OPINION: Nigeria and the symptoms of a sick nation, By Fola Adekeye

Penned by Fola Adekeye after seeing the way Nigeria reacted to the story of a student who reportedly dropped out of school after voluntarily admitting to examination malpractice.

The truth must be told whether bitter or sour. Our dear nation is sick. And everyone of us whom God has placed in a privileged position must quickly do something. If we fail in this crucial assignment, our children may become slaves in their fatherland. God forbid!

Locked out, UNILAG students sleep at the entrance to Mariere Hall. — *Locked out: UNILAG students sleep at the entrance to Mariere after authorities bar them from entering hostels over failure to produce signed “readmission forms”.*

Daddy, mummy, how did we come to this? Last week, Abolarin Akin Jephthah, a 300L sociology student of Unilorin withdrew to “start all over again.” Why? He met Christ and couldn’t continue in the wilderness of sin. He had obtained the WAEC result which gave him admission through exam malpractices.

While good Nigerians praised his unusual decision, one man who claimed to be a man of God dismissed Jephthah on social media as a victim of the wicked remote control of his father’s house. I was deeply troubled.

Good Nigerians have written to the President to see Jephthah as the true face of change and patriotism. But, before the President steps in, a wicked man of Satan ran filthy drools all over social media. If the Church does not celebrate Jephthah’s restitution decision, the President shouldn’t. The God he obeyed will showcase him!

Student confesses to cheating in WAEC, withdraws from UNILORIN. — *Student reportedly confesses to cheating in WAEC, withdraws from UNILORIN.*

But, why couldn’t that man accept Jephthah’s restitution as a spiritual imperative? One, he might have cheated all through his education and concluded that it was a normal thing. Many people are like him. The Internet has proliferated exam malpractices.

Students who made A’s and B’s in WAEC and NECO are obtaining questionable low marks in computer-based JAMB and well-invigilated Post-JAMB! Two months ago, powerful parents got President Buhari to scrap CBT and Post-JAMB to enable their children cheat all the way.

It comes to the question of moral and mind of a nation. Let me scream to stress the urgent need for governments at all levels to revisit all institutions responsible for the training of minds and moral in Nigeria. Sickness have gripped the heart of our nation. And people are now finding it difficult to distinguish between good and bad.

I thank you.

Adekeye is a journalist and an academic entrepreneur.