Opinion

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

Let me draw the attention of the listening Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Muhammad, to the nail-biting hardships of Azare New Market, Katagum LGA, on the urgent need to construct rural roads in the said area for the economic development of the zone and beyond.

Azare is the Bauchi state’s second-largest city and is also the headquarters of the Katagum zone. It is bordered on the east by Damban LGA and Potiskum, Yobe state. On the south by Misau local government and Jama’are local government in the west; and on the north by Itas/Gadau LGA. All these towns rely heavily on the Azare market for their commercial activities. That’s why Azare economic viability is very significant, particularly in the state and northeast in general.

Remember that the former Central Market was destroyed by fire on June 18, 2018. This caused traders and business people to relocate to the new market built during the military administration of Theophilus Bamigboye. Though recently, the market was expanded, and new shops were erected with the donations made after the inferno of the old market. Unfortunately, this new market lacks a rural road that would facilitate the transfer of goods and farm produce from rural areas to markets with significant concentrations of demand.

Unfortunately, the fire that destroyed the ancient market spread due to a lack of access roads for fire engines. The lack of roadway pavement in the new market, God forbid, could exacerbate the situation. Also, the government should checkmate, as a matter of priority, new allocations of shop spaces by local government administration, particularly around the current access road, to avoid repeating previous mistakes.

The new market is situated off Kano road. However, lack of access road delays in conveying farm products and movement of people to acquire their daily demands. In the same vein, people find it very difficult, especially during the rainy seasons. Moreover, drainage and flooding cause severe hardships to the people. It looks like a pond, especially after rainfalls. 

Governor Bala has made infrastructural development a top priority without a doubt. This has transformed the narrative. Necessary infrastructures are essential for growth. As a result, we’re appealing to our state’s workaholic leader to come to the people’s rescue. Internal Revenue will perhaps increase due to this because the inflow of goods and services will be greater than before.

For Bauchi to become the envy of other states, good infrastructure must be put in place, which would, indeed, attract investors to inject their resources into the state. We’re all aware of how insecurity has drastically retarded development in the northeast. Thank God, Katagum and Bauchi are relatively peaceful, which made them a destination for economic activities. But, without good roads, the gains made, would be diminished.

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

By MA Iliasu

When the self-acclaimed experienced butcher of Malam Abubakar Imam’s famous tale, “Dan Hakin da ka Raina” in Magana Jari Ce, Anunu, aimed to manoeuvre the pagan who came to sell his bull, he thought he was outwitting a villager to his own gain. But when the pagan burst his bubble by returning the favour in the most brutal way possible, he realised karma had no menu.

However, beyond such simplistic arguments on karmic justice lies a cogent spill-over effect that people like Anunu, who are the very people in our contemporary societies and the ones this piece addresses, never care to understand. Superior logic has proved that from the time Anunu cheated the pagan, the probability of his coming back to the market narrows very small despite drawing the score. And from that day, he may never trust another trader in any market ever again. This means Anunu had ridden off a valuable trader for his cattle market. And equally important is the fact the more Anunus there are in the society, the more pagans who boycott markets and cultivate trust issues will exist. Unfortunately, the effect will be an interactional rigidity in which people lose confidence in one another, significantly hindering the flow of socioeconomic activities in any organised society. And that’s among the major threats we’re facing in our contemporary societies.

Recently I attended a training in which an expert was hired to teach a skill. At the first encounter, the primary concern of the host was that how trustworthy was the trainer. Because the last time they hosted a similar training, the trainer developed a method that would save high cost, to which they applauded, but to which they had also later come to cry. The man accumulated and embezzled what was saved at the very realisation of his ability to do so and disappeared. And when he was reached out for an explanation, he asked for the accounting evidence, which didn’t exist. So, he got away with it like Andy Dufresne did the prison warden in Shawshank Redemption.

The behaviour along such a pattern of thinking is bedevilling the core of our existence. The primary underlining concern is the rising population of people who grew up admiring, and therefore imitating the cunning in the accounting prowess of Mr Duffressne without realising the gravity of the factors that forced his hands into the action. And so they do it all the time, everywhere and in anything. Unprovoked and with an ignoble feeling of conquering expertise. From bankers who manoeuvre their books to launder money, real estate agents who double-sale plots of land, marketers who sell lower quality products, pharmacists who exploit monopoly of knowledge to overcharge patients, bricklayers and mechanics who drag small work into big, borrowers who run without repayment, hire-purchase and leasers who sabotage the asset intensionally, to even students who charge their parents higher school fees than the demands of the school authority.

More discouraging is the pace with which the behaviour is fastly growing and sadly veiled as a skill that shall be integrated into the conduct and norms of polite society. It’s devastating how an individual identified with an outstanding ability to plot an ignoble moral hazard can be in high demand. The intriguing dimension is that more people are becoming more interested in milking the last bit of everything they wish to exchange, regardless of the moral and legal rights to do so—courtesy of poverty of contentment, lack of good moral upbringing and basic fear of God.

The emerging bracket of youths is so obsessed with what Ibn Khaldoun called “an unnatural way of making a living”, possibly because the output of the natural ways are too slow and demanding of patience, hard work and endurance that they don’t have. And along with that rising collective behaviour, we’re being left at the mercy of a society in which nobody trusts anybody, largely because nobody is trustworthy. The negative aspect of which dilemma causes the death of confidence between individuals and organisations that riddles the conduct of every socio-economic endeavour. Consequently, it often perpetuates the groundwork of the crises that are assassinating the prospects of our major micro industries.

The mass media is jam-packed with reports of crime and unemployment. This has a strong correlation with how the youths demand wealth to come quickly. Therefore, they get methodically radicalised. Likewise, how the middle-aged are giving up hope, thus, resenting moral hazard. Or how the capital owners fear the behavioural infidelity, therefore, save their cash, and, finally, how the three components suffocate the economy and culminate into such an unfavourable avenue of investment. Many are retreating into the fear of market individuals like Anunu and organisational drivers like Andy Dufresne, even though the people may constitute the larger aspect that considers the same action, which rounds up the gravity of our comedy of errors.

The best way to reverse the situation is to reflect and reconsider. It’s beyond certain that if individuals do not understand the advanced consequences of their actions, mediocre moves and poorly-conceived individual actions will keep being mistaken for skills. And when they’re considered skills, they’re being rewarded. At the same time, the effect of reward is encouraging further action of similar magnitude. So indeed, the best solution is mitigating our individual actions. Only that way, we can have a stable ecosystem and social platforms that’ll enable prosperity.

MA Iliasu writes from Kano. And can be reached through his email: muhada102@gmail.com.

By Adamu Saleh Maidalibai 

While the economy is down, school fees higher, poverty increases, many families lost hope that their children could not afford tuition fees. As a result, many families become hopeless, yet many students in Jigawa State manage to survive and get their legs in tertiary institutions across the country.

I know many students that solely depend on scholarships to settle their annual school fees. I know many students who lack food and rely on the same scholarship to get their tummy intact. I know many students who use scholarships to buy materials to improve themselves academically.

Thousands of Jigawa state students become excited when their phones ring, thinking it is a credit alert every day.

I can vividly remember my terrible struggles two years ago when I led a team of thousands of students. Then, we struggled for our betterment (scholarship), and it bore a fruitful outcome. In those days, I proved to myself that yes, I’m a comrade, a student leader with capacity, who could stand for Jigawa state students not only before them but before the government. It has been two years back today. Since then, the Jigawa State government has never listened to students anymore.

I often use to ask myself some questions: Does the Jigawa State government forget about students? Is the government aware of students problems? Are there any students leaders in the state? Do Jigawa state students have a voice? Why can’t they air their concerns? These and many questions cross my mind, but I was ashamed of both the government and the students.

Dear Governor Badaru, part of your manifestos is that students’ betterment will be part of your top priorities. Wouldn’t you fulfil that promise, please?

Leadership is a burden, not an enjoyment. Please do the needful before it’s too late. Then, you will stand before the Lord and be accountable for all that you did. On that very day, what would you tell the Lord (Allah) when you’re asked about students?

Adamu Saleh Maidalibai writes from Kazaure. He can be reached via salehadamu90@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim

This article is an attempt to highlight the leaders we need in our society. This becomes more relevant as election season comes and goes. We ought to know the leaders that are the best for us if we only want to succeed. This article, thus, would go a long way in addressing some of our major problems.

I am a Nigerian, and I am part of her in every situation, no matter how it may be. Be it good or bad; we share the feelings altogether. It is unfortunate that at this age of Nigeria, things are still happening upside down. Things are still falling apart. It is shameful.

Today, in Nigeria, any person can aspire to be a leader and be chosen either legitimately or illegitimately. But, mostly illegitimately, as asserted by Dr Usman Bugaje said in a paper he presented during Dr Sulaiman Kumo Memorial lecture at Gombe High School in 2018. This is one of the reasons that made me pen this.

However, Prof. Salisu Shehu, sometimes back, stated in his book Social Justice Leadership Responsibility in Islam that “It is because of the so-called democracy…”. I agree with him because even as young as I am, I still observed that some of our leaders are not competent or just, but they are still there to lead us. Some don’t even know where to start. Some still need to be trained and disciplined.

Dear Nigerians, do you vote for good leaders or looters with your eyes widely opened? Do you vote for competence or richness? Do you vote for your future wellbeing or for your present wellbeing that can perish in less than a day? Do you vote for the prosperity of your children: for them to enjoy the dividends of democracy, i.e. one who, if voted, would build schools, hospitals, construct roads, develop our infrastructures? Do you give somebody the mandate to rule you without paying particular attention to his qualities? Is it somebody that kills our economy, offers stimulants to our youth, destroys our society that you want to represent us?

Do you vote because you can or because it is an obligation and a right at the same time? Should we sit and fold our arms and watch them continue with their ruination, plundering, looting/embezzlement and squandering of public funds? What can we do, and how can we start? Think carefully about these questions.

The need for good leadership has been stressed earlier on. It is our fault since we failed to learn and implement the Islamic teachings, some of which the Sokoto jihad leaders deliberated on. Like the qualities of a leader. We cannot just stop on those mere democratic qualities.

Another critical point is that our people today seemed not to know their roles and obligations. This is not only in the case of the ruled but also the rulers. Why? The answer is very apparent. We need no further consultations. Sadly, most of them are not educated enough on leadership, not to mention their followers. This is indeed painful.

If I may ask some of our leaders, how many read books written on this topic of discussion ‘leadership’ by Sokoto jihadists like Shehu Usman Danfodio, his brother, Abdullahi Fodio, his son, Sultan Muhammad Bello and the rest of them? I think only a few would boast answering yes if any.

We, the subjects or more preferably the ruled or the led, have our various contributions to good governance at multiple levels of life. Aside from obedience and compliance with rules, so long as they are not evil and terrible. There are other positive contributions, like constructive criticisms, advising the government on good things and warning against evil and prayer, as asserted by Prof. Salisu Shehu in his book (Social Justice Leadership Responsibility in Islam). But today, we are relentless to all of these. Not all, but only a few of us are doing that.

Justice is an essential aspect of any given society. A leader, therefore, must be just. Consequently, we should pay special attention to this quality before selecting any leader.

Knowledge should be considered. Knowledgeable can be found in our learning institutions. Therefore, institutions should be put in place to teach our younger ones leadership traits before it becomes too late to overcome the present challenges. 

Competence is another most appealing quality. A leader’s ability to overcome situations and handle matters mattered a lot. But do we care? We should not just go ahead and select a person to represent us, knowing that that person is not competent.

These are the few characteristics of a leader. Some books address such issues. These include: Social Justice Leadership Responsibility in Islam and Shugabanci a Mahangar Musulunci: Yadda Al’amarin Yake A Nijeriya. I hope they will serve as a guideline to aspiring leaders.

In the end, I hope our young leaders will take heed of all these. Further, I pray that all aspiring leaders learn what leadership is all about before clinching any position of power.

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim is an award-winning journalist, fellow African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) 2020, Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa. He can be reached via awwalbinibrahim@gmail.com.

By Khadijah Tijani

I have read many reactions to the recent trend of young and vibrant Nigerian doctors leaving the country for greener pastures. I also saw the interview with the minister who said the doctors are free to go because “we already have too many of them”. Some people even blamed these “selfish” doctors for refusing to stay after benefitting from “ridiculously cheap” medical education, blah, blah.

Oh well… Maybe I missed it, but I don’t know if anyone has talked about what these doctors are paying in exchange for their right to leave. Where these funds are going is another question begging for clear answers. 

For you to get a new passport or renew an old one, you need to pay something between 35k and 70k depending on the number of pages and the validity period. But you also need to tip some officers so that your passport can be issued on time.

Some universities do not issue your final certificate until years after graduation. Transcripts are not available online. You need to travel down from wherever you are and go to your university to make a request. If you are lucky, you will get it after several weeks. And yes, they will also charge you a not-so-little administrative fee for that.

Suppose you are asked to send a source-verified copy of your credentials to a regulatory body, for example, Saudi Council for Health Specialties. In that case, you need to pay up to 30k for each document to be verified and additional fees for courier services. Moreover, since many universities still don’t have functional emails or reachable phone numbers, you still have to travel down to get it done or pay someone to do it for you.

Talking of regulatory bodies, they also want to be sure that you are a good doctor and have never been in trouble while practising in Nigeria. So, they will ask you to submit a certificate of good standing, which goes for 66k. Some will also ask for detailed medical checks and police clearance certificates – more expenses. You have to pay for the medicals even if it’s where you currently work. 

When you are done with all that, and you finally move out of the country, you will still get yearly reminders to pay your dues to remain a licenced doctor in Nigeria. Of course, some people stop paying, but I know many doctors who still send their 10 to 20k annually. They even mandated us to pay 40k contributions towards the new NMA building last year.

Every university and medical college have their respective association of alumni in the diaspora. They contribute millions of naira to their alma mater each year. In addition, they send expensive machines to help in-patient care and loads of materials to aid in medical teaching. Unfortunately, some of these supplies might become sabotaged by the killjoys within the institutions if there is no direct supervision and maintenance. 

I have not even mentioned the off-record funds you have to send to family and friends back home every month. Or the huge amount of money that doctors have invested in small to large businesses in the country. Or the free medical and surgical services many have provided to the people whenever they come home on vacations. Or the big hospitals many have established to create employment for the people, among other things.

I am worried about the brain drain, but I am also concerned about the people who do not understand the pain of an average doctor who wants to leave. They think it is easy to wake up one morning and jump on the next flight. And oh! Flight ticket and all the hurdles you need to pass through before you cross the border… Phew! 

Since they think we are too many and can be exported like cash crops, we also need to ask them where the money from the foreign exchange is going. Are they building more hospitals or renovating the old ones? Are they providing enough medical supplies to work with? Are they paying the salaries of the few or “just enough” doctors left behind? 

We need answers, please.

Khadijah Tijani is a medical doctor, she writes from Ibadan, and she can be reached be through Askodoctorkt@gmail.com or @AskDoctorKT.

By Lawi Auwal Yusuf

The Tsangaya system in northern Nigeria started more than a century ago. It is a traditional and informal system of Islamic education where male children are taken to a far place from home to memorise the Qur’an and study other religious books. This will help them to concentrate more on their studies than in the comfort of their homes. They can be seen in every part of the region, and they mostly come from rural areas and are predominantly taken to the cities, while some come from neighbouring countries.

It has taken a parallel dimension in the last decades as there has been a massive influx of these young children into the urban areas.

This rural-urban migration is exacerbated by rising poverty in the countryside, dilapidated infrastructures, unemployment, rising cost of living and a corresponding decline in the standard of living. Moreover, monetisation of the rural economy, desertification, effects of climate change and lack of social amenities worsen the situation.

Similarly, this mass movement has its repercussions on the metropolitan areas such as overcrowding, squalor housing and homelessness, poverty, the spread of diseases, starvation, poor sanitation, joblessness, criminal activities and fanaticism.

The pitiful and awful plight of these vulnerable children, including minors of about five, is very sorrowful, disheartening, and sympathetic. These oppressed kids below the legal age of responsibility and accountability roam in nooks and crannies of cities hungrily begging for food wearing tattered, shabby and ragged clothes without shoes in the scorching heat. They wander from house to house, in marketplaces, on the streets, motor parks/stations, mosques, traffic intersections and social gatherings in search of livelihood. They scavenge through refuse and garbage, looking for food and other valuable materials. These miserable children sleep on the roadsides, under bridges, marketplaces, uncompleted buildings and other unfortunate places under intense bites of mosquitoes and other insects.

Moreover, they defecate in the open as there are no toilets to use. They equally lack access to safe drinking water, prophylaxes, vaccines and immunisations that can help to prevent them against dangerous diseases.

Some of them are not much acquainted with their parents, siblings and other extended family members. They know little about their hometowns. They depart home when they are too young and are rarely visited or go home to reunite with their families, while others never return. Some years ago, I overheard one of them narrating his ordeal that there were only two rooms in their mud house. One was for the parents and the other for the children. The father wanted to marry a second wife while there was no vacant room to accommodate the bride. So he enrolled them in Tsangaya school and arranged the children’s room for her. This is why tribal and political bigots revile and vilify the Northerners on this savage and barbaric behaviour.

These filthy children are left to fend for themselves as no one cares about them. Everyone abandons them. They do not get the psychological support, love and affection of their parents and the bond of kinship ties. They live their entire unwholesome lives away from home. In addition, they also fall victim to child labour, exploitation and abuse. Hence, the teachers and other older co-students ruthlessly maltreat the younger ones and confiscate the food and money they get.

They have equal rights to benefit from the state resources and the public treasury like every citizen. They have equal rights with the children of the so-called prominent personalities, the President, governors, ministers, lawmakers and traditional rulers whose kids are taken to Europe and America to study. They also have the rights to normal life, adequate healthcare, decent shelter, and qualitative education with the requisite skills to make them marketable in the labour market and equal opportunities. Unfortunately, they have been deprived of these constitutional rights and are treated in their fatherland as sub-humans.

In their teenage, they spend much of their time on the course of their subsistence than their studies. Therefore, only a few of them receive the desired education. The unfortunate ones grow up without adequate knowledge, socialisation, professional training, and skills that necessitate them to wander the street and do menial jobs. Appallingly, some end up in theft, mugging, thuggery, drug dealing/addiction, sexual and other street offences.

It is very irritating that these vibrant, vigorous and exuberant youths are not made very productive to our nation. It vexes me to see them idle, redundant and wandering freely without a specific purpose or destination. Had they been adequately trained and made more productive to the society, they would have become professionals in different fields and therefore facilitate its development. It would have been more advanced than it is now. Sadly, all the intelligence, talent and youthful exuberance are being squandered negligently and not made helpful for their benefit and the whole society.  This is why Nigeria still lags behind its peers.

This mindlessness of the Nigerian authorities resulted in the December 1980 fracas in Kano. Maitatsine took advantage of this and brainwashed thousands of his students into extremism and fundamentalism. The conflict, which lasted for almost three weeks, put the city at an impasse and led to the loss of nearly 5,000 lives, including Maitatsine himself and enormous property worth millions were destroyed. The survived students initiated another tumultuous disturbance in the subsequent years, whereas in Bulumkuttu, Maiduguri and Kaduna in October 1982, over 3,000 lives were lost. Other riots broke out in Yola in 1984, where over 1,000 people were killed, and more than 60,000 people were displaced. And it also took place in Gombe in 1985.  

Furthermore, Boko Haram is more destructive, disastrous, and catastrophic that analysts see as an offshoot of the Maitatsine sect re-emerged with similar ideologies, putting the country in a war for more than a decade. Maiduguri has the largest concentration of these students, where you can find a Tsangaya school with thousands of students. Since the beginning of their offensive attacks in 2009, tens of thousands of lives were lost, and more than 2.3 million people were displaced, and roughly 250,000 fled to the neighbouring countries. The Global Terrorism Index declared it the world’s deadliest terror organisation in 2010. They have engaged in mass kidnappings of innocent civilians, including schoolgirls in Dapchi and Chibok and aggravated famines and food insecurity.  

The government should reinvigorate the Nigerian educational system to meet international standards. Similarly, there is a need to introduce an integrated educational system that will completely uproot the dichotomy between Islamic and Western education that will correspond with our religion and culture. A system that will give room for the memorisation of the Qur’an, Islamic subjects alongside the other conventional subjects to be acceptable to all. This was what Muslim countries like Sudan, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and many others have done. A similar provision should be put in place for Christians to be fair and just to all. In addition, primary education should be entirely free, compulsory and accessible to all.  

The governments at all levels should make genuine efforts to eradicate poverty in the villages, combat desert encroachment and revamp agriculture which will help tremendously improve the income of the rural dwellers. And also provide adequate and effective infrastructures and social amenities to make their lives better and easier.

Apart from all these, the government should urgently evacuate and return them all to their homes and enact a statute that will be strictly and rigorously enforced outlawing this incessant desertion. The legislation should also oblige the parents to be responsible for their children’s custody, supervision, and safekeeping.

There is a difference between a man and a father. The latter is a title of birth and guard. So, it is natural to take up the mandate; it is unnatural not to.

Lawi Auwal Yusuf writes from Kano, Nigeria. He can be reached via laymaikanawa@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Mustapha

The war against Boko Haram is nearing an end. The news emerging daily that many members of the deadly group are surrendering is cheering. However, mixed reactions have continued to trail their repentance. Since the group appeared to wage war against Nigeria, Boko Haram is reported to have killed over 100,000 Nigerians in addition to displacing millions of others. However, our committed and gallant soldiers deserve a pat on their back for ensuring they sustained the onslaught against the insurgents.

At least, the northeastern states, especially Borno, which is ravaged by the group’s activities, are heaving a sigh of relief after many years of horrible experiences. For the group members believed to have a strong link with ISIS to backtrack, repented and embraced amnesty, this is an indication of victory over them. Also, in a country overwhelmed by many security problems, the news of their repentance is a welcome development.

Ironically, while many Boko Haram members are surrendering and the government is rolling out programs to rehabilitate them, bandits in the northwestern states inflict more harm on the helpless, poor communities. In Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states, bandits have become kings. They impose taxes and only allow local farmers to harvest their crops if certain levies are paid.

In the last three months, there have been increasing cases of students’ abduction for ransom. The continued abduction of students has forced governments to close schools with dire consequences to the education development of the region. Sadly, these daredevil bandits have continued to rake billions of naira from the victims’ low-income families. Disturbed by the continued killings of his people, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State recently directed his people to arm and protect themselves against the rapacious bandits. However, Governor Masari’s self-defence statement indicates the government’s failure or inability to protect the lives and property of Nigerians as guaranteed by the constitution.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the recent shameful invasion of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) by bandits. Whether it was a security breach as alleged by the military or not, the audacity of those bandits proved the poor security network in our military formations. The unfortunate attack should serve as a wake-up call to the government that, like Boko Haram, the bandits are not only attacking soft targets but also highly secured places.

Ibrahim Mustapha writes from Pambegua, Kaduna State. He can be reached via imustapha650@gmail.com.

By Adamu Usman Garko

The 61-year celebration of independence by Nigeria in 2021 will be a celebration of faux independence as Nigeria has yet to emancipate herself from the shackles of slavery fully. This slavery, however, isn’t covert but overt; it isn’t manifest but subliminal. Before the independence in 1960, that slavery was manifest. However, the contemporary form of slavery is reflective in the abysmal display of patriotism on all fronts and regards. 

If, in 61 years of existence as an independent nation, Nigeria has yet to boast of policies that favour her citizens confidently and can only boast of policies copied from her colonialists hook, line and sinker, then what independence is there to celebrate? If we have yet to absolve plagues like ethnic rivalry, corruption, the proliferation of theft, among other issues, then these calls for recourse in our actions. These are calls for a pictorial representation of the kind of Nigeria we want and deserve. Maybe that way, we would be able to plan towards the actualisation of our dream Nigeria.  

As a millennial, the first archetype I nurse is a Nigeria that appreciates creativity and innovation; there is no gainsaying that we are people blessed with talents, innovative and creative abilities, clarity of vision, resilience, and other virtues. Yet, the sickening reality is that these virtues are not duly apportioned the appreciation and support they deserve. Because of this, hordes of talents have been silenced and/or lost to countries where they are well appreciated. But, if schemes geared towards supporting and motivating the innovative abilities of young minds are instituted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, I believe that this subtle form of intellectual slavery will be absolved. 

Second, a Nigeria controlled by leaders who nurse a burning desire for recourse and restitution is what I desire. Young minds like myself have, over the years, witnessed so many transitions in government, but these transitions influence nothing; there is a continuum of hunger and pain despite the transitions. 

Leaders elected into public offices are elected on the grounds of financial strength, not on the grounds of shown community service, not on displayed prestige and honour, not on the grounds of brilliance and zeal for change.

During election periods, contestants for public offices litter our streets with faux promises only to be elected and trail the path of their predecessors. So, I want a Nigeria controlled by patriotic, sane, brave leaders who are not afraid to take the bulls of change by the horn. 

Also, a peaceful Nigeria is everything; a Nigeria devoid of violence, one where the insurgency is a word found in the pages of history, not on the daily newspapers, one where the safety of lives and properties is guaranteed. I am honestly tired of embodying fear in the crevices of my body, fear of being kidnapped, fear of leaving home whole and getting back unwhole, fear of losing all I’ve gathered as properties to the hands of thieves or the hands of ruins because this fear cripples the creativity of young minds like myself and this conversely affects our individual contribution to the development of the country. 

A peaceful Nigeria is not the only key to development but also key to the solidification of whatever changes occur. So I want a Nigeria devoid of favouritism, one other cankerworm that has eaten deep into the sinews of all fronts, even the healthcare system, even the judiciary. 

I want a Nigeria I can call home, and a home is a place of respite. I want a Nigeria that is kind. A Nigeria brimmed with people who are open and ready to embrace diversity in culture and language, choked with humane, open-minded people who see life as a commonplace for collaboration and not one for unhealthy competition. 

I want a Nigeria that can boast of being a giant, a Nigeria that isn’t a phoney or paperish giant but one that is living up to the giant tag by being the cheerleader of progress and development on the continent. A Nigeria that is clever in her use of raw materials, one that wouldn’t be exporting crude oil to other countries and rebuy. 

Until the Nigeria I described above is actuated, we would continue celebrating decades of independence without knowing that we are still enslaved in regards stated above; intellectual slavery, financial slavery, mental slavery and even developmental crippling.

Until we have a structured model out in place to actualize the kind of Nigeria stated above, I am afraid we shouldn’t be celebrating independence. And, we need not wait any further, for the future is now. 

Adamu Usman Garko writes from Gombe. He can be reached through poetadamu@gmail.com.

By Garba Sidi

It’s well-known that the Jigawa State government paid half of the registration fee to its indigenes each year. That’s how any governor in this state inherited it and continued it. Still, unfortunately, the present governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, came with some injustice in this matter of scholarship. For three years, the money has not been paid.

The government conducted a screening exercise on 28/01/2021. However, after five months, they selected only three schools within the state and disbursed the money to some students, not all and stop till now. Then, they went on to the media and announced that they gave scholarships to all Jigawa state students. It is an injustice.

Sadly all these injustices that happened, neither the Jigawa state assembly nor the commissioner of education uttered a word about the matter. While students are suffering from poverty, and some even dropped their studies because of registration fees. Those House of Assembly members and commissioner of education are busy taking their children abroad to study in expensive schools.

Unfortunately, it looks like there is no Students Union Government in this state. This is because the Union has failed to discharge its responsibility to fight for students’ welfare. Unfortunately, the acting president of this Union is busy travelling from Kano to Katsina, and others state fulfilling the mission of another group he joined some time ago.

Days ago, leaders of Jigawa state schools’ chapters visited the state capital, Dutse. They met with Special Advisor on students matter on this issue of scholarship. His reaction was, if students protest, the government will not ever give scholarships to any indigenes of Jigawa state. That typically showed students have no freedom to struggle for their rights as the constitution of Nigeria gives to anybody.

May Allah bless us with good leaders.

Garba Sidi wrote from Jagawa State. He can be reached via sidihadejia@gmail.com.

By Nazir Muhammad

Have you ever met someone online with a false identity or been in love with a total stranger, believing he’s real and found out otherwise? That’s a catfish!

As social media (SM) globalised the world, catfishing is scrambling like a bushfire. It happens daily on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms.

The word “catfish” refers to a person who set up an account with a false identity (Name, Photos, Address, Occupation) SM for fraudulent, deceptive and other malicious purposes.

Social media experts explain that catfishing varies in nature, depending on the target goals. Some pretend to be businessmen to rip off people’s money. Others are merely playing around, toying with people’s emotions for fun because they are lonely, bored or mentally sick. Then, of course, there are also sexual offenders, kidnappers, and rapists, among others.

The vast majority of catfish victims are youths and teenagers. Perhaps, their facileness to fall in love with online friends is the reason. For decades, there are bunches of girls and boys blindly dating people old enough to be their fathers or mothers. Consequently, millions of people are trapped in job scams – losing their hard-earned funds. Often, girls get kidnapped, raped or heartbroken the same way.

A report gathered by Reuters on March 22, 2021, reveals that Facebook took down 1.3 billion fake accounts. However, notwithstanding the efforts, catfishing remains incessant. According to a recent online survey conducted by an American website, one out of four women (23 per cent) admitted that they had catfished someone. In contrast, one out of three males (38 per cent) also fessed up similarly. In addition to these reports, another statistic said that about 73% of people online use photos of someone else rather than actual pictures of themselves. No less than 10% of all online dating profiles are scammers. 

Shocked? Alas, it is true and daily business for the culprits -the only way to shield yourself is to be circumspect with online friends.

It is not a one-day job, if not impossible, to get rid of all catfishes online, but you can cover up yourself by getting adequate cyber awareness. However, having eagle eyes to spot the doers will also help. 

Often, a catfish could be easily discerned whilst desperately trying to be too friendly and familiar to their target – denying the face-to-face meeting, or refusing a video call could be a significant clue.

Furthermore, to verify a person’s identity, meet in person or make a video call/Skype; monitor people they interact with online and unrelentingly download his photo and verify it via Google image search to confirm whether it appears somewhere else.

FYI: No matter how close you are with your online bae/fiancee, concede to meet only in the daytime and on busy places or streets. Shun hotels and uncrowded areas for your safety. 

Nazir Muhammad writes from Gombe, Gombe State. He can be reached via nazzhubby@gmail.com.