Balancing the formal education with the informal education

By Agiri Taibat Blessing

Home training, hand works like hairdressing, fashion designing, carpentry and a host of others are all categorize under the informal education, however informal they seem, these people are substances that Nigeria needs. Can a developing country like Nigeria survive without the implementation of an informal education? It is a point of fact that Nigeria as a society places more emphasis on a fulfilled life through the formal education making the informal education less important in the development of the country. Education has been given a lot of definition but the most fascinating one is “education is an opportunity of a lifetime”. This exceptional definition of education shows that the importance of education can not be underrated and overemphasized in the development of a nation. However, many a person interpret the definition as an opportunity gotten from a formal education only.

The world is changing, and with it, the perspective of people on the true advantage of an informal education to the growth of the country, the society, the family and also the individual. An informal education is a type of education gotten outside the school setting making this type of education a bit difficult and interesting. Informal Education looks to create or deepens situation where people can learn, explore and enlarge experience, and make changes. On the one hand, an individual should strive to be successful in both education. On the other hand, an individual who finds it difficult in acquiring one should move to the other.

A lot of young people today see the formal type of education as tiring and view it with obscurity, while some see it as a drive to success. However, many a young person would rather learn a hand work than sit in a classroom with the teacher’s ceaseless cane but their interest has been overshadowed by their future telling parents who want their kids to be ‘future Leaders”. Little wonder how some young persons never succeeded in acquiring Western education but are known as great individuals in their respective fields.

Home training, hand works like hairdressing, fashion designing, carpentry and a host of others are all categorize under the informal education, however informal they seem, these people are substances that Nigeria needs. Has the government ever thought of the increase in unemployment rate, crime scenes and so on, these individuals can be reshaped through both formal and informal education.

Education is not limited to the classroom and the two types of education should be in equal proportion. Nigeria is a society that places much emphasis on formal education than the informal education, however, the formal education system of the country has made Nigerians have a rethink about the true meaning of a formal education. The country has become an abode of unemployed citizens and a host of criminal activities. How can the country survive?

The nation will survive if family, society and individuals give equal respect to both type of education and allow people choose whatever they feel it’s best for them.

Agiri Taibat Blessing is of the Department of English Education of Lagos State University.

Musa Wada, Abuja

Your Excellency, The just concluded party primary of our dear party in Kogi state ranked among the most shameful and intended to deliberately lead to the death of our party in the state. The All Progressives Congress as a political platform since it’s formation by our heroes has been known as a veritable vehicle in promoting good governance, good practices, and above all a democratic dispensation morally entrenched to give every segment of it’s membership a sense of belonging.

The recently held primary election if allowed to be ratified by the National working Committee (NWC), would have signaled to the whole world that you intended to stand aside doing nothing when a self seeking godfather in the state seemingly with the action of last Friday 14 April, decides to preside over the requiem of the party in Kogi state.

I will like to tell you the fact that the goodwill the party has earned for itself over the years among the electorate in the state is waning especially with the action of the governor, Yahaya Bello, to use the party in the state as a vehicle to satisfy only his whims and caprices and to cover his tracks.

We are actually awaiting the heralded Armageddon of the party by the silence of the party leadership in not wielding the big stick by calling the governor along with his cohorts in this destructive journey to order. The truth is that our people waited for the primary election of the party held last Friday to use their votes to recruit capable leadership for the state thereby reclaiming their rights as the democractically acceptable recruiter of leaders at every point in time but were amazed that the shananigan on parade was allowed to take place.

I want to remind you, Mr chairman, that this avoidable scenario has played out in the party before in the state with the attendant consequences of the party completely losing the state to the opposition and if nothing is done immediately to remedy this unethical charade, the party stands no chance of retaining the state. Our love and loyalty to the party compelled us to write you this open letter because to be forewarned is to be forewarned.

The conduct of the primary was not inconformity with the party’s own guidelines or any known democratic practices anywhere in the world.We want to salute the courage of the chairman of the primary committee and the chief returning officer, governor Maitawalle of Zamfara state who after being cajoled into brandishing a court order illegally gotten at the eleventh hour, made a u-turn after realizing the charade called primary election of the party in the state decided to opt out of announcing the results of the election which in the first place was never held.

We wish to advice the leadership of the party to immediately make the urgent move to completely nullify the exercise for the futility it is and conduct another inclusive primary election immediately. Any other decisions taking apart of outright cancellation will lead to the perception of the party membership that indeed the party leadership at the national level are part and parcel of this shenanigan with grave consequences to our chances at the polls. We are very impressed with your performances since you became the chairman of the party with your team at the national working committee of the party and hopeful you would do that which is right and urgently too.

Thanks.

Court absorbs ASCSN President BolaAudu, others of human trafficking charges

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Mr Innocent BolaAudu and three others have been discharged and acquitted of criminal allegation of human trafficking.

Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, cleared Bola-Audu and three others on the ground that the prosecution failed to link the defendants with the offence.

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP) had dragged four civil servants before the Court over their alleged involvement in human trafficking in 2021.

The workers were the Chief Accountant on Grade Level 14, Innocent Bola-Audu, and an Assistant Executive Officer on Grade Level 13, Cecilia Aneke.

The defendants pleaded not guilty after they were arraigned on July 7, 2021 and were subsequently granted bail.

The defendants through their counsels filed a motion for nocase submission. After parties argued their briefs of argument, the court adjourned the case for ruling.

Justice Agbaza, in his ruling on Tuesday after listening to submissions of counsels said the prosecution clearly failed to link the defendants with the offence.

The Judge held that, “The prosecution has not clearly been able to link the defendants with the charge brought against them. I find it difficult to come to terms with the prosecution on the charges and in his argument against the defendants.

“There is no evidence before this Court linking the defendants with the offence. The prosecution failed to establish a case of human trafficking against the defendants.

“The defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted.”

Speaking with journalists after his discharge by the Court, Bola-Audu said the case preferred against him and three others by NAPTIP was politically motivated to malign him but he was happy that he been vindicated.

He thanked members of ASCSN who stood by him while his travails lasted, promising not to let them down as he will continue to provide purposeful leadership for the Association.