In a move apparently aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s political fortunes, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, recently called for an upward review of minimum qualifications for elective offices currently pegged at the secondary school certificate. Gbajabiamila was speaking against the backdrop of sections 131 and 177 of the 1999 Constitution which stipulate the school certificate or its equivalent as the educational qualification for election into the office of president, and sections 65 and 106 which stipulate secondary school or its equivalent for election into the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. Delivering a paper titled ‘Building back better: Creating a new framework for tertiary education in Nigeria in the 21st century’ at the 52nd convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos, the Speaker said: “As we have reduced the age of eligibility to contest for those offices, we should equally increase the minimum educational requirement. It will be another step in reforming our electoral system and providing strong leadership for the country.”
In launching his advocacy for higher academic requirements for political officeholders, it is instructive that Speaker Gbajabiamila harped on constitutional amendment. Certainly, the kind of situation that he envisages requires tinkering with the extant laws which, in effect, make it possible for persons with primary school certificate to occupy public office. On current evidence, there is nothing to suggest that such people cannot occupy even the highest positions in the country, because there are many loopholes that they can exploit in the constitution to make their case. The constitution contains both general provisions and their interpretation, and this is where the trouble lies. Given the realities of our increasingly globalised world where multi-media literacy and an ability to process information at a sophisticated level is key, there can be no doubt that the present constitutional provisions on academic qualifications for those seeking elective office make a mockery of governance.
If the leadership recruitment process is skewed, so will be the outcome. It is, to say the very least, distressing that a nation which boasts of a crop of educated, dedicated and visionary individuals has continued to be held down by illiterates who have a handmaiden in a constitution crafted by soldiers to mould the country in their own poor image. Quite frankly, we do not see how a secondary school certificate holder would be able to deal with the intellectual challenges that occupying the office of president inevitably throws up. There is no need to glorify illiteracy: public office in the contemporary world is for those properly equipped to handle the contemporary way of life, and it cannot be too much of a sacrifice for anyone intent on contesting for the office of president, governor, federal or state lawmaker to enrol in an academic institution recognised by the country’s laws and earn at least a university degree or the Higher National Diploma (HND).
In any case, evidence from the neighbouring countries shows that they appreciate the importance of having educated leaders at the helm of affairs. As the citizens of these countries are no doubt aware, the times have changed and only leaders conversant with global trends can drive the needed change. In starting the journey of independent nationhood, Nigeria had a crop of educated leaders who could carry out decent conversations with leaders from any part of the world. However, with the incursion of the military into politics, things changed dramatically and the country paid a steep price for it. Indeed, we find it shameful that the leader of a country like Nigeria could by law be a primary school certificate holder going by the loopholes in the constitution. We declare categorically that illiterate, half-educated or ignorant leaders have no place in the modern world. We endorse Speaker Gbajabiamila’s position without apology. It is a patriotic call.
The foregoing should, however, not lead to the false impression that being a graduate is enough to guarantee good performance in public office. In addition to educational qualification, the entire leadership recruitment process requires drastic changes that would facilitate the emergence of people of integrity as candidates of the major political parties. At the moment, with the monetisation of the process, that is still a dream. It is a fact that the country has also been plagued by educated criminals, and that has to change.
Finally, we have a challenge for the leadership of the National Assembly. Why amend the 1999 Constitution all the time? Why not simply give the country a new constitution able to deliver the expected goods, a constitution truly made by “we the people”, not a few military goons purportedly speaking for Nigerians? That would be lovely.
