By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka

Colleagues have been sharing their experiences as academics in Nigerian universities with several reactions. The essence is not to discourage people from going into academia but to know what lies ahead of you if you want to go into academia. Like most colleagues, I had no idea of the challenges in Nigeria’s academia when I was so eager to join. For example, I never knew the job is for 24 hours, and that promotion is based on research output you will fund from your pocket.

After graduating in 1999, I looked forward to being part of the academia. During my youth service in Kano, I visited the HoD of Physics, ABU Zaria, Prof I. B. Osazuwa, to discuss my “academic dream”. He directed me to the late Prof. N. I. Hariharan. I met him, and he advised that I should enrol for MSc. So, in 2001 on my way from Kano, I stopped over in Zaria, purchased the PG form, and left for Lagos.

As we were job-hunting in Lagos, I remember my friend and Brother, Yusuf Osafore, saying it appears I was not taking the job hunting seriously but was more concerned with pursuing a Master’s degree. My looking forward to becoming an academic was so apparent to people around me. Then, I eventually got hired in March 2005. It was a dream come true. I have finally joined the group of intellectuals. The “most revered” group in the society. A group of knowledge generators. A group of reservoirs of knowledge.

After a few months in the university, they revealed the reality of Nigerian academia. The fact that I had no prior knowledge of. There are, of course, viable ideas, but they die within the university walls because the political class isn’t interested in them. The ideas are published, but it is just for promotion’s sake. I paid N7,000 or so to publish my first paper in a Nigerian university-based academic journal in preparation for the next promotion to Lecturer II. These made me begin to meditate on “my academic dream”.

In 2007, I had the opportunity to visit ICTP for a two weeks workshop, and my interaction there revived my academic dream. Then, in 2009, I got lucky and left the country for my PhD, strengthening my revived “academic dream”. My joy knew no bounds when I published my first research paper in an Elsevier-indexed Q1 journal in 2011. From then on, the papers kept coming.

There are two publication options. You either publish in close access journals where publishers are paid for access to your research work, or you pay between $1,500 to $3,500 to publish as open access for everyone to have access. I remember spending some dollars in 2014 to publish the last paper from my PhD work in Elsevier’s Sustainable Materials and Products journal as open access. That money came from my salary in Norway.

We were told that research impact is based on the number of citations one has. Something they called h-index was brought to classify our research impact. I began to monitor my citations and h-index on Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. I usually wear a smile on my face whenever I receive citation alerts. As the promotion period approached, I counted my number of publications and was excited as my number of citations grew. We began to use Scopus h-index to rate academics. Unfortunately, we get carried away so much that if you talk too much, we ask, “What is your Scopus h-index?”

The irony is that you look for money (either grant or personal fund) to do research and get it published in a reputable journal after rigorous reviews (reviewers work for free) and are excited for an additional paper to your credit. Brag that you have so many articles in indexed journals and get promoted for a peanut added to your salary. In Nigeria, you become a Professor to earn about 440 USD (N325,000) per month. You proudly go around with the title (Prof). Meanwhile, a multi-billion dollars cooperation makes money from your sweat and the knowledge you have laboured to create. And all that we are happy with are citation alerts, a growing h-index, and promotions that come with peanuts.

The best publication time is during our young age. As we grow older, our students take over the writing. Then, the university will ask why you are the paper’s first, second, or last author. They have got no idea how it was funded. The academic dream can truly be defined as spending our entire youth creating knowledge and paying a billion-dollar corporation to take it from us in exchange for career capital that you can then use to buy meaningless promotions from other exploited individuals.

Sometime back, I logged into the university network, and the research output of a senior colleague on Google Scholar was highlighted on the university webpage with thousands of citations and a high h-index. So I decided to follow the link to check mine. Mine was very much below his, but it wasn’t that bad. So then, I sat down and began to question the true impact of my research work beyond what Google Scholar has evaluated.

Do a mere citation of our publications truly translate into research impact? Research is global, but you should see your work impact your immediate environment. We have Professors with thousands of citations that can’t present an inaugural lecture, faculty colloquium, or even a departmental seminar; so, what is the impact of our research on our immediate community?

I tried to reflect on our impact, especially as Professors and Farooq Kperogi came to mind. I remember checking on him on Scopus when he became a Professor in the US. However, when I later reflected on his writeups on Nigeria’s sociopolitical scene and the healthy discussions he had generated towards repositioning the country, I began to realise that Farooq has made much more impact on Nigeria than many of us with a better presence on Google Scholar, Researchgate, and Scopus.

Let me introduce myself properly—a Professor of Physics specialising in dielectrics and high-voltage electrical insulation. I have 33 research documents indexed in Scopus and an h-index of 11, 13, and 14 in Scopus, Reseachgate, and Google Scholar, respectively. In addition, I have about 585 citations on Google Scholar. My published research articles are on high-voltage insulation. Still, the articles and the citations, put together, have not impacted our electricity network in Nigeria, which is on a breakdown spree. So, what, then, is my impact?

Universities are identified as keys to innovation, from developing new ideas to providing state-of-the-art facilities. Industrialists and managers of the countries engage them in keeping the workflow full of new ideas. But in Nigeria, our university system has been made the most insignificant institution that has been reduced to lecture rooms. We only publish to avoid perishing.

Everywhere in the world, academics are respected and heard when they talk. But in Nigeria, especially during the Buhari government, they are tagged as enemies to crush. Our universities were once places where policies evolved. Academics generated ideas that shaped the country. Discussions in academia are used to shape the policy development of our nation. The golden time of Bala Usman can never be forgotten. What happened to those intellectual discussions? Who killed it? We now chase appointments within and outside the universities, especially after we become ‘Professors’.

Nigeria has been messy for the last eight years, and universities are in the worst state ever. But the government of Buhari used eight years to run away from education stakeholders’ engagement. The political class are educated people with no value for the education of the people. The best gift that Buhari gave to the people that so loved him was to strangulate the public universities for the people. Rather than having a public engagement on how to salvage the situation he was well aware of before his appointment, the outgoing Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, described the backwardness that they have imposed on us as “self-imposed backwardness” and their idea of the solution is by approving the establishment of more substandard private universities in the North.

The incoming government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to come in with a clean and open mind to engage the academia with sincerity. They should look at ASUU as partners in progress rather than enemies to crush. The solutions to our problems are right in our hands if we are willing to engage each other. On the other hand, academia needs to start looking beyond publishing, not to perish. We need to start thinking beyond journal publication impact that has no impact on our immediate constituency, Nigeria. We need to wake up and revive the golden days of Bala Usman on our university campuses.

©Amoka

By Salisu Uba Kofar-Wambai

It is no longer a front-page story that phone robbery has become a mammoth calamity in Kano state. And it’s gradually spreading like cancer to other parts of Northern Nigeria. One trait peculiar to Northern Nigeria as a geographical entity is that new trends quickly spread and gain ground like wildfire without being questioned. This is precisely what occurred with kidnapping cases.

 If one has no guiding principle, one will always be carried away in imitating others, whether good or bad actions. Phone robbery is now a trend. Many caught in the act would testify that they were not such but got tempted by what others were doing and getting away with it. What a society!

However, unsuspected members of the public have lost their phones, valuable properties and above all, their dear lives and some got injured as a consequence of this brutal and barbaric act. And 95% of the confessions of the wrongdoers have shown that they’re drug addicts and Indian hemp smokers.

Unfortunately, phone users can no longer display their phones or pick up a call because those robbers are somehow like invisible elements and can appear with their life-threatening weapons to pounce on you, which include thorny knives, hatchet, long sharp metals and have you. Often, any attempt to resist their advancement will land one in trouble of losing his life or getting a severe injury that may eventually threaten his health and life. The victims of this are uncountable in Kano and other parts of the North.

However, our legal system is not helping to curb the menace either. Many caught red-handed are seen getting their freedom back. At the same time, those arrested for capital offences are languishing in prisons without meeting appropriate punishment measures on capital offences. And the politicians who have just finished using these thugs and other undesirable elements of society are also contributing a lot in this direction.

Politicians employed them in their recent campaigns as a strategy for winning elections. After the campaigns and elections, they usually leave them alone after spoiling them with vast amounts of free money from the state treasury to enjoy. Those thugs have nowhere to turn in the absence of such goodies but to terrorise unsuspecting and innocent citizens.

Before this, society had its traditional way of dealing with truants and miscreants. The schools of “Yan Mari” are used to shackle those children and disassociate them from the public so that they were given moral remedy of teaching them Quranic recitation, training them on new religious upbringing, and making them off drugs. Owing to the weakness of this system, the Federal and State governments abolished the system by tagging it “gross human rights abuses and violations” instead of helping them to improve and enhance it.

Nevertheless, what’s on everyone’s lips now is that since the government has failed in checkmating the catastrophes, let’s employ jungle justice that everyone caught in the act should be maimed and killed on the spot to serve as a deterrent to others. But can our society accept this? The sanctities of our moral and religious upbringing won’t allow us to think like Lagos Area Boys of burning suspected thieves with tyres alive. Instead, we need to think of more civilised methods.

First, most perpetrators of this act are Indian hemp smokers and drug addicts. So, what are we doing to mitigate it? We allow Igbo drug traffickers to make our state their paradise. And in turn, they are every day, every minute spoiling our young men (and women) who are our future.

Secondly, we haven’t built rehabilitation centres to change these criminals to develop positive characters and morals so they can be reincorporated into society again. And those built were closed down for the greedy notion that the government could no longer feed them. Sad!

Thanks to the new legal thinking, such suspects will be tried as armed robbers from now on. But all these measures cannot solve the problem in toto until we fight Indian hemp and drug smugglers. We can only end up killing our children and still, others joining. Parents also have to do more for their kids.

May Allah guide our children and us all, amin.

Salisu Kofar-Wambai wrote from Kano and can be contacted via salisunews@gmail.com.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

Days ago, a picture of a beer advert on a bus with the caption: “ba barasa a cikin wannan giyar” dramatically attracted public attention. First, it appears the translation was outright flawed. The English direct translation may read thus: the alcohol doesn’t intoxicate.

Every native or one conversant with Hausa would find it difficult to wrap his head around this Hausa translation. So, some think it was out of the sheer cheap labour that the South African wine industry relied on the online translator to land them into the translation comatose. It might also be the usual case of giving the advert to the wrong agent or hiring a non-native to advertise the product.

Forget it; even if you are a professor in a particular language but happen to be not native or brought up in that typical language culture you will end up harming the advert than promoting it. One such advert that went wrong recently was that of one famous company, which read: “ko wanne zubawa, muhimmanci da ya wuce gwaji”. The equivalent English version read, “Every drop treasure beyond measure” What a rape to language!

As promoters of products, one can never dare associate the advert with alcohol in Hausa or any Islamic land; else, the result will be a mass exodus from the product. The brewing companies are still recuperating from the wound their Maltina product suffered because the same company is producing it as beer.

One factor that even fans the fire of controversy is that alcohol, beer/wine, and intoxicants are used interchangeably as the same thing: giya/barasa. So it becomes meaningless to try to separate one from another: that is to say, the beer contains no alcohol, alcohol is not intoxicated, or the alcohol is non-drunken. In the Hausa language, as long as it is alcohol there is nowhere to turn around.

Notwithstanding, are alcohol, ethanol, beer/wine, and intoxicants the same or different?

Alcohol is a general term referring to any organic compounds with OH functional groups. Therefore, any organic chemical with -OH in its makeup is alcohol. Examples of alcohol (alkane series) are methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and the list goes on…. Alcohol has been a subject of controversy, no thanks to one of its family members: ethanol.

This controversial member: ethanol, is composed of two carbon, six hydrogens, and one oxygen; because of the presence of OH (hydrogen bonding) in its makeup, ethanol enjoys a wide range of applications. It is next to water as a global solvent. In addition, where water fails in industrial application, ethanol as an organic chemical (with carbon in its makeup) swoops in.

The industries where ethanol easily finds its way include Pharmaceuticals, several medicines you can’t do without today owe themselves to ethanol; Paint Industry, where your favourite paint can’t exist without ethanol; Fragrances, ethanol, not water is the solvent for making many perfumes; the Medicinal Properties, ethanol is a death sentence to microorganisms so when next used sanitiser, know that ethanol is that potent content; Bakery Industries, yeast is used in the bakery to give the bread desired quality as a result of ethanol and carbon dioxide as a by-product; Electrical Repair, ethanol is used as spirit, take your gadget for repairs they use ethanol for cleaning; Oil and Gas, perhaps the most economical part of ethanol use is when employing as fuel, depending on the purity, ethanol can be used as complement or substitution to transportation fuel (PMS); Brewing Industry, now the most controversial part of ethanol is when used as a drink, such as beer or wine. In beer, starch, e.g. corn or maize starch, is acted upon by appropriate enzymes and yeast industrially to produce beer. In a similar passion, fruit instead of starch is used in winemaking. Ethanol in brewing is the most dominant public knowledge, so it has become synonymous with alcohol (even among native English speakers).

The beer and wine produced conventionally contain up to 15 per cent of ethanol. This percentage is quite enough to intoxicate the drinker. Islam has outrightly forbidden taking intoxicants, such as beer and wine. The consequence for the global brewing industries is that they can only bite their fingers to watch a market of a staggering 1.5 billion people impossible to penetrate. So this became the mystery brewing industry struggled to crack. They finally get a catch.

Because the prohibition in Islam said intoxicants, so by this view, the brewing industries can design beer and wines that contain quantities of ethanol that is not enough to intoxicate a drinker, making beer and wine halal. Some Islamic countries like Malaysia have already nodded to this explanation by setting 1 % ethanol as a limit. Perhaps this was the intention of the South African wine advert on the bus.

On the other hand, the ethanol prevalence is more than what we could imagine; we are as indispensable as ethanol is concerned. Because the enzymes, yeast, and starch/sugar necessary to make ethanol are ubiquitous and, by extension, the ethanol itself. The cups, plates, our hands, and system you are using currently to read this article are a community of microorganisms; among them are the saccharifying enzymes and yeast. So with food readily available in the form of rice (rice), kunu, zobo, pieces of bread, fruits, etc., the right contact is just required to get the ethanol. Fura is the breeding ground for ethanol. The longer the “fura da nono” takes (without refrigeration), the higher the quantity of ethanol will be in it. But this passive ethanol prevalence is non-intentional.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin is a Public Affairs commentator and a Doctoral candidate at the Department of Chemical Engineering, ABU Zaria.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria has recorded an unprecedented milestone in the North-Western region of Nigeria as the university hospital successfully delivered its first invitro fertilization (IVF) baby.

Professor Adebeyi Adesuyun of the Department of Reproductive Medicine, disclosed this to newsmen on Friday. He said, “A male baby was delivered at 10:53am on May 16 with weight of 3kg.”

The Professor noted the cost implication of the milestone and further disclosed that it was a journey began by ABUTH about twelve years ago.”

Such delivery is costly and not available in the whole of the northwest region. ABUTH is the only public health facility that offers IVF. The journey did not start today; we have been on it for more than 12 years, but paucity of funds in getting the right equipment was our major hindrance,” he said.”

He also disclosed that the hospital has patients on their waiting list to receive the treatment.

By Mustapha Dauda

People should be screened thoroughly before becoming certified teachers. Now, Colleges of Education are home to lazy and mainly copy-and-paste students. Although there are several academic gurus in the field, a higher percentage of educational students chose to be only there because of their inability to secure admissions in their various intended courses of study.

The alarming nature and downfall of the educational system in this country will be halfway associated with this very problem. So sad. Lack of potential and rigidly talented persons in the academic career is as dangerous as a fire outbreak is to wildlife in a bush to our society. Very dangerous and heart-breaking indeed. 

Teaching is the master of every profession, no doubt. Teachers nurture students in their preferred disciplines. Teachers head and guide and direct in every place of learning. They impact the character and learning of students: they play a vital role in inculcating good moral behaviours, knowledge impassion and impartation. How beautiful and nice of a profession. Moreso, they play a parental role during school hours. 

Though the responsibilities of teachers are beyond that which I have queued and listed here, even with the little above listed, we must agree that this is not a lazy profession. Hence, it should simply be handled by readily authentic, prepared, learned and responsible personalities. A kind of people that shun examination malpractice and any illegalities. Having fully reliable teachers guarantees the production of well-educated students from all levels of education. And, God forbid, vice versa. 

The only effective weapon that will end educational failures is the availability of qualified teachers. Steps in providing qualified teachers include: Demanding higher Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, scores before getting admission into any institution capable of certifying one as a teacher. It also comprises impromptu student-teacher supervision during their Teaching Practice, TP, periods.

And an important aspect is an instalment of a well-paid salary system to newly employed and already teaching teachers the government. This, for sure, will get the educational system many brilliant minds. Most students go for courses they expect can fetch them money. And for already teaching staff, a kind of test of qualification can be given, perhaps, through external bodies, thereby confirming their strength and teaching capabilities, and also changing the unqualified ones to the non-academic part of the institution, to at least help them maintain the source of income and from being unemployed.

A quack doctor can only kill or jeopardise one person at a time. A building engineer endangers a family or a building at a time. For teachers, it is a different case. An unqualified teacher cheats and misleads a whole generation. And the scary part is that what he wrongly misled the current generation is the same thing that will be passed and taught to the upcoming generation by the current ones, for they’re the leaders of tomorrow. And the problem, the misleading, the imperfection will go like that. The whole generation is in vain. Uncontrollably. Unknown to all, where it may stop, just perhaps. And all these, Just a single damage, by a single teacher. Just one person. Ohh! What will a class of unqualified teachers do to our society? Or what do we think all those quack teachers out there have been doing? 

Everything is just as straightforward as everyone can see it, yeah. Students sitting silently and helplessly listening to quack teachers are helpless and hapless and don’t know the misleading they’re in the middle of. The work is ours and the government’s. From our side, we don’t encourage and invite brilliant and vibrant students to teach. Ohh, sad; one will ask that, after graduating as a well-learned and certified teacher, what will I do, as much as a source of income? This question is too head shocking, and one may hardly get an answer to continue further convincing him to go for teaching.

How I wish and how beautiful to see teachers, too, being screened, being made to practice what they were taught, being made to face challenges that make them look every inch equal to their tasks like it’s usually done to qualified engineers and doctors and every other highly regarded course of study. It will make meaning this way. Indeed, there’s a huge need to look at and upgrade our educational system, of which teachers are the backbone.

Mustapha Dauda wrote from Azare, Bauchi State, via mustaphadauda399@gmail.com.

By Mohammed Hussaini Hamidu

In our modern society, the prevalence of substance abuse continues to plague communities, leaving a trail of shattered lives and fractured communities in its wake. To truly understand the destructive nature of these habits, one must delve deeper and closely examine the lives of those who engage in smoking, drug use, and similar undesirable activities. The findings are sobering, revealing a harrowing landscape of financial struggles, academic challenges, strained relationships, and a lack of integration within the broader community. It is clear that these activities offer no benefits whatsoever, and therefore, they should be vehemently discouraged.

Regrettably, we find ourselves grappling with a disheartening reality – children born in the early 21st century perceive smoking, drug use, and the consumption of harmful substances as trendy. The consequences of abstaining from these activities are severe, as individuals who choose not to partake may be labelled as insufficiently masculine or excluded from certain social circles. This warped perception and societal pressure contribute to a growing crisis. As a result, crime rates in various states of Nigeria are rapidly escalating, with a significant number of crimes directly linked to drug-related activities. The repercussions of these behaviours extend beyond criminality, penetrating the very fabric of our society. Most disturbingly, a substantial majority of patients in psychiatric hospitals find themselves there due to the dire consequences of their drug and smoking habits.

In the face of such a pressing issue, one would hope for swift and decisive action from the government agency responsible for addressing substance abuse. However, our observations within the community reveal a disheartening truth. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), tasked with combating this concerning behaviour, often exhibits a lackadaisical approach to its duties. Within my sphere of observation, it is dismaying to witness the agency’s apparent indifference towards tackling this pervasive issue head-on. Offenders caught with harmful substances can secure their freedom by merely having enough money for bail, raising questions about the effectiveness of punitive measures. Even more alarming is the existence of a corrupt system, where officials can be bribed to turn a blind eye or actively support drug dealers in what they call a “return.” This deplorable practice enables the unrestricted sale and distribution of drugs, even during operations. While I have not personally witnessed such acts, claims persist that NDLEA officers themselves engage in returning and selling drugs seized during operations back to the very dealers they are meant to combat.

It is an undisputed fact that substance abuse poses a grave threat to our society, and the time for action is now. We must not remain complacent as countless lives are torn apart, and communities are left in ruins. The consequences of substance abuse demand our unwavering attention and collective effort to bring about change.

To confront this crisis head-on, we must prioritize education and awareness. Community leaders, educators, parents, and all stakeholders must come together to instil in our youth a profound understanding of the realities of substance abuse. By debunking the misguided notion of its trendiness and emphasizing the destructive consequences, we can empower young individuals to make informed decisions and choose healthier alternatives.

Furthermore, systemic shortcomings within the NDLEA must be urgently addressed. It is disheartening to witness an agency tasked with safeguarding our communities falter in its mission. The gravity of this issue necessitates comprehensive reform. Adequate funding, stringent oversight, and the implementation of effective anti-corruption measures are essential to restore public trust and dismantle the pervasive influence of drug-related activities.

In the face of this complex and deeply rooted problem, it is crucial that we rise above complacency and indifference. We must mobilize as a society to combat the destructive cycle of substance abuse. By championing awareness, education, and proactive measures, we can pave the way for a brighter future free from the grip of substance abuse. It is incumbent upon us to break the silence, challenge societal norms, and provide support and resources to those affected by addiction.

First and foremost, we must foster a culture of compassion and understanding. Substance abuse is not solely a moral failing but a complex issue rooted in a myriad of factors, including social, psychological, and environmental influences. By dispelling the stigma surrounding addiction, we can create an environment where individuals feel safe seeking help and accessing the necessary treatment and support.

Education plays a pivotal role in prevention efforts. Schools and community organizations must prioritize comprehensive drug education programs that go beyond the traditional “just say no” approach. These programs should equip young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions, resist peer pressure, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Engaging parents and caregivers in these initiatives is equally vital, as they play a crucial role in shaping their children’s attitudes and behaviours.

Collaboration between various sectors is key to tackling substance abuse effectively. Healthcare professionals, law enforcement agencies, social workers, educators, and community leaders must work in synergy to develop comprehensive prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies. By sharing resources, expertise, and best practices, we can maximize our impact and provide holistic support to individuals struggling with addiction.

To address the systemic shortcomings within the NDLEA, transparency and accountability must be prioritized. Strong leadership and robust internal controls are essential to root out corruption and ensure that officers uphold the highest ethical standards. Adequate funding should be allocated to bolster the agency’s capabilities, including the recruitment and training of dedicated personnel, improved intelligence gathering, and modern technology to enhance enforcement efforts. Collaboration with international partners can also facilitate knowledge exchange and the adoption of successful strategies from other jurisdictions.

In conclusion, the scourge of substance abuse continues to ravage our communities, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. We must answer the call to action and confront this crisis head-on. Through education, collaboration, and systemic reform, we can break the vicious grip of substance abuse and create a society that prioritizes the well-being and resilience of its members. Together, let us strive for a future where individuals are empowered to make healthy choices, communities are supportive and resilient, and the cycle of substance abuse is finally broken.

Mohammed Hussaini Hamidu can be reached via mohammed27187@gmail.com.

By Aliyu Nuhu

First; Nigeria does not generate enough electricity to support industries and sustain growth. When leaders talk of addressing poverty and unemployment they forget the single factor holding Nigerian economy down. With 3000-5000mw of electricity, the story of Nigeria will always be associated with darkness.

Second; Nigeria is still unable to employ its youths, about 90% of them finish schools and are sitting at home or roaming streets and committing crimes. The number is alarming.

Three; Industries are either closing down due to insecurity, absence of forex to import critical spare parts or electricity.

Four; Thousands of Nigerians are losing their jobs. MTN and some banks are still retrenching. Only government is employing and doing it selectively for sons and daughters of the elites, politicians and government officials. Government can’t employ everyone. As long as the private sector is not employing, unemployment will always be high in Nigeria.

Five; Start up businesses die due to failure of banks to give them loans. No Nigerian bank gives any form of loan at all.

Six; Big and small industries are being killed by multiple taxation. There are more than 20 different taxes that companies pay in Nigeria.

Seven; Some states are taxing companies for broad band satellite receivers, something that is vital to their operations, especially banks. Other states are imposing tax on boreholes even as the governments fail to provide pipe borne water to factories.

Eight; Agricultural goods in transit, including livestocks are subjected to all manner of extortion by police, LG officials, VIO, FRSC and security forces. Once a truck or car is loaded with goods, it is fair game to security agencies. Nigeria is becoming an impossible nation to move goods, capital and equipment. No nation develops without free movement of labour and capital. In the northern part of the country, insecurity has ensured that most farmers don’t go to farms due to activities of bandits and Boko Haram.

Nine; Despite efforts to build roads, rail, bridges, power plants and other social and economic infrastructure, it is becoming clear that the government will finish its two terms leaving Nigeria with the same tragedy of uncompleted and abandoned projects.

Ten; Nigerian businessmen are being rewarded for investing abroad. In other words the government rewards them for exporting Nigerian jobs to other African countries. Dangote has been building factories outside Nigeria in the name of diversifying his risks. Government should take a cue from what Donald Trump did in America. He rewarded those that built factories in US and punished those that built factories outside the United States. He slashed taxes on American companies to encourage them employ Americans.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdurrashid Bawa, and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state continue to trade words over corruption allegations.

The anti-graft agency chairman challenged Matawalle to expose him if he has any fraud record against him.

Bawa has thrown this challenge against Matawalle in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Thursday.

He added that even though no human being was 100 percent clean, he would love it if Matawalle could expose him.

The Daily Reality reported that Matawalle was currently under investigation over alleged N70 billion fraud.

The EFCC chairman stated that it was intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is currently under investigation over alleged N70 billion fraud, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Abdurrashid Bawa, the EFCC Chairman, disclosed about the development on Thursaday during a press briefing.

Our reporters gathered Matawalle and Bawa have recently engaged in a battle of words and Matawalle had leveled allegations against Bawa and dared the commission to go after members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

However, the anti-graft agency chairman urged Nigerians not to be swayed by the Matawalle’s recent outburst.

In his response through the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Osita Nwajah, Bawa added that “It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate.

“Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?

“Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class.

“The qualification to get a space in the Commission’s detention facility, is to commit a crime. It does not matter whether you are a priest , Imam, Governor or minister.

“Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention,” Nwajah said.
 

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chirist Ngige, has thrown a threat to the striking resident doctors saying that the Federal Government will hire ad-hoc doctors to replace their positions.

The minister stated that the ad-hoc doctors would be paid with the salaries of the striking doctors.

The Daily Reality gathered that the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a five-day warning strike Wednesday.

However, Ngige, who in an interview with journalists yesterday said there was nothing like warning strike, disclosed this during Channels Television programme.

It was also learned that the association is demanding increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salary of doctors; new allowances included in its letter to the Minister of Health on July 7, 2022, on the review of CONMESS; payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund; payment of salary arrears and consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

Ngige added that the NARD was disrespectful to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which was already negotiating with the government on its behalf.

“The resident doctors are part of NMA. They are young doctors in training. So if the NMA is negotiating on their behalf as the parent body, what these young people (resident doctors) are doing is disrespecting the NMA. They are crying wolf when there is none,” he said.