Month: August 2022

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The acting Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU), Kaduna, Professor Abdullahi Musa Ashafa, has advised students of the university to be focused, hardworking and law-abiding in order to graduate in record time and with good grades and character.

Prof. Ashafa gave the advice yesterday while addressing the beneficiaries of the Need-Based and Merit Scholarship Award of Kaduna State Government. He said that though the university had quality academic and non-academic workforce to train them, they must play their part by studying hard, be disciplined and law abiding.

While thanking the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loan Board and the Government of Kaduna State for their consistent support to KASU students, he said students must not only read widely to learn, grow, understand and apply what they have learnt, but must also be prepared to take full advantage of opportunities that might come their way to succeed in every aspect of life.

Recently, the Kaduna State Government under Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i awarded the sum of one hundred and fifty eight million five hundred and thirty thousand naira scholarship to best performing students of the university.

By Dikko Muhammad, PhD

I read the justifiable frustration of many people affected by ASUU strikes, most of them undergraduates with a few months to graduate but were stalled by the strike. Some have already missed the chance to attend law school this year. This is quite unfortunate. It is a waste that saddens every sensible person.

However, there are other victims of the strike who are mainly forgotten. Many people talk as if the strike does not harm ASUU members. They say that ASUU members will get their withheld salaries back at the end of the strike. That’s largely true. But there are other implications for many of these members.

First, the younger ones in the profession — Graduate Assistants and Assistant Lecturers, their progress is truncated by strikes. These are people enrolled in our universities for their master’s and PhDs, respectively. A few of them get the chance to study abroad. Majority study at home. Every strike means an indefinite pause to their studies, careers, promotions etc.

Before you say that the strike is their choice, please understand how ASUU goes to strike: each chapter (or university) will hold a meeting to decide whether to embark on strike or not. Every member present has one vote, whether a Professor or Graduate Assistant. A simple majority carries the day. That means a Graduate Assistant may vote against the strike, but those in favour could win by a single vote. At the national level, the results from the chapters are collated and studied. If there are 100 chapters, the decision of a simple majority will be the final verdict. So if 51 universities vote for the strike against 49, that’s the end.

These strikes inevitably affect the professional development of every academic staff. Some couldn’t start and/or finish masters and PhDs on time. That delay will manifest up to their retirement. Strike halts promotion exercises of many universities. People who aspire to be professors in their forties might be delayed into their fifties despite their conferences, publications, etc.

Thus, the strike is not as viable an action as many people seem to think. The lecturer you insult for being an ASUU member might have voted against the strike from the beginning. They might have been equally affected by the strike in terms of studies or promotion.

And these are people who don’t even talk about their predicament. Instead, they simply suffer in silence.

Dikko Muhammad wrote from Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina. He can be reached via dikko.muhammad@umyu.edu.ng.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to resolve the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Atiku spoke at the youths programme on “Intergenerational Synergy on Government”, organized by PDP to mark the 2022 International Youth Day celebration in Abuja on Friday, August 12, 2022. 

The former vice president argued that education is a fundamental right which every youth needs for their growth, and he would do the needful when elected president 

“This is because education is fundamental to your growth. It doesn’t matter whether you are in politics, business or any sector. The fundamental right of every youth or every citizen is to be educated.” He said

Atiku criticized the government and boasted that he had invested in education for three decades. He then pledged to work with university authorities to end the strike. 

“I take very strong exception to the strike by ASUU and the government’s inability to resolve the crisis. I have been investing in education for the past thirty years. I pledge I will work with university authorities to end these incessant strikes that are causing unacceptable harm to the ability of our children to get an education.”

ASUU has been on strike since February 14, consequent of which most public universities have been shut down.

By Prof. Abdelghaffar Abdelmalik Amoka

Is ASUU aiding misinformation and blackmail? Sometimes in 2020, I tried to get a copy of the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement to refresh my brain on the issue. After searching my ASUU file and could not find a copy, I remembered that I was not in the country in 2009 and, as such, had no copy of the document. I searched the net but could not get comprehensive information on the agreement except the summary published by newspapers. I then had two options left. It is either I get hold of a colleague who was at the congress meeting when copies of the agreement were shared or walk to the branch secretariat to request a copy.

This is the point. If the copy of the agreement is not readily accessible to me because I was away on a study fellowship, how will non-ASUU members, students, and other stakeholders have access to it? You keep getting the question: what do ASUU really want? And you keep explaining it over and over again if you have the patience since we do not have a platform to direct them to.

In a genuine concern, my favourite Human rights activist, Ahmed Isah, popularly known as the ‘Ordinary President’ of the Brekete family, wanted to intervene in the ASUU/FG crisis. Somewhere along the line, he got information that all that is required to end the ASUU strike is N18bn. He took a bold step and initiated a crowdfunding exercise to raise the “N18bn for ASUU to go back to class”. An invitation of the ASUU president to his radio program clarified the issue at stake and that it’s way behind an N18bn issue and that it’s about ” funding the public universities” and “not ASUU”. Atiku’s tweet “let’s fund ASUU” generated serious reactions from ASUU members, including myself.

The other day, Festus Keyamo was talking about N1.2trn on Channels TV that none of us seems to be aware of. I hope the educationist will still educate us on the said N1.2trn. There is also this trending news that a lawyer in Abuja is begging Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, and the banks’ CEOs to raise N1.1trn to end the ASUU strike. This is how different figures will keep coming out if there is no accessible platform to educate the public.

But why the misinformation? Who is responsible for the misinformation? Is it deliberate? Are we aiding the spread of misinformation as a union?

Universities in the UK were on strike sometime last year and this year, and I wanted to find out about the strike action. I google it, and the webpage of the UK University and College Union (UCU) came up. I got comprehensive information on the strike from the website within a very short time.

Unfortunately, there is no space to get information on ASUU struggles. If you are lucky to be at home while the ASUU president is on Channels TV’s Politics Today or any other TV station, you will get some information on the strike. If you are lucky to be following a passionate ASUU member on Facebook, you may get some information on ASUU struggles from him. Personal efforts.

But if you missed all these and you want to know about ASUU struggles, there is no central information system. You may have to look for an ASUU member to talk to. If the ASUU member is not regular at ASUU meetings, he may not be able to help you as he may not be in possession of copies of the agreements and information on the strike. Our communications are in hard copies.

The last option is to go to the nearest university and visit the ASUU branch office for information. Whoever cannot do that will rely on the information he finds on the street and work with it. Such information may be half true or outright lies. But how do they verify it? New Media is the fastest route to share information, but we have no presence on the net: the union has no website and no official social media handles.

While I was able to get UCU online, in the 21st century, information on ASUU struggles, the agreements with FGN, the MoUs and MoAs signed with Buhari’s government, and the extent of their implementation are not readily available. So, how do we expect the public to follow the trend of events that led to the rollover strike when the information is not readily accessible? Several people have asked how TETFund is the brainchild of ASUU. Even some colleagues don’t know the difference between TETFund and the revitalization (NEEDS Assessment) funds.

Media is very important in any fight. It’s a tool to share the truth and lies. If the truth is not readily accessible, the available lies will be picked. Then, the misinformation will be spread, and people will buy it. Ahmed Isah’s genuine intention is an example of the power of misinformation. ASUU is a union of intellectuals. Among them are journalists, mass communication experts, media consultants, image makers, IT experts, web designers, etc., but the union has no website that anyone can visit and get educated on the history of ASUU struggles and how we got to where we are today.

Dear respected colleagues, If we must win this battle, we need to revisit our communication strategy. The appearance of the President and some chairmen on air and the efforts of some individuals have made some impact, but they are not enough. I recently realized that the union has no position for Publicity Secretary in the executive. We need to have another look at our public engagement strategy. We need to put up a media team and develop a robust and secured webpage that can tell our story without our presence.

To the general public, the strike will be six months by the end of tomorrow. In one news, we were told that President Buhari gave the Minister, Mal. Adamu Adamu, two weeks to solve the problem that has kept students at home for over five months. In another news, they said it was the minister that said he would sort the issue in 2 to 3 weeks. Whichever one is the case, it is over two weeks, and everyone is quiet, and ASUU has rolled over the strike. A government that cares about the education of the people will not be so comfortable keeping university students at home for six months. We hope that the issue is resolved soon so that the lecturers, students, and the university community can get back to their normal life.

The fight for the survival of public education is a collective one. We must save our universities from total collapse. Happy six months anniversary of the 2022 ASUU strike in advance.

©Amoka

By Uzair Adam Imam

Department of Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, organised a one-day lecture series to prepare their students about the dynamic nature of 21 century journalism.

The event Thursday had three guest speakers who discussed on the topics; The 21st Century Mass Communication Students by Associate Professor, Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi, Head of Mass Communication Department, Bayero University, Kano.

The remaining two were: Crime and Judicial Reporting by Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, Chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano and Reading: A pathway to Entrepreneurial Journalism by Mal. Badamasi Aliyu.

Speaking after the event, the convener, Malam Aisar Salihu Musa (Aisar Fagge) said, the essence of the event was to prepare students about the new skills of 21st century journalism.

He added that the event would also help the upcoming journalists develop a critical and entrepreneurial mindset which will enable them to excel in their choosen career.

In his words, Aisar stated, “The emergence of new media technologies, the ICT and the user-generated-content have transformed the way news is produced, consumed and distributed. So there is a need for our students to know about these changes in the practice of 21st century journalism.

“Not only that, there is also a need to introduce our students into entrepreneurial journalism, especially in a country where job opportunities are rare; a country with a massive unemployment problem where majority of the youths are roaming the street without job.

“So the students need to know that they can get job for themselves by learning new skills assisted by the internet. Students could be content creaters, content developers, writers, advert practitioners, copywriters, public speakers,” he stated.

In his paper: “Reading: The Pathway to Entrepreneurial Journalism,” Mal. Aliyu said, by reading, you can become whatever you want in life. You can write well, speak good because of reading good books. Knowledge and skills are buried in books. Explore them and be what you want to be. I got 4 million naira as a result of the book I read “How to write a business plan.

The event was graced by the academic and non-academic staff across the Kano Poly schools, lecturers from Bayero University, Kano, Federal University Dutsin-ma, Al-Qalam University, FCE Kano and former students among others.

The Head of Department, Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, Malama Binta Muhammad Lawal, ably represented by one of the lecturers, Malam Salihu Sule Khalid, commended the event.

By Muhammad Aminu

At least 614 public secondary schools in Kano State will be renovated through the World Bank funded project called ‘Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE).

The project which will be implemented by the Schools-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) of the benefiting schools has budgetted N1.8 billion naira so far.

The Deputy Project Coordinator of the programme, Nasiru Abdullahi, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Bayero, alongside other staff of the project on Thursday, 11th August, 2022 in Bichi.

“The SBMC committee has community and religious leaders, representation from self-help organization, and students, among others.

“The Principal is the secretary of the committee who knows the problems of the school better,” he said.

He said that the funds had already been credited into the bank accounts of the Schools-Based Management Committees, SBMCs, of the participating schools in the State.

According to him, the SBMCs members had been trained on the key priorities of their schools for the attainment of the desired objective.

He noted that each school received an amount of money based on the nature of project it will undertake.

“Close to N1.8 billion has been granted to the schools, which is half of what the schools will get, in order to ensure effective utilisation of the funds.

“Any school that finished its project will get the balance for the remaining project.

“The money is in the account of each of the benefiting schools. A school will come to AGILE to get clearance, which it will take to bank and withdraw the money,” he said

The deputy coordinator further revealed that the project is targeting close to 38,000 girls from vulnerable households for Conditional Cash Transfer which will be followed by training on digital skills.

He said that the girls would be trained on skills that would assist them to become self reliant in their maritall homes.

He, therefore, solicited for the support of the traditional ruler for the success of the project.

On his part, the Emir vowed to support the project wholeheartedly and urged all other relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts in improving the capacity of teachers.

“We are not saying construction is not good, but the teachers who will impart the knowledge to the students need to be improved.

“More teachers should also be recruited, and trained regularly to acquaint them with modern teaching techniques,” he advised.

He called on parents to desist from withdrawing girls from schools for marriage, counselling that girls should proceed to higher education after secondary schools.

By Muhammad Aminu

Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike has debunked reports that he dragged the People’s Democratic Party PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to court over alleged manipulation in the PDP presidential primaries.

Reports said Wike alongside PDP stalwart Newgent Ekamon sued PDP, Atiku Abubakar and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Gov. Wike told Journalists in Abuja on Friday, 12th August, 2022 that he does not know the lawyers that filed the case and they did not represent him.

“I don’t know anything about the so called suit. I did not ask anyone to file any suit for me,” he said.

According to the purported suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs were said to have hinged their claims on the grounds that the PDP primary conferred undue advantage on Atiku which aided his emergence as candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.

The Rivers State first citizen described the suit as the handiwork of mischief makers who want to use him to score cheap political goals.

“I don’t know the lawyers. Am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time. I had 14 days after the primary within which to have filed any suit. I didn’t do that then, is it two months after primary I will file a suit?,” Wike queried.

He added that “just yesterday they came up with the claim that I ordered my Chief Security Officer to pull down PDP flag in Government House. This is all false, it’s all propaganda. Some people are trying to use me to win the election. Please disregard all these lies”.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Associate Professor Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi, and other journalism educators, urged Kano State Polytechnic journalism students to imbibe critical thinking in reporting their beats as journalists of the 21st century. 

Kurfi, who is the Head of Department, Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, tasked the journalists in the making, reiterating that the students should be jack of all trades and masters of none.

Kurfi stated this Thursday at a One-Day Lecture Series organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic.

Speaking on the topic, The 21st Century Mass Communication Student, the university don added that there were numerous opportunities in the field and that the students should read a lot to upgrade their learning and skills.

In his words, Kurfi stated, “there are numerous opportunities in mass communication because the world is no longer a global village but rather a global room.

“For this reason, you only need to read hard and acquire the necessary skills. If you do that, you’ll be getting money from the comfort of your room.

“Some of the career opportunities for a 21-century mass communication student include; film production, photography, advertising, development communication, public relations, broadcasting, strategic communication, among others.”

Also speaking, the event convener, Malam Aisar Salihu Fagge, stated that the essence of the lectures was to prepare students for the basic need of 21st-century journalism.

He added that the event would also develop help the students develop entrepreneurial mind to enable them to learn the modern skills of the journalism profession. 

Academics from sister institutions, directors from various units, heads of departments, and alumni of the Mass Communication department graced the event.

The Head of Department, Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, Malama Binta Muhammad Lawal, ably represented by one of the department’s lecturers, Malam Salihu Sule Khalid, commended the event.

By Yasira Muhammad Bello 

Since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on strike from the first week of their warning strike in February, I have been busy with my literary activities, busy schedules and many other things.

In the first three months, I was engaged with an empowerment program called EGMA and EGRA (Feed and Read program for Almajiri’s) taking place all over Nigeria under different NGOs. Luckily, I got to be on the supervising committee under the Halimafactor community initiative (HFCI).

During this period, ASUU extended their warning strike, allowing me to continue my empowerment program skills.

Spending time with the Almajiri’s teaching them, feeding them and interacting with them gave me an instinct that ASUU has done me a favour because it’s a splendid opportunity to be with them and see their understanding of English and Mathematics.

I feel that it’s a considerable achievement and fulfilment. However, right on track before the completion of the program, I heard that ASUU would soon call off the strike (maybe or maybe not).

Alongside I saw another fantastic and golden opportunity; the NGO I am volunteering with will host training for Photography and Videography in collaboration with ITF/NECA. Immediately after I saw the form, I decided to participate since photography was my hobby and passion, and it would be another huge achievement during the ASUU strike. So I registered free and was screened and interviewed. So luckily for me, I got hitched up and selected to participate.

It wasn’t an easy-going job waking up as early as possible to be there at the training venue from (9:00 am to 3:00 pm). Sometimes it went beyond the closing time. Still, I kept going by putting my unending effort and strengthening my mind and soul for the task full option.

Right on the way, some of my co-trainees got tired and left, but I did not give up. On the contrary, I struggled every morning for the task ahead. Gradually, they say, an elephant can fly. Of course, it did.

The three consecutive months weren’t easy, but with all the hardships and criticism, I strived for it to be independent and stand out from other women of my age who think that women don’t have room in photography. Independence is my most cherished and number one value.

All of a sudden, it ended with a great one-week entrepreneurship class. Wow, it’s a massive point for me in 2022 and during the ASUU strike. The classes ended just a week ago (on Friday). I am now a certified photographer and videographer.

From last week to today, not up to a week, I have been doing nothing but staying at home. I feel like I have been idle for a year without doing anything. It’s a big step back to my dear independent life. Since the Federal Government is not ready to dialogue with ASUU, and ASUU aren’t prepared and willing to call off the strike, I wouldn’t hesitate to call myself to strike hard for my independent and entrepreneurial habits and morals.

This is just a brief account of my struggle during the period of ASUU. I decided to share this story with all my comrades at university and outside campus, especially my dear girls sitting idle at home doing nothing and expecting everything. If Nigeria cannot do it for us, let’s grow to be responsible and do it ourselves. With or without school, my 2022 agenda is almost fulfilled.

Be independent; you must overcome all the challenges and critics before you get to the root you want to grab in life.

I was criticized to the extent that I was thinking of backing down, but I decided not to. I learnt a life lesson that we can never do without criticism. When they criticize and talk about you, this shows that you are getting somewhere high. Believe me; many people are praying and hoping to be in your constant point. It’s their praying point, but you might not know. I refused to be trapped down doing nothing.

Yasira Muhammad Bello is a 100L student of Science Laboratory Technology, Gombe State University. She is an entrepreneur, writer, poetess, photographer, videographer, and spoken word artist. She sent this via misseerahbello@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Adam Muhammad, who lives in the UK, said he cried when he first arrived at Makkah for the 2022 pilgrimage. 

“I cried when I first arrived,” He told reporters. 

According to a report by Islamic Channel, the 53-year-old electrical engineer from the UK travelled around 4000 miles on foot to reach Saudi Arabia. 

He thanked the Saudi government for granting him and his family Hajj permits.

“The Saudi government granted my family and me Hajj permits when it knew I was travelling from the UK to Makkah on foot. I met with my family in Madinah after they arrived from the UK and walked together to Makkah. I feel grateful to them,” Adam said. 

While commenting on the journey, Adam said it was difficult, and he made it solely for Allah’s sake. 

“I would feel mentally exhausted, unable to eat or drink too. But then something inside me would tell me that what are you afraid of? You have Allah by your side, and you can make it. I have lived for 52 or 53 years for myself. Why can’t I dedicate 10 or 11 months to Allah?” He said. 

According to reports, Adam reached Ayesha Mosque in Makkah on June 26, where a huge crowd received him. 

Adam had documented the progress of his journey on TikTok, where he is very active with over 2.8 million likes.