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By Baffa Kabiru Gwadabe

Over the past few months, Nigeria has been suffering from continuous depreciation of its currency, the naira. The naira has depreciated from barely ₦600/$ in the last three months to ₦1,300/$ today, the 27th of October 2023. This is enormous, considering the loss of value by more than 120%. Many are worried, including my little self, about this development. But the recent propositions of solutions by many provoke such a write-up.

It is good to start with some questions concerning the crisis. What is happening? What went wrong? Who is to blame? What are the ways out? What will be the lasting solutions?

The above questions may not be provided with answers, as many out there know the answers already. The focus should remain on some best practices or exchange rate regimes to hinge on. Let me start with some highlights on the developments in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.

In 1971, when the Gold Standard was abolished under the Bretton Woods System, several foreign exchange rate management regimes were pursued in Nigeria and other parts of the world. These include the independently adjustable peg, crawling peg, independent peg, collective exchange arrangement, dual exchange and floating regimes. IMF member countries practice six (6) other exchange rate regimes, which were later compressed into three (3) regimes to include pegs, limited flexibility, and great flexibility. These were later decomposed into fifteen (15) regimes, mainly from 1975 to 1998 (see Mishkin, 2007).

All those regimes were adopted unevenly by the IMF countries. This means they practice one or more of the regimes based on their choices and persuasions. By 1999, the IMF proposed eight (8) different exchange rate regimes. They include separate legal tender, currency boards, conventional fixed (pegged against a single currency or basket of currencies or other commodities like gold), pegged within horizontal bands, crawling pegs, crawling bands, managed floating and independent floating (see Mishkin, 2007).

Still, these interchanging regimes continued in Nigeria depending on the available foreign reserves, capital inflows and current account balances. Nigeria’s forex crisis worsened in the 1980s when the US economy pursued Nigeria to devalue its currency by 10% and other scenarios. However, some attention will be given to the last ten years or so, particularly the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari or the reign of Godwin Emefiele as the CBN Governor (2014 – 2023). Some reflections would also be made on earlier antecedents before the Buhari’s and current administrations.

Nigeria has pursued two dominant exchange rate regimes: the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) and the Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS). The RDAS is an exchange rate regime introduced in Nigeria in 1987. It focuses on buyers (end-users or customers) of Forex (USD) to bid for the prices, and the marginal bidder is supplied with the quantities by the CBN through authorized dealers. Under the RDAS, the inept dealers are supplied less, while the highest bidders are penalized for rent-seeking and invitation for depreciation. 

The WDAS, on the other hand, is an exchange rate regime targeted at maintaining the gains of the RDAS and the continued liberalization of the forex market. The WDAS came into operation in Nigeria in February 2006 and allows authorized dealers to buy forex on their accounts rather than on behalf of end-users. Also, the authorized dealers are carefully watched by the CBN, and the dealers are also allowed to trade in the interbank forex market. During that time, the CBN pursued other special interventions of forex sales to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and direct sales to licensed Bureau de Change (BDCs). The CBN further mandated that DMBs increase Business Travel Allowance (BTA) and Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) from $2,500 and $2,000 to $5,000 and $4,000 per quarter, respectively. All these policies were sustained in positive directions as the naira continued to appreciate by 2.6%, 8.7% and 5.8% for 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively.

However, at the beginning of 2009, there was an observed forex policy reversal and the reintroduction of RDAS to reduce capital outflows and depletion of foreign reserves. The interbank trading segment was suspended. This was followed by sales restriction of forex to oil companies and government agencies and sales of forex to BDCs. But towards the end of 2009, the CBN called for recapitalization of BDCs in what they call ‘Class A’, while those that did not recapitalize are called ‘Class B’ BDCs. Both ‘Class A’ and ‘Class B’ BDCs can bid a maximum of $1 million and $250,000 respectively.

Similarly, by 2016, Nigeria’s forex market was further liberalized. During the period, the average naira-dollar exchange rate was N197/$ at the interbank window, representing a depreciation of 18.7% (as the exchange rate was N160/$ before 2016). However, one worrying thing remains: the premium between the interbank and BDC sections was about 41.5%. After this, some other forex regimes were still embraced under the administration of President Buhari and Godwin Emefiele. For instance, forex primary dealers (FXPDS) and non-FXPDS were introduced into the forex market in 2017.

In addition, longer-term derivatives like forwards trading from 1 to 3 months tenor and up to 2 years were introduced. The exchange rate was relatively stabilized at averages of N231.76/$ and N351.82/$ at interbank and BDCs, respectively. This has created many arbitrage opportunities for those with access to the interbank rates to continue to worsen the forex market. Such a trend continued for 2020, 2021, 2022 and until 2023. For instance, as of March 2023, the official rate was N462/$, while in the black market, it was an average of N750/$. 

The sacking of Emefiele as the CBN Governor and the appointment of the acting CBN Governor, Mr Shunobi, in June 2023, where the latter tried to close the gap and arbitrage opportunities, moved the official rate from N474/$ to N664/$. With the appointment of substantive CBN Governor in September 2023, Mr Cardoso, the apex Bank, moved on with complete deregulation of the forex market, and this has led to incessant depreciation of the naira to a historic level of N1,300/$. However, it now appreciates an average rate of N1,000/$ and other rates depending on information and locations.

The next thing to talk about is the proposed solutions to the lingering naira-dollar crisis. However, it is important to note that the CBN’s recent and previous exchange rate policies are floating in nature or simply deregulating the forex market, and this is counterproductive as it has not provided the desired results, especially recently. This is because floating regimes are usually for export-dominant countries such as China, the United States, Japan, Germany, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia, among others, as argued by the Mundell-Fleming model. Nigeria is a predominantly import-dependent economy. As such, depreciations affect inflationary levels in the first round (exchange rate pass-through to inflation) and at the ‘second-round’, popularly known in the current literature as the ‘second-round effect’.

To end this submission, the CBN needs to do one or two things to exit from the naira-dollar crisis, and these include:

(1) Invite a small but huge ‘Conference of the Parties’ (COP) to deliberate and take appropriate decisions for implementation immediately;

(2) Under the COP, dollarization with its components; official dollarization, unofficial dollarization, partial dollarization, etc should be reviewed;

(3) Hard-peg exchange rate regime should be deliberated;

(4) Managed-floating regime should be discussed;   

(5) Most importantly, sources of the forex demand pressures must be exposed.

Baffa Kabiru Gwadabe wrote from Bayero University, Kano, via bkabirugwadabe@gmail.com.

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

Birnin Kudu. The 1960s. An incredibly wonderful town. Still a wonderful town! Even more, wonderful, friendly people. So far away from Kano that a whole limerick was composed to warn of its distance ‘Birnin Kudu da nisa take / ɗa ya ɓata bare jika /.

For me, the town evokes memories of wonderful summer months spent there in my auntie’s house in ‘Gangare’ quarters, literally, a sloppy part of the town located in a depression. Years later, they filled the depression on the main road, making it easier for motorists to travel through the town easily. The mountain range has a wonderful greenback during the rainy season. The range stretches as far as the eyes can see, providing a wonderful wallpaper for the students in the secondary school (BKSS) at the foot of the mountain.

Memories of her earthen water storage pot (randa) with jema-scented grass floating in to give the water a cool, pleasant scented taste. The mere presence of the jema grass also scented the room. Then there is the river, about two kilometres away from her house. More like a brook than a river, the clear water flowing over the underlying rock bed was a wonderful sight for a city boy. I used to spend hours just watching the water bubbling gently under the bridge towards an unknown destination and trying to read my African Film (Lance Spearman) pictorial novels

And the rocks that littered the town – dark, broody, holding centuries of secrets. Massive rocks – you can see them from the atrium of her house. It became a pleasure to sleep in the open atrium, the night sky framed with those slabs. The rock paintings enhanced the appeal of the town discovered a decade earlier, in the 1950s. Conferring on the town an ancient status – and they had evidence of a 2,000-year human artistic activity.

However, the best memory was the kindirmo (yoghourt) market, right by the roadside near the entrance to the market. Sold by the stereotypical Fulani milkmaids. Kindirmo is so thick that it breaks up like ice floes on a frozen river when you hit the skin film on top of the large calabash holding it. Kindirmo is so sweet that it harks back at an ancestral memory of existence. Pure. Natural.

My old aunt was an artist and adept at churning up the thick kindirmo with equally massive balls of fura. Using a ludayi (ladle) carved from a gourd plant, she was adept at blending the fura right into the kindirmo floes in a calabash. The end product was a supremely nourishing, rich, tasty meal of classic fura – containing all the ingredients needed to nourish the body. Absolutely no sugar is needed or even desired. As you slurp it, you are often lucky to come across an unblended fura – gaya. Taken in a calabash container with ludayi. The ecstasy can only be imagined.

Sold with the kindirmo was fresh butter. Aunt used to fry the butter into a ghee. Pour a spoonful into any meal – ecstasy reloaded! Evoked Hassan Wayam’s verse:

Ga fura ta mai nono /

Tuwo na mai nama /

Years passed by, and my childhood memories of Birnin Kudu were kept in storage in my mind. Whenever I passed by the town – my aunt had left the place in mid-1980s when her husband passed on – and crossed the bridge, the memories came flashing by. Of the only friend I made, a Yusha’u, whom I cannot trace.

The daily grind made it difficult to re-create the culinary pleasures of my aunt’s fura. Further, I was too occupied with other things. One day, the urge came back after my return from studies. The question was, where would one get a fura meal? I was told it has now become a franchised business, and right opposite the block of flats I was staying in, Zoo Road, was what I called ‘Fura Café’ run in a kiosk. I dashed up there for a treat.

I was shocked. First, the fura balls were tiny. Like a baby’s fist. And white – not enough millet, obviously. Then, horror of horrors, he dropped three of them into a BLENDER! Would you believe it? A BLENDER! That’s the machine I saw my wife using to grind those ingredients used in making a soup! The worst was yet to come.

Next, he poured WATER into the blender. I could not stand it any longer, and I stopped him, asking for the kindirmo. ‘That was it. I just poured it into the blender,’ he saucily replied. Nothing like kindirmo – more like ‘tsala’ – watered down milk. He pressed buttons. Everything churned and chugged in the blender cup. He stopped, removed the cup, and then poured the lot into a PLASTIC cup – more like moɗa! I was speechless throughout this charade. I decided to see it through.

I asked for the ludayi. He gave me a look that clearly indicated he had never heard the word and passed on a PLASTIC spoon – y’know, the kind that comes with a cheap rice takeaway. I paid, took the cup, and had a sip. It was horrible. Sour. No pleasant flavour (garɗi) of a true kindirmo. Seeing the expression on my face, he offered cubes of sugar. I passed. I handed the entire sludge to him and left. That was the end of my first attempt at rekindling a memory.

Years later, after a five-year absence from Kano, I came back to see modernised Fura Cafes all over – Habib, Yusrah and the new kid on the block – Rufaidah. I was told some, e.g., Habib, had been around for a long time. Knowing I might regret it, decided to relive Birnin Kudu again. So, I popped into Rufaidah for a treat. Better than the horrid kiosk I had been to before. I was attracted by the post-modernist décor. Like the airport in Dubai.

Ahaf! The same Furakenstein monster was there. A blender, watery milk, lots of sugar, tiny chunks of unblended greyish fura, and a ‘dambu’ – moistly powdered fura as a spare. All are neatly packaged in a pretty container. It’s not as bad as what I had before, but it’s still a Furakenstein monster. Seems the Rufaidah Fura Café is the ultimate in the fura business. I am happy for them and impressed by their franchise. But for old codgers like me, even at our Fresh Young Dattijo (FYD) phase? Thanks, but no thanks. I can’t stand the monster – Furakenstein – that is the modern blender-churned fura, no matter how ‘ultra-modern’ their café is. Young people who throng the place, happily taking selfies, have no idea what they have missed in the generational journey.

Fura, as a meal, should be churned in massive chunks of kindirmo floes, the likes of which I am pretty sure can only be found in Birnin Kudu, Bulkachuwa and Danbatta. With huge dark grey fura balls providing high millet content. Spicy fura. Thick floes of yoghurt. No sugar. Not because you are on a health kick, but because it is almost a sacrilege to put sugar in such yoghourt.

So, to celebrate this culinary purity, I am sharing the third painting in my office of classic Fura da Nono and fresh butter lost heritage scene painted on a medium canvas by the brilliant Bashir Abbas of Kano Polytechnic. It reminds me of the idyllic, peaceful and wonderful Birnin Kudu, with its rolling hills, tema grass (still available?), and the now drying river.

By Musa Kalim Gambo

To start with, it must be easily concluded that Usman Bugaje is an excellent speaker for any gathering that seeks to place Nigeria on a microscopic slide to analyse its minutest of details. Therefore, Gombe State University made the best choice when it invited Bugaje to serve as the keynote speaker for the 10^th,11^th, 12^th, and 13^th pre-convocation lectures of the university last week.

Given Bugaje’s multi-disciplinary background, there could have been no doubt about his competence to speak on the theme of the pre-convocation lecture “Education and Development: The Challenge of Content, Competence, and Character in Nigerian Universities”. While a topic of this nature may sound like a cliché-ic abstraction of the troubles in the Nigerian university system, Bugaje’s treatment and perspective of the topic are both fresh and passionate.

Bugaje was out on a journey to establish the nexus between education and development. With the oft-repeated argument that there can be no meaningful progress without education, it is clearly established that Africa has had a flourishing system of knowledge transmission until the coming of the colonials. When they came, they suffocated the existing system in favour of their own.

Among the gathering, mostly the graduating students who listened to Bugaje’s lecture, not many may be aware of Africa’s glorious past and pioneering role in the development of universities around the world. Indeed, not many may be aware that what the West regards as an Arab contribution to education is largely a veil over the combined Persian and African efforts. It is a clear attempt to obscure the true position of Africa as a pacesetter in the world of knowledge and the evolution of civilisation. As poignantly described in his citation, Usman Bugaje is a pan-Africanist. This simple description as a pan-Africanist will not allow him to deliver such an important lecture without exposing the true fallacies that represent Western intervention in African education.

In many respects, Bugaje’s generation of the past benefited from a functional, effective, and not defective education system. It was such a system that prepared them to be competent for a diverse set of roles within the country and around the world. As a matter of doubt, were they so well equipped or was it simply the scarcity of manpower at that time? I have listened to many elderly people, mostly those who studied in Nigerian universities in the ‘70s and ‘80s, who, in their critique of the education and governments of today, make mention of the number of jobs they had at their disposal when they graduated. What was the Nigerian population size at that time? What was the manpower needed? And what was the economic power of the country then? These are questions that must be answered before a comparison is made between the glorious past and the gloomy today of our nation.

With the bulk of information, and indeed knowledge at the disposal of the student today, competence should not be a problem. Unfortunately, it is in many areas of modern endeavour. Within the educational system, quality of content and competence of output are intertwined, like the Staff of Asklepios or the Caduceus Wand, a symbology of the healthcare background of Bugaje.

An educational system where teachers have problems of competence across all levels will definitely have to deal with the complex question of the quality of content imparted to the students. The issues at stake here are – the relevance of the content being taught and the capacity of the teacher to deliver.

A friend of mine from one of the first-generation universities in Nigeria narrated the difficulty of his lecturer. This lecturer has taught the same content in phytochemistry for almost twenty years. He was on the verge of becoming a professor in that field of chemistry. However, he has this handwritten note that has spanned his career in this field.

In spite of being an expert in this phytochemistry, any day his handwritten note was not with him, his class would not hold. There was a day my friend and his colleagues sat for a very tough test by this soon-to-be professor of phytochemistry. They were asked to draw the chemical structure of a certain phytochemical, which was passively mentioned as an example during one of their sessions. Most of the members of the class couldn’t get the correct structure. They, therefore, requested the lecturer to help answer the question. It was quite interesting that this soon-to-be professor of phytochemistry could not answer the same question he set for his students. This suggested that in spite of his years of experience teaching the course, he would have failed if he sat for the same test.

This interestingly sad anecdote paints the picture of the Nigerian university in response to the question of competence.

Kalim writes from Zaria via gmkalim@hotmail.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Over 4,000 students from Kano State studying at the Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State are facing a crisis as they are unable to afford the new tuition fees imposed by the university management. 

The National Association of Kano State Students (NAKSS) revealed that the tuition fee increment, which raised the fees from N30,000 to N40,000 to a minimum of N100,000, has left thousands of students in a precarious situation. 

During a peaceful protest at the university on Tuesday, affected students pleaded with the Kano State Government and their political representatives to help them pay their outstanding fees, allowing them to sit for the upcoming second-semester examination scheduled for next week. 

The students’ union government spokesperson, Ibrahim Yunusa, stated that since the announcement of the 200 per cent school fee increment in January, many students and their parents have been struggling to meet the financial demands. 

Yunusa commended the FUD management for permitting indigenous students to pay their fees in instalments, with N60,000 due in the first semester and the remaining N40,000 in the second semester. 

However, he highlighted that, despite this concession, more than 40 per cent of the students have not been able to pay the remaining balance, putting them at risk of being dismissed from the university. 

“We’ve been calling the attention of the Kano State government to come to our help and pay the school fees for us,” said Yunusa. 

He also noted that letters were sent to the Kano State government. Although they received a reply directing them to the office of the Commissioner for Higher Education, no further action has been taken. 

The deadline for registration is just six days away, and if the remaining fees are not paid, the affected students will automatically dismiss themselves from the school. 

The students’ plight has drawn attention to the larger issue of affordable education and the challenges faced by students from low-income families. 

Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education, Yusuf Kofar Mata, has not responded to calls and text messages seeking comments on the matter, leaving the students uncertain regarding their educational future.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The UK Government, in collaboration with the British High Commission in Nigeria, has pledged unwavering support to the Jigawa State Government to improve education in the state. 

Mr. Ian Attfield, FCDO’s Senior Education Adviser, reiterated this commitment during his recent visit to the state, where he engaged in constructive discussions with Governor Namadi and his State Cabinet. 

Attfield’s visit focused on evaluating the impact of the UK government’s initiatives in improving foundational skills and ensuring quality learning opportunities in Jigawa State.

He expressed contentment with the state’s proactive approach to addressing challenges, particularly in education and healthcare. 

“We are pleased with your dedication, and we are prepared to fortify our partnership to attain our shared objectives,” Mr. Attfield affirmed, acknowledging the state’s efforts in tackling these issues. 

Governor Namadi expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) for their continued support.

He emphasised the strides made in various sectors, including education, health, and good governance, with the aid of FCDO’s Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) and Partnership for Reform and Learning (PERL-ARC) programmes. Governor Namadi also disclosed the allocation of over 2.6 billion naira to recruit, train, and integrate 6,000 new teachers.

This initiative aims to alleviate the acute shortage of teachers in the state, a deficit estimated at around 30,000 educators. 

The collaborative efforts between the UK Government and the Jigawa State Government represent a significant advancement in bolstering the educational landscape.

By Aisha Musa Auyo

As a wife, your confidence can wither away if you continue to live your life only through the eyes of what your husband thinks of you. Yes, you have read that correctly.

Naturally, you want his approval, attention, praise, and appreciation for all that you do. From taking care of the home front to always being on top of the kid’s school projects and progress to making delicious dishes, entertaining guests, and remembering the family schedule of events, the list is endless!

But he is another human being preoccupied with his thoughts, goals, and ideas and isn’t always tuned in to what you are doing.

While I believe it’s important for a husband and wife to consistently express their appreciation, love, or admiration for each other, the REALITY is that life happens. When it does, those things don’t always come as regularly as you would all like.

As much as it is natural for women to need and want genuine compliments that uplift and celebrate their unique qualities, men are naturally reserved when it comes to expressing their thoughts and feelings. So, please don’t hurt yourself waiting for his verbal validation.

Here are a few things you should do:

Surround yourself with purpose and meaning: When you surround yourself with purpose, you prioritise the things that truly matter to you. Filling your physical space with meaning can create a sense of harmony and inspire your daily interactions. Consider incorporating books, phrases, artwork, or websites that hold significance to you. They can serve as constant reminders of your values and goals, grounding you and igniting your passion to pursue a meaningful life.

Moreover, seeking activities and endeavours that resonate with your purpose can bring immense fulfilment. Whether it’s volunteering for a cause close to your heart, pursuing a career that aligns with your passions, or dedicating time to personal growth and self-reflection, these intentional choices infuse your life with purposeful actions and contribute to your overall sense of fulfilment.

Remember, surrounding yourself with purpose and meaning is not a one-time endeavour but an ongoing process of introspection, evaluation, and intentional decision-making. It entails regularly reviewing and adjusting your surroundings to ensure they continue to inspire and support your journey.

So, take the initiative to curate a life that reflects your values, passions, and aspirations. Embrace the power of purposeful surroundings, and let them guide you towards a more fulfilling and meaningful existence.

Spend time with people who understand you and are motivated by your ideas and vision, and vice versa. Make a conscious effort to be surrounded by people who inspire you, support your growth, and share your vision. These relationships become the foundation for collaboration, encouragement, and personal development.

Give in “whatever” capacity you can to your dreams and aspirations that go beyond the walls of your home. The capacity will vary from family stage (beginners with small kids to middle-aged families with grown kids) to family educational background, religion, and financial stability.

Fingers are not equal, so be true to your situation while still not compromising your dreams and aspirations.

Make du’a and speak to Allah often the ideas in your heart. Praying and talking to Allah regularly is very important for deep Spiritual Connection, which allows you to strengthen your faith and feel His presence in your life.

He will provide you with guidance, clarity, and wisdom when you’re faced with important decisions and or challenges.

When speaking to Allah, make it a point of expressing gratitude. Be grateful for His endless blessings, and seek forgiveness for your sins and mistakes.

Sharing your thoughts and feelings with Allah offers relief and support during difficult times. It encourages self-reflection and a sense of purpose in life.

Overall, praying and speaking to Allah helps you maintain a strong connection with your faith, find guidance, and nurture a sense of peace and well-being.

Develop a sense of contentment. Like anyone else, a wife should develop a sense of contentment as it promotes mental and emotional well-being. Contentment helps you find happiness and satisfaction, reduces stress and anxiety, and fosters a positive outlook.

It also leads to healthier relationships and a greater sense of fulfilment, allowing you to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and peace.

Dear wife, resist the idea that your husband “completes” you, and therefore, you are always in need of him completing you while you wait for him to take notice of the intricacies of your world.

You are whole.

Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology. A wife, a mother, a homemaker, caterer, parenting, and relationship coach. She can be reached via aishamuauyo@live.co.uk.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari 

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, bail. 

On Wednesday, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered that the former apex bank manager be released to his lawyers immediately. 

According to the judge, Emefiele must also deposit his travel documents before the chief registrar of the court, pending his arraignment. 

The judge faulted his detention without trial and advised the government to end that practice.  

Justice Adeneyi added that the court must also not overlook the fact that he has been in detention for 151 days, and the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation must abide by court order.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, Nigeria, has announced the successful launch of an innovative laser surgery programme for urological conditions.

The new programme is expected to provide advanced care for patients suffering from a variety of urological ailments, including kidney stones, prostate issues, and other related illnesses. 

The program was launched with the inaugural surgery, which was led by Dr. Evaristus Uzuma Azodoh, a renowned consultant urologist who arrived from the Chiva Specialist Hospital in Abuja.

The procedure, which lasted approximately one hour, was a resounding success, despite being the first of its kind in Bauchi. 

“This is a significant milestone for ATBUTH,” said Professor Yusuf Jibrin, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital.

“We are committed to providing our patients with the best possible care, and this new laser surgery program is a major step forward in our efforts to do so.” 

The new programme is expected to significantly reduce the need for patients to seek treatment elsewhere.

“In the past, patients in Bauchi who needed urological surgery had to travel to other cities or even abroad,” said Dr. Azodoh. “This new program will make it possible for them to receive the care they need right here in Bauchi.” 

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has warned those calling for the arrest of Dr Zakir Naik to mind their business. The organisation insists that the Islamic preacher is exercising his Allah-given fundamental human right of freedom of movement under international law. MURIC further warned that anybody found embarrassing to the Sultan’s guest would face the wrath of Nigerian Muslims. 

The warning was handed down on Sunday, 5th November 2023, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola. 

The full statement reads:

“A campaign of calumny and religious hatred has been unleashed on an international Islamic figure, Dr Zakir Naik, who is currently in Nigeria. Dr Zakir Naik is in the country on the invitation of the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

“The campaign is being sponsored by Christians who are jittery. They are aware of the visitor’s oratory, intellectual prowess and amazing ability to convince his audience with indubitable facts. We remind these overzealous interlopers that Dr Zakir Naik is exercising his Allah-given fundamental human right of freedom of movement. 

“Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations guarantees the right to freedom of movement around the globe without interference. It says, ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

“Those behind this shameful exercise are meddlesome interlopers and Muslim haters disguising themselves as public commentators. They are motivated by hate, ignorance and gymnastic religiosity. 

“For the avoidance of doubt, we warn that anybody found embarrassing an official guest of His Eminence the Sultan and head of more than 150 million Nigerian Muslims will face the wrath of Muslims in this country.

“Why are our Christian neighbours so intolerant? How many times have Muslims raised objections when Christians invite foreign preachers? Several Christian preachers have toured this country without any Muslim protesting. 

“We recall the way Louis Farrakhan, the black American Muslim leader, was disallowed from giving a lecture in Nigeria in 1986. That ugly and disgraceful incident was engineered by the same set of people. It must not happen again.

“To those who are pursuing this ignoble goal, we say, ‘Take notice that Dr Zakir Naik is not Louis Farrakhan and Nigeria of 1986 is different from Nigeria in 2023. Nigerian Muslims of today, under a dynamic and visionary leadership, can give measure for measure.’ 

“The whole world knows the Indian government for what it is when it comes to religious tolerance. The crimes of the Indian state against its Muslim population of 204 million Muslims are legendary. Muslim haters in Nigeria should allow the Indian government to convince Interpol to do its dirty work for it. 

“India has failed to involve Interpol because its allegations against Dr Zakir Naik are religiously motivated. How did the Islamic scholar travel across several countries without Interpol arresting him if, indeed, he is a wanted person? Let the Indian government convince Interpol first.

“As far as we are concerned, Dr Zakir Naik has not broken any known law of Nigeria. He is, therefore, innocent and free to move around and deliver lectures. We remind the law enforcement agencies of their duty to ensure the safety and security of this Islamic scholar. Nothing must happen to him. It is needless to assert that any guest of the Sultan is a guest of all Nigerian Muslims.”

#LeaveDrZaikNaikAlone

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Organised labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has declared a total nationwide strike, effective Tuesday, November 14, 2023, following an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja.

The decision stems from a review of the planned strike modalities in light of the recent brutalization of the NLC’s National President, Joe Ajaero, and the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federal Government and labour centres on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which the unions claim has inflicted “untold hardship” on Nigerians. 

The labour unions had issued a five-day ultimatum earlier, demanding the redeployment of the commissioner of police in Imo State, where Ajaero was arrested, and the arrest and prosecution of the government aide allegedly involved in the attack.

The unions threatened nationwide industrial action if their demands were not met within the stipulated timeframe. 

Joe Ajaero was arrested by the police in Owerri, Imo State, ahead of a state-wide protest.

The police, asserting that Ajaero was taken into protective custody, denied allegations of an arrest, citing concerns about a potential mob attack.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, accused the labour leader of interfering in the state’s political affairs, further fueling tensions. 

Prominent figures, including the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, and human rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), have condemned the assault on Ajaero, calling for justice and an end to violence against labour leaders. 

An official from the labour centres, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that a press release detailing the strike’s specifics will be issued shortly.