Opinion

By Aliyu Nuhu

Rahama Sadau has not hidden the fact that she is a cultural and religious rebel. But the laws guarantee her freedom, Nigeria is not Iran. So why bother yourselves about her dress mode? Leave that to her parents.

But for Rahama, she obviously never heard the dictum by John F Kennedy, that “if you try to copy something, you will end up being the caricature of that thing”. There is beauty in our cultural dresses. Other Kannywood actresses that stick to Islamic and Hausa mode of dresses are more beautiful, stylish and appealing. They are more salable abroad.

Check the most beautiful actresses in Kannywood. Momme Gombe, Fati Washa,Aisha Aliyu Tsamiya, Halima Atete, Maryam Waziri and Hadiza Gabon. They dress cultural. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but I daresay Rahama is not in their league. While they are cultural icon, Rahama is just a western copycat. You can’t beat the white in their own game. It is the reason why our musicians are making headway by using pidgin and vernaculars.

Salif Keita uses Bambara language in most of his songs. He is the most celebrated musician from Africa. Fela used pidgin and Yoruba. He is the most popular musician from Nigeria.

By Abba Muhammad Tawfiq

Garsa is a sinister superstition label ubiquitously attached to stroke patients particularly in some Hausa-Fulani community. The conception of cerebrovascular accident as demon-ridden problems is continuously denying its victims the pleasure of urgent medical intervention. This delay in appropriate medical care inevitably complicates the patients’ condition and make it even difficult to treat after all the efforts of traditional treatments have proved abortive.

The vagueness over which the accident is traditionally considered as “being possessed” ailment is refuted and cleared by sophisticated medicinal sciences. This piece will help to comprehensively elucidate more on what cerebrovascular accident and its management entail.

Adequate life sustaining nutrients and oxygen necessitate the survival of the building blocks of life. Hence, the circulatory system is primarily programmed to efficiently execute the function of meeting the fundamental requirements of body tissues and cells. This however can successfully be achieved by the way of transporting nutrients and metabolic wastes to and away from the body. Also, establishing a stable homeostatic state in all the tissue fluids by transporting biological chemicals called hormones from the part of its synthesis to where its effect is necessary in order to ensure an optimally continuous survival and robust function of the body tissues and cells through the means of blood and blood vessels.

Physical and organic pathology that disorient the rudimentary pattern of circulation that shape various tissues give rise to life threatening complications. And this conceptualizes the basis of “STROKE” with regards to brain.

Stroke otherwise known as cerebrovascular accident occurs as a result of an interruption to or loss of blood supply to a part of the brain from an assault to the concerned arterial supply to the brain. The American Heart Association defined stroke as “a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain.

Globally, stroke is said to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. It is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. The current prevalence of stroke in Nigeria is 1.14 per 1000 while the 30-day case fatality rate is as high as 40%.

On pathological ground, the disease lends itself to two categorical divisions, namely; Ischemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke.

The former is the most common type of stroke and associated with blocked or narrowing of the brain’s blood vessel caused by fatty plagues which build up in the blood vessels or by blood clots or other debris that travel through the bloodstream, most often from the heart, and lodge in the blood vessels in the brain. This consequently leads to the death of brain tissue from poor nutrients and oxygen supply to the brain.

However, the latter occurs due to a rupture or leakage in blood vessel in the brain. This is mainly associated with atherosclerosis or a local dilation of the blood vessel (aneurysm) which leads to the burst of the blood vessel hence leading to hemorrhagic stroke

The predisposing factors that lead to cerebrovascular accident can be categorized into modifiable and non modifiable factors. And the major modifiable risk factor for stroke is sedentary lifestyle. People’s manner of living exerts impact on their state of well-being. Obesity caused by unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking may result in high blood pressure or deposition of fatty droplets in the arterial wall causing arterial narrowing or bursting, thus consequently leading to stroke. Others include uncontrolled hypertension, gestational or pregnancy hypertension and diabetes.

The non modifiable risk encompasses factors such as family history and ageing. Although stroke does not wreck havoc on any age or age group exclusively, but older individuals are at higher risk of having stroke than other individuals. This is because the complications of ageing are mainly associated with arterial narrowing and loss of elasticity. Hence the susceptibility of the arteries to be damaged by fatty droplets and other debris in circulation, thus; resulting in stroke is high.

History of severe idiopathic headache, dizziness and vomiting are being clinically associated with haemorrhagic stroke. Facial, arm, or leg weakness on either or especially one side of the body denotes the onset of stroke. Other symptoms include confusion or trouble in understanding other people, difficulty speaking, visionary problems, trouble with walking and coordination.

Obesity and or weight control by the means of lifestyle/dietary modification and exercises are the mainstay for the prevention of stroke. The revelation of the aforementioned symptoms of stroke should urgently be reported to a close healthcare facility for immediate care and complications minimization. Notable blood pressure should be regulated through exercises and medications.

Multidisciplinary approach is essential for the effective management of stroke. This comprises a team of a well trained healthcare professionals and most precisely doctors, speech therapist, occupational therapist and physiotherapists. Surgical procedures can also be employed to repair vascular damage in the case of haemorrhagic stroke, while obstruction of adequate blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain by clogged garbage in the vessels can be flushed out through the use of medication.

The physiotherapy specialty covers a wide scope in the management of patients with neurological conditions such as stroke and their aftermath on the body function. Following stroke, patients show and suffer from multiple complications such as muscles flabbiness, accumulation of secretion in the lungs and loss of speech, loss of balance and coordination, which may not be or difficult to manage by medication.

Various physiotherapy techniques are applied to improve muscle physiology, prevent deformity, improve coordination, facilitate airways clearance by removal of accumulated secretions in lungs and improvement of overall quality of life. Physiotherapists therefore bridge this gap by playing restorative and preventive role in restoring the lost function and preventing post stroke complications.

Abba Muhammad Tawfiq, graduate of Medical Rehabilitation, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

By Muhammad Nazif Abubakar

Nigeria is facing several challenges that threaten its stability and prosperity. From economic struggles to political corruption, the country is at a crossroads and, come February, must take to the ballot and vote for competent leadership that can take actions to address these issues to secure its future.

Nigeria’s numerous economic challenges can be overwhelming in recent years, including declining oil prices and organised oil theft. The latter has significantly impacted the country’s economy, leading to billions of dollars in lost revenue for the government and oil companies and lost profits for businesses operating in the oil industry. This lost revenue could have been used to fund critical public services and infrastructure projects, exacerbating the adverse economic effects of crude oil theft. Moreover, the financial struggles in Nigeria have led to high levels of unemployment, particularly among young people, and have contributed to widespread poverty. In addition, the country has struggled with high inflation levels and a weak currency, making it difficult for people to afford necessities.

Political corruption is another major issue in Nigeria. Politicians and government officials are frequently accused of embezzlement and misusing public funds. Examples of this corruption, most of which were documented by Dr Nura Alkali in his book entitled When Stealing is Not Corruption: Nigeria Under President Jonathan, include the 2015 elections, which were marred by allegations of vote buying and the use of government resources to support certain candidates; the 2012 fuel subsidy scandal, in which billions of dollars in subsidies were embezzled by government officials; the 2010 Halliburton scandal, in which the company paid bribes to Nigerian officials to secure contracts; and the 2015 DasukiGate scandal, in which former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki embezzled public funds meant for military equipment. More recently, a former Accountant General of the federation was involved in over a 100-billion-naira scandal. Corruption has contributed to a lack of trust in successive governments. It has made it difficult for the country to address its many challenges.

In addition to these economic and political challenges, Nigeria is also facing several security threats. Before 2015, the country was plagued by violence and terrorism, with groups like Boko Haram carrying out attacks on civilians and government targets. This has destabilised the country and made it difficult for citizens, especially in the northeast, to go about their everyday lives. Attacks by members of Boko Haram have drastically subsided in recent years. However, Nigeria is struggling with increasing levels of banditry in its northwest region. This has included armed robberies, kidnappings, and attacks on communities and security personnel. These bands of criminals have caused widespread fear and insecurity in the region, especially in Katsina and Zamfara. In addition, they have made it difficult for people to go about their daily lives.

The root causes of this banditry are complex and multifaceted. Poverty and unemployment are major contributing factors, as many of these bandits are driven by the desire to make a quick profit. In addition, the lack of effective law enforcement and security in the region has made it easier for these criminal groups to operate with impunity. The government has attempted to address this issue by deploying security forces and implementing programs to address poverty, but these efforts have had limited success. It will require a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to effectively address the problem of banditry in Nigeria’s northwest region.

Nigeria has a large and diverse population and a rich history and culture. With exemplary leadership and policies, Nigeria has the potential to become a thriving and prosperous nation. However, this will require a concerted effort to address the issues holding the country back. This will require tackling corruption, improving the economy, and managing security threats. It will also require working to build a more inclusive and just society where all citizens have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

Despite Nigeria’s many challenges, there is hope for the country’s future. This hope lies in the decisions made during the next election cycle. The person chosen to lead Nigeria must be capable of addressing the country’s problems. As former US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence because it is so rare.” Competence is a rare quality in the Nigerian political landscape. Still, it is essential for the success and prosperity of the country. Therefore, we must choose a competent leader to navigate Nigeria’s challenges.

Muhammad Nazif Abubakar from Kaduna via muhd.abubakar@hotmail.com.

By Lawi Auwal Yusuf

It is essential to understand that the community’s participation in fighting drug abuse is an effective remedy that helps tremendously in reversing the trends. Fastidious minds would think that it is beyond exaggeration, if not a mere goof, to make the dubious inference that we cannot clinch a victory over this quagmire without the community vigorously joining the crusade. No doubt, the first step to facing this insidious cankerworm bedevilling the country is dependent on the community’s cooperation.

We are at an appalling risk because drug abuse has become a serious societal phenomenon at an all-time high and regrettably remains unchecked. Youths have already been taken over by drugs which is the centre of crimes and other social vices, while some have succumbed to its suicidal trafficking. Consequently, Nigeria continues to disproportionately bear the brunt of detriments caused by this evil, which thwarts all efforts of transforming our youngsters into enterprising folk.

The emerging trends of terrorism, kidnappings, gruesome murders and a myriad of other reprehensible and despicable crimes are particularly damaging as they create social fissures, flay investors and lead to a total collapse of society necessitate coming together to make concerted clamant efforts in order to battle these crime inducing substances.

But, of course, we must take responsibility for our troubles for being obstinate in breaking away from the old way of doing things and not seeking to unite and confront this lingering peril so as to make way for Nigeria’s defining moment.

It is worthwhile to know that the war against drug addiction is not an exclusive responsibility of law enforcement agencies, in particular, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Rather, it’s our collective burden. Each and every one of us must honestly believe that he is a worthy stake in this issue, determining to immerse himself in this national salvation giving his best shot.

Collaborative efforts are vital mechanisms for efficient service delivery to Nigerians. Genuine and active community participation is a necessary measure that will absolutely end the age of this atrocious challenge and is a vital step towards addressing heinous crimes and protecting communities. It will truly catalyse meaningful and systematic change. Thus, producing enigmatic and highly yielding episodes that will deliver on the transformation of Nigeria.

It is difficult to dislodge the significance of collective participation in fighting illicit drugs, which necessitates the public to wade in and intervene to support the law enforcers by providing moral and financial support, as well as intelligence information to forge bridges between the community and lawmen. Participation at every level is essential in obtaining commitment and achieving goals.

The need for communal efforts to augment those of the government is a key to tackling this social upheaval and the most effective tool in overcoming this intractable problem for a better society. This idea is not only framed on the goal of extricating drug abuse but also on assisting security agencies in establishing and maintaining a safer and orderly social environment. And also working on improving the understanding and trust between the cops and residents, hence, giving the residents a better vantage of law enforcement.

Nonetheless, a partnership between law enforcement and residents adds to the deepening of our sense of collective responsibility and civic bond while helping security agencies have more accurate information.

Affluent individuals can also contribute by providing vehicles and other logistics to the overwhelmed NDLEA to ease their activities. Moreover, NGOs must embark on active sensitisation to expose the dangers of doing drugs and also extol the virtues of abstaining from it altogether. Equally important as well is the impulsive commitment of traditional rulers, religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to checkmate the threats at the grassroots level.

However, parents must always monitor the movement of their wards to protect them against the wrong hands and also keep a watchful eye on them to notice any conspicuous behavioural change.

Furthermore, we must band together and face up to the adversaries who are the centre of this issue and report any fishy movement of individuals in our midst to the security operatives. The notorious peddlers are the major concern as they are the key players that continue to supply these perilous drugs just to realise their apocalyptic fantasy of amassing stupendous wealth by all means and at all costs. This presupposes the imperative to put society’s interests at the core and make speak louder than these egocentrics and the demons who pander to them.

We shouldn’t sit idly by while the storms of egocentrism threaten our existence. We need to bolster efforts to strengthen the existential commitment in order to put up a good fight to break the jinx and weather the storm at this crux, and have success over the malicious forces.

Lawi Auwal Yusuf is the PRO and Chairman Media and Publicity Committee, Youth Against Drug Abuse Foundation (YADAF), Kano, Nigeria.

By Safiyanu Ladan

The Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike on the 14th February 2022, following years of unresolved issues with the federal government. During the period of the strike, the union had on several occasions met with the federal government representatives headed by the labor and employment minister Chris Ngige with a clear mandate to find a long and lasting solution to the lingering problems but to no avail as the meetings have always ended in deadlock.

Tired and frustrated with that, In September last year, the federal government through the ministry of labor and employment took the union to an industrial court, praying to the court among other things to order the varsity teachers to resume classes with immediate effect. The outcome of the court’s judgement favored the federal government. Paradoxically, the appellant court refused to entertain ASUU’s appeal, saying that until and unless they obey the lower court’s judgement of going back to classes.

The intervention of the speaker, house of representatives Right Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has paved the way for the varsity workers to get a soft landing in what seems like an unending fracas with the Federal government.

Prolonged and incessant ASUU strikes were this time around followed by a heavy price as the federal government reiterated that, the no work no pay policy has been duly applied to the striking workers. The federal government decision to withhold their salary has generated heated debates and threats from ASUU, but the government remains adamant. Closing down of Universities is at the detriment of students because they are always at the receiving end.

Having been tried but failed to convince the FG to pay the arrears of the past eight months of ASUU members, the management of some universities have decided to compensate that with an increment of students’ school fees. It’s no longer news that some universities have deliberately increased their fees to more than 100%.

It’s now crystal clear that this increment will affect many students because their parents cannot afford to pay such whopping amount of money as school fees. In the meantime, the mass exodus of students dropping out of the universities most especially in the North is imminent. Leaders and everyone should know this. Many students have expressed their worries on the trend and their final resolve to quit.

Safiyanu Ladan wrote from Zariya City and can be reached via uncledoctor24@gmail.com.

By Dansaleh Aliyu Yahya

Reading is a passion that every human needs to have to differentiate himself from other living creatures. Reading sharpens the brain of a reader. It makes him think in a different way compared to those who aren’t reading. One has to read to gain wisdom and even the life experiences of more than a million imaginary characters. For those reasons and many more, I said — read! Read! Read! And never stop reading.

People wonder how can a man with a wife, a business, and a life full of struggles dare to say that he has read hundreds of books in a year. Yes, it is possible if you know what the true definition of time management is.

Time management is the only phenomenon that helps everybody to do many things without even realising he did a lot. Plan your reading exercise, Have a timetable, and tell yourself that you can, then move on.

You can master any kind of skill if you do it repeatedly. So, if you read today and tomorrow, you will be a rocket reader. I can remember when I was in secondary school SS2, I read a book to some of my friends. I was reading it one day, “I swear you just held the book, but you were not reading from it”, Abdulmalik Ibrahim said, “He was my friend at school”.

“I was reading from it”, I said. He collected the book. Trying to prove me wrong. In the end, he proved himself wrong and said, “Why are you here? You should be an art student. So that you can study journalism”. He told me.

“Reading is my cup of tea, and I couldn’t do without it. I read a book in a single sitting because I don’t support cliffhangers. I must see the end of the story if I start reading it”, I told him. “Allah ya taimaki aku!” he said. We laughed.

I told them that I could not enter a toilet, eat food or sit down without reading something. Before, I was blamed at home for going toilet with a book, but now I have softcopies. Your phone can be your library in this 21st century!

So, you too can have speed in reading texts. I finished reading my first three books this year. I didn’t pen this to tell you that I am reading but rather to help inculcate reading culture within our blessed community. And tell people that if a dull young boy like me can do this, then everyone can do it.

May we be blessed, amin.

Dansaleh Aliyu Yahya can be reached via dansalealiyu@gmail.com.

By Lawan Bukar Maigana 

To say that I was bemused reading a story of a young lady whose parents influenced her to reject a guy she truly loved because of “Lefe” (trousseau) would be a gross understatement.

Unsatisfied with what her soon-to-be husband had offered, the lady asked him to change the lefe items with expensive ones or abandon the thought of marrying her. He asked why and she explained that the things he brought were not up to her taste because she was about to graduate and deserved better. Nevertheless, she insisted that he had to come and pick up his boxes. Respectfully, his friend went to her house and picked them up. 

After the above encounter, he stopped calling her. She became worried and asked him why did he stop calling her. He told her there was no point in calling someone who didn’t love him, and that was the end of their conversation. After that, he sold all the boxes, started a business, and happily got married after three years. 

This story happened 13 years ago. The lady is now a graduate and still unmarried. Unfortunately, she came out to share her experience with the public because the same aunties that influenced her to reject the man because of his inability to fill the boxes with pricy things are the same people asking to be the fourth wife to an elderly man who perhaps she doesn’t like. 

She is 32 and regrets her decision to side with her mother and aunties. She desperately wants to know his whereabouts and apologize to him. I think there are a lot of lessons in her story. Her last words: “Ladies, not all that glitters is gold. Lefe isn’t important; dowry isn’t important…”

Even though Islam is not in conflict with our native culture, parents must make it easy for their children to get married to avoid them becoming promiscuous. But, more importantly, now is the time to abolish the culture of offering lefe, as a necessity for our Muslim youths, especially the ones in the North, to become couples. It is one JIHAD that must be fought.

Lawan Bukar Maigana writes from Maiduguri, Borno State, and can be reached via lawanbukarmaigana@gmail.com.

By Tahir Ibrahim Tahir Talban Bauchi

In the 21st century of global villages, democracy, and westernisation of ideals and even beliefs, it is certainly difficult to comprehend what Northern Nigeria is, let alone what it stands for. The massively Islamised North, where peace and religious scholarship reigned supreme, has become a savannah of religious extremism and terrorism and almost a ground for legitimised banditry and bloodshed.

Life has become almost worthless, and tens of thousands of lives are lost to terrorism from Boko Haram in the east and kidnappings and banditry from the west yearly. Its traditional institutions of legendary valour and glorious kinship remain emasculated by State Governors who neither know the value and importance of these institutions nor have an iota of respect for them. Its political leadership is so partisan and fragmented, with every ‘Kingpin’ in bed with one political party or the other, or worst still, belonging to one candidate or the other. The North has remained in name and geography but fortuitously in almost all other ramifications. 

This is what has become of the behemoth The North since the democratisation of the Republic in 1999. For the few years that power has resided in the hands of Northerners, what good was it, and what did it bring since 1999? A large following of the North did mortgage the North’s future turn in power and campaigned for the continuity of Southern power. Only providence saved the day from the bastardisation of our nascent democracy. And perhaps a fall off from that pitiful nuance was another truncated term of a Northerner in power.

Present day 2015 to 2023 Northern Presidency has also been continually challenged by Northerners largely, and even though it has survived that onslaught, a moment of truth has come upon the North, where power arguably, and reasonably, is supposed to move to the South. It may not have been constitutionalised, and it perhaps may not be carried by the statutes of Federal Character, but no sane mind would oppose the notion of a power rotation for the peace and unity of the supposed federating units.

The raging debate is as to whether democracy remains whole when elections are based on ideas like rotation and, in other quarters, if the North has been shortchanged in this dispensation and power can be retained Northwards as a balancing equation. But what is a democracy, if not a phenomenon where the people are to decide how they want to be democratic? And what amount of tenure would strike a balance enough if other parts of the Federation are wont to run back the clock to cover previous republics or even military regimes?

While those debates are waged by the elite and the political strategists, The North, in the last eight years of power, has not been cured of poverty nor its un-educatedness. The reigns of power resident in the North as against the gains of power, be the reins resident in the North or not, seem to be mutually exclusive events. 

The North must learn how not to be in power and yet, record economic growth and development. Development that seeks to bridge the gap of education, infrastructure and disposition. Northerners behaving like expectant infants, to be fed and bred by the government, is sorely a thing of the past. Communist ideals are rarely ideal in the 21st century, where techies are building worlds that are driven by knowledge and technology.

Embracing a new world order, where self-reliance is a burgeoning business, is the new deal. The North must cut deals with the ruling party, where it stands to gain agriculturally and infrastructurally. Its size and population make it unbelievably powerful in the say-so of what happens to Nigeria’s politics. The last 8 years have seen so many Northerners in positions of power, but alas, they have not been able to affect the lives of Northerners, not even in simple small ways. The groaning populace, under the clutches of poverty, is miraculously Northern, while their brothers fill the corridors of power. To what use is this power? The North surely needs more lessons of utility in power. 

The history of the North is not borne out of vain glory. The reputation of integrity, honour and glory was carved into the annals of our history by hardworking, honest men who believed they were leaving a legacy of honour. If the North was hitherto shortchanged, it is not in its place to shortchange others and perpetuate a cycle of vengeance and unfair play. For posterity’s sake, the North must honour its political agreements, either written or not. Murmurings of betrayals by Northern leaders/ governors must be dispelled and should not be entertained, not even by the evilest amongst us. 

In the final analysis, PMB is honouring himself and the North by leaving in 2023, just like Jonathan did himself and the South in 2015. The writer is an advocate of justice and fair play, and of course, power rotation. Mistakes of the past cannot be corrected by mistakes of the future. There is no remedy for an anomaly that was created by a selfish few who were not thinking of their regions or their country but of themselves only. We have survived the Nigeria 2015 apocalypse by a far stretch of another 8 years. Plunging our nation into unnecessary crises is selfish and barbaric. Keeping Nigeria one and sane is what our leaders should be thinking of before their separate agendas. May God bless Nigeria.

Tahir is Talban Bauchi

By Mubarak Shu’aibu

With the 2023 general election close at hand, the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has released a six-page letter of appeal to Nigerians, targeting the youths in particular.

In the letter, Obasanjo eschewed the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, his former deputy, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his mentee, Engineer Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and settled for Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The choice has lent credence to those who believed Obasanjo is on a mission to scuffle Atiku’s presidential ambition comes February 2023. It’s in the public domain that former President Obasanjo is embroiled in a conflict with his former Vice,  and that is a good reason to disagree less with those that held such views. 

But, the good news for Atiku and his fanbase is the fact that the letter of his former boss, when placed in brackets with the 2023 presidential election, is a political featherweight. And here’s why.

Regardless of his exaggerated shortcomings, his broad political war chest, vast experience, and first name recognition have put him in the best stead to blitzkrieg the ruling All Progressive Congress (“APC”), a party which is currently battling for its existence. 

Exploring the more contentious articles against Atiku, either from his former boss or any other individual, it only emanates from a phobia that revolves around Atiku’s tendency to resuscitate Nigeria and rewrite his name in the book of history from the bad opinions sold publicly about him, to what he really is.

Another bullet point, unlike Buhari in 2015, the ruling party candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, does not have the overwhelming support of his people. Some of his rebellious allies, such as Professor Yemi Osibanjo, Babachir Lawal, Akinwunmi Ambode, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, are seriously plotting to ambush his ambition. 

These, and a wealth of other reasons, have unsettled  Obasanjo and the G-5 camp, who now looked marooned. However, Atiku’s victory is eminent (by the  Grace of the Almighty). Meanwhile, he’s one Nigerian [Obasanjo] whose opinion, whether right or wrong, doesn’t mean anything to Nigerian youths. As a former military officer, he, along with others, created problems for the country. When we revolted against them, they went through the back door. They’re the chief reason why our democracy is built in such a way that only the interest of the “elites” is protected. And it’s no wonder the last Military Head of State is the political ombudsman of Nigeria. They feel that they’re the power brokers, and anyone seeking a political office must lick their shoes.

And by his assertion that Obi has people who can pull his ears if and when necessary, he’s just trying to muffle the fact that Atiku won’t listen to the cabals. But that’s the sort of President Nigeria needed at this material time.

So, how much electoral value does his letter brings? Zero, I guessed!

Mubarak Shu’aib writes from Hardawa, Misau LGA, Bauchi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via naisabur83@gmail.com.

By Rukayya Abdulhadi

A dream has always been a glimpse of the future—yet to happen and fragments of the past or what we thought to be. But, the Kano of my dream is a Salad of both; past and present.

It has always been hard to differentiate between my dreams and fantasies. What I have always dreamt as Kano, my past, present and future, was just a hallucination. The surest way to make your dreams a reality is to live them.

I dream of Kano to be the peaceful city that it once was – where people slept outside the walls of their rooms undaunted.

A Kano where humans are as safe as birds, swirling inside streets ‘Lunguna’ with no phone snatchers or intimidating drinkers.

A Kano where there is no imposing but tolerant of religion and cultures. Where marriage is bound by love, not ethnicity or race. Where schools outnumbered business centres branded as mosques. Where sect ‘Dariqah’ is not a prerequisite for relationships.

I yearn for Kano to be where nobody has to know someone to get their children educated. Where the rich and the poor eat in the same bowl without distinction. A Kano where anyone sitting on the throne of Emir is respected, their counsel duly noted. A Kano where elders are leaders.

I want Kano to be where every father is a father to all, and every child is a child to society. A Kano, which will not only be the centre of commerce but it is also the portrait that speaks the values of Hausa and Islam. A clustered society that doesn’t discriminate.

A Kano with a unique voice of respected command, youngsters, scared to dare elders. A Kano where respect is bounded by deserving.

A Kano where politics and religion will no longer be an instrument of coercion and manipulation.

A Kano free from the insalubrious dependence of pseudo-clerics, religious entrepreneurs and miracles.

A Kano where religion will not take the place of good governance.

A Kano with critical thinking youth, not human—machines for winning elections.

I dream of a Kano without all the cacophony of the ill-mannered and bastardised semi-illiterate politicians.

A Kano where every girl-child deserves an education, her dreams not shattered by the pretence of street hawking and child marriage. A Kano where female nurses and doctors are welcomed, not accused. Where motherhood and carrier peacefully coexist; accepted. Where a woman’s place is beyond the ‘oza room’.

A Kano where givers give without being asked, where takers take without asking. A Kano free from child labour camouflaged as ‘Almajiranci’.

I would love Kano to be a place wallowing in technology and accelerating towards the future, with a promising economy and fertile land. A Kano where poverty is dying while commerce is thriving.

Where leaders are readers, not a collection of nincompoops monopolising power.

A city where for kids, night tales will replace the abracadabra of TV series and an avalanche of technology with no use.

A Kano of my dream is possible.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Rukayya Abdulhadi is among the runners-up in the 2022 “The Kano of my dream” writing competition jointly organised by Muhsin Ibrahim, PhD, and The Daily Reality online newspaper. He can be reached via rukayyaabdulhaddi@gmail.com.