Opinion

By Garba Sidi

Various research studies have confirmed that there are 10,721 bird species in the world (Wikipedia, 2022; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2022; IOC World Bird List, 2022). Although some species have become extinct due to various factors, new species continue to emerge.

As an avid reader, bird enthusiast, and forest lover, I am amazed by the beautiful colours of different bird species as they fly around their territory and eat nectar, insects, and small mammals in the forest. Observing them in their habitats allows us to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Among the 10,721 bird species, the Cuckoo comprises 140 species, all living in different habitats in various regions. The fascinating behaviour of Cuckoos, which captures the attention of bird enthusiasts and researchers, is their unique reproductive process. 

Unlike other birds, which lay and hatch their eggs in their nests, Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests after careful observation and selection. They sometimes remove other birds’ eggs from the nest and replace them with their own. The host bird will then hatch the egg and feed the chick until it grows.

This remarkable strategy teaches us about the importance of community members. If not for other birds, the Cuckoo species would not survive. This highlights that people in our society have advantages we may not know will help us someday. For instance, just as Cuckoos rely on host birds for survival, we may find unexpected support from others in our community during challenging times.

Secondly, Cuckoos use the break time of other birds during hatching as an opportunity to exchange their eggs. They watch and observe bird movement, nest structure, and surroundings for many hours. Although their efforts may sometimes go in vain when host birds recognise and remove their eggs, Cuckoos continue their strategic process due to their belief in opportunism. This teaches us to seize opportunities and persevere, just like Cuckoos continue to evolve their species.

Furthermore, Cuckoos’ adaptability is remarkable. They have been observed laying eggs in the nests of over 100 different host species, from tiny warblers to large gulls. This adaptability is crucial to their survival, enabling them to thrive in diverse environments.

Thirdly, Cuckoos have adapted to various environments, from extreme heat to cold, by forcing themselves to adjust. Their ability to live in diverse habitats, such as grasslands, wetlands, forests, and urban areas, teaches us to cope with different situations through patience. For example, just as Cuckoos can thrive in scorching deserts and freezing tundras, we can learn to overcome challenges through resilience and determination.

Moreover, the Cuckoo’s unique reproductive strategy highlights the importance of cooperation and mutualism in nature. Different species can thrive and survive in a challenging world by working together and relying on each other. This is evident in how Cuckoos rely on host birds for survival and how they have developed unique strategies to ensure the survival of their species.

The Cuckoo’s adaptability and resilience offer valuable lessons for our own lives. As we face the challenges of climate change, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval, we can learn from the Cuckoo’s ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments.

Furthermore, Cuckoo’s unique behaviour and strategies offer insights into the importance of creativity and innovation. We can overcome obstacles and achieve our goals by thinking outside the box and developing new solutions to challenges.

The Cuckoo’s remarkable ability to adapt to different environments and hosts is a testament to their resilience and ability to evolve. This ability to grow is crucial in today’s fast-changing world, where adaptability is critical to survival.

We can also learn valuable lessons about cooperation, mutualism, creativity, and innovation. By embracing the spirit of collaboration and mutualism, we can build more resilient and supportive communities.

As we face the challenges of our lives and our world, we can draw inspiration from the remarkable lives of Cuckoos. By embracing their spirit of adaptability, resilience, and creativity, we can build a more sustainable, compassionate, and vibrant world.

In conclusion, the life of Cuckoo offers valuable lessons about the importance of community, adaptability, and opportunism. Their unique reproductive strategies, adaptability to diverse environments, and persistence in the face of challenges provide insights we can apply to our lives.

By studying the behaviour of Cuckoos, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world and our place within it. Their unique characteristics and behaviours inspire us to be more adaptable, resourceful, and compassionate.

The lessons from Cuckoos’ lives become even more relevant as we face the challenges of climate change, habitat destruction, and species extinction. By embracing their spirit of adaptability and resilience, we can work towards a more sustainable future for all.

In the end, the life of Cuckoo teaches us valuable lessons about the importance of community, adaptability, and opportunism. Their unique behaviour and strategies offer insights we can apply to our lives, from the importance of creativity and innovation to the value of resilience and determination.

Garba Sidi wrote via sidihadejia@gmail.com.

By Abubakar Ibrahim Bako

The Bauchi State political permutation has just started growing, leaving the electorate with futile calculations that would re-jeopardize the state to another version of where it is now. However, since the 2023 general elections, many politicians of substance have gone away from their political allies. But Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi, despite not aspiring for an elective post during the past elections, remains a single person committed to touching the lives of the good people of Bauchi State.

On the plus side, Sufi has garnered goodwill from all sides of the state for the past many years, making the state’s products eagerly await the day they will pay him back for the contributions he has been offering to the state. People’s sympathy is what every politician dreaming of becoming successful needs.

Mr. Adamu’s political dexterity makes him stronger than those who went away from their people until the eve of another election. Notwithstanding, electorates want someone to visit them in the form of condolences, wedding ceremonies, and other things that will make people feel a sense of concern for the commoners.

In addition, Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi appears to be the only person who will play the card for the position of governor without much ado or political stress. This is because he is very clean and healthy, which could pave the way for him to be sold to the electorate, making it difficult for others to win against him.

The way people troop to his camp in the state alerts one to start thinking by saying, “What is this gentle dashing out to them?” Okay, as he is fondly called, Sufi becomes a household name for the humane action he always displays. One can hardly wake up in the morning without hearing about the gesture he extends. He is always making headlines in the state.

Being the last hope for the electorate, I would like to encourage Hon. Usman Adamu Sufi to keep doing what he has been doing to make the lives of commoners manageable. Equally, I would like to urge the people of Bauchi State to be hell-bent on canvassing their massive support for him in any elective post to which he might aspire.

Abubakar Ibrahim Bako writes from Fanfon Shanu, Azare, Bauchi State via Abubakaribrahimbako@gmail.com.

By Nura Jibo

In March 2020, Thwaites, the world’s biggest and riskiest glacier (moving ice) in Antarctica—bigger than Borno, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Gombe combined—broke away due to climate change warming the water beneath it.

The impact of the meltdown of this moving ice, which raised the sea level by 0.05% in March 2020, caused a catastrophic flood disaster globally that brutally affected towns and villages such as Magarya, Hadejia, Ringim, Dabi, Auyo, Kafin Hausa, Miga, etc.

The Thwaites (moving ice) is already on the verge of total collapse because its outflow speed has doubled in the past 30 years. Every year, it loses 50 billion tons of its body mass into the oceans and eventually inside the rivers and dams (NERC, 2021).

Within ten years (2009 to 2019), the Thwaites’ melting accelerated, making it change direction at a speed greater than 10 kilometres per annum. Its tongue, or rather ice tip, had already lost its integrity via melting, which made it weaker due to the effect of climate change.

In 5-10 years, the rapid melting of the Thwaites would swamp vast areas of troughs and low-lying coastal and drylands around the world, including Borno, Jigawa, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Benue, within a few decades (Jibo et al., 2020; Fred, 2024).

On December 13, 2021, and February 15, 2023, a group of American Geophysical Union and British scientists met at a global conference to discuss this catastrophic climate change disaster in Antarctica that affected the world’s oceans, rivers, and seas very terribly. They concluded that the Thwaites would most likely collapse within the next five years. Their reason is that this glacier “sheds billions of tons of ice into the ocean, contributing about 4% to the annual sea level rise.”.

Indeed, the total collapse of the Thwaites in the next five to ten years is a recipe for a global, unprecedented disaster that could wipe away several cities, towns, and villages, including the Vanuatu Islands and Pacific and African dryland states such as Borno, Jigawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, and Benue, to mention a few.

If the Thwaites collapse and melt completely, the sea level will rise by two feet. This would wipe out several regions and damage several countries worldwide.

Certain islands across the globe, such as the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and the Maldives, would be completely wiped off of the map (Henry, 2023). 

Nonetheless, this isn’t the only thing that would happen if Thwaites collapsed. Changes in ice-shelf flooding would increase an unprecedented flow rate of 120 kilometres of underwater mountains.

As of today, climatologists and meteorologists have envisaged that the melting of this glacier would also likely destabilise the structure of the entire earth’s crust, not only its surrounding glaciers and ice shelves but also causing the global sea level to rise by an additional ten feet. 

Indeed, scientists at the AGU, Yale School of the Environment, and NERC that are conducting a study on Thwaites said that the glacier “is hanging on by its fingernails” and humanity needs to prepare themselves for the coming years (Henry et al., 2023). 

Therefore, as humanity commiserates with the entire people of Maiduguri over the early warning signs of the Thwaites along Nigeria’s drylands, it is very likely that it has already passed a point of no return unless there is drastic intervention. As Fred (2024) asserted elsewhere, “It is too late to prevent its collapse, but others say we could have 200 years. But it certainly could be beyond its tipping point, and we have to be prepared.”

The Thwaites climate change paradox:

It is a scientific fact that a polluted cloud doesn’t rain itself. It tends to grow bigger, and in the end, it bounces sunlight out to space. The effects of fossil fuels and terrible human activities in industries have caused global air pollution and depleted the ozone layer very badly. This singular man-made negative contribution to the planet has caused mankind to make a huge mistake in driving home environmental pax Africana and global environmental regeneration (Jibo, 2024).

Indeed, Borno, Jigawa, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Benue will struggle to cope with the torrential rainfall runoff that will engulf the entire River Gongola through the River Benue via Opalo and Imburu, passing through Kiri, Mada, and up to Jigawa along the Bare and Sabara tributaries.

A map obtained from the Google Earth platform has shown some “promise” over this interesting water body mass run-off.

The other three paradoxical impressions given by the Thwaites are as follows:

The shattering of the ice.

Ocean melting.

Losing grip on seamount.

According to Pettit et al. (2021), there are already signs of fractures propagating along weak zones of the Thwaites. This is aggravated by the melting down of the seabed due to warming, and the entire ice could be gone by 2030 or even before that time.

Nura Jibo MRICS has been a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Designated Contact Point (UN-DCP) on Climate Change for 14 years.

By Bilal Muhammad Bello

Sir, as a concerned indigenous person of the Kumbotso Local Government Area, I am writing this letter to remind you of a project that your administration has abandoned.

Your Excellency, I want to commend you for the unparalleled projects you have bequeathed in Kano State, especially in road construction in urban and rural areas. Not to mention other roads that are still under construction. The public, inhabitants of Kano State and visitors to the state can testify to your good work.

Today, the Kano metropolis has roads built with green verges, pedestrian walkways, drainage systems, street lights, and an underpass, all thanks to the development of your orientation.

Sir, the people of Zawachiki Diga, Yankusa, Rinjin Wanzamai, Gadama, and Kumbotso Township in Kumbotso Local Government Area want to draw your attention to the reconstruction of Kumbotso Road from Zawachiki Diga—Kumbotso Township to Zaria Road.

As we all know, the road network contributes immensely to Kano state taxation because of the Challawa Industrial area and the socio-economic development of the area.

It is also important to draw the governor’s attention to the silent neglect of the construction of Sabuwar Gandu—Danmaliki to Kumbotso Township Road, which has stopped. 

Therefore, I wish to appeal to the governor to do something about these roads so as to bring succour to our people whose economic activities, livelihoods, and related developmental issues have been hampered by their deplorable state.

I respectfully appeal to your administration to revive these projects and alleviate the hardships faced by our people.

Bilal Muhammad Bello (BMB) is a student of Mass Communication department, Bayero University Kano.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

The aftermath of the ten-day “End Bad Governance” protests has conveyed three clear messages: two to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and one to the senior members of his administration from the North—notably Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudden Abbas, and others.

Firstly, despite the protests in the North escalating into widespread looting, arson, underage participation, and political exploitation and hijacking, they have sent a clear message to President Tinubu. His two key policies—the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira—are deeply unpopular and have sent many people into prison poverty.

Secondly, the Tinubu administration has squandered crucial political goodwill in the North. Beyond the economic hardships, this loss of political support in the region is significant, as it could impact Tinubu’s prospects for a second term. The Tinubu/Shettima ticket was built on this very foundation. Furthermore, the protests took place nationwide on three unique political faces: they were a form of revolt in the upper North, and the Southeast remained silent. At the same time, the Southwest found itself in a catch-22 situation.

The third message from the aftermath of the protests is directed at the senior members of the Tinubu administration who hail from the North. They now face the Herculean task of restoring the Tinubu government’s lost goodwill in the North. To do so, they must address two critical issues. A deep and unbiased look at the “End Bad Governance” protests in the North reveals not only a message to Abuja but a kind of internal revolt—an uprising against ‘oneself,’ so to speak. 

Furthermore, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, and Kaduna states experienced the worst violence during the protests. Interestingly, a 2024 report shows that these states are among the top northern states with the highest rates of out-of-school children: Yobe (62.9%), Bauchi (55.7%), Borno (54.2%), Jigawa (51.1%), Katsina (45.9%), Kano (41.6%), and Kaduna (40.6%).

Northerners who are senior members of the Tinubu government must find a way, before 2027, to not only convince but also help Tinubu implement policies that will lift people out of poverty. A quick approach is to leverage the Dangote Refinery and other private and state-owned refineries. Given that Nigeria’s daily fuel consumption hovers around 45–50 million litres, the government should step up its programme to boost crude production specifically for local refineries, allocating it to them in naira and at a lower cost. This would lead to more affordable fuel prices, eliminate the need for imports, and save foreign exchange. 

Furthermore, to be fair to the Tinubu government, it inherited Nigeria’s finances in the ‘red’. Tinubu has two options to get the books into the blue—the hard and the simple options. Tinubu chose the simple option: remove the fuel subsidy and float the naira. The hard way, which is the more sustainable one, involves fixing all the state-owned refineries, increasing crude production to at least 2 million litres per day, supplying local refineries with cheap crude to translate to affordable pump prices, and boosting food production by helping genuine farmers with farm implements, soft financing, and extension services.

The northern elites, both in government and outside, must read between the lines and comprehend them well. For example, the northern members of Tinubu’s government must understand that the government’s public relations (PR) efforts for Northern consumption are currently communicated in a ‘language’ that the masses do not understand. This approach requires not just a revitalisation of strategies but a complete overhaul of its managers and a redesign of its medium.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja via zaymohd@yahoo.com.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin, PhD

Nigerians appeared to have tried several options without a glimmer, so the option to try the youth is now gathering momentum. This call comes at the heels of the ten days of the recent controversial protest. Two other options were weighed during this protest: military takeover and alliance with Russia.

 Nigeria’s (or even African) history didn’t support the clamour for a military takeover. In the 64 years since Nigerian independence, military rule (according to my arithmetic) lasted 31 years, but at best, the military—once seeming the panacea—didn’t proffer any solution.

In another desperation to find the nexus, some protesters fly Russian flags. One interpretation of this antics is that they want Nigeria to cut any ties with the U.S. and most of Europe by proposing a shift of alliance to Russia. According to this argument, Western economic policies haven’t benefited Nigeria, so perhaps a different geopolitical alignment will.

However, aligning with Russia, an equally extreme approach, is not guaranteed to yield better outcomes. Has this group of protesters heard about the Scandinavian Economic Model? This model seeks to strike a balance between the capitalist extremes of the U.S. and the state-centred economies of Russia, offering a suitable middle ground for us. Instead of Russian flags, these protestants might have flown those of Sweden, Finland, or Denmark.

The search for a better headway began in 2015 when Nigerians, for the first time, voted for a leader based on integrity and record antecedent, putting aside money, politics, and tribal loyalties to some extent. However, by the end of President Buhari’s first term, the public began to have second thoughts. After his two terms, something unthinkable happened: many staunch supporters turned critics, and now, a year into Tinubu’s presidency, the failure of seasonal veterans is sealed, hence fueling the growing clamour for young leaders.

This urge for youth takeover is a more realistic option. The youths have become tired of being used and “dumped.” given that most of those who vote are youths, they now want to take a leading role by floating a political party exclusive to the youth.

The youth proponents argue that the youth have energy, time, and health. To boot, youth leadership is characterized by pressing the button; their hands are always close to the button, just waiting for a slight opportunity to press it.

This argument came to the forefront during f-PMB leadership, when he appeared to be going too slow, hence nicknamed Baba go slow; one of my friends opined that Nigeria then was in dear need of young leaders’ vitality, speed, and urge to get us out of the mud. According to my friends, a young leader would have made several decisions faster in tune with the situation and public yearning.

However, there is a crack in the foundation; one problem with youth is unity and cooperation; we always find that we want to help fellow youths whenever the need arises. Several youths aspire to different positions in this country, but the first people to boycott them are fellow youths; it will be their fellow youths who begin to mock them. This is a similar dilemma the women face. Women worldwide decry exclusion, but when a fellow woman tries to compete with men, it would be the fellow women that bring them down. This internal counterproductivity must be addressed for the current movement to get hold.

In addition, those who side with veterans criticize youth leadership with haste, which often leads to regret; this category argues that sound decision-making comes from experience—something older leaders have in abundance. They believe leadership is a process, not an event, and that wisdom is forged through trial and error.

 By and large, if the current movement sees the light of day, to slow down the haste and reduce mistakes, please let the old guards deputize the new crops.

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, President Bola Ahmad Tinubu presided over a significant Council of State meeting. Former Presidents, Vice Presidents, a former Chief Justice of the Federation, and several key ministers were in attendance. The highlight of the meeting was the President’s stance that Nigeria’s democracy must not be undermined. “Any change of government must be through the ballot box, not through violence, insurrection, or any other unconstitutional means,” he asserted. This is a position I, along with all patriots, fully support.

However, while the President’s commitment to democracy is commendable, his economic policies must reflect the urgency and needs of the people. The excuse of “fixing the economy” cannot be used to justify slow progress. Nigerians expect the leadership to hit the ground running from day one. The Council of State must convey the truth to the President: the nation is in a precarious state, and decisive, people-centred action is required.

Today, wealth in Nigeria is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a select few. At the same time, the majority struggle without access to necessities like quality education, healthcare, housing, and employment. It’s not that Nigerians envy the success of the rich; instead, they want access to the essentials for a decent life.

Unfortunately, greedy leaders deliberately subject many ordinary citizens to hardship. Endemic corruption has become the norm, and the promise of equal opportunities seems like a distant dream despite the blessings of natural resources across the six geopolitical zones.

Poverty remains a pervasive issue. Nigeria is rich with potential—oil and gas in the South, commerce in the Southeast, and fertile land in the North. There is no excuse for hunger or deprivation. The government should prioritize modern farming systems, where a single machine can achieve in an hour what once took a thousand hands.

State governors must fully support federal initiatives, but these efforts must go beyond the token gestures like distributing rice, which too often ends up siphoned off by officials or recycled into the market. Nigerians are not beggars; we have the talent and drive to achieve greatness, but we need an enabling environment, affordable fertilizers, and access to reliable electricity.

The time for excuses is over. The government must adjust to the realities on the ground. Removing fuel subsidies and floating the naira has brought unbearable hardship to ordinary people. These policies need to be revisited. We elected this government to make Nigeria work for everyone, not just the privileged few. A stitch in time saves nine: adjust the policies before it’s too late.

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

By Prof. Abdussamad Umar Jibia

On the 10^th of June 2020 at about 5 pm, armed bandits stormed Kadisau village of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. The bandits, who came on dozens of motorcycles, opened fire on the villagers, killing anyone unable to escape alive. Fifty-seven people, including men, women and children, were killed in the operation that lasted four hours with no intervention from Federal security forces, who were said to be on the highway 5 kilometres away. The criminals later moved to nearby villages, where they killed an additional 30 people.

Ado Aleru, a well-known bandit commander in Zamfara state, led the bandits. Katsina state police command later declared Ado Aleru wanted and put a price of five million Naira on his head.

Two years later, precisely on Saturday, 16^th July 2022, Nigerians were shocked to hear that the man responsible for the murder of innocent Nigerian women and children was turbaned with a traditional title in Zamfara state. 

The turbaning of Aleru was a gathering of some of the most deadly criminals responsible for acts of terror in the Northwestern and North central geopolitical zones of Nigeria. On the ground to witness the ceremony were officials of the Zamfara State Government, including the state Commissioner of internal security. In other words, the turbaning was done with the knowledge and approval of the State Government under Governor Bello Matawalle. Surprisingly, some senior police officers graced the occasion without arresting the person they declared wanted two years earlier.

Soon after the ceremony, the Katsina State Government under Aminu Bello Masari indicated its disapproval of the chieftaincy title conferred on the criminal. It maintained that it was still looking for Ado Aleru.

Years later, nothing changed. The centre remained weak, and life continued. However, the people of Zamfara did what was needed by voting Matawalle out of power in the 2023 election.

If the only atrocity the former Governor of Zamfara State committed was facilitating the conferment of a traditional title to such a deadly criminal, he deserves retirement from Nigerian politics and prosecution after office. Alas! He was rewarded with a ministerial position in the ministry that is supposed to rid Nigeria of terrorists like Ado Aleru. Only in Nigeria. Allah Ya sauwake.

Recently, additional allegations have been made about how the then-governor of Zamfara state hobnobbed with bandits and supported them with the lean resources of the Zamfara people. I am referring to a viral video of a Sokoto-based Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada. Asada, who claimed that he had incontrovertible evidence on all his claims against the former Governor, challenged Matawalle to take him to court. 

Among the allegations Sheikh Asada made against Matawalle is his support of one Haruna Dole. According to Asada, Haruna, a famous bandit kingpin with more than 500 rifles under him, was arrested and taken to Police Headquarters Abuja. Sheikh Asada added that Bello Matawalle, as the Governor of Zamfara state, made a phone call and asked for Dole’s release. The criminal was released to one Bashar, who signed and received the bandit on behalf of Governor Matawalle. He said the document carrying Bashar’s signature and picture would still be available at the Force Headquarters.

According to Sheikh Asada, Matawalle is also a friend of the dreaded bandit Bello Turji. Asada mentioned a visit Turji paid to Zamfara State Government House when Matawalle was Governor. Turji had lunch with the governor, who served him personally. Later, the governor gave him an undisclosed amount of cash and allowed him to return to the bush to continue his criminal activities.

Another bandit kingpin who was friends with Matawalle was Chedi. According to Asada, Matawalle bought a house for Chedi in the Gidan Dutse quarters of Gusau. Uncomfortable with it, residents of Gusau protested and made a mob attack on Chedi and ended his life. Matawalle then ordered the arrest of several people. On the day of their arraignment, overwhelming crowds of Gusau people stormed the court, and Matawalle had no choice but to order the release of the people. It ended there.

In addition to all these, Sheikh Asada listed some criminals who allegedly received Hilux operational vehicles from Matawalle when he was Governor. They include Turji, Aleru and Halilu Sububu.

The allegations are weighty and sum up to one thing: the current Minister of State of Defence deployed to the North West by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fight banditry, an alleged friend of bandits who supports them financially.

The position of anybody interested in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians would be clear. Mr President should investigate these allegations and, if found true, prosecute the former Governor. Yes, allegations are allegations until they are investigated and found to be true. But if the Nigerian government refuses to conduct a transparent investigation, what would prevent Nigerians from believing them?

But even as investigations are carried out, Mr Matawalle has no business remaining in the Ministry of Defence. Maybe another ministry.

If the executive branch is not ready to take action, where is our National Assembly? Do they believe these allegations against a government official in charge of fighting security are not serious? Go figure!

Professor Abdussamad Umar Jibia wrote from Kano via aujibia@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim El-Caleel

This press release shows that Dangote Refinery is also enjoying the whole petroleum industry ruse and elongating it. NNPC said they bought your petrol at N898. Instead of this press statement to deny it, you simply tell the public the actual price you sold it to them.

For example, “We didn’t sell petrol at N898 to NNPC. We sold it to them at N619”. Is this too difficult to do or unethical?

When you do this, then let the NNPC come and deny it; then you take the next step by publicly sharing a sample of the invoice where they bought it at N619 from Dangote Refinery. This is what transparency means.

But how do you expect people to believe this? Why should people trust Dangote Refinery and not NNPC? Both DR and NNPC are only making statements; they go explain taya, no evidence. Where is the invoice?

The petroleum industry in Nigeria lacks transparency. Nobody wants to let Nigerians understand what is going on so that they can start asking the right questions. They are leaving everyone in the dark so that immediately you say anything, they will mock you that you don’t understand anything; you are a layman who doesn’t understand anything about the oil business! Yet, you are the same layman buying the petrol which fuels the industry.

What Dangote Refinery is doing at the moment is just a glorified, or let me say corporate “DM for price”. It’s the same “DM for price” that BUA Cement did one time saying it has reduced the price of cement without giving any details on how much was the initial price before they “reduced” it.

Hello DR, NNPC,

Price is not a trade secret, geniuses! If you are hiding the price of your product, then there is something shady you are doing. How can you be doing a “DM for price” strategy for a global commodity like petrol? It takes me just a click to know the price of a barrel of crude oil in the global market, same thing for an ounce of gold. What is so special about the price of the Nigerian refined petrol that you need to keep it a secret?

Anyway, lemme mind my business. You know over the last few weeks I decided to give up on my self-assigned goal of understanding the petroleum industry. I only drive into a filling station and buy petrol according to what I can afford at the time. How the petrol got there ain’t really any of my business any longer. I don’t care. When we all become tired of the nonsense going on in Nigeria one day, I am sure we will come and agree on the way forward. I am very sure this nonsense cannot continue to happen forever. It will end one day.

By Sa’adatu Aliyu

After many years, I’m regaining confidence and enthusiasm for writing. I’m rediscovering my passion for writing about international politics and exploring social issues. I’m also relearning to recognise the value of my voice, which was silenced by a relationship that eroded my self-esteem and stole my confidence.

During this time, I developed a crippling writing paralysis. I stopped writing four years ago due to the negative feedback from people I respected, who made me feel small and unworthy for holding unconventional views.

Among other things, I questioned the prevalent notion that Self-love/Self-care is a wholesome psychological practice essential for a progressive society. I’ve been sceptical, as this idea profoundly focuses on the self, and I refused to be swayed by ostracism or criticism for holding this view. Instead, I dug deeper, unwilling to be uprooted from my stance, not because it was comfortable, but because I believed, to a large extent, that the concept of self-love/self-care, or whatever name it’s given, is fundamentally flawed.

Over the past six years or so, it’s become common to scroll through social media and come across numerous ads, write-ups in the form of poetry, self-help books, blog posts and tweets promoting the idea that people should prioritise their own needs above others, essentially encouraging selfishness. While this concept isn’t harmful when practised in moderation, the self-love movement is being exploited by many today.

Originally intended to bring balance to our fast-paced world, particularly for individuals who find joy in the act of servitude or serving others and often go the extra mile in caring for them (who, in my opinion, should be the primary target of this concept if at all it must be used), self-love has been hijacked by some individuals who use it as an excuse for their irresponsibility, lack of basic manners, and refusal to take responsibility for their egregious behaviour, all under the guise of ‘protecting their mental health’.

This trend has become so pervasive that it’s flooding every media feed and being injected into our books and movies. The idea that we should prioritise our desires above others is promoted as a societal necessity for progress and individual self-satisfaction. However, I strongly disagree. I believe our existence is inherently linked to others—there is no ‘us’ without ‘them’ and no ‘me’ without ‘you’. 

There’s a saying that goes:

“Nothing in nature exists solely for itself. Rivers don’t drink their own water, trees don’t eat their own fruits, and the sun doesn’t shine just for itself. A flower’s fragrance isn’t just for itself. Living for each other is the rule of nature. And to this, I firmly subscribe. 

When I first encountered this campaign to normalise selfishness to achieve happiness and fulfilment, I found it strange, as it contradicted my values. Initially, I didn’t think much of it, but later, I realised the severity of its implications. While many agree that self-love is the key to growth and a happy, fulfilling life, I believe this idea is not only counterproductive but also leads us down a destructive path. And I’d like to explain why.

Allah says, ‘Nothing satisfies the son of Adam except dust.’ This verse highlights humans’ inherently selfish and sometimes greedy nature, suggesting that without the compulsion of religious commands to care for one another through charitable obligations—which can include both monetary and non-monetary assistance—humans would hoard everything for themselves.

Prophet Muhammed  (SAW) also said: feel the pain of the Ummah. The parable of a believer in their love, compassion, and mercy for one another is like a body – when one limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness. Whoever wants to be in Allah’s shade should help their brother in difficulty or waive a loan. (Sunan Ibn Majah 2414, Sahih Hadith according to Albani)

Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) said, “Allah says the people most beloved to Allah are those beneficial to people. And the most beloved deed to Allah is to make a Muslim happy, remove one of his troubles, forgive his debt, or feed his hunger.”

I know it’s easy to get caught up in the trend and challenging to stand alone in a room where everyone shares the same opinion, especially when I hold a vastly different view. However, after facing social anxiety and fear of being the sole dissenting voice, I’m proud to say that I was brave enough to resist the pressure to conform.

From the outset, I recognised capitalism, even when disguised in a radiant and well-packaged costume, as the destructive force it is to our society. Moreover, I believe that the global campaign for Self-love/ self-care has become a conduit for capitalism to spread its influence into our lives, eroding the foundation of the family unit and community. In a recent post by Joan Westernberg, writer of the article, When Does Self-care Become Narcissism? Says: 

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

“Put your own oxygen mask on first.”

“Self-care isn’t selfish.”

These platitudes have become the mantras of our age, repeated ad nauseam in Instagram posts, motivational posters, and countless self-help books. They sound wise, compassionate, even revolutionary. After all, who could argue against taking care of yourself?

What started as a well-intentioned movement to promote mental health and work-life balance has morphed into something far more insidious — the narcissistic pursuit of the self, a socially acceptable excuse for selfishness, wrapped in the guise of wellness.”

We’ve become so self-absorbed that rendering help to others is seen as too costly to our mental health, even when it won’t harm us. We’re extremely calculative about who we give our time and energy to an unreasonable extent. Recently, someone tweeted, “I can’t be friends with a sickle cell individual because being with them is so draining.” This is what capitalism entails – monetising everything, making us prioritise only what fetches us money in the short or long run while abandoning opportunities to be human.

Capitalism, masked as self-love/self-care, teaches us that caring for others is okay only if it comes with a paycheck. But when we render the same service for free, it’s seen as draining, misplacing our energy, and dishonest. How can one possibly care for others for free?! There must be a hidden motive. Capitalism has reduced us to mere machines, making us robots and labelling any display of humanness as fake just because it doesn’t come with a price tag:

If we must spend time with a friend, the first question is not whether they’re a good person, wise, or make us happy but what monetary value they add to our lives. If none, the relationship isn’t worth having. Capitalism is making us less compassionate under the guise of stoicism and “self-care/self-love.” We’re told we don’t need people; if people need us, they’re weak or too emotional.

Mark you, I’m not condemning psychology as entirely flawed, but I contest the aspect of modern psychology that promotes selfishness as the solution to saving the world. How can increasing selfishness create a better world? Despite my differing beliefs leading to isolation by friends who easily embraced this concept, I’ve always asked for a convincing answer. If I received one, I’d be willing to conform, but I’m reluctant because this idea contradicts my values and the fundamental principle of human creation – sacrifice, not selfishness.

I’ve struggled to reconcile this concept of selfishness with my religion, Islam. Consider the sacrifice of Prophet Jesus (AS), who faced persecution while trying to spread God’s word. Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was insulted, spat at, and stoned for spreading Islam worldwide.

A notable account is that of Caliph Ali and his wife Fatima, who had only a date to break their fast after enduring long hours of fasting. However, when a beggar cried outside their gate, they gave up their last piece of date fruit despite their hunger. As a result, they received praise and honour from God Almighty. If this isn’t selflessness, I don’t know what is.

Dr A’id al-Qarni’s book You Can Be the Happiest Woman in the World tells the story of a woman who searched for her lost son for years. While waiting for his return, she prayed constantly. However, years passed, and her son never came back.

But one fateful day, the woman had just cut a piece of bread from a loaf when a beggar cried out. Disturbed, she quickly removed the piece from her mouth, reattached it to the loaf, and then handed it over to the beggar. Consequently, God returned her son home to her.

Another account tells of a man travelling to visit his Muslim brother in another city. Along the way, he met an angel who asked about his quest. The man explained that he was visiting his brother, and the angel asked if he owed his brother money or if his brother needed help. The man replied that he was simply visiting his brother out of love. The angel was amazed and told the man that he would be granted heaven for his selfless act.

These anecdotes illustrate selflessness. In contrast, I’ve never heard of anyone in history being praised or immortalised for being selfish, prioritising themselves at the expense of others. Selfishness has been labelled a bad trait in both my religion and historical records of human achievements. 

So, just because selfishness is part of modern psychological teachings doesn’t make it entirely wholesome. Consider how often scientific discoveries, initially hailed as breakthroughs, are later withdrawn from the market due to unforeseen risks to human life. This highlights the importance of reevaluating our values and questioning the promotion of selfishness as a virtue.

As previously stated, this is not to condemn psychology as a whole but rather to encourage self-reflection on the ideas presented to us. We should conclude instead of unquestioningly accepting everything we’re told simply because it’s labelled as “wholesome” or endorsed by a group of people or high-profile individuals like celebrities we admire.

The concept of self-love being marketed to us like Santa Claus may not be what it seems. Perhaps it’s an agenda driven by a group of people seeking to gain trillions of dollars by promoting this ideology, which aims to create a world of divided, isolated individuals on a quest for ultimate happiness. Once they’ve succeeded in cutting people off from non-monetary or transactional relationships with family and friends, they can easily sell their products to those who have bought into this ideology.

In conclusion, let’s note that the idea of Self-love, however glamorous, revolutionary, or empowering it may seem, is like Santa Claus on Christmas night – a tempting treat that can ultimately harm us. Just as too much sugar can harm our bodies, excessive Self-love can damage our relationships and society. Capitalism may appear glossy, offering wealth and material possessions.

Still, it comes at the cost of meaningful relationships, leading to severe loneliness in our societies, as seen in the West and South Korea. As author Leila Aboulela aptly says, “Loneliness is Europe’s malaria.” Thus, individualism has never brought genuine progress to society, only hurt, mass psychosis, and depression. We need a balanced approach that prioritises self-love/self-care and caring for others rather than neglecting others to satisfy our desires, which can lead to greed and narcissism.

So, as an African who rejects the alien idea of Western capitalism and favours communal living, I’ll leave you with this wisdom from Mandela: Ubuntu means that one caters to one’s own needs while striving to meet the needs of others. It’s about balance, not neglect or excess. And I hope that before we wake up to capitalism’s impact, it has not already done irreparable damage to our world.

Sa’adatu Aliyu is a writer from Zaria. She is pursuing an M.A. in Literature at Ahmadu Bello University, where she also works as a lecturer at the Distance Learning Centre. Her writing interests include prose fiction and international politics. She can be reached at Saadatualiyu36@gmail.com.