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By Uzair Adam Imam

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has decried over the menace of insurgency rocking the North-Western part of the country while lamenting that the bandits use better weapons than the Nigerian security forces.

The governor who described bandits as “massive monsters” stated this while reacting to some questions on banditry and kidnapping in the North- West. El-Rufai spoke on Thursday in Abuja during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media.

He reiterated that insurgency in the North-West is far more severe than the Boko Haram crisis, going by the growing number of people killed and kidnapped every day.

“I am persuaded that the insurgency in the North West is far more serious than Boko Haram, both in terms of the numbers of the people affected. I have shown you the numbers in Kaduna. I can assure you that the numbers on Zamfara and Katsina are up to three times. The numbers in Sokoto, Niger, and Kebbi are also very alarming.

“We are talking of tens of thousands of people getting killed, getting kidnapped. It is far more serious than Boko Haram. The only thing is that these guys don’t occupy territory. They are in the forest and ungoverned spaces.

“So, they do not attract the kind of single-minded attention that Boko Haram does. And because Boko Haram’s ideology is religious, intentionally religious, it elicits more passion, but really, this is a far more serious problem.

“Because, this is a situation largely in which people of about the same ethnicity, same religion are killing each other, stealing each other’s property, creating an industry out of criminality. It’s very serious, and it requires single-minded attention,” said El-Rufai.

By Aisar Fagge

Isah Nasidi, a young Nigerian PhD student of Mass Communication and a research fellow at the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, developed a new model called SAMCAV. First of its kind, the model aims to combat disinformation and discover the fourth typology of information disorder, which he called dil-information.

A statement sent to The Daily Reality reveals that Nasidi’s discovery was the outcome of the six-month research fellowship of the Kwame Kari-Kari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship, which selected 17 researchers from four West African countries to research information disorder.

The SAMCAV model links six elements of information disorder; Source, Agent, Message, Channel, Audience and Victim. These elements are involved in the production, distribution and consumption of information disorder.

According to the researcher, the model will help researchers and policymakers to know how disordered information flows and the effects it causes in society.

Moreover, the work discovers the concept of ‘dil-information’ as the fourth type of information disorder, which has never been considered as an independent typology separate from disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation.

Dil-information is defined as genuine information diluted with false information, misinterpreted or misrepresented with or without intent to harm. Terms like mostly true, half-true, mostly false and misleading are used to classify claims of this nature.

The research aims to set a research agenda for scholars working in this virgin area and help in policy making and developing mechanisms for solving the problem.

Isah Nasidi, an independent researcher and media consultant, is an indigene of Kano state. He bagged his first and second degrees in Mass Communication at Bayero University, Kano. He is currently a PhD student of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Secretary of Communication History Division of International Communication Association (USA).

By Aliyu Nuhu

Ukraine without US military intervention is somewhat like a sacrificial lamb in the hands of Russia. Putin is not Hitler. He has already outlined his objective; to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. On this, it seems Russia has a valid reason. If Ukraine joined NATO it will jeopardize Russia’s access to the black sea. It is a war of survival as Ukraine failed to balance its act and be friends to both EU, NATO and Russia.

Unfortunately for Ukraine, America will not fight Russia on its behalf for many reasons, not that America does not have the strength to face Russia. President Putin had done his calculations very well.

America is a democracy and unfortunately for Ukraine, the party in power in America is not a war monger like the Republicans who are neither in control of the White House today, nor in control of the Congress. Under Donald Trump, Putin would never have invaded Ukraine despite the cordial relationship that existed between him and Trump. The second reason why America will not be involved is that, America has no obligation to defend Ukraine because there is no any treaty making it obligatory to do so. Ukraine is not Latvia or Poland who are members of NATO. And Putin knows all these. The third reason is that, the United Nations has not passed resolution asking for the world to stop Russian invasion by military force. The UN resolution also needs the endorsement of China, a Russia’s ally that is unlikely to allow the resolution to fly. Furthermore, Russia has a veto power and can shoot down the resolution.

The truth is Ukraine is under unprovoked and unjustified attack on its democracy by a dictator that does not know the value of human lives. Already 46 people, most of them civilians have been killed. But Russia is also careful with Ukraine because Ukraine was the second most powerful state to emerge from Soviet Union after Russia itself. The two countries have been at war since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. They are officially at a full stage war today. Ukraine is a nuclear power. Russia must tread with caution. The country has 130 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) with six nuclear warheads each. It also has 46 RT-23 Molodets ICBMs with ten warheads apiece, as well as 33 heavy bombers, totaling approximately 1,700 warheads. In retrospect Ukraine is not a meatloaf that can be eaten without Russia itself committing suicide.

President Putin said he only wanted to demilitarize Ukraine and de-Nazify it. He has no intention of occupying it. A task that would have been impossible with Western powers meddling in the crisis.

Aliyu Nuhu writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

By Kabiru Danladi Lawanti

After the modest stewardship of Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu, may Allah rest his soul (1999-2003), Mohammed Danjuma Goje took over amid tremendous efforts made by patriotic Gombawa to move quicker to the mission and vision of the creation of the state. As Governor, Danjuma Goje realized early the challenges faced by the new state, especially in terms of 21st-century development.

As a Governor, Goje worked hard with his team in laying the foundation for a modern state, where critical infrastructure and development initiatives hallmarked his administration. As Governor, we have to give it to Goje because he remains an illuminating leader of modern Gombe. After his illustrious tenure, he showed the way for competitive stewardship and possibilities in Gombe State.

However, fast forward to his representation as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Gombe Central. Much was expected from him as an astute politician, a political science graduate, and a two-term governor.

In August 2020, the Daily Trust newspaper listed Senator Danjuma Goje among senators who had only two bills to their names. Therefore, when he announced his retirement from active politics early last year, many thought Goje, an elder statesman, was paving the way for his mentees to replace him in the Senate Chamber. Albeit, a few months after the announcement, Goje ate his words.

According to media reports, Goje was compelled by a group of “stakeholders” to rescind his decision and threatened to take legal action if Goje refused to heed their calls to stand for future elective positions. In an article I wrote last year, I advised Goje not to allow some people, calling themselves “stakeholders”, to drag his hard-earned political reputation into the mud. However, I later learned he sponsored the movement.

Since Goje has decided to remain in elective and active politics, our responsibility as stakeholders is to call his attention to some fundamental issues he plans to do for his constituency. It’s already the 2022 fiscal year, as this may be his final tenure in the senate. It is also essential to remind Goje that he needs to be careful about his legacy to bequeath to those coming after him.

In the constituency projects I sighted, what drew my attention was his intervention in education. All the projects he listed and the amount to be spent on the projects is commendable. However, as someone who works in the educational sector, I think what was mentioned is far from the needs of his constituency. If I may come in here, and if electorates have a voice in the way projects are cited or allocated, I think what I saw in the submission made by Senator Goje is, to say the least disappointing.

For instance, Goje’s constituency project for the 2022 fiscal year included distribution, supply and provision of educational materials, textbooks, educational aids, writing materials, educational charts and fertilizer to schools and farmers across the constituency. The project will cost a whopping N3bn. But, what attracted my attention was the materials to be supplied, provided or distributed.

Since my concern is education, I did a small analysis, looking at the places these “educational materials”, “educational aids”, “textbooks”, “writing materials”, and “educational chart” are going. In that alone, Goje is to spend N2.2bn for this project. However, most of these schools receiving these do not need these interventions; instead, they need good classrooms, qualified teachers, and a conducive environment for learning.

Recently, the Punch newspaper report shocked the world when it visited a community in Akko Local Government, Goje’s constituency, where about 150 children learn under harsh conditions after a windstorm demolished their school years ago. I don’t think Goje or any of his aides is not aware of the plight of these communities. The community is a few kilometres from the NYSC temporary orientation camp at Amada, stressing that they were tired of promises.

It does not make sense for the Senator to put N200m to supply writing materials in Kembu when a whole community has children learning under the harshest conditions you can imagine. Also, even if there are no communities like Wui-wui, does it make any sense to put N2.2bn for the “distribution”, “supply”, and “provision” of educational materials (forget the repetition of one word in different synonyms) while most of our rural communities are without schools or drinking water?

As an elder statesman and a politician of repute, I think Goje ought to know better. History will not be kind to him if these are the legacies he wants to leave as a senator of the federal republic. Goje is not too late to review these constituency projects and channel our resources to where we need them.

Kabiru Danladi Lawanti wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, ABU Zaria, via kblondon2003@yahoo.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Bandits have shot ASCII Muhammad Maradun, a Customs officer with Federal Operations Unit (FOU), to death in Kaduna.

The Daily Reality gathered that six people, among whom was a bride-to-be, were abducted in the process. 

It has been discovered that the bandits had stormed his house at Rogachikun Community of Igabi local government, Kaduna, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deceased, Mr Maradun, was reported to have sustained gunshot injuries.

The FOU Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), M.A Magaji, confirmed the victim’s death.

However, the deceased was said to have died while undergoing surgery, putting all attempts to save his life in vain.

Director: Yaseen Auwal

Producer: Rahama Sadau and Abubakar Bashir Maishadda

Screenplay: Yakubu M. Kumo

Language: Hausa

Company: Sadau Pictures

Release Date: 18/02/2022

Cast: Rahama Sadau, Umar M. Shareef, Rab’u Rikadawa, Asma’u Sani etc.

After a brief hiatus in Kannywood, superstar Rahama Sadau is back with an eponymous movie NADEEYA. There have been high expectations of the film because of the good reputation of its director, Yaseen Auwal, and the female lead, Rahama Sadau, who also doubled as the producer. It, however, failed to open with a bang due to little publicity as it wasn’t initially made for the big screen.

The film is an issue-based drama about ‘upbringing’. It depicts how some parents spoil their kids, specifically daughters, and the practical difficulties such children face in life. The story revolves around a pampered daughter, Nadeeya (acted by Rahama Sadau), who faces similar challenges after her marriage.

Plot:

On their first day as newlyweds, Nadeeya’s husband (Umar M. Shareef) begins to discover mysterious things about her. She prays badly and can’t correctly perform even a simple ablution, not to speak of the ritual bath. The husband learns further that his bride doesn’t master domestic chores like cooking and housework. She once cooked a pretty heinous meal that nobody could eat. He is, thus, obliged to question her past. Viewers are then shown a series of flashbacks as she recounts her story.

Nadeeya is, since childhood, spoiled rotten by her father (Rabi’u Rikadawa). The father tried hard to get rid of anything that could cause discomfort to his favourite daughter. He had once fought an Islamic school teacher for punishing her and eventually pulled her out of the school. He also divorced her mum for disciplining her. Therefore, she was brought up single-handedly by the impious father with a maid doing everything for her. Nadeeya is now extremely remorseful and ready to change for the better. The story continues…

Critique:

The film is, indeed, hard-hitting and very meaningful. Through the eponymous character, it shows that children’s first learning begins at home, and their personality and morals depend largely on how they are raised. It also reminds of the responsibility of protecting one’s family from the hellfire, as contained in Qur’an (66:6). It reiterates that the responsibility is on both parents and husbands — this is seen in the portrayal of Nadeeya’s husband (Umar M. Shareef).

Nonetheless, despite some scenes being highly overdramatized, the director, Yaseen Auwal, succeeded in handling the serious theme with the utmost gravity. He deserves an accolade for making this topical movie that not only slams indulgent parents but also underlines the need for religious knowledge. Additionally, the film’s locales are beautiful, except for the bride’s room, where we see cracks in the painting. It was also well shot with an audible sound.

Again, the actors all did well. The lead, Rahama Sadau, is no slouch at acting. She melded every action with a fitting gesture, making a brilliant performance throughout the movie. M. Shareef tried to deliver his dialogue. He impressed in the scenes where he recites the Qur’an and where he teaches Nadeeya about Islam—although his chemistry with her didn’t take. However, Rabi’u Rikadawa did excellently as usual.

On the whole, Nadeeya is a well-made movie. I recommend it for those who are tired of Kannywood’s overblown romantic melodramas. Rating 3.5/5.

Habibu Maaruf Abdu wrote from Kano via habibumaaruf11@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a “catastrophe” for Europe, according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has asked for an emergency summit of the NATO military alliance led by the United States.

He was quoted as saying on Twitter: “This is a catastrophe for our continent.”

Mr. Johnson added that he would make a national address on the developments.

“I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible,” he said.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on citizens to fight

Zelenskyy has appealed to all civilians who are willing to protect Ukraine against Russian soldiers to come forward, stressing that Kyiv will provide firearms to anyone who requests them.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also urged Russians to resist Moscow’s plan to invade their country’s neighbour.

Recall that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the launch of attacks on parts of Ukraine as part of the move to support intending breakaway regions in the Eastern part of the country.

The attack has caused outrage and condemnations from world powers as citizens flee Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city, although Putin stated that the attacks were not targeted at unarmed civilians.

Ukraine claimed that it had shot down fighter jets belonging to the Russian forces stationed in the unresting part of the country.

By Abdullahi Adamu

His name rings a bell across the landscape of Borno State and Nigeria. Yet, many Nigerians have never met him face to face. Still, his strings of achievements anchored on people-oriented projects have made Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State a household name in the country, drawing ceaseless applause for him.

But he remains a very simple and unassuming man despite the strategic work he has been doing to change the face of Borno State and restore hope to a people traumatized by ceaseless attacks unleashed by the Boko Haram fighters. Zulum came to the scene when the morale of the people and their psyche had been battered by the evil elements who have continued to distract the polity. These terrorists still steal and destroy whatever is of good report and value to the citizenry.

If the governor had not been on the side of the people, he could have chosen to resign to fate and sit back to moan the atrocities being waged against the state and its people by Boko Haram. But he has refused to act and behave like a typical Nigerian politician who seeks self-gratification over the nation and people. Instead, Zulum has chosen to make a difference in the lives of his subjects and add value to them. The governor has chosen service over propaganda and quality and verifiable projects to add value to his people instead of propaganda which many of his contemporaries deploy as a survival strategy in governance.

The 50-year-old Agricultural engineer, who himself has tasted poverty and hardship, chose to embark on projects that directly impact the people’s lives. And the projects are many and widespread across the length and breadth of the state. They are verifiable and physical for even the blind to see, touch and feel their presence. The projects touch all aspects of development, with education topping the list apparently because the governor comes from the ivory tower, where he has made a mark as a professor of agricultural engineering.

The statistics speak for themselves: “On education, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum undertook 76 capital projects in one year. He created and built 21 primary, secondary and sub-tertiary schools in 13 local government areas. These include a new 60-classroom mega primary school at Njimtilo; 30-classroom mega school at Ajilari Cross, another at Abuja-Sheraton community; yet another in Askira.

“All of these were started and delivered within one year. Six additional new schools were delivered, while 11 are at various levels. Fifty-five existing schools were completed, reconstructed or rehabilitated and equipped across the state. Beyond infrastructure, Zulum regularly appears in schools unannounced. He takes teachers roll call to instil discipline and restore the glory of the public-school system in Borno State,” a report written about him captures boldly.

In health care delivery, the governor has also left an indelible mark within the short time he has spent in the state. “In his first year, Professor Babagana Zulum accorded greater priority to primary healthcare at the grassroots level. In that sector, Zulum undertook 46 projects, from which 37 new primary healthcare centres, PHCs, were established in 17 local government areas. Twelve of these new PHCs have been completed, while 25 are at various stages.

Zulum reconstructed two primary healthcare centres in Tungushe and Walama; and rehabilitated the state’s Psychiatric and Skin Disease hospitals. Zulum rehabilitated two hospitals in Rann and Lassa; and upgraded Biu General Hospital to a specialist level. The Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital was also remodelled. Zulum also established and funded a Contributory Healthcare Scheme to increase access to quality and affordable healthcare services by the people of Borno State.”

The governor has also extended the area of security, agriculture, and infrastructure to alleviate the suffering of the people who have come under constant attacks by terrorists in the state. Governor Zulum has, through hard work, commitment and dedication to his people, emerged as a true servant/leader.

Abdullahi Adamu sent this article via nasabooyoyo@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Reports coming from Gusau have it that Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, the state’s deputy governor, has been impeached by the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

The members ousted Mr Gusau from office on Wednesday during plenary after 20 out of 21 voted in favour of his removal.

Following the submission of a panel report by the state’s chief judge, Kulu Aliyu, to investigate alleged impeachable offences against the deputy governor, the parliamentarians quickly voted.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to occupy all roads to Abuja Monday if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ’s strike is not brought to an end.

The association stated that the protest would involve students, parents and civil servants.

The Vice President of the Union, Comrade Yazid Tanko Muhammad, disclosed this to BBC Hausa on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

He added that they would all gather to tell the world the situation they are facing in the country with regards to their education.

Muhammad also reiterated that the protest had become necessary to rescue the country’s educational system from incessant strike actions.

Comrade Yazid Tanko Muhammad said: “The reason we choose to embark on a protest is that it is the only language that can be understood, and it is the only way we can show the world our situations and feelings towards the strike.

“So, it is a protest which, if we start, will not stop until the issues are resolved, and the lecturers resume work.

“So we will block the roads linking Abuja from Kogi, Abuja from Kaduna and Abuja from Nasarawa states.

“That means we will block the whole Abuja on that day. We will also block the Federal Secretariat.

“That is why we are calling on Mr President to show concern and solidarity to us by not attending to work on that day.

“He should please remain at home. Since everyone is a student, either a Minister, Senator, House of Representatives member, they were all students before they reached the level they are now.

“So, we are doing this because of the future of our education and the country.

“We can’t just stay at home and watch. No country in the world can go on strike for a whole month without any concrete reasons like a pandemic or similar things,” he stated.