President Buhari’s media aide, Tolu Ogunlesi, who is also Head of Digital Communication for the Nigerian President, has slammed @Blacktolive, a Twitter handle which celebrates anything concerning black excellence, for celebrating Esther Okade, a 13-year-old British-Nigerian who is set to earn her PhD by 2018.
Esther Okade came to limelight in 2015, after a CNN report revealed that the British-Nigerian youngster was one of U.K’s youngest college freshmen, after she enrolled at the Open University, a UK-based distance learning college, in January 2015 at the age of 10 and was on top of her class.
Tolu Ogunlesi who took to Twitter to disclose how he feels about Esther Okade’s celebration on Black to Live, said that he sees nothing worth celebrating there, and further asked what a 13-year-old will be doing with a PhD.
Oh Mr. Ogunlesi my brother, you have “fallen” into the pits of such viper…One of the things they teach you as a public servant is: “you never rain on people’s parade.” Never, ever, as a public servant, divulge your personal opinion(s) on issue(s) that does not involve the state in the public. That is NO, No!
Whether a 13 year old can do anything with a Ph.D or not is not your concern and should not be. Let her, her destiny, and parents take care of that. I bet if it were your relative, you’d find something to celebrate about.
For her reached this point in life, is a wonderful achievement, worth glorifying to God and celebrating for her family. Moreover, it gives courage and incentive to a whole lot of others to emulate the youngster. What is wrong with that?
We hear stories upon stories like this all the time in the US of child(ren) geniuses and we marvel about them; some of them were even used to make movies and TV shows “Douglas (Doogie) Houser, MD.” Why can we not celebrate or marvel that of a Nigerian-British child, before questioning what she is going to do with a Ph.D.
Your attitude (if it’s indeed true; and that is, if nobody hacked your tweeter account) towards this milestone is the type of attitude that has kept our country in darkness.
We should celebrate our children’s achievements and encourage more to do the same…If this tweet is true of your comments and sentiments, then you should not be serving our government…who knows what other achievements you would prevent because you don’t see the point to it.
Ride on little sister Esther, you have done us…yourself, your family, and our joint countries proud. May God guide you to further achievements.
Cash Ezimako