PURPOSE OF MAN'S CREATION AND PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES

                     

        Purpose Of Man's Creation And Professional Challenges

Introduction:
   Compliments of the season to my readers, i hope that we didn't forget the purpose of Christmas celebrated yesterday which is a reminder of why Jesus Christ came into this sinful world. By the power of the Almighty God, i pray that we understand the purpose in which we were created, Amen.

   Life is a puzzle to be solved by all, when man fails to discover his purpose, then he abuses the resources at his disposal which leads to numerous problems that will affect the maturity of man's defined purpose. For the growth & development of the human world, all men from different spheres must unite, love and be honest in all of their dealings. Irrespective of our man's religion, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Meekness, Self-control are tools that will help man gain full access to the purpose in which he was created & also to overcome man's professional challenges of today's world.

Argument:
1) OUR GOD IS A GOD OF PURPOSE - God never does anything without a purpose. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". As Christmas is focused on Christians all over the world, then we should not forget the purpose in which Jesus was sent into this world, remember his birth, what he came to do, etc. Galatians 1:3-5 tells us why Jesus gave himself unto us. He gave himself for a purpose.
   In order for a profession to sustain various challenges, it must know why it was created and how to serve the purpose in which he was created.

2) WHEN THE PURPOSE OF A THING IS NOT KNOWN, ABUSE SETS IN - We do not know the purpose of ants, so we kill them, i read that under a certain process, if we grind ants, squeeze the juice in it and add some things to the juice is a cure to leprosy. One thing i am sure of is that man cannot solve what he doesn't understand, how can we make use of resources when we dont know how to apply them into our lives. There is a saying that its not what you have but what you use.
   When any professional team is unable to identify its purpose, they'll abuse/mis-use the resources they have at their disposal.

3) MISSION OF AN ENTITY - God wants his name to be glorified through us and whatever is ours simply because he owns us. Ephesians 1:10-12 says God wants His name to be glorified through us. The purpose of man can be known by simply doing the will of God and doing His will results to living a peaceful life. I have grown to understand that everything on heart is vanity except the will of God which guideth the ways and works of human channeling him into the purpose in which he was made for. Whoever does the will of God inherits greater things both on earth and in heaven. The purpose of our creation differs, however, God's will is not always convenient for man but it results into all good things of life but the will of man brings trouble unto the doer.

4) FAILURE TO ACHIEVE A SET-PURPOSE - When man fails to achieve the purpose he was set for, Pastor E.A. Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God said three things happen to a man who fails to achieve his set-purpose; a) man is set aside, b) man is replaced, and c) Because God does everything for a purpose, God will use a erstwhile instrument of honor as a vessel unto dishonor. When an entity is not ready to be used as an instrument of honor, you'll be used as a vessel unto dishonor. When a profession fails to achieve its set-purpose, then it becomes useless and gets dishonored.

5) No force can affect God's will for our life as he is capable of working out his purpose & plans in his own mysterious ways. For example, Joseph had his dreams but the rest of the events that ultimately led to the fulfillment of the dreams were taken out of his hands. God worked the purpose out in his own mysterious way.

6) LET US NOT BE AGAINST OURSELVES - This means that man can be an enemy against himself, how? God honors those who honor Him & they that despite him shall likely be dishonored.  Romans 8:31b says If God be for us, who can be against us? The answer is ourselves, yes, you and i can be the hindrance to our success, how? God could be for a man but man could be against himself by not submitting himself unto the will of God.

   All conditions being normal, the aim of a student is to pass out of the learning institution with a good grade which comes as a result of studying in love and honesty. Substitute: student = man, learning institution = human world, grade = result of stewardship on earth, study = acts which determine good grades or bad grades.
   In conclusion, since man makes up a society/community, then when he finds his purpose of creation by doing the will of God, then everything that concerns man and is attached to his profession will always overcome their challenges. I want us to know that Man cannot do God's will without serving the Most High, remember that man cannot solve what he doesn't understand & to understand something means to study it in love and honesty. I urge us to study more of the holy book(bible) which also gives pure knowledge.
   I PRAY THAT GOD WILL SHOW US HIS MERCY AND TEACH US TO DO HIS WILL, AMEN.

Effects Of Morality And Crime In A Society And It's Relationship To Learning

        

      Effects Of Morality And Crime In A Society And It's Relationship To Learning

   H.L. Mencken quoted "Morality is the theory that every human act must be either right or wrong and that 99% of them are wrong". Crime is defined as an act beyond good reasoning. It can also be defined as an offense for which there is severe punishment by law.
   A common relationship between Morality and Crime is the involvement of man. A man of morals is known to be disciplined and a man of crime is called criminal. A philosopher, Protagoras said "Man is the measure of all things" Do we agree? Yes, i do, i am of the opinion that man was created to create a balance. I am of the belief that Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have covered but without any observation of the heavenly bodies.
                                               Factors Contributing To Morality and Crime
   Immanuel Kant said morality is not the doctrine of how we make ourselves happy but of how we make ourselves worthy of happiness. In Nigeria, there are some factors/forces that have not made us worthy of happiness and they are;
1)  Education - Education is the systematic training of character and mental powers of both young and old to positively affect the growth and development of a nation. Since Education makes man become aware of things around him, he is able to understand things in his environment and not becoming ignorant of his environment, Socrates said " There is only one good 'knowledge' and one evil 'Ignorance' " and education is vital to achieve the development of moral standards and eradication of evil in our individuals and the society.

2)  Employment - An idle hand is the devil's workshop. The unemployment rate in Nigeria is too high and also we find out that more than half of the populace in Nigeria lives below the poverty line and why is this? No Job and most lack creativity which is also the default of our education system and it needs urgent attention. Unemployment rate in the country is a source of distraction/discouragement to poor students who wants to learn and succeed. Unemployment is caused by either lack of aiming goals creatively or lack of capital.
    However, the unwillingness of students to learn while on campus is a process of unemployment, how? when students fails to attend classes, yet,  we call ourselves the future, how will the future materialize when a key ingredient (knowledge) is lacking. The administrators causes unemployment when jobs aren't created. It is the duty of the government to create jobs and to reveal my thoughts, the ability of the government to innovate ideas & use them in job creation rests on the professional community and the degree of efficiency and effectiveness in the professional community is an offspring of the system of Education.
   In conclusion, the higher the unemployment rate, the higher the vulnerability of individuals towards criminal acts and we can say that unemployment promotes criminal acts. There are limited resources to satisfy human wants but the body will want to satisfy such wants whether legally or illegally and it takes grace of God to be able to withstand such temptations.

3)   Comfort Of Citizens - Comfort of citizens differs depending on the environment but generally are human needs(Needs: Things that humans can't live without, they are Food, Clothing, Shelter & things that will ease man's daily activities) and social amenities, then the government should innovate programs that will be able to satisfy them, to save cost and reduce importation will be to invest in human capital. As Economic explained that human wants are numerous but the resources to satisfy them are limited which introduced Economics. In a country like Nigeria with hundreds of ethnic groups, it takes Grace & wisdom from God to make citizens of such nations convenient. A strategic/blessed administrator will use his knowledge & experience to mentor the state into one which is in no lack but this cannot be done alone, i will use the saying of a philosopher to message our administrators in all the states and nations of the world, St. Augustine said "we are too weak to discover the truth by reason alone".
4)   Other forces affecting crime and morality are:- leadership by example, Transparency of administration and Corruption-free society. How to find the will of God? to individuals, societies & administrators (a) Luke 22:42, John 5:30b, John 6:38 (b) Psalm 37:5, Proverbs 3:6, Psalm 143:10 (c) Psalm 40:8, Matthew 6:10b, John 4:34 (d) Hosea 6:3a, John 7:17, Romans 12:1-2.

                                                          What to do?
   An individual, society and administrators must work together to create an education system that will touch the lives of every citizen of Nigeria as it will increase the development of humanity which is also the development of the environment. Jeremy Bentham said "the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals & legislation". These things are;
1)   The right to read and write
2)   The right to question and analyze
3)   The right to imagine and create
4)   The right to have access to educational resources
5)   The right to develop individual and collective skills
   These rights are useless without the provision of certain resources to disseminate such rights through the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. If these rights are effectively & efficiently handled, then everyone should welcome in a new Nigeria.
   In conclusion, to reduce the society of criminal acts and increase moral standards, learning is the key word. There can be no human development without the right to learn, there will be no breakthroughs in agriculture and industry, no progress in community health and indeed, no change in learning conditions without the right to learn. Without education, there will be no improvement in the standard of living for workers in our cities and villages. In short, the right to be educated is one of the best contributions we can make to solving the crucial problems of humanity, both now and forever.
       God Bless And Help Nigeria, Amen.

RELATIONSHIP OF EDUCATION TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA

   

         Relationship of Education to the growth and development of Nigeria

   Education has been defined by numerous individuals. However, Education is the systematic training & instruction of character & mental powers of both young and old to positively affect the development of the society.
   Most things that surrounds humans can be handled by professionals who evolve through Education, however, the problems affecting the development of our nation should be treated from its root(Formal and Informal Education). Personally, i believe Education is a channel that connects citizens of different Ethnic groups and Religions to study laid-down principles having the ability to perform, continue and improve on them to grow and develop the society.

                                     Importance Of Education to an Entity

   Education is known and confirmed to be of great advantage to an entity that can handle and manage it efficiently and effectively channeling its powers to rapidly develop the entity.
1) Education is Respect - The more educated you are, the more respect you get from those around you.
2) Understanding the world we live in - We get to know more of the world through subjects like geography, science and history.
3) Education and Health-care - Illiteracy breeds ignorance and ignorance is very dangerous when it comes to health-care. Educated people are preventive because they know  the causes of some diseases.
4) For economic growth of the nation - Australia, USA and Japan are some of the countries with high literacy rates, these countries are prosperous and citizens have high per capita income. In countries of low literacy rates which are mostly underdeveloped and developing nations, most of its citizens live below the poverty line. Hence, education is vital for the economic growth of a nation.

   In conclusion, Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. An entity cannot achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education gives humans understanding of themselves and whatever surrounds them. It improves the quality of human lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education increases productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution.

Whats Failing Us?

   Despite the standard of our education system, we suffer from some problems which have been discussed on an article i published weeks ago titled 'Management Of The Nigerian Education System' but will be briefly discussed on here.
1) Rampant Inequality of access to educational opportunities of satisfactory standard - Most poor students attend schools that are unfit for human learning, schools without water and sanitation, electricity, telephone, library, workshop or laboratory, etc. Parents remaining powerless and also unable to give intellectual support to the educational aspiration of their wards. Teachers may never see supervisors from one year to the next.   Without a solid foundation of learning, their chances of educational and economic success in later years are dim. So poverty reproduces itself.

2) Low Teacher Morale - There are so many factors that work to build the morale of workers in the working Environment. The morale of our teachers in most communities is low and its causes may differ. Indiscipline on the part of teachers & workers is a source of demoralization among those who want to work & succeed. Workers in a learning institution may suffer a more subtle & insidious form of demoralization if they are not professionally equipped or resourced to cope with new demands that are being made of them.

3) Administration Challenges - There is a serious crisis of management and administration at all levels. Workers at our various learning institutions should perform their tasks in a business-like way which means being punctual, giving adequate professional support to their institutions of learning. Failure to perform tasks in business-like way will have drastic effect on the institution, e.g, sap the morale of conscientious staff, undermine good teaching and learning, which depend on peace, order, stability and professional challenge. The situation worsens when Government Authorities are ineffective, Consequences are costly, especially in bigger educational institutions.

4) Poor quality Of Learning - Poor learning is associated with poverty, absent facilities, under-prepared teachers, lack of learning resources and lack of discipline(culture of learning, teaching and service) The number of young people who study mathematics with any degree of understanding and proficiency has declined when it should have been increasing rapidly. As a result, mathematical illiteracy is rife in our society and the pool of recruits for further and higher Education in the information and science-based professions is shrinking, a fact that has grave implications for our national future in the 21st century.

The Way Forward(Possible Solutions)

1) Breaking the back of illiteracy among adults and youths
2) We must ensure the success of active learning through outcomes-based education
3) We must develop the professional quality of our teaching force.
4) We must create a vibrant further education and training system to equip youth and adults to meet the social and economic needs of the 21st century
5) We must deal urgently and purposefully with the intellectual, professional and moral challenges facing Nigeria in the 21st century

   Despite our success stories, we are failing, our system of governance, administration and finance have not yet succeeded in hauling our society out of arbitrary & unequal education conditions which have been hindering the growth and development of our country for years.
   We can tell that from the previous topics on development of the education system that, an individual, society and Government has obligations to perform to create a Nigerian Education System that will aid the growth and development of our Nation. All modern nations with strong democratic traditions and successful economies have invested heavily in the education and training of their people, in order to ensure access by all citizens to educational opportunity, and continuously to raise the level and quality of learning throughout their societies. Our country has a long way to go and no time to lose.
                                  God help and bless Nigeria, Amen.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM:
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION'S VIEW

Welcome back readers, we continue with 'development of education system' by viewing it from the environmental sector. As they say experience is the best teacher, this week's information will be coming from an interview with a retired Director of Water and Environmental sanitation department:
1.
Blogger - what is education?
Director - The process of educating or being educated. Also, it is a total learning process of knowledge and experience acquisition to impact positively to the individual and its society.

2.
 Blogger - what is the relationship between education and Environmental Education?
 Director - Environmental education(EE) refers to organized efforts, teaching about how natural environment functions, and particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustain-ably. It is a multi disciplinary field integrating disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, earth science, atmospheric science, mathematics and geography. The term is sometimes used broadly to include all efforts to educate the public and other audiences, including print materials, websites, media campaigns, etc.
   Environmental Education is the teaching of individuals and communities in transitioning to a society that is knowledgeable of the environment and its associated problems, aware of the solutions to these problems and motivated to solve them. The united Nations Educational Scientific and cultural Organization(UNESCO) states that EE is vital in imparting an inherent respect for nature amongst society and in enhancing public environmental awareness. UNESCO emphasizes the role of EE in safeguarding future global developments of societal quality of life, through the protection of the environment, eradication of poverty, minimization of inequalities and insurance of sustainable development(UNESCO, 2014)

3.
 Blogger - What is the current level of environmental awareness?
 Director - Attitudes towards environmental awareness development is gradually evolving with the political will of Government at various levels i.e (federal, state and local Governments).   If the current level is sustained, the attitude of our people towards improving environmental standards will in no distant time enhance the health status of our people.

4.
 Blogger  - What are the problems affecting the growth of Environmental Education?
 Director - Inadequate political will on the part of Governments at all levels
               - Low literacy level of populace
              - Poor funding of the environmental health Departments leading to inadequate logistics for officers to work with.
          - Low level of Enforcement pf Environmental Laws by appropriate agencies, etc.

5.
 Blogger - What are the possible solutions to environmental education problems?
 Director - Environmental Education should focus on;
              - Engaging with citizens of all demographics to;
              - Think critically, ethically and creatively when evaluating environmental issues
             - Make educated judgements about those environmental issues
             - Develop skills and a commitment to act independently and collectively to sustain and enhance the environment
            - To enhance the appreciation of environment, resulting in positive environmental behavioral change (Bamberg and  moeser, 2007, wals et al, 2014)

6.
 Blogger - What is your advise to the individual, society and administrators?
Director - Our environment is a gift from God, our Creator, let's preserve it for mankind & generations yet unborn.

   This was the interview with the retired director, department of water and environmental sanitation on development of education system in Nigeria, coming from the environmental education's angle.
  Thus i call on individuals, societies and administrators to create a Nigerian Education system that will pass through citizens of our country whether Literate or Illiterates.
   God bless Nigeria, God bless us, the citizens.

Management of The Education System in Nigeria

Administration of Education and it Relationship to our Society.

As per our nation’s current data, I know not everyone has the grace to be formally educated. Our society constitute of Literates and illiterates, whether rich or poor. What I mean is that the government’s plan to develop our education system should benefit not only Literates but also illiterates of our society, thereby decreasing the gap between the rich and poor.

Effective Management of Our Education System

I define management as the efficient and effective use of both human and natural resources to achieve an entity’s set-goals which at the peak of good management is an offspring of education. However, it will not be an exaggeration to say that there is a crisis at each level of our Education system in Nigeria.

EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY ON OUR SOCIETY

 Illiteracy I define as the lack of knowledge gained through education, whether Formal or Informal.

- Illiteracy breeds ignorance which is evil. Educated individuals have been preventive of diseases but an illiterate is less-concerned about the a-z because he is ignorant of the results of such acts produce.

- Education has made our world safer & peaceful, thereby aiding the  electorate government to understand & respect laws & order.

- Education has been a source of knowledge & have answered some of mans how, what & where? Because education as a process from primary to secondary to tertiary & back to society will definitely answer some of our life’s question.

 - Education as a form of holiness, education encourages organization, orderliness, cleanliness which prevents disease and is next to serving the Almighty God.

-Education will let us identify difference between right & wrong, thereby aiding the nation’s development.

Problems affecting the Nigeria education system

1.    Lack of good government & management: - this problem dominate in many parts      of the system, which have with a crisis of leadership, administration & the problem has strongly affected the growth & development of our education system. To grow the education sector, all workers in any institution of learning should perform their tasks in a business- like way & give adequate professional support to their institution of learning.

2.        Poor Quality of learning: - Our quality of learning have diminished greatly over the years. I will say that this problem developed from the management team of the education sector, some female teachers & their supervisions have a love relationship & the male teachers offer bribe, all these acts done to win over the supervisor not to give adequate professional support to such institution of learning which negatively affects the development of the education system and of the nation. Also the SSCE at the end of the secondary school is the first external check on the performance in our school system, the poor results of our student have rained heavily  from the first  external check S.S.C.E and Jamb between 2010 & 2014 has served us warning to the destruction of the education system as a result of poor quality of learning.

3.        Insufficient Personnel: - the rate of our teacher in most communities of our country is low. Most teachers have divided attention at a time, a person teaching up to 5-subjects, I’m very sure such individual can’t professionally handle those subject, what he has is just an idea of the subjects, reads on it & believes he is capable, I disagree. It is only a professional that handles a profession. John Locke said “No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience” and “that the mind is furnished with ideas by experience” and education is a form of experience

4.        Low teacher Morale: - A potent problem is the low teacher morale, this problem is complex, because the causes differs depending on the problem of the institution. It is obvious that the vulnerability of learners & teachers in our school, colleges & other institution to crimes of Vandalism, carrying & using weapon, drug-dealing & many forms of physical assault whether inside or outside the gate of institutions. Such news creates insecurity & fear and destroys the basis of learning community.

Indiscipline among workers of the institution is a source of demoralization for discipline workers of the institution who knows and does their job efficiently.

In conclusion. workers (professionals ) at all levels may suffer demoralization if they are not professionally equipped or resourced to cope with new demands that are being requested in-line with modern needs of the nation. Poor learning is associated with poverty, bad or absent facilities, under prepared teachers, lack of culture of learning, teaching & service. The number of young people who study mathematics with any degree of understanding has decline, mathematical illiteracy is dangerous to our society & the pool of recruits for further education in the information & science-based profession is shrinking, a danger that couples grave implication for Nigeria's future beyond.

Solutions to the problem affecting the management and educational system of Nigeria

The overall responsibility for the effective management of education system rests with the minister of education. However, the following responsibilities should be dealt with by the individual, society\community and administrators: -

1.      The ministry of Education in all State of our great nation should work cooperatively with the federal ministry of education to study the problems affecting the system of education in Nigeria and work together to achieve the solutions.- Every year the State of our Education System should be discussed by all Education stakeholders, taking record of the collective progress/barrier in attacking the priority area of need, build solidarity among the main actors in Education delivery and department while pointing the way forward.

2.            Illiteracy must be destroyed among adult and youth – how can this be achieved? Ministry of Education should strategically use the available resources on how to destroy illiteracy among adult and youths. In support of our illiterate citizens, invitations should be open to any entity ranging from political, social, Education & community to design a major programme that will tackle illiteracy and then make facilities available to run it(the only way that organization can give back to their environment). Some organizations don’t give back to the community at which they operate despite knowing that they should & when they give they end up giving the rich thereby increasing the gap between the rich and the poor.

3.  Schools must become centers of community life: - the school will truly become a center of community & center of life if its facilities are used for community & cultural life, for sport & recreation. An idle building is a vulnerable place inviting vandalism. A busy school is a place the community will protect because its theirs.

          

4.   Make the learning institutions conducive for learning – a learning environment is defined to be conducive when the structures, environment and school’s fabric are of good standard. Thousand of schools in Nigeria have poor physical fabric and many are dangerous for human habitation, hundreds of schools have no water on site, no sanitation whatsoever or insufficient toilets. I use this opportunity to press on the management at federal, state, and local government to speedily address the dangerous and dilapidated schools, and providing water and sanitation services where they do not exist. To develop our education system, our priority should be set in accordance with the needs of our learning institutions.

5.        Developing the quality of our teachers - professional development support services, the efficient provisions of learning and support materials and the progressive elimination of in-human physical conditions in schools will make a major impact on teacher’s morale and the quality of service they render. In order to recognize outstanding teachers in all levels of the system, the ministry of Education should establish a national teacher award scheme, all these and other measures which seems professionally fit will help to realign the identity of the teacher in Nigerian society which will boost the quality of our teachers and student at all levels.

6.        Approach to education – it is important to recognize the damage which was done over the decades by the stereotypical approach to education which do not allow for the development of the power independent thought and enquiry. Outcome based education (O.B.E.) is an approach that embraces the capacity of learners to think for themselves, to learn from the environment and to respond to wise guides by teachers who value creativity and self motivated learning. I am not saying that we should implement O. B. E. as the education system, but we should review the current education system and compare it to other developed country’s education system, then analyze how to meet with the needs of our country through the approach to education. It is fully recognize that the success of any standard system of education is entirely dependent on the extent to which teachers are properly prepared to facilitate it with understanding and the extent to which appropriate learning support materials are in the schools, the availability of books in schools is a vital ingredient in keeping cost down and keep learning up.

7.        Creating vibrant further education & training system to equip youth and adults to meet the social & economic needs of the 21st century – as a bridge between general education and higher education or employment, this is a vital sector for young people & adults whose formal education has been cut short. This is an urgent need to review all educational programs in the light of community social & economic needs in the 21st century. Language programs, mathematics & science and information & communication technologies are priority areas for review. It is important that this program should be accessible to adult learners who were unable to continue their education because of poverty or lack of opportunity.

8. Provide a system that will tackle Nigeria’s intellectual & professional challenges of the 21st century – the country depends on education system to meet its high level human resources need and to be the engine for the creation of new knowledge & innovation & critical discourse. Our education system must produce a safe & secure environment conducive  to promoting the mission of teaching & learning, scholarship and research and community service. Violence should not be tolerated; our school must be reclaimed as safe learning & living spaces, particularly for women student.

 In conclusion, the administrators, the society & each individual must work together to build a Nigeria education & training system for the 21st century, so that the country can develop & grow into a developed country. To achieve this, unity should be encouraged among the actors of such development.
    THE FASTER WE ACT, THE BETTER IT IS. GOD BLESS NIGERIA, AMEN.

                         

DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN NIGERIA AS THE CURE TO MOST OF OUR SOCIETAL PROBLEMS

   The system of education used in Nigeria is 6-3-3-4, which is a standard system but is then faced with problems that have hindered and still hindering the growth and development of the education system, if the problems facing education system are not treated soon, it will increase crime rate in the society and also spell destruction for the education system of the country, a country's greatest investment should be the education sector because the main function of education is to educate and enlighten the citizen thereby aiding the growth and development of the country.   Francis Bacon said "Things alter for the worse spontaneously if they not be altered for the better designedly"

                                               DEFINITION
   Education is the systematic training & instruction of character & mental powers of both young & old to positively affect the growth & development of a nation.

                            CURRENT LEVEL OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
   The standard of education in Nigeria slopes downward & this tend  to affect the growth & development of our nation.   In thousands of schools nationwide ranging from primary to secondary institution of learning, the school uniforms are poor, also many of the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions have poor learning environment which is dangerous & unfit for human habitation, hundreds of learning institutions have no water on site, no sanitation whatsoever  & insufficient toilets. These conditions threatens the social & teaching activities of the school, its impossible to contemplate this with complacency & this situation cries out for remedy.   Therefore, calling the individual, society and administrators to action of  the development of the education system in Nigeria will be viewed from four important sectors of our nation which are; Health sector, Engineering sectors, Environmental Sector, Education/Management sector. This week will be focused on the health team.

                            HEALTH AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO EDUCATION
   As we all know that health is wealth , defining health and the relationship states that "knowledge acquired on medical skills having the ability to perform, continue and improve on the baseline knowledge towards solving  health-related problems"
   In this interview, i was made to know that they are referred to as a team & that they would score the health team a 50%.  The health team comprises of pharmacists, microbiologists, laboratory technicians, record keepers, cleaners, health assistants, drivers, laundry department, engineers, dieticians, radiographers, physiotherapists and other workers of the health institution.
   The Nigerian Health System is poorly developed, no adequate functional systems, poor routine surveillance and medical intelligence, inadequate management and leadership principles. The Nigeria health care has suffered several downfall despite her strategic position in Africa. Health facilities, health center, personnel and medical equipment are inadequate in this country especially in the rural areas. Health care system remains weak as evidenced by lack of coordination, fragmentation of services, dearth of resources. There is inequity in resource distribution, access to care and very deplorable quality of care.

                         HEALTH CARE WITH REFORMS LAUNCHED IN NIGERIA
 - Before Independence – Ten (10) year development plan (1946 – 1956) introduced to enhance health care delivery, several health schools and institution established.
 - 1980s – General hospitals and several other health centers established.
 - August 1987 – The Primary Health Care plan was launched with its objectives.
 - 2005, Nigerian health insurance scheme (NES) was established by Decree 35 of 1999. This programme of NHIS was launched in October 2008 as one of the millennium development goals.

          PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEALTH SECTOR
In spite of the various reforms to increase the provision of health to the Nigerians, 43.3% of her population benefit as a result of demographic distribution whereby 55% lives in rural areas while 45% in urban.
 - Tools/Equipments - the tools used in the health sector's education are old and out-dated. the students i interviewed said since the health team follows the path of westerners  and everything being used in taking care of the patients are more of disposables and not re-packing and sterilizing.  In developed countries, some of these old tools are believed to be capable of transmitting diseases from one patient to another, e.g, bedpan, etc.
 - Knowledge and information - a very deadly problem is the insufficient and inadequate , however they praised the government about the rate of maturity at which they handled the Ebola virus which produced great results but besides that, they need to provide more sources of information about our society's health problems.
 - Stereotypical procedures/steps - the health team is said to be a way headed institution and has been less innovative in all aspects of their procedures. Students are not encouraged to suggest mighty ideas that will improve the health sector and the Nation. They told me that for example in Nursing, they still refer to Nightingale as the mother of modern nursing and she died around the 15th century. Necessary skills are not used, the old way of treating sicknesses have proved less efficient and accurate as the new treatment procedures which manifest the efficiency and accuracy of health team. Pharmacologically, old drugs are used, some of which discoveries have it that they have adverse effects on users, for example, quinine groups is no more in use for treatment of malaria because it has adverse effect on kidney & liver. 70% of drugs dispensed are substandard.
 - 70% of the health care is provided by private vendors, 30% by the Government.
 - 40% of entire population enjoy NHIS while 52 – 60% are employed in the informal sector .
 - Over half of populace live below the poverty live and so cannot afford the high cost of health care.
 - Poor referral system between the various tiers of health care which tells on the poor managerial functions of the health care delivery system (AKANDE, 2004).
 - Another problem caused by the Government is the sole-concentration on the Doctors as if they can do other jobs of the health team, other department in the health team should be given same recognition as the Doctor’s. Since the Doctors cannot perform other health team's job then, the focus on Doctors have done nothing than disarming the harmony / unity between the health team(personnel)

                         POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS
- Adequate medical intelligence and surveillance is the first line of approach not minding the associated banners on the pattern of leadership, infrastructures, manpower challenges, clinical training and standardized diagnostic instrument.
- Revitalize the Nigerian health care system and provide specific project design to enhance cooperation and efficiency among health team.
- Carry out health campaigns and awareness as it was done in the case of Ebola
- Comparative analysis with other countries experience in addressing health charges.
- Calculate the economic gain or loss of health care provided.
- Economic distribution of services with adequate capitation rate.
- Provide performance based incentives on a regular basis to people involved in health care delivery
- Strong knowledge base/research culture.
- Unity and harmony is the key to success in the health center.
- As we all know that youth are the future, the health team should allow for suggestion of new ideas from students and trainees, it is better to invest in their ideas.
                                                 CONCLUSION
   The Government, health team and health personnel have all come short in certain areas, they should come together and focus on improving the working environment, techniques used in providing care for patients and also on the health teams personal skills.
   In an environment of a Federal Government hospital were report of cats around the students accommodation, I also noticed that the grass around the students abode could abhor snakes and other deadly animals. Such areas needs to be taking care of.
   Instead of the Government pumping money into the pocket of health personnel, it should rather focus on providing the heath sector with modern facilities that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health workers and of patients response to treatments.
   The environment must be taken care of as it is not conducive enough for learning of student and treatment of patients.
                  TOGETHER WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. GOD BLESS NIGERIA, AMEN.                                                                                                            

                                             MISTAKES AFFECTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA

 
   Hello wonderful reader(s),  i am happy you came on to check this, remember i wrote that my previous topic 'Contribution of Professionalism' would be my foundation and introduction to 'Mistakes Affecting the Growth and Development of Our Nation, Nigeria'   These mistakes may sound simple and easily addressable, but it isn't, which is why individuals, the society and our administrators must make sure they combine to correct all wrongs and to stop repeating these mistakes, some of which have haunted and negatively affected us for close to five decades.   Socrates stated 'an unexamined life is not worth living'
Thus, I make reference to Atedo N. A. Peterside's humble submission tagged 'beware of nine mistakes that haunt Nigeria' which he addressed to National Conference Delegates at this year's National Conference,  Atedo in his published article on page 17 of Sunday Punch newspaper dated 27th, April, 2014  wrote in response to Mr President in his inaugural address at the national conference delegates on page 25 of his speech, said 'We cannot continue to proffer yesterday's solutions for today's problems'  
''This observation is bold, honest and forthright. i believe it is correct, but then it is also clearly an indictment of our leaders...
I say my humble submission is that our political leaders have perserved with yesterday's solution largely because our elite have not properly diagnosed and corrected some of the most important mistakes...''    I present my humble perspective to the problems affecting the growth and development of our nation, Nigeria, as a patriotic citizen.
1 - POLITICIANS SHOULD CURB THE EXCESSES OF THEIR SUPPORTERS
     I believe politicians are well-educated and this should surface in their day-to-day activities.   Organization, directing and management of acts of supporters which all promotes good governance will go a long way in positively influencing the mentality of individuals of the society and opposition parties, thereby calling for true democracy irrespective of whom you are whether a political post holder, an aspirant or an individual with fans as all men practice politics in their different endeavor. Paulo Coelho said 'culture makes people understand each other better, and if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers, but first they have to understand that their neighbor is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions'    Atedo's say = With the benefit of hindsight, the big mistake of 1965 was the failure of political leaders to curb the excesses of their supporters in the western region, even when the latter were getting progressively more violent.   Many Nigerian politicians still do not know the correct time to curb the excesses of their supporters.

2- SOME INDIVIDUALS STILL BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE TODAY MUST BE GREATER VIOLENCE
    Violence worsens a case, fighting for something you believe is just and right doesn't have to be violent, there are so many ways of fighting but with weapons is out of the context.   I find this embarrassing and uncalled for in the 21st  century, fighting to get your opinions understood should not be with hurting and harming of individuals and laws of our society, If you feel that things should be looked at from your own perspective rather than the current way of looking at it, then you can fight for your course digitally(internet).  Consistency of quality information through the media or internet will attract people who view things the way you do and share your opinion, making them support you which will make your concerns public and soon treated.   Mahatma Gandhi said 'i object to violence because when it appears to do good , the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent' and 'an eye for an eye will only make the whole world go blind'
   Atedo's say = The January 1966 military coup, which was plotted and executed by some young military officers, was violent in the extreme.   It was almost as if they thought they could douse violence by confronting it with an even more violent outcome.   That led us into a cycle of escalating violence via a violent counter-coup in July 1966...

3- MANIPULATING/EXPLOITING OF POLITICAL POST HOLDERS BY ETHNIC JINGOISTS AND ELDERS.
    A Political Post holder might have a positive mindset towards fulfilling his promises to the society/electorate but because of manipulation/exploitation by elders the government being operated by political post holders then gets distracted, causing the government to commence floating thereby making such post holders immature and incapable.   What i am trying to say is that elders and ethnic jingoists should reduce and stop the exploitation of political post holders.   Also to the Political Post holder, as it was in the bible(St. Mark 12: 14-17) ''...And when they were come they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? But He said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they answered him, Caesar's, Then Jesus answered them Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's...''

   Atedo's say = Elders and other jingoists sought to score advantages over their peers by exploiting the naivete of the young and/or immature military leaders  who emerged in 1966.   The familiar refrain today is that, if your ''son'' occupies a high office then he must manipulate things to your advantage and give you more than your fair share of what you desire, to the detriment of others.

4- RELIGION AND ETHNIC PROBLEMS IN POLITICS.
    As it was published in my first article that Religion is a way of worship to the Almighty God.   Yes, it truly is, but then, are we practicing it?   Islamic Religion and Christian Religion all say love your God and Love your Neighbors as you have loved yourself.   Are we showing the love that our creator has instructed us to?  let's think about the question and remember that your mind is your true Identity and Religion.   To develop our country, Religion in Politics should not serve as a barrier to the growth and development of Nigeria but as a stepping stone to achieving our earthly paradise.   Dalai Lama said 'This is my simple religion. there is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness'
    Also, in our country where we all echo One Nigeria One Nation, this shouldn't be with just words but to also act in line with our words, this mistake doesn't happen only in politics but in most Organizations, too.   We need to make a change, lets change the way we treat ourselves.  For Religion and Ethnic barriers in politics, lets be more than willing to see every problem as an opportunity to grow alongside morals and love, remember an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.   Gary Locke said 'ethnic diversity adds richness to a society'
   Atedo's say = We then also brought religion into politics and are still trying to bring it into everything concerning the public sector.   The irony here is that, if we are truly religious, then why are our public and private sector leaders more corrupt than their contemporaries in countries where religion is almost viewed and/or treated with disdain?   No, by their very actions, thieves and murderers of the innocent have confirmed that they are neither Moslems nor Christians. They are simply criminals who should be made to pay for their sins. Neither the bible nor the Koran preach that we should condone criminality.

5- CONSIDERATION OF DELEGATES AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
   If a national conference, on the current basis of Nigeria & with its content beyond Political Leaders is to take place.   All representatives of human discipline must be considered delegates.   Last week, i published an article; 'contribution of professionalism' i believe with my explanation and my reader's knowledge about profession will you agree with me that need be for all professional body representative be considered delegates for anything national because it means that public view is considered.
  
    Atedo's Say = When confronted with a stalemate or a disagreement between any two substantial groups or groupings on a thorny issue, we refused in the past to borrow tried and tested corporate governance principles and other conflict resolution mechanisms including diplomacy. That was how we slid all the way into a full blown civil  war in 1967. I dare say that if a national conference, on the scale of what we have today and with a composition that similarly went beyond political leaders, had been convened in the first quarter of 1967, the Nigerian Civil War might have been averted.

6- DESTRUCTION OF PROFESSIONALISM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
    Professionalism is the mark or quality of a profession.  To be professional is to follow the special convention, form of politeness associated/attached with a certain profession.  Bribery and corruption is the order of the day and it has destroyed professionalism in both the private and public sectors.  Until Professionalism is restored to the organizations, will there be growth and development in the country.   The main cause of bribery & corruption is when the employee is unsatisfied with the job, and causes are job security, good remuneration, provision of adequate facilities, and employee-employer relationship.   Also, religious and society recommendations should be tendered by employees.

   Atedo's Say = In the mid-1970s, the military then destroyed professionalism in the civil service through the combination of the mass purges which they carried out and the consequent enthronement of tenure insecurity which has since afflicted most public officers.  Accordingly, our civil service has never regained its ability to act as a restraining influence on the excesses of Political Office holders.

7- FAILURE OF POLITICAL POST HOLDERS TO FULFILL PROMISES MADE TO THE ELECTORATE DURING CAMPAIGNS.
    Some of our elected-aspirants have failed in ensuring that their promises are fulfilled when they resume office.   As it is that the best way to promote good governance is leading by example, and our leaders have not led by examples, therefore it has immeasurable effect on the mentality of the electorate causing a deceitful and unfaithful relationship amongst us.  I believe that 'more than any other factor, it is the people we have to deal with that determine the quality of our work lives' also 'your task as a leader is to help others to succeed, not to strive only for your own success'  Source- David H. Maister(True Professionalism)
   Atedo's say--- Our leaders also behaved in a manner that created the impression that our word has stopped being our bond and that is why there is no sanctity of contracts.

8- DYSFUNCTIONAL LEGAL SYSTEM PROMOTES CORRUPTION.
    I believe that most corrupt activities within the society and in different organizations have been backed up by our dysfunctional legal system.   Our legal system should be strong enough to punish powerful individuals who oppress/cheat the masses as true and sound governance means 'equality before the law'.   Justice should be delivered speedily to the oppressed.   A dysfunctional legal system promotes and encourages corruption in a nation which doesn't promote good governance thereby declining such nation the opportunity to grow and develop.   Elena Kagan said 'I've led a school whose faculty and students examine and discuss and debate every aspect of our legal system. And what i've learned most is that no one has a monopoly on truth or wisdom. I've learned that we make progress by listening to each other, across every apparent political or ideological divide'
    Atedo's say = ...having enthroned injustice everywhere, our lawyers and judges then conspired to bequeath us with a dysfunctional legal system which makes it virtually impossible for anyone to obtain justice speedily from our courts.   People who claim to be minorities at the federal or state level often visit the same oppression that they complain of on smaller ethnic minorities as soon as they(who are a minority within the state), become the majority in a senatorial zone or LGA.   Little wonder that this inability to seek and obtain legal redress speedily has encouraged many among us to perpetrate further injustices against the weak.

9- PERVERSE JUDGEMENT WHICH ENCOURAGES IMMORALITY IN THE SOCIETY.
    Aristotle said 'at his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst', any government that passes incentives on bad behaviors in the society has ceased to promote good governance in our society. Immorality is evil and should be corrected in every where it has had access to.  Martin Luther king Jnr said 'human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals' also 'law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress' and 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'
    Atedo's say = We must show the nation that we can do things differently. A national conference is essentially a contest of ideas. We should seek to come up with and/or endorse the best ideas that come to us even from non-delegates.   If we can establish genuine consensus here around the best ideas, we will propel this country forward with unbelievable force.

CONCLUSION = I Pray the Almighty God helps us as individuals, societies and administrators to apply whatever we find useful from this article, Amen.

CONTRIBUTION OF PROFESSIONALISM:

                                                 INTRODUCTION 

    From whence this blog came into existence till it posts its last article will every post published be inter-woven in call for positive change in an individual, societies and administrators.   President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria on page 25 of his speech which was delivered to National Conference Delegates this year said 'We cannot continue to proffer yesterday's solutions for today's problems'  here are few of many questions that often cross my mind about different professions;
-  How should the definition of profession affect our nation?  what does each profession get while they focus their energy on positively affecting our nation?  are there missions to vision?   what have delayed the achievements of vision?  which is also a delay in the growth and development of our nation, Nigeria  I make reference to page 71 of punch newspaper dated 27th, april 2014: Varsities must solve society's needs - KWASU VC, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na'allah.

   As we all know the foundation of profession to be education, and a reliable and standard foundation of education for an individual will result to a solid future of such individual thereby affecting his profession and his Employer, who is directly/indirectly Nigeria.  If you have read and understood my published articles, you'll see that i made mention of an individual making up a society, and a society presents an administrator who will govern it. John Locke, a philosopher said 'No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience' and he also said 'the mind is furnished with ideas by experience alone'

       Atedo Peterside, the chairman of ANAP foundation and Stanbic IBTC who was a delegate at the last National Conference said that professionalism hasn't regained consciousness ever since the military destroyed professionalism some decades back, relating all i have been writing, i present to my readers what profession should mean and also using the current topic 'Contribution of Professionalism' as Introduction and foundation to the 'Mistakes Affecting the Growth and Development of Our Nation, Nigeria'  which is the next article to be published.

                                                        My perspective

    Profession can be defined as an occupation requiring advanced education and special training.
-    How should the definition affect our nation?------With the situation of our country, certified professionals(both retired and in-service) at different disciplines in Nigeria should use their knowledge in assisting political office holders in running the affairs of the state.
-    What does each profession get while they focus their energy on positively affecting our nation?--------individuals at different fields should be assured that while they serve their father-land also are they protecting the future of their children and unborn generation, so the government should focus them with Job satisfaction and security which increases productivity.
-    Is the existence of profession aimed at finding solutions to different societal problems?------Yes, profession is aimed at solving different societal problems, i qualify my statement with the words of the KWASU's vice chancellor  who said 'Varsities must solve society's needs'.
-    Does profession/discipline have vision? Yes i believe that every entity has a vision, and the vision should just be in line with making our society habitable for all.
-    Are there missions to vision? ------ Definitely, every visionary entity must have steps to achieving its vision.
-     What have delayed the achievements of vision?------  the parent factor that have delayed and still delaying the achievement of vision are greediness, corruption and ignorance which has made individuals abandon code of ethics of their discipline leading to negative effects on progress of such profession. CORRUPTION ruins professionalism and its growth. GREEDINESS makes an individual to be self-centred thereby satisfying himself at the expense of other workers.  IGNORANCE is lack of needed knowledge which i refer to as evil.   I believe one should learn anything as long as what it leads you to doesnt make you break the commandments of God, the Creator. 

 Possible Solutions To Professional Problems Which Has Negatively Affected The Growth & Development Of Our Beloved Nigeria

       I believe the saying by Philosopher Francis Bacon who stated 'Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they not be altered for the better designedly'
-     No matter who you are, you need God.(Government, society and individual)
-   Solid educational background(Government, society and individual)
-   Provision of adequate and state of the art instruments in each profession will improve efficiency and accuracy of workers leading to more productivity(Government)
-   No one is too old to learn, i back this up with Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who became a student of National Open University of Nigeria after his term at the Presidency as i believe Education is experience and no man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.
-   Parents must teach their wards how important education and moral values are as being said 'As you lay your bed, so you lie on it'
-   A clean and organised family background no matter the population, i.e, cleanliness is next to holiness(individual, society and government)
-   An Organized society with Comfort in all manners of human endeavour(Government, individual and society)
-   Let everyone know with examples that they have the future of their children and unborn generation to protect when dealing with their different discipline.(individuals, society and government)
-   Ethics and code of conduct should be responsibly addressed as it will bring progress to the environment.(individual, society and Government)
-   Unity and harmony between employers, employees and customers, will achieve a great result and also improve the condition of our nation.(individual, society and Government)
-   The Church and Mosque must preach 'love' and also work to achieve steps necessary to addressing our national problems.(individual, society and Government)

                                                           CONCLUSION

    As we all know that each person has a destiny and your destiny depends on the way you live your life, my say is that irrespective of your background, one should live a moral life, remember that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good individuals do nothing.   Also i share with you Great Themes of Scripture and their references;
-   God's Greatness and Man's Weakness - Isaiah 40.
-   Business and Professional Principles - Psalm 15 , Proverbs 3: 1-12 ,
-   Employer-Employee Relationships - Colossians 3:22-25, 4: 1 ,
-   The Value of the Soul - Mark 8: 36-37 ,
-   Brevity of Man's days - Psalm 90

    I pray that the Almighty God helps us in obeying his commandments and restore the spirit of professionalism into our lives which are for the good of Humanity,   Amen.