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By Muhammad Sabiu

Musa Labaran, a farmer from Kebbi State, has lost five of his children in a boat accident on Wednesday.

The event occurred when a boat carrying Labaran, his five children, and two other passengers to their fields across the river collapsed due to strong winds near Yauri.

According to reports, while the other two passengers were retrieved alive, Labaran’s fifth child’s remains have yet to be discovered.

“The four bodies recovered are all of my children, three boys and a girl. The fifth one is a boy, and he is yet to be found.

“The boat capsized while we were in the middle of the river. I did my best to save them but couldn’t hold on to five of them. I held on to the girl while trying to swim to the river bank but eventually lost grip of her,” Mr Labaran said.

This is not the first time lives were lost in a boat mishap in the state, as some months ago, over 50 passengers, many of whom were children, were feared dead after their boat capsized.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari.

The Vice President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Dr Mansur Muhtar, said the action for the implementation of the Blue Deal on Water and Sanitation aligns with the key pillars of IsDB’s water policy.

Dr Muhtar stated this at the 9th World Water Forum held in Dakar on March 22, 2022, where he attended alongside a delegation of experts he led.

The Blue Deal is reportedly an action plan outlined by ministers in charge of water and heads of delegation assembled for the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal (21-26th March 2022)

“We are well positioned to support member countries’ efforts in implementing the Blue-Deal actions through provision of financing, technical assistance, capacity development and leveraging Islamic finance instruments,” Dr Muhtar stated

Dr Muhtar stated that the IsDB water sector policy is concurrent with the actions advocated for in the Blue Deal.

“Capacity development and solutions transfer for an improved governance of the water sector is a very important pillar of the policy,” he added.

The Blue Deal aims to achieve the urgent need for water and sanitation targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The World Water Forum, which is organized by the World Water Council and the host country, is the largest event that talks about global issues on the water. It takes place every three years, and the 9th Forum in Dakar is the first one to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By Olorunkemi Barokah

The conflict between the southwest Islamic clerics has become something anomaly that needs to be addressed before it goes out of hand. I am on the ball on the clash of interest between those clerics that could be classified under ideological differences. 

The fact that one is practising Sufism or belongs to other Islamic religious denominations does not make them deserve being open to ridicule and other forms of abuse.

I’ve seen people ridiculing themselves on social media through verbal abuse and other forms of defamation. Well! I could assume that it’s not normal because it’s causing more harm to society than expected. 

From the logical point of view, I could assume that there is no saint among the religious folks causing confusion and distractions to the Islamic community in the Yoruba land. Instead, they are birds of a feather that flock together. They are not practising the so-called religious precepts they are preaching to society.

Islamic clerics are the ones who have brought misconceptions, confusion, and division into our midst by regressing the progress of Islam in the entire Yoruba territory. Their disagreement, ideological difference, lack of unity lack of maturity have brought nothing good to the progress of the Muslim community in the Western region. That threatens the future of the Muslim generations in the entire Yoruba race.

Typically, everyone has sects since diverse ideological views dominate the world.  Everyone cannot go in the same direction. Since our beliefs, aspirations, philosophies, and perceptions cannot be equal, we are all enhanced with different uniqueness. That’s why it is likely to have different schools of thought on the same course of studies. And the fact that there are different views does not make the notions of others irrelevant. Everyone will select their preferred theories based on their preference and the evidence that each theory assumes.

However, I guess morality should be the primary element of any sectarian credo since morality is the standard by which individuals are justified. That morality is based on kindness and the state of being responsible. 

It would have been better to promote Islamic consciousness to earn unity. Promoting moral duties would be better than promoting hate, superiority complex, and ideological difference, which will never help grow the progress of the so-called religious values and precepts preached.

Furthermore, in logic, there’s likely to have an argument raised to have a logical conclusion or fact about the subject involved. But, one sure thing is that there must be fact, an affirmative fact to conclude on, and if the truth is not within the premises, the conclusion would be probable. So, in this case, one cannot force the fact. Instead, the evidence on the hypotheses will make people accept the truth.

Nevertheless, I consider many of these religious sects and their self-acclaimed scholars irresponsible. They are only forcing their ideologies on people without setting a legacy, a pace, and values that will make people accept their claimed religious righteousness. Many scholars mentioned above and sects lack logical thinking, justice, beneficence, equity, finality, tolerance veracity, and even respect for persons. In their hands is where humanity is dying.

Nonetheless, in my opinion, it is a navel-gazing and anomaly act to terrorize others to accept one perception or belief. But on the contrary, those sects have seen crucifying and denouncing those who could not concur with their views as a diabolical enemy who should be subjected to verbal abuse and ridicule.

There are many ways of convincing others to believe or accept one’s standpoint without nagging on them. And it can be done without force or verbal abuse or exposing one another to ridicule. Dialogue remains the most veritable weapon in achieving that. Even if dialogue fails, visual/physical values would never fail. Since seeing is said to be believing.

Some of the notable scholars among the most populous ones doing better in promoting Islamic values are Imam Offa, the new Grand Mufti of Yoruba Land, Sheik Muheeden Bello, Mallam Yusuff Adepoju and others. I have never seen them abusing anyone or criticizing others.

The one I will ever respect is Imaam Offa for his contributions to the progress of Islam in the region. He’s the first acclaimed scholar to build a public library that will be available for anyone irrespective of their denominations and ideology. In addition, he’s currently building a top-notch Islamic hospital for Muslim benefit. This is what should always be promoted rather than fighting on General Islamic ethics obligations and particularistic obligations.

Moreover, if all these religious sects could demonstrate unity, I believe the various issues facing Islam today in western Nigeria will be reduced and deciphered! Issues like poverty, inequality in participation, and others.

These sects have all it takes to establish free Islamic schools, hospitals, libraries, a fort that could shelter the homeless Muslims. They could also set up law firms that will help get justice for vulnerable Muslims and even provide empowerment to the Young Muslims. 

Islam in this region needs more than fighting Sufists, Hamadiyyist, Salafiyyist, etc. Islam requires the collective efforts of all those scholars to help in all the areas above. So be united and stop your terroristic approach.  Enough of this quasi-intellectualism in a self-centred manner.

Olorunkemi Barokah wrote this article via olorunkemibarokah20@gmail.com.

By Aminu Naganye

United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, in collaboration with Media Awareness and Information for All Networks (MAIN), has organised a two-day workshop for journalists in Kano on mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their routine journalistic activities.

The programme tagged “Training Journalists on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and developing a Network of Sustainable Development Journalists” took place at the Kano State Library from Monday, March 21, to Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The event is a part of training for journalists across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria on how to mainstream the SDGs into their professional engagements.

UNIC Director, Mr Ronald Kayanja, noted that the training was to expose the journalists to the key issues of the SDGs and how they can contribute their part toward achieving the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

Mr Kayanja, who was represented by Dr Oluseyi Soremekun, stressed the need for partnership and collaboration among all stakeholders toward achieving the SDGs at the stipulated time.

On his part, the Chairman of the occasion, Professor Lai Oso, said the objective of the training was to acquaint the participants with social, economic and environmental dimensions in reporting issues related to sustainable development. 

He said sustainable journalism should be people-centred and geared toward proffering solutions to identified societal challenges.

Head Technical, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Dr Bala Yunusa, who was represented by Dr Zakariyya Mohammed, explained Nigeria’s progress and challenges in implementing the SDGs in Nigeria and called on the media personnel to remain supportive to achieving the SDGs and Nigerian Agenda 2050.

Dr Yunusa noted that Nigeria has recorded successes in the previous MDGs and is now determined to achieve more with the SDGs.

At least 50 journalists drawn from traditional media of radio, television, newspaper, and online-based news media participated in the workshop.

The participants were decorated with emblems as champions of the SDGs.

By Professor Salisu Shehu

The impact that teachers make on students vary in type, magnitude and degree. And as well, they differ in the way and manner they influence students. While to a great extent students unconsciously internalise/emulate certain manners, characters and styles of their teachers, in some cases that is done consciously and deliberately too. This is the fact that I am obliged to reveal as I pay tribute to my teacher and mentor all through my teaching career in the university. In other words, I am hereby proclaiming to the World that Professor Maiwada not only taught me, but he was in the top rank of my mentors and role models.

Professor Maiwada taught me Educational Psychology, Research Methods and Statistics in my second and third years of undergraduate studies and again he taught me the same courses at my master’s degree level. Indeed it was Professr Maiwada that made me love Educational Psychology and influenced me to eventually specialise in it.

I so much admired Professor Maiwada’s style of teaching. Once he enters the lecture room/theatre, after the usual greetings and courtesies between the lecturer and students, he would turn to the board (black as it was then) and write the topic and the outline of his lecture. He would then take students through the outline (sub-topics) to the end. His writing on the board and on paper was not only clear and legible but quite neat and beautiful. It would be difficult to hear students complaining that they did not understand Professor MAIWADA’S lecture. This is a style of instruction that I consciously and deliberately adopted up to this moment.

More importantly, my intellectual debut and voyage into the ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE paradigm and school of thought were principally owed to the influence of Professor Maiwada. Two other teachers of mine that also influenced me in this regard are the late Dr. Musa Ahmed and Professor Aliyu Dauda. It was however, Professor Maiwada that really mentored me in this regard. When I wrote my M. ED Dissertation on: “A Study of the Islamic Perspective of Cognitive Development: Implications for Education”, supervised by the late Dr. Musa Ahmed, Professor Maiwada was indeed my defacto supervisor. He painstakingly read every single line of my work, meticulously corrected and advised me appropriately and where necessary.

Although, he surely had clear mastery of his subject matter of instruction, Professor Maiwada would never brag in the classroom or even try to make a show of it. He would, however, in his typical soft spoken manner, deliver his lecture with pedagogical effectiveness and mastery.

Professor Maiwada was not just a role model in the classroom. His entire teaching life presents an exemplary disposition of academic discipline, rigour and intellectual adeptness. Once he comes to the faculty he would either be in the class teaching or in the office going through students’ projects, dissertations and theses. He was never given to petty talks or sundry gossips. As he made his way to the office he would greet and answer greetings with a dint of politeness and humbleness. He was one of our older Professors that never sent their pens on leave. Not surprisingly, he was prolific up to the time of his retirement churning out papers and editing journal articles and book chapters and returning them within stipulated times. It was very rare if not impossible to hear any student complaining that Professor Maiwada had held his (project, dissertation or thesis) chapter beyond reasonable time without returning it read, improved, or corrected.

Though he was obviously apolitical, but destiny conferred on him the privilege of holding almost all academic/administrative positions of leadership in the university. Across three different universities (Bayero University, Kano, Al-Qalam University, Katsina and Northwest University – now Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano) the Katsina-born Professor was a Head of Department, a Dean, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor and a Vice-Chancellor without having to contest at any given time. For the records, he was the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Al-Qalam University, Katsina. At two different times of leadership interregnum he acted as a Vice-Chancellor in both Bayero University, Kano and Yusuf Maitama Sule University respectively.

As the academic trail blazer that he was he presented, to my mind, the first ever valedictory lecture at the point of his retirement just last month before the commencement of the ASUU strike. Unknown to us all, he was only having barely a month and some weeks to his grave.

He purposely called to tell me about the lecture and the date that was scheduled. I missed it and out of respect and adoration I called to apologise. He told me that it did not hold but was postponed. When the second date was fixed he again called. I made it a point to attend. But as destiny would have it, I got an appointment of visa interview in Lagos on the same date. So I did miss it. I could not call to apologise again out of shyness.

It was only a few days ago I heard of his sickness. I could not even visit him in the hospital because I was out of Kano for a couple of weeks. I just got the shocking news of his death. It was such a tragic loss to the Ummah and indeed to the the academia and Bayero University, Kano.

May I use this medium to condole his immediate family, the Departments of Education and Special Education, the Faculty of Education and the Vice – Chancellor, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas. Incidentally we were both his students, although not in the same class.

“Of the believers are men who are true to that which they covenanted with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death (in battle), and some of them still are waiting; and they have not altered in the least”. Suratul Ahzab, verse 23.

May Allah, al-Ghafur, al-Raheem forgive him and shower His Infinite Mercy on him. May He give us the fortitude to bear the loss.

By Khairat Suleiman Jaruma

As she walked through the fabric market, a man touched her lower waist, slightly touching her bottom. He then said, “Sexy girl, come buy from me”. She turned back abruptly and hissed. “Fool”, she muttered under her breath. But, she didn’t stop; she kept walking, minding her business.

Those are the kinds of unwelcomed and irritating gestures most women experience every day in public places like schools, offices, markets, malls, etc. Unfortunately, no one frowns at these things. Instead, when a woman complains out loud about these things, she is seen as short-tempered or very intolerant, and more often than not, she gets victim-blamed.

According to a YouGov survey, 97 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 have experienced sexual harassment in public space, and more than 70 per cent of women of all ages have endured such behaviour.

While most people always make excuses for sexual harassment, such as mode of dressing or gestures, I think there’s no excuse for sexual harassment. For me, it’s just a very exasperating level of immorality, given that you can always ask for permission. Sexual harassment has terrible and long-lasting effects on women, including a decrease in women’s productivity, confidence, self-esteem, and overall participation in every aspect of life.

Sexual harassment isn’t limited to making inappropriate advances. It includes any unwelcome verbal or physical behaviour, sharing sexually indecent images or videos, such as pornography or salacious gifs, sending suggestive letters, notes, or emails, staring in a sexually suggestive or offensive manner or whistling, making sexual comments about appearance, clothing, or body parts, inappropriate touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing, or purposefully brushing up against another person.

Responsibility for the eradication of sexual harassment rests on everyone’s shoulders. Notably, we need to teach our brothers and male children that harassing women is NOT “cool”; what is “cool” is having respect for the opposite or same sex, obtaining appropriate consent of the person involved, and accepting “NO” as meaning “NO”.

Lastly, every survivor of sexual harassment must send a message across the world that there is no disgrace in being a survivor of sexual harassment. Instead, the shame is on the aggressor.

Khairat Suleiman Jaruma wrote from Kaduna via khairatsuleh@gmail.com

By Zaharadeen Muhammad

Some weeks ago, His Royal Highness, The District Head of Funtua, Sambo Idris Sambo, announced the confirmation of chieftaincy titles on some few outstanding sons of Funtua in recognition of their contributions to the town and the country as a whole. One of them is an unsung luminary in academia, and the health sector whose take off to educational journey began as Newton’s apple. But was it not William Shakespeare who likens the world to a theatre role with entrance – often by fluke, stage performance and exit? This time, Dr Umar Aminu’s entrance and performance will be profiled, and it will be quite the zinger.

Almost half a century ago, a religious scholar left Funtua for Katsina on a mission to supervise Islamic schools and carried his much younger brother with him. On a particular day, the curious lad wandered off to explore the new surrounding, and as fate would have it, he chanced upon a primary school in the neighbourhood. He surreptitiously tucked himself behind the door panel as he peeped into a class through the apertures relishing the nectar of the lesson.

He was to frequent the school many more times afterwards. Unknown to the school teachers and his brother, till the momentous day that his inert nature got the very best of him, he ventured an answer from his hideout to a puzzling question that appeared to elude the students sitting inside. Having gotten over his shock, the startled teacher identified where the voice emerged from, walked stealthily but tactfully toward the doorway and seized the kid. “he has to be enrolled,” thought the teacher. The brilliant boy in this tale was Dr Umar Aminu, and the elder brother was sheikh Aminu Liman of blessed memory. The anecdote was a watershed.

His academic sojourns would take him to Zamfara, Bauchi, Zaria culminating in him bagging a PhD in Public Health from Texila American University, USA. He gathered the mountain of knowledge and wealth of experience over the years working in public and private organizations and international agencies such as UNICEF, WHO, USAID, and FRIM. He brings to bear in solving various societal issues in Katsina state and beyond. To paraphrase sir Winston Churchill, what is the use of living if it is not to make this muddled world a better place for our posterity long after our departure.  

His first landmark contribution was to the health sector way back in 1999 when a glaring shortage of health personnel in the state was a cause of deep concern. Then, as a key member of the MSSN, he broached the idea at one of its meetings for establishing a centre for training health technicians who can, in the long run, make up for the inadequacy. The program began with only a handful of students and has metamorphosed into the world-class Muslim Community College Of Health Science and Technology, Funtua. Today, the school runs a wide range of health-related courses at ND and HND levels and draws a motley of students from every nook and corner of Nigeria.

His curiosity and a natural aversion to passivity and mediocrity made him the first to be on the ball whenever things appear to go south. That is why when there was statewide successive massive failures in SSCE between 1999 and 2003, a big blow to the quintessential reputation of the state in that regard,  instead of joining the wagon by stepping on the pedestal of lamentation, he met with stakeholders in the ministry to find out ways of ironing out the problem. He was one of the brains behind creating the refresher program, which, under the able stewardship of Malam Ilyasu Umar, has hatched hundreds of students who became medical doctors, pharmacists, engineers,  mathematicians, etc. Thus, leaving another indelible footprint in the sand of time.

His empathy and compassion dispose him to pursue numerous charitable causes, especially in education, where he has facilitated and personally offered many scholarships and grants to the less privileged. Moreover, his being a versatile and cynosure in education and business informed our decision to invite him to speak at our first (NIPES) public lecture themed ‘Our Economic Mindset’ held on February 2021. The advocate of functional education, self-development and entrepreneurship eloquently demystified our present unemployment crises that became ubiquitous clog and articulated sundry out of the box ways of putting a dent in the issue.

Dr Umar Aminu, The Danmasanin Funtua possesses most attributes our people recognize in the words of Anthony Kirk-Green as ‘Mutumin Kirki” in the book of the same title. These are truthfulness, trustworthiness, generosity, patience, good sense, bashfulness, courtesy, self-esteem, wisdom and scrupulous behaviour.  

“When a mother-cow is chewing grass,” said Chinua Achebe in Things Fall Apart, “its young watch its mouths”  We, the youngsters, have been watching from afar and up close and have drawn so much inspiration from his noble deeds. For these reasons and more, we join the joyous multitudes celebrating this well-deserved title. Allah shi tayaka riko, amin.

Zaharadeen Muhammad wrote from Abdullahi Aminci Road, Funtua, Katsina State via Zaharadeen2020@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

In Ewekoro, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, a local hunter named Saheed Ogundahun is said to have slain a Fulani herdsman.

The Ogun Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, verified this on Monday while arraigning the suspect and others at the State Police Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Ogundahun was detained on March 13 for killing a Fulani herdsman with a Dane rifle, according to Bankole, adding that after killing the herder, the suspect buried him on his property in Ewekoro.

The dead herdsman’s body has been unearthed and sent to Ifo General Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.

“on credible intelligence, one Saheed Ogundahun, a hunter, was arrested in connection with the case.

“On interrogation, the said Saheed confessed that he shot the victim to death and buried him in the bush,” the police commissioner was quoted as saying.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The Kaduna State Security Council has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Jema’a and Kaura Local Government Areas. The government said this was to assist the security agencies to stabilize the situation in the areas, save lives and property and enable the restoration of law and order.

A statement signed by the Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said “Security agencies have full authorization to enforce the curfew. Government appeals to all residents of Jema’a and Kaura local government areas to cooperate with the security agencies in the urgent task of restoring peace and upholding law and order”

The government further condemned the violence and all acts of lawlessness that have occurred in the two local governments. The curfew followed the recent clashes that took place in the two communities.

By Fatima Usman

Campus Journalism gives students the opportunity to hone and practice their journalistic skills and be the voice of change by getting readers to think about pressing issues that they probably wouldn’t have read anywhere else.

The endeavor provides a platform for students or student communities who look to expand their horizons beyond just the campus and discuss topics such as gender equality, human rights, or even the protection of animals.

Campus Journalism plays a role in information dissemination, enlightenment, and educating the general public just like journalism did in the broader society.

Quite unfortunately, students of communication who are supposed to be the engineers of campus journalism are the ones who have shown little or no interest in campus journalism practice on our campuses.

Many journalists doing exceptionally well in the mainstream media today were one time in their lifetime campus journalists. The like of Adejumo Kabir of the HumAngle, Adeyemi Ibrahim Olarotimi of Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIFJ), and recently our own very one, Yakubu Mohammed of (FIJ).

The guys mentioned above are all products of campus journalism, doing exceptionally well in the mainstream media immediately after graduating from the university.

However, I see no reason why campus journalism wouldn’t prosper in our universities, looking at the impact of being people’s voice. Three things are involved in campus. You rather be a campus politician, campus journalist, or bookworm.

I think many students choose the former over the latter because of its monetary incentive. However, in campus journalism, it’s all selfless service where at a point in time, you get threatened with ratification because of one story or the other.

However, campus politicians get to receive dues from students they spent and be big guys on the campus without proper accounting. This makes many students choose politics over journalism on campus.

Setting Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Union of campus Journalists, which is still at its infant stage and doesn’t witness the desire to progress as it is supposed to, could be attributed to the unfriendly atmosphere given to the union by the University management.

Students are threatened whenever they make a publication, either good or bad about the university. Unfortunately, this has also killed the vibe of many students writers who are afraid of being expelled from the university.

In universities like the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Usman Danfodio University (UDUS), and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU), campus journalism is doing great because of the utmost recognition given to them by the University management.

Finally, as a campus journalist, you must learn how to report facts, nothing but fact, as nobody will give the ghost to threaten you when you do what you have to do rightly.

So, journalism is a selfless service and, when practiced appropriately, can correct the wrongs, tell the people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

I, therefore, call on any journalism student to have the habit of writing, as writing is the only difference between a journalism student and a science student.

Fatima Usman is a 300 level student of mass communication, IBB University, Lapai. She can be reached via usmanfatima499@gmail.com.