Month: December 2022

By Uzair Adam Imam

Bill Cosby, a renowned American stand-up comedian and actor, has been sued by five women over sexual assault during their early careers.

The 85-year-old Cosby has been dragged through the mud by numerous women over the allegation of rape throughout the years.

The Daily Reality recalls that back in 2018, the comedian bagged a 10-year jail term in Pennsylvania for indecent assault.

Several reports indicated that the majority of the women sued the actor for acting more like a predator than a mentor to them.

The victims were identified as Plaintiffs Lili Bernard, Eden Tirl, Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson, and Cindra Ladd.

They alleged that the actor was able to take advantage of them because they were young and vulnerable.

Some time ago, the actor was also dragged to court by Mrs Minifield, who claimed Cosby drugged and abused her multiple times.

The victim recalled one incident in which she awoke during a rape to discover the actor trying to smother her with a pillow.

By Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, PhD

Apart from hosting us in their house during the Thanksgiving holiday, Danielle Callaway Njama and her husband, Philip Njama, booked a ticket for us to visit the National Museum of African American History in Washington DC. It was another rich historical voyage. I strongly recommend visiting the museum if you happen to be in Washington DC.

The museum, formally launched by President Barack Obama in 2016, documents the history of slavery and the unspoken contribution of Africans to European and American economies.

Walking through the floors of the museum, an air of historical insecurity, goosebumps, and lamentation engulfs you. As you read through the stories of how the enslaved Africans were transported to Europe and North America in chains and other inhuman conditions, you feel the blood of sympathy circumambulating in your veins.

While these thoughts were going through my mind, there was sudden silence among my family. I turned back, and my eldest daughter was in tears, struggling to hold her emotions while reading through the stories of Africans like Ayoub Suleiman from The Gambia, who was enslaved in Maryland, and Mahommah Baquaqua from Benin, who was sold in Brazil and transported to New York.

Being a student of economic development, I couldn’t miss the section in the museum that estimated the value of cotton produced by African Americans to $250,000,000 in 1861; and the value assigned to enslaved African Americans at $3,059,000,000 in 1860. What is the value in today’s terms?

This is a difficult history, but as I have discussed many times with friends and colleagues, Africans shouldn’t allow themselves to be the psychological prisoners of the trauma caused by slavery. Yes, it is difficult, but Africans must move forward with zeal and unparalleled determination to write a glorious chapter of their story no matter the odds against them. Creating a path to development is the antibiotic to economic dependency.

Takeaway: Torturous lessons of history are difficult to ignore. It is the lessons from history that help determined communities to write a glittering chapter for future generations.

Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, PhD, is a candidate for a Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration at Harvard University, John F Kennedy School of Government. He can be reached via mjyushau@yahoo.com.

By Mukhtar Jarmajo

Surely enough, one of the banes of our society is that, in most cases, whom we have at the helm of affairs, whether in power or at the community level, are rulers, not leaders. There is a clear distinction between rulers and leaders. Rulers do not listen to their people. They rather authoritatively give directives that must be obeyed without any hesitations and whether or not the result of taking such action will be in the best interest of the greater majority.

While leaders are good listeners who walk and work together with their people in the greater interest of society. And as John Quincy Adams, the 6th US President who served between 1825 and 1829, would say: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Thus, by the words of John Quincy, leaders are motivators who not only reposition the society to greater heights but also make the people become better in themselves. And that is why it is said that one of the functions of a leader is to build more leaders. Thus, if building people is rightly one of the functions of a leader, then Mallam Isa Yuguda is a true leader.

Deliberately, the Matawallen Bauchi has, over the years, built people as he journeyed from the banking sector through the federal executive council to the Bauchi state government house. Without putting much emphasis on how he transformed the defunct Inland Bank from regional to national and indeed his excellent performance at the aviation and transport ministries as well as in Bauchi state when he held sway between 2007-2015, Yuguda is also an excellent team player who coaches the people that work with him. With the needed dose of confidence characterized by conviction and determination, he is humility and modesty personified. This is why Isa Yuguda is imparting positive behaviours to many and, thus, a role model.

Today, Mallam Isa Yuguda stands tall on the ladder of success. But unusually, Yuguda`s success is, among other reasons, simply because of the number of people he has trained and built. He is second to none in Bauchi state in this regard. In the tripod stand, either directly or indirectly, the Matawallen Bauchi has positively impacted the lives of as many people as possible. For instance, including the incumbent governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi state, Matawallen Bauchi has played essential roles in the lives of almost any shining star in the Pearl of Tourism.

And while his virtues are extolled in appreciation of Isa Yuguda`s immense contributions to the growth of humanity, it is also right to urge other community and political leaders to emulate the Matawallen Bauchi. After all, as Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American philosopher and essayist, would say, the essence “of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Jarmajo wrote from Wuse 2, Abuja.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

The Arewa Film Makers Association of Nigeria (AFMAN) Kano chapter has elected new executives to pilot its affairs for the next two years.

The ten-member exco were elected unopposed in an uncontested election held on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at the Social Welfare Centre, Court Road, Kano.

Captain Musa Gambo emerged as the union’s new chairman, succeeding Jamilu Yakasai who had been holding the position since 2019.

Other members of the new exco include:

Mansurah Isah – Vice chairperson

Mustapha Anwar – Secretary

Abubakar Adamu G. Boy – Treasurer

Hassan Maiwada – Financial secretary

Zaharaddeen Muhammad – Press secretary 1

Abubakar Alaramma – Press secretary 2

Ali Worth Me – PRO 1

Rahama M.K. – PRO 2

Maimuna Muhammad (Wata Yarinya) – Welfare officer

By Muhammadu Sabiu

As a step toward implementing the naira redesign strategy, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has released a new cash withdrawal policy that states withdrawals over N100,000 and N500,000 will now be subject to 5% and 10% fees, respectively.

The apex bank also said that going forward, only denominations of N200 and lower will be accepted at ATMs.

All Deposit Money Banks, other financial institutions, primary mortgage banks, and microfinance banks received a letter on Monday from the director of banking supervision at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Haruna Mustafa.

A third-party check for more than N50,000 would not be accepted for payment, per the letter cited with the BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/015/069. The daily cap for over-the-counter, OTC, and ATM withdrawals is N20,000.

The letter reads, “The maximum cash withdrawal over the counter (OTC) by individuals and corporate organizations per week shall henceforth be N100,000 and N500,000, respectively.

“Withdrawals above these limits shall attract processing fees of 5% and 10%, respectively; third-party cheques above N50,000 shall not be eligible for payment over the counter, while extant limits of N10,000,000 on clearing cheques still subsist; the maximum cash withdrawal per week via Automated Teller Machine (ATM) shall be N100,000 subject to a maximum of N20,000 cash withdrawal per day; Only denominations of N200 and below shall be loaded into the ATMs; The maximum cash withdrawal via point of sale (PoS) terminal shall be N20,000 daily and in compelling circumstances, not exceeding once a month, where cash withdrawals above the prescribed limits are required for legitimate purposes, such cash withdrawals shall not exceed N5,000,000 and 10,000,000 for individuals and corporate organizations.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A young man identified as Emmanuel has dragged the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanw-Olu, to court over claims that the governor is his father and has refused to acknowledge paternity.

Emmanuel’s lawyer, John Aikpokpo-Martins, revealed this in a Facebook post on Tuesday. 

According to Aikpokpo-Martins, his client had approached the Delta State High Court claiming that the governor is his biological father. He noted that his client requested the governor to waive his constitutional immunity to undergo a DNA test to confirm the claim. 

He further stated that the governor had filed court processes refusing to waive his immunity and undergo a DNA test. As a result, the court has adjourned the case to January 17, 2023, to hear the objection of the governor. 

In the court processes seen by the Daily Reality, Emmanuel sought the following orders : 

“A declaration that the Defendant is the biological father of the claimant begotten from Madam Grace Moses of Oleri, Delta State.

“An order directing and compelling the Defendant to acknowledge and accord the claimant all the rights of a son in accordance with all the laws applicable whether customarily, statutorily or constitutionally.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further denying the parenthood of the claimant”

By Zailani Bappa

I read a post by someone who expressed his worry about the lack of unity of purpose (in fact, he said, unity of everything) among the Nigerian people. He was writing about the movie industry. He said Hollywood had been a household name for a country as vast as America. So also Bollywood for a country as big as India. Both countries are bigger and more economically prosperous than Nigeria.

However, despite the existence of Nollywood, we still have the Kannywood in Nigeria. He believes the existence and progression of Kannywood are retrogressive to the Unity of purpose in the industry in Nigeria. I reason with him. However, that is only when the matter is viewed from the surface. Scratch the surface a little, and you’ll see the bigger picture.

Both Nollywood and Kannywood emerged in prominence in the 1990s. Nollywood comes in English, pidgin, Igbo and Yoruba. The Kannywood comes mainly in Hausa and a few times in English. Looking at the Hollywood and Bollywood industries as both business and national projects, both Industries tend to project National Unity, National Pride and National dignity of their respective countries. And the business does not discriminate in the selection of protagonists.

However, in Nigeria, tribal, sectional and religious stereotypes continue to influence the industry, which makes it even more difficult to have a unified industry. To date, egg-heads of the Nollywood industry find it difficult to accept the fact that the industry needed to diversify and be all-inclusive in sourcing for their resource. For instance, African-Americans in the US are arguably the lowliest rated race in the US. However, the Hollywood industry does not believe so. The Industry became all-inclusive and explored for talents instead of being led by stereotypes. Now the negros are almost the best actors in the industry. That is how it grew to excellence.

In Nigeria, however, Nollywood, with the advantage of producing in English first, metamorphosed most of the vernacular protagonists into English productions but unwittingly limited the train to those from the South-East of the Country who saw themselves as the owners of the industry. For instance, the far Northern Nigerian does not deserve more than the role of a gateman in Nollywood films. If at all you hear the name Musa, Usman, or  Bala, then, it’s the guy employed to look after the gate or wash the cars of Obinna, Ifeanyi or Chibuzo. The Lagos-based Industry is not making any genuine efforts to integrate with the Kannywood industry, even as the latter continues to grow in influence and affluence in the North and elsewhere.

However, the Kannywood, with its vast audience across the Hausa-speaking communities across the globe, also failed to grow in its intellectual capacity. It instead gets stuck to its money-making trash productions in the name of soyayya themes, which, apart from the sheer entertainment it provides, literally promotes empty value to the morale, capacity and quality of lives of the audience, not to even talk of national value, pride and dignity.

In Nigeria, the film industry has no idea or focus on National project but purely exist for business reasons. Hollywood has developed over time to become an agenda setter for the United States policymakers and implementors. It has now become a platform and potent avenue for increasing the influence of the United States over other nations and peoples worldwide. The Indian Industry also helps that country placate the outside world with its numerous internal crises and contradictions by promoting a clean, prosperous and happy India.

In Nigeria, Nollywood promotes less national dignity and unity but corruption, indecency, cultism and disunity. It exposes more of the weak and bad sides of the country, its institutions, leaders and people instead of strengthening their good sides more. Why? Because they make better money doing that since their productions appeal more to the wrong side of humanity in us. The Kannywood, with its empty intellectual value, is simply vain. So, as the two continue to grow side by side like that, we may have to do with the fast growth of a two-left-legged maiden of an industry.

Zailani Bappa wrote from Bauchi State via zailanbappa@gmail.com.

By Aisar Salihu Musa

Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso clearly stated that, if elected as the president of Nigeria in the forthcoming 2023 presidential elections, the Local Government funding (LG Funds) will come directly from the Federal Government’s treasury without passing through the hands of the state governors. However, some people are now making noise about it, maintaining that Kwankwaso was the one in Kano who initiated that LG funds must pass through his hand before going to LG chairmen.

My worry now is; what is wrong in having a second thought? What’s wrong? We do have second thoughts on many things but that’s not a problem. To some, the problem is for Kwankwaso to have it. This your obsession or rather hatred with anything Kwankwaso will cause you serious problem. Adjust, please.

Politician decamp with you from one party to another, that’s not a problem. They come with their trial and error policy, it is not a problem. Clerics change fatwas, it is not a problem. You run from one girl to another, it is not an issue. The problem is for Kwankwaso to change a stand. Guys, what’s your problem? You should know that, Kwankwaso is still the best among all the contenders by whichever form of parameter you choose to judge and assess. He is just the best of all of them in terms of everything.

In the beginning, Kwankwaso saw how LG administrators were recklessly embezzling LG funds without any meaningful projects that will better the lives of their people. In order to solve that problem, he said LG funds will remain in the account of the state government, not his personal account. Any LG administrator with a project should write to the state government and request funding for its execution. I think at that time it was a good decision from him and it was purely out of good intention. Now that things have changed and he thinks giving them their money directly is better than entrusting it in the hands of the state governments, I think is something we should commend him about.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Lagos State Government has announced that the State is ready to comply with the Supreme Court judgement on the use of hijab by female pupils and students in Lagos schools.

In July 2022, the Supreme Court had dismissed an appeal by the Lagos State Government and upheld the use of hijab in Lagos schools.

Lagos State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, announced the state’s readiness through a circular he issued and signed on behalf of the government on Monday, December 5, 2022.

“It’s hereby notified for general information that the supreme court judgment SC/910/2016 delivered on the 17th of June 2022 on the use of Hijab as it affects pupils/students in Lagos State schools has delivered that the students should be allowed to wear the hijab if desired,” the circular read in part.

Mr Muri-Okunola stated that a comprehensive guidelines on the use of hijab will be issued to all agencies of the government in due course.

He added that, “you are to note that the judgement is binding on all schools in the State.

“As a law-abiding administration, all accounting officers are to note the contents of this circular for immediate compliance and give it the deserved service-wide publicity,” He said.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Yakubu Dogara, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has rejoined the main opposition party a few days after endorsing the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar for president. The defection is the latest political move by the lawmaker in his consistent opposition to the same-faith ticket of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

On Monday, the former legislator was welcomed into the party at a rally in Lagos State for the presidential race.

Note that this is coming just 48 hours after Dogara and several irate northern APC officials expressed their support for the former vice president’s presidential candidacy.

This is not the first time the former speaker changed his party, as it’s less than a year since he dumped PDP for APC at the Presidential Villa Abuja.