Human capital abounds in Nigeria. The only bother is the quality. There’s no problem with the quantity because every year our tertiary institutions churn them out in millions for professionals trained in school. Unfortunately, it would seem, some went through school, but school didn’t go through them.
One Business and Finance diploma graduate was honest enough to tell me that he graduated with very good grades. The problem is that he can’t defend his certificate. He said money did the magic for him.
From the first day he was admitted into University of Jos, Centre for Continuing Education, located at Gangare, he never lifted a finger to write an assignment or test. He was referred to one young man who gladly wrote everything, including his examinations for a good price.
Today he is employed and earning good money with the certificate. What quality job would come out from such a person who admitted that he cannot even define banking and finance? Sadly, a job was waiting for him immediately after his National Youth Service Corps year.
Rebecca’s encounter with quack made her to lose confidence in Nigeria’s young doctors. She was ill and needed immediate attention. It so happened that public hospitals were on strike, so she and her sister entered the first hospital that they saw.
In their haste, they didn’t notice that in spite of the fact that public hospitals were on strike, the hospital was still empty. She was immediately ushered in to see the doctor. The doctor could not hide his excitement when he noticed that Rebecca was visibly pregnant. But his hopes were dashed when she told him that she had been treated with chloroquine for malaria and the aftermath was worse than the malaria. She was there, she told him, for an alternative treatment.
The doctor excused himself for about 20 minutes. Uncomfortable with his silence, Rebecca went after him and found him hidden in a room in the rear of the hospital, engrossed in reading a medical book. Embarrassed, he apologised that he would be with her shortly. Rebecca said, she ran for her life, after getting the message that the doctor was reading his book to come and treat her sickness.
It was after they ran out and were taking a break at a shop at the vicinity that she found out that the clinic is notorious for abortion and nothing else. Unbelievable that someone will go through medical school and come out and specialise in destroying life. It does not make sense. People like this, have decided to work contrary to the vows they took before they began practicing their profession.
Sadly, there are many examples of Quacks in the medical field. A lady described how she went for malaria treatment but was asked to undress except for her pant. She said she almost slept up the examination bed when she felt the old doctor’s mouth on her breast. Fortunately for him, her eyes were closed due to embarrassment that she was almost naked before her father’s friend. However, it took the grace of God not the doctor’s pleadings for her not to call her father’s attention. He was waiting patiently at the waiting room.
The lady above said since that experience, she developed an aversion to hospitals. She became guilty of self-medication until recently.
Another lady said she almost lost her life after giving birth. She discovered that the area where she was torn up after her private part would not stop itching her. It became worst when it began to stink, followed instantly by pus dripping from the area. This forced the hospital to book her for a surgery. What they discovered made heads roll. Whoever cleaned her up after the baby was removed, forgot to remove the pad and cotton wool. I leave the rest to your imagination.
The above lady suffered avoidable pain. She was placed on very strong antibiotics because of the infection that had set in. What she went through was not only painful, or waste of resources, expensive but life threatening. She suffered and so did her baby. It was a very trying time for her whole family. All of this because of somebody’s carelessness.
My family would have roasted due to activities of a quack electrician. We had to pack into our house in a hurry even though it was uncompleted due to insecurity. Plateau State was embroiled in crises, and we were living in an area that was unfriendly to our religion. That meant fixing electricity in a hurry. One of our masons introduced someone to us, whose job can only be described as ‘trial and error. Power came everywhere and we were happy. What we didn’t know was that the connection inside the roof was something else.
One day we noticed that smoke was coming from inside the roof. And one by one, different light switches were refusing to turn on. Thankfully, when we got in touch with the electrician, he was busy. We were forced to get a professional. This man exclaimed in shock when he saw the terrible job done by the first electrician. He found several fuses burnt. And explained that our whole house could have gone up in flames if things were left as they were. That was how bad it was.
One of the issues that contribute to quacks in the system is students not allowed to read what they are passionate about. This could be influenced by parents or tertiary institutions giving admissions to those who can pay them for it, while others make do with whatever they are given.
Our systems need to be restructured for us to get it right. Certificate is not enough, that can be bought. We need to plead with each other’s conscience. Be your brothers ‘keeper.
