The Word Academic is the adjective of the word “Academy” which was derived from the word “Academe” meaning an environment of learning or a community of greater knowledge about phenomenon, issues and humans. The concept of “social” is also an adjective that describe serene, the relationship and the level of interaction and behavior of human being in the community the live. The word “Vices” however means problem or bad habit. Ebira land is an axis that is found in the central part of Kogi State in the Middle Belt Axis (North Central Part) of Nigeria.
One ought to be very meticulous in dealing with the topic above because of the sensitivity that it carries. Although we have to start from somewhere. In most cases, Scholars like Emile Duckheim, a sociologist in his book “Normative Value” was of the opinion that most social vices issue influence negatively the academic vices as the interaction, social relations and agents of socialization will define the level or the state of academy or education in a particular society.
However, the following two major points are the bedrock of academic vices in Ebira land:
First, people often say that Ebira people do not have a reading culture. This is not totally true or I may argue that it is a true far-fetched. The fact is that there are shortage of books available to the Ebiras. Ebira people do not have easy access to text books and many other literature. I still believe that people are willing to read but hardly find the relevant books, sometimes, even with your money, one can hardly find these books in Ebira land.
Our public and schools’ libraries are fully occupied with books that are
anachronistic in nature rather than the contemporary books and
literature. Again, you cannot see a child walking on the street that has
not eating a square meal in a day and you will Jump into the conclusion
that he does not like eating. He will eat if he sees food. As such we
will read if these books are made available.
A way out of these academic setbacks is a digital book learning. Government and individuals who have passion for books or learning should create digital blog Where books can easily be assessed by the average people in Ebira land perhaps in Nigeria to enhanced reading Culture.
Conversely, as an author, it is not really easy at all as writing may at a point in time not really constitute the major problem as an academic vice but money to publish such texts and how to secure the text against piracy when it finally comes up.
To this ends, no nation can develop if the Youth are weak in Knowledge and in Writings as education is the only weapon that can move a society forward and in the same vein, no society can develop economically and intellectually if there is high rate of piracy and bad reading culture.
Secondly, our secondary as well as primary schools are lacking competent and quality teachers as well as poor structures. The teachers we have these days do not really update their knowledge and the fact is that “We only teach what we know” as we cannot teach an idea(s) which we are ignorant of it.
Knowledge is dynamic and it continues changing every day and this is why every class room teacher(s) needs to follow the trend of the global world. For instance, I remember listening to one of these contemporary teachers recently at the course of his teaching SS 2 Class students where he was making use of these Words: “Amongst”, Thrice”, “Disvirgin” among others as words that can be used in the contemporary English grammar. But little did he know that the above words are now what we called ‘anachronistic’ and no longer in use in the contemporary English Language. The most amazing part of this is that the word “disvirgin” is not in usage and cannot be found in any dictionary in the world.
On the other hand, from the aspect ff some students is their nonchalant attitude towards the development of their educational careers. They have refused to learn their career guide to the extent that a student who wants to study Mass Communication or Law know very little that literature -in- English is Vital for them and similarly to other aspect of students who intend choosing other field of studies in their academic life. Again there are some teachers today in our secondary schools teaching SS classes that only possess O’ level certificates. How can a teacher that has only O’level certificate be teaching Junior classes talk more of Senior Classes? This is unprofessional in nature and a setback to our education. Hence the minimum requirement to be a secondary school teacher is NCE.
In light of the above, any government that is ready for the development and the progress of the educational sector needs to make some major corrections and amendment in our educational settings and the physical structure of our schools.
Thirdly the financial problem. The fact remains that most primary and secondary schools students can no longer afford to pay their school fees regularly as students are sent out of the school premises during the lecture hours because of their outstanding depts. The students on the other hand do not really have the financial Capability to buy the necessary books they ought to buy for the development of their learning skills. For this to be Curb, the parents, Teachers and Government should reach a contract or negotiation on how these financial problems can be addressed.
SOCIAL VICES IN EBIRAL LAND
There are many social problems in Ebiraland but for the sake of time management, I will outline few among others.
Clan
At a point in your life Journey as an Ebira you will encounter the term “What is your clan”?
An attempt to answer this question will take you back to some negative
histories in Ebira land either on how your clan has been Maltreated or
how they have been regarded as slaves or how they have been regarded as
the minority. But you have to answer the question at the same time
because it is the answer that will get you a land to settle easily or
at a cheaper rate. It is the answer to the question that can as well
easily give you a wife or husband, it is the answer that can easily get
you some titles, it is the answer that will at a point give you
political power and finally it is the answer that will give you the
right to work in any local government. Therefore, no matter how you
define yourself, at a point in your life Journey you have to accept this
label that was created by circumstance many years ago.
A way out of this, is that clan should not be seen as a religion but should be seen and uphold as a last resort.
Culture
We have forgot about our good culture in Ebiraland . Good culture such as hard working. Statistics has shown in recent time that the Ebira women are more hardworking that the men as oppose to the past. Any society whose only or mostly the women are hardworking will not yield an absolute development.
We have forgot about folklore and folktales given to us by the old men when we were young. Some children and youth of this generation do not know what ‘’irita’’-“Ane” means. There were beautiful and ancient stories either fiction or non- fiction narrated in the past and we have lost this beautiful glory.
We have also forget many words or expressions in our beautiful language. Most of us, as a result of the negative effects of globalization cannot even remember some expressions or names of thing in our native language (Ebira). For instance, I was privilege to have a lengthy and beautiful conversations with an old man in Ebira land and I remember I asked him what is ‘Mango’ Called in Ebira and to my dismay he said ‘Mangoro’ and I could not help laughing. I remember telling him that Sir, you just anglicize English for Ebira.
Masquerade as part of our culture can be played or celebrated positively and negatively depending on the behavioral approach or display of people that involve in this. We heard beautiful narrations from our Fathers on how masquerades serve as a rejoicing tradition in past. I was opportune to attend a lecture given by an Ebira Professor, a professor of history in year 2014 where he was narrating that masquerade is not our culture and I wondered if we are not personalizing our knowledge. Great sociologists of all time such as August Comte, Ibn Khaldum, Emile Durkheim, Maliwnowski, Talcott parson, Peter Mudock among others were of the opinion that culture can be learned, culture can be inherited, culture can be borrowed in the Concept of Culture. My point, however, is that even if we have borrow masquerade from the original people that own it, it cannot be denied or taken out of our culture. The point however is that if most Ebira Youth have accepted masquerade into their culture, it should be played in such a way that it should bring unity and integration rather than division.
3. Lack of Respect and Mannerism.
In most cases, we speak without respect and honour compared to the Hausas and Yorubas. We need to build in ‘respect’ because any word carelessly spoken can give rise to extremely violence or reactions. We need to demonstrate an awareness that we are one people living in a fragile society. Therefore, a way out is that we need to invest in our level of expressions and mannerism.
4. Bad Stories of Integration
We need to invest in the good stories of integration. The only stories we have been hearing most of the times is that the Ebira people are aggressive and rude and how they have not been at peace with one another. But we did not hear how hospitable the Ebira people are. We were not told how the Ebiras love to host and welcome other tribes in their land. Indeed, Ebira people are the most hospitable tribe in Nigeria as they love visitors and stranger perhaps than theirselves. For many violence and conflict that had happened in Ebira land, statistics has shown that no other tribe or stranger/visitor(s) has been hurt or as the case may be and this fact can be proven wrongly by any forthcoming statistics. Again, we were not also told that there were a lot of Ebira Youth/students that graduated with first class nor had scholarships in abroad, neither were we told that an Ebira boy recently graduated from Bayero University Kano and broke a record of over thirty years ago emerging with first class honours in the department of mass communication. Therefore, any leader that is interested in the future of this society should be ready to push these good stories forward.
5. We were not told the numbers of people that died during the year 2000-2002 crises nor were we told the numbers of people that died at the Ihima crisis nor do we have statistical record of 2007, 2008 and 2009 crises in Ebira land regarding to the souls lost. The souls lost in all these crises are not remembered uptil date but the only thing we remembered in common is how these actors displayed war talents during the crises before they were all killed.
6. We have to invest in the morality of integration. We should learn not to take revenge because it will further destroy us. We should learn to forgive. If any man assumes a position, he should learn to be an Ebira at heart rather than dancing to a particular clan or to some fetish group of people. People should also be held to pay for their crimes, as Justice should prevail.
7. We need to invest in the politics of integration. We need to politicize the things we share in common. What are the things the Ebira people share in common? There are bad roads in common, No respect and appreciation in common, No forgiveness in common, hatred in common, poverty in common, no constant light in common, Lack of standard in our schools in common, bad ways of raising children in common, child Labour in common, among others. All these are common in all the local governments in Ebira land and we all share it in common.
Therefore any government or Civil Society organizations (CSOs) that want good future for this society needs to address these issues.
8. Abolition of Undefined Nick names.
The 21st centrury has come with a lot of undefined nicknames which destroy our moral values and respect. Undefined nickname are names derived by the youth or peers themselves apart from the legitimate names given to them by their parents. Although some nicknames are defined and have basis. For society to be reformed morally, we have to do away with names that have no moral basis and value as the names we bear have much impact on our lives. Statistics has shown that societies with undefined nicknames among the youth are prone to violence and conflict. For example, how can one give to himself the following names: Bullet (Agaere), bottle, blacki, cobra, Ejanla, Bawa mafia, to mention a few.
9. Expansion of Ebira Central Market
For there to be development, there must be expansion of the central Market (Ohubariki) because we have become more complex than before and the population has also increased over time. It is a sign of development on the aspect of our economy and social relations when or if we have a more viable market that will also further inter-connect everyone.
10. Ebira Communication Commission
This should be a body that ought to be charged with the responsibility of checkmating and limiting if possible the types of music that are being released in Ebira land by our musicians. Everyone cannot just wake up and start singing. Songs must be sang for relevance and for the betterment or unity of the society and not for disintegration and dichotomization. Therefore, if this body is in existence to look into the relevance of songs from the musicians to their society before they are released, it will reduce the rate of violence, hatred and perhaps other societal ills.
11. High rate of Drug Abuse in Ebira land
Statistics has shown that people with high rate of drug abuse are mostly used as political thuggery which leads to electoral violence. I happen to be a member of Vanguard Against Drug Abuse in Nigeria (VGADA) that was recently flagged-off in Abuja in line with house of representative committee on Nacordic Drugs. This emerged as a result of the high rate of Youth involving in taking Codeine, Marijuana, Tramadol among others. In Ebira land, the issue of Drug abuse is worrisome as not only the average Ebira Youth now indulge in drug abuse but also average Ebira Young Ladies also indulge in this negative act. In fact, drug abuse has a lot of negative effects to the entire society. It can result to social irresponsibilities, Unproductive Youth, Violence, Madness and Demoralisation.
However, proper measure should also be put in place not only by the government but also by the CSO to curb this ugly menace of drug abuse
12. Cultism (modern crew)
Cultism is also one of the social vices in Ebira land. Statistics has shown that there are 52 different Cultist groups in Nigeria. The Ayes, The Vikings, The Braziers, the Black Axe, Kuklu-klax etc. Most Ebira boy even among the teens now indulge in cultism which some of them now call (crew) without good aims and objectives. Ebira land has been affected negatively with group of people that indulge in this. Etymologically, cultism was formed at the University of Ibadan as part of learning activities that show competitiveness in the leaning activities within campus then. It encouraged the students then to be creative academically and socially within the campus. It was then called Kegite group which can still be rarely found today. It has now been bastardized as it is against the state’s ethics. Measures need to be put into place to eradicate this as its negative effects on the society cannot be over-emphasized.
13. Nudity Among Ebira Girls
An average of Ebira Young Ladies now serve as an object that can be
bought and sold at any time. Hotels in Ebira land are supposed to be
project of development in the society but most of the hotels in Ebira
land have now further corrupt the young girls as there are many night
clubs on these hotels where most of our young ladies are now used as
object of satisfying the hotel visitors/strangers among others. Rich men
who lodge in these hotels demand for these young girls with the consent
of the hotel management boards for their satisfaction and due to the
level of poverty and illiteracy among these girls, they are being paid
‘peanuts’. Majority of these young girls are in between the age of 15-20
years. Parents no longer teach their teens the concept of morality and
socialization. The teens mostly learn from their peers these days and
this is dangerous as most of the ideas they conceived from peers
nowadays are negative and nudity. Seriously, Ebira girls are too cheap
to be lured to bed has remained the most popular notion among other
tribes who are not Ebiras.
A way out this is that the family as the first and primary agent of socialization needs to give more orientation to their young children especially the teens as they grow up to mix with their peers. Again, I Wonder what a young lady of less than 18 years will be doing constantly in hotels at night. Statistics has shown that these young girls are mostly found at the Hotels in Nagazi and check-point, more specifically Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at eve.
14. Phone Addiction
The rate at which young teens are mis-using phone through social network or media is alarming. Nowadays, we have age restrictions for smoking, drinking and drugs but no age restriction for social media. Sometimes social media is fun especially on facebook and so on. Alcohol is bad to some and to some is not bad but generally, too much alcohol is bad. Gambling to some is bad and to some is not that bad but it is generally believed that too much gambling is dangerous.
Nothing is wrong with social media and cell phones actually but it is the imbalance form that got it all wrong. If you are sitting at dinner with your friends, and you are texting somebody who is not there, that is a problem, that is an addiction. If you are sitting in a meeting, or in a lecture with people you are supposed to be listening to and you put your phone on the table, face up or face down, never matter and the fact that you cannot put it away shows that you are addicted. When you wake up in the morning and you check your phone first before you say good morning to your mother, father or wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend, you have an addiction. And like all addictions, it will destroy your relationship with your friends and family. It will cost your time and money and it will make your life worse. A way out is to take a proper precautions about our phone and how and when we use them.
– Momoh Yakubu
President of Kogi Transformation Ambassadors, Author, Editor and public speaker.
08066678117, momohyakubu06a@gmail.com
A Paper Presented in a Seminar by Academic Elite of Ebiraland (AEE)
