Sycophancy taken to ridiculous extent?, By Jideofor Adibe

…it might additionally not be misplaced to interrogate the attainable motives of the sponsors of the invoice. Because the mentioned College is to be sited in Abia State the place the Deputy Speaker comes from, it might be protected to imagine that he’s the arrowhead of the invoice, and consequently speculate on his attainable motives:… Is the Deputy Speaker eyeing a governorship seat in Abia State, and believes that the Ahmed Bola Tinubu College of Languages could be his proof of ‘concrete achievement’ whereas in workplace?

A invoice for the institution of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal College of Languages has reportedly handed the primary studying on the Home of Representatives. Part II half I of the invoice, which is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Honourable Benjamin Kalu, and eight others, gives that the college, when established, shall encourage “the development of studying and to carry out to all individuals with out distinction of race, creed, intercourse or political conviction, the chance of buying a better training in Nigerian languages and cultures.” It additional claims that the college is aimed toward “Producing socially mature individuals with capability to speak, perceive, and use Nigerian languages for nationwide growth.”

There are a number of questions begging for solutions with respect to the proposed college:

One, is the query of whether or not there may be actually any want for a College of Languages, contemplating that lots of the 62 federal and 63 state universities within the nation have departments of Languages or Institutes of African Research which are already offering the providers that the proposed new College will purportedly supply. What’s much more ridiculous is that there’s additionally a federally owned Nationwide Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), which was arrange in Aba, Abia State, through Decree 117 of 30 December, 1993. The Institute was aimed toward being the “apex establishment for analysis, educating, documentation, and coordination of research in Nigerian languages,” in accordance with NINLAN’s web site. Following from this, it’s apparent that the promoters of the Tinubu College of Languages are both unaware of the existence of NINLAN, or in the event that they did, failed to obviously set up the worth addition of the proposed Tinubu College of Languages to each the mandate of NINLAN and the varied institutes and departments that provide related providers within the nation’s establishments of upper studying.

Two, when it comes to worth addition, the promoters of the proposed college additionally appear uncertain of what they actually need to accomplish – apart from the apparent info that they need to arrange a Federal College, which might be sited in Abia State, the house state of the Deputy Speaker, and which might be named after the President.  As an example, the promoters declare that the college, when established, will act “as brokers and catalysts, by means of postgraduate coaching, analysis and innovation for the efficient and financial utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s pure, financial and human sources.” How finding out indigenous languages will result in the “efficient and financial utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s pure, financial and human sources”, stays unclear. It’s equally unclear how coaching in Nigerian languages will result in “Producing socially mature individuals.” There are a number of different bogus claims about what the proposed college might obtain that one will get the impression that whoever wrote the idea paper merely labored from solutions to questions, and had little or no data of what a college training, or analysis in indigenous languages, is all about.

Three, a associated query is whether or not establishing a College of Languages is de facto one of the best ways to advertise curiosity in native languages. If the purpose of the proposed college is to encourage folks to discover ways to converse native languages, then a college training shouldn’t be required for this. If this was actually the purpose, the sponsors might obtain the purpose higher by establishing, or encouraging the establishing of centres in native communities, the place native languages of curiosity could possibly be learnt. The sponsors might additionally spend money on the event of apps for educating native languages or promote various present apps that present such providers. If, however, analysis in indigenous Nigerian languages is their most important goal, then endowing chairs in numerous Departments of languages or Institutes of African Research in our present establishments of upper studying might do the job higher and cheaper.

…one might need to know what Tinubu has finished within the space of selling native languages that ought to warrant a College of Languages being named after him. The entire invoice due to this fact oozes of sycophancy taken to a ridiculous degree.  I do know that some Nigerian governors have named establishments and monuments after themselves. However that’s pure narcissism, and if folks don’t resist such, it’s as a result of they’ve both been cowed or just don’t care.

4, what number of Nigerian languages might realistically be taught within the proposed college? Or will or not it’s simply the same old case of the dominant languages within the nation (WAZOBIA) getting disproportionate consideration? If that turns into the case,  as it’s more likely to be, given that it’s going to not be possible to supply programs within the nation’s over 500 indigenous languages and dialects, then the proposed college, fairly than facilitating cultural consciousness and unity – as claimed by the sponsors of the invoice – will unwittingly develop into a software of disunity as a result of audio system of the languages not noted aren’t more likely to have any emotional buy-in to the college.

5, is the ethical concern of naming establishments or monuments after a sitting President or Governor. In most climes, monuments are named after leaders have left workplace – not when they’re in workplace. Even worse is to call an establishment after a President who continues to be lower than two years in workplace, and who’s but to search out his bearing on the job, and who is mostly  mocked as “T-Ache” for the unprecedented hardship his authorities has delivered to Nigerians. If I had been President Tinubu, I might distance myself from any effort to call establishments or monuments after me and even give me awards, together with by the Bretton Woods establishments. Such honours are finest savoured, if finished when the particular person shouldn’t be able to increase favours. Usually, monuments must be constructed to immortalise an concept, to not humour these in energy. On this connection, one might need to know what Tinubu has finished within the space of selling native languages that ought to warrant a College of Languages being named after him. The entire invoice due to this fact oozes of sycophancy taken to a ridiculous degree.  I do know that some Nigerian governors have named establishments and monuments after themselves. However that’s pure narcissism, and if folks don’t resist such, it’s as a result of they’ve both been cowed or just don’t care.

…regardless of the Deputy Speaker hopes to attain by the Ahmed Bola Tinubu Federal College of Languages, he ought to take classes from different Nigerian politicians whose sycophancy minimize brief their careers. A typical instance is Ibrahim Mantu, the previous deputy president of the Senate (2001-2007). Throughout Obasanjo’s alleged third time period plot, Mantu was considered the arrowhead, and he boldly claimed that he would give his life for Obasanjo…

Six, it might additionally not be misplaced to interrogate the attainable motives of the sponsors of the invoice. Because the mentioned College is to be sited in Abia State the place the Deputy Speaker comes from, it might be protected to imagine that he’s the arrowhead of the invoice, and consequently speculate on his attainable motives: Is the Deputy Speaker following the trail of some governors who wrongly consider that their legacies might be measured solely by constructing enduring bodily buildings that may outlive them, usually white elephant tasks akin to airports which are hardly viable  and universities that aren’t correctly funded? Does the Deputy Speaker hope that by naming the proposed college after President Tinubu, he would tickle his ego, and purchase the president’s help for the undertaking? Is the Deputy Speaker hoping that by ingratiating himself to the president he would safe his place within the occasion of the president being re-elected in 2027? Is the Deputy Speaker eyeing a governorship seat in Abia State, and believes that the Ahmed Bola Tinubu College of Languages could be his proof of ‘concrete achievement’ whereas in workplace? And what, if one might ask, has develop into of the Deputy Speaker’s Peace within the South East Mission (PISE-P), which he launched with fanfare within the historical city of Bende, Abia State on 29 December, 2023?

Seven, Shakespeare was proper that there isn’t a artwork to search out the thoughts’s development on the face, so I admit that every one the above attainable motives are mere speculations. However regardless of the Deputy Speaker hopes to attain by the Ahmed Bola Tinubu Federal College of Languages, he ought to take classes from different Nigerian politicians whose sycophancy minimize brief their careers. A typical instance is Ibrahim Mantu, the previous deputy president of the Senate (2001-2007). Throughout Obasanjo’s alleged third time period plot, Mantu was considered the arrowhead, and he boldly claimed that he would give his life for Obasanjo. Nonetheless, no sooner did Obasanjo depart workplace than Mantu, wanting to rehabilitate himself politically from the injury his championing the massively unpopular tenure elongation plot had finished to his picture and profession, turned in opposition to Obasanjo. Nigeria’s political ecosystem is sadly suffering from a number of Mantus. And this could forewarn each the sycophant and the chief being humoured. Given the transient nature of energy, sycophancy, past a sure octave, is a certain profession killer.

Jideofor Adibe is Professor of Political Science at Nasarawa State College, Keffi and founding father of Adonis & Abbey Publishers. He may be reached at: pcjadibe@yahoo.com  or 07058078841 (WhatsApp or textual content messages solely).