The often repeated verdict that Nigerian universities produce half-baked graduates was re-emphasized on Thursday as the Kano State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mr. Sanusi Abdulrasheed, revealed that about 89 per cent of corps members in the country can neither write good application letters nor communicate effectively in English Language.
Instead, he lamented what he called the use of “broken English” as a means of communication among majority of the corps members.
Mr. Abdulrasheed made the worrisome disclosure in Kano yesterday during the passing out parade (POP) of the Batch C corps members, where he noted that the findings were based on a nationwide research facilitated by the management of the scheme.
He told outgoing corps members: “I don’t want you to feel insulted, but it is a statement of fact. The management of NYSC noticed one thing in you; that a bulk of you were not communicating effectively in English.
“The NYSC researched into what you were writing in the form of applications for one thing or the other. The management noticed that about 89 percent of NYSC members could not write a good application.”
Citing an instance, Mr. Abdulrasheed stated that, “a majority of you start writing application with their name like: “I, Sanusi Abdulrasheed, hereby…,” pointing out that any application with such an introduction would not impress anybody.
“You should know that the point of communicating to the world is through application. When you start wrongly, those that know the use of language would know that such a person lacks communication skills and such an application would be put into the dustbin.
“This is a word of advice. It is never too late. You can adjust, go and perfect your use of English Language.
“And as parents and officials of the NYSC, we have a duty to let you know that you are not doing well when it comes to English Language communication and writing,” he added.
The NYSC state coordinator urged the erstwhile corps members not to feel too big, but to, “go and buy primary and secondary school books, therein you would learn many ways of writing good applications.”
Giving the passing out corps members a word of advice, Mr. Abdulrasheed charged them to put into practice the vocational skills learnt during orientation camp and become self employed instead of waiting for white collar jobs.
-The SUN
That’s a statement of fact that is well established. I have encountered many who couldn’t make simple correct statement.
The question now is, who is to be blamed? Is the Lecturer who is not prepared to do any research but to copy & paste, or the parents who are ready to sell all their properties to ‘sort’ for their children to just graduate. Are the students willing to learn? This is a decaying society where certificate is recognised & not knowledge.
A. Decaying society indeed. Only God will see us through
That’s nowadays graduates… I guess most of this problems came out 4rm sothern part of d country’s universities…
Is God that will help us in Nigeria, they will be saying they were not employ.
Dat ws indeed a fantastic heads up frm Mr. Abdulrasheed, I tink its high time we let d paradigm shift hold full ground in our literary strength, & even our communation r nw bin attributed wit d use of bye-words(just like I had it in dis piece of mine ryte here),honestly no employer ll deem it fit to employ any half baked graduate in dis present generations nw. I implore u all as youth to please let’s lace up. Thank you.
I agree with the submissions of the NYSC. But I think that 89 percent is rather an exaggeration of a known fact. We know there is a great rout in our educational system, but I think 89 percent is rather too utopian. 60 or 65 percent is okay.
As a corps member myself, I can’t help but agree with the point raised. The only problem I have, is with people trying to equate IQ with the level of grammar you can speak.A lot of things especially the environment we grow up in affect our use of English. I think as some SW governors r pushing for, we should gradually phase out the use of this encumbrance called English.
As long as wecontinue to emphasise certifficate,trs in secondary schs aid exam malpractice,wealthy pple want thier offspring to graduate n take over a position,politicians dont place square peg in a square whole in nominating into political offices, d decay wil never curbed
Check out some of the foregoing comments: “is God that..” “..they are not employ” “..the decay will never curbed” “..a great rout” and “..89% is rather too utopian”; Isn’t it a case of a pot calling the kettle black ?
Yet ASUU is on strike for more money in the name of infrastructures in the University, look that the graduates ASUU members produce for Nigeria.