Opinion

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

The Abuja-Kaduna train resumed operations after eight months of suspension due to the sad event of March 28, 2022, where terrorists attacked the train and kidnapped 168 passengers, killing eight others. Thus, the situation is now under control. Captives were freed and reunited with their families. We hope not to have a repeat of these ugly scenarios in the future. 

Behold, the Nigerian citizens can’t hide their excitement as the train is back on track after the unfortunate incident. We all call for a proper investigation into the circumstances and, at the same time, call on the authority to remain vigilant. 

However, citizens have the habit of crossing the railway track without proper guidance and caution, resulting in accidents and damage to the public infrastructure, which is public property that shouldn’t be dabbled with. 

There is a sad report of a Toyota Camry with a female occupant that was allegedly crushed by the train as it carelessly came to pass the track. Often those with prior knowledge of the train, especially as you leave Kubwa train station in the suburb of the city centre, Bwary Area Council, the community residents of that axis have a habit of trespassing anyhow without being cautious of the danger therein. This has, of course, inflicted untold hardship on the victims and, at the same time, damage to the slippers of the track. Perhaps people are not aware of the dangers or have deliberately neglected them. 

However, as I went to the axis some time ago, I observed a provision for a pedestrian channel to pass. Sadly, people develop the habit of going through the danger zone. It’s a patriotic call on the ministry of transport to take a leaf from the city centre and provide barricades in such a way that communities have to follow the normal route, which will indeed be a win-win situation, as neither the track will be damaged nor no accident will occur within that axis as long as proper precautions are taken. 

I also laud the measures of the management for the proper check and balance of passengers, where thorough screening is put up so that those with suspicious motives are apprehended. I call on the general public to give maximum support to security agencies and report any sceptical movement for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani writes from Galadima Mahmoud Street, Kasuwar Kaji Azare, Bauchi State.

By Aminu Alhassan Kuba

Yesterday, education lost one of its most important gurdian angels. Professor Abdullahi Mahdi was arguably the best university administrator and without doubt, the greatest environmentalist Nigeria produced in the last 30 years. As VC, he transformed Ahamdu Bello University (ABU) Zaria into one of the safest and most hospitable university campuses in the country.

In a period of just 6 years, he transformed ABU’s vast land spaces from weed infested farmlands into a scene of beauty, serenity and gardens of roses and woodlands. In our very eyes, he literally transformed the landscape from the brown dusty lands in the dry season and muddy grassland in the rainy season into a beautiful garden of woods, palms and flowers.

As VC, he was like a restless military administrator with a mission. He was everywhere either making sure lecturers were in classes and laboratories imparting knowledge and character, or making sure that no one derailed his green revolution project on campus threatened the peace andsafety of the University communityhe administered.

Within a few years of stewardship, he stabilised the once notoriously unstable ABU academic calendar, ensured teachers taught the courses they were meant to teach at the times alloted. Tests and examinations were conducted as at when due, scripts were marked within agreed timelines and results of all examinations pasted and displayed before the commencement of the next semester. I could remember that, on resumption, the first point of call for any student was the departmental and/or faculty notice boards.

Mahdi was the best VC friend of the Student that ABU had. He was always there whenever and wherever needed. As a student, you could be admiring his flowers or taking a picture in any random place on campus and be surprised with the VC of mighty ABU helping you adjust your pose or position to better capture his beautiful gardens.

He made accommodation administration so seamless and fair that every deserving student got it on a first come first served basis. He made the hostels liveable by deploying adequate sanitation staff and providing water for drinking and sanitation. He turned our hostels into beautiful green gardens and enforced the rules to keep them so.

On security on the campus, ABU felt so safe and tranquil that female students could leave Amina and Ribadu halls 2:00pm and go to their classes unaccompanied anywhere on campus to study without fear of harassment or molestation. The ABU security system became so efficient that Students and the University community trusted them more than any State security agency of the country.

To govern ABU’s huge landmass, he employed the services of hunters to patrol every inch and ensured no one encroached or made its inhabitants feel unsafe. On campus, the University security was empowered to function and deployed the most effective methods to govern the most diverse student collection on campus anywhere in Nigeria.

Within the shortest time possible, he provided adequate water to not only ABU’s numerous hostels and his ubiquitous green revolution project, but its many and widespread staff quarters. The ABU dam was desilted and expanded, the waterworks revamped and expanded, and where provision of water became an intractable challenge like the Suleiman Hall, industrial boreholes were sunk and connected to the water reticulation system.

When NEPA became notoriously efficient in its failure to provide electricity to the campus environment, Mahdi fixed the broken down generators prcured new ones, installed and ran them with military efficiency. Again, they provided lightning to every class on campus and staff quarters. He signed an MoU with NEPA to guarantee power for some hours while generators provided lightning in the absence of NEPA. You could go to the class anytime with the assurance that light was available for your reading pleasure.

On sexual and other sundry harassments by lecturers and other members of university staff, he protected female students to the hilt. The only case that went unsolved was perhaps the one not reported. As Students, we felt safe and protected by Baba Mahdi.

For those that fell in love with themselves on campus, there were always places to go to, to sit and share stories, to take photos and relax without fear. ABU was hard, but it was beautiful, it was a social citadel. We had chairs to sit in every garden and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the campus. The famous gardens around the senate building and convocation square were nicknamed Love Gardens by some and Mahdi Gardens by others.

Public toilets with adequate water for sanitation and hygiene became available in every department, faculty and library. Whenever the need arose, students and staff needn’t rush to hostels to comfort themselves.

As ABUSites, we felt proud to return to campus wherever school reopened. It was always a pleasure to go to the assembly hall or Mamman Kontagora’s convocation center.

Whenever the travails of campus got on the way, the well maintained sports arena opposite Queen Amina Hall was there to admire the beauty of creation and watch volleyball, basketball or just relax. Mahdi made sure that Amina Hostel’s paint was always new, and those saddled with the responsibility of giving accommodation also always ensured that the most beautiful girls were accommodated there.

Mahdi turned ABU Samaru campus to a garden city with paved roads, walkways, trees and flowers. We were proud to tell students from other schools that they could visit ABU, spend a week and return home without walking on unpaved grounds.

Before his tenure elapsed, graduands got their certificates on the day of convocation just students had their results before the next semester commenced.

During his tenure he faced the recalcitrant university unions, including ASUU which he once chaired, with resolve and ensured that their troubles didn’t derail his vision. On a particular day, were inside Kashim Ibrahim Library when violently striking SSANU members clashed with police and teargas was used to disperse them. Many left the library with tears, but Mahdi won.., jacking continued.

When he eventually left, he left ABU many generations better than he met it in every aspect.

In Gombe, he built the State university from scratch to compete favourably with many older federal universities and perhaps, to become the best State university in at least northern Nigeria. Two months ago, I was there on q leisure visit and was confronted with the nostalgia of the Mahdi vision all over again. Even when ASUU had been on strike for months, the green made the campus lively and serene. At the zoo he established, we found the few animals it houses well fed and catered for. We saw families visiting with children enjoying the facilities provided by a man of vision and foresight.

As an academic, administrator and leader, Mahdi accomplished all these with a simplicity of a saint and commitment of a soldier on the battle field. He never sought to be known, he did not crave power, but when he got the opportunity he used it to make life better not just for the people he was responsible for but for environment and everything living within.

And when he eventually left the field and retired, he did not build or bought mansions in Abuja, Kaduna or even Gombe, he retired to the warm embrace of his family, and the community he served most of his life with distinction, Samaru in Zaria.

May Allah in His infinite mercy forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannah. May He comfort his family, the ABU Community and Nigeria 🇳🇬 deprived of a father, leader and patriot that served with distinction, dedication, honour, love and humility.

Kuba was a former student of ABU Zaria. He writes from Katsina State.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ibrahim Garba

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ibrahim Garba writes From Bauchi.

By Maryam Augie-Abdulmumin

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

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

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

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

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

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

The dearth of Qualified Teachers and Instructional Materials

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

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

Favouritism and the Challenge to the Fragile Peace in Nigeria

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

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

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

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

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

By Mubarak Shuaybu Shelleng

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mubarak Shuaybu Shelleng writes from Yola, Adamawa State.

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

In a democratic setting like ours, leaders are expected to set guiding principles from which followers are expected to learn good conduct and moral behaviour. Sadly, the Bauchi state government is setting a bad precedent, which won’t augur well for the unborn generation.

I was compelled by a video going viral on the internet at the instance of the Bauchi state governor, his commissioners, and top government appointees watching as a car painted with the pictures of APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmad Tinubu, the Bauchi State APC governorship candidate, Ambassador Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar rtd. CFR and his deputy, Aliyu Musa Barden Gabas, were destroyed while they were watching with admiration.

Electoral market volatility makes them susceptible to negative campaigns since “voters have loosened their ties with their party.” Not only that, the people of Bauchi are tired of the misrule of the PDP, yet they resort to diverting attention to their abysmal failure. Education is comatose, infrastructural decay, salary has now become a privilege, pensioners are crying wolf etc.

 As patriotic citizens of Bauchi, we strongly condemn the ruling party’s abysmal attitude. However, it’s expected that they set a pace for the younger generation while noting that Bauchi, as a civilised state is much aware of the happenings in the city. What we desire is a rancorous-free campaign, and we, therefore, urge the APC not to tear the line of the ruling party; let us emphasise to our supporters to shun violence in whatever guise while, at the same time, mobilising people to turn out in mass to vote for the APC at all levels.

As a people-focused grassroots party, APC has continued to champion the cause of issue-based politics while snubbing every temptation by the PDP to lower our standards by joining them in their infamous style of uncouth politics fraught with crass incivility. To put the records straight, Sadique had never been found wanting in such negativity.

As the leading opposition in Bauchi state, we are conscious of our responsibility to be law-abiding and concentrate on the issue-based campaign. We shall do everything possible to discharge that responsibility with total commitment to the rule of law and the sanctity of our nascent democracy. Often, we call on Bauchi State not to be deterred by the lawlessness of the PDP; it’s imperative to use our PVC and send them out of Ramat House because this irresponsibility has no place in our nascent democracy.

The many ills that bedevilled our state include corruption, economic underperformance, abject poverty, and a dysfunctional educational system derived from the action of the ruling PDP. How does a government that benefited from the freedom of expression and association to rise to the highest echelons in the state become so insensitive and uncaring to free campaigns? 2023 we need a purpose-driving and visionary government with a mission to transform the state for the benefit of all and sundry. With Sadique as the 2023 governor, the above is assured. 

Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani writes from Galadima Mahmoud Street, Kasuwar Kaji Azare, Bauchi State.

By Ibrahim Garba.

Since the announcement of the success of oil discovery by the Muhammad Buhari-led administration through Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC Ltd., people from different parts of the country rejoiced over the milestone achievement.

However, the development came with many controversies by the citizens who are, in one way or another other, have a direct or indirect connection to the development that is from some groups of people and individuals from the host community.

Immediately after the ground-breaking ceremony, which was attended by his Excellency President Muhammad Buhari, Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed, the Group Managing Director NNPC Mele Kyari, among other dignitaries in Nigeria, an argument broke between the neighbouring states, Gombe and its mother state Bauchi, about who owns the Kolmani oil well.

Besides, Bauchi may be right to claim the ownership of Kolmani oil because the oil well is located in Barambu, a village under the Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi state. Bauchi cites the presence of their governor at the breaking ceremony as one of the reasons that they own the oil well.

Gombe state, on the other hand, has more than a reason to claim the ownership because of their closeness to the point where the oil was drilled. Therefore oil as liquid stuff cannot just be for Bauchi alone.

Unfortunately, farmers operating within the host community of MaiMadi, Kwaimawa, among the other 7sevencommunities, complained that they were not paid for the damage done to their farmlands during the oil drill.

Among them, one claimed the ownership of the Kolmani oil well, which according to him, was inherited from his father and yet to be compensated. Also, the report indicates that workers who served during the seismic operation were not adequately paid but only promised to be paid on unspecified dates.

Farmers and other people from the host community should be well informed about the operation of that kind to seek entitlement associated with the oil drill operation in their localities.

With the allegations above, one must note with dismay challenging the Public Relations section of that particular for failing the Social responsibility service expected to render to those communities.

Above all, what Nigerians need to know is how much we need to poster national development above our interest to build Nigeria of our dream. We should also learn from the experience of our people down the south. There is a need for cooperation and mutual understanding between the two states, the farmers, and the entire host community to benefit from such a remarkable achievement. 

Ibrahim Garba writes from Bauchi.

By Salisu Yusuf

Reading is the interpretation of some signs, symbols and codes into meaning for intellectual consumption. Reading is the third skill in the order of the four language skills behind writing, for one can only write when he knows how to read. The significance of reading can be viewed in the context of the world being a global village; reading has today made our world a unipolar entity where communities understand each other and realise their diversity.

In Islam, reading is the most crucial skill in seeking knowledge and understanding God. The first verse of revelation is “Iqra’a”, or read, for it’s through the pen(writing) that the Lord teaches man some knowledge.

Reading has been the highest source of joy for man. It emancipates and frees man from the shackles of servitude. People have read to escape from the deception of the perverts, the so-called clerics who misinterpret divine injunctions according to their caprices. Reading can wrench you from the grips and chicanery of postmodern politicians. Read and be free from the bog of tradition, the tyranny of the oppressor, the darkness of illiteracy and the glibness of the scammers. 

In fact, reading can make you a gentleman/lady; men/women have become milder, sober and more empathetic through years of excessive reading. When you read, you will understand yourself, your immediate environment, and your world. When you don’t read, you suffer from a lack of effective education. That’s called illiteracy.

 Reading can take you to places you’ve never been. I was once with the notorious Adolf Hitler in a ditch shortly before his infamous suicide. I was once in a Bagdad prison, witnessing the despicable hanging of dictator Saddam Hussein. I have been to Elysse Palace with the powerful Charles de Gaulle during his assassination attempt. Asare Konadu has given me an imaginative ride to cultural Ghana. James Hardly Chase has numerously chauffeured me to an underworld, taught me criminology, spying and espionage. Achebe has taught me some aspects of Igbo culture; in fact, he was the one who told me that “breaking cola” wasn’t only a Hausa culture.

I once read a fable with a combination of animal, bird and spirit characters. I melted into the sky, and became a spirit. I perched on branches of trees as a brood, hatching and nestling. I had become a spirit and mutated into a bird the next moment, flying on a vast, blue and cold sky, feeling acrophobic. I still remember with nostalgia those imaginative, daring escapades. A reader can go directly to a character’s mind and discover his inner thought. He can scale a river and be on war fronts. 

Reading can be your route to escape, add to your knowledge experience, and can polish your language, open you to new vistas and give you aesthetic joy.

 As an advanced reader, you shouldn’t read excessively at night (learn to rest for your mental well-being), or in sunny spots (you should go under a shade). Preferably, don’t read from a white paper; the best paper to read from is either a light yellow or light blue.

 The best thing in your reading is to protect and harness your eyes from being strained. Your eyes aren’t only your sighting treasure. They’re your intellectual and economic assets. By using the best and appropriate paper, you take a long-term measure that’s best for your eyes in later life.

The uncomfortable truth is that, you’ll reach a stage in your life when you lose that flexibility in and around your eyes. So, you must compensate them with reading glasses. But using the right paper will sustain the tempo and rhythm of your sight. You should harness your eyes at this crucial stage of your life. To quote from the famous English poet, Oliver Goldsmith, “husband out life tapers at the close. And keep the flames from wasting by repose.”

At an advanced level of our reading, we read when we’re in the mood, when we’re in the best mental state. This is why it’s crucial to coordinate your eyes and mind together during your reading; otherwise, you’ll only say the alphabet, not the semantic words. There’s a difference between saying and reading. In saying, you don’t understand; in reading, you get the gist.

During our personal/independent reading, we should avoid vocalisation and sub-vocalization because they’re diversionary; we employ the use of silent reading, where the eyes and mind do the bidding. We move the eyes but not the head.

 As an advanced reader, you should devise a contextual reading. A context reading is when a reader utilises all those syntactic, semantic, and discourse markers as well as the surrounding information, use an appropriate analytical approach to the vocabulary, and use the historical and cultural backgrounds in his quest for meaning. 

A reader should digest both the content and form. Reading is twofold; he digests the content for the message and the form or language where he learns some contextual expressions. 

Reading should be a lifetime endeavour. However, reading cannot be an obstacle to my midday siesta, my routine physical exercise, or my light walk. It cannot hinder my other religious obligations.

Reading is my morning tea, my late morning cake and drink, my heavy lunch, my afternoon dessert, and my evening supper. Reading is my light dinner. I will read until I can read no more until I feel numb and dark.

 Salisu Yusuf wrote from Katsina via salisuyusuf111@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u, PhD

Apart from hosting us in their house during the Thanksgiving holiday, Danielle Callaway Njama and her husband, Philip Njama, booked a ticket for us to visit the National Museum of African American History in Washington DC. It was another rich historical voyage. I strongly recommend visiting the museum if you happen to be in Washington DC.

The museum, formally launched by President Barack Obama in 2016, documents the history of slavery and the unspoken contribution of Africans to European and American economies.

Walking through the floors of the museum, an air of historical insecurity, goosebumps, and lamentation engulfs you. As you read through the stories of how the enslaved Africans were transported to Europe and North America in chains and other inhuman conditions, you feel the blood of sympathy circumambulating in your veins.

While these thoughts were going through my mind, there was sudden silence among my family. I turned back, and my eldest daughter was in tears, struggling to hold her emotions while reading through the stories of Africans like Ayoub Suleiman from The Gambia, who was enslaved in Maryland, and Mahommah Baquaqua from Benin, who was sold in Brazil and transported to New York.

Being a student of economic development, I couldn’t miss the section in the museum that estimated the value of cotton produced by African Americans to $250,000,000 in 1861; and the value assigned to enslaved African Americans at $3,059,000,000 in 1860. What is the value in today’s terms?

This is a difficult history, but as I have discussed many times with friends and colleagues, Africans shouldn’t allow themselves to be the psychological prisoners of the trauma caused by slavery. Yes, it is difficult, but Africans must move forward with zeal and unparalleled determination to write a glorious chapter of their story no matter the odds against them. Creating a path to development is the antibiotic to economic dependency.

Takeaway: Torturous lessons of history are difficult to ignore. It is the lessons from history that help determined communities to write a glittering chapter for future generations.

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.