Page 91 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 9

RE - FLECTIONS

We make mockery of the wa-
tery eyes of our men of wisdom
I will use a few examples to express here, but I won't. So imagine being of ancient Afrika, whose eyes
my thoughts about how we reward rewarded with 85 million Naira
foolishness at the expense of wis- worth of gifts for winning a sexually looked into the future with the
dom and the future. explicit show. Now compare that hope that sons and daughters of
award to what was given to Mr So- Afrika will continue what they
At the time of writing this article, madina in 2017 when he emerged could not finish in their own
the Big Brother Naija season 5 just the Mass Communication Best time.
ended. Big Brother Naija is a Nige- Graduating Student from Chukwue-
rian reality competition television meka Odumegwu Ojukwu Univer- rewards hard work and morality.
series, based on the Big Brother sity (COOU), formerly known as
television franchise, in which 12 to Anambra State University. When Of what use then?
21 contestants live in an isolated he was told of the award for best I am not proposing in any way that
house and compete for a large cash student, he had high hopes that our society should be built on re-
prize and other material gifts, at the the gifts that would come with the ward systems for doing well neither
end of the show by avoiding being award will be worth the award, but am I saying that people should
evicted from the house by viewers. the items he got left him bemused: not do the right thing if there is no
If I am correct, the winner of this a tuber of yam, a fowl and a certifi- reward attached. But judging from
season 5 went home with the largest cate. “People expected me to get a the three cases of awards I have de-
prize that has been won from incep- gift related to books, but when I got scribed, would you blame a young
tion of the show, valued at about yam and fowl they started laughing, teenager - male or female - if they
85Millions Naira (That is about wondering whether I’m a native suddenly think going to school or
217,562.25 Dollars.) Here is a doctor. If I had got a laptop, or doing the right thing is not worth it
breakdown of the prize for winning N500,000 to help me for Master’s since foolishness pays more? Well,
the show. degree, it would have made more you decide the answer.
sense,” he said later in an interview While many are lauding the show, I
• N30m cash prize with BBC. could not agree more with Catholic
• Two-bedroom apartment Another example is quite similar to priest of the Archdiocese of Abuja,
• Dubai trip for two that of Somadima, Bamisaye Tosin Emmanuel Ojeifo, when he said
• SUV from Innoson Motors got N200 (less than a dollar) for “what values are we transmitting to
• Trip to Dublin being the best graduating student youths today, in a society where im-
• Trip to watch the UEFA Cham- (BGS) at the Ekiti State Universi- morality and stupidity are rewarded
pions League finale ty’s (EKSU) Department of Civil with big prizes?
• Home appliances Engineering. Although, Mr Bam- “We cannot continue to nurture a
• One year supply of Indomie isaye told PREMIUM TIMES he society that places a premium on
noodles, Munch it chin-chin was not discouraged, many class-top iniquitous shows such as BBNaija
and Colgate toothpaste graduates like him are no longer and expect to groom a generation
• One year supply of Pepsi impressed with the reward system of cultured, disciplined and morally
• Branded chiller for academic excellence in Nigeria. upright leaders.
• Brand new Oppo mobile Now compare the awards that were “The promoters of this immoral
smartphone. given in these two scenarios of best show must ask themselves what
• And other things. graduating students from universi- they intend to make out of it; they
ties to the award that was given to must ask themselves what values
If you have watched or seen any the winner of Big Brother Naija for and morals they are projecting to
scene of the Big brother show, you a sexually explicit show, then you the larger Nigerian society.
will instantly know that the show is will see the exact thing I am saying. “They must honestly answer if
one crazy show loaded with por- I have nothing personal with the they’d be proud to gather their
nographic scenes and without any winnner of the Big Brother Naja children in their living rooms at
regard for the sanity of the general show, but I must however say that, home and make them watch such a
public. In fact, there are scenes you we as Afrikans have succeded in distasteful show.’’
see where real life sex actually take putting our priorities in all places
place under the sheets and all these except where they are needed most, You be the judge.
are captured as part of the show. that is, creating a society that is
I would have shown some photos sane, progressive and which truly

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