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By Sulaiman Maijama’a

If not because of the dogged determination and great perseverance of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in defence of education in Nigeria over the years, public universities in the country would have since been in a dilapidated condition with poor infrastructure, poor remuneration of staff.

Moreover, the universities would have been stocked with unqualified teachers, just like what is happening to our public primary and secondary schools or perhaps worse than that. Those who misconceive ASUU, for its struggles, as being selfish know nothing about what education takes to be efficient.

It is common knowledge that people who had the luxury of attending private primary and secondary schools in Nigeria earn more prestige than those who attended public ones. This is so because the quality of education in public schools at the basic level has since been diminished. But the reverse is the case at the university level; products of public universities in Nigeria can show a trick or two to their counterparts who are produced by private institutions. This is to the credit of the ASUU.

The Union, despite the meagre resources it receives and the poor funding the universities suffer, is able to produce professionals who are rising and shining in respective disciplines globally. Notwithstanding this feat, the union has been pushed over the years to go into industrial action at the detriment of students and the action by the ASUU is always greeted with criticisms from the public domain.

As a university student, the fact that our academic pursuit is being elongated owing to strikes is paining, and so, I agree wholeheartedly that strikes embarked upon by the ASUU almost annually are not the best solution and not the best way to put pressure on the government to meet its demands but, to crucify the union for its doggedness is not fair at all. If we ever dug deep to understand how much education costs in the countries across the globe and compared it to the demands of the striking ASUU members that are yet to be met for over a decade, for which they have always protested, we would discover that education in Nigeria is as worthless as a waste dump.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommendation, for any nation that wants to adequately meet the demands of education, 15 to 20 per cent of its annual budget should be earmarked for the sector. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s budget for education has always fallen below the recommended benchmark.

Despite the daunting tasks and the challenges that are posing threat to the sector and the need for additional funding, President Buhari’s 2021 budget share for education is the lowest in ten (10) years. Out of N13.08 trillion budgeted for the year, only N742.5 billion, which is equivalent to 5.6 per cent, was allocated to education, which is the lowest allocation since 2011. This is about half of what President Jonathan earmarked for education in the 2015 budget.

In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan allocated 9.3 per cent of the total budget to education. It was further increased to 9.86 per cent in the 2012 budget; elevated to 10.1 per cent of the total 2013 budget. It was 10.5 per cent in the 2014 budget, and the same President Jonathan earmarked 10.7 per cent of the 2015 budget, which happened to be the highest in the last decade.

However, when President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, in his first budget in 2016, the education share was cut short drastically to 7.9 per cent of the total budget, and in 2017, it was reduced to 7.4 per cent of the total budget; in 2018 it was 7.04 per cent, while 7.05 per cent of the 2019 budget was allocated to the sector and in 2020 it was 6.7 per cent, and 5.6 and 7.9 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

While former President Jonathan had every year increased the budget share for education throughout his stay as president from 9.3 per cent in 2011 to the highest 10.7 in 2015, President Buhari has been drastically reducing the budget from 7.9 in 2016 to the lowest 5.6 in the 2021 budget.

In any case, the Buhari/APC-led administration’s lackadaisical approach toward education is indisputably disastrous to the lofty dreams of young Nigerians to attain global recognition academically. How could a serious government that values education give only 5 per cent of its annual budget to the most sensitive sector like education? This is beside the series of outstanding memoranda of understanding the government signed with the ASUU in 2009, 2013 and 2017, as well as the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 2019 and 2020, but yet to be implemented. How on earth could you expect the ASUU not to be aggrieved?

And now, the Minister of Education is further fuelling the disagreement by telling the ASUU members that their six months denied salaries during which they were on strike would not be paid, making reference to the “no work, no pay policy”. I don’t know the provision of law on this, but my concern is, how can you come to meet with a union of intellectuals like ASUU and dare to tell them that this is the final government’s offer and that there is no need for negotiation; it is either they accept or reject it? This is highly ridiculous.

In my view, education is a treasure. Whatever huge amount of money is invested in it, it will definitely pay off eventually. A member of the Senate Chamber, whether or not they raise a motion, whether or not they contribute to a debate, earn a whopping thirty 30 million or thereabout monthly. This is minus all other illegal earnings which are obtained through leakages and corruption. In comparison to academics, a professor who spends his life sacrificing his time and pleasure doing research to contribute to knowledge does not earn a mere five hundred thousand a month, with all the inflation.

I don’t want to dwell much on making comparisons with the fortune allocated to the National Assembly. But, if such an amount of Naira notes which is beyond imagination, would be given to the National Assembly, why can’t the Federal Government meet all the demands of the ASUU to proffer a lasting solution to this lingering strike that is jeopardizing the future of the Nigerian youth, wreaking havoc on the economy and threatening the fabric of our social structure?

It is evident during the EndSARS protest in 2020, when students were on strike, that the strike was a contributing factor that fueled the agitation, which later turned tragic. Had it been the youth who were mostly the ones at the forefront of the demonstration who were on campuses, busy coping with their academic activities, the move would not have been accepted to such an extent, and therefore, the government would have easily controlled it.

As the saying goes, “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop”. Now, the 2023 forthcoming elections are fast approaching, and the youth are bored doing nothing and, therefore, can indulge in anything that comes their way. Who knows what could possibly be the next trend if the youth remain idle?

The Federal Government must understand and appreciate the value and power of education, respect all agreements reached with the ASUU and invest more resources in the sector in order to save the future of young Nigerians. This is because, without education, man is like an animal.

The ASUU, on the other hand, needs to understand that strike is nothing but a calamity to education. They should adopt amicable and diplomatic ways of engaging the government. “When two elephants fight, grasses suffer the most”.

Maijama’a is a student at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, kano. He can be reached via sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

John Aikpokpo-Martins, the Vice President 1 of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has faulted the absence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmad Tinubu, at the NBA 2022 Conference. 

In a post made on Facebook on Monday, the senior lawyer said, “The failure of Tinubu to be at the NBA conversation is a bold statement.” 

Senator Kashim Shettima, the vice-presidential candidate of APC, represented Tinubu at the NBA 2022 Conference themed “Bold Transition”.

In attendance at the conference were leading presidential candidates for the 2023 election. These include former Nigeria’s vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and other dignitaries.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Hundreds of people have clamoured for the immediate prosecution of the two suspected killers of a Yobe-based Islamic cleric, who are alleged to be personnel of the Nigerian army.

The news of Sheikh Goni Aisami’s murder went viral at the weekend and threw thousands of people to express shock and outrage at such a significant loss in the country, especially to the Muslim North.

 Reports from Yobe indicate that Aisami was gunned down Friday at about 10 pm while en route to Gashua from Nguru after he gave a lift to one Lcpl John Gabriel.

 DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesman of the Yobe Police Command, said the suspect claimed to be a soldier attached to 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru.

Gabriel bites the hand that fed him

Abdulkarim stated, “Aisami was driving his car to Gashua from Nguru when the principal suspect, who was in mufti and carrying a camp bed, pleaded with him for a lift to Jaji-Maji.

“On approaching Jaji-Maji, the cleric stopped the car to urinate,” he said, adding that as soon as he returned to continue the journey, the principal suspect brought out an AK-47 and shot him twice to death.

Abdulkarim further stated that the suspect tried to run away with the Sheikh’s car but failed, as it got stuck in the mud and the vehicle could not start.

“He put a call through to the second suspect, who drove another vehicle to the scene. Unfortunately for him, his drive shaft broke.

“The two suspects then requested help from a vigilance group in Jaji-Maji. When the group arrived at the scene to tow the broken down vehicles, incidentally, Aisami’s body was found at the scene,” he added.

‘It’s so traumatic; bring perpetrators to book’

A lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, Malam Aliyu Yakubu Aliyu, who expressed deep concern, said the development was deplorable.

He said, “It is very unfortunate to have read that the security personnel were the people involved in this criminality. Their job is to protect lives, not to take them.

“Often, the security personnel at different levels hatch in plotting to do unlawful things in various places, including schools and banks,” Aliyu decried.

A Kano cleric, Sheikh Abdussalam Baban-Gwale, decried the traumatic incident, calling on the government to exercise justice.

He said, “Government should ensure social justice and security in the country. Back in February this year, we were also attacked by unknown gunmen on our way to Bauchi from Jos.

“Often, society does not know about the end story of such criminals. Government should, therefore, ensure their prosecutions public to help end criminality in the country.”

In a Facebook post, a security analyst, Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti, called on the government to prosecute the people behind the killing of Sheikh Aisami.

Goni Aisami’s murder regrettable – Gov Buni

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has expressed sadness over the murder of the Sheikh and commiserated with the family over the loss.

In a statement issued in Damaturu by his Director-General Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Buni described the circumstances surrounding the murder as sad, regrettable and most unfortunate.

“The alleged circumstances surrounding the death are most unfortunate and will be investigated thoroughly. [The] government will ensure that every detail is investigated and anyone found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.

“The state government will work closely with the security agencies to unravel every detail to ensure justice is done,” he said.

Buni also called on the residents to remain calm and law-abiding as an ongoing investigation would be pursued to its logical conclusion.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Kano State Government is set to provide equipment and other relevant working materials to Hisbah offices to enhance operational capabilities.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by the Kano State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Dr Muhammad Tahir Adam, made the disclosure at the passing out parade of five hundred Hisbah corps.

Ganduje commended the efforts and commitments of the staff and management of the Hisbah Board in discharging their responsibilities.

He also called on the Kano residents to complement the government’s efforts by abiding by rules and regulations to maintain a crime-free society.

Speaking at the event, the commander general of the board, Sheikh Harun Muhammad Sani Ibn Sina, urged parents and guardians to be more vigilant. 

He said, “I call on the parents and guardians to be more vigilant and report any suspected person or character to relevant authorities to move the state forward.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

Unknown gunmen trooped into Dutsinma town of Katsina State and abducted the relative of the state APC gubernatorial aspirant, Umar Tata.

Daily Trust reported that some of the victims were wedding guests and were kidnapped to unknown destination by the shooters.

Confirming the incident, a resident, who preferred anonymity, said, “We have just returned from the house where the incident happened, we commiserated with the families of the victims.

“It (banditry) is really becoming worrisome and we are appealing to the security agencies to rose to the occasion,” he added.

Speaking to journalists, also another resident stated that the bandits initially kidnapped nine people at Unguwar Kudu quarters of the town but three were later released.

He added, “First, they abandoned an elderly woman who could not trek, with a small boy who was continuously crying. Then when they went further.

“There was a time the bandits came to Dutsinma for four consecutive days and kidnapped people. The situation has become worse and we are really disturbed,” the source said.

The Daily Reality could not reach the Katsina State Police Spokesman, SP Gambo, for confirmation as all attempts turned fruitless.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has clarified that the 2023 general election results would be transmitted electronically.

Mr Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC , disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, August 21, 2022.

Mr Okoye said the clarification becomes necessary as a result of a misunderstanding which arose from an interview.

He further stated that there will be no deviation from the manner in which the recent Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections were conducted.

The statement party reads :

“For clarity, the procedure for result transmissions remains the same as in recent Governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States. There will be no change in all future elections, including the 2023 General Election.

We wish to reassure Nigerians that the electronic transmission of result has come to stay. It adds to the credibility and the transparency of the process when citizens follow polling unit results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on real-time on Election Day. There will be no change or deviation in subsequent elections.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has commiserated the death of a renowned Kano businessman and industrialist, Alhaji Uba Leader.

Leader was a famous businessman. He died Saturday in Abuja at 77, leaving several children and grandchildren behind.

While commiserating with the family, Ganduje, represented by his Deputy, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, said Leader’s death was a significant loss to the entire nation, a statement Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Hassan Musa Fagge, disclosed.

In part, the statement read, “Alh. Uba Leader was among the businessmen who contributed to the development of the economy and making Kano the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria.

“He had lived a life of selfless service contributing to humanity through his philanthropic activities creating jobs for the less privileged.”

The Governor prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive his deeds, grant him Jannatul Firdaus and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

By Aliyu Nuhu

It is obvious that the Nigerian government can rescue the train victims if it seeks outside’s technology. There are many options including combat gas that could neutralize the terrorists without any harm to the captives.

Russia used Opiate Fentanyl, a non-combat gas, meant for medical use to rescue people held in a theater. There were casualties because that gas should never have been used because people will need oxygen immediately after inhaling it to be able to survive. If we want non- lethal weapons there are options and we should reach out to Israeli or United States. If we want combat operation we should use Executive Outcome of South Africa. They have the specialty and night vision for rescue operation.

No responsible government will sit down and do nothing for fear of collateral damages, allowing terrorists to dictate terms to it. The Russian rescue mission had unfortunate outcome but it at least stopped future attacks.

In Nigeria you can be sure that this is not the last abduction because of the way we are mismanaging the situation. There are nerve agents that attack people by their DNA, meaning that, in a crowd of a million people, it will only kill the target person whose DNA is locked into the nerve agent.

The drone that killed Ayman Alzawahiri was meant to kill only him without harming his family. The special missile didn’t have explosives but piercing blades. There was no damage even to the building.

The mistake FG always make is talking to the terrorists. Listen to Garba Shehu saying the terrorists asked for their children, a special plane was sent to bring them. They asked for their women and the women were promptly released…, etc. Imagine! Each time terrorists abducted people, the FG will go into negotiation frenzy, begging them, giving them money, releasing captives and even sending them hard drugs and vehicles. That is a fatal mistake. It is the reason why abductions continue to fester. The terrorists don’t fear Nigerian government. They are even threatening to abduct the president. Worst is that they are in Nigerian soil. No terrorist can hold hostage in America or Israel. No way!

The FG should learn from United States and Israel. They are terrorists’ biggest customers. When terrorists commit crimes against America or Israel, the two countries don’t talk to them. What will follow is silence. The two countries don’t negotiate or listen to any demand. Then, you will see the terrorists becoming confused and going into hiding because they know their days are numbered, that death will come anytime because the CIA and Mossad are only gathering intelligence and planning. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. One day a terrorist leader will be driving and a drone will come from the skies and in seconds he is gone. One day he will be sleeping in his well hidden abode and in faraway Pakistan and commandos will fall from the sky and he is dead. One day he will just peep through the balcony and his head is cut off by a blade carrying missile.

A certain Hamas leader who was well disguised and relaxing in a Dubai hotel received a basketball dressed operatives of Mossad in the hotel that left him dead.

If we can’t do it, there are assistance waiting for us. We should seek help. We should train our security agents on it because terrorists have come to stay unless we stop talking to them and start seeking and killing them. The only language terror understands is violence.

But in Nigeria, we have leaders that don’t think at all and I am honestly disappointed with Buhari because he is a retired infantry general.

For violent crimes we need a special military tribunals to deal with them under the security situation we find ourselves. The president has powers to declare security emergency in the country. It means due process will be set aside and violent criminals will no longer face regular courts. The judges are afraid of adjudicating cases involving terrorists and kidnappers because of attacks on them and their families. They are human beings. A judge granted bail to kidnapper in Zaria because according to him his life was threatened. Also we don’t have hangmen to carry out execution.

Cases of kidnapping, terrorism and banditry are federal crimes handled by the attorney general and minister for justice. The man is busy pursuing money and political office to even think of his most important responsibilities. He also failed to delegate his powers to the state attorney generals.

The government cannot just fold its hands and watch. It must think of something and in that case firing squad is the answer under military courts. The military have no compunction taking human lives, they are trained to kill. Boko Haram and Ansaru are committing war crimes and anywhere in the world, war crimes are for special military tribunals, but in Nigeria, the criminals stay safe!

By Kabir Musa Ringim

As a graduate of Computer Engineering and holder of MSc Information Technology, I’m sceptical to write about this topic which is quite controversial, because of the divergent views by two opposing groups of people about it. I will explain this later.

The world is currently in the information age, also known as the computer age. Although it began in the mid-20th century, characterized by a shift from a traditional industry established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy primarily based upon Information Technology, the biggest challenge now is how robots have started taking over many jobs previously meant for humans.

While the innovation of technology has dramatically improved our day-to-day activities, it has also proven that we no longer need actual human beings to help with many of today’s jobs soon, thanks to robotics.

A robot is a machine programmable by a computer capable of carrying out complex actions automatically. According to the Britannica dictionary, a robot is any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort. However, it may not resemble human beings in appearance or perform functions in a humanlike manner. By extension, robotics is the engineering discipline dealing with robot design, construction, and operation.

As the definitions above show, robots are here to replace humans in workplaces, markets, the army, etc. Though robots are still under development, the history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. During the industrial revolution, humans developed the structural engineering capability to control electricity so machines could be powered with small motors.

Already, machines and robots have started replacing humans in many workplaces like banks, industries, markets, and media houses in Nigeria. For example, automated Teller Machines (ATMs) allow banks to employ few tellers, while the internet enables them to have few customer care representatives. Nowadays, you don’t need a hardworking secretary to type your work when you can easily dictate to a computer what you want to write and get it printed.

Office workers in public and private institutions have already started feeling the heat. A robot can do a job that 20 persons can handle in a week in a day. Governments now give less priority to office workers and more priority to the health and education sectors when it comes to employment and recruitment. But it is just a matter of time before this status quo changes because the education and health sectors will soon start experiencing the tsunami of job loss.

Soon, schools don’t have to recruit many teachers when a single tutor from anywhere in the world can teach thousands of students online and have their exams and tests marked by a computer program or robot.

Health institutions will soon require the services of a few health workers, medical doctors, and consultants since a patient can get a prescription for himself by talking to a robot or chatting with a consultant that renders online services. Also, robots can soon perform surgeries. 

Security outfits will face massive job loss with the development of robot police and soldiers. A robot will be stronger, more loyal, more reliable, and more accurate than humans, in addition to it being a machine, as such, emotionless and immortal. Moreover, one robot can fight thousands of humans on a war front. Drones are now more preferred than having an air force officer flying a warplane to enemy camps.

Media houses like TV and radio stations don’t need to employ OAPs, presenters, newscasters, and language translators in a few decades to come, because machines and computer programs can handle their jobs. Instead, news editors and program managers will simply work on program contents and news and upload them into a special computer program (robot) for presentation, translation, and subsequent casting on air.

Same case with employing sales girls and sales boys at retail stores, shops, and supermarkets. Who will go shopping when people can easily order what they want to buy online and get it delivered to their doorstep? Likewise, cleaners, houseboys, office messengers, cooks, and labourers will all cease to exist because of robots.

Other jobs that robots will take away from humans include, but are not limited to, telemarketing, automated shipping services, sewer management, tax preparers, photograph processing, data entry work, librarians and library technicians, etc.

But with all that I mentioned above, I’m not trying to spell doom for the next generation of youth who will graduate from school and start looking for jobs in a few decades. As I have stated from the beginning, there’s a divergent view on the topic. Some people view robotics as a weapon to wipe out humans from industries, the military, offices, workplaces, etc. In contrast, others view it as a significant development that will improve lives, which is needed to be embraced by all.

For me, humans by nature, since time immemorial, have had survival instincts, and no technological development was able to render people jobless. If a job is no longer in existence, humans will always find themselves a better alternative. When industrial machines came into being in the 19th century and replaced millions of menial labourers, humans found a way to survive them; the same way robots will be integrated into our daily lives. By the way, remember that humans make these machines and robots, not the other way round.

Kabir Musa Ringim is HOD Computer Engineering, Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia, Jigawa State.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Idris Jere, the Nigeria Immigration Department’s (NIS) interim comptroller general (CG), has stated that the service is now seeking to hire an additional 5,000 officers.

This, according to Mr Jere, was made to help the NIS fill a manpower shortage, he said while answering questions from reporters in Dutse on Saturday.

“With regards to inadequate personnel in the NIS, as you know, we’ve just concluded recruitment into the service, and we’re training those recruits now.

“As you’re also aware, the government has placed embargo on recruitment, but lifted that on security agencies, because security is key.

“So, we’ve written to the President and I’m very sure we will get approval to recruit about 5,000 more personnel into the NIS,” Mr Jere said.

He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had received a memorandum from Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, who expressed his readiness to grant the request.

The CG travelled to Jigawa to visit hospitalized personnel and offer condolences to the family of one of its officers, who was slain on August 9 by suspected bandits.

The personnel were attacked at one of the Immigration Service’s bases in the state’s Birniwa Local Government Area, which is along the Birniwa-Galadi axis.