International

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Over 1,200 people were killed, and nearly 3,000 were injured when an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale rocked Turkey and Syria.

Local media stated that the earthquake occurred close to the border between the two countries.

Millions of people in the two affected countries, including Israel and Lebanon, were startled from their beds, according to a Monday report by the New York Times.

The Aleppo, Hama, Tartus, and Latakia districts have so far reported 237 casualties, according to the Syrian Health Ministry.

Lebanon and Cyprus were also affected by the strong earthquake that struck at 4:17 a.m. near the Turkish city of Gaziantep at a depth of 17.9 km.

The 10 cities of Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir, and Kilis were reportedly damaged, according to a statement to the media by Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

The Minister said at least 23 fatalities were recorded in the Malatya province, which is northeast of Gaziantep, while 17 fatalities were reported in Sanliurfa, which is in the east, and the remaining fatalities were reported in Diyarbakir and Osmaniye.

According to Xinhua news agency Ahmad Damiriyeh, Syria’s Deputy Minister of Health, general emergency preparations have been implemented for the affected districts, and private institutions have been instructed to accept all injured patients.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Darul Erkam Foundation has fully sponsored three indigenous students of Kano state for undergraduate studies in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Aliyu Yusuf, the Director Public Enlightenment, Ministry of Education Kano State, disclosed this in a statement Friday.

Yusuf said the youths were sponsored following their outstanding performance in the just concluded Reading Competition of the Biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

He added in the statement, “The 3 sponsored students are Muhammad Nasiru Dantiye from Asal College, Fadima Musa Haruna from Kuntau Academy and Al-Amin Sani from Governor’s college.

“In addition to their sponsorship, Muhammad Nasiru Dantiye, who emerged as the overall winner of the reading competition, got a Prize of N700,000 and a Trophy, Fatima Musa Haruna received N650,000 and a Trophy for emerging in the 2nd position, while Al-Amin Sani who emerged the 3rd position received N600,000 and a Trophy.

“Speaking during the presentation of the awards at the coronation Hall of the state government House, Kano, the Commissioner of Education, Rt Hon. Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana expressed gratitude to Darul-Erkam Foundation for the kind gesture.

“The Commissioner noted with great pleasure the various humanitarian activities been rendered not only in Kano but in other states by the Darul-Erkam Foundation, saying only Allah the most gracious can reward them.

“Rt. Hon Yan’shana said he was much happier than any one of you here because this achievement has been recorded during my stewardship as the Commissioner of Education” 

“While congratulating the sponsored students for the height they have attained, he urged them to be good ambassadors of the state and their parents when they found themselves in Istanbul.

“To other participants of the reading competition who also revised different consolation prizes and medals, the Commissioner said they should not be reluctant as more opportunities are coming to their way, stressing that all of them should put into practice what they have read in the Biography of our Noble Prophet.

“In their separate remarks, the Chairmen of Murat Huda Vendigar Vafki Foundation and that of Darul-Erkam Foundation disclosed that the reading competition was part of the Humanitarian activities of the foundations aimed at boosting the reading culture of the participants as well as inculcating the practices of the life of the Prophet Muhammad SAW in their day to day activities.

“During the award presentations, all the participants were given a medal and cash prizes ranging from N5,000 to N200,000 depending on their performance,” the statement concluded.

By Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, PhD

On Friday, I spent the early morning hours participating in a boot camp on negotiation. It was part of the effort of Professor Rand Wentworth to build the capacity of his students in negotiation. The boot camp was facilitated by Monica Giannone.

Immediately after the boot camp ended at 12 pm, my friend Alibek Nurbekov and I proceeded to the Friday prayer. As I was about to enter the prayer hall, Dr Khalil Abdur-Rashid was also arriving. Dr Khalil is the Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University and teaches courses at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Divinity School.

“Sheikh Khalil, welcome back from Umrah,” I said as he made his way into the prayer hall.

“Good to see you, Jameel. I need to talk to you after the prayer,” he said, and I nodded in agreement.

Dr Khalil led a group of students and other members of the Harvard Community to participate in Umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage, where Muslims visit Makkah and perform the Umrah rites. They also visit Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) mosque in Madina and other historical places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I came to know about the Harvard Umrah trip during the welcome orientation for students led by Dr Khalil last year at the beginning of the fall semester. He announced that some donors had provided scholarships for Muslim students to attend the pilgrimage, and he played a video for us on the experience in 2019 when they went on a similar voyage. Many students pledged to join the group for the trip in January.

Organising trips to different countries is a common tradition at Harvard University during the January break. Many trips were organised to Brazil, Singapore, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and more. The Harvard chaplaincy also utilised the break to organise the Umrah from 4th-14th January 2023.

Quoting Dr Khalil, The Harvard Crimson reported that “a generous donation from a graduate of Harvard Business School and a parent of two current Harvard undergraduates allowed the University to offer the trip at no cost to first-generation, low-income Muslim students. The donation for this year’s trip reportedly totalled approximately $100,000.”

As the Friday prayer finished, I waited patiently for Dr Khalil. As he came out, he asked me to walk towards his car. He brought a gift from the car and handed it to me. “This is a gift from the Umrah.” His wife Samia, who is also the female Muslim Chaplain, said, “it is a little gift for your girls.”

I thanked them in appreciation and headed home to enjoy the rest of the evening with my family. You can find the full story on the Harvard Umrah trip entitled “Spiritually Stimulating: Harvard Students Embarked on First Umrah Trip in Four Years.” (https://lnkd.in/et_dEBer).

Takeaway: Spiritual well-being is important in helping students to have a balanced educational experience.

Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, PhD, is a candidate for a Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration at Harvard University, John F Kennedy School of Government. He can be reached via mjyushau@yahoo.com.

By Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel

Consumer goods giant, Unilever has today announced the appointment of Hein Schumacher as the new Chief Executive Officer of the British multinational company. In its press release, the company said Schumacher emerged as the CEO following “an extensive, global search process”.

He will begin as CEO of Unilever on 1st July, 2023, succeeding Alan Jope who in September 2022 announced his intention to retire from Unilever after serving as CEO for about four years.

Hein Schumacher is currently the CEO of Dutch multinational dairy company, Royal FrieslandCampina. He is “a business leader with an excellent track record across multiple leading companies in the consumer goods industry”, the company said in the press release.

“As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, an €11bn turnover business operating in over 40 countries, he has delivered significant portfolio and organisation change as part of transforming it into a more focused, growth-driven and sustainable business”, it continued.

As Unilever CEO, Hein Schumacher will receive annual fixed pay of €1.85m, be eligible to receive annual bonus and Performance Share Plan awards, and relocation support, all in line with Unilever’s existing remuneration policy.

While welcoming Hein onboard, Unilever’s Chairman, Nils Andersen said: “We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new Chief Executive, after an extensive, global search process. Hein is a dynamic, values-driven business leader who has a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record of delivery in the global consumer goods industry”.

Hein holds a Masters degree in Political Science and International Relations from University of Amsterdam. Unilever is one of the leading suppliers of food, home, Beauty and Wellbeing and Personal Care products in Nigeria.

They manufacture household brands like Close-Up toothpaste, Royco and Knorr Seasoning powders, Omo and Sunlight detergents and Pears baby oil.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Recently, Barcelona president Joan Laporta insisted that it was best to allow Lionel Messi to depart the team.

Recall Messi ended his 21-year at Barcelona in 2021 when he departed Camp Nou.

Following the termination of his contract, the Argentina captain left Barcelona as a free agent.

Messi’s sad departure from the Catalan giants was prompted by a dire financial crisis the team was experiencing.

According to Goal, Barca’s president said, “I had to put Barca ahead of the greatest player in football history.

“In those moments of financial ruin, I could not retain him. I think it was the best for the club. Right now, he is a PSG player, and I prefer not to talk about him.”

According to a BBC report, the formed old Pope died in the early hours of today. “He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican where he passed away at 09:34 (08:34 GMT) on Saturday.

His successor Pope Francis will lead the funeral on 5 January.”

By Ibrahim Mukhtar 

A Nigeria-based Chinese woman accepted the religion of Islam at the palace of the Emir of Machina in Yobe State. 

The woman who was at the palace with her fiancé explained that no one forced her to accept the religion—she wanted Islam on her own conviction. 

After she took the Kalimatu al-Shahada from His Highness, the Emir of Machina, she was asked to choose the name she wanted.

The Daily Reality learned that she chose “Fatima” based on the advice given to her by her fiancé. 

Fatima was observed to have been happy and relaxed alongside all those with her in the Emir’s palace.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Pele, probably the greatest player in football history, passed away at the age of 82, the BBC has reported.

He set a global record by scoring 1,281 goals.

Over the course of a 21-year career, he made 1,363 appearances.

Pele was selected as Fifa’s Player of the Century in 2000. He was the only player to have won the World Cup three times, taking home the trophy in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

In recent years, he has experienced kidney and prostate issues.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The government of the United States has unveiled a scheme that will help Nigeria’s fight against illegal drugs.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) capacity for forensic and chemical analysis, intelligence gathering, and prosecution will be strengthened by the support.

The intervention is being coordinated by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.

The announcement was made in a statement released on Monday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media for NDLEA.

The chairman of the anti-drugs agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (ret. ), made the requests after meeting with American representatives in Abuja and Washington, D.C.

The project will be carried out in Nigeria by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The assistance will strengthen NDLEA’s intelligence-driven inquiries using various tools, including legal texts, an e-library for prosecution, and others.

Babafemi stated that by adopting enhanced collection, handling, and custody practices, the agency would be able to prosecute cases with solid evidence.

The initiative “will be a vital step in furthering our shared objective of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria,” the U.S. government stated in its message.

By Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani

As the 22nd edition of the FIFA world cup ended, Africa had its best and most memorable performance at the Mundial.  This World Cup, the first in the Arab World and only the second to be held in Asia, was so contentious that many football fanatics thought it wouldn’t be possible even when Sepp Blatter-led FIFA awarded it to Qatar.  On the 2nd of December 2010, it was announced that Qatar, a tiny but rich gulf nation, would host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Everything is history as it commenced on November 20, 2022, and ended on December 18, 2022.

The 22nd FIFA World Cup edition came with numerous upsets, though World Cup matches are hardly predictable. This World Cup delivered the most in this regard.  The FIFA World Cup is football’s flagship tournament, which the first edition was held in Uruguay and started on July 13, 1930.  The FIFA world cup has a unique place among sporting events, arguably unrivalled in all sports.

From the first qualification phase, in which 211 member associations were eligible for this edition and 206 participated in the qualification process up to the moment, 32 national teams qualified for football’s showpiece tournament: the most significant single sporting event in the world offers unmatched entertainment, fulfilment, and a lifetime experience.

Over the years, the FIFA world cup created moments eternally engraved in the minds of the approximately 3.5 billion football followers worldwide. From Lucien Laurent scoring the first goal at the world cup, Uruguay winning the inaugural edition of the world cup in 1930, Italy winning it on home soil in 1934, Uruguay silencing the overly expectant crowd at the Maracanã in 1950, Pele making his debut in 1958, Brazil team of 1970 considered by most football experts and supporters as the most outstanding football team ever winning the  tournament, cruff losing a World cup final despite his brilliant performance, Maradona taking the game by scruff of the neck in 1986 against England by scoring an infamous first goal and the second arguably the greatest goal ever in the history of the most popular sport in the world, Bahamast’s brave call in 1998 in Norway versus Brazil match; Canavero’s defensive master class in 2006, Messi, a player widely considered as the greatest player of all time winning the World Cup in Qatar to cement his place among the greats, name it, you want sport at its best: you get it at the FIFA world cup throughout its renowned history.

For Africa as a continent: we have a long, difficult, and complicated history at the grandest football competition in the world. Africa began sending representatives to the world cup in 1934. The Pharaohs of Egypt became Africa’s first team at the world cup in its second edition. Since then, Africa has been sending representatives to the FIFA chief tournament.  Herein are the nations and the year they debuted at the world cup: 1970 the Atlas Lions of Morocco, 1974 Leopards of DR Congo, 1978 the Carthage Eagles of  Tunisia, 1982  the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and the Desert Foxes of Algeria, 1994  the Super Eagles of Nigeria, 1998 Bafana Bafana of South Africa, 2002 the Lions of Taranga, 2006; Black Stars of Ghana, the Elephants of  Ivory coast, Giant sable antelopes of Angola, and The Sparrowhawks of Togo. These member associations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have participated in the world cup seeking the all-important diadem in 88 years.

The just concluded edition of the world cup produced Africa’s first semi-finalist at the world cup: the Atlas Lions of Morocco. Before this, the best outing in Africa had been going to the quarter-finals on three occasions: Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010. The  Atlas Lions of Morocco, led by Walid Regragui, have shown clearly that Africa can and will one day win the world cup, just as predicted by the legendary Pele some decades ago. Their scintillating world cup campaign in Qatar exemplified what Africa can do when we engage in the right practice and comprehensively develop the sport most Africans are passionate about. Morocco’s historic run was not by chance. No, it wasn’t. It resulted from a considerable investment, a clear blueprint, and masterful implementation.

“The development of football in Morocco is founded on a triangular approach that should form the basis of the development of any system: facilities, talent and qualified personnel,” the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) president, Fouzi Lekjaa, said.

In 2007 King Mohammed VI  decided to change the fortunes of Moroccan football by doing the needful and not just wishful thinking. He didn’t wait for the magic. He did what every African nation that seeks sporting excellence should do. It has taken 15 years since that great investment started, and the Moroccan Football Federation has since proceeded with a series of programmes aimed at improving the overall performances of the North African country in the sport they are crazy about. The results didn’t show overnight, as with most great projects.

However, the football world today celebrates Morocco. Moroccan national teams and clubs have achieved terrific results at almost all levels of football. From the Atlas Lions finishing fourth at the World cup, the lionesses of Atlas playing at their first Women’s African cup of nations final only to be defeated by South Africa, Morocco winning the African Nations Championship (CHAN) against Mali, Wydad Athletic Club winning the CAF Champions League, RS Berkane winning confederation cup, AS FAR clinching the Female CAF Champions League. This is the model for African football to follow. This is the reward for the investment in the beautiful game, technical growth, hard work, patience, and belief in merit.

In a nutshell, we must develop football from the grassroots, create a serene atmosphere for football to thrive, build facilities, employ top-notch tacticians, enhance our leagues, patronise our domestic leagues, upgrade the officiating of matches, and tackle corruption holistically to take Africa to the summit of world football.

Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani is a TV producer and presenter of Haske TV Sports, located in Jalingo, Taraba State.