization, they deserve nothing less.
U.S. Congressman Alleges Mass Killings, Church Burnings In Nigeria, Accuses Biden Govt Of Ignoring Christian Persecution | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/RvLDCe8qU3
Nigeria: Authorities must immediately release Omoyele Sowore
Nigerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Sahara Reporters publisher and activist Omoyele Sowore from arbitrary detention as he is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights, Amnesty International said today.
The Federal High Court in Abuja today reportedly ordered the remand of Sowore in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja. In a short ruling, Judge Mohammed Umar ordered Mr Sowore to be held in the correctional centre pending the hearing and determination of his motion to stay the order revoking his bail and bench warrant.
Sowore is facing bogus cyberbullying charges for calling President Bola Tinubu “a criminal” in social media posts last year.
Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the arbitrary detention of Sowore and the broader pattern of crackdown on civic space, and intimidation and harassment of activists, human rights defenders, and journalists solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
Sowore’s continued detention risks undermining the rights to freedom of expression, association, and civic participation, and will have a chilling effect on civil society organisations, journalists, and human rights defenders working to promote transparency and accountability in the country.
Sowore’s detention is linked to the peaceful expression of his views, and criticism of public officials, which are clearly protected under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
Nigerian authorities must immediately release Sowore and drop all the baseless charges against him. They must fully comply with international fair trial standards and respect due process guarantees.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of any rule of law-based society. Public figures, journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and political commentators must be able to express opinions, criticize government policies, and participate in public debate without fear of arrest, detention or other forms of retaliation.
The misuse of the criminal justice system to punish or deter legitimate expression creates a chilling effect that extends far beyond the individual concerned. Such actions discourage others from speaking out, weaken civic space and undermine public confidence in the rule of law.
Nigerian authorities must uphold and respect the right to freedom of expression, including criticism of public officials and government policies, and refrain from using criminal law, judicial processes or restrictive measures to intimidate, harass or silence critics, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.
Authorities must demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and human rights by ensuring that no one is deprived of their liberty or subjected to abuse of the judicial system simply for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.