{"id":3814,"date":"2012-12-12T16:52:25","date_gmt":"2012-12-12T16:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/?p=3814"},"modified":"2012-12-12T16:52:25","modified_gmt":"2012-12-12T16:52:25","slug":"gov-okorocha-and-his-mermaid-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/?p=3814","title":{"rendered":"GOV.OKOROCHA AND HIS MERMAID SCHOLARSHIP"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ludwig Wittgenstein, a German 20th Century Philosopher conceived philosophy as the bewitchment of our intellect by the use of language.\u00a0 This linguistic perceptiveness is fundamental in any definition, planning or focal project by any progressive-minded administrator.\u00a0 When terms and concepts are defined, directedness is certain, a certainty that assures smooth sail of programmes, that saves the head of the project of psychological, social and financial encumbrances.\u00a0 This very linguistic perceptiveness and its consequent directedness are lacked perpetually in governor Okorocha\u2019s \u201cFree Education\u201d or \u201cscholarship award\u201d.<\/p>\n

According to the National Policy on Education (2004:61), education is an expensive social service, which requires adequate financial provision from all tiers of government for successful implementation of the educational programmes.\u00a0 Consequently, education is not free; and it has become abundantly clear that Government source alone cannot meet the country\u2019s educational needs.\u00a0 This insufficiency of\u00a0 Government\u2019s source in funding education necessitates the exploitation of other avenues for generating school funds, as well as embarking on cost saving devices be followed by prudent management.<\/p>\n

Education is not free; it is an expensive social service; which can never be free in any human society, even in communist ones.\u00a0 By free, one understands \u2013 \u201cCosting nothing\u201d (it costs you nothing), or without payment.\u00a0 Education will cost you time, stress, leisure, disponibility (availability) finance, mental energy, etc.\u00a0 Tuition free or free tuition fees, means paying no money in order to be taught in a college or University.\u00a0 This second conception is more precise than free education.\u00a0 By this, one understands that school fees will not be paid by a student, and it is different from free education.\u00a0 On the other hand, scholarship means an amount of money given to a student by an organization (an institution, agency or individual) for his or her education.\u00a0 Here, scholarship entails cash given to a scholar for scholarly financial exigencies, which may include fees, accommodation, instructional media and aids, etc.\u00a0 This conception is also different from Tuition free subsidy, which entails monetary assistance for students by a Government or an organization to help pay or reduce the payment (or costs of education).\u00a0 For nearly one year, Okorocha has lived in this conceptual disillusion, inter-changing free-education with Tuition free, scholarship and tuition fees subsidy.\u00a0 Based on this directionlessness, his perhaps good-intentioned vision became blurred while the illusive impression he created to Imolites turns to reality that hounds ideation and fantasy.<\/p>\n

In the glorious free education for Imo State, he launched daily stipends for pupils in Primary and students in Secondary Schools.\u00a0 This happened sporadically in selected Urban and Semi-Urban Schools for couple of days and he became the Jewish god that spoke one and became Deus Otiosus.\u00a0 Even in the execution his men went to the 27 Local Government Areas and only picked one most populated and one lowly populated schools as samples that were generalized as entire Imo Schools.\u00a0 Ruses were made about paying certain amount of money (last year ending) as scholarship for pupils in Primary schools and the teachers being paid therein, etc.\u00a0 Feasibility is the problem fantasy has.\u00a0 The Deus Absconditus\u00a0 (the Absent\u00a0 God) reappeared during his 50th Birthday Anniversary and promised instantly distribution of School uniforms to all Imo Secondary students.\u00a0 Though erstwhile, he has promised free sandals, school bags, uniform, books etc for students, which are still on the pipe.\u00a0 The birthday Sky-Blue Imo \u2013Rescue-Mission, tagged Uniform went to few schools in Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe.\u00a0 In Ikenegbu Girls, (for instance) that has one of the greatest population, not all the students received it.\u00a0 But even if any student in Imo State gets it, how can those students be identified when every students\/school wears same uniform? There is no good sense in this. Here Okorocha allowed his \u201ckindergarten learning processes\u201d in the school of public administration to interfere with his education.<\/p>\n

The higher Institution is no go area.\u00a0 He declared free education for IMSU and Imo Poly Students, and later turned to Scholarship.\u00a0 From the stated scholarship, hardship entered.\u00a0 Students are still paying school fees and heavily, while rumours go that their scholarship cheques are at the Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe Senatorial Headquarters, where the Zonal Chairman of the Traditional Rulers will give each Community\u2019s Traditional Ruler cheques of his citizens who are beneficiaries. Is this scholarship?\u00a0 Even, the Part-time Students of Imo State\u2019s\u00a0 in the State Higher Institutions are faced with the double anguish of possible closure of Part-Time and the Government\u2019s declared fees\u00a0 increment to N120,000.00, which would commence soonest.\u00a0 Rumours also go that students in Imo State University have finalized plans to sue the Government to court.\u00a0 One wanders what is going on between Governor Okorocha and his \u201cMy people, My people project\u201d.<\/p>\n

It is doubtful how an administration will give Imolites regular students free education and take triple the tuition-free fees from Imolites Part Time Students. This is the mermaid gift, giving with one hand and taking with the other.\u00a0 It was also gathered that on Friday 30th November, 2012, flood victims in Ohaji\/Egbema, Oguta LGAs protested against Gov. Okorocha\u2019s intention to use the N400, 000,000.00 Federal Government gave then as relief item to build roads in the state.\u00a0 He turned overnight, with the Committee he set, to use the money to fumigate the areas (in this dry season when mosquitoes have gone) and build town halls and bore holes for displaced and farm – products maimed victims.\u00a0 An angry man amongst the invitees\u00a0 in the Nigerian Medical Association hall, along Port Harcourt Road (the venue of the 30th November meeting) funnily asked why there was no fumigation when mosquitoes feasted on them and now they are gone, fumigation came.\u00a0 Another asked whether he will fumigate only the river side or use helicopter to fumigate the entire two L.G.As what of ecological disorder that follows?<\/p>\n

In fact, Okorocha\u2019s administration is likened to the African folk tale on the Snake, the Farmer and the Heron.\u00a0 According to the tale, a Snake chased by hunters asked a Farmer to save his life.\u00a0 To hide it from its pursuers, the\u00a0\u00a0 farmer squatted and let the snake crawl into his belly.\u00a0 But when the danger has passed, and the farmer asked the Snake to come out, the Snake refused.\u00a0 It was warm and safe inside.\u00a0 On his way home, the man saw a heron and went up to him and whispered what has happened.\u00a0 The Heron told him to Squat and strain to eject the snake.\u00a0 When the Snake snuck its head out, the heron caught it, pulled it out and killed it.\u00a0 The Farmer was worried that the Snake\u2019s poison\u00a0 might still be inside him, and the heron told him that the cure for snake poison was to cook and eat six white fowls.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a white fowl\u201d said the Farmer.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll do for a start\u201d.\u00a0 He grabbed the heron, put it in a bag, and carried it home, where he hung it up while he told his wife what had happened.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m surprised at you\u201d said the wife.\u00a0 \u201cThe bird does you a kindness, rids you off the evil in your belly, saves your life in fact, yet you catch it and talk of killing it\u201d.\u00a0 She immediately released the heron, and it flew away.\u00a0 But on its way, it gouged out her eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Ludwig Wittgenstein, a German 20th Century Philosopher conceived philosophy as the bewitchment of our<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guest-columnist"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","elegant-magazine-featured":"","elegant-magazine-medium":"","elegant-magazine-medium-small":"","elegant-magazine-thumbnail-small":""},"author_info":{"info":["Imo Trumpeta"]},"category_info":"Guest Columnist<\/a>","tag_info":"Guest Columnist","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3816,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3814\/revisions\/3816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}