Dr Adekunle Mikail
That our society is receding into a cesspool of primitiveness and abandoned immoralities is borne out of the type of the rewarding system we have chosen for our selves!
Governments at various levels in the country have blinded their eyes against the righteousness of the few and knowingly raised the bar of mediocrity of the majority by rewarding it with the goodness and care of highest order at every forum be it offices, departments, politics, security and in terms of emoluments being paid at the end of every month to the labourers under their care!
The poor rewarding system being adopted by those at the helms of affairs to those under them is so adversely influential to the extent that those workers that are not strongly grounded morally are giving way to immortality so as to augment their lives . Their conditions remained the same, whether they put themselves wholly in the jobs or otherwise.
The amount of vibes, positive interpersonal relationship ,contributions and moral rectitude they bring to bear on their jobs amount to nothing in eyes of the government . No words of encouragement to do more, no letter of commendation for moral boasting and no patting in the backs for more beneficial contributions to national development.
And when it is time for paying the statutory monthly salaries of these workers, the governments still fail; the salaries are delayed, postponed while the arrears are piled up for many months or years. When it is time to promote those dutiful workers ,the normal refrain from the government ‘is no fund to pay the promoted workers’ , and the circle of bastardization of people’s lives continues!
Old salaries which have been in use for many years are still being paid to the workers in the country despite the huge monetary benefits being accrued from the natural and human resources abound in the country. Elsewhere and in saner societies where the love of human development is at the heart of the nations’ governments, salaries are restructured even when the workers do not demand for it.
A brother of mine who had studied and lived in Kuwait had asked me why the Nigeria workers do demand for salary raise through force engagement , confrontation and protest against the governments until a pittance sum is added to the old salary scale every time they feel to?
He continued his wonderment why the governments do not realize that it is their duties to restructure the salaries of their workers as per the economic stature of the country ?. He said that,in Kuwait, salaries of workers are increased periodically at every four years without the workers demanding for it. They will come to know that their salaries have being raised at the end of the month the new scale is effected and this will be a surprise to them!
The poor rewarding system above is obtainable in the school system in the country too! The best students who emerged at the expiration of their studentship in the country’s higher citadels of education are treated shabbily! They are only giving some thousands naira and the presidential or governmental handshakes while those who are in the entertainment industry or those who had competed in beauty and senseless displayed of nudity contests , are rewarded with millions of Naira, landed property, house and State-of-the-Art cars!
The family system in terms of rewarding system is also abysmal! A child who is still undergoing a tutelage under a trade master or still in school is expected to be contributing to the family purse even if it is glaring that he lacks the means to do so. This has prompted many a child to engage in illicit acts so as to augment his family financial vacuum. This is the reason most children of school age are into selling of hard drugs, yahoo-yahoo system , money rituals and arm robbery!
Sometimes children that are into these criminal enterprises are spiritually fortified by their parents and guardians with prayers, holy sacraments and rituals. Their parents travels as many kilometers as possible to visit reigning Alfas, pastors and traditional priests, so as to make sure the long hand of law does not catch up with their children and wards.
Surprisingly, children and youths that do not trek the boulevard of crime are mostly belittled these days for their morality and anti criminal tendency. Parents hate them for keeping to the law and precepts of their religions, friends ditch them for not following the crowds while families jettison their advice because of their inclination to work and wait for their success.
The negative rewarding system being embarked on by various successful governments and parents in the nation has put paid to the eroding of the youth good nature ! Imagine the kind of big money being given to youths that are into thuggery by politicians during the electioneering campaign so as to sustain their heists . Millions of Naira from governments’ covers are periodically exchanged for debaucheries between the governments and the thuggery industry at every four years in the country. A country which has abandoned her primary responsibilities of providing security, food and shelter for her citizenry!
In a situation whereby criminal leaders are enjoying better standard of living more than graduates of higher citadels of knowledge, no amount of preachment can lure the youths of that nation from engaging in compromising enterprises! When the rewarding system favours the lazy, the criminals and the outlaws in the society, how can you preach education and good trade as bases of earning good living?
A positive and good rewarding system will go along way at alleviating most societal conundrums our society are facing today from banditry issues, kidnapping , unemployment and even food shortages! When those that obey the law of nature and that of the state are giving maximum care in terms of good employment opportunities, prompt payment of salaries, scholarships, incentives to be more productive etc, those with the criminal tendency or those who want to follow the routes of laziness and illegality will have a rethink and chart a new course for themselves.
But in a situation whereby truth and its allies, knowledge and its pursuers and good character and its expositors are relegated, deserenaded and disapproved , every evil one can think of will permeate the land and there will be a rush to emulate the bad people by the nation’s youths and the middle-aged!
The George Weah; Liberia President Shining Examples
George Manne Weah the incumbent president of Liberia nation was in the news recently. He was reported to have rewarded one of his subjects Emmanuel who had returned a huge sum of money belonging to a Liberia business woman to the woman without taking a penny from it despite his poverty-laden condition!
Read President’s Weah letter to Emmanuel below here:
President Weah’s letter to Emmanuel
Dear Emmanuel:
I have heard in the media about an extraordinary act of honesty on your part.
It is reported that you recently found Fifty Thousand (US$50,000) United States Dollars and approximately One Hundred Thousand (LD100,000) Liberian Dollars which had been lost by a Liberian businesswoman who was passing through Nimba on her way to Guinea to purchase goods for her business, and that when she announced her loss on the local radio station and made an appeal to the public for the money to be returned, you willingly located her and gladly returned her money to her intact.
I am very proud of you for this exceptional sense of morality and good citizenship, and I hope that this will serve as an inspiration to all of our citizens, especially to our youth. You are a prime example of what the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 22:1, that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.
This honest behavior on your part is even more amazing when seen against the backdrop of your personal circumstances. I am made to understand that you are in the 7th grade with no money to continue your education; that you have no means of income except to occasionally borrow a motorbike from one of your friends when he is off-duty in order to earn a few dollars to sustain yourself.
You are a Champion, Emmanuel, and we are all very proud of you. Although It is often said that virtue is its own reward, I believe that you should be additionally rewarded for this virtuous act, which brought miraculous rescue and relief to a hardworking businesswoman.
Accordingly, I want to inform you that at the next national investiture ceremony, you will be recognized and honored with one of Liberia’s highest Orders of Distinction for your honesty. Additionally, I am hereby presenting you, herewith enclosed, an amount of Ten Thousand (US$10,000.00) United States Dollars, as well as two (2) brand-new motorcycles for you to improve your circumstances and sustain yourself financially.
Finally, and more importantly, I am offering you a scholarship for you to attend any school of your choice in Liberia, all the way to the level of a Master’s Degree. This scholarship is personal from me and my family, and will be valid whether or not I am President of Liberia.
Please accept my personal congratulations.
Sincerely,
George Manne Weah
Lessons From George Weah Shinning Example
What can be deducted from the shinning display of the Liberia president display of magnanimity to the young Emmanuel are:
That Emmanuel and other youths of Liberia and other national governments that emulate this positive rewarding system will be encouraged to be truthful, nationalistic and patriotic the more !
That being truthful in all ramification of life by citizens of a country is not enough, and cannot make other truthful except if those in the position of authority consecrate the act and arts of being truthful by rewarding it by cash and kind!
That the reward of virtue should be extended beyond virtue itself by those around a virtuous being so that virtuousness becomes a public ethos and behaviour
That national immortalization of virtuous being is commendable not to talk when he is a youth who can be a model to other hundred of youths if properly rewarded!
That George Weah of Liberia who has both personally and nationally rewarded young Emmanuel with large sum of money, national award of distinction, life education scholarship and two-brand motorcycles, should be rewarded to by his subjects too, with praise if at all they lack the wherewithal to reward him otherwise; he should also be rewarded by other African countries by showing or giving their Goodwill and support for any positive program Weah may have wanted to pursue as a president and finally, the Swedish Nobel Academy should, as a matter of showing gratitude, endeavor to reward him too ,with award in the category of Peace Prize ,for the rewarder of truth is a sure promoter of peace of our world as the promoter of lies is a sure promoter of war as lies lead to rancor, wrangling and eventually war!
Allah And His Apostle’s takes On Being With The Truthful
Allah says in Qur’an 9 vs 119 as follows :
” O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful”
In another instance Allah praises higher the sincere lover of truth as follows:
” All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous: Ah! How beautiful is their company.”. Qur’an 4 vs 69
The Apostle of Allah , Muhammad salawatu-llah alehi said :
” Be constant with the truth, for truth guides to righteousness and indeed , righteousness guides to the paradise! A man will not cease being truthful and analyzed it until it will be written in his Book of Deeds with God that he is truth personified! . And beware of lying for lie leads to bad character while bad character leads to hell fire! And a man will not cease lying and analyze it until it will be written in his Book of Deeds with God that he is a Liar!”!