I’ve seen a lot of educated folks, especially those with bias for academics, say different things about the recent recognition and appointment of Laycon by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun. I think it’s high time we settled this issue of priority that is always mouthed by the elites. Anytime the government or anyone does things that does not favour the educated class, they call it misplaced priorities.
They claim the honour he got should have been given to First Class graduates, who first class help? Apart from the owner and his immediate family? Should any one not be appreciated because he does not graduate with a first class? How many first class graduates are solution providers? This life will reward you based on the solution you can provide and the number of people that are impacted by your solution, forget your certificate.
Many of you people seriously don’t rate entertainment and its effects, that’s why you always feel the government should worship academics instead. Some say it is the reason why our country is where we are. Please help me ask them if the case is different in America or the so called saner climes. Do you know how much a Professor earns in Harvard? According to Business Insider in a 2012 article;
“Harvard pays its full professors an average of $198,400 a year. Stanford, however, pays its associate professors the most, with an average salary of $131,200 annually.”
Do you know how much footballers and basket ballers earn weekly?
Now coming to Laycon’s victory and the consequent recognition. The brilliant young man and a Second class upper graduate of Unilag was not recognized for his academic feats, but he was recognized as a young man who represented the state well, before the youths of Africa.
Whether you like it or not, watch it or not, BBN was watched by millions of youth in Africa and beyond. The young man went in there, proved to the world that you can be an entertainer and be intelligent, be vast, be socially smart, be law abiding, win without breaking rules and you can be a gentlemen in the face of provocation.
He is recognized because a lot of youths across Africa see themselves in him, because he is very much like them. He has shown and proven to them it is possible to be a good person and still win. That is why he won monumentally, because he is the story of the struggling African youth personified.
Did you see the mammoth crowd that followed him to the Governor’s office yesterday? No organization or institution spend for spending sake, they all spend for what value they can have in return. How many Nigerian youths look up to a first class graduate? If educated youths look up to them, what of the million uneducated Nigerian youths, don’t they have right to be motivated and inspired? When government at all levels is splashing millions and national honour on National team players after winning a tournament, do you shout misplaced priorities then?
Olamilekan Agbeleshebioba was recognized and honoured because a lot of African youths look up to him and he needs to be encouraged to stay being a worthy ambassador. He is the voice of the streets and he needs to be amplified. After all, Seyi Awolowo, grandson of the late sage was on the show last year and he was not recognized like this. That is to tell you this is not based on sentiments, it is by what value you are bringing to the table, how many people can you impact?
Policltics and Democracy is a game of numbers. People at the table were elected or selected to represent different interests, so if Laycon or anyone whosoever can sufficiently prove beyond reasonable doubt that he represents such a huge number of people, he sure deserves a seat at the table.
In Oyo State, our own Honourable Commissioner for Youths and Sports was appointed because the Governor sees him as a representative of a powerful and strategic bloc in the state, and because he has displayed leadership abilities to the satisfaction of the Governor. So how is that different from what happened at Ogun State?
If and when you have your own company, start endorsing First class graduates as your brand ambassador and not Entertainers, start sponsoring Quiz or Debate Shows and not Reality, Entertainment or Sports show. You are totally free to do so.
Finally, let’s not forget that Governor Dapo Abiodun is a politician, and when a politician sees any one with massive followership, they draw him closer for reasons best know to them.
Ire o!
Congratulations jare omo’re bi custard, you are not a bastard!
I am Afouda Samuel