Opinion

By Ibrahim Ahmad Kala, LL.M

“NDLEA seizes 48,000 Tramadol tabs, 22 UK, France, Portugal passports” – Punch, January, Monday 31st, 2022;

“NDLEA arrests Indian businessman for ‘smuggling 134,700 bottles of codeine”- The Cable of February 13, 2022;

“NDLEA Nabs Suspected Drug Baron Behind N3bn Tramadol Linked To Abba Kyari’s Team” – Channel news, Monday, April 25, 2022.

“NDLEA seizes 1.1 tonnes of Tramadol, 396 kg of codeine syrup in Kaduna” – NewsDirect -April 28, 20220;

“NDLEA uncovers N22bn worth of Tramadol after arrest of Abba Kyari’s accomplice” – Daily Nigeria May 3, 2022; and

“NDLEA Seizes 34,950 Tramadol, Diazepam Capsules Enroute To Boko Haram” – Daily trust, Saturday 5th June, 2021.

The above are some of the recent striking headlines that often hit the news stands in both the online and mainstream media in respect of the Federal Government effort to arrest the rampant abuse of what are termed as “controlled” or “restricted” over-the- Counter (OTC) drugs in the country.

According to Wikipedia, OTC drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescription.

Such OTC drugs include Codeine, Tramadol, Diazepam and all other Analgesics within their genre. The 2020 Nigeria Essential Medicines List, 7th Edition issued by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Ehanire Osagie, restricts the usage of such Narcotic analgesics.

Their restrictions is no doubt connected with their common abuse nowadays in various ways that range from abortion ro sexual enhancement, from halluscination to crimes aiding tranquilizers.

It is therefore, evident that these OTC drugs have outlived their usefulness because of the growing number of Nigerians involved in the production, distribution, its use and abuse, and its consequencal effects such as increase in the likelihood of violent behavior and crime, stroke, mental disorder and brain damage.

However, the drugs control laws and policy have not produced the desired result of curbing the production, trafficking and abuse of these dangerous drugs and substances. To be specific, all these OTC drugs which are mostly Narcotic analgesics being usually prescribed by medical officers for the treatment of mild and severe pain to patients across the country, but now abused by unscrupulous few in the society, have not been clearly proscribed, criminalized, banned, and or outlawed.

The Minister, via his administrative fiat or directive, merely restrict and controlled its sale and usage. The ineffectiveness of the country’s drug laws and policy may be attributed to several factors one of which is that the drug policy and laws are formulated and implemented without the benefit of rigorous knowledge, research and review on them, and their effective enforcement.

For instance, the highbrow grains of Section 19 of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, LFN, 2004 – the principal drugs legislation where most drugs charges in courts basically drive its validity and vitality provides as follows: “Any person who, without lawful authority, knowingly possesses the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroine or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and not exceeding 25 year”.

This section, as faulty and inadequate as it is, has been X-rayed by Nigerian Courts in plethora of cases, exposing the futile attempt by the NDLEA to bring within its fold, such Narcotic analgesics in the category of Tramadol, Diazepam and Codeine that do not fall within the category of negative drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroine within the ejesdem rule of “or any other similar drugs” stated in section 19 of the NDLEA Act.

This indeed, serves as escape route for drugs cartels to go unpunished in the aftermath of their trial in such drugs related cases. That is why whenever I see these headlines that a person is arrested in possession of these so called “controlled” or “restricted” drugs, I shrug in disapproval, having known very well that such person(s) would never be found guilty of what has never been criminalized in the country.

That section 19 of the Act seems to have created micro elements of the drugs offence, apart from the basic criminal elements of actus reus and mens rea. Namely: i. being knowingly in possession; ii. Without lawful authority; and iii. The drug being confirmed a prohibited or controlled drug. See Ugochukwu v. FRN (2016) LPELR – 40785 (CA).

These micro essential elements of the offence were later held in Eze v. FRN (2018) LPELR – 46112 (CA) to be four, namely; 1. The Defendant was found in possession; 2. The Defendant possess the drugs without lawful authority; 3. The Defendant has the knowledge of the substance in possession to be drugs; and 4. The drugs are proved to be cocaine, LSD, heroin or any similar drugs. See also Ugwanyi V. FRN (2013) All FWLR (Pt. 662) 1655 @ p. 1664.

However, such bifurcation of the ingredients from 3 to 4 is understandably for more elaboration, which does not wear away the substance and efficacy of the section under the Act. These ingredients have to be proved conjunctively to sustain a charge against the Defendant under the Act.

The one that is vital to my point among these micro elements, is “the drug being confirmed a prohibited or controlled drug” or “the drugs are proved to be cocaine, LSD, heroin or any similar drugs.”

This particular element embedded in section 19 of the Act was espoused in the case of Emeka Eze v. FRN (supra). Here the Appellant had made his way to Jimeta Modern Market to collect a consignment of goods comprising of 4 cartons of Tramadol. In the process of evacuating the goods, he was confronted by the officers of NDLEA, who, acting on information, arrested him and seized the cartons.

He was later charged under section 19 of NDLEA Act, but he argued that Tramadol has not been criminalized in Nigeria. While agreeing with the Appellant, the court held that Tramadol does not fall within the ejusdim genre classes of “any other similar drugs” negative to the ones such as cocaine, heroine and LSD listed under section 19 of the NDLEA Act, and the fact that it’s been abused by unscrupulous few people in the society does make its possession and usage illegal.

A drug being merely controlled or restricted without more is not illegal. Consequently, the Appellant was discharged and acquitted.

All I am saying is that category of narcotic analgesics such as Tramadol, Diazepam and Codeine that bring more harm than relief to our youths should be specifically banned and criminalized in the country having outlived their usefulness. New alternatives may be offered that have little or no narcotic effects on the health and well-being of the citizens.

Indeed, the essence of this piece is to celebrate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, though belated, which was marked on 26th June every year, to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving the goal of a world free of drug abuse.

Ibrahim Ahmad Kala, LL.M can be reached via Ibrokalaesq@gmail.com

By Hamza Muhammad Tasiu 

Let’s imagine this: 

You are a young mother. You leave Kaduna a few days earlier for a task in Abuja. After finishing the task, you call your husband and tell him that you will be coming back and that he should buy your best food from your best restaurant for you. You tell him how badly you miss him. You tell him that you’ve bought his favourite perfume for him. You even tell him that he should tell your little daughter that you have bought her a special present from Abuja.

And given that this is the first time you go to Abuja, you tell him that you have a lot of stories from the nation’s capital. So you stop and buy your mother apples and pineapples on your way to the train station. You also buy a new shirt for the Almajiri that runs errands for you.

You leave Idu station at 6 pm and are scheduled to arrive at Kaduna’s Rigasa train station by 8 pm. On the train, you say salaam to the other occupants and shake their hands. You smile at a little girl, and she smiles back. Her cute smile injects you with a dose of happiness you’ve not felt in a long time. The woman sitting next to you is an elderly woman in her late 60s. She looks like your mother. She starts a conversation, and, before long, you feel at home with her. You talk about a lot of things with her. You talk about the month of Ramadan and how you plan to spend it. You even tell her your readiness to fast throughout Ramadan as your ulcer seems to become dormant lately. She complains that she cannot fast as she is on medication. She says she will fast after finishing her drugs. 

Not more than 30 minutes into your journey, that woman now seems like someone you have known for many years. Amidst the exciting conversation you are having, she suddenly falls asleep. You want to continue the conversation but feel it uncourteous to wake her up from sleep. You allow her to continue sleeping. Before long, you also get overpowered by sleep due to the exhaustion from your work in Abuja. Suddenly, you wake up to the sounds of explosions and gunshots. In what seems like the twinkle of an eye, all the unlucky passengers are rounded up by the terrorists. They rain all sorts of abuse on you and force you to walk for tens of kilometres on foot in the bush.

Days have now become months, and you are still under the pharaonic care of these terrorists. You look at that older woman, and you feel sorry for her. Her health is deteriorating as she does not have the drugs that she takes three times a day. She often tells you in the night: “Zan mutu ‘ya ta. Ga ruwa, ga sauro, ga yunwa, ga duka, ga jinya. Ba zan iya ba. Karfi na ya kare!” But you give her words of encouragement and ask her to keep on, promising her that God will bring help.

Your comments seem to boost her spirit. She says to you: “Allah Ya miki albarka ‘ya ta. Da ba dan ke ba, da bansan inda zan sa kaina ba.” As soon as she closes her mouth, one of the terrorists says to her: “Idan ba kiyi shiru ba hajiya, zan zane ki wallahi! Kar kiga shekarun ki, yanzu zakiyi kuka wallahi! Kin manta dukan da aka muku da safe koh?” 

The elderly woman then says, somehow inaudibly: “Ya Allah ka saka mana. Ka mana hisabi da wadanda suka daurawa kansu nauyin kare mu amma suka banzantar da nauyin da suka daurawa kan su, amin.” As if someone has put her on a speaker, all the kidnapped victims say, “amin” in a resounding voice. The terrorists then descend on them, beating them mercilessly, saying: “Mu zaku hada da Allah? Wallahi zamu kashe ku gaba daya! Matsiyata kawai! Tsinannu! Idan ba a bamu kudi ba, wallahi sai mun kashe ku duka! Wahalallun banza! Dangin matsiyata!” You become angry because of the abuses they rain on you because you are someone your people highly respect, but then you remember there’s nothing you could do.

Back at home, your little daughter has been waiting for you for more than 100 days! All she can do is to pray to Allah to rescue you. She often tells her father: “Baba ni na hakura da present din, kawai ni mama nake so na gani. Dan Allah ka dawo da ita!” The father goes into his room and cries because there’s nothing he can do. He raises his hands in prayer: “Verily, the most helpless of people are those that are unable to ask for Your help. We ask for Your help regarding these servants. Rescue them, Ya Allah!

If this story touches you, then wait a minute and reflect on what the kidnapped victims are going through. Think of what their families are going through after watching that video. It’s devastating, to say the least. May God rescue them! The leadership has failed them!

Hamza Muhammad Tasiu 

By Abdurrazak Muktar Makarfi

Maternal mortality is one of the devastating and heartbroken issues, especially in Africa, where we have many unqualified and fake health personnel, which leads to such menace. In the community where I belong, we don’t value ante-natal. Many think it is not that important; some consider it a waste of time, resources and energy.

Most times, lack of awareness to some people is negligence and ignorance to many. I once heard someone saying, how could I allow my wife to deliver in hospital while she’s fit and healthy? I don’t blame him even once because our health personnel’s attitude discourages many people from going to the hospital for ante-natal.

The attitude of health personnel in the hospital is absurd. I sometimes feel like absconding whenever I hear a nurse screaming and yelling at pregnant women; some even raise their hands to beat them! This happens at the time of delivery, which makes it more unfortunate.

Government, religious leaders, community elders and traditional rulers advocate that daughters must be educated, especially in the health sector, where we are lacking. However, to my dismay, when they are, they turn black eyes and become arrogant by yelling at women to show they are superior. Some of those they shout at are old enough to be their grandmothers. What a shock!

On the other hand, research has shown that 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries, but why? It may be because of the complications that occur during pregnancy and childbirth. Most of the complications can be managed, but the woman may end up dying due to a lack of skilful health personnel.

Furthermore, most maternal deaths are caused by the following: Severe-bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth), which can kill a healthy woman within hours if left unattended. Injecting oxytocin immediately after childbirth effectively reduces the risk of bleeding.

Infection after childbirth can be eliminated if good hygiene is practised and early signs of infection are recognised and treated promptly.

Pre-eclampsia should be detected and appropriately managed before the onset of convulsions (eclampsia)and other life-threatening complications. Administering drugs such as magnesium sulphate can prevent pregnant women from developing eclampsia.

Poverty-stricken women living in remote and slum areas are least unlikely to receive adequate health care; this is likely my region where we have a low number of skilled health workers.

Cultural practices: These are the things like local surgeries (episiotomy called “yankan gishiri” in Hausa) done by traditional birth attendants without or with inadequate knowledge about the birth canal. They remove the vulva and vaginal, causing damage to some tissues resulting in fistula formation and easily causing infection, which may lead to maternal mortality.

I hope my people will heed some of the things I mentioned as the direct or indirect causes of maternal mortality, i.e. death of a woman while pregnant or within forty-two (42) days after delivery.

Abdurrazak Muktar Makarfi wrote via prof4true1@gmail.com.

By Yakubu Aliyu

A huge global empire machination is afoot to put a wedge among major Nigerian nationalities, the Hausa and Fulani, to weaken the social and cultural fabric of the North and the Muslim Ummah, for eventual onslaught to take over the mineral deposits under our soil, now that oil and gas are no longer paying off as they historically used to.

Again, this kind of discussion that is promoted by tech giants like Twitter is deliberately orchestrated to lay the basis for putting Nigeria in a perpetual low intensity conflict, and warfare, meaning ba gaba, ba baya, and become incapable of confronting and dealing with the asymmetric war now being waged against the North, in the form of insurgency, via Boko Haram terrorism and armed banditry, by the global empire.

The objective is to distract the Nigerian state and pave the way for the continuous looting of our wealth and resources without invading us like Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

Now simple words like kaɗo and haɓe that have been used from time immemorial without disrupting the social harmony between the two nationalities are deliberately being given new meanings, misinterpreted, and weaponized. Firstly, for politics, and secondly to serve the purposes of the global agenda.

Fulbe and Hausa people have coexisted even before Hausa became the umbrella identity of the communities that existed right from Songhai Empire to the pre-existing Hausa states.

That process has been on-going even before the Jihad that brought about the Hausanisation of the Fulbe and the Fulanisation of the Hausa across the expanse of Northern Nigeria.

There are many dimensions to this process such that many have lost their previous identity and have taken on a new one. This transformation is about to be halted and replaced with internecine animosity, instigation, and reminders of distant unpalatable historical engagement.

The unity that has been seamlessly sealed and enabled by Islam is being shattered by flippant debates and enthroning ethnic identity over a more all-encompassing universal identity.

We are now regressing back to Assabiyya, the stage Ibn Khaldoun associates with primitivism, a stage we passed through well before the enlightenment brought to us by Islam and the exposure to local and international communities brought by trade and migration that have positively impacted our outlooks. All on the alter of the quest for political power.

The dimension this unnecessary nay abhorent online schism is taking has similitude with how some hatchet historians, some years ago tried to bifurcate the aspirations of the Kanuri from that of the Fulani through historical revisionism of the exchanges that took place between Usman bin Fodiye and Elkanemi of Borno at the beginning of the Jihad.

The Northerners of Hausa and Fulani stock who are also Muslims should be careful of the machinations of these merchants of carnage. We have not yet addressed our sectarian religious differences, and if we are not careful enough, we will be adding the altercations over who is Fulbe or Haɓe to the mix.

Okay, goodluck to us all.

Aliyu Yakubu writes in from Abuja and he can be contacted via his email address aliyakubus@gmail.com

By Hussaini Hussaini

Like any other election, the NBA Elections, 2022 has come and gone with winners and runner-ups (not losers). But, of course, not without some cries.

In every contest, it is incumbent that one contestant must be the victor, and the other will lose that opportunity to be in the winner’s position. It is painful to lose in a sports competition, literally being a contest for gold, silver, and bronze. Hence, the word “sportsmanship” explains the endurance required of a loser in a sports competition.

However, it is different when it comes to a leadership contest in which a person who believes in his capacity to serve certain people or organizations presents himself for election. On the one hand, their election ought to be defined as a win for the organization that now has a servant. But, on the other hand, defeating his co-contestants ought to be described as a relief for those contestants from the burden of service.

Defeat in an election is another opportunity for a defeated contestant to rethink his manifesto and plans for his constituents if he genuinely means service to them. It is also an opportunity to rebuild their personal relationship with voters.

A candidate in an election is presumed to have vied for that office out of love for his constituents. This, therefore, presupposes that the said candidate respects those he is presumed to love and their choices because the election itself determines the choice of those constituents.

An election is not a do-or-die affair. Any candidate who takes it otherwise and creates animosity before or after an election will never make a good leader. This is a religious injunction in my faith of Islam. I have seen similar biblical rulings like Proverbs 28:25, which states: “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.”

NBADECIDES2022 was an election for the leadership of the noblest profession in Nigeria. But, unfortunately, within less than 24 hours of the conduct/declaration of the results, several, apparently sponsored, persons or those crying more than the bereaved were seen maligning the candidates-elect and the ECNBA, the electoral umpire.

Having said the above, conceding an apparent defeat in an election by a candidate does not depict the candidate as weak. On the contrary, it simply presents the candidate as a hero who meant his words by respecting the choice of the people he sought to lead. The example of former President Jonathan is not far away, and the sad contrary situation could be seen in Ivory Coast.

In short, the fruit of conceding an apparent defeat may provide several opportunities and consideration to a runner-up candidate over and above what his election would have otherwise provided.

I hope this piece will be found worthy.

Hussaini can be reached via hussaini4good@gmail.com.

By Aisha Musa Auyo

There’s this widespread belief that going into marriage makes one complete. It’s one area that most couples have gotten wrong. We can probably blame our movies and fairytales for most of it. But, perhaps, it’s a mere misappropriation of the word ‘complete’ in relation to marriage.

It makes a great storyline that someone can come into your life and complete you. The problem is that you are already a complete person, created by Allaah with or without someone else in your life.

If you have perceived lacks and weaknesses, you need to seek Allaah, your Creator alone, to help you fill those spaces, not another person. As long as you feel you must have another human to complete you, you are a danger to them and yourself.

No one within themselves can fill you with everything you need. You will drain your spouse with unrealistic expectations, and when you finally discover that they cannot provide all that you need, you will become dissatisfied and frustrated. You will begin to think that you may have made a mistake picking your spouse, which could tear you two apart.

Now, suppose you begin to put your spouse in proper perspective, realizing that Allaah allowed you two to come together and complement one another with each other’s unique characteristics and strengths. In that case, you can then learn to appreciate your spouse without draining them.

Learning how to lighten the relationship with each other’s talents and abilities enhances and improves your lives together. This is not always the most straightforward key to understand and embrace, but as you figure it out, it will allow much of the tension in your home to drain away.

Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology, a mother of three, a Home Maker, caterer and parenting/ relationship coach.

By Nasiru Tijjani

The role of guidance, counselling, and mentoring in our interaction remains strategic and fundamental for achieving one’s goals and objectives. Doubtless, none of us is perfect enough not to be mentored, guided, counselled or nurtured at one point or another. Therefore, mentors, parents, counsellors, teachers and the likes are vested with the power of educating the teeming youth on the implication of age in one’s life.

Honestly, age is one of the problematic issues that need to be treated with extreme caution. But unfortunately, the problem appears to be common even among the students of tertiary institutions, civil servants, corp members and business people. Initially, the issue cannot be divorced entirely from ignorance, carelessness, poor mentorship, parental attitude toward learning, policy review and implementation, selfishness and what have you. Therefore, age is needed in every situation to meet a particular requirement for admission, job or anything.

In Nigeria, as we grow older, our services are no longer needed in some institutions. Accordingly, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has classified ‘date of birth’ as one of the fields in the data of a person to be non-updatable and non-modified unless an approved fee of ₦15,000 is paid. Meanwhile, the country’s birth certificate is issued to the citizens by the Nigeria National Population Commission. However, until recently, ‘date of birth’ has not received proper attention from the youth, parents, teachers, mentors, etc. UNICEF (2016) has reported that only 30 per cent of  Nigerian children under the age of five (5) have their births registered. Meanwhile, the country had one of the highest average birth rates in the world between 2010 and 2015.

In the academic arena, date of birth has denied many people access to secure admission into higher learning institutions at national and international levels. For instance, a friend of mine was recently denied admission to an undergraduate programme in Sudan. The university management told him that was due to his age.

In addition, the National Examination Council (NECO) has reviewed its policy in 2020 and mandated that ‘date of birth’ be written on the candidates’ results. Furthermore, the National Youth Service Corps has introduced a new policy in the year 2020, which states that the date of birth must be written on the national certificate to guard against age falsification. Before this, the NYSC  policy had mandated that graduates should not be or exceed 30 years of age to be enrolled on the scheme. Therefore, with this mandate, many graduates end up collecting exemption letters.

Returning to civil service, ‘date of birth’ has sent many civil servants to early retirement. I discussed with someone who lamented that he had unceremoniously and unduly retired from service due to the age written on his documents. In contrast, his colleagues are still in the system, for they have no problem with age. I trust you have a lot to say on this case. In Nigeria, for example, the retirement age of civil servants is 60 years by birth and 35 years in service. However, on January 20, 2021, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a bill to increase teachers’ retirement age and service years. With the bill in effect, teachers are now to retire at 65 years by birth and 40 by service.

Furthermore, no one can deny that banks attach value to the topic of discussion, and due to this, many people, including the writer of this piece, have suffered the pain of having dual dates of birth. Without hesitation, I can attest that many accounts have been restricted and closed due to irregularities in age. Equally, many transactions have been denied, cancelled or withheld by the banks’ managements. I trust you can give an example of the victim of the problem.

In sum, the issue of ‘date of birth’ should not be treated slightly…Therefore, one will be at an advantage if one pays attention to the date of birth. Because of this, the following recommendations will be helpful:

• One should ensure they have a unique and standard date of birth.

• Parents should be cautious by avoiding anything that will jeopardise their children’s future, such as negligence to NIN enrollment.

• Parents should endeavour to register the birth certificates of their children in time or right at a tender age.

• Birth certificates or date of birth should be committed to memory so that forgetfulness and what have you will not strike between what is and what ought to be.

• No reason, or whatsoever, will warrant you to allow your friends to use your dates of birth.

Nasiru Tijjani writes from Gwaram Tsohuwa, Jigawa State. He can be contacted through tijjaninasiru@gmail.com.

By Babatunde Qodri

The heated arguments for and against Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima’s joint ticket started when the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) paid a courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State. The party’s flag bearer hinged his decision on the expedient need to perpetuate the stay of the ruling party in power. But, laudable as it may seem to APC lovers, Nigerians outside the ruling camp have faulted the decision citing likely consequences.

However, this short piece was inspired by a passionate conversation between one of my mentors and me. He frustratingly shared his view on the joint ticket, stressing that it is at variance with the country’s mood, especially regarding religion. According to him, the ticket became inevitable for the ruling party bent on winning elections without minding the implications for the people. He added it’s unarguably a design for electoral victory and will be tested at the polls. I agree with him.

Nigeria is a religiously polarized entity managed by politicians who deploy religion as a tool for political advantage. In a glaringly fragile country like ours, one would expect that every political decision should be underscored by the religious sensibilities of the people, at least for peace. But instead of politicians to consider this, they go about politics that stands detrimental to the country. This is what the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket suggests.

This is not to pander to the sentiments of some religious bigots whose outcry is rooted in what they stand to benefit from the calculation. Instead, it’s instructive to note that every political calculation that disregards the need for balance must be challenged. Of course, nations of the world develop without recourse to some silly religious sentiments. However, we need to be reminded that Nigeria, giving its very foundations, has been tied to religion, a consideration that political players must pay attention to.

Some might want to remind me of the June 12 1993, presidential election. Others might also talk about the 1979 election involving Azikwe-Audu and Awolowo-Umeadi combinations. Even in Nigeria of those innocent years, this presidential election ended in favour of Shehu Shagari, who used Alex Ekweme as his running mate. Nigeria is dreadfully divided along religious lines, thanks to our putrid politics. What about those who have justified the Tinubu-Shettima ticket based on competence? I have this answer for them.

Nigeria is a generously blessed country. We have Muslim technocrats who can do well in politics, so there are intelligent Christian politicians. The late President Musa Yar’adua, during his brief time in the office, used Goodluck Jonathan while Jonathan partnered with Namadi Sambo. These running mates did all they could in the course of serving their principals. If not for a decision made in response to the threat posed by influential candidates such as Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwanso (NNDP), what else explains the hypocrisy of the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket? Whatever it means to you, this decision would negatively affect the country in the following ways.

There would be an ethnoreligious tension in the country. There is no denying that ethnicity is inevitably bound to religion here. Our politics is deeply situated in religion and ethnic affiliations. Hence, people vote for a party based on how much such attunes to their religious and ethnic sentiments. And any political decision that trivializes these fundamentals might be thrashed away, and the country journeyed into needless rancour.

Plus, the ticket will hamper the chances of the ruling party in 2023. Some have argued that it’s not a threat since most votes come from the North, a region that overwhelming installed Buhari’s regime. Those people need to be told that such a point is stale in the context of reality today. Is this nice for the country in the long run? 2023 isn’t far.

Finally, a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a country beset by systemic killings and other vices inspired by religious sentiments isn’t an excellent idea. If our politics continue to disregard the fundamental polarity of Nigeria in terms of region and religion, then I am afraid the result won’t be friendly at all. However, all this is a reflection of Nigeria’s political retrogression. We need a new order where people will be convinced by neither region nor religion as the basis to choose who should lead them. I hope we get there soonest.

Babatunde qodri wrote via babatundelaitan@gmail.com.

By Abdul Mutallib Muktar

It is with excruciating pain that one starts writing something of this nature. It is akin to the pain that hits an inmate upon the renewal of his terms of years in prison. Studying in a Nigerian public university comes with a series of frustrating issues. But for necessity, I seriously doubt if any student would wish to spend more than a year in these problems-wracked public universities.

ASUU has been on strike for about 200 days, and nothing seemed to be wrong until this week when loud voices started roaring in protest of the lingering strike. When ASUU embarked on strike in 2020, Nigerian students spent eight months at home, which sadly prolonged their stay in the university by one year. As ASUU called off the strike that year, students thought things had once again become normal because of the temporary stability of academic activities. On 14 February 2022, the strike news hit our ears while we were receiving lectures in our respective classes. The shock of that news is still in us!

The hope of the final year Law student in public university to make it to the Nigerian Law School this year reached its crescendo before the ASUU strike began. Some of us had already started writing our final year project, while others had even finished. One can imagine the pain of staying for additional two years in the university with no certainty of even rounding up in 2023. It is even more painful when we look at our school ID cards and realise they bear “2021”, our graduation year—seven years for a five-year programme.

As the new session of the Nigerian Law School begins in October this year, Law students in public universities have nothing to do except look at the graduates of private universities and foreign institutions marching into the Nigerian school, most of whom are the children of our leaders. Whether ASUU calls off the strike this month or even backdates it to June, public university students cannot make it to the Nigerian Law School. The year is a waste for us!

What if a miracle would make the public university students make it to the Nigerian Law School this year? And how can this miracle occur? The answer is multifaceted.

Firstly, the Federal Government must be unprecedentedly serious in negotiating with ASUU, showcasing strong sympathy for the condition of service of lecturers and utmost concern for the future of education in Nigeria.

Secondly, the Nigerian Law School’s management should extend its calendar to accommodate candidates from public universities.

Thirdly, after the strike is called off, the management of public universities should rushingly round up the session with some level of leniency to the students.

Lastly, the students must be relentlessly prayerful for the occurrence of this miracle. May these challenges become some form of blessing in disguise.

Abdul Mutallib Muktar is a law student at ABU, Zaria, and can be reached via abdulmutallib.muktar@gmail.com.

By Ubaidullah Alhassan

In this modern era, we mostly complain about the failure and inefficiency of our leaders. This is true as most of them have failed to measure up to our standards and expectations. It has become worse to a point that our ideologies and perception of leadership have been influenced; we feel that all things are the same and the recurrent pattern of failure will remain forever. It is sad enough that little or nothing has been done to make us feel better. Whenever I reflect on the present state of our leadership system, I compare everything to a great man who lived many centuries ago. He is the Muslim hero, Umar ‘Al-Faruq’ the son of Al-Khattab, and also the second successor (Caliph) of the holy prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I always say to myself: “If only our leaders possess one percent of the character of Umar, we would all feel safe and happy.” Our focus should not be on the religion, class, race or tribe of our leaders, but we need to make sure they are able to follow a praiseworthy example which is clearly evident in the beautiful model of the renowned great Caliph Umar.

Before embracing Islam, Umar was a typical figure during the age of ignorance, with a ruthless and savage character. After being blessed with faith, he became altruistic, self-controlled, and meticulous about the law. His harsh and brutal nature metamorphosed  into a merciful and tender one. This even increased when he was appointed as the leader of the Muslims. He became more God-fearing, conscious and affectionate towards his affairs, people and jurisdiction.

As caliph, he was a highly responsible person who always maintained the peace of his community. He would say, “I fear that Allah may ask me about if a sheep is lost by the Euphrates river.” This is such a wonderful statement that shows how much a compassionate leader he was. It is interesting to note that the distance between the river and the Muslim headquarters in Madinah is over 1600 kilometers.

In the evenings, he used to go around the neighborhoods of the city carrying supplies on his shoulders to help the orphans and the needy. He was never satisfied in spirit until he consoles broken hearts, wipes tears from eyes, and makes the downcast to smile. He was much aware of what he had been entrusted with that he worked hard, day and night, to fulfill his task. Yet he was never contented with the services he rendered. He was never at ease. He followed the noble footsteps of his predecessors and he forever remains renowned as a just and praiseworthy leader, for he was in awe of his responsibility.

The basic goal of this venerable man was to ensure the wellbeing of his community. He forgot his own problems and he took on the community’s problems, turning them into his constant concern. He strictly followed the examples set by the Prophet who led before him. He never forgot how much the Prophet suffered and struggled to succeed, and he followed in the Prophet’s sacred track and managed to find the right way.

The most notable of Umar’s caliphate was the vast expansion of Islam. Along with the Arabian Peninsula to Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, and what is today Iran also came under the protection of his government. The wealth of the Byzantine and Persian empires began to flow into Madinah, and the standard of living of the Muslim community began to improve. Yet Umar maintained the same lifestyle that he had followed before. Though his state grew in splendor and its treasuries were overflowing, he kept on giving the Friday sermon in patched clothes. He lived a humble life to protect himself from the seduction of his lower self.

In a famous incident, when Umar traveled to Damascus to put the new Islamic government on a firm footing after the conquest of Syria, he was accompanied by only a single attendant, and rode only a single camel. He suggested to his attendant that the two of them ride the camel by turns. The attendant rejected the offer, saying that the people would be confused. Yet Umar insisted, and made the man get on the camel. As the turns fell out, when the two of them entered Damascus, the servant was riding and the ruler was walking.

He was also known as “Al-Faruq” which means the distinguisher between truth and falsehood. He served as a staunch advocate for justice. He kept all measures in place to avoid any form of corruption, nepotism or mismanagement.

Though he governed an empire, he kept its public funds separate from his private funds. He personally fall into debts and faced difficulties in life. He accepted only a small allowance from the treasury, and living on that amount, led a hand-to-mouth existence. He lived so humble a life that many visitors did not grasp that he was, indeed, the great Caliph Umar. When the people insisted that he increased his allowances, Umar beautifully said: “My two friends and I are like three travelers. The first (the Prophet) reached his place. The second (Abu Bakr, the immediate leader after the Prophet) reunited with the first by following the same path. And I, as the third, wants to join them. If I go over-laden, I won’t be able to catch them! Don’t you want me to be the third traveler on this path?”

The following are beautiful statements made by the great Caliph Umar:

“The one I love most is the one who tells me my faults.”

“Among people whom I do not know, the most beloved to me is the one who has a good name. Among people whom I do know, the most beloved to me is the one who has a good manner. Among people who I am examining, the most beloved to me is the one who speaks the truth.”

“Once a task is postponed, it is difficult to move it forward again.”

“If you do not live what you believe, you will begin to believe what you live.”

“The hidden witness of an evil act is our conscience.”

Indeed there are countless lessons left for us to derive from the exemplary leadership and character of the great Caliph Umar. He is not only an example for all Muslims but also for every leader in the world. If only our leaders could follow the “Umar Model,” we would move from a society filled with selfish, incompetent, irresponsible and inefficient leaders to a one mainly characterised with overall growth and development in every sector.

Ubaidullah Alhassan is from Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.