The vicious circle

 Chinedu graduated top of his class.

First-class in Electrical Engineering. NYSC in Abuja. He thought his life was finally about to start. Until he started applying for jobs. 50 applications. No response. Then he saw an opening at a major oil company. He was qualified. He applied. He didn’t even get shortlisted. But his classmate—who partied through school—got the job. His uncle is a senator. Frustrated, Chinedu started tutoring kids. ₦5k per student. One day, on his way home, a classmate zoomed past in a Benz. “Bro, this crypto thing changed my life,” the guy said. “No one cares about degree again. School na scam.” That was the first time Chinedu heard it. But it wasn’t just Chinedu. It was Halima—the pharmacy graduate selling perfumes. It was Emeka—the Mass Comm grad driving Bolt. It was Aisha—the best in her department, now ghostwriting for influencers. It spread like wildfire. A generation of Nigerians watched their degrees collect dust, while politicians’ children schooled abroad, came home, and got top jobs—no interview. That’s when “school na scam” stopped being a joke. It became a coping mechanism. But here’s the truth: School isn’t the scam. A system that crushes talent and rewards connections is. Education is still the key—but Nigeria lost the lock. So when they scream “school na scam,” don’t argue. Listen. Because behind every “school na scam” is a broken dream—and a country that didn’t keep its promises.

- Alex Onyia

Only the Living Can Hate - Pius Adesanmi

 Only the Living Can Hate

By Pius Adesanmi

If your President is not performing well:

-criticize him bitterly

-tackle him harshly

-engage him vigorously

-condemn his missteps, his inaction

It is your duty. It is your obligation to your country. If you are criticized by his supporters for doing these things, swat them like flies for you are answerable only to your conscience. Learn from how I handle them if they come after me for criticizing President Buhari. Or how I handle your camp when I press your buttons and unleash you.

If there is anything your President does that seems to be positive or the right step in the right direction:

-scrutinize it

-point out what could be done to make it even better

-point out where there could be improvement

-encourage more of such steps and actions

Then reactivate your default mode: vigilance.

However, if the thought, just the mere thought, that your President has taken two right steps in the right direction in two consecutive days - the N-Power jobs and the career diplomats thingy - throws you into pathological spasms; gives you chest pain; increases your blood pressure, and you are all over the airwaves physically writhing in pain; if two positive headlines devolving from your President's steps are giving you Zika, Lassa, and Ebola and you are reacting like someone bereaved, then, my friend, this is no longer about country o.

It is no longer even about the man who is the object of your unquenchable hate sef. 

I'm afraid, it is now about your health. 

My brother, my sister, you go woundjure o. 

Just two steps in the right direction have taken over the headlines today, reducing your ability to saturate the airwaves with news of the President's "cancer treatment" in London and you are behaving like your world has come to an end?

Don't worry. He is human. He will make mistakes that you can criticize to your heart's content again - maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow sef. But you have to be alive and be hale and hearty to criticize his future errors, abi?

Just try and make it through today alive that you may be able to hate tomorrow, abi? Only the living can hate o.

If you allow just two news items to choke you to death today, I will say, "eeyah, so sad" but I will not miss the nkwobi appointment I have later this evening o.

Make it about country.

You will be happier.

You will live longer.

Pius Adesanmi