By Salisu Shehu 

In Hausa, the word ‘Murabus’ simply means a former or one-time leader. Such a person would either have left the leadership position by duly completing his tenure or removed in some way before finishing the period for his stewardship. Malam Auwalu Bello Jigirya was a one-time Amir of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Kano State Area Unit (KNSAU) from 1995-2001. 

Since 2001 to date, the word MURABUS has become a daily pronouncement in the MSSN/KNSAU family. It was a respectful and humourous reference to Auwalu Jigirya after he handed over the mantle of Amirship to Malam Ado Garba Yankaji in 2001. MURABUS soon became a household name for Jigriya, and it resonated within the MSSN circle in Kano State. 

Whereas MURABUS means retirement or dethronement, as explained above, it means something different in the case of JIGIRYA. Rather than the ordinary sense of stepping aside, it was for JIGIRYA a metaphor for steadfastness, doggedness, resilience, selflessness, and sacrifice, ornamented by tolerance and forbearance. Instructively, Amirs before and after him held the Amirship and stepped aside, but he was the only one graciously crowned ‘MURABUS’. 

JIGIRYA presented a striking trait rarely found in people. He was a very humble person yet courageous. He would be decorous to those apparently senior to him but would also unrelentingly muster the brevity to advise them when they erred. He always had a demeanour of raw honesty, and frankness imbued with a permanent character of humour and conviviality. 

You would never get bored staying with him. He was, in the KNSAU family, in terms of humour and joy, a natural successor to the late Baba Alhassan Ibrahim Dawanau of blessed memory, who would always play the grandpa, entertaining the brothers and giving some relief that clears away monotony and tension when the situation started getting tough and stressful. To the younger ones, he was a friendly, cheerful, amiable, accessible, and easily approachable mentor. 

Since our adolescence, we grew up together in the Kano State Area Unit for nearly four decades. He was the Amir when I was the Director of Education at Al-Muntada al-Islamy Trust. That was when I started getting to know him at a closer range because Al-Muntada supported the KNSAU MSSN immensely. Not surprisingly, because of his down-t-earth mentoring style, when those younger ones established the ALHASSAN IBRAHIM DAWANAU COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY, Malam Auwalu Jigirya made it to the list of the members of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the College. 

We, however, became closest in the last nine (9) years when we worked together in the Islamic Forum of Nigeria. He was a strong pillar in our Local Organising Committee of our Annual Ramadan Lecture and IFTAR RELIEF SCHEME. Not only punctuality and commitment made him a strong pillar of the Committee. It was also because of his dependability and reliability in terms of honesty, trust and probity. He was one person on the committee to whom I would never hesitate to hand over the budget for purchasing food items for the IFTAR RELIEF PACKAGE and would go to sleep. One would not be afraid of failure or fraud. 

As an attestation of Jigirya’s leadership character, the Executive Council of the Islamic Forum unanimously approved his appointment as the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the KANO State Chapter when its exco was dissolved nearly two years ago. 

In both the Kano State Area Unit (KNSAU) of the MSSN and the MSSN and the Local Organising Committee of the Annual Ramadan Lecture of the Islamic Forum of Nigeria, we will miss not only the person of Malam Auwalu Bello Jigirya but will seriously miss his loveable characters In all In described In above In. Our greatest solace is that we will have dozens of encomiums on his praiseworthy behaviours with which we will keep consoling ourselves. 

As we keep showering those praises on him, we are sure, as was said by our Beloved Prophet (SAW), we will be “the witnesses of Allah to him on earth”. 

Allahummaghfir lahu warhamhu warhamna ba’adahu wa’anta Khairul ghafireen.

Salisu Shehu, Vice-Chancellor, AL-ISTIQAMA UNIVERSITY, SUMAILA, can be contacted via sshehu.edu@buk.edu.ng.

By Uzair Adam Imam

According to reports from Turkish TRT World, a recent aid mission to two hospitals in northern Gaza by the World Health Organization (WHO) has uncovered horrifying scenes of children dying from starvation. 

Dire shortages of food, fuel, and medicines exacerbate the situation.

WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the findings as “grim,” particularly highlighting the dire conditions at Al Awda Hospital, where one of the buildings has been destroyed. 

The Kamal Adwan Hospital, the only paediatrics facility in northern Gaza, struggles to cope with the overwhelming number of patients. Tedros revealed that the lack of food has tragically led to the deaths of 10 children.

Meanwhile, the Geneva-based organization Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has released a statement presenting disturbing evidence of Israeli tanks deliberately running over Palestinians. 

Describing these actions as part of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Euro-Med reported several cases of Israeli forces intentionally running over Palestinian civilians, including incidents on February 29, January 23, December 2023, and February 20.

The organization has called for an independent international investigation committee to address Israel’s ongoing military actions in the Gaza Strip.

The deadly offensive initiated by Israel following a cross-border incursion by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has resulted in significant casualties. 

As the Israeli bombardment continues into its 150th day, TRT casualty counts estimate that at least 30,534 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed, with 71,980 others wounded due to mass destruction and shortages of essentials.

By Haruna Chiroma

Before the advent of the internal combustion engine, imaging two horses engaging in a conversation about the era of internal combustion engines. One of the horses envisions a transformative job landscape with new opportunities, while the other horse opposes the idea, seeing it as a potential threat to their relevance in transportation and a possible complete displacement from the realm of transportation. Horses have no position in the post internal combustion engine era. That is my prediction for the future of the movie and music industries in Nigeria.

The Nigerian movie industry is notably divided into two main sectors: Nollywood, primarily representing movies from the southern region and Kannywood, which focuses on movies from the northern region.

In the music industry, songs are typically sung in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. Both the movie and music industries are currently confronting the looming threat of collapse due to the disruptive impact of AI innovations, inventions, and discoveries.

The process of writing movie scripts by scriptwriters is time-consuming and varies in duration depending on the complexity and proposed length of the film. It can take anywhere from two weeks to three months to complete the initial draft before further refinement. However, with the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT, scriptwriters can significantly enhance their productivity. By utilizing ChatGPT, writers can expedite the scriptwriting process, potentially reducing the time required from months to just one or two days for complex movie scripts.

The movie industry is on the verge of collapse in the near future with the emergence of generative AI tools capable of generating video from written text. In the near future, traditional methods of movie production may become obsolete. Instead of the laborious process of location shooting, hiring actors, coordinating camera movements, applying makeup, arranging logistics, etc. a movie script written by scriptwriter can simply be fed into a text-to-video tool converter. This innovative technology will then generate a movie video representation of the script, revolutionizing the way movies are created. The tool comes equipped with video editing features, enabling users to fine-tune the video to match their requirements. The process that involves many people with different expertise working from different perspective may likely require between 2 – 3 people instead of the large number of people required in the traditional process of movie production.

Recently, OpenAI unveiled Sora, a text-to-video conversion tool, garnering widespread attention from mainstream media. This development prompted a filmmaker in Hollywood, Tyler Perry to suspend his 4 years $800 million planned movie production studio expansion arguing that Sora will eventually impact every aspect of the movie industry and jobs in the entertainment industry.

In an intriguing development, yet another valuable AI tool for video translation has emerged. This tool enables users to translate their videos into different languages such as Dutch, French, Arabic, Swahili, Chinese, Malay, and more. By doing so, the movie video creators can extend their reach beyond Nigeria and cater to audiences across Africa, Europe, and Asia, thereby expanding their potential viewer base to a larger and more diverse audience.

A deepfake movie can be produced by using the faces of renowned movie stars from both Kannywood and Nollywood, eliminating the need for these actors to physically appear in any physical location. The movie developer only requires the consent of the actors to use their faces in the deepfake video, adhering strictly to ethical guidelines in the creation of deepfake content. With these permissions in place, a movie can be crafted featuring the prominent actor(s) as the central characters, offering new possibilities in cinematic storytelling.

These emerging concepts pose a significant challenge to the movie industry, making it increasingly difficult for the traditional model to sustain itself. This trend mirrors the significant decline or almost collapse witnessed in industries such as landline telephones, photo shops, and magnetic tape, suggesting that the movie industry may face a similar fate of eventual collapse to the changing landscape.

Already the adult content industry is facing tough competition from deepfake adult videos generated by AI tools. Recently, several dedicated platforms have emerged, exacerbating challenges for the traditional adult movie sector. These platforms are attracting millions of visitors, with one particularly renowned platform drawing over 17 million viewers monthly. Typically, the platform features short deepfake adult content videos as teasers, enticing viewers to access the full content elsewhere.

While the short videos span various platforms, the primary one serves primarily for advertising and provides links to other platforms where complete videos are available for purchase.

The proliferation of deepfake adult videos has led to a surprising revelation: these videos are not freely accessible but are instead sold in dollars, accepting payments via credit cards, debit cards, or cryptocurrency. This burgeoning industry has now become a multimillion-dollar enterprise. For anonymity and ethical reasons, I intentionally omitted specific platform names to prevent further traffic influx.

This discourse underscores a poignant observation: the inevitability of the movie industry’s potential decline due to the transformative impacts of AI research. In January of this year, a deepfake pornographic image featuring a celebrity, Taylor Swift surfaced on various social media platforms. The video quickly gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), spreading rapidly like wildfire and amassing over 47 million views in less than 24 hours. Despite ethical considerations, many X users shared the video extensively before it was eventually removed and searching for the image was blocked by X. I foresee the collapse of the adult content industry in the next 3 years with the deepfake videos taking over.

In the music industry, numerous AI tools for music generation are currently in various stages of development, testing, or initial release. For example, MusicLM, an AI tool developed by Google, is designed for composing music and has shown promising capabilities in generating music.

Currently, an advanced version called MusicFx is undergoing testing in Google’s test kitchen before its public release. Users can simply prompt ideas into the music tool, and it will automatically compose the music. This advancement suggests that the future of music composition may require fewer people, as one individual can prompt the tool with ideas to generate music without the need for multiple collaborators.

Another tool is Suno V3, it generates music from text easily. Therefore, the music industry is at the verge of facing stiff competition and eventual collapse of the industry from these revolutions from AI.

Haruna Chiroma, Ph.D. Artificial Intelligence University of Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia, freedonchi@yahoo.com.

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has reconciled with the Commander General of the State Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, who had resigned his appointment last week.

Daurawa, who resigned from his position through a video that went viral while attending a retreat organized in Kaduna, stated that his decision was influenced by the public’s criticism of the Hisbah operatives and their actions.

Speaking to journalists about the development, the spokesperson to the governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the reconciliation on Monday.

Dawakin Tofa said the reconciliation was achieved through the intervention of respected Islamic clerics and a meeting with the governor that lasted for hours.

Some of the people in attendance include Prof. Salisu Shehu, Dr. Saidu Dukawa, Sheikh Abdulwahab Abdallah, among others.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Nigerian poet Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi, known as @thee_black_sylvia on X (formerly known as Twitter), has been awarded the Carolyn Micklem Scholarship by Cave Canem, a prestigious organization dedicated to fostering Black poetry.

The news was announced on February 29, 2024, via Bobi’s X account.

Bobi expressed her deep appreciation to Cave Canem and everyone who donated to her fundraising campaign, which ultimately reached $4000.

These donations and the scholarship will enable her to attend Cave Canem’s fellowship retreat in Pittsburgh, United States.

Cave Canem is a renowned organization with a rich history of supporting Black poets.

The fellowship program offers a unique opportunity for aspiring poets to develop their craft in a nurturing community.

Bobi’s success story is a testament to the power of collective support on social media, and determination on the poet’s part.

It highlights the importance of organizations like Cave Canem in providing resources and mentorship to underrepresented voices in the literary world.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad 

The rising prices of foodstuffs and the general high cost of living are global things. Nigeria is not immune to that; however, the case seems different because of our poor basic infrastructure in roads, education, healthcare, security, and communication. Moreover, traditional solutions from established sources appear ineffective, prompting consideration of alternative off-the-shelf solutions.

The masses are looking at the governments at the federal, state, and local levels. In particular, many Nigerians criticise the federal government due to the removal of petroleum subsidies and the decision to float the Naira.

Some short-term measures to tackle the current hardships are the following: the government should engage in healthy discussions with farms-produce marketers and large-scale farmers. 

These two groups have significant stocks of foodstuffs in their warehouses in many locations, especially in the north. The government should engage them in purchasing their farm produce mutually beneficially (without imposing prices on them). The Presidential Order to the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) Yusuf Bichi to work with governors and go after those hoarding foodstuffs is a right step, but it is not a silver bullet; in fact, it’s an intricate issue—how do you differentiate between foodstuff hoarders and large-scale farmers and legitimate farm-produce marketers who have large warehouses where they keep their commodities before distributing them to other parts of the country? Including supplies to humanitarian agencies 

A healthy engagement with legitimate farm-produce marketers and large-scale farmers is a simple and feasible solution to the soaring food prices. 

After purchasing the foodstuffs in large quantities, the government can package them into 2, 3, and 5 kg bags and resell them to the masses at affordable rates throughout all the local government areas (LGAs).

Bulk purchases by individuals or groups should be discouraged. Ward levels, markets, and schools can serve at the reselling centres. In addition, politicians should be off the resell team, and no one should purchase more than 10 kg since the target is the common man looking for daily meals. This is workable if the government truly wants to reach low-income people.

We should put it in our minds that, generally, the prices of foodstuffs shouldn’t have gone through the roof in the north, but what is currently happening in the north is that our farm-produce—rice, corn, millet, beans, etc.—is being exported to neighbouring African countries due to the weak value of the Naira. Naira is cheaper for buyers in nearby countries, while farm-produce marketers and large-scale farmers in Nigeria are making substantial profits. The high cost of logistics, illegal taxation, and checkpoint corruption are also major factors contributing to the high prices of foodstuffs. 

The above solution is a short-term measure; however, the real practising dry-season farmers should be directly supported to sustain it since this is dry-season farming time. They can be supported with solar-powered pumps, fertilisers, seeds, extension services, pesticides, etc. This will further increase food production. It also increases the popularity of the government, including reducing tensions and insecurity in the country. 

On the other hand, we must tell ourselves the truth: no programme or project can help the government sustain social order without factoring the youth into the equation. The Bola Tinubu government should devise a means to create some quick, productive jobs for the massive youth in the country. 

The federal government can launch job creation and empowerment programmes targeting young people and women in the following areas: agriculture, technology, entertainment, trading, and SME support and vocational training and support on welding, fashion, carpentry, home decoration, make-up, lucrative northern traditional cap making, etc. 

Agriculture: This should be divided into two segments: big and small. A group of graduates should be formed into “agribusiness entrepreneurs.” Then, the government should provide them with land, offer all the necessary extension services, and provide collateral or security for financial institutions to make the necessary funds available. This will promote the true generation of wealth through agriculture by young people. Secondly, women and young people rearing poultry, snailery, fish, etc., at home can be supported by providing highly subsidised feeds and more training on new techniques.

In technology, many young Nigerians are into coding, cryptocurrency, data processing, phone and computer sales, repairs, etc. The government can commission private sector firms to, on behalf of the government, train, equip, and provide capital to young people in this area. 

Another way to create productive jobs for young people is in the creative industries. For some talented young people, all they need is publicity through the correct medium. The government can employ advertising and marketing firms to promote selected talented individuals nationwide. Many young people are now involved in trading both online and offline. They can be trained, provided with additional capital, and promoted.

The government should avoid the usual government bureaucracy. A firm should be contracted to design the job creation programme. Then, the firm should also employ other responsible and resourceful firms to implement the programme across the country. Thus, the government will only deal with one firm, ensuring professional services are offered in implementing the programme.

The government can explore various avenues to secure quick funding for implementing this programme during these challenging times. Firstly, the Federal Government and its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) can leverage their underutilised assets, such as scrap assets, derelict buildings, abandoned structures, and damaged movable assets nationwide. Identifying, valuing, and disposing of these assets could generate substantial revenue for the programme implementation.

Additionally, the government could consider issuing special bonds and tapping into pension funds under the management of Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFC). Exploring partnerships with international donors and foundations, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, could provide valuable funding opportunities, especially with expert guidance.

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

By Salihi Adamu Takai

The recitation of the Glorious Qur’an is beyond anything people can think of or guess how it is limited in terms of positivity. It is everything and beyond. Yes, it is indeed! In addition, the rewards for its recitation are granted based on letters. Each letter recited in a verse is worth 10 rewards, and the rewards multiply.

The recitation of the Glorious Quran is the food that satisfies people to the ultimate satisfaction. It gives satisfaction to those reciting it day and night. While reciting it, the reciter gets satisfaction from it for his/her satisfaction in the thing he/she comes across. Through it, a Muslim can understand the blessings of Allah for all of humanity on Earth. Allah’s creatures were explained. The lives of our ancestors were told; how they lived on Earth before us. This explains the Oneness of the Lord, Almighty Allah.

The recitation of the Glorious Quran makes Muslims live peacefully, and their hearts find peace and composure. The beautiful recitation of the Glorious Quran heals the heart of anger. It does away with agony and temper. The Quran has explained this in Chapter 13, Verse 28: “Indeed, with the remembrance of Allah, hearts find peace.”

When a person starts reciting it, their attention becomes focused on the Almighty Allah and His words. Listening to the words of Allah is the best thing people can do to gain composure, and its recitation gives you everything and draws your heart to Him. You become happy. The world remains peaceful and harmonious for you as you begin reciting it. Therefore, do not stop reciting the Quran. It is the best thing to help you achieve everything on Earth.

Have you been in a dilemma or limbo? If yes, have you recovered? If not, you can recover from any kind of limbo by reciting the Quran. Keep reciting the Quran. It will help you recover and make you happy all the days. If you can’t recite it, listen to it online. There are different recitations of the Quran available online. Go to your Play Store and download it, and keep listening to it offline or online. It is, of course, the best medicine undiscovered by physicians!

Salihi Adamu Takai wrote via salihiadamu8888@gmail.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Salihu AbdulHadi Kankia, a member of the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), has been praised and rewarded for his noble act of returning a lost bag containing over N100 million.

The commendation came during the conclusion of a special preaching session in Bauchi, where Engr Mustapha Imam Sitti, the National Director of the First Aid Group, lauded Kankia for his exemplary conduct. 

The Bauchi State branch of JIBWIS took to Facebook to share the heartwarming story, detailing how Kankia discovered the bag and promptly reported it to the authorities.

Upon retrieval, the owner confirmed that nothing was missing from the bag. 

In recognition of his integrity, Kankia was honoured with an award by the Izala group and sponsored for the Hajj pilgrimage this year.

Additionally, he received two million naira from Hon. Abdulmalik Zannan Bangudu and a bus from Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to kickstart a business venture. 

Kankia’s actions serve as a beacon of honesty and righteousness, inspiring others to uphold similar values in their communities.

His selfless act not only restored faith in humanity but also garnered well-deserved recognition and rewards.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a new initiative aimed at improving compliance and streamlining import processes for vehicles.

For a limited time, vehicle owners will have a 90-day window to regularise their import duties. 

This program applies to vehicles that have not been seized or condemned by customs officials.

Owners of such vehicles can apply to Zonal Coordinators to rectify their import duties. 

To participate in this initiative, vehicle owners will need to submit all necessary documents along with their application.

Additionally, a 25% penalty will be applied on top of the standard import duty. 

This move by the NCS is seen as a positive step towards improving compliance and generating revenue for the country.

It also provides an opportunity for vehicle owners to rectify their import status and avoid potential penalties in the future. 

The 90-day window provides a limited window for vehicle owners to take advantage of this program.

Those who wish to regularise their import duties are encouraged to contact their nearest NCS Zonal Coordinator for more information and to initiate the application process.

By Aisha Musa Auyo

Men’s preferences for women change with age, exposure, and income. What a man wants in his 20s will differ from what he wants in his forties. The woman he can afford at his first marriage will be different from the woman he would love to have in his midlife, especially in abubuwa na shigo masa. This is why we advise our fellow women to evolve with their men. 

This post is about men. I’ve written a lot for women and about women. It’s your turn now, especially since no one takes time to tell men what is required of them to keep their marriage going. The expectation is that a woman should keep her marriage. The reality is that it takes a husband and wife’s combined efforts to keep the marriage going.

My brother, know your woman can not be what you want without your support. Here, support means emotional, financial, and social support. If you marry a woman with minimal educational qualifications and you go ahead and add degrees without carrying her along, you are naturally creating a gap in your relationship. 

If you are always travelling within and outside your country, without her, she will be left behind in experience and exposure. 

If you are getting a lot of money, changing your wardrobe and perfume collections, and not doing so for her, she will soon be too local for you.

Know that the fine, educated, and brilliant lady you are eyeing and admiring is like that because someone invested in her. Someone allowed her to grow. Someone trusted, invested, and supported her. Good soup, they say, ‘na money me kam.’

Building meaningful connections with women, akin to nurturing a plant, involves investing time, energy, and resources. Just as they blossom with care, women flourish when given attention and support. It’s important to recognize the value of financial care, pampering, and spoiling in fostering a strong and vibrant relationship.

Let me start with these two hadiths.

Our Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “When a Muslim spends something on his family intending to receive Allah’s reward, it is regarded as Sadaqa for him.”

Allah’s Apostle said, “Allah said, ‘O son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.”

I don’t want to start listing the basic things a woman needs from her man because not all fingers are equal, and what is basic to one family may be a luxury to another. 

But a lady generally needs peace and care to look good and be happy. Everyone can afford that, huh? 

To chat, tease, and play with her is hard for some men. To acknowledge her efforts, praise her, pray for her, and engage in a meaningful, deep conversation with a wife is a big deal to some men. Watching movies with one’s wife, taking her out, travelling with her, or spending quality time with her is impossible for some men.

On nutrition, a good and balanced diet is the number one responsibility of a husband. A husband should spend on his family depending on his pocket. Don’t give her garri and Garau-Garau, then order shawarma, basmati, and tiger nut drink for yourself from Auyo’s Cuisines. Buying grains only and leaving her to cater to the remaining ingredients is wrong. Sometimes, the ingredients for food preparation cost more than the grains. 

Body care essentials like soap, pads, deodorants, perfumes, hair products, and clothing are non-negotiable. If you have the resources, give her money for a good skincare routine, spa treatment, gyaran jiki, salon, manicure, pedicure, etc. 

Normalize buying clothes more than two times a year. Give her money for nighties, underwear, comfy wear, and pyjamas. A woman also needs hijabs, veils, laffayas, and abayas. Everything I listed here has prices that vary with one’s income, dan Allah a kamanta.

In education, a woman needs to update and upgrade her Islamic knowledge, Western education, and socialization. The world is changing and evolving in the blink of an eye. If she’s stagnant in these areas, she might not be well-equipped to raise your kids and be the wife that you need.

Aisha Musa Auyo is a doctoral researcher in educational psychology, a wife, a mother of three, a homemaker, a chef, and a parenting/relationship coach. She can be reached via aishamuauyo@live.co.uk.