Delightfully, I am back to take this self-initiated discussion further. I have been thwarted by many reasons from keeping my commitment to be here weekly…Please my dear readers I beseech you by the mercies of God to pardon my unannounced break in transmission.

In my first salvo, I laid the foundation of this copious discussion. I rounded off with a promise to shed light on some fundamental principles, which I believe to be critical to the purposeful existence of the higher institution of learning.

Permit me to begin today’s discussion with the subject matter of freedom and how it helps to shape the culture of a university or higher institution vis as vis the purpose for which it exists or ought to exist.

Freedom may mean many things to many people but I think within the context of an intellectual community, it means a person’s discovery, acceptance and understanding of his/her dignity of human person and originality and an unfettered commitment to defend same, even with the last drop of his/her blood. A free mind is a conscious mind and a conscious mind will always prefer the sting of death to the roses of bandage.

Freedom in this context is the yearning of every uncorrupted human soul. Even at the highest level of corruption and debasement of the human soul, the yearning for freedom flashes through the consciousness of the human spirit in moments when a man’s humanity fights for restoration of its own accord.

The core value or operating force of every institution of learning, including tertiary is the commitment to freedom as carefully encapsulated above.

Freedom is an affirmation of a major ingredient without which an institution of learning is robbed of her soul. And once an institution is robbed of her soul, it is robbed of her essence. Therefore she may still exist in structures, building and in name, yet she only exists in her own shadows and incapable of fulfilling her purpose.

Freedom is the foundation of everything the institution of learning does, learning, discipline and all. Therefore,
this freedom in not an advocacy in lawlessness but as the only instrument of order in all forms of human interactions. It is important to note that any peace and obedience secured through the suppression of the human spirit and soul is a pyrrhic victory. By the worth and the inherent pricelessness with which of the soul of a man endowed by the Creator, it cannot be traded for anything, not even an exchange for the whole world. Whatever gain a man or woman makes at the expense of his/soul remains an eternal loss.

Freedom must therefore be a culture sustained by a system.

By the reason of my work within the school system, pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary, I have by keen observation come to the irresistible conclusion that freedom has been sacrificed on the altar the so-called Nigeria Factor. The sacrifice of freedom is cemented by the stinking libation of the ignorance, nonchalance or expediency of the parents/guardian, operators of the institutions of learning and the society in general.

With freedom out of the way, our precious children graduate from the institutions meeting everyone and everything but themselves…The graduation ceremonies are nothing but magnification of their skills, with little or no attention to the strength or weakness of the character of the graduands…

We collectively forget that skills remain useless or even a liability in the hands of a man or woman. What is the worth of skills to man or woman, who is a stranger to his own spirit and soul, when the spirit and soul of man or woman are the operating system and inevitable anchors of all skills.

I think I should round up here to continue my journey next time.

Remember Enlightenment is Superior to Enforcement. I charge you to Think the CHILD…Think the FAMILY…Think TODAY…Think the FUTURE.

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