Miracles everywhere in Nigeria.
Nigeria is one of the few countries with lots of religious organizations that performs miracles. As a Nigerian, I do not despise little beginnings, here you can go to bed without a dime and wake up with millions in your account.
Recently I met a woman with her 16 year old daughter who is about sitting for WAEC, A beautiful young and naive damsel but her mother a criminal (harsh I dare say). I began to ask her how the preparation is going, her school work and the exams practicals. She smiled at me as if I was talking trash.
The mother looked at me as if I was coming from the moon. I wondered if I had said something wrong by asking how prepared she was for her exams.
She looked at me with a soft smile and with a beautiful voice said, no parents over work their teens anymore. Her older brother graduated recently from one of the prestigious university in Nigeria with a good grade, he suffered less but achieved more.
In my mind I wondered if there is an alternative to studies, a short cut or an easier way out. There was silence between the two of us as we faced each other looking in the moron as we say in these parts. Again she smiled, she said to me where you cannot go, your money and connection will do a lot for you.
Again, I did not understand, so I looked on without saying a word. Silence is golden they say, so she understood my silence. She looked straight into my eyes and said, well if I must spell it out for you since you are naive, there is what we call guaranteed or Miracle centers in every state. When you go there, you pay certain amount of money and you have a very good grade as you so desire for your ward.
I was astonished, so why do we pay school fees if we can pay in the Miracle centers and our kids will have good grades. So I voiced out my thoughts. Schools do not do enough, they only try a little but the centers do the work.
So what happens when they get to the university, do you still need to perform miracles? Well I press the right buttons she said, and they have whatever I so desire. However your husband knows a few people around he should be able to do it for your kids if you insist.
I quickly cut in, my children do not need it. So she imagined what kind of mother am I. I could read her mind so I might as well let her know. I have taught my sons how to rise up whenever they fail. I personally do not believe exams determine greatness rather they should believe in themselves and work towards any problems they want to solve in life.
As we pray and fast for everything in Nigeria, go to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem for pilgrimage, so we perform educational miracles.
As the last line of the National pledge says: "SO HELP ME GOD"