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By Muhammad Sabiu

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of eight Manchester United stars who could depart this summer, Danny Mills, a former Manchester City right-back, claimed.

According to Mills, Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Nemanja Matic might depart United at the end of the season.

Ronaldo has struggled since joining Manchester United from Juventus last summer, despite scoring 22 goals in all competitions for the Premier League giants.

Mills told Football Insider that making Ronaldo a part of the rebuilding process at Man United is pointless because Erik Ten Hag will take over from Ralf Rangnick.

“Ronaldo might be a difficult one, but I am sure somebody would take him. Remember, they didn’t pay too much for him. It’s not like they are going to take a huge hit in terms of a transfer fee.”

“Ronaldo still has something to offer, but if you are talking about a rebuilding process, and he’s only going to be there for one season, what’s the point? He becomes more of a hindrance than a help. Every time you lose, it is ‘Why is Ronaldo not playing?’ That is the difficulty that you have. If you’re going to start afresh, give yourself that opportunity to start fresh,” Mills was quoted as saying.

By Aminu Mohammed

I have observed the raging debate over the Almajiri debacle in the last few days, especially the antagonism against a Kannywood actress Nafisa Abdullahi. The actress voiced out against parents who send their children to urban centres to memorise the Quran under the guise of an Almajiri system.

This issue resonates with me because I was once an “Almajiri”, though in a modernised form of learning. I was a product of Arabic and Islamic education. I am still grateful to my late father for seeing the wisdom in sending me to the College of Islamic Studies Afikpo, a boarding secondary school in Southeastern Nigeria funded by a Saudi Arabia-based International Islamic organisation Rabita Alamul Islam (the Muslim World League). Unlike some of my schoolmates who later studied Islamic studies at Islamic University Madina and Azhar University Cairo, Egypt, I decided to study International Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, against my father’s wish, whose dream was for me to be an Islamic scholar.

I am still at a loss wondering why the actress is being pilloried for telling the truth. If you ask these intellectual lilliputians and Nafisa’s traducers whether they will be comfortable sending their children out to beg on the streets under the guise of Quranic education, they will never say yes.

Before you call me “Karen farautar yahudawa”, an agent of Jews, which our people are fond of calling those who seek societal change and are in tune with modern realities, let me clarify that I did not attend a conventional secondary school. I advocate an integrated education system involving the acquisition of both western and Islamic education. 

I will never advocate against memorising the Quran or acquiring Islamic knowledge because I was a beneficiary of that. At the boarding secondary school in Afikpo, Ebonyi state, we were taught Hadith, Fiqh, Balaga, Tafsir, Tajwid, Saqafa, Sirat, Ulumul Falsaf, Sarf and Nahw, among other subjects, by some Islamic scholars mainly from Pakistan, Egypt and India. I was able to speak Arabic with confidence on completing my secondary education. I even took some Arabic courses as an elective throughout my studies in Zaria. Even here in Germany, I still communicate with my neighbours from the Middle East in Arabic.

I am not worried that this article will generate antagonism in some quarters or be pilloried for triggering anger in some folks. But the truth of the matter is that we cannot continue on this trajectory. This system can no longer continue the way it is; otherwise, we may be heading towards the precipice. 

The word Almajiri is derived from the Arabic word “Almuhajirun”, meaning a person who migrates from his locality to other places in the quest for Islamic knowledge. During the colonial era and a few years after that, the schools were maintained by the state, communities, the parents, ‘Zakkah’, ‘Waqf’ and augmented by the teachers and students through farming.  “Bara”, begging as it is known today, was completely unheard of. 

Mallams and their pupils, in return, provide the community with Islamic education, reading and writing of the Qur’an, in addition, to the development of Ajami, i.e. writing and reading of the Hausa language using Arabic Alphabets.  Based on this system, which is founded upon the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith, the then Northern Nigeria was broadly educated with a whole way of life, governance, customs, traditional craft, trade and even the mode of dressing.

However, the system was corrupted in the past few decades, with teachers sending the children to beg for food on the streets. Similarly, many irresponsible parents were unwilling to cater to their children. Thus, they send them away to cities to purportedly acquire quranic education.

The current Almajiri system is not only archaic but atavistic. We must tell ourselves the truth that society is drifting. What we are facing today regarding security challenges in the North will be child’s play if our people refuse to change their ways. There is no gainsaying that the future is bleak if what we can boast of is an armada of malnourished and unkempt children who are roaming the streets under the guise of Islamic education. Eventually, the children may not acquire any meaningful skills to become useful members of society. 

I am not a prophet of doom and derive no joy in pessimism. But, I do not see a bright future for a region struggling with a depleted human resource, coupled with millions of underage children clad in tattered clothes with bowls roaming the streets begging for food. I do not foresee any meaningful progress and development in such a society.

I still recall, in 2012, when former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Sokoto to inaugurate the Almajiri Integrated Model School in the Gagi area of the Sokoto metropolis. This boarding school was equipped with modern facilities. As a journalist working with THISDAY Newspaper then, I was there at the commissioning and even interviewed the school’s principal Malam Ubaidullah, a few months after the inauguration. I was excited that there would be a gradual process of taking Almajiris off the streets, as was promised by former Sokoto governor Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. However, the euphoria was short-lived as governments in the region neglected the programme while the school buildings rotted away.

I wonder why our people antagonise those who want the system to be reformed or outrightly banned in the North. Are we comfortable seeing underage children roaming the streets under such dehumanising conditions? Have we pondered over the looming famine in the Sahel as forecasted by global development organisations, of which Northern Nigeria is part due to climate change worsened by overpopulation? Are we not witnessing the level of insecurity pervading the region because of societal neglect and marginalisation caused by a rapacious elite?. Do we sit down and pray and wait for a miracle to happen while expecting that our problems will go away?

Already we are battling with banditry in the Northwest due to societal neglect of a segment of the society that we use to mock because of their ignorance. And things will even get worse in future unless drastic action is taken to reform the system to enable children to memorise Quran in a friendly atmosphere devoid of hunger and deprivation. The current Almajiri system is a pathway to perdition.

Parents should stop sending children to cities if they are not ready to cater for them. These children should stay in their localities and learn under a school system presided by their Islamic teacher or Malam. The state governments must engage those Quranic teachers and pay them a stipend. I know this is doable because the government has the means to do that.

Unfortunately, much resource has been wasted on frivolities instead of channelling it towards revitalising the Almajiri system. We must wake up from our slumber and direct our energies toward finding a way to tackle problems in our society. Taking action is the key, and I believe that is the only way we can expect to have stability and peace in the polity.

Aminu Mohammed is at the school of Sustainability, Christian- Albrechts- Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com or stu219013@mail.uni-kiel.de.

By Ibrahim A. El-Caleel

Zainul Abideen was the nickname of Imām Aliyyu bnul Husain (Rahimahullah). He was son to Sayyidna Al-Husain (R.A), and a grandson to the 4th Rightly Guided Caliph, Aliyyu bn Abi Talib (Radiyallahu Anhu) and the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyidah Fatimah (R.A). Therefore, he was a great-grandson of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Thus, Zainul Abideen is a member of the Ahlul Bayt (Household of the Prophetﷺ). Twelver Shi’ites count him as their 4th Imam, even though he neither believed in nor endorsed their Rafidhi creed and methods, just as indicated by Abu Nu’aim in his ‘Hilyatul Awliya’ (3/136).

The above is a quick biography of this exemplary personality whose history we all deserve to read. He has a rich biography, owing to his religious devotion and Islamic scholarship.

In this brief note, I intend to highlight his mode of giving charity, hoping that we use it as a template or we benchmark it versus how some of us give charity today.

Al-Imamul Dhahabi narrated in his book, ‘Siyaru A’alamin Nubala’ that, Zainul Abideen used to take bread during the dark part of the night, and he would drop it at the doors of the poor and needy while people were asleep.

Nobody knew who was doing this generous act. But after his death, the generous act stopped immediately. This was how it was discovered that Zainul Abideen was indeed the person who used to give out charity at night. He hid his face from people because his ultimate goal was to be rewarded by Allah. He was neither interested in the gratitude of the beneficiaries, nor the validation of the public, nor was he expecting anything in return from this material world.

Meanwhile, during his lifetime, he was known with a famous saying that:

إن الصدقة في سواد الليل تطفئ غضب الرب

“Verily, the charity given out in the darkness of the night extinguishes the anger of the Lord (with his servant)”.

For his rich biography, read Al-Imamul Dhahabi in ‘Siyaru A’alamin Nubala‘, 4/387

What Zainul Abideen was doing was in congruence with what Islam recommends about concealing charity. Allah says in Qur’an 2, Verse 271:

إِن تُبْدُواْ الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاء فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لُّكُمْ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَاللّه
بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِير

“If you give charity openly, it is well. But if you hide it and give it to the poor, that is better for you. (Allah) will forgive you some of your sins. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.”

This explains that there is no problem with you making your charity publicly known, especially if you hope to encourage people to imitate you in righteousness. However, the verse is admonishing you that concealing the charity, hiding it from the public glare is better for you. This is because it helps protect you from riya (show-off) which can make you lose your reward in the sight of Allah. Whatever the case, beware that Allah is well-acquainted with what you are doing. He knows both your intentions and your actions.

Today, some people are fond of exposing their charities which takes them close to riya, if not already it is. After giving the charity in public, you will see them snapping and uploading pictures of the charity session they had on social media platforms. Only Allah knows which charity is submitted for His sake and which isn’t. However, you should be careful because Iblees (Satan) is crafty. He can easily spoil your acts of good deeds by leveraging certain loopholes. Your intention could be pure from the onset, but upon uploading the pictures on social media, Satan would put in whispers to you to corrupt your initial intention and now look forward to trend; to gather ‘likes’, ‘retweets’ and ‘shares’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This is where riya might set in and destroy a noble cause.

For Allah and His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him) to recommend concealment of charity, then there is a deep wisdom in such. Perhaps this is why predecessors like Zainul Abideen, for example, resorted to completely hide their faces from their charity. They sought to protect themselves from the whispers of Satan who has sworn to lead the humankind astray.

If you are coordinating a charity program on-behalf of an organization, or a group of people, and there are trust concerns, then it is better you create a small medium through email or social media messengers to send them proof of execution of the project. They are the people whom you might owe a proof of execution of the project. Secondly, in the course of mobilizing for funds through adverts, you may want to hide the faces of the beneficiaries because it appears improper to use someone’s predicament to publicize your financial aid program.

May Allah protect our good deeds from the corruption of riya, ameen

May Allah accept our good deeds and forgive our shortcomings, ameen.

El-Caleel writes from Zaria, Kaduna State.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A young ustadh identified as Muhammad Sani Lawal passed away on the night of Saturday, April 23, 2022.

Abdull-azeez Ahmed Kadir, a Nigerian journalist and the General Manager of Liberty TV and Radio, reported the incident on his Facebook timeline. 

Kadir described the young man’s death as how many Muslims would want their end to be like, calling it the “Best Death”.

Kadir posted thus:

Muhammad Sani Lawal, a young Islamic scholar, died last night in Samaru Zaria in a manner many Muslims beseech Allah to take their lives. He died not just in the Holy Month of Ramadhan, not just in the last ten days that hosts the Night of Majesty, not just in prayers, but Ta’ajud, in sujud while also leading the prayer at night.”

Kadir prayed to Allah to rest the soul of the deceased. The post has garnered many positive reactions while the story goes viral on mostly northern Nigerian social media space.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Bichi constituents have raised N28 million to purchase the APC House of Representatives Form for the member representing the constituency, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi.

The gesture is meant to appreciate the dividends of democracy the lawmaker has brought to the constituency, especially in his resolve to make education accessible for all the local government indigenes. 

Individuals donated hugely at the fundraising ceremony organized by Hon. Abubakar Kabir Students Association (HAKASA) led by one Abubakar Mukhtar Ibrahim. The event took place Sunday at Haggagawa Primary School, Bichi Local Government Area.

Among the donors were a former SSG to the government of Kano State, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, Sen. Barau I Jibril, the Chairman Bichi LGA, Prof. Yusuf Muhammad Sabo, Hon. Lawan Shehu Bichi, a lawmaker at Kano State House of Assembly.

Others were APC, chairman Kano North, Alh. Sani Mukaddas, Kano APC treasurer, Haj. Yardada Maikano, the 106 volunteer teachers he employed to teach science and mathematics at various secondary schools in the local government since 2020, and hundreds of streets sweepers he employed to keep Bichi streets clean, among others.  

According to some of the constituents who spoke at the event, the decision became necessary considering how the rep improved the living condition of the people of Bichi.

They said that from 2019 to date, Abubakar Kabir sponsored more than 5000 students of the local government to study at various universities and other high institutions of learning within and outside Kano State.

They added that the rep sponsored more than 500 indigenes of the local government to study in various science and technical schools in Kano State.

So far, more than N28 million was realized at the fundraising ceremony.

A few months back, the Federal College of Education Bichi conferred Fellow of Education on Hon. Abubakar Bichi in recognition of his scholarship programme.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Another Kano businessman, Umar Sani, aka Magaji, was killed by suspected bandits after collecting ransom from his relatives.

Magaji, who hailed from Fagge LGA in the Kano metropolis, was said to have been kidnapped alongside five others on the highway en route to Buruku.

The bandits who spoke after they collected the ransom confirmed the murder of Magaji to his relatives. 

Our reporter gathered that the bandits called back on Thursday demanding another N20 million from his relatives despite killing the businessman. 

Hussaini Sani, an elder brother of the deceased, confirmed the death of Magaji to journalists. 

He said, “Nine of them were kidnapped along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road while on their way to Buruku. They later released three of them but withheld six.

“After some time, negotiation started with the families of the six people, and we later agreed to pay them collectively, only for us to see five of them coming back.

“When we asked them about the whereabouts of our brother, they confirmed to us that he was killed by the abductors. We called them (abductors) using the number they used for the negotiation. They insisted that our brother was still alive and even went ahead to demand another ransom before they would release him.

“When we insisted that we must hear our brother’s voice before paying something again, they opened up to us that he was really killed, saying he was trying to escape. But his released colleagues said he was killed intentionally,” he added.

The Daily Reality reported how bandits killed a 39-year-old businessman, Yahya Hassan Musa, hours after receiving a N6m ransom.

Musa, who hails from Kano, was roamed and kidnapped in a forest around the Mopa area of Kogi State, and the bandits reportedly demanded N10m naira before slashing it to N6m at a later date.

– News Desk

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday announced that the closing date of the registration exercise for the 2023 general elections is 30^th June 2022.

Reacting to this announcement, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to the electoral body to ensure that Nigerian Muslims are not disallowed from partaking in the exercise by overzealous Muslim-haters among INEC’s ad hoc and full staff who are in the habit of disallowing hijab, cap and turban-wearing Muslims from registration.

This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, 23^rd April 2022, by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday announced that the deadline of the registration exercise for the 2023 general elections is 30^th June 2022.

“While we commend INEC for successfully carrying out its duties in the past few years, we sound a wake-up call to the electoral body to prevent the disenfranchisement of millions of Muslims in the coming 2023 general election.

“It is very common for Muslim haters among INEC’s full and ad hoc staff to harass hijab-wearing female Muslims as well as cap and turban-wearing male Muslims at the registration centers in a bid to frustrate and prevent them from registering for the election. They are ordered to remove their hijab, cap or turban during capture. Such orders are illegal, unlawful, illegitimate and unconstitutional.

“Only those who are ready to compromise their faith by obeying the illegal instruction are allowed to register while others are turned back. As a result of this intimidation, millions of Muslims are disenfranchised. The effect is a huge deficit in the numerical strength of Muslim voters. This will not be tolerated in the ongoing exercise.

“INEC is fully aware that it is illegal to disallow citizens from registering for election on the basis of religion. It is also a precursor to the rigging of elections in favour of Christian candidates all over the country. This practice is evil and provocative. It can lead to crisis before, during and after elections.

“It is a major threat to a peaceful election, particularly in the 2023 exercise. Judging by the announcement of the leading Christian firebrand Pentecostal wing, namely, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) that it has formed political wings in all its parishes, it is clear that Nigerian Christians plan to hijack the 2023 exercise.

“While Muslims in the North are not likely to fall victims of the disenfranchisement, millions of Muslims in the South are definitely exposed to the danger because it is not a new phenomenon in the southern geo-political zones of the South West, South East and South-South. It occurred in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. MURIC documented these ugly events.

“We, therefore, urge INEC to give necessary instruction and training to all its staff. They should be warned against coercing Muslims on account of their manner of dressing. Apart from internal memoranda, INEC should issue public statements whose copies Muslims can use to defend their appearances in case of intimidation. In addition, INEC should discourage the opening of registration centers in places of worship.

“MURIC advises Muslims who face victimisation of any sort in registration centers to maintain their stand by insisting on being registered with their hijab, cap and turban. They should not obey illegal orders. Any refusal to register them should be reported to the Imam in the nearest mosque, Muslim leaders and officials of Islamic organisations.

“As a precaution, MURIC will document all cases of illegal prevention of Muslims from registration. Where possible, details of INEC officials involved in such unlawful prevention will be provided. We shall also institute lawsuits in courts of competent jurisdiction against perpetrators.

“All state commissioners of INEC in the three geo-political zones in Southern Nigeria are advised to ensure that no single Muslim is denied his or her Allah-given fundamental human right, including the right to partake in voting through the denial of voters’ cards. We will hold each commissioner responsible for any infraction that takes place in his or her state.

“While MURIC and the generality of Muslim voters in Nigeria seek a peaceful electoral exercise, we call on INEC not to ignore our advice in the interest of peace. Nigerian Muslims will not stomach any attempt to disenfranchise them during the 2023 general election. INEC should therefore take necessary steps to avoid the persecution of Muslim voters by its officials.”

By Ja’afar Ja’afar

As your little one starts to explore the world of solid foods, he will learn to differentiate the tastes of different food items. This is where the struggle of a parent begins. Despite being a picky eater, making sure your child gets all the required nutrients can be frustrating. At times this frustration makes parents go overboard, and they pressurise their children to eat. Even though done with good intentions, force-feeding is never a good idea when it comes to the developing years of your child.

What is force-feeding?

Force-feeding is basically forcing your child to finish the whole served food against their will. When happy mealtimes turn into a war between parents and children with a plate full of healthy foods in between, parents generally end up using force-feeding as the ultimate strike. Even though it seems harmless, it never leads to a “win-win” situation and can do more harm than good to your child.

Instead of force-feeding your child to eat a particular food, try to prepare different variants of dishes, including that food along with the food groups your child enjoys eating.

How do parents force-feed?

Here are a few common ways parents tend to force-feed their children –

• Deciding on your own what, when and how much your child should eat.
• Nagging, scolding or threatening your child to finish his plate.
• Bribing or blackmailing your child into finishing his food and rewarding him later.
• Punishing your children if they don’t eat.
• Comparing your child with siblings or other children to make them feel shame or competitiveness.
• Literally forcing food into your child’s mouth and making him swallow.
• Ignoring his pleas to eat less and using fear to force him to eat.

Force-feeding seems to get the work done for the time being and may give you the “mission accomplished” feeling too. However, it actually can have harmful effects on your child. Let’s discuss seven negative effects of force-feeding that are usually seen among children:

1. Destruction of your child’s natural appetite

The natural desire to eat is known as one’s appetite. During mealtime, constant nagging and force-feeding will make your child lose interest in food and disrupt your child’s natural appetite. Forcing your child too much may lead to him puking out everything and hating even the idea of eating.

2. Strong aversion towards food

Studies have shown that force-fed kids often end up developing a strong aversion toward food. The negativity associated with food makes them traumatised and nauseous. This aversion sticks around even when they grow up as these foods continue to subconsciously remind them of the panic and bad memories of childhood.

3. Stressful meal-times

It is in human nature to avoid anything that causes stress or discomfort. The only way a child will accept something is if they enjoy it while doing it. Forcefully feeding your child healthy foods on his plate can leave him with a stressful and unpleasant experience. Hence instinctively, he will only learn to hate mealtimes and continue to struggle with food.

4. Inclination towards sugary or junk foods

Force-fed children often learn to develop unhealthy food habits. This happens because a force-fed child never learns when to stop eating as they get accustomed to overeating during those force-feeding sessions. Also, due to their hatred towards healthy foods, they get attracted more to sugary or junk foods.

5. Lose control over their eating habits

As parents, your ultimate focus should be on making your child less dependent on you and learning to do everything themselves. But, the more you take control and force-feed your child, the less control he will have over his own eating habits. This will hamper his life and food habits even as he grows up.

6. Development of eating disorders

Since force-fed children never learn how much food their bodies require, they tend to overeat or undereat even when they grow up. This loss of control over eating habits can lead to serious eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia, bulimia, etc.

7. Disrupted eating pattern

Every human body has a different food capacity and metabolism rate. The amount you decide to give your child may be much more than his capacity to digest. If you force-feed him to finish the entire serving even after he tells you that he is full, you are feeding him an excess amount. He will need more time to digest that portion, so he won’t be hungry when you serve his next meal. As the cycle continues, your child’s natural digestive pattern will end up getting disrupted.

Ja’afar Ja’afar sent this article via mrjaafar64@gmail.com.

By Aminu Mohammed

In the last few weeks, I have keenly observed discussions about bestie, comrade and recently altercation over interfaith dialogue by our youths on various Social media platforms, particularly Facebook. The debates seem amusing, even though the one on interfaith has generated more altercation between some Islamic scholars and their followers, leading to personal abuse. I am not against people using social media to crack jokes and have fun, but it will show a lack of seriousness when people waste time on meaningless arguments.

I shudder in disbelief, wondering if something is wrong with our youth. I still recall that just a few weeks ago, a Kaduna-bound train was attacked, with many people killed while scores are still in captivity. Yet, we have seemingly forgotten about them. Instead, we dissipate energy on trivial issues. Have we done enough by putting pressure on the government to rescue our brothers and sisters in captivity?

What about using social media to pressure our governments in the region to evacuate Almajiris off the streets and end such child abuse. What about encouraging our brothers to exhibit tolerance towards other sects rather than altercations?

We have many issues at hand, and we can use social media to compel the government to do our bidding. Still, we are more comfortable arguing over trivial matters and abusing those who do not believe in our ideology. Our Islamic scholars seem not to see the urgent need through their sermons to pressure the government to tackle poverty and Almajiri syndrome in the North.

Social media is a gold mine that has provided many opportunities for personal development and skill acquisition for career advancement. But are we utilising the massive opportunities in social media to improve our lives? Are we learning new skills every day to change our narrative and move to the next level? These are questions that we should be asking ourselves.

Many people worldwide are utilising the vast opportunities made available by social media to enhance their lives, acquire new knowledge and boost their income. I still recall a post made by Dr Muhsin Ibrahim on his Facebook page, lamenting how many graduates cannot use basic email to send letters or apply for jobs. One can acquire this knowledge by spending a few hours on YouTube, but our youth will rather spend hours on Facebook attacking one another over frivolities. Frankly, obtaining mere certificates is not enough in the current era. Practical skill is what differentiates between graduate A and graduate B.

Living in Germany in the last few years has exposed me to the notion that a certificate is not enough but practical skills that can help one deliver on the job. I have seen people finish graduate programmes here and struggle to get a job until they learn practical digital skills online.

In the last few months, I have observed that some people got jobs after learning digital skills for six months or more such as web development, app development, digital marking, and programming, among others. This is despite the fact that they completed their degree at the university here – in Germany. The reality is that companies are only interested in knowing if you have the practical skills to deliver on the job and not a simple certificate.

It is pertinent to note that some forward-thinking youths in the Southern part of Nigeria work remotely for international companies due to the acquisition of digital skills. Thanks to their skill, they live in Nigeria and still earn money in foreign currency.

I have decided to devote much time this year to acquiring digital skills for personal development and suggest that to whoever is interested. I will not hesitate to reiterate that our youth in Arewa should embrace digital skills to escape poverty. With your mobile phone, you can learn practical skills free online. There are various mediums to learn digital skills for free such as Google garage, Udacity, Udemy, Coursera, among others. In fact, I am currently learning a digital skill on Coursera.

Please, my brothers and sisters, I believe we can change the narrative. Our region is bedevilled by mass poverty because of the attitude and mindset of our people. An untrained mind will create and recreate poverty irrespective of the available opportunities. So, stop wasting your data on frivolities. Instead, use it judiciously for something meaningful.

Of course, not everyone will be interested in digital skills, but there are other vocational skills you can still learn by watching YouTube videos. For example, people learn how to bake cakes, cook, and do many things by watching videos on YouTube.

Likewise, you can improve your Islamic knowledge by reading good articles and books on various Islamic websites online rather than using social media negatively. The time is now for us to do the right thing and find a way to improve our lives and that of our families. May Almighty Allah accept our supplication in this month of Ramadan.

Aminu Mohammed is at the school of Sustainability, Christian- Albrechts- Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Thursday,  April 21, 2022, said the decision to halt the ongoing strike solely lies with the Academic Staff Union of Universities,  ASUU. 

Ngige said this on Channels TV while featuring as a guest in the televised program ‘Politics Today.’

According to Ngige, the time the strike will end is only for ASUU to decide and that it is expected of the Union to decide if they have the student’s best interest at heart. 

On when the strike, which has crippled academic activities in Nigeria’s public universities, will end, the Labour Minister said, “It depends on ASUU. The ball is in their court. They should go and meet the Benimi Briggs Committee and look at what the committee is doing and make further inputs so that work can be accelerated, ” he said

Ngige added that ASUU’s attitude towards the labour crisis is not helping the situation. 

“ASUU has to come down from their high horse. You cannot go and start intimidating people in NITDA and threatening the Minister of Digital Economy and Communication with revocation of his professorship that he is a fake professor. You go to ABU and say you are going to withdraw the certificate of the director of NITDA. That’s bullying. It is not allowed in Labour negotiations,” he stated.