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Sight and Imitation ―psychological power of human simulation

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2 years ago

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Reminiscing about the good old childhood days, 24-year old Priscilla recalls series of scenario she played out.

As a young girl, she would make Sunday afternoons her lesson time, she is the teacher with a good number of pupils in her mind.

To get a touch of reality, she would assemble her three siblings as a point of contact, conduct her school assembly with them and teach them.

She was the proprietress, the disciplinary teacher for latecomers and the assembly conductor.

After the assembly, her pupils would match into the classroom which was the same arena of her bedroom and get seated on the bed.

Priscilla would now walk out of the room and walk in dressed in her mother’s high heel shoes, some little clothes inserted between her chest and blouse- a symbol of a matured breast, and a handbag. She expects a greeting with a standing ovation from her seated pupils.

“Good morning, ma,” they wouldn’t consider the afternoon timing.

“Good morning,” serious Priscilla would say scrambling for something uncertain in her handbag-a perfect behaviour of her class teacher.

She deeply loved the sound coming from the pair of shoes on her leg; so she would do everything possible to walk as many rounds as possible before having her seat.

She would bring out a small exercise book- her daily register- and begin to call names.

“John”

“Present, ma,” her brother would answer.

“Kate.” “Kate.” “Where is Kate?” she would question the silence.

“Aunty, she is not in school.”

“Ejiro,” she would call on.

“Absent,” her pupil-siblings would chorus.

Of course, they had been told their assigned names and how she wanted it to play out.

“Blessing”

“Present, ma”

She would look up and mark her remaining pupil present.

She begins writing on the board with her white chalk after drawing horizontal lines with her little yellow wooden ruler- a petite version of the big wooden ruler her teacher uses in class.

In-between writing, she would imagine Ejiro coming late to her class. Immediately she feels his presence in her mind, she would tilt her head behind her with her chalky hand paused on the board.

“Ejiro, why are you late to my class?” another class scene begins.

Imaginary Ejiro would become hesitant, speechless, and frightened.

“Kneel down there,” her tautology was also imitated.

“Aunty, please” Ejiro would plead.

“I said kneel down there!”

He kneels and she resumes writing after her mom who overhears her from another room interjects

“ònye kwa ka ọ na baru?” Who is she shouting at?

The house help would giggle from wherever she was in the house on hearing that.

Priscilla didn’t mind. She was a focused copycat teacher only that her kiddy height and dressing obstructed the image she assumed in the sight of the adults in the house.

When she finished writing, she would walk up to Ejiro- her unfinished project- emphasizing her well-enjoyed “koi koi” sound from her oversized heel shoes.

Ejiro was a perpetual latecomer.

“Give me your hand” she would frown, holding up a cain.

Ejiro’s hesitant gesture would follow.

“I said- I said- give- me- your- hand,” each section landed with a slight whip, inflicting mild pain on Ejiro.

“Aunty, please, it’s my mummy that said I should wait for my lunch box. I promise, I will not come late to your class again,” tearful Ejiro begins to sweat.

After a brief consideration, teacher Priscilla would show mercy.

“Go to your seat.”

“Thank you, Aunty.”

“Tell your mummy,” the halfway pupil would turn to listen “that your food should not make you late to school. She can always bring it later. In fact, give me your mum’s number.”

Relieved Ejiro recites it to her and sits finally.

The ceiling fan in Priscilla’s room begins to roll as the surrounding neighbors scream with excitement “Up Nepa!”

Priscilla’s acting pupils would join in the celebration and rush to the parlour for their favourite cartoon show

What is more? Priscilla would lead the run, closing her entire school, abruptly.

She forsakes her imaginary pupils, especially Ejiro; forgets she is a teacher and becomes a kid again.

Priscilla’s actions are common behaviour we see children play out amongst others like holding up a torch to their mouth as a microphone, imitating a phone conversation from their parents, traveling from one room to the other, imitating some mechanical handiwork.

Aside Priscilla’s behaviour being funny, the psychological power of human simulation is not a fallacy. It emphasizes how real humans’ ability to imitate is.

No matter how young or old you think you may be, you are not immune to imitating and acting on what you see and hear constantly.

As you go about your endeavors this year, do not forget to guard the gates of your eyes and ears by being deliberate about the environment you expose yourself to.

Cheers to a formidable year ahead.

♦ Favour Chiagozie Ebubechukwu is an Editorial  Staff Writer and columnist with the WAP

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Nigeria: chibok abduction anniversary spurs demands for justice

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1 week ago

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April 16, 2024

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Militants, alongside relatives of victims of the infamous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls that sparked global outrage in 2014, gathered in Lagos on Sunday, April 14, to renew calls for the release of the remaining girls in captivity.

The Sunday meeting was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction that affected 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

“What I would ask the government is to find a way to work towards bringing back our sisters because I know it is only the government that can help us bring back these girls,” said Grace Dauda, a rescued Chibok schoolgirl.

Another rescued schoolgirl, Rebecca Malu, added, “They should stay safe. They should stay strong, one day, they will be released like us.”

While some girls managed to escape on their own, others have been freed over the years through intense campaigns by civil society organizations and government negotiations. But this human rights activist, Ayo Obe, is calling for more action from the authorities.

“We know that we started with missing persons numbering two hundred and fifty-six; it is already an improvement that we are down to 91. But of course, 91 is 91 lives unaccounted for. We appreciate the fact that so many of them escaped during the abduction itself. We appreciate the fact that the government has brought back so many more of them, but we say that we don’t stop here. We need the momentum that has happened since the mass return during the Buhari administration in 2016-2017 to be maintained. We expected that the remaining girls would have been brought back,” she said.

Mass school children kidnapping in Nigeria has continued nearly unabated since Chibok. Around 1,700 students have been kidnapped in raids since 2014 according to Amnesty International.

A member of the Bring Back Our Girls movement and convener of the 10th-year anniversary in Lagos, Opeyemi Adamolekun, lamented this as unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, it became political between 2014 and 2015, part of the amplification of the movement was part of the 2015 presidential campaign. And we saw the effect of the first batch of 21 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government. The second batch of 82 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government as well. But unfortunately, it seems that energy sort of dissipated because the government doesn’t feel as much pressure as they used to feel,” she said.

For this group of Nigerians, the government must match words with more action to stem the tide of mass school kidnappings in the country.

According to the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, a charity that advocates for the Chibok schoolgirls, about 90 girls still remain in captivity while dozens of the schoolgirls freed over the years are living inside a military-run rehabilitation camp with surrendered Boko Haram fighters they married in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram’s main hideout.

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Nigeria suspends permit of 3 private jet operators

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1 week ago

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April 16, 2024

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Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken action against private jet operators flouting regulations by suspending the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) of three operators caught conducting commercial flights.

This crackdown follows warnings issued in March 2024.

Acting Director General Capt. Chris Najomo stated that increased surveillance at Nigerian airports led to the grounding of three operators found violating their PNCF terms. Specifically, they breached annexure provisions and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.

In response, the NCAA announced a thorough re-evaluation of all PNCF holders to ensure compliance with regulations, to be completed by April 19th, 2024. PNCF holders have been instructed to submit necessary documents within 72 hours to expedite the process. Najomo emphasized these actions highlight the NCAA’s commitment to enhancing safety in Nigerian airspace.

Furthermore, the NCAA warned the public against using charter operators without a valid Air Operators Certificate and urged legitimate industry players to report any suspicious activities promptly.

This crackdown comes after the NCAA’s stern warning in March against PNCF holders engaging in commercial operations.

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Senator Cory Booker Leads a Congressional Delegation to Nigeria

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4 weeks ago

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March 30, 2024

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Photo: Senator Cory Booker (In the back) and a Diplomat from the US Department of State, joins with members of the Academy for Women Alumnae Association including Mercy Ogori of Kokomi Africa and Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics.

Senator Cory also met women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association

Last week, US Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey led a congressional delegation to Nigeria, which included House of Representatives members Sara Jacobs and Barbara Lee from California. The purpose of the visit was to discuss a partnership on sustainable development. During the talks, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his administration’s dedication to strengthening democracy through upholding the rule of law and ensuring good governance, justice, and fairness for all citizens. Senator Booker emphasized the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that bind Nigeria and the United States as partners.

The delegation also met with women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association, who had participated in US-sponsored exchange programs. Led by Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics, the businesswomen shared their experiences and discussed their entrepreneurial endeavors. Other Academy members were Mandela Washington Fellow, Nkem Okocha of Mama Moni, Inemesit Dike of LegalX, and Mercy Ogori of Kokomi.

The partnership between the United States and Nigeria has lasted over six decades, focusing on addressing security challenges, enhancing health security, and responding to global health crises. Despite obstacles like corruption, poverty, and insecurity, the US remains dedicated to supporting Nigerian institutions and promoting free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections.

During the visit to the State House, Senator Booker reiterated the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that unite Nigeria and the United States as partners.

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