Pegasus Reporters Issues on the Wing
Let me break it down here. Have you applied for Foreign Scholarship, perhaps, a Master’s Degree or specifically, Ph.D., in European countries? This is what happens…
*Adebisi Benjamin Temidayo
PEGASUS REPORTERS, LAGOS | APRIL 13, 2023
Have you ever thought Bible stories are irrelevant to our present day? Here you have a story in a repeat of itself. Most of us must have been familiar with Esau and Jacob, the Twin brothers, who were Sons of Isaac and Rebeca. Not to repeat the already known illustration, however, we accept the fact that Esau was supposed to be older, thus, should have a bigger inheritance; but he traded that for a plate of Jacob’s porridge when he had gone hunting for a long time and was very hungry, afterward, because he couldn’t secure himself, a game for lunch.
Nevertheless, several centuries, into the New Testament, after the event, we were cautioned not to be like Esau in Hebrew 12: 16, which states….
“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright”.
How does it relate to present-day Nigeria?
Without any gainsaying, it is a known fact, that Nigeria, being the most populous black country, with over 200 Million inhabitants, has the most diverse cultural heritage, most educated black people, and most industrious immigrants in the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, Nigeria has its citizens featured in leading World and Multinationals Organisations and Institutions, like the World Bank, World Trade Organisation, WTO, African Development Bank, Harvard University, Oxford University, and also as Law Makers in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
However, with all these reputations, the image of the country has been soiled in all forms of criminal activities, economic crises, insecurities,, and political instabilities. This looks like a paradox, anyway, nevertheless, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 9:11 had explained a situation like present-day Nigeria’s predicament when he stated that…
” I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
Therefore, rather than asking ‘Why?’, we should look at the fact that the situation is not unprecedented.
Yes, you can have all it takes and not be able to use it to improve your personal life.
After all, the Bible says…” but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it”.. Ecclesiastes 7:12b.
Thus, it is not enough to be Intelligent and witty like most Academics are, if it, simply, could not improve your life and that of your country.
Besides the superiority complex which has inundated our Nation, when common pictures in foreign lands or supposed citizenship in a developed Nation is supposed to be seen as achievements or success; howbeit, there are more opportunities to enjoy life in Nigeria. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that the still pictures of few seconds, people see on social media of their friends abroad, have clouded the reality of what accomplishments really is.
Yes, I grew up in Nigeria, which I am not ashamed of and I belong to the first family in our locality, who will own Satellite Dish, have relatives visit foreign lands, and have all sorts of imported materials to furnish our apartments. Meaning, before the common DSTV, Android phones, and the internet in Nigeria, I have seen in real-time, seen and known what happened in several countries overseas, watch champion leagues live, saw the Olympics in real-time and hear the President of the United States speak.
I was young enough to know Bill Clinton as the President of America and I watched the beginning of the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa; perhaps, you now know what I am talking about. And with several movies like Terminator, Commando, First Blood, and “Hard Way the Only Way”-; anyone who has seen those movies will know that the Present day world hasn’t developed yet to the anticipated view, the great thinkers have imagined.
Why am I saying all this?
These points need to be made clear, so it doesn’t appear as resentment when I refer to the fact that Nigerians staying overseas aren’t anything better than those at home but only decided to sell their birthrights for no value to them.
In recent time, there have been massive emigration of Nigerians to developed worlds in order to evade the present-day economic hardships; while several names have been called, like ‘Jápa’, ‘janded’, and ‘Kaalẹ’; the obvious fact is that there is a massive brain drain from the Nation and most of these guys are paid far less than the value they contribute to those countries, in which they have been migrating to.
Let me break it down here.
Have you applied for Foreign Scholarship, perhaps, a Master’s Degree or specifically, Ph.D., in European countries?
This is what happens…
The setup of those countries gives opportunities to Universities or Professors for Research into providing solutions to some problems perhaps, in Engineering or Medical Fields like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Psychiatric Diseases, and Diabetes.
These Diseases have plagued millions of them and they are progressive, meaning in the coming decades, a large proportion of Europeans and Americans will be hit by these health challenges and apparently, will create a depletion of human resources and eventually a downturn in their economy. Hopefully, they believed these diseases could be tackled but they might not have adequate personnel with intuition, gifts, and abstract ideas and strategies to proffer quick solutions.
So, this is what they do.
They draft their agenda and send it out to the social space and internet that there is funding for grants and scholarships to students and researchers in the fields of knowledge.
Notably, these funds go into hundreds of Billions of Dollars and Euros, however, the average Ph.D. students get about $2,000 -$2500 monthly for 3-4 years of making findings for that work, to provide a cure or understanding the mechanisms to target the problems.
In total, the Ph.D. student gets approximately $100,000 in 4 years (including flight tickets) for research a Professor won Grant for about $2 Million Dollars; so what are we saying? The Professor wins the grant from some organizations or Pharmaceutical companies, that intend to sell their products.
Some proposals are even brought before the House of Representatives in the United States of America, even to the Presidency on the need to find a project to design a cure and yet, they call out for Grants, asking Researchers to state, in simple languages, how they intend to go by the experimental design.
Furthermore, do not forget that these folks aren’t novices, they are only looking for ‘fools’ to stimulate their brains and they have the appropriate funding to purchase or acquire pieces of equipment to reproduce your proposals.
Unfortunately, most grant applications are turned down without reason and even the ones approve are crumbs from the main money given to provide a solution. And to make matters worse, the Principal Investigator must have signed several documents, such that the Researcher wouldn’t be able to make litigations, if eventually, the work produced the results, with the Grant Foundations patenting the works and reaping the rewards, of the Researcher’s sweats, for as long as the lifetime.
And do not also forget that, it wasn’t about the solution but an improved welfare, standards of living, and enjoyment of life for the people and their Societies.
However, the Grantees or Scholars are stupidly excited with their ability to be accepted by the whites and their curriculum vitae filled with publications, of what they aren’t benefiting anything from, so what is the use?
Is it surprising to you that countries like Canada, America, and several European countries want to see your academic performance/degrees and acquired skills before they can grant you a visa?
Most importantly, your curriculum vitae are requested and a job pool will scan through the submitted documents to see how your proficiencies fit into their economy by the time you are granted opportunities, I bet you are just only licking from the spillover of what you are contributing to their economies.
And we wouldn’t learn, we keep trading ourselves for cheap gains of so-called internet facilities, stable power supply, and good roads, which are very achievable in Nigeria, at low costs compared to some Countries, where you might not be able to buy a house or car of your own. This is even aside from the racism, isolation, and xenophobic attacks in those places.
You see, when people ask me what I am doing in Nigeria, I confidently tell them, only celebrities, abroad, live the kind of life I live in Nigeria and I cannot have all the comfort here in my apartment and be sharing the bathroom with smelly whites, just because I want to live abroad. And conclusively, I am not against moving for greener pastures, however, don’t be too excited by your opportunities, you are only selling your birthrights for a morsel of bread.
Adebisi Benjamin Temidayo, a guest columnist with Pegasus Reporters is a lecturer at Osun State University, Nigeria.
What’s your view? Tell us you were here by replying to this story in the comment section below. You can share it, too.
Pegasus Reporters: making news that reaches your audience | Advertise with us! | Join our Readers’ list on Telegram (+234 815 444 5334)) Follow us on Twitter @pegasusreporter | We are on Facebook; The PegasusReporters | Chat with us on WhatsApp (+234 815 444 5334) | Download “Pegasus Reporters” App on Google Play Store | Contact the Editor, Mallam Oyakhamoh Y. Carl-Abu’Bakar with your adverts or articles via pegasusreporters@gmail.com or editor@pegasusreporters.com
Read Our Preceding Post: Press Statement: LP raises alarm over Obi’s safety, warns of impersonator committing crimes in his name
