Once upon a time, Plato College Sharam was a leader in academic excellence and discipline among schools in Nigeria

By: Balami Lazarus

This article is dedicated to the living and dead. My teachers at Sharam, the 1978 intakes. For my wonderful classmates at Plato College. And for those before me, nice to have you as schoolmates.

I will use the “I” and “we” pronouns interchangeably because I was there as a student one cold morning of September 1978, where I spent two and a half academic sessions and left in 1980, leaving behind good and competitive classmates.

We of the 1978 intakes came from different parts of the country, from places like Yola, Lagos, Maiduguri, and Sokoto, and from other towns and cities as teenagers—boys and girls.

We that came from the city of Jos, few knew each other, while many for the first time. But Plato brought us together as students in Sharam to drink from the fountains of knowledge and discipline provided by Plato College Sharam near Kabwir in the Kanki Local Government Area of Plateau State. This came through Dr. Samuila Ndayako of blessed memory.

Similarly, classrooms, dormitories, and group work, assignments, and games were the cause of saving punishment that marked the beginning of my friendships with boys like Nash John Wash Pam, Jolomi David Amogoriye, Yau Dangana, Ismail Abdul, Thomas Owmeri, Gbenga (Kaduna), Kenneth Anosike, Edna Menta, and a few other students. I hope believing is well with them.

When I met with a few of them recently, it was a flashback of nostalgia of our days at Plato College Sharam as boys and girls full of life and dreams. Plato was a place to remember for two reasons, whether you like it or not: character and learning through academic excellence and discipline that you cannot take away. “One of the best-performing schools in the whole country in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) for many years running.” Records as follows: 1979 to 1986: 100%; 1990: 100%. From 1994 to 1995, 100% was also achieved. And in 1997, 100% was made.

Sharam had never had it below average. The few of us that left for other schools manifested the academic training we got at Plato, where we were able to redeem it in character and learning.

Plato College Sharam is a co-educational institution established and owned by Dr. Samuila Ndayako, who was the Rector of the school. It came into existence on the 29th of September 1973 as Yakubu Gowon College but was later changed to Plato College in 1975 due to the circumstances surrounding General Yakubu Gowon in the year 1975. Political/military historians and journalists will know better of what took place.

The late Dr. Samuila Ndayako has left an indelible mark on the history of education in Nigeria. He was the first individual to start a private secondary school in the then North Central State, present Kaduna State, known as Balewa Memorial College at Samaru-Zonkwa, in 1967-1st April 1972, when the government took over mission schools and others from their rightful owners. Besides, he was also the first Northerner to

established a private secondary school. Equally one among the early individual proprietors of

private schools in Nigeria.

Sharam was a place for high moral and academic standards where you are expected to behave well. It opened our eyes to excellent academic performances, which regimented our minds for excellence. Plato during our days is where failure is not tolerated, even as a neighbor talks less as a co-tenant. Therefore, Plato College was the walkway for excellent performances for Platonians of Sharam.

It was where I learned the differences between discipline and punishment and understood that when discipline fails, you have no option other than to apply punishment. Here I learned of beneficial punishments that benefit all students and the school.

Plato College provided us with equal opportunities of a school environment as students. An environment where you are carried along and treated like any other student.

It was in Sharam that I understood the meaning of physical and mental work with its endless dividends. For many of us, it has become part of us to this day. Our Rector has always said it loud and clear that “no student I will train will end up useless.”

We were taught respect and its abundant benefits. As a co-educational institution of learning, we (the boys) are made to show respect and care and treat the girls with love. And we considered them anytime, anywhere as our sisters, because we were also taught to be responsible as future men and leaders.

At Sharam, obedience to school rules and regulations is a must. In fact, the military environment will bow to Plato College during our time.

Notwithstanding, Plato College had her challenges during our time, like extreme cold weather and water and electricity. Our seniors were strict on rules and regulations; some are bullies. However, every student, boy or girl, is made to have senior students as school fathers or mothers to guide and assist him or her from time to time.

What I had also learned personally from the life of Dr. Samuila Ndayako are honesty, boldness, fearlessness, and perseverance.

My school father was Senior Dung Peter, a kindhearted and brilliant student. Who has assisted and guided me to understand why I was in Sharam? I appreciate you.

Balami, Publisher/Columnist 08036779290

Once upon a time, Plato College Sharam was a leader in academic excellence and discipline among schools in Nigeria

Women and Money: Why Men Keep Money Away From Their Partners

By: Balami Lazarus

I was contemplating two words as language of use in this article: “hiding” and “keeping.” Having carefully settled for keeping simply means to protect or safeguard what rightfully belongs to you, like money, the subject of the work. With this in mind, I deemed it fit to progress with the writing.

In folktales, songs and stories, sayings and proverbs, money has been mentioned long before now, either in a good or bad light. But most times in the latter. Therefore, money has always been the bone of contention in relationships of different shades—individuals, lovers, and spouses—that sometimes breed brawls in a family setting.

Men are known to be the head of families and providers of necessary and basic needs of their families. Men toil and sweat with challenges and risks to legitimately provide for their families, where money plays a major role in meeting the family needs at all times.

Men not only engaged in providing, but the burden and totality of his family responsibilities rested on him. Therefore, to meet up with the family responsibilities, married men are cautious and frugal in spending their money on things that are not necessary, unlike most women out there, who spend money on wants, deliberately refusing to separate wants from needs. And these spendings of theirs can wake the dead from their peaceful rest.

The song of Dr. Mamman Shata, ‘kashi kudi ta hayan mai kyau,’ threw my mind to the wisdom of my late father, who used to caution us, his children, on spending our money on wants. Some never took him seriously, but today I am among those that saw meanings in that.

Few women are wealth creators; equally, some few among them do spend money on needs. I have observed over time as a young man and as a husband that most women are careless in spending money. They spend to belong, meaning for wants and things that are in vogue for mere appearance to announce the presence.

Because of their excessive demands, spending money on wants is their life investment spread in chattels that have no secondhand value.

Women’s attitudes towards money have made their spouses keep their hard-earned money away from them. It has come to a time where, after discharging their basic family responsibilities, men closed the chapter of money/spending.

The moment some wives see their husbands with money, that is when a long list of wants rears its ugly head in place of needs. Women are highly extravagant with vengeance when it comes to spending that they don’t earn or make by their efforts; in such a situation, you are a spectator. The worst of such is common in the relationships among young adults.

And as a man, if you are not spending for your spouse on her endless wants, you are, without a second thought, considered stingy, uncaring, local, conservative, and not romantic.

Many of them thought their wants were rights that must be fulfilled at all times, not knowing that those are not core family needs and responsibilities.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290.

Women and Money: Why Men Keep Money Away From Their Partners

The Plights of ‘Certificate Graduates’ Who Read and Refused to Study (2)

By: Balami Lazarus

This is the conclusion of the work on the subject above.

Universities are the highest level of academic teaching and learning, where students are trained in different educational courses and awarded degree certificates. Universities are also centers of research, science, technology, and innovation. Therefore, a qualified and competent university graduate is a universal product who is supposed to stand tall and proudly defend his learning anytime, anywhere.

The bastardization of university degree certificates is aided and abetted by both academic and non-academic staff who probably might have been employed through the back doors. Likewise, many of their students. You can now freely connect the chain of corruption with its forward and backward leakages anchored in our university systems: recruitment and admission. Tell me, don’t you think that grades and certificate racketeering are more feathered?

The craze and demands for degree certificates in the labor market by employers have raised and increased the graduations of ‘certificate graduates’ at all costs by all means over the years. I heard of a story, which I am yet to verify, that a certain private university once certified and graduated many first-class graduates. For me, this is not an academic progress but a questionable act. Similarly, if you were to put them to the test in their various courses of study, you would concur with me and ask how it is possible to have such a number of supposedly first-class graduates.

The plights of ‘certificate graduates’ are self-inflicted by students who are not the serious type by all standards. If you are to do a background check on them and schools attended before their admission into the university of their choice, the story you will hear about them will definitely attract vultures.

This problem has since permeated faculties, departments, schools, and colleges of our universities where ‘certificate graduates’ are produced. Some universities have become exchange floors where you exchange your flaws for a degree certificate, which shall be given to you. And that marks the plights of such graduates.

Most of them are not helpful to themselves, always dependent on others for things you expect university graduates should know and do.

My work experience as a one-time school administrator of a private school in Narabi, Bauchi State, where I had related to, associated with, and managed ‘certificate graduates’ of the Corps on National Service (NYSC). Working with some of them was a woe of tales, because teaching was their primary duty. I pitied them.

That one experience has given me an insight into how some universities are churning out bad graduates for public recruitments.

These manners of graduates cannot work or attempt to work with good results-oriented corporate organizations where your productivity is the ladder of upward mobility.

Public and private educational institutions should join hands with relevant authorities and stakeholders to formulate a template for a sound and credible working system where students will be properly and genuinely certified as graduates.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist 08036779290

The Plights of ‘Certificate Graduates’ Who Read and Refused to Study (2)