Oil, Gas, and Nigeria’s Reputation of Corruption
The Uranus in Gemini transit in our 12th house has profound connections to Nigeria’s house of reputation in global affairs. Who can forget the term “fantastically corrupt”, used by British PM David Cameron, in discussing Nigeria with the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. 10 years later, we have not been able to disprove the statement. That the fantastical corruption is actually helped, advanced, and made lucrative by foreign players is not the point, but how we will reclaim our once sterling reputation among the nations. I listened to the former governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, how as a 13-year-old boy, he traveled unaccompanied with his younger siblings to the UK. He told a heartwarming story of their encounter with a British family in an ice cream shop and their excitement and respect at meeting Nigerians in their shop as a result of the reputation we had in those days. It was a reputation that fetched the young Fashola’s some free ice cream. Nigerians were loved then and loved now. The difference between then and now, in a simplistic sense, is that today we are searched and scrutinized more thoroughly when we travel.
The house of our global reputation is also where our reputation as an oil and gas giant comes from; and fortunately, or unfortunately, is also deeply associated with repetitive patterns of unaccountability and corruption in public service. This house has also been going through a lengthy transit of Neptune and later Saturn -Neptune conjunction which began in 2011. As the transit sharpened over Nigeria, Businessman Aliko Dangote exposed Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), for corruption, leading to his resignation. Mr. Farouk’s resignation to many Nigerians felt like the outcome of behind-the-scenes conversations, directives, and possible bargaining.
As a country, we can relate to being called fantastically corrupt; but if there is one institution that stands out as the icon of corruption today, it is possibly NNPCL. The face of confrontation against the behemoth of corruption domiciled in NNPCL in recent times is Senator Adams Oshiomohle, a member of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts. He has been reported as saying that “NNPCL is a bunch of thieves…, NNPCL has no reputation…, If people think NNPCL is bigger than the institution of the Senate, I stand alone…, Akpabio’s defense of the NNPCL was driven by personal interests linked to the employment of his daughter in the national oil company…, he acted outside established parliamentary procedures.” As far as this matter of corruption in NNPCL goes, Senator Oshiomhole appears to be the man aligned with the shocking Uranian energy of awakening. The rebellious nature of Uranus is not new to Nigerians, especially since his days as labour union leader. His statements have ensured we don’t forget the missing 210 trillion naira that may have been swept under the carpet otherwise and at another time. We can only hope and pray that he continues to wear the white hat, emboldening others to speak up as well. I would like to think that if Nigeria’s President doesn’t intervene to save anyone’s skin for political reasons, this whole debacle will be to the good of the people.
This transit holds potential for greater exposure of resource leaks, increased scrutiny of the oil sector, the mining sector, hidden networks that sustain our national challenges, and other forms of hidden economic arrangements as public pressure for transparency and accountability continues.
Education
Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa recently earned himself “The Most Innovative Cabinet Minister of the Year” award, by aggressively driving structural reforms in digitizing education, reducing the number of out-of-school children, and creating access to vocational training under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) among others. Overdue reforms in Secondary education have also begun with the removal of the separation between Junior and senior secondary levels.
As gladdening as it does sound, the years of neglect have created a systemic failure so deep that we will need much more sustained, intensive efforts from Dr Alausa and his team and more passionate and committed reformers for the effort to become felt progress down to the grassroots level. And really, what can a hundred Dr Alausas really do from the Federal level if Local Governments are not on the ground?
But the Uranus in Gemini transit offers an opportunity to deepen what has begun.
Programmes such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has already enabled more than a million students to access tertiary education and financial support, can be viewed as early investments in the human potential that this transit seeks to awaken.
Nigeria’s education is still a far cry from what our natal chart says we need. Let me describe what the alignments in Nigeria’s birth chart say about our education.
Our Gemini 12th house says we are a country whose greatest hidden asset is the intellectual capacity of its people. Our creative potential is as inexhaustible as oceans. Sagittarius in the house governing our labor force, national defense, and public health demands a robust, big-picture worldview, philosophy, and vision that guides the workforce in civic responsibility. The workforce needs must go beyond technical education to be grounded in a proper worldview, exposure to other cultures in international relations, and understanding of global systems. Sagittarius demands that we educate for purpose, not employment.
The sign of Leo rules children in general and Nigeria’s pre-tertiary schooling. Leo on the 3rd House describes the education for Nigerian children – towards the sharpening of self-confidence, oratory skills, boldness, self-expression, leadership, creativity, and exposure to performing arts. Little wonder why Nigerian music and film artists are global ambassadors for Nigeria.
Scorpio in the house of children points to a people whose creative life is deep, emotional, imaginative, and transformative. It also shows a susceptibility to escapism, drug abuse and addiction, manipulation, cultism and destructive vices. Scorpio here means that learning in school should include psychology, emotional intelligence, arts, storytelling, film and music, spirituality, and investigative thinking (critical thinking).
Aquarius governs our 9th house of university education. Aquarius is the most future- oriented, progressive-minded of all the signs and is the sign of technology, AI, systematic thinking and engineering, decentralized systems, innovation and innovation ecosystems where group participation is encouraged. Aquarius here means that Nigerian youths are to set the pace in innovation, and that universities ought to be places where young fresh minds robustly display inventions, hosting global events on tech and innovation. This is what the heavens say it is. Our students are not only to be prepared for emerging worlds; we should prepare others for it.
Mercury is the planet of teaching and learning, and its placement in Libra means we adapt collaborative learning and we teach our students to master the art of cooperation, dialogue, negotiation, balance, diplomacy, conflict resolution, public policy, law, and how to think with others. Integrating these into school programs is truly what it means to educate ourselves for us, and no longer for the colonial master’s agendas.
Finally, with our Sun in Libra, national identity develops through upholding the law and the judicial system, courts and laws that protect the rights of the poor, uphold fairness, equity, justice and social harmony. Citizenship and constitutional literacy are not optional for us. Both should be made mandatory up to senior secondary education. Education should cultivate social harmony, civic engagement, social responsibility and nation-building. As citizens, we should be able to accept diverse viewpoints, and it should start from school.
This is what every child in this country deserves. It is what the heavens over us demand that we be given. This is how the child of the woman who breaks rocks for a living ought to be trained. It is not a favor, but the dictates of heaven.
So, you see how far we have missed the mark when we gallantly celebrate the commissioning of uninspiring minimum standard classroom blocks and describe them as state of the art. How sorry we must feel for the children who will study in those classrooms with chairs and desks with such sharp and dangerous edges to be in spaces meant for children. We are told that it is state of the art as if to hypnotize and trick us to believe it is so; as though someone somewhere wants to change our inherent ability to know standards by repeating the lie.
With the way the Minister of Education has begun, we can hope that this seven-year period will see greater innovative transformation in Education.
The heavens offer us a road map to educating ourselves to global relevance, to serve humanity in diverse ways. The identity of Nigeria through its natal sun at 7° Libra aligns perfectly with the seed of humanity’s evolution in this 500-year cycle being activated by Uranus between now and 2033, telling us that we have great humanitarian value to bring to the world. Again, every May 29th, the Sun is conjunct the seed point of humanity’s evolution. Whether we are swearing in a new administration or simply celebrating Democracy Day, we invariably commit to our collective higher purpose to uphold justice, fairness and equity, to lead the world and serve humanity through the value we bring. Many have said that the whole of Africa is waiting for Nigeria who has hitherto been asleep, to awake and stand on her feet.