National

By Mukhtar Jarmajo 

As you settle into your new role, it is important to shed light on an issue of paramount importance – the urgent need for Nigeria to prioritise affordable housing. With a staggering housing deficit of 28 million homes, requiring a colossal 21 trillion Naira in financing, it is crucial that our nation focuses its efforts on closing this gap to unlock the potential of our people and propel Nigeria towards prosperity.

Affordable housing stands as a critical linchpin in our ambitious plans for national development. It serves as a foundation upon which countless other facets of progress are built – from socioeconomic stability to individual well-being and sustainable growth. By addressing the housing deficit head-on, we simultaneously embark on a journey towards alleviating poverty, creating jobs, and sparking economic growth in our dear nation.

The current deficit poses daunting challenges that cannot be ignored. Millions of our fellow Nigerians find themselves without decent shelter, perpetuating a grave cycle of despair and limited opportunity. High rental costs and inadequate housing options place an unnecessary burden on citizens’ shoulders, hindering their potential and choking the nation from realising its full potential.

To address these pressing realities, it is paramount that we employ a multi-faceted approach. Our strategies must involve collaboration with key stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, cooperatives, and international organisations experienced in addressing housing deficits. Together, we can forge a path forward that paves the way for the creation of safe, affordable, and sustainable communities throughout Nigeria.

As the new Minister of Housing, your visionary leadership shall play an instrumental role in translating our collective aspirations into concrete action plans. By working closely with your colleagues in government, you have the power to mobilise resources, devise innovative financing models, and develop policies that holistically address the housing crisis. Embracing public-private partnerships, streamlining regulations, and implementing tax incentives for affordable housing developers are just a few promising avenues we must explore.

Furthermore, we must foster an environment that encourages research and development in housing construction methods, materials, and technologies. Technology-driven solutions can not only enhance the speed and efficiency of housing construction but also reduce costs, making affordable housing a more attainable reality for millions of Nigerians. Embracing sustainability and environmentally friendly practices must be at the forefront of our efforts, ensuring that future generations can thrive in a clean and robust nation.

By diligently championing these efforts, we can envision a Nigeria where every citizen has access to a safe and secure home. This, in turn, will drastically improve health outcomes, enhance educational opportunities, and empower our people to participate in the nation’s growth and development actively. From the densely populated urban centres to the farthest reaches of our rural landscapes, affordable housing shall serve as the catalyst for levelling the playing field and driving collective progress.

Honourable Minister, this is your moment to leave an indelible mark on Nigeria’s history. With your unwavering commitment to the urgent cause of affordable housing, we can bridge the 28 million housing deficit and nurture a thriving society. Seize this opportunity, rally the nation’s resources, and build a brighter future where affordable housing is no longer a dream but a tangible reality for all Nigerians.

Jarmajo is the CEO of Greenturf Architects. 

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has disclosed that Nigeria is grappling with an escalating humanitarian crisis, with over 3.5 million individuals internally displaced due to ongoing crises.

The data sheds light on the dire situation faced by countless Nigerians who have been uprooted from their homes and communities.

The heart-wrenching effects of the insurgency in the northeast have been acutely felt in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states.

According to the Aid Worker Security Database, the insurgency has exacted a heavy toll, resulting in the tragic deaths of 37 aid workers since 2016.

Additionally, 24 aid workers have been wounded, and 34 others have been kidnapped.

This sobering statistic serves as a sombre reminder of the challenges faced by those working tirelessly to provide assistance to those in need.

The World Humanitarian Day commemoration in Abuja took on a poignant tone this year as stakeholders from the humanitarian sector joined forces for a road walk.

At the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Nasir Sani Gwarzo, addressed the gathering.

He emphasised the significance of this year’s theme, #NoMatterWhat, which encapsulates the unwavering dedication of humanitarians to extend life-saving aid to individuals, regardless of their identity or geographical location.

The event not only brought attention to the pressing issues at hand but also highlighted the collective commitment of those in the humanitarian sector to alleviate the suffering of affected communities.

As Nigeria navigates these turbulent times, the rallying cry of #NoMatterWhat serves as a reminder that compassion and assistance remain steadfast even in the face of adversity.

By Ishaka Mohammed

In 2019, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) honoured Oluwaseyi Ajibade as the best PhD graduate of the year. Interestingly, 13 years earlier, he had graduated with a third-class bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lagos State University (LASU). His story exemplifies persistence.

Although Dr Oluwaseyi Ajibade’s story became news due to his exceptional performance at the PhD level, there are other third-class graduates around who proceed to obtain higher academic degrees. I recently met one, and he discussed his academic journey and an unfortunate situation with me.

His third-class bachelor’s degree necessitated his acquisition of a postgraduate diploma (PGD) before he enrolled in a Master’s programme. He received his PhD in 2020.

In addition to his academic qualifications and publications in reputable journals, he is an experienced teacher who once became vice-principal in a public school.

However, his weak first degree has so far blocked his aspiration to lecture at university. Two Nigerian universities have pointed this out to him, making reference to the minimum requirements set by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The above revelation is akin to being denied admission to higher institutions because of one’s poor grades in primary school. I understand that a first-class or an upper second-class bachelor’s degree is a requirement for the position of graduate assistant in Nigerian universities, but the man’s case is different. Apart from his PGD and master’s degree, he also holds a PhD, the highest academic degree in Nigeria.

If his rejection is genuinely based on the NUC’s standards, the commission must review its standards. Aspiring lecturers’ previous qualifications should be checked only to ascertain a connection to the latest ones. Nonetheless, the grades in the latest qualifications may be considered a testament to the holders’ intellectual capacity.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

To lessen the impact of eliminating the petrol subsidy, the federal government has promised a N5 billion palliative for each of the federation’s states, including the Federal Capital Territory. 

Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, made the announcement to reporters at the State House on Thursday after the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja. The meeting was presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima. 

The governors of the 36 states, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other government officials who have been coopted make up the council.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assigned portfolios to his recently confirmed ministerial nominees, a document obtained by The Daily Reality shows.

Although the date of their inauguration has not been confirmed, the document has shown that the portfolios are as follows:

1. Yusuf Sununu – Minister of Education

2. Nyesom Wike – FCT

3. Mohammed Badaru – Defence

4. Ahmed Dangiwa – Housing and Urban Development

5. Simon Lalong – Labour and Employment

6. Bosun Tuani – Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

7. Ishak Salaco – Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management

8. Wale Edun – Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy

9. Bunmi Tunji – Minister of Marine and Blue Economy

10. Adedayo Adelabu- Minister of Power

11. Tunji Alausa – Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare

12. Dele Alake – Minister of Solid Minerals Development

13. Lola Ade-John- Minister of Tourism

14. Adegboyega Oyetola – Minister of Transportation

15. Doris Anite – Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

16. Uche Nnaji – Minister of Innovation Science and Technology

17. Nkiruka Onyejeocha – Minister of State, Labour and Employment

18. Uju Kennedy – Minister of Women Affairs

19. David Umahi – Minister of Works

20. Festus Keyamo – Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development

21. Abubakar Momoh – Minister of Youth

22. Betta Edu – Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

23. Ekperikpe Ekpo – Minister of State, Gas Resources

24. Heineken Lokpobiri – Minister of State Petroleum Resources

25. John Enoh- Minister of Sports Development

By Malam MB

On May 25th, 1997, the democratically elected of Sierra Leon, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, was toppled by Major Johnny Paul Koroma. The development in Sierra Leone disrupted the plans of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the leadership of Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

ECOWAS pleaded with the Koroma junta to step down but it didn’t budge. General Abacha didn’t shilly-shally, he directed the Nigerian troops under the Economic Community of West African States’ Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to station themselves in and around Freetown (the Sierra Leone’s capital).

Major Johnny Koroma instantly became scared and sought dialogue which gave birth to Conakry Peace Accord on October 23rd, 1997. This Accord called for reinstatement of the legitimate government of President Tejan Kabbah within a period of 6 months.

Major Koroma who expressed his commitment to the Conakry Peace Accord dilly-dallied and that prompted General Abacha to oust him on February 6th, 1998 and reinstate President Tejan Kabbah.

When General Sani Abacha ousted Major Koroma, Nigeria didn’t experience collateral damage or negative implication because it doesn’t share any border with Sierra Leone and it didn’t have Boko Haram and Banditry then.

Today, Nigeria shares border with Niger Republic and our Nigeria that grapples with Boko Haram, Banditry and so much corruption, wants to militarily oust the Nigerien Dictator Abdurramane Omar Tchiani and reinstate the democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum. Yes! Nigeria has the military strength to defeat Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso but how can President Tinubu contend with collateral damages and proliferation of Boko Haram and Bandits’ activities? I advise that Niger Republic should be sanctioned until the Nigerien people ask Dictator Tchiani to step down. Ah! I ought to ask again, can Tinubu do it like Abacha did?

Malam MB is a Senior Advocate of the Commoners (SAC) and can be reached via: malammb16@gmail.com

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Students of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, have protested against the Dean of Law of the University, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, over sexual harassment. 

On Monday, the students demanded the dismissal of the learned professor, as they carried placards clearly stating their reasons for the protest. 

They accused the university don of sexually harassing students and threatening to fail them. They also alleged the suppression of their voice over the alleged infamous conduct of the professor by the institution. 

Prof. Ndifon was previously removed from his position as Dean of Law over allegations of rape in 2016. Ndifon was, on August 29, 2015, accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old 400-level student (name withheld) in the faculty after ordering her to his office. Following the development, authorities of UNICAL suspended the dean from office. The suspension was to last until he was completely exonerated from the allegations.

However, according to reports, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) reappointed him as the Dean of its law faculty in 2022.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it plans to resume its orientation programme for new corps members in Borno, 13 years after it was put on hold owing to the Boko Haram insurgency.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the insurgency has, for numerous years, forced corps members who had been posted to the state to do their orientation course in Katsina State.

The next orientation would take place in the state, according to Mr Lawal Yusufu, the state’s commissioner of police, who was speaking to reporters at the ad hoc orientation camp on Monday at the Arabic Teachers College in Maiduguri.

Yusufu, who spoke after examining the camp’s facilities, stated that security agencies will collaborate to provide security for the incoming NYSC members at the camp’s entrance, exit, and other strategic locations.

Government representatives, including the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani, the State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, and the State Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board, Alhaji Mohammed Badiya, accompanied the commissioner on the tour.

The new NYSC members’ orientation programme is scheduled to start on August 18.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Reports coming from the north-central part of Nigeria have indicated that an aircraft belonging to the Nigeria Air Force has crashed in Nigeria State.

The aircraft was confirmed to have crashed on Monday on its way from Kaduna State to Niger State.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the incident in a statement.

The statement partly reads, “A Nigerian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed today, August 14, 2023, at about 1:00 pm, in Chukuba Village in Niger State. The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.”

The Daily Reality could not independently reach a Nigerian Air Force official to get more details about the incident as of the time of filing this report.

However, reports suggest that efforts are being made to rescue survivors of the crash.

By Aisar Fagge

There were growing anger and threat between the Niger Republic and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since the military coup in July that ousted the democratically elected government of Muhammed Bazoum. The ECOWAS, under the chairmanship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanded that the military junta should handover power Bazoum or else face its wrath.

Several media reports indicated that all attempts by the ECOWAS to peacefully restore power to Bazoum had failed, a development that exacerbated the already worse situation. On Saturday, the leaders of the Islamic groups from Nigeria met with the coupists in Niger. In this interview, Professor Salish Shehu, one of the Ulamas, detailed The Daily Reality about the purpose of their visit, how fruitful it was and what they have achieved.

TDR: Prof., can you please detail The Daily Reality about the purpose of your visit to the Niger coupists?

Prof. Salisu Shehu: The purpose of our visit to Niger is very clear. The purpose is for reopening, so to say, the windows of dialogue on AMFAS between ECOWAS, on one hand, and the military junta in Niger. There is an apparent breakdown of communication since the refusal by the junta to receive the former head of state, General Abdussalam Abubakar and his eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto. You know people generally across the two countries are becoming increasingly anxious and are becoming increasingly afraid that violence may breakdown – there is palpable fear, actually. A collection of some Ulama felt that we need to meet the president of Nigeria and discuss this matter with him. And, when we met him, we emphasised the fact that dialogue should be the only thing and dialogue should prevail in this matter and he accepted. We asked him that he should give the chance to the Ulama to play their own role, to contribute to ensuring that dialogue prevails and to ensuring that the crisis is resolved amicably through peaceful means. And, therefore, it was for the purpose of contributing to the promotion of dialogue, contributing towards broadening consultations and engagement, that was actually the reason why we went to Niger and to meet the new military administrators in Niger with the view to engendering a sort of reconciliation process between the two purpose.

TDR: Sir, you said the visit was constituted by the group of some Ulama. Can you please tell us about the members of your entourage?

Prof. Salisu Shehu: The entourage constituted of scholars from different Islamic groups and Islamic sects. That why you can see that all the Islamic groups and organisations were represented in the composition. Beginning from the group of scholars that met with the president, foremost was Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, represented by his eldest son, Ustaz Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau of the Izala group, Sheikh Qarbibullah, the leader of Qadiriyya in the whole of Africa; and then there academics like us and other da’awa wokers, like Professor Mansur Malumfashi, Prof. Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, Imam Abdurrahman Ahmad; the Chief of Ansaruddin, Sheikh Jalo Jalingo, Sheikh Muhammad Haruna Gombe, Sheikh Yakubu Musa among others. These were also some few government officials that accompanied us.

Sheikh Bala Lau was the one that led us to Niger and he was the leader of team and he was the one that introduced us to the  military leaders. We met the military leaders together with the scholars of the same kind of categories we went in Nigeria. So all the the leaders of the groups – the Tijjaniyya, the Qadiriyya, the Izala groups, we all met in Niger. It was such a successful paternal visit.

TDR: Sir, what have you discussed and was your visit any meaningful?

Prof. Salisu Shehu: I can only tell you about the general discussion we had. But, it is not possible to broadcast the nitty-gritty details of our discussion, especially some of the very very specific issues we discussed with them. But, what we actually generally discussed was about the fact that we came as a group of scholars from Nigeria, having been permitted and approved to come by the president. Therefore, we were in Niger with the consent of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the ECOWAS, that we could come and discuss with them as a demonstration of acceptance of dialogue and reopening of communication between them. So we emphasised the need for dialogue. We drew their attention to the fact that as long as we don’t reopen the door of dialogue, the animosity will keep increasing. And, hence, it is not going to be good for us. So, we made it very clear to him that we went there in order to avert violence, to avert military intervention and to promote peaceful and amicable resolution to the problem, actually. And, we also emphasised the need for the give and and take in the matter. That it will do no good for both of them and the entire West African sub-regions, that if both of them were not ready to give something and take something, if both of them maintain extremist positions, then it is not going to be good. And, they actually accepted. They were already told to make some concessions on the matters.

TDR: What have you have achieved in your meeting with the coupists?

Prof. Salisu Shehu: The most important achievement in this regard is the fact that that option of dialogue have so much sufficiently be promoted. And it is hopeful that this our visit has led the foundation for peaceful engagement between the two. So, I think this is an achievement. Another tremendous achievement is the fact that across the two countries, the palpable fear, that was so preponderant, has been allied and the people’s hope regarding the fact they will continue to live in peace, they will continue to leave as brothers and sisters, they will continue to live as neighbours, that spirit has really been rekindled even if it was about to die. People have so much been at rest and at ease now because of this visit. People have become more assured that there won’t be violence. And, I believe this is the most important achievement as far as this visit is concerned. Like I said, there is no reason actually to keep on avoiding meeting and discussion. So, we have to intervene in this way. And because we are not supposed to give specific details, there is no any discussion about the terms of agreement we had with them.