Reconciliation of Kwankwaso and Ganduje
By Aliyu Nuhu
Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje congratulated his predecessor and former boss, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on his birthday. I feel Kwankwanso and Ganduje will surely one day reconcile. These people have come a very long way together. It is the political devil that is harassing their conscience and calculations. However, their supporters gave Ganduje’s birthday message different interpretations and are killing themselves over it.
Kwankwasiyya followers said it was hypocrisy and deception. Some of them viewed it as a nice gesture. On the other hand, the Gandujiyya followers said it was a respect for the former governor.
Either way, I see it as an important step in building bridges and mending fences. How I wish Kwankwaso will, one day, do the same!
The supporters of the two camps should sit and just watch the two gladiators keenly and carefully. They shouldn’t be fighting and insulting one another. One day they Kwankwaso and Ganduje will reconcile. There is no permanent enemy in politics.
I am sure with time you will see Kwankwaso hugging Ganduje and singing his praises. On the other hand, Ganduje has always reached out and is still referring to Kwankwaso as his political father.
With this kind of move, reconciliation is easy.
Who expected Abubakar Rimi and Sabo-Bakin Zuwo to become friends again? Who expected Atiku Abubakar and General Olesagun Obasanjo to come back together? Who knew Nasiru El-Rufai and General Muhammadu Buhari would be together again.
On the flip-side who expected Buba Galadima and Buhari or Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Buhari to part ways. One day they will also reconcile.
That is politics for you. Don’t lose sleep over politicians and their fights. They are very selfish and deceptive!
Buhari flies to Saudi Arabia for investment submit
By Uzair Adam Imam
President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Saudi Arabia Monday, October 25, 2021, to take part in the 5th edition of the flagship investment event by business executives from Nigeria.
This was contained in a release issued on Sunday by the presidential media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, adding that the aim of the conference is to discuss issues on the future of investments across the globe.
However, Buhari is said to be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno; Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar and other public officeholders.
On the other hand, the conference will also host participants from private sectors like Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tope Shonubi, Wale Tinubu, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Hassan Usman, Omoboyode Olusanya, Abubakar Suleiman, Herbert Wigwe and Leo Stan Ekeh.
Shehu added that, after the conference, Buhari will perform a lesser Hajj before returning to the country on Friday.
We have the simple Artificial Intelligence to secure our rail tracks
By Hamid Al-Hassan Hamid
I wrote twice about possible attacks on our rail tracks; it is just a matter of time. This, in my opinion, is just a test run; expect more to come if we continue to neglect simple and sincere advice due to ineptitude and corruption. The rail tracks are not left alone, on their own, anywhere in the world. They are protected, monitored and secured. It is done through determination and sincerity of purpose. How many souls would have been lost had the rail skidded and crashed! How disastrous!
Again, with all our tech universities, we cannot build local drones to fly 24/7 and monitor at least our rail tracks. The only thing our professors are good at is attacking another person who became a professor that they do not like.
The technology we need to curb these security challenges is too expensive to buy; we do not have the money. But it is cheaper to develop, and we can do that locally.
I once reached out to MTN, asking how much it would cost me to connect drones that will fly across the country, especially our forest, for intelligence gathering. I will build the server, and they will provide the network, without the Internet data, I don’t need the internet. They gave me two options:
1. Pay 150,000 naira monthly to connect as many drones as possible nationwide.
2. Make them partners in the project, and I will not have to pay a dime.
They needed confirmation and approval from appropriate security bodies. It has been about a year or so now. Getting the interest of the appropriate security bodies alone is more complex than quantum physics.
In Africa, the only thing we love is physical cash, but I don’t blame us. I just pray that God cures our sickness soon.
We need to establish private tech defence companies that are private entities and not owned by the government.
Artificial Intelligence has more practical use cases in Africa. In addition, it will be easier to implement because the biggest fear against Artificial Intelligence is that it will compete with humans in jobs and take away those jobs.
Africans don’t want jobs; they just want to have something to eat throughout the week. Forget about the rampant cry of unemployment. As soon as you employ, you will begin to see. Artificial Intelligence will have no resistance in Africa, especially in security.
What shall we do?
I have been getting messages and comments from brothers trying to help with the Private Defence Tech Company Startup. Some proposed sending proposals to either Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Professor Ali Ibrahim Pantami or Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. Some also proposed promoting the idea in media houses until it reaches the ears of those in power.
First of all, I have access to Professor Pantami through childhood friends who can meet him whenever they want to. I also know people that can reach the VP. But I disdain the idea of sending proposals.
This is what I am doing at the moment:
I have a team of four individuals with backgrounds in the military and tech. We are making plans to partner with anybody (with genuine sincerity) interested in starting something simple that can be pushed into the market for testing and continue building from there.
At this point, what we want is to partner with the research department of any Nigerian university, military institutions like the Airforce Institute of Technology (AFIT), or the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). We want to start by building an AI that will be able to:
1. Identify faces at entrances through cameras.
2. Log check-in and checkout time of each face.
3. Determine if anyone checked in and did not check out, and report such cases to analyse the data to know why such checkout did not occur. The checkout may be missed because the camera did not capture the face or another exit was used, in which case we would like to know if the use of such alternate exits is valid and improve the AI to be more accurate with regards to missing faces.
4. Print out daily, weekly, monthly and yearly statistics on such check-ins and checkouts per individual and the whole entrants.
5. Try predicting possible movements of each individual based on the data collected as they grow.
6. Send silent alerts to mobile phones of respective security personnel on duty if a breach in the entry is detected, for example, an individual using an entrance or exit that is not within their jurisdiction.
We can develop the AI, create the server, and assist with the statistics as part of our responsibility.
We can start by using cheap Android phones as cameras at respective entrances and exits by connecting them to the server via wifi; this cuts down costs by far at the initial stage.
We want to grow the system gradually by later introducing drones to fly outside and see if they can recognise personnel that have been logged in the building at various entrances, identify the cars they use, log their car plate numbers, identify what canteen they like taking coffee within the vicinity and so on. Then gradually scale to state and federal levels.
It is very simple. But can corruption and corrupt individuals allow this?
Hamid is a social commentator, an expert in AI and writes from Sudan.
Sultan Sa’ad rewards Keke Napep rider with 500,000 naira
By Abdurrahman Muhammad
His Eminence, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar MNI, has honoured a Keke Napep rider, Malam Akilu Gangare in Jos, with the sum of NGN500,000, for returning NGN500,000 left in his Keke Napep to its rightful owner.
A passenger boarded Malam Akilu’s Napep to a particular place. After reaching his destination, the passenger hurriedly alighted leaving his back behind. A little while longer, Malam Akilu sighted the bag in his Napep after his passenger has disappeared. He opened the the bag out of curiosity only to see a large sum of money NGN500,000 inside.
Malam Akilu quickly turned back in search of the passenger. After he located him, he handed him back the bag with his money intact.
On receiving the news, His Eminence the Sultan made the necessary investigation and the information turned out to be true.
Yesterday, Saturday, 23-10-2021, His Eminence rewarded Malam Akilu in Jos with the sum of NGN500,000. The exact amount he honestly returned to the owner.
For His Eminence, this is not the first time of doing this kind of great gesture. He has done it several times before. It is his way of rewarding honesty and encouraging people to be good citizens.
Buhari unveils eNaira Monday
By Muhammad Sabiu
President Muhammadu will tomorrow Monday unveil the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBD), also known as eNaira, at the State House in Abuja.
Nigeria’s apex bank, in a statement by its spokesperson, Osita Nwasinobi, said this is part of the efforts to ease financial transactions among Nigerians
“The launch of the eNaira is a culmination of several years of research work by the Central Bank of Nigeria in advancing the boundaries of [the] payments system in order to make financial transactions easier and seamless for every strata of the society.
“Following a series of engagements with relevant stakeholders including the banking community, fintech operators, merchants, and indeed, a cross-section of Nigerians, the CBN designed the digital currency, which shall be activated on Monday, October 25, 2021.
“The eNaira, therefore, marks a major step forward in the evolution of money and the CBN is committed to ensuring that the eNaira, like the physical Naira, is accessible by everyone.
“Given that the eNaira is a journey, the unveiling marks the first step in that journey, which will continue with a series of further modifications, capabilities, and enhancements to the platforms,” Mr Nwasinobi said in the statement.
Recall that the launch of the eNaira was early on announced to be held on October 1, but the bank later rescheduled it, citing events to be observed in the celebration of the country’s independence as the reason.
Letter to Hon. Mai Mala Buni, The Executive Governor of Yobe State
Dear Buni,
We need to talk; governance is beyond speeches. It requires actions, commitment and foresight. There is no place in history for those that failed to deliver the mandate given to them in any democratic polity. The world’s political leaders continue to champion the ideal democracy, tell voters you know the best, use your voice to bring change and take ownership of your destiny in knowing the details and aspects of governance. This gives prudent leaders the zeal and passion for taking responsibility, for leading by example. To incorporate new ideas and creativities, which provide an avenue for feedback and to believe in criticisms. These are the attributes that make them stand out amidst many challenges.
However, if we are to measure the growth and progress of our society, the indices we can use is education because acquiring quality and functional education is the concern of every community. That is why scholars in the field of public policy emphasize that, when it comes to educational policy, the stakeholders and actors are paramount to the policy’s success. They need to be integrated, involved, and allowed to participate freely without hindrance from the policy formulation and implementation stage. All their ideas and contribution need to be examined, analyzed and incorporated into the policy. They need to feel important in every step of the policy process. This will give them ample opportunity to take ownership and responsibility for its success and bring about a higher level of commitment in implementing the objective of the policy.
You declared a ‘state of emergency on basic and secondary education’ on your assumption of office. We all cheered and understood something needed to be done to save the sorry state of education. We believe in your powerful speeches on the first-ever ‘Educational Summit’ held in Yobe state. You declared that “I know there are a lot of complaints about some teachers, who are not qualified to teach, and complaints about some teachers who are not able to speak or write well in [the] English Language. This has to change”. We all hailed again, thinking the messiah and symbol of hope had arrived.
From your oratory speeches, we develop confidence that today’s governance transcends what had happened in the previous administrations. We all got a sigh of relief and hoped new ideas and philosophies would guide your administration. The people of outstanding calibre would be called to serve the state, people with foresight and reason.
The problems facing the Basic and Secondary Education policy are many. The broad objective of the policy was in papers, and in practice, it did not demonstrate what it entails. The problem emanated from the formation of the team or committee saddled with the responsibility to craft the policy and to non-involvement and proper participation of actual stakeholders: Teachers, Headmasters/Headmistress, Education Secretaries, etc. Supervisors, Zonal Inspectorates, former and serving Principals and parents of the pupils/students. These are the most important actors and stakeholders alongside the legislative and civil society organizations (CSOs).
This action makes the policy a product of educational elitism or an avenue of wasting state resources. It did not reflect the wishes and aspirations of the general populace. It did not cover every stakeholder because most of the committee members are teaching in higher institutions of learning. They don’t have actual expertise in what it takes to make primary and secondary education functional. The committee lacks the wisdom or vision to go beyond their thinking to involve the real stakeholders in generating the policy ideas.
Since the signing of the committee’s report on January 16, 2020, by you, and declared that “all hands must be on deck to actualize the goals of the policy”, eleven months later, on December 16, 2020, Daily Trust released a survey of the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria by Nigerian Education Data Survey (NEDS). Yobe state has 57 per cent of school children in the country, and this figure corresponds with the technical committee’s report that 40% of Yobe children are out of school.
What have you done to improve the students’ enrollment and retention in the state, enhance teachers’ capacity, and employ new ones to fill the gap? The emergency is not about pronouncing a word; it requires action, and, in this part, you failed to lead and hold the oath of office you took to manage the affairs of state that you’re ready to make education functional and accessible. Leadership is all about making an impact in people lives you promise to govern.
I was surprised by the emergency in education, particularly the deduction of teachers’ salaries in August and September. Everybody knew there was uncertainty in revenue generated and allocated to the state, but this would not be an excuse. You need to understand, the critical stakeholders in achieving the goals of your policy are teachers. How can you declare an emergency on a sector hoping to improve it but end up eating their hard-earned cake?
You need to double teachers’ salaries and allowances, provide proper capacity building training, provide accommodation, and motivate them to work hard. This singular action smeared the image of your administration. Unless you reverse this policy of salaries deduction and apologize to them for the hardship and problem your administration causes them, you’re heading in the wrong direction.
Moreover, as we all know, the significant source of revenue to finance all the intended projects are Federal Allocation. Due to uncertainties in the global oil market, the government should review the policy and allow all relevant stakeholders to review and execute the policy. The government should cut the cost of governance, reduce unnecessary expenses, and accommodate all the projects you intend to achieve in realizing functional education in the state.
In all the projects done in some schools across the state, the major funders of these projects are donor agencies and development partners in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and North East Development Commission. However, what is the role of other institutions, especially the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, in complementing the efforts of these Donor agencies in making and realizing the objective of the policy? Unfortunately, we do not see their visibility, even the recruitment of SUBEB, for almost a year, there is no result.
Given the background above, we need to sit down and talk about governance. History is there to those who leave a golden legacy or otherwise ensure your government adopts a participatory approach to policymaking involving all stakeholders. The policy should be the product of citizenry wishes and aspirations by allowing them to participate in policy design and implementation, enhance teachers’ and administrators’ capacity with the sole aims of improving their productivity and increasing their salaries and allowances.
Funding is key to achieving the policy’s objectives; 26% of budgetary should be allocated to education and ensure proper utilization. In addition, you need to create a Basic Education Trust Fund (BETF), be managed by accomplished education administrators, and provide robust and proper collaboration and partnership with Donor Agencies and Development partners. What we want from you is action and taking responsibility to show you can do it.
Umar Yahaya Dan-Inu wrote from Hausari Ward, Nguru. He can be contacted via umarnguru2015@gmail.com.
Nigeria: In need of El-Rufa’ism
By Tahir Ibrahim Tahir (Talban Bauchi)
Do you remember when Governor Nasiru El-Rufai chased bandits into the bush along the Kaduna/Abuja expressway as he encountered a bandit attack along the highway? He practically trailed the assailants into the bush, chasing the gunmen, along with his entourage of armed escorts. He wouldn’t stand aside and watch the security men put their lives on the line alone. They had no choice but to cover him as they pursued the bandits. Some were shot, and a few escaped with injuries.
El-Rufai is a hands-on man and practically chases the reality of things to the letter. If you were a Chief of Air staff, with El-Rufai as your C-in-C, you would probably be called to a scenario where El-Rufai is in one of your bases, manning a drone attack himself. I bet you, he could even be in one of the Tucanos, spitting fire on terrorists; and you would end up answering yes sir to him, over the mic, from the fighter jet. No garrison commander or head of any of the counter-terrorism operations would ever allow himself to be caught flat-footed by his irrepressible commander in chief. You can’t be in a command guest house somewhere while your Commander In Chief is in an MWRAP elsewhere on the battlefield, charging your soldiers on to carry the battle to the terrorists.
El-Rufai would not waste time naming the bandits as terrorists, so he wouldn’t be handicapped in annihilating their terror! If all the North-Western states’ governors had co-operated with El-Rufai’s plans long ago, they would have proactively put in place all the crunching measures — that would have ended the banditry plaguing the region today.
Do you know that Kaduna’s IGR of 13.6 billion in 2019 has grown to a whopping 51 billion in 2020? Anticipating a 60 billion IGR in 2021? This could mean that our monthly federation allocation of an average of 600 billion could be well over 1.5 trillion, to a probable 2 trillion naira monthly! Elrufai would find all those nooks and crannies of our economy that are not yielding fruits to the federation account — and make sure they matter to our economy. The Kaduna IGR example is a classic case of economic diversification, which is what Nigeria desperately needs. The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has laid the template for this, and what remains is the right lieutenant to take it to the next level.
States would be mandated to replicate the Federal template on revenue generation, and there would be less pressure on the federal purse. More viable states would be the elixir to the economic emancipation of Nigerians. Governance would be made to impact the local level, as revenue generated would reflect in the development of the rural areas. Under El-Rufai, revenue generation would not be a problem at all!
Have you seen how El-Rufai is developing a new generation of technocrats, entrepreneurs, and public servants? We have a Chief Executive in Kaduna state who is just 29 years old! Most of his commissioners are under 40 years of age. New metropolitan authorities have been constituted and are charged with the development of their base areas. All these executives are young indigenes who are representing the younger generation well.
El-Rufai is giving the youths a hands-on advantage of learning and gaining experience. He is grooming a new age of leadership in the state, which would never be bereft of ideas, and the zeal to implement those fantastic developmental ideas. This is aside from making youths SAs or SSAs only, as the highest offices they can attain. This is profiting from the abundance of technical knowledge that the youths can offer. This is harvesting youth IT knowledge and potential away from the yahoo-yahoo industry.
Nigerians aren’t so law-abiding and are fond of cutting corners and profiting from the lapses of our laws, as well as law enforcement. To date, no FCT Minister is missed, the way El-Rufai is yearned for in Abuja. The disarray and chaos in Abuja are unbecoming. It would take an El-Rufai to reset the city and make it a befitting nation’s capital. I’m sure the income that the FCTA would generate will be unprecedented — enough to manage itself, with or without any Federal interventions.
Kaduna has become one magnificent project site as projects run rampage across the state. A before and after picture of the Kawo bridge area is breathtaking. ‘Kasuwan Bacci’ is now a ‘Kasuwan Farke’ (a transformed and brand new metropolitan market).
I can only imagine the Mambila hydro project in the hands of El-Rufai or the Abuja/ Kano/ Maiduguri highway. The North-Eastern road networks’ deplorable situation would become history. I’m sure the South West and South East would be filled with light rail networks.
The industrialisation of our agro-allied processes would be in full swing, just the way agro-processing industries are springing up in Kaduna. We would then be ably competing with countries like Holland, in the production of milk. We could compete with Mexico in the export of tomatoes, where they make over 2 billion dollars. El-Rufai would make sure that Federal laws are respected and adhered to and would make real scapegoats to deter other goats from grazing on the wrong side of the law.
Nigeria desperately needs Elrufaism. If Nigerians can target their own national infrastructure and bring it down to a halt, who better to handle us?
Tahir is Talban Bauchi and can be contacted via talbanbauchi@yahoo.com.
Tension in Zamfara NYSC camp as bandits abduct prospective corps members
By Muhammad Sabiu
Reports coming from Zamfara State in north-western Nigeria have indicated that some prospective corps members have on Tuesday been kidnapped on their way to the NYSC orientation camp in the Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
The incident has gripped tension among corps members at the orientation camp in the state despite the police appeal for calm, assuring that “a joint search and rescue operation is ongoing to ensure [the] safe rescue of Corp members along [with] other abducted victims.”
Police spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu confirmed the abduction in a statement made available to reporters.
Some reports have it that there are still other 6 corps members that are missing as of the time of filing this report.
Below is the statement from Zamfara Police spokesperson:
Report received by the Zamfara State Police Command from the State NYSC Coordinator indicated that, two (2) Prospective NYSC Corp Members deployed from Benue State to Kebbi and Sokoto States were among the victims of abduction along Tsafe – Gusau Road on Tuesday 19th October, 2021 at about 2230 hours.
The report was received early today when the Commissioner of Police, CP Ayuba N. Elkanah psc+ visited the Orientation Camp at Tsafe to assess the existing security emplacement at the orientation camp with a view to ensuring safety and security of the Corp Members.
It would be recalled that on 19th October, 2021, at about 2230 hours, a Vehicle with Reg. Number GBK 339 ZY was blocked by armed bandits while travelling from Benue to Sokoto State at near Wanzamai Village in Tsafe LGA. As a result, passengers whose identity (were) unknown, were abducted.
The Commissioner of Police while responding, informed the Coordinator that the Command has commenced investigation into the incident with a view to establishing the actual number of Corp Members involved in the abduction.
Similarly, a joint search and rescue operation is ongoing to ensure safe rescue of Corp members along other abducted victims.
The CP, in his address to the Prospective Corp Members, assures them of more Police commitment to safeguard their lives, and enjoins them to be security conscious of themselves.
Our varsities don’t deserve another strike – Buhari pleads to ASUU
By Uzair Adam Imam
President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embrace peace, stating that Nigerian universities have had enough strikes.
Buhari, who was representated by Professor Ingnatuis Onimawo, made the plea on Saturday, 23-10-2021 as he was delivering a speech at a convocation ceremony in the University of Ilorin.
The president also stated that the dialogue is always better than the conflict as no any gain ever driven from crisis.
However, he added that a lot of time had been wasted as a result of Corona virus pandemic, thereby saying the university system cannot afford to withstand any crisis now.
- The president was quoted saying: “Let me also use this opportunity to appeal to members of ASUU to embrace peace. They should realise that dialogue is always better than conflict. No one gains from crisis. While government alone cannot solve all challenges facing a society, this administration is willing to listen to complaints and alternative points of views to managing a situation.”
“The university system cannot withstand any crisis now considering the time it had lost to Coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of Corona virus, the president said: “I expect our universities to conduct researches targeted at discovering an antidote to it. Universities are expected to focus their research on challenges facing our societies and find practical solutions within the context of national development.”
“I therefore challenge the Universities to give their best in the fight against this common and unrelenting enemy of humanity. I enjoin our researchers to collaborate among themselves and look forward to bringing an effective solution to this medical challenge.”
“The nation expects University of Ilorin to play a leading role in the research efforts to develop Covid 19 in Nigeria.
“The nation expects nothing less from the Nigerian University system”, he added.
Nigerian gov’t confirms death of Albarnawi’s successor
By Muhammad Sabiu
The National Security Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, General Babagana Mungono, has confirmed Thursday that Malam Bako, the top Boko Haram commander, who recently took over the leadership of the deadly Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) from the late Abu Mus’ab Albarnawi, has been killed.
General Mungono, who spoke to journalists at the State House, stated that the military had launched an attack on the insurgents “two days ago”, which led to the elimination of the commander.
Mungono was quoted as saying, “Two days ago, the man who succeeded him, one Malam Bako, one of the prominent leaders of the Shura Council of the Islamic State of West African Province, was also taken out.
“They are also contending with leadership crisis. You know these things are also accompanied with inherent issues of trust, conflicts, mutual suspicion and other things.
He added that the efforts of the military are really making an impact in the fight against terrorists.
“So, the operations being conducted by the armed forces in the Northern parts of the country put a lot of pressure on the Islamic State of West African Province, Boko Haram and also the tangential group known as Islamic State in the Greatest Sahara,” he said.