Opinion

Dear Governor Mai Mala,

I write to you with the utmost respect, acknowledging the positive impact you have made in the healthcare sector of Yobe State. I would like to commend you for your notable efforts in providing health insurance slots to sickle cell patients through YSCHMA, as well as the provision of free drugs and food items to these individuals via YOSEMA.

However, despite these commendable initiatives, it is crucial to address the issue of sickle cell disease, which continues to affect numerous children in Yobe State, making it one of the states with the highest prevalence.

Your Excellency, in certain Local Government Areas (LGAs), such as Potiskum, the specialist hospital lacks an emergency ward that caters to the needs of sickle cell patients and others requiring immediate medical attention. The existing emergency ward at the specialist hospital in Potiskum is operating at a limited capacity.

Hence, I kindly request that you prioritise the establishment of an emergency ward dedicated explicitly to sickle cell patients or consider expanding the current ward at the specialist hospital in Potiskum and other LGAs that lack such facilities.

Furthermore, I urge you to continue the excellent work you have initiated by enrolling sickle cell patients into the health insurance program. This ongoing support will significantly improve their access to necessary medical services.

Lastly, while I am aware that employment opportunities are open to all state indigenes, I would like to draw your attention to the plight of sickle cell patients. Considering the challenges they face and the presence of many educated individuals among them, I humbly request your favour in providing job opportunities for some of these deserving sickle cell patients.

Thank you for your attention to these matters, Your Excellency. I hope your continued efforts will bring about positive changes in the lives of sickle cell patients in Yobe State.

Yours sincerely,

Mohammed Madu Bukar

madubukarmohammed@gmail.com

Asibitin Mal, Potiskum, Yobe State.

By Lawi Auwal Yusuf

The nexus between our social environment and human behaviour is relevant in explaining Nigeria’s formidable crime rates. First, it is essential to understand the significance of socialisation in behaviour development.

Human interactions on both micro and macro levels provide a flawless context for learning behaviour from others. This learning occurs through these interactions that directly shape the socialisation process through observation of one’s environment, imitation, role modelling and expectation development.

So, human behaviour reflects what is learned in daily interactions with others. This socialisation process is influenced by individuals’ intimate groups and role models who similarly clout those close to them and serve as others’ source of learning.

Thus, deviation from society’s consensual values is not considered an innate human character predetermined by biological, psychological and or other natural factors, as argued by most social learning theories. Instead, it is a product of socialisation that determines the development of human behaviour through our perpetual interactions.

Given the foregoing, criminousness is like all other human behaviour spawned by social interaction. To wit, criminalness isn’t spontaneous. Untainted persons acquire their “knowledge” from external sources as they observe the tainted ones carrying out criminal behaviours. They learn and, subsequently, effectuate them.

Parents keep an eye on those your wards reach out to and teach them to avoid the toxic ones. Perhaps more importantly, don’t let those you are cynical of be their buddies. Be their pal yourself.

Lawi Auwal Yusuf wrote from Kano and is contactable via laymaikanawa@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim

The 7th of July marked exactly one year since I completed my NYSC, and so far, it has been an educative and worthwhile experience – Alhamdulillaah!

Let me tell you a story about my first experience in the labour market. The story goes thus;

A few days after the formal completion of my NYSC, I thought I should start job-hunting immediately. I said to myself then, “It’s better to strike while the iron is still hot”, what the Hausa people call “Da zafi zafi ake dukan ƙarfe“. I thought it was a prompt decision I made, forgetting that some of my colleagues with whom I completed NYSC had already secured lucrative jobs long before we completed NYSC. 

I didn’t let that discourage me anyway. “They are children of the elites, after all”—I said to myself. 

Another thing that motivated me to an immediate and unrelenting job-hunting was the fact that the Certificate of National Service, which used to be a barrier to so many opportunities I missed during my service year, had become handy at that time, and would no longer affect subsequent opportunities that might come.

So, to commence the job-hunting. I started following popular job sites and physical employers for job opportunities and ensured I did not let any job advert or link pass me by without applying. All these, I did with much confidence and hope to get a good job in no distant time.

One fateful evening, not up to a fortnight after the commencement of my job-hunting journey, while I was reclining on the sofa, I got a text message that reads thus;

“Congrats u have been shortlisted for our company Orientation on Monday 18/07/22 at 2nd floor, XX building Beside XXX Bank by XXXXX way Opposite XXXXX Road Kaduna, by 8:30 am.”(some information about the venue deserves confidentiality, hence the XXXX).

It was a text message from a random 11-digit phone number informing me that I had been shortlisted for a job and inviting me to an orientation exercise to mark the commencement of the job.

I was hellbent on getting a ‘better job’ that I didn’t even pay attention to the sheer informality and unprofessionalism in the text message I got. 

It is noteworthy that I already had a job I was managing then, but I was eager to get better opportunities since I was done with NYSC and expectations were very high.

So, I dressed my best on the scheduled morning for the orientation exercise and prepared for a possible interview that might come up during the orientation.

It will baffle you to know that I wasn’t even sure which of the jobs I got, but I was confident it would be better than the job I was managing then.

On reaching the venue, I saw a crowd of young people queuing in front of a desk officer for documentation and trooping into a large hall afterwards.

Long story short, I got into the hall after the tedious documentation process and later discovered that I was cheaply lured into attending a ‘Neolife’ lecture—Neolife is one of those tricky investment schemes claimed to be a foreign investment company, filled with a bunch of jobless people, where your income solely depends on the number of people you successfully convince into investing in the scheme. 

They indoctrinate the belief that you could become a multi-millionaire in a few months of investment if you successfully convince people to join the scheme. They tell you about how useless it is to seek salary jobs and how important it is to invest your whole savings into Neolife. They’ll tell you stories of one of their colleagues living in Europe, making millions of dollars due to investing in Neolife.

I felt disappointed and heartbroken to discover that I finally got lured into attending their lecture because of my naivety as a fresh graduate. I have spent my whole life avoiding the agents and promoters of such schemes.

That day I bade an official “Welcome” to the labour Market.

I have more stories about my labour market experience, but I’m indisposed to write about them now; perhaps, I’ll do that leisurely as time passes.

Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim wrote via suleimibrahim00@gmail.com.

By Dr Shamsuddeen Sani

It’s very easy to ignore this book. Underrate it even. I found myself rereading it for many days, given the enormous importance of the topic, especially in the contemporary discourse in Muslim-majority countries about woman’s leadership. Being a recent publication in 2020, and although the author didn’t explicitly state it, it appears to be building to improve upon earlier work by the late Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist Fatima Mernessi with her book, The Forgotten Queens of Islam.

Shahla Haeri embarks on a journey of gendering the historical narrative of sovereignty and political authority in the Muslim world, shedding light on the lives of Muslim women leaders who defied the norms of dynastic and political power to rise as sovereigns in their deeply patriarchal societies.

The author’s usage of the term “queen” is not meant to be taken literally for all six prominent figures discussed in the book but rather to signify their immensely influential leadership roles during their respective eras. While recognising the significant impact of numerous women in Islamic history who exerted influence behind the scenes, Haeri emphasises those women who stood at the forefront of the political machinery, actively engaging with the structures of authority and power.

She doesn’t just relay the historical milestones of these great women in historical Islam but brings in a fresh perspective on how we look at the concept of women’s leadership in the Islamic tradition. The author situates women rulers’ rise to power within three interrelated domains: kinship and marriage, patriarchal rules of succession, and individual women’s charisma and popular appeal.

This book prompts deep contemplation on patriarchy within the pre-modern normative Islamic tradition. But one needs to be careful because the author appears to be overly problematising patriarchy in some instances significantly beyond what we consider as would have been normal in pre-modern Islam. She did allude, however, to the critical role of men in women ascending to positions of political authority. 

Structurally, this book has a Preface and Introduction and is broken into three main parts with two body chapters. Part I, Sacred Sources of Authority: The Qurʾan and the Hadith, lays the background for her accounts, with a deep examination of the primary sources of the Qurʾan and hadith, through the Qurʾanic story of the Queen of Sheba and the biography of the Sayyida Aisha (RA). Haeri relays the Quranic account of the dramatic encounter between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, popularly known as Bilqis. Drawing primarily from Tha’alabi and al-Tabari, the book cross-examines the sovereignty of Bilqis and connects the Quranic revelations with what she believes was the exegetes’ medieval patriarchal reconstructions.

Part II of the book is about Medieval Queens: Dynasty and Descent. In Chapter 3, the book explores the leadership life of the long reign of the Ismaili Shiite Yemeni queen. It examines Queen Arwa’s fascinating political acumen and how she survived the political and power succession tussle dealing with the 3 Fatimid caliphs of Cairo. Chapter 4 examines the short sovereign rule of the only female sultan of the 13th century Delhi Sultanate, Razia Sultan: ‘Queen of the World Bilqis-i Jihan. 

The 3rd part of the book, which explores the contemporary Queens and examines the institutionalisation of succession, provides an in-depth look at Benazir Bhutto and Megawati Sukarnoputri but will not spoil more here for the interesting details in the book.

Haeri concludes this work of ethnohistory which is deeply personal as she peppers in the concept of the “paradox of patriarchy,” which refers to the historical tradition of power succession among men, particularly fathers and sons, or even brothers, whose family ties legitimise the customary transfer of power. She quickly alludes that the relationship between fathers and sons can be a source of tension and rivalry, where they may fear, resent, or even seek to eliminate each other. In contrast, father-daughter relationships tend to be more personally fulfilling and have fewer political consequences for the father. The preference of patriarchs for their daughters is not only driven by self-preservation but also by their recognition of their daughters’ talents and political astuteness.

Dr Shamsuddeen Sani wrote from Kano. He can be reached via deensani@yahoo.com.

By Sulaiman Maijama’a

In recent times, the most vicious of all vices in our society is phone snatching. This dastardly act is perpetrated by gangs of youth of 15 to 25 years who carry weapons and terrorise people. Sometimes, these youth injure their victims or even stab them to death.

This evil act usually is plotted and carried out at night, but sometimes, in broad daylight, the youth disguise themselves as tricycle operators and unleash their cruelty against people. There is hardly a week that would pass on without a report of a victim of phone snatching.

This activity becomes a nightmare for people and poses a great threat to the freedom of movement of innocent citizens, making it difficult for them to go about their everyday business, especially at night, without the fear of being attacked by phone snatchers.

It is common knowledge that phone snatching continues to be pervasive in different states of the North. It assumes a higher degree in states like Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, and Gombe.

The nefarious activity can be directly or indirectly attributed to a lack of proper parental care and broken homes. The youth who lack good parental care or come from broken homes usually move with the wrong people, and their movements are not queried or followed up, thus having the freedom to do anything without being probed.

Peer pressure is another cause of youth involvement in social vices. The youth who spend more time with their friends easily get influenced due to their weak nature and tender age.

Youth have a high level of curiosity to learn, have fun and practice new things, thus making them deviate. And as the saying goes, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are” The significance of friends and how they influence lives is so enormous that many youths were conscripted into phone snatching.

Parents’ negligence also makes the wards turn to their friends for love, emotions, care, and advice, who can lure them into deadly acts. An abandoned child can look up to their friends for love and affection. Some maids, house helpers, and family members who are always around children without parents can introduce these vices to them.

Not only that, but unemployment has also added intensity to immorality that graduates to this monster called phone snatching that threatens the social well-being of the people. 

According to the report by a Global consulting firm KPMG, titled “Global Economic Outlook”, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was projected to rise further to 40.6 per cent this year. This revelation is alarming and must be uppermost in the mind of every responsible citizen. “An idle mind”, as an adage says, “is a devil’s workshop”.

Drug abuse is another social determinant. Despite the pronouncements of the efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to curb the menace, the percentage of drug abusers is on the rise, and they quickly and freely access the hard drugs of their choice. This allows the youth to be intoxicated before they carry out their devilish act of phone snatching.

It is pertinent that all stakeholders should rise against social vices. Youth that engage in these dangerous acts need help, advice and rehabilitation for the addicted ones.

Parents need to know their children’s friends, status, and other people the children associate with. This is majorly the role parents should play in their children’s lives. Mothers should, in particular, be close to their children. Close monitoring and time should be given to children by parents. Children should be taught the moral values that might help shape their cognitive abilities.

The media ought to be playing their roles of education and information by organising forums to enlighten people about the dangers associated with social vices. Similarly, they should be playing surveillance by warning early on of any potential danger.

Security operatives, government and all stakeholders must be active and alert to caution, rehabilitate or punish (where necessary) any person seen as a threat to others.

All hands must be on deck to combat the menace of phone snatching in our societies.

Maijama’a wrote from the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano. He can be contacted via sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.

By Yahuza Abdulkadir

It has become a daily routine on weekdays for Muhammad Usman to roam around the conducive atmosphere of Al-Ansar Radio station in Maiduguri, checking the work progress of his team. As the youngest Head Manager of the station with vast experience in media and communication for development, he has helped position the radio station as a platform that promotes accountability and public journalism in terror-torn Borno State.

Al-Ansar Radio, established in 2020, is owned and operated by Al-Ansar Foundation, a local nonprofit organisation helping underprivileged people in Borno access Western and Islamic education and healthcare, teaching religious tolerance.

The radio station has a vision of setting up a leading diversified broadcast media organisation in Nigeria, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities to bring value to its audiences and advertisers.

Amid the post-insurgency in Borno state, through the efforts of Usman, who is skilled in program management, Al-Ansar Radio station has been playing a pivotal role in organising programs that help mitigate conflicts, counter violent extremism, and promote peace messages across social media platforms and in local communities.

Heading the Al-Ansar Radio station wasn’t an easy task for Usman. However, he maintains the momentum and seeks strategic partnerships with non-profit organisations and various stakeholders across Borno State.

The radio station, which broadcasts in three languages comprising English, Hausa, and Kanuri, has been producing awe-inspiring programs and hosting compelling radio dramas that appeal to the interest of its audience and resonate with the diverse and rich cultures of Borno State.

The station’s partnership with GoalPrime Organization Nigeria has yielded positive results in hosting the “Da Rarrafe”, a program aiming towards building the capacity of children to leverage effective communication channels to discuss solutions to social problems. Another one is the “Lafiyarmu Jarinmu” program which brings in health professionals to highlight health problems in local communities and suggests possible solutions to them.

Some of the programs garnered more engagement from the communities in Borno state, thereby making a lasting impact on the audience.

These programs are the likes of “Zauren Mata”, a women-focused program addressing issues on gender stereotypes and girl child rights and showcasing the role women can play in peace-building.

“Arewa Ina Mafita” also captures Northern Nigeria’s challenges and provides practical solutions. The “Baban Bola” program also features discussions on the environment and climate change.

These impactful programs have earned the station recognition and awards. Notable among them is the DH Communication Media for Humanitarian Services Award.

“These achievements and awards serve as a testament to the exceptional work and unwavering commitment of our Head Manager, Usman, and the entire team at Al-Ansar Radio,” said Umar Bakari, a staff at Al-Ansar Radio.

With such remarkable efforts from Usman’s leadership, Al-Ansar Radio has become one of the most trusted media platforms in the northeast region—a reliable source of information and edutainment.

Usman is a bona fide Borno State citizen and a Business Management graduate from the University of Maiduguri.

Looking further, Usman is resilient and defies every norm to build cohesive communities through radio journalism in this place that was once known for chaos. His tremendous efforts are birthing results even beyond the Sahara desert.

This is evident that early-career journalists, professionals, and growing media organisations in Northeast Nigeria can tap inspiration from Usman’s commitments and follow the same path to make their indelible mark within the radio journalism industry.

Yahuza Abdulkadir wrote from the city of Maiduguri, Borno State Capital.

By Lawan Bukar Maigana 

Maimunatu Suleiman, 21, stabbed her husband, Aliyu Mohammed Gidado, to death on July 5th, 2023, in their residence at Kofar Dumi in Bauchi State, Nigeria. 

Since then, I have read different narratives about the tragic incident. Some said she killed him because it was a forced marriage, while others said she murdered him because of his willingness to remarry. 

As a trained journalist and fact-checker, I needed to investigate the narratives’ source, save the public from being misled by merchants of misinformation and fake news, and feed the crowd with authentic information.  

Using Facebook, I identified his neighbour and demanded that he send me his phone number so we could talk about the incident, and he did. He told me that Aliyu and his wife married in January 2020 and have one child—a boy. 

“Their marriage was out of love. Everybody knows them, and most people in their area have admired them because of their love for each other which culminated in their marriage. 

“And they never had any serious issues until recently when Aliyu realised that Maimuna had been going out without his permission as her husband.

“Aliyu returned home three days ago and expressed sadness about her deviant conduct, which later resulted in a serious misunderstanding between them that nearly broke their marriage, but his father and older brother intervened”, the neighbour explained.

On the day the incident happened, Gidado’s father saw Maimunatu’s friend coming out of their house after they spent hours in her room holding her plasma TV, but he didn’t talk to them. 

It is a tradition in their house that the last person who comes in after 10:00 pm ensures everyone is around before closing the gate. 

Wednesday night after 10 pm, his older brother called his name and asked if he was around so he would lock the gate, but Aliyu didn’t answer. His brother asked thrice but to no avail. 

Worriedly, his brother approached his room and observed that he was gasping for breath. He quickly got back to his room and took a touch and entered the room and saw his brother soaked in blood while his wife, the prime suspect, was facing him. 

That was when he quickly called their father to see what happened and subsequently sought help from their neighbours to rush their brother to the hospital. Unluckily, Gidado died before they got to the hospital. 

Out of patience, concern, and resilience, they rushed his wife to the hospital, thinking she was stabbed. The doctors informed them that she was safe and had only sustained bruises on her stomach. 

After she regained consciousness, Gidado’s father asked what had happened, and she told them that thieves had jumped over the fence and killed her husband when she went to the toilet to pour her child’s urine. 

She even told them that the thieves ran with her plasma TV, unknown to her that the bereaved old man saw her friends going with her plasma TV hours before the unfortunate incident but didn’t argue with her. 

Curiously, the victim’s father told her that there was no way thieves would jump over the fence without being seen by a tea seller beside their gate, whose place is always busy with people. 

After discovering that she was suspicious, they called police on her. 

The cops took her to the station, where she confessed that she stabbed him twice in his chest because of a misunderstanding in the evening. 

It was also reliably confirmed that she has a three-month pregnancy for Gidado. 

Therefore, those who said the murderer was forcefully married to him are just lying to the public. Their marriage was out of enormous love. 

Similarly, an Abuja-based lady Maryam Sanda mercilessly stabbed her husband to death on November 2017. 

Many media outlets, largely online alongside social media influencers, had disseminated unverified chronicle stories about the tragic incident without confirmation from the parties involved. 

Sharing unfiltered and fabricated information is seemingly becoming a norm in Nigeria among media outlets and internet users to manipulate people’s perceptions of facts. 

It is necessary to call on spreaders of information and netizens to please desist from sharing unverified information and cultivate the habit of digging into stories before publishing them. 

Please pray for the repose of Gidado and his mother. She died in early January 2023. 

Lawan Bukar Maigana writes from Borno and can be reached via email:lawanbukarmaigana@gmail.com.

By Aisha Yahya Ibrahim

Almajiri is a word deduced from the Arabic word “Almuhajir, “ meaning an immigrant. Almajiri is a localised Arabic word. It is from the root word called “Hijra”, which means migration from one place to another for the sake of ‘Allah’. This concept of migration implies that one could relocate from where he does find conducive for worshipping his creator (Allah) to where he could find a conducive environment for worshipping Allah.

At this height, Nigerians correlated this concept with relocating children from one place to another in search of knowledge of Islam generally or the Quran in particular. The reason could be traced to the followings:

1. We have observed the misconception and misapplication because the children are relocating to places without proper care and sponsorship. They’ve become a nuisance to society.

2. The reason for the migration is that it is not conducive due to oppression. Whether one is oppressed or violent against people seeking Islamic knowledge cannot be equated to such oppression or violence.

3. Children are moved from where the knowledge is available without care or sponsorship, e.g. moving children from Kano to Kaduna instead of remaining with their parents in Kano, where they can have proper care and support. This results in the children begging on the street for sustenance.

4. There are instances where the children are even moved from where the knowledge is available, and the environment is conducive to where the command is not open, e.g., children being moved from Kano to Abuja.

THE IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AL-MAJIRI SYSTEM NIGERIA.

The following are some of the apparent implications of the Almajiri system in Nigeria.

1. The children become vulnerable to health hazards regarding their food and clothes; in most cases, some of these children walk barefoot.

– The food they eat: In most cases, these foods are remnants, and the actual eaters are unknown how the food was cooked and kept.

– The clothes they wear: We often see these children wearing the same cloth for up to a week or more without washing them.

This can lead them to develop skin problems due to accumulated germs.

– Walking barefoot: Some of these children walk barefoot. As a result, it leads to them contracting fungal infections on the nails (Onychomycosis) or the skin of the feet (Tinea pedis), better known as athlete’s foot.

2. They tend to be influenced negatively in terms of behaviour, e.g. They become exposed to drugs, i.e., taking drugs.

There’s a high level of theft mainly carried out by these children, e.g. snatching people’s items on the road when they get the chance.

3. These children will grow into adulthood as lazy citizens who depend solely on what people give or forcefully take away from people for survival.

 In today’s society, mainly in Northern Nigeria, children living with their parents sometimes disguise themselves as Almajiris just to get free money and food from people. These children have become so lazy that they don’t want to work; they prefer to go out and beg.

It’s important to note that this is due to some parents not taking responsibility for their children. 

A CALL FOR ACTION

For a better society, it is high time the government at all levels came in and ensured that these children are taken off the street to ensure that these children don’t become a threat to society and its people.

WAY FORWARD

The government cannot do that alone to ensure that these children are taken off the streets.

A collaboration between Government at all levels, Non-governmental organisations, Islamic religious leaders and Traditional Rulers.

Religious leaders: Religious leaders here can ensure the actual concept of the word is correctly explained to their followers as well as the need for these children to be taken off the streets through enlightening the general public about the negative consequences and acts of sins that are incurred as a result of the misapplication and the need to bring lasting solutions to it, at this moment working together to ensure that the real thing is established and the actual aim achieved.

The religious leaders are responsible for enlightening the Quranic teachers of these Almajiris on the danger of allowing the children to flood the streets begging for food.

The religious leaders also have to mediate between the Quranic teachers and wealthy Muslims to educate the rich Muslims on the need for charitable work to feed these Almajiris. They are also responsible for alerting the government through the Ministry of Youth and Development on the need to aid these Almajiri institutions and their Quranic teachers because that’s part of the government’s social responsibility instead of letting them become a menace to society. 

Traditional Rulers: Traditional rulers here are the closest people to this institution. They can physically mediate between the Almajiri institution and the government. They can ensure no child is found roaming about through their local security outfit. They can quickly investigate where the children came from, who the parents are, and so on since we now have parents who no longer take responsibility for their children.

Non-governmental organisation: The non-governmental organisation here can assist through some charitable work. i.e. distribution of food and other relevant materials.

Government: The federal government’s role in combating this menace cannot be overemphasised. The government here can put laws in place to ensure that no child is roaming the street as an Almajiri. The government can help shelter these children, i.e., just as we have government orphanages, we can adopt the same method and other assistance through collaboration with religious leaders, Traditional rulers and non-governmental organisations.

Above all, agitation for eradicating the Almajiri institution won’t be right, but a reformation.

And I hope this gets to the appropriate authority!

Aisha Yahya Ibrahim  wrote via ibrahimaishat432@gmail.com.

By Adnan Abdullahi Adam

Even before his swearing-in as Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf had issued a public warning that any state government land or property awarded by former Governor Ganduje’s administration to any private individuals would be revoked and demolished and reverted as own state property.  Soon after his swearing-in, the execution of the Governor’s exclusive order started. Heavy-duty bulldozers were deployed near Kano Race Course and Daula Hotel at midnight. Soon, the new buildings developed by Ganduje were raised down into piles of rubble.

 At the speed of light, pictures and video clips filtered on social media platforms carrying the demolishing scene instantly became a trending topic. And the out of the blue, just before dawn, youths rushed to the scene “looting”, carrying away everything valuable that may be sold for reuse or recycling. It is like a free for all; a hundred youths went out scampering and carting away so-called “Booty” from roofing sheets, doors, iron rods, and wood, among other things of valuable importance.

Similarly, the next day multiple shops building outside the parameters of historic Old Eid Ground, along IBB Way, were demolished. Again, hundreds of youths went out pillaging and carting away people’s valuable goods and properties. Likewise, rumours spread about the following line of demolishing.  In anticipation, some youths converged and burst into The Triumph Newspapers Publishing House Building and carted away doors, windows, iron rods, and other expensive building materials.

Before this “looting” by the youths, there were many outcries across the residents of Kano about the rising crimes of phone snatching in Kano. The city is becoming dangerous, primarily by night; it is impossible to walk across busy streets carrying your smartphone freely. This may amount to losing one’s life. Several disturbing stories from media houses reported mobs carrying dangerous weapons and robbing unsuspecting victims of their phones and valuable goods. If he plays a hero or tries to resist, they attack him with knives and pointed steel objects. In many cases, the victim is killed or sustained life-threatening injuries.  

Hardly a week goes by without the PRO of Nigeria Police Force, Abdullahi Musa Haruna Kiyawa, parades apprehended suspects of various crimes from stealing cars or motorcycles, phones robbery, killings, homicide, clashes between thugs, drug peddling and addiction, among others. Recently, the spate of rising crimes perpetrated by some harmful youth elements has changed the tranquil city of Kano, the second biggest commercial city in Nigeria.

Worried and disturbed by the incessant phone-snatching crimes, some Kano residents call for the death sentence to be meted out to the culprits of this capital punishment, including a summary death sentence on the spot; some even justified a jungle justice on phone snatchers.

Firstly, we must constantly remind ourselves that youths are the backbone of society. If they are empowered, guided, educated and equipped with in-demand skills, they will develop their community and make it a good place to live. Likewise, society will fail if society neglects its youth’s potential resources, both male and female. Therefore, youths are like a double-edged sword to serve as an ingredient of potential development or a recipe for impending great disaster.

Secondly, we should not just look for the outward behaviour of youths but also its deep causative agents. There are immediate and remote causes of this ever-increasing crime rate among the youth. We must dig deep to know why things have become how they are. In single shot execution of criminals cannot blot out crimes in society. There is the law of cause and effect. Youth must be redirected, guided, and oriented toward achieving a meaningful and productive life. 

They say, “Satan finds some mischief still for the idle hands”. Something must be found to fill the void of the prime time of the youths. Youths must be made to know how to learn. They must be educated and learn positive thinking, which will birth positive action. It is only when a person knows better that they can do better.

Thirdly, elders and parents must set a good example for the younger ones. Children learn from imitation rather than just verbal admonishing. Children are brilliant. They do not listen to what their parents say but copy from their habits and patterns. If you want your children to tell the truth, start by telling the truth yourself in your words and action. Only after you earn respect from your children, you may likely emulate them. In the same analogy, if a politician tries to get power by hiring youth thugs giving them drugs and arms to attack opponents or buying them phones to bully his political opponent on social media, he inevitably has set a negative pattern.

Fourthly, no society would know peace if drugs could be bought and sold cheaply and easily like pure water. There is a correlation between the availability of drugs and rising crimes. Many heinous were traced to be committed under the potent influence of drugs. And among all Godly creations, thinking and reasoning are the qualities of only human beings; if a man loses his human sense, he becomes a wild beast. So to all fight crimes, first and famous you must fight drugs. 

In addition, media has a profound influence, especially television, smartphones, and computers. The Russian Communist leader, Joseph Stalin, called TV “The “greatest propaganda machine to be invented”. It can retain attention and indoctrinate a person or even an entire community. As we lack reading culture, we consume and learn from TV content more than radio, newspapers, and magazines. Most films and music videos our youths watch nowadays glorify thug life, drugs and sex. It has brainwashed our youths to think of thuggery, drug taking and having extra-marital sex as the best thing to do on earth. So to stamp out social evils and every form of crime, including phone snatching, parents should guide children to watch only educational programs and other non-toxic entertainment programs. 

Lastly, our first line of action, if we want to stamp out the menace of crimes, phone snatching and many social vices in Kano and elsewhere, we must trace the root cause. Capital punishment, jungle justice or summary execution is not enough to break the jinx of the rising crime rate. It is like a saying,” so much to be done, but so little is done”. So also, it would not yield the desired outcome of mitigating crimes among youths. If not, our action will become like a proverbial Hausa saying of killing a snake without cutting its poisonous head. 

Adnan Abdullahi Wrotes From Kano Ungogo via adnanadam37@gmail.com.

By Garba Sidi

In local governance, effective leadership is often characterised by innovative approaches to tackling communities’ diverse challenges. One such exemplary leader is Honourable Bala Umar, the Chairman of Hadejia Local Government. Under his visionary leadership, Hadejia has witnessed remarkable strides in addressing pressing social issues, particularly the plight of female beggars and sex workers, and ensuring equitable access to vital resources like petroleum. This opinion piece aims to shed light on Chairman Umar’s commendable initiatives and their positive impact on the community.

 Female Beggars and Their Children:

Chairman Bala Umar’s approach to addressing the issue of female beggars stands out as a testament to his commitment to uplifting marginalised members of society. Instead of merely dispersing them or turning a blind eye, he has taken a proactive stance by initiating a program that involves repatriating them to their hometowns. This approach recognises the inherent dignity of these individuals and seeks to provide them with opportunities for a better future.

By collaborating with relevant stakeholders, including local authorities and non-governmental organisations, Chairman Umar’s administration facilitates the safe and responsible return of these women and their children to their places of origin. This comprehensive approach includes providing necessary transportation, reintegration support, and access to vocational training and job opportunities. By addressing the root causes of begging, such as poverty and lack of educational opportunities, Chairman Umar empowers these women to build sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

 Issue of Sex Work:

Another noteworthy aspect of Chairman Umar’s tenure is his dedication to addressing the challenges faced by sex workers in Hadejia. Recognising the complexities of this issue, his administration has taken a multifaceted approach. Rather than resorting to punitive measures alone, Chairman Umar prioritises compassion, recognising the need for rehabilitation and reintegration.

Through collaborations with law enforcement agencies and social welfare organisations, the local government implements programs to support sex workers transitioning to alternative livelihoods. These initiatives include skills training, entrepreneurship development, and access to educational opportunities. By offering viable alternatives, Chairman Umar’s administration demonstrates a commitment to addressing the underlying factors contributing to the perpetuation of sex work, such as poverty and limited employment prospects.

Equitable Distribution of Petroleum Resources:

Under Chairman Umar’s leadership, Hadejia Local Government has also witnessed substantial improvements in the distribution of petroleum resources. Recognising the significance of electricity and its impact on the quality of life, the local government prioritises the allocation of petroleum to areas where it is needed most, particularly in quarters with limited access to electricity.

One crucial aspect of this initiative is ensuring that areas reliant on generators to pump water from their reservoirs receive a fair share of petroleum. By addressing this essential need, Chairman Umar’s administration not only improves the living conditions of residents but also demonstrates a commitment to equitable resource distribution. This approach not only enhances the well-being of individuals but also contributes to the overall development and prosperity of the entire community.

Conclusion:

Honourable Bala Umar’s tenure as the Chairman of Hadejia Local Government has been characterised by innovative and compassionate approaches to addressing pressing social challenges. Through his proactive stance on the issues of female beggars, sex workers, and equitable resource distribution, he has demonstrated a commitment to uplifting the most vulnerable members of society.

Garba Sidi can be contacted via sidihadejia@gmail.com.