Month: August 2023

By Omar Muaz

As commonly understood by many people that a working woman only means one that goes outside her matrimonial home or her parents’ house to earn a living [in most cases a salary or an income] isn’t but, as rightly put in different ways by Amina Adamu, in her paper “Balancing the Home and Work: Tales of Working Women” one who has attained a certain level of education and use it as an opportunity to secure jobs. Or the one who earns a living inside her home by engaging in in-door businesses such as fish farming, tailoring, poultry, and even selling clothes and kitchen equipment, or lastly, one who earns a living within the confinement of her house by using their children to hawk and sell for them. Whichever one takes as a definition of a working woman, it’s fine and okay.

I have read many articles claiming modernism to be the root of working women. However, history has it that in traditional African society, women work as much as men [or even more] to sustain the family. They do house chores and look after children and even the man himself — besides cooking for the family, the women wash the man’s clothes and keep his room and the whole house tidy. In addition to all, as affirmed in The Journal of the Islamization of Knowledge and Contemporary Issues, Vol. 1, they go to the farm and cultivate crops to supplement the feeding and economic sustenance of the family. 

By the coming of Islam — a religion that propagates women’s seclusion based on the Quranic provision in Suratul Al-ahzāb, verse 33 “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the times of ignorance.” and some authentic traditions of Rasūl, prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — to Nigeria in the eleventh century (Clerke and Lindern, 1984), women, more especially in the Northern part of the country, were restricted from going out unnecessarily which includes going to farm. They then concentrated on their roles as mothers while the men accepted and carried out their religious responsibilities of providing the basic needs for their family until the introduction of Western education [read: conventional education] to Nigeria in the 19th century.

The early 70s witnessed a large enrolment of girls into conventional schools, which started affecting the status quo of the family system, with women starting to work as civil and public workers in various organisations and parastatals at the attainment of conventional schools. Moreso, the spread of globalisation through the Western media led to the very foundation of the family, which includes respect, love, and trust for each other to start playing the second fiddle. 

From the 90s up to the end of the last century, 20th, many Islamic families subscribed to the global village by connecting the satellite dish to their homes and, of course, the internet. Probably, due to the impact of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) — an ambitious structural adjustment program which was adopted in June 1986 as a result of initial reforms including substantial increases in domestic petroleum prices that were announced in the 1986 budget — in the 80s, the man no longer care and provide the basic facilities needed in their homes. Thus, the man lost his pride and respect as the breadwinner both from the wife and the children. Hence, women were left with the only alternative, which was finding means of supplementing the family income, even outside their homes (Emeagwali in El-Sohli & Mabro, 1994).

It’s worth noting from the above paragraphs women were traditionally working before the advent of Islam, more especially in Northern Nigeria, which abolished the practice with the world turning into a conventional one. Women work to supplement the family income with reasons, of course, varying. There are many women that work, despite their husbands or parents being rich, because they feel bored sitting at home. This category consists of almost 10% of the working Northern Nigerian women. Others go out to work to earn a living, while others, at the death of their husbands, provide shelter for their children. In addition to the mentioned categories, some work to serve humanity in governmental and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Some Muslim husbands and parents, based on one of these cases, allow their wives and daughters to work while others, basing their argument on the Islamic concept of seclusion, keep their women at home. Now, the question is on the concept of women’s seclusion from in Islamic perspective. What is it? Women seclusion is a term referring to various practices designed to protect women from men in traditional Muslim societies, including confining women to the company of other women and close male relatives in their home or in separate female living quarters, veiling, self-effacing mannerisms, and the separation of men and women in public places.

According to the International Institute of Islamic Thought Nigeria Office’s journal, Al-Ijtihād, the issue of women’s seclusion in the Nigerian context, as has been identified, includes (1) complete seclusion — an opinion championed by traditionalists and fundamentalists who strongly believe that women’s role is exclusively restricted to her home only and therefore any other role outside her matrimonial home is forbidden. (2) partial seclusion — that women are allowed to go out when there’s need to go, such as hospital and visiting sick relatives and even attending Islamiyya schools, and (3) voluntary seclusion is seen as a more symbolic seclusion rather than physical.

The third, unlike the complete seclusion which was built on the widely circulated “myth” in some years back, at least in the Hausaland, that a woman has only three outings in her lifetime — that of her being delivered from her mother’s womb, going out to her husband house [being married], and then lastly taken to her grave —, is propagated by those in favour of women going out to work outside her matrimonial homes or parents’ houses and encouraged women who have attained conventional education to work in the civil service and other parastatals.

The existence of these divergent views, even during the lifetime of Usman Ɗan Fodio, triggered him to write a book “Kitabul Irshadul Ikhwān” in which he stated twelve instances where women are allowed to go out in Shari’a: going out in search of knowledge, participating in religious war [Jihād] where there’s need for their assistance, attending congregational prayers in mosques, attending Juma’at prayer, attending Eid prayer, attending prayer for rain [Salatul Istisqa], attending prayer for the dead [Salatul Janaza], going to pilgrimage, going to the court of law to sue or to be sued, visiting their parents and relatives, attending wedding ceremony [especially escorting the bride to her house because Aisha (RA) was reported to have done that] and buying and selling things especially when they don’t have someone to do it on their behalf.

In addition to the above-mentioned twelve occasions where women are allowed to go out, going out to teach isn’t in exclusion. There are instances — according to the prophetic ahādith, which were reported by Abu Dāwud, Ahmad and Imam Hakim — where women went out to teach even the wives of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The case of Shafa’a Bint Abda is a glaring example when the prophet (PBUH) not only recommended her for teaching His wife, Hafsa (RA), how to write but advised her to teach the wife how to cure rashes and bugs [Rukhyatul Namla]. Thus, Imam Ghazali, among many other Islamic scholars, emphasised the importance of women’s education, especially in the field of Medicine and Mathematics, with the essence of them specialising in these areas to cure sick Muslims and to teach Muslim children.

It can be concluded that women — even though they are fragile and weak because of them being created from a “crooked rib” of a man — among them are those who are blessed with the strength and energy to participate in even manual labour and, thus, they are not completely restricted, Islamically, to work as related above.

However, in order to have equilibrium in terms of matrimonial stability of the home on one hand and the woman’s pursuit for economic stability on the other, there should be an understanding between the two spouses [which is the man who is the head of the family and the woman under the umbrella and control of the man]. It’s recommendable that a working woman should fear Allah (SWT) in her mind wherever she goes and, when going out, should dress properly according to the dictates of the Shariah.

Allahu A’alam [ Allah knows the best].

Omar Muaz wrote via muazuumar45@gmail.com.

By Dr Aliyu U. Tilde

How many times have I restrained my fingers from writing on this topic? It first came to mind when I heard His Excellency, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, hinting that he would not be part of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. I watched the clip and laughed. I said does not Malam know that he is now a Plc and no longer an individual enterprise? Can Aliko Dangote one day dream of returning to his quiet personal status of 50 years ago?

Once you are a Plc, forget it. You no longer own your life. We own it. You are our property. Our slave. Period. That is the liability you become to yourself when you prove to the public your competence in serving it. The prize of hard work is more work, they say.

I knew the positions of SSG and COS did not fit people of his personality even if he eyed them. Malam is at his best either as an executive or a project person tasked with a very difficult task, like Ministry of Power.

After missing him on campus, I came to know him through many of his intimate friends in Kaduna since 1986. But I knew him from a distance the more when he started public service in BPE, then as Minister of FCT and lastly as Governor of Kaduna State. In summary, he is one Nigerian that has proven his competence beyond a reasonable doubt.

That is not to say Malam, 63, is not human. Nobody can come straight in these positions without stepping on many toes, especially in a country that is as tortuous as Charles H. Robinson described the African footpath in 1892. Those adversely affected by his policies, which were necessary to straighten up things, will understandably complain and write petitions against him.

Then Malam is also a politician, a fierce one for that matter. We have seen that much during the build-up to the last presidential election. To complicate matters, he is vocal, unrelenting, open and many times politically incorrect; yet, calculating enough to yield result. These are enough to court him for many troubles.

One of those troubles is with the legislature. He had a problem in 2003 when the Senate refused to clear him. Finally, he got cleared by the intervention of President Olusegun Obasanjo and went ahead to prove his worth as FCT minister. This time the media is saying it is not about money or even the legislature per se but about some petitions or security issues.

Today President Tinubu needs to play the role that Obasanjo played in getting the Senate clearance in 2003. He campaigned for Godwill Akpabio, the President of the Senate. Some say he also intervened for Festus Keyamo. He stood for two other competent people before: Vice President Kashim Shettima and NSA Nuhu Ribadu.

The President has promised to choose for the country the best talents to serve under his government. Though he had difficulties keeping this promise on some of his nominees, the nation may not forgive him for missing the target on Malam. He should defy Malam’s opponents just as he did for many others.

Both the security apparatus and APC owe Malam a debt. His doggedness on power shift to the South and in fighting to neutralize the effect of last-minute anti-people’s policy of the Buhari administration that would have cost the APC the Presidency are moral debts that both the President and the party owe Malam; otherwise, both will suffer a trust deficit in the eyes of the public. I have told many—and I may be wrong—that even from a strategic point of view, not having a cerebral and politically hyperactive El-Rufai on board will be a grave political miscalculation for the administration.

The security apparatus has no moral locus to abandon Malam either. He stood by it and acted on its reports to literally go on the ethnic cleansing of Shi’ites in his State—his one act that I strongly abhor and wrote against.

The President now has three major contentious issues at hand: Removal of fuel subsidy, dollar deregulation and the coup in Niger Republic. He must make El-Rufai Plc become the fourth.

Dr Tilde tweets via @Dr_AliyuTilde.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Bola Tinubu is currently having a meeting with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO’s director general, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

At around 2:50 on Tuesday, Dr Ali Pate, a former minister of state for health, and Okonjo-Iweala arrived at the Presidential Villa.

This medium has not been able to gather the purpose of the meeting as of the time of filing this report.

Recall that Okonjo-Iweala and Tinubu met earlier in June while attending the leadership summit in Paris, France.

Okonjo-Iweala served as finance minister under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

By Muhammad Sani Usman

Somebody was shocked that the revenue of Zenith Bank as of 2022, which is N945 billion, is greater than the internally generated revenue of northern states combined. Literally, Zenith Bank alone is more financially buoyant than northern Nigeria. And he was lamenting about the poor inclusion of northerners in such investments in their states.

Kaduna is taking the lead in investments in the North, but her (Kaduna) IGR is not up to one hundred billion Naira; it is half of that. Even the profit after tax of Zenith is bigger than the economic cities of Kano and Kaduna. These two states are not up to N100 billion altogether.

I told him, “Investing in banking is highly industrious. But our northern billionaires have no business with anything “Knowledge-based economy”. What they know is to hoard dollars, buy shares, and run over a baby company/factory, as in acquisition.

Prof Murtala Sagagi of the Economics Department of Bayero University, Kano, told us, “While conducting a survey about the percentage of non-inclusion of Kano people to most of the fine-investments in food and beverages, logistics, and Banking Industries, one manager of one famous company told him, “When they try to recruit graduates for trainee positions; they expect them to be meticulous in training before they think of absorbing them fully as staff.

But you’ll employ someone as an assistant quality control officer or sales personnel, but his/her performance index will shock you unless you change your mindset seriously. Industries require expertise to run; you can’t employ someone you can’t fire or are lazy.”

There was another testimony last week. I was discussing with an auditor of one of the best companies in Northern Nigeria. The guy told me they had recruited a new customer care representative, and he was deployed to that branch, but all the time, the guy was not working; even the invoice that he was supposed to do, he couldn’t.

Unknown to the guy, a letter was sent from the headquarter for monitoring and evaluation of his performance by the senior staff of that organisation. My guy is among the people to vouch for him, i.e., whether he would be retained as permanent staff.

However, this is not limited to banking or the mentioned industries; this is about the lackadaisical attitude of our politicians about not creating factors that will favour industrialisation in the North. The A-K-K gas project is among the hope we have for the future of the North. Let’s wait and see!

Muhammad Sani Usman an industrial chemist who advocates good governance and Sustainable development goals. He writes from Zaria via Muhdusman1999@gmail.com.

By Ukasha Rabiu Magama

The new Bauchi Commissioner of Health, Dr Sambo Umar Adamu, has charged Bauchi youths to be productive and peace ambassadors of their respective communities to bring the desired development to the state. 

The disclosure was made at his Magama residence when he received the delegation of the Magama Youth Forum on a congratulatory visit. Expressing his happiness over the visit, Dr Sambo assures his readiness to work closely with youths to bring much-needed development to the state, particularly in the health sector.

Further, Dr Sambo said his door will always be open for consultations on moving Bauchi state to the greater pedestal. He added that Governor. Bala Muhammad’s administration was an inclusive regime. Therefore, he promised to learn from his footsteps by carrying everybody along, irrespective of party, religion and tribal affiliations, for the sustenance of peace and to bring progress to the state. 

In his remark, the acting chairman of Magama Youth Forum, Malam Isma’il Abubakar Najjar, asserted that the visit aimed to felicitate with Dr Sambo on his appointment as the new Bauchi state commissioner of health as well as pray for more success in the distant future.

Malam Najjar said Magama Youth Forum are ready to give maximum support and cooperation to the new commissioner to perform his responsibilities to revamp the Bauchi health sector.

While making his comment, the acting assistant secretary of the Magama Youth Forum, Comrade Abubakar Abdulkarim Jibrin, appealed to the new commissioner to consider the union at a time of enjoying the democratic dividend as well as shun nepotism by giving equal opportunity to the entire citizens of the state.

The visit had in attendance chairmen and secretaries of various associations within Magama and its environs.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Niger coupists have named former Economy Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the country’s new prime minister, nearly two weeks after they took power.

Zeine appointment was announced late Monday night by the military junta spokesman on television.

It was gathered that Zeine was the former Minister of Economy and Finance for several years in the cabinet of then-president Mamadou Tandja.

Our reporters gathered that Tundja had led the country from 1999 after its return to civilian and was ousted in 2010.

This is coming a few days after an ultimatum from the Economic Community of West African States to the coup plotters to reinstate Bazoum has expired.

However, the Daily Reality learned that the prime ministers of the ECOWAS member states will now meet in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Thursday to discuss how to proceed.

Many Nigerians, especially the Northerners, are not in support of the ECOWAS measures that could possibly include force, as the ultimatum threatened.

By Dr Yusuf Ya’u Gambo

Thirty-nine years ago, Dr Aliyu Isa Aliyu came into this world just a year after Late Governor Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi left office. With over a decade of work experience, Aliyu is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and the Deputy Director of the Research and Development Directorate at Federal University Dutse.

He was a research fellow at the School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, China, where he served as the assistant head of the research and development committee. He also worked as a part-time lecturer of mathematics at Kano State Polytechnic more than ten years ago. 

Aliyu’s dedication and high-impact works have earned him widespread recognition in the global mathematical community, which has seen him listed among the top 2 per cent researchers in the world by Standford University, USA, among the top 2 per cent Mathematicians in Africa in the AD Scientific Index 2022, and among the top peer reviewers in Mathematics by Publons Web of Science.

His research primarily focuses on fractional calculus and its applications, Solition Theory, computational science and engineering, symmetry analysis and conservation laws of differential equations.

Aliyu has an impressive track record of scholarly accomplishments, having won the National Natural Science Foundation of China research grant and authored numerous influential publications in prestigious mathematical journals that generate over 2,700 citations with an H-index of 33 and an i10-index of 71.

The research pundit is currently a reviewer of about 20 highly regarded international journals, including the well-known IEEE Access, Frontiers in Physics, Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, among others.

Aliyu has taught several courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has participated in various international conferences, some of which are the Computational Management Science Conference, Designing Health Care Appointment Systems using Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing Algorithm in Spain, International Conference of Mathematics and Mathematics Education- A Solution of Telegraph Equation by Natural Decomposition Method in Turkey, International Conference on Mathematical Modelling in Applied Sciences, Optimal system, nonlinear self-adjointness and conservation laws for generalised shallow water wave equation in Russia, among others.

Over the years, the Assistant Prof. has acquired technical skills in numerous mathematical and statistical software packages, including MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, C++, LaTex, among others. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Firat University Turkey, an M.Sc. in Mathematics from Jordan University of Science and Technology Jordan, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Bayero University Kano.

Aside from his academic pursuits, Dr Aliyu is actively involved in politics, showcasing his commitment to public service. He holds the esteemed position of Financial Secretary in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Kano State, advocating for policies that promote education, science, technology and youth inclusion. Additionally, he served as the Administrative Secretary in the 2023 Gubernatorial/Presidential campaign directorate of the NNPP Kano.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

One of the major issues that is increasingly capturing global attention is climate change. Since 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been committed to mitigating the repercussions of this phenomenon. The Conference of Parties (COP) convenes every year to discuss the progress of their commitment.

The last summit, COP27, was held in November 2022 in Egypt, with 190 countries attending. The summit’s focus was the establishment of a “loss and damage fund” to provide funding from significant climate change contributors to countries that are least responsible for climate change but are the most vulnerable to its impacts.

Our planet Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of sunlight, then radiates it back in the form of infrared; some of this heat reflects into space,  while some get absorbed by  Green House Gass (GHGs) in a process called Greenhouse Effect, this process stabilises our climate. Without these gases, the Earth could be considerably colder, well below freezing point. On the other hand, an increase in the concentration of these gases leads to a warmer planet. The consequences of interfering with this natural phenomenon are unimaginable. However, modern human activities are believed to be depleting this natural balance; we are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases, resulting in a rise in global atmospheric temperatures.

Whenever fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) are burned to generate energy for various needs such as industrial activities, transportation, and cooking, CO2 is produced as a major by-product (CO2 emission). This CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) and plays a significant role in the greenhouse effect. The emissions of CO2 and other GHGs increase heat absorption, resulting in global warming. Glaciers and ice caps melt due to global warming, leading to rising sea levels. This phenomenon poses a significant threat to coastal areas, as increased water volume can cause flooding and other existential hazards.

 Another big threat is that global warming causes heat waves. A heatwave is a period of scorching weather, typically lasting several days or even weeks; the temperature of some European countries (due to heat waves) is currently reported to soar up to 40 degrees Celsius.

In broader terms, while the global North (North America and Europe) mostly experiences heatwaves, glacier melting, and increased rainfall, the global South counterpart (South America, Africa, and Asia) mostly experiences flooding, drought, and forest fires. It is clear here that the latter is worst affected by global warming.

The overall global warming is currently measured at 1.2°C and is projected to reach 1.5°C by 2025. The Earth will be in real danger if global warming reaches 2.0°C (as forecast, at least by 2040). At this level, it will cause the acceleration and exacerbation of all the threats mentioned above. Drought will impact the majority of global farmland, while flooding will submerge a significant number of homes. Unquenchable forest fires will also reign, creating a sort of doomsday scenario for humanity.

It was against this foreseeable bleak future that the COP members, through the Paris Agreement, agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. This commitment means that the countries involved will restrict the usage of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas and instead transition to green and clean energy alternatives like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biofuels.

But one major obstacle hinders this promising energy transition, especially in developing countries: the glaring affordability of fossil fuels compared to all renewable sources. Due to the low cost of fossil fuels, all developed countries relied on them to propel their advancement. This is why transitioning to renewable energy poses more difficulties for developing countries like Nigeria. When Africa struggles to find its footing, this ugly scenario rears its head. The beneficiaries of fossil fuel’s abundance now advocate for cleaner energy solutions left, right, and centre. This situation is like campaigning to a malnourished person about routine medical check-ups when they primarily need proper nutrition. The person has to eat well before considering a longer life campaign.

The intriguing part of the global warming scenario is the unequal contribution of CO2 between developing and developed countries. The latter are far more culpable, with their giant machines releasing CO2 into the air ‘like tomorrow no de’. For instance, the US and China contribute more than 20% of the global CO2 emissions each, while the entire African continent contributes below 4%.

Nevertheless, these should not be discouraging for Africa, or a reason for kicking against climate commitment, since climate change is a long-term issue; in the future, when Africa’s economy snowballs, it will significantly contribute to global warming.

Instead, this should serve as an opportunity for Africa to embark on development while committing to climate action. Imagine if, a few centuries ago, Europe and America had received support to consider climate change mitigation while advancing their technology. We might not be where we are today, facing the current threat of global warming.

Among all the renewable energy sources, biofuel remains the most suitable option for African countries or any developing nations to adopt in their fight against climate change because it can promise simultaneous infrastructure development while combating climate change.

Agriculture is both a boon and a bane for development in many African countries since most citizens are farmers. Therefore, investing in the development of the agriculture sector through the energy sector by adopting biofuels can significantly contribute to the overall progress and development of a nation.

With COP’s commitment to supporting developing countries and the potential of biofuels to transform the agriculture sector, there is no better time for Nigeria to transition to cleaner energy.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin is a doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering at ABU Zaria, a public affair commentator, and a science writer.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

In an exhilarating match, Arsenal emerged victorious in the Community Shield, securing a well-deserved win for manager Mikel Arteta.

The North London club played against one of their fierce rivals, Manchester City, and defeated them on penalties.

This triumph marks Arteta’s second Community Shield and adds to his tally of three trophies since joining the club in 2019.

Arsenal’s stellar performance also cements their position as one of the most successful teams in the history of the Community Shield, with an impressive 17 titles to their name.

Congratulations pour in for the team and their manager as they celebrate this momentous achievement.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The collapse of a mining site in the hamlet of Kogo Kadage, located in the Yadagungume neighbourhood of the Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, resulted in the deaths of four illegal miners.

The tragedy occurred on Saturday night while the miners dug up lead and attempted to remove it.

According to an anonymous source, they had been mining and excavating lead, one of the local mineral resources, for more than a month when, all of a sudden, one of the holes they had excavated collapsed and buried them beneath.

He noted that as the four miners were taken away from the collapsed site, they passed away instantly.

Ibrahim Zubairu, the chairman of the caretaker committee for the Ningi LGA, described the incident as tragic and sad, stating that three of the four people who were trapped in the pit perished instantly.

According to him, the illegal mining facility is situated seven kilometres from Yadagungume town in the Kogo Kadage forest.

“Yesterday (Saturday), I was informed that four people were trapped in a mining pit, I directed that they should be rescued. Later on, they reported back to me that they recovered three bodies.

“I don’t know about the illegal activities of the locals because we have banned all sorts of illegal mining in the entire local government area, it came to me as a surprise when I got the report of the incidence,” he said.