Dear Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola.

I hear you lament on the lack of computers and internet access, sir, and I wondered if these problems were not the type of problems I go to your school to learn to solve. I mean, what is the purpose of you teaching me, if you yourself do not know how to solve the problems you have highlighted?

In fact, sir, I am hoping you would understand my deep concern. I thought I would be learning how to solve the problems facing the world, and my people, and "How to live" and all, only to find that the simple issue of providing tools for you to teach me do not exist. I can't but wonder why it is that I should be worshipping at your feet, sir!

I would have thought that your duty was to liberate and empower me, but seeing that even you yourself are not empowered and liberated, I can't but wonder, sir, if you would be able to teach me these things.

You see, sir, I do not wish to be useless, that is the reason why I am willing to be educated. But if you yourself can not do the things I was hoping to learn to do from you, I can't but wonder why I should bother, I mean, would it not be a deterent to my progress if it is known that I learnt at the feet of a useless lecturer, sir? If you aren't competent, and forgive me for reasoning that you aren't, sir, would I not be better off getting my know-how from some place else - perhaps learning a trade or selling something in the market, perhaps, sir - instead of learning how to not-know-how-to-do-anything-at-all from you, sir.

You would sir, forgve me, if it so happens that I am wrong, but if your schools have no resources, you should be teaching us, your student, how to get these resources, or better still sir, how to make them.

I wonder, sir, that in this era, sir, if not knowing about these things - the wold wid wealth, and the computy - after attending a university, would it not be the case that I would end up as useless as you, sir, a dead stone, sir, and not the corner-stone I was meant to be? I am sure you know our opinion on that, sir. I am sure you know, I would rather be a corner stone than a dead stone sir. Are these things not the pen and eraser, the necessities to becoming someone, and something, in this current era, sir?

All the same, sir, do know that you have my most deepest profoundest respect, sir.

your sincerely,


atum, (a study)