Dino Malaye's and certificate saga: Nigeria is a big joke, By Tobenna Obiano.

I wonder why we are this petty and often pride in chasing shadows while the playmaker stands right there before us, without hiding.

Today, Nigeria has one of the world's most uneducated man as President. Nomatter how or what anyone feels, this is the truth. Yes, till this day, doubts still persist as to if he actually wrote his WASSC or School Certificate examination which is the entry standard to contest for political office.

Nigeria has had series of very many uneducated men as Presidents. It is an established fact that out of the 13 Presidents the nation has produced in her nearly six decade of nationhood as from Independence, only but three, the triplet of Zik of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who was even a ceremonial President, then long after came the duo of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of the blessed memory and lastly, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, outside these three, none other past or incumbent Nigerian President ever graduated from any institution of higher learning before becoming President, none!

Now, it may seem laughable, well for me, it is ridiculous and perhaps very shameful. If our entry requirement in Nigeria for an exalted position, the number one in the land which is so multi-tasking and requires a great deal of intelligence, smartness and energy, here we have such low entry criteria, how then do we expect high outcome or wonders to be done.

A Latin adage reads thus: "Nemo dat quod non habet", meaning: "No one gives what he has not". If you decide to do away with your very best eleven and choose your best eleven from "behind", obviously the result would concur with the foolish choice of choosing the visionless, missionless and ambitionless class as against a saner choice of serious-minded, mentally stable and intellectually sound fellows.

This is why even in this golden age and time, a President still talks of Western Germany, goes abroad to call his own countrymen criminals, where even before a woman world leader, he carelessly remarks that women, of particular mention his own wife has their place in the living room, the kitchen and the other room (whatever that means), he isn't sure of the electoral body that conducts elections and not very sure also of the full names of even the political party to which he is a member of and contested under.

Sen. Dino Malaye suddenly has become a target and they are determined on their hold no barrel. They have claimed he never graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. They even released alleged photos of his results particularly where he failed some of his courses. They went ahead to claim his HOD was bribed to aid him progress. Lately, they said he was impeached as a President of his Department of Geography at thesame institution.

Well, atleast, he was an undergraduate to start with. Those who passed through Nigerian institutions of higher learning know quite clearly that one ought to be in good academic standing and atleast in his third year to even be eligible to contest for elective positions, particularly President, which it was agreed that he won.

Dino had smartly responded, stating quite clearly that he is doing his 3rd from thesame university out of his 7th degree from other institutions. He even holds a Masters degree from thesame ABU, Zaria and obviously, he couldn't have gained admission to study for his Masters Degree without first furnishing the institution with his First degree credentials. In his case, it's even easier to confirm as it is the same institution. How does someone who doesn't have his Bachelors degree be allowed to proceed with Masters degree from thesame university.

Nigeria is a drama zone and this political class, especially the leading party are determined to frustrate Nigerians with their needless and endless dramas. Once you speak up against their maladministration or their misrule, you become their prime target and become victimized by whatsoever means ever possible. This is true but very sad and so petty as well.

Apostle Johnson Suleman hasn't come out of his own share of the tribulation in an alleged sex scandal with his continually surfacing mistresses. This could be for daring to speak up against the Nigerian Caesar and the powers that be. Who knows who would be next?

Well, with the many dramas that has continued to play out on the Nigerian scene, one thing has since become very clear, it shows the level of desperation and unpreparedness these guys were before mounting this seat of Governance. We keep getting needless dramas and frivolities while the populace continue to suffer want, hunger and devastation.

It has since become obvious that the APC as a political party was never ever truly ready to take up, head-on with the responsibility of leadership. 2019, where are thou? This change needs to be changed.

Today, Nigeria has an illiterate President and it's okay for as many as those who think it so, and suddenly we hear of a serving Senator who is atleast more literate than our President and we are here shouting foul!

Truly, common sense isn't anything or anywhere very common. As regards this, we need not Jesus, we need common sense!

Hell of a nation.

~Tobenna Obiano