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By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Four prominent members of Jam’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihd, popularly known as Boko Haram, have turned themselves into Nigerian forces in Borno State.

Commanders Mala’ana (Khalid), a Governor, Abu Dauda (Munzir), Modu Yalee (Commander), and Bin Diska (Nakif) submitted to Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) soldiers on December 12, 2022, when they were patrolling the state’s Gwoza local government area.

This fresh intelligence reveals that the insurgents have emerged from the Sambisa forest where they had been hiding and are now waging terror attacks against the state, according to Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region.

They once served as leaders at the Njimiya camp under Abubakar Shekau. 

Nevertheless, during the invasion of the Sambisa Forest in May 2021, they disarmed and joined ISWAP at Lake Chad, which finally led to Shekau’s demise.

The four Commanders later abandoned ISWAP and fled to Sambisa, where they established a camp and started acting independently.

They were forced to surrender out of fear of being wiped out on the battlefield by a combination of a protracted, increased bombardment on terrorist hideouts and rivalry strikes.

Meanwhile, 83,000 Boko Haram fighters had been captured and were being treated for rehabilitation in Borno State, according to Major General Christopher Musa, the OPHK Theatre Commander.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

The agitation for gender equality could be dated back to the beginning of the 18^th century when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote her book titled A vindication of the right of woman, in which she argues for women’s right to education. The issue rose to cosmopolitan through the 18^th and 19^th centuries when women from different parts of the world began to advocate for gender equality and fight against any act they considered as oppression against women by their opposite gender. They aggressively campaign against patriarchy – admonish it and call for its total abolition.

The central themes of most of their campaigns, as they usually proclaim, are centred around fighting against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence. And also seek equal opportunities as men, and women’s education, among others. They perceived women as being oppressed since the inception of humanity.

But unfortunately, the moral justification of this ideology puts men at a disadvantage. They consistently receive backlash as a predicament of these struggles. Those ardent advocates always consider men as oppressors, narcissists, egoists and self-centred, which causes all the misfortunes in women’s lives. This makes women that are adamant about this ideology highly androgynous.

Androphobia has become part of the ideology per se because most of those promoting it display one aspect of man-hating or the other. The radical ones among them tend to even distance themselves from any intersexual relationship due to their adamant stand on ideology. Do women who do not believe in this ideology have anything to lose? Why are many women against this ideology, and some even consider it evil?

According to major religious beliefs and scientific views about creation, almost all living things are created in pairs (i.e. male and female). The disparity is primarily because of reproduction. Therefore, females alone cannot reproduce without their male counterparts. Contemporarily, in this technologically advanced world, there are certain procedures that some women adopt to conceive without the physical involvement of men in the process. Still, regardless, man has to contribute in one way or the other along the way. That’s in the case of reproduction alone.

Human beings are created with inadequacies. Men tend to be physically stronger than women and can cope with the stressors of life more than women. Women, on the other hand, are meant to be more compassionate than men. They can better take care of the responsibilities of others without being stressed. That is why they tend to play a more significant role in the upbringing of children. Coming together of man and woman to form a family has never been a mistake, but rather to fill up the inadequacies of one another and form a society where morality is respected.

Unfortunately, marriage is the first institution destroyed by those promoting gynocentrism. That is why there is a high increase in the rate of single mothers in the developed world, negatively affecting the upbringing of children and victimising women by increasing the level of their responsibility to the children. Broken homes are mostly a predicament because of this ideology that usually renders many men homeless and distances them from their children.

Suicide among men has been on the rise, caused mainly by judgement issues by family courts in developed countries. The legal system has been tempered to favour women in matrimonial cases, which promotes gynocentrism. Men are being oppressed and victimised worldwide, but sadly, nobody talks about it.

Many rape cases where men were held responsible are just false accusations from women to get revenge for what might have occurred between them. Severally, men have been traumatised mentally over allegations of rape cases against them that have not happened. Men face a series of domestic violence. Many men were sexually molested during their childhood by elderly women, which perverted them in their old age. Men are being oppressed on several occasions by women, but nobody is standing for men, and nobody is advocating for men’s rights.

The equality that promotes gynocentrism advocate is subject to women’s superiority. You’ll be tagged as a misogynist when you talk to them about equality that will strike a balance between men and women.

Injustice can be found everywhere, across gender, race, tribe, etc. There’s no monopoly when it comes to justice or injustice. Anybody can oppress and can be oppressed. Therefore, try to be objective in your approach when calling for equality or justice. Nobody will deny you the right to advocate for your rights, but don’t be unjust in trying to find justice. Know your position in society and respect your social obligations and that of others.

Abdullahi Yusuf is a 400-level student of Health Education at Bayero University Kano. He can be reached via abdoolphd@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

In light of the intense debate over gender in politics and public life in the US and elsewhere, Dictionary.com has named “woman” as its Word of the Year for 2022.

According to Dictionary.com, there has been a significant spike in users looking for the meaning of “woman,” which at its peak increased by 1,400%.

It stated on its website that this year, searches for the word woman on Dictionary.com increased considerably in relation to various high-profile events.

“Our selection of woman as our 2022 Word of the Year reflects how the intersection of gender, identity, and language dominates the current cultural conversation and shapes much of our work as a dictionary,” it said.

The site lists the definition of ‘woman’ as an ‘an adult female person’.

By Ibrahim Garba

The discovery of oil in the north is a national development that is worth celebrating as it would bring about several national developments, provide many employment opportunities to citizens, and enhance the nation’s economic state.

Nigerians, especially northerners, celebrated the news break of the success recorded in Bauchi, north-eastern Nigeria, hoping that the citizens are going to benefit from such a remarkable achievement of president Buhari’s led administration as the Federal Government signed an agreement of establishing a power plant and fertilizer-producing company in the area.

Besides, for oil to be discovered, it has to go through specific series of activities, an operation called SEISMIC, A geological data acquisition operation that leads to the discovery of a hydrocarbon reservoir, which is the key foundation to any success recorded in oil discovery, hence it requires rigorous activities of hard work with persistence and perseverance from the management function and indeed the labourers who are responsible for the entire hard work surrounding the seismic operations.

Also, Seismic is such a difficult job that comes with a series of hard work ranging from carrying and laying heavy loads of cable, drilling machines, and stems, among other equipment and material needed for the operation. It is usual for seismicity to work from 6 am to 6 pm, seven days every week, without any complaints because that is the nature of the work. Still, to JV209, a seismic joint venture between the subsidiary of NNPC Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) and that of China National Petroleum Corporation CNPC, Bureau Geophysical Prospecting (BGP)  workers, the case is different, as the company introduces and succeeded in night operation.

Wholeheartedly the workers stand through thick and thin, thereby enduring the extreme cold weather and highly scorching sunshine of the region as the work cuts across the entire season, where workers often get drenched due to heavy rainfall during the wet season.

The workers on the field are left with no option of which route to follow while working in the bush because the lines to work on are preassigned and therefore have to pass through every nook and cranny, thereby climbing mountains, entering water bodies penetrating through thick forest in the course of discharging their duty.

Notwithstanding, the sacrifices of the workers did not go in vain as the crew recorded the highest production ever in the country and yielded positive results of quality data, and was able to complete an estimated two years project in just a year, which should have been paid for if extended to the said period.

Unfortunately, some workers lament that they were promised a certain amount of money after work by the crew management, which is yet to be fulfilled. Almost every worker was admitted to a crew clinic and some to a medical centre in the state capital during the operation only the sacrifice of staying a year away from our family with a lower salary should be rewarded” and cite their ability to finish two years project in one which if extended to that period they would be paid for it. 

Above all, the government should try and fulfil such promises, as failure is a significant threat to the nation’s security. We are not done with militants, bandits, and insurgents, among other security challenges bedevilling the country’s growth and required development.

The workers should follow the right way of pressing home their demands. This may hinder the progress to the logical conclusion of the project, which will be detrimental to all and sundry.

Ibrahim Garba writes From Bauchi.

By Maryam Augie-Abdulmumin

With the approval of the National Language Policy by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), instruction in primary schools within Nigeria will now be done in the mother tongue. As with every other issue of importance in this country, the policy was greeted with passionate arguments, both for and against. The Government’s decision to promote language learning for greater learning outcomes has been in the making for many years, especially at the lower primary levels. The Federal Government may have officially made it compulsory for the primary mode of instruction to be in the mother tongue. However, this policy has been in practice in most remote communities, especially in the North.

Whilst some arguments against the idea (which we shall review shortly) were valid, it is worth considering the fact that Nigeria is currently facing what is akin to an education emergency. In this regard, whatever little effort is made, especially at the policy level, should be greeted with some positivity whilst exploring ways to augment the effort in the non-governmental and private sectors.

Having said that, it is equally important we explore reasons why this policy might not work. This is because it is only when we clearly understand the hurdles ahead that we will be sufficiently prepared to effectively nurture the policy seed that the Federal Government has planted. Below are three strong reasons advanced against the policy:

The Financial Implication of Educating Children From 500 different ethnic groups.

Without mincing words, I agree with those who say it is unrealistic and unachievable to educate children from over 500 ethnic groups. This is especially true considering that education has always been at the low end of budgetary allocations. Let’s face it, the current economic profile of the nation does not look promising for a radical overhaul of this nature. However, in order to take advantage of this policy and benefit from what technologically advanced countries like China, Germany, and Russia have benefited from for many years, we can start with the low-hanging fruits. By this, I mean let’s start with the three dominant languages – Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.

These languages already have advanced international media backing (BBC Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, for instance) and a copious body of knowledge accessible through search engines like Google. There is a possibility of easily scaling beyond the three languages by leveraging the data and lessons learnt at this phase of the implementation.

The dearth of Qualified Teachers and Instructional Materials

Closely related to funding is the challenge of the dearth of teachers and the availability of adequate instructional materials to implement such a grand overhaul. The truth is even the current system is grappling with the same challenges, so it is an open secret that any change will mean more challenges. However, with what is available through scientific research on the benefits of children receiving instructions through their local languages, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before this issue becomes the front burner of national discourse. And although we don’t have it all figured out, we have to start with what is available. The NCE curriculum makes provision for every college of education in the Federation to have departments of Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba and some provision for the language of the immediate community.

Community ownership, NGO, and private sector support will go a long way in ensuring effective implementation. It is also important to note that whilst the Federal Government makes policies, the responsibility of implementing basic education lies with State Governments. Thus, the onus of ensuring this success will vary from state to state. If, for example, northern governors believe this policy will serve their interest most, they should do everything within their powers to ensure the success of this policy at the state and regional levels. The same may not be a priority for the southern region. What is significant here is how we make this policy work in the best interest of Nigeria’s peace and prosperity.

Favouritism and the Challenge to the Fragile Peace in Nigeria

Viewed from the historical context of education in Nigeria, it is obvious that English is more accessible, learnt and understood in the southern part of Nigeria than in the dominantly Hausa-speaking North, where the region has always relied on the Hausa language for the mass dissemination of information. In such a situation, it is obvious that a policy of this nature will find more fertile ground in the north compared to other regions of the country. But let’s face it, the earlier we speed up access to quality education through whatever medium possible, the better for our country’s peace and prosperity.

The data available on the out-of-school population in Nigeria is disproportionately in the north, and the earlier we bridge this gap, the better for our developmental outcome. In the final analysis, this policy might actually make it more cost-effective and efficient to educate a Nigerian child than the current western-based model.

In conclusion, whilst a radical policy of this nature is bound to be confronted with many obstacles, research and comparative curricular studies have proven that our nation gains from a policy favouring our local languages over foreign languages.

It is true that the English language gives us a platform to compete globally, but the spice is in what is truly ours, our local languages, which tell the stories of history and survival. Let’s not forget that nobody says our own languages cannot gain global dominance under the right circumstances, and it all begins with the curriculum.

Mrs Maryam Augie-Abdulmumin is the Founder and  Executive Director of Illmi Children’s Fund. She can be reached via: info@illmichildrensfund.org.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has pledged to dredge the River Niger, assure that the Onitsha Port is functioning, and revive the economy of the South East.

Atiku made the pledge to party supporters yesterday in Awka, the capital of the Anambra State.

When he met with Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, hours before the start of the campaign, he stated that Soludo had made some of these requests.

Atiku was quoted as saying, “On our arrival today we visited their governor Prof. Soludo, and he said to me. I know you are going to work but make sure that all the federal roads that pass through Anambra State are reconstructed.

“And I promised him, I’m going to do that, he said ‘make sure that you control our erosion, because Anambra is the erosion headquarters of the world. Erosion is destroying our farmlands, is destroying our houses and everything have.

“This is a very gigantic project. And I promised him I’m going to do that, and you know I have worked with Soludo before, he is a first-class patriotic Nigerian.

“You have an excellent governor. He also appealed to me that Onisha port this time around we are going to dredge River Niger and Onisha port will function.

“We are also going to help Anambra industrialize the state so that the state will create as many jobs for our young men and women.”

By Mubarak Shuaybu Shelleng

Before, Adamawa, as a sovereign state, was counted among the most underdeveloped states in Nigeria. Many transitional administrations we had in the past failed to deliver their mandate in providing basic social amenities to the teeming populace.

The incumbent governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, was accurately counted among the few that impeccably excelled in delivering the security, education, health, and infrastructural needs of the state in his first four years in office. Something that is least expected from him. But the man surprised many by changing the narrative in running a system that touched the life of a common man in every nook and cranny of the state.

Unfortunately, none of the past administrations followed the right blueprint on how a committed and effective government should operate the way this current administration is doing.

Interestingly, it’s become a surprise to many that this current administration has succeeded in leaving no single stone unturned when talking about the provision of social amenities and workers’ welfare. A welcomed development that everyone, irrespective of their political parties, is applauding. If truly one has it in mind that we want Adamawa to develop and compete with other states in terms of infrastructural, political, and socioeconomic aspects, then this administration is moving on the right channel.

It’s now general knowledge that little or none among those that voted Fintiri into power regret their action, except those that are not interested in what is called ”Good governance” but focused more on stomach infrastructure. 

More often than not, those who truly had a dream of seeing progressive Adamawa through governance are usually not concerned with political affiliation, religion, or region, among other factors that characterize us as individuals. Rather individuals’ capacity to deliver, based on track record and physical projects, need no further political analysis. Political Candidates that will lead with utmost patience, a high sense of responsibility, and sincerity of purpose. 

Besides, very few among the most sophisticated and critically equipped minds think and analyze issues while keeping their personal biases and prejudice in interpreting and analyzing things that have a direct effect on societal wellbeing. Others find it difficult to think. Thus, remain with no option but to follow the Bandwagon.

The experience, they say, is the best teacher, and with what Adamawa state has been going through for years, regardless of the political party, one can be able to judge fairly on the kind of administration that instantaneously impacted positively the life of all and sundry.

Therefore, it’s high time we learn to turn a deaf ear to self-centred politicians who are influenced by the number of greedy sycophants surrounded with, seeking cheap political gains.

One is at every liberty to criticize or defend a particular divergent political view. But we should not deny the fact that some state governors have performed wonderfully well.

Truth is bitter and difficult to comprehend, but lies are sweet and travel faster than one could ever imagine. Though, understanding the complex game of politics is not for all but a few.

Mubarak Shuaybu Shelleng writes from Yola, Adamawa State.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

An Upper Shariah Court sitting at Kano has sentenced the controversial Kano Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru-Kabara, to death for blasphemy.

Delivering the much-anticipated judgement on Thursday, the presiding judge, Ibrahim Yola, declared the defendant guilty and hereby sentenced him to death by hanging.

The embattled cleric was charged to court by the Kano State Government after making comments deemed blasphemous to the personality of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Before delivering the judgement, the presiding judge said he was convinced that the prosecution did their part and had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

He said: “I am convinced that the prosecution counsel has done their part and proven their points beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Before the conviction of the defendant, the embattled cleric had disowned his lawyer, Aminu Abubakar, in court and interjected his plea for mercy. Mr Abubakar had opined the cleric acted in ignorance.

Abduljabbar Nasiru-Kabara stated that he did not know the lawyer nor needed the court’s mercy. He added that he would die a hero.

The Daily Reality learnt that Abduljabbar was quoted as saying: “I don’t know him. This is the first time I am seeing him. He should not be allowed to speak on my behalf. I can and should be allowed to speak for myself,” he said.

Speaking further, Abduljabbar said: “My lord, after I heard how you twisted all my evidence, you turned around all my submissions upside down, you have assigned words to me that I have never uttered.

“Deliver your judgement, and I am not asking for leniency at all. I want all my followers to know that I will die a hero, and I don’t want you (the Judge) Ibrahim Sarki Yola to do me any favour or grant me leniency. This is my last word. Assalamu Alaikum.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The children of the late Mrs Kudirat Abiola have sued the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari at the ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting at Abuja over the assassination of their mother. The deceased’s children sought different reliefs from the court and a compensation of ten million dollars.

Mrs Kudirat Abiola was allegedly murdered on June 4, 1996, by the military junta of General Sani Abacha while her husband, Moshood Abiola, famously known as MKO Abiola, was in prison at the behest of the Nigerian government

According to reports, Khafilia Abiola, Moriam Abiola and Hadi Abiola are sueing for themselves and on behalf of the other children of the deceased

The Daily Reality gathered that the suit filed on Tuesday and marked ECW/CCJ/APP/62/2022 was filed on their behalf by human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.

The plaintiffs are challenging the “violation of the fundamental human rights to life and dignity of human person of the late Mrs Abiola.”

However, as at the time of filing this report, the court is yet to fix a date for hearing of the case

The Plaintiffs are seeking the following reliefs from the ECOWAS Court:

1. A DECLARATION that the killing of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola by the armed agents of the defendant in Lagos on June 4, 1996 is a violation of her rights to life and dignity guaranteed by articles 4 and 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and articles.
2. A DECLARATION that the refusal of the defendant to charge Sergeant Barnabas Jebila (a.k.a. Rogers) Mohammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako) and Aminu Mohammed Sergeant Barnabas Jebila with murder for the brutal killing of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola in Lagos on June 4, 1996 is a violation of her rights to life and dignity guaranteed by articles 4 and 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and articles.
3. AN ORDER directing the defendant to charge Sergeant Barnabas Jebila (a.k.a. Rogers) Mohammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako) and Aminu Mohammed with murder for the brutal killing of Mrs Kudirat Abiola in Lagos on June 4, 1996.
4. AN ORDER directing the defendant to pay the sum of $10 million to the Applicants as compensation for the unlawful killing of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.”

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had on June 6, 2018 changed the Democracy Day annual celebration from May 29 to June 12. This was done to honour the sacrifices of the Abiola’s family and commemorate the democratic election of MKO Abiola on June 12, 1993.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The management of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), has demanded that more than one thousand students of the institution pay the sum of one thousand naira for their unruly behaviour in the varsity’s campus.

FUL Registrar & Secretary To Council, Dr Rebecca Aimiohu Okojie disclosed this in a memoir she signed and dated Wednesday, December 14, 2022. She noted that the students destroyed a school property and were rude to the members of staff of the university

Consequent of the alleged bad behaviour, the school management requested that the students must do the following:

1. Payment of one thousand naira ( N1000) at resumption in January 2023.
2. Evidence of payment to be presented at Student Affairs Division in order to be cleared to write examination
3. Presentation of Stamped Affidavit of good behaviour from High Court.

The management further condemned the act and urged the students be be of good character.

Part of the memoir reads:

“Management notes with discomfort the unruly and highly condemnable behaviour you displayed during the CBT examination that took place on 6th December, 2022 at the ICT centre Felele Campus. The said unruly behavior behavior led to the damage of university property, in addition to you being rude to Principal Officers at the venue

Federal University Lokoja as an institution of transformative learning, whose certificates and honours must be bagged by students found worthy in both character and learning, has neither place nor tolerance for the kind of reprehensible displayed during the examination under reference.”

However, The Daily Reality gathered that not all the students affected by the general punishment were present on that day for the examination.

An affected student who spoke to the Daily Reality on the ground of anonymity said it was the lack of coordination on the part of the institution that caused the chaos that led to a door being damaged.

“It was lack of coordination that led to chaos and a door being damaged as a result. Many exams were already taken that day and thousands of students couldn’t write the examination. Many suffocated and fainted as a result of their way the school handled the situation.”