Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: See photos of abducted Chibok girls from new Boko Haram video

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: See photos of abducted Chibok girls from new Boko Haram video

STRICTLY FOR THE NORTHERN ELITES: Has your hypocrisy towards modern education been of any value to the north?

 Boko Haram's rise is not only driven by global trends in themselves but by how globalization has melded with the internal dynamics of Nigerian education.

 The Christian South in Nigeria is much more prosperous than the Muslim North, and that economic gap is growing rapidly. The roots go back to the British colonial period from the late 19th century to independence in 1960. The British ruled the South directly, which was also being rapidly Christianized by missionaries. Missionaries ran many of the schools.
In the Muslim North, the British practiced "indirect rule," governing through the clerical and traditional elites and allowing local religious institutions to operate autonomously (with some limitations, for example, banning slavery).
The impact of missionary schooling was to 'bring Western education into Nigeria', and this has had direct bearing on economic development for the regions where such schools predominated -- and this legacy is with us to this day. Access to Western-style education has been key for enabling people to adapt to a modern economy. In the north, some missionary schools were established, but traditional elites always resisted them for obvious religious reasons and because those schools threatened to generate an alternative elite. Instead, the schooling that predominates in the north of Nigeria consists of religious schools, or the al-Majiri education system -- often informal, with students congregating under a tree. These students are completely unequipped to work in a changing economy (and overall, Nigeria is economically growing rapidly). Some of these schools have dubious teachers who exploit the usually impoverished students by getting them to beg in the streets for the teachers' own gain.

In the wake of September 11, there was extensive discussion of Muslim schools and the extent to which some were inculcating extremism, for example madrassas in Pakistan. Some have claimed that Muslim education, properly taught, would provide an inoculation against extremism. But that debate lost 

sight of a larger issue, whatever the theology of such schools. The graduates of those schools are often adrift in globalized economies without marketable skills and modern education, and more vulnerable to at least tolerating extremism.which brings us back to the language of Boko Haram. The leadership has ranted against any form of secular education. It teaches that European colonists introduced modern secular education into Islamic societies in a conspiracy to maintain colonialist hegemony over Muslim societies: The West aims to 

corrupt pure Islamic morals with liberal norms. Likewise, the leaders believe that the West wants to replace proper gender roles with sexual permissiveness. Secular subjects like chemistry, physics, engineering, meteorological explanations of rain, the theory of evolution are all denounced as contrary to the Quran.

In our research in the area, and in other surveys, it is evident that students coming out of the religious schools are more likely to sympathize with Boko Haram, significantly even those who are not particularly religious in practice. Equally significantly, religiosity as such does not necessarily bring with it a tendency to back Boko Haram. The issue is the education system, not religious belief. 

In the eyes of Boko Haram, the abduction of schoolgirls is a triple strike against what they view as Western depravity: against Western schools, against  the obscenity" of having girls in school at all and against Christianity, to the degree the schoolgirls are Christians.

If northern Nigeria is to have a more stable and prosperous long-term future, it is essential to develop an education system that prepares students for a modern, globalized economy. This is especially the case in the northeast, where Boko Haram is most active. Nigerians in northeastern Nigeria, who in part may sympathize with Boko Haram's fight against corruption, are however alienated by Boko Haram's  bloodlust. And most will support developing an education system that provides the foundation to make a living.

Culled from-  David Jacobson. Atta Barkindo and Derek Harveys' submission on CNN editorials.

What is success? What does the word success bring to your mind?

What is success, really? What does the word success bring to your mind?
I am sure many would answer along the lines of lots of money, big house, new car, designer clothes, five star restaurants and all that. And sure enough, those are signs of success on the material level. Nothing wrong in reaching for those - as long as you feel joy in the process.

 It has been interesting to see how my own idea of success has evolved through the years. When I was young, I was eagerly reaching for material success. I chose my jobs accordingly and so of course ended up in sales. And sure enough I did earn some pretty good pay checks.

But then a nagging feeling started to grow. I began to realize selling was not what I wanted to do all my life. After all I was often forced to sell products I knew did not really fit the customer. You know how sales meetings go: all that matters is the amount of money you made. The values were hard. Eventually I became very unhappy.

And so I became to realize that even with big pay checks I did not feel successful. That is when my search for success turned inwards. I quit sales and chose another profession - this time helping people. The feeling of relief and belonging was great - and suddenly my life felt successful again. Even though I earned less, I was much more content.

I started to write again. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, News gathering, History, Fashion. Parenting - and many other subjects.

And then I returned to my old love - news gathering. And positive thinking. These two are what this blog is mostly about.

 I realized I felt the most successful when I loved what I did, never mind the money. And so for my own part I define success by the feeling of contentment. Joy, happiness. These emotions can be triggered by many things. Painting, writing. Playing with a small child. Handling a difficult case at work well.

So what is success for you? Do you let others define what is your success ? Are you reaching for that big house just to impress others? Or have you learned yet to listen to yourself and what feels good within? Try to learn to listen to your own feelings - and you may be surprised at what you find. I know I was - but I am also much happier for it.

And always remember - what is success for you may not be success in someone else´s mind. But you are not here to live anyone else´s life but your own. It is not your obligation to please others with your life - only yourself. Because only if you are happy yourself, can you spread happiness to others. You cannot give what you do not have.

So be true to yourself and follow your own joyful path to your own definition of success.

Do you want to inspire others with a story about someone who made it against the odds? A story about what is success? You can do so at the end of the page.

Take charge and lead a happy life.

'I am not a racist- Clippers owner Donald Sterling admits 'terrible mistake'

 Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologised on Sunday for making racist remarks, saying they were a "terrible mistake." 

In his first comments since being banned from basketball for life, he said he was "emotionally distraught."
"I'm not a racist. I made a terrible mistake," Mr Sterling told CNN. "I'm here to apologise."

Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games. But he said he was "baited" into making the remarks.
"When I listen to that tape, I don't even know how I can say words like that," he said. "I don't know why the girl had me say those things."

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has started the process to remove him as owner of the LA team.

Mr Sterling, 81, said he wanted to remain the Clippers' boss and believes that years of good behaviour as an owner should help his case.

"I'm a good member who made a mistake," he said. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Mr Sterling from the sport and fined him $2.5 million (£1.5m) last month.

The NBA is also hoping to force Mr Sterling to sell the team, which would require 75% of NBA owners to vote in favour of the move.

 Mr Silver believes the NBA will get the votes it needs but lawyers say the Clippers' owner could oppose the sale in the courts.

"If the owners feel I have another chance, then they'll give it to me," Mr Sterling said.

The disgraced owner's comments came as ABC News posted excerpts of an interview with his estranged wife Shelly Sterling.

Mrs Sterling, who holds a 50% stake in the team, said she would fight to keep hold of her share.

"I will fight that decision," she said. "I'm wondering if a wife of one of the owners did something like that, said those racial slurs, would they oust the husband?"

"I don't know why I should be punished for what his actions were," Mrs Sterling added.

LA Clippers fans have called on the billionaire owner to sell the team and let it move on after the controversy
But the NBA said its constitution meant that if a controlling owner is removed, then the role of other owners is automatically terminated.

US basketball star LeBron James said NBA players believe no-one from the Sterling family should be able to own the Clippers.

"As players, we want what's right and we don't feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team," Mr James said.