Kano

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, in a demonstration of respect and commitment to bolstering positive relations, yesterday paid a visit to the Palace of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. 

During the meeting, CGC Adeniyi stated the importance of fortifying the bond between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Kano community, noting a deeper dedication to collaboration and mutual understanding. 

Expressing a resolve to facilitate trade in the region, CGC Adeniyi pledged to implement policies aimed at simplifying business processes and engaging with stakeholders effectively. 

Moreover, CGC Adeniyi revealed the NCS’s plans to address the pressing challenge of food scarcity in Kano by distributing food items to the state’s citizens, aligning with the upcoming season of Ramadan. 

In his address to the Emir and members of the Emirate Council, CGC Adeniyi stated, “We are here in Kano for two reasons: first, as we approach the season of Ramadan, it is good for us to come around and extend our felicitations to the Emir and join him in the prayers that Almighty God will make this month a blessed and glorious one for us and our country.”

Highlighting the agency’s responsibility in tackling national challenges, CGC Adeniyi stated the NCS’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts in achieving food sufficiency. 

He further reiterated the NCS’s readiness to collaborate with the Emirates Council, acknowledging the significance of traditional institutions in preserving cultural heritage. 

In response, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero warmly welcomed CGC Adeniyi and commended the NCS’s initiative to alleviate the suffering of Kano citizens amidst prevailing hardships. 

Expressing gratitude for the gesture, Emir Bayero underscored the importance of effective partnerships between governmental agencies and traditional authorities in fostering shared prosperity. 

The Emir assured CGC Adeniyi of his palace’s unwavering support and cooperation, reaffirming a commitment to initiatives that would yield positive outcomes for Kano and Nigeria as a whole.

By Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel

Resignations are normal in the corporate world. Corporate culture makes employees understand that they work for their bosses, not really the organization per se. Your deliverables are the deliverables of your boss. If you achieve them, he will achieve his. If you fail, he fails. This is why bosses hold employees with high sense of accountability.

As such, employees leave bosses. They don’t really leave organizations. Whenever it goes sour between you and your boss beyond reconciliation, then you look for another job! Take a bow and go. It’s very normal there. That’s what they do. In fact I have met a high performing CEO of one of Nigeria’s beverages companies who told me that he spends a maximum of 5 years in any organization that hires him. And he leaves whenever the ovation is high. Within 15 years of starting his career, he is already an MD/CEO!

It’s only in civil service and public service that people think resignation is a big deal. In corporate world, it’s part of the culture. It is okay for both employee growth and corporate efficiency and effectiveness. An organization does not deserve an employee who is not happy with his job, or who believes his boss is frustrating his job. It impacts corporate performance. You cannot get anything significantly great from an employee who is not motivated to deliver.

Shaikh Daurawa’s resignation from Kano Hisbah is both good for him as an individual, and perhaps Hisbah as an organization. Had he stayed, he will feel tied down by the public condemnation he received yesterday from his boss, Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf. He will not be able to give Kano Hisbah his very best again. He would be an apathetic leader, who no longer cares about how TikTok’s Murja is corrupting the moral upbringing of Kano adolescents. He will now be very doubtful of every single operation he is going to make. What will be the reaction of my boss, Gov Abba? Will he be happy or not? Will he publicly lash me? These questions will always ring a bell in his heart.

Now that he has resigned, he has saved his image and mental peace. It also opens doors for him to greater job opportunities because his next boss will know that the man cannot compromise on his work ethics. It will be part of his discussion with his next boss. And if there’s a governor who truly has interest in moral policing, he would be happy to employ Shaikh Daurawa.

For Kano Hisbah, perhaps Gov Abba will have time to reflect on what he truly wants the organization to be doing under his tenure. Chase alcohol only? Or cut the hair of youth who styled them badly? This resignation gives the governor an opportunity to re-define how the enforcement agency will function in his tenure.

If you ask me, Shaikh Daurawa did very well by resigning. I could have done the same. I wish him the very best in his next job. I also wish Kano Hisbah the very best in getting their next Director-General.

Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel writes from Zaria, Kaduna State.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Commander General of Kano Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has tendered his resignation following criticisms from Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over the board’s methods of operation. 

Sheikh Daurawa announced his resignation in a brief video clip posted on his official Facebook page on Friday.

His departure comes less than 24 hours after Governor Yusuf expressed disapproval of the tactics employed by Hisbah in combating acts of immorality within the state. 

Governor Yusuf, while addressing Ulama at the Government House on Thursday, voiced his objections to the approach of Hisbah, particularly condemning their practice of conducting raids on public spaces to apprehend individuals engaged in immoral activities, which he deemed uncivilised. 

The governor also expressed dissatisfaction with the methods used by Hisbah in apprehending suspects, urging the board to reevaluate its current operations to address societal wrongs. 

In response to Governor Yusuf’s remarks, Sheikh Daurawa defended the actions of Hisbah under his leadership, stating that the board had taken measures to combat immorality, particularly targeting social media influencers.

He asserted that Hisbah’s actions were in accordance with Islamic principles. 

However, acknowledging the governor’s stance, Sheikh Daurawa announced his resignation from his position and extended well wishes to Governor Yusuf and his administration. 

The resignation of Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa marks a significant development in the ongoing discourse surrounding the methods and effectiveness of Hisbah’s operations in Kano State.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The controversy surrounding the arrest and trial of Kano-based social media influencer, Murja Kunya, has escalated with her mother, Hadizatul Kubra, vehemently rejecting what she perceives as the inhumane treatment of her daughter at the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital in Kano. 

Murja Kunya, currently held in custody by the Kano State Hisbah Board, faced a Shari’a Court order to undergo medical evaluation at the government-owned psychiatric hospital ahead of her impending trial.

Charges including indecency, public nuisance, and promoting prostitution were leveled against her by the Hisba Board. 

Expressing concern over her daughter’s treatment, Murja’s lawyer, A.U. Haji, criticised the hospital for allegedly attempting to administer unidentified substances without informing her about her health status, branding it a violation of her human rights.

According to Leadership newspaper, Murja’s combative behaviour towards healthcare personnel has further complicated her situation. 

In a widely circulated audio interview, Hadizatul Kubra voiced dissatisfaction with her daughter’s alleged maltreatment, asserting Murja’s sound mental health but dramatic disposition.

She recounted being urgently summoned to the hospital, where Murja was reportedly distressed, and denounced what she perceived as mistreatment. 

In the audio, Kubra appealed to the state government for leniency while opposing psychiatric evaluation or treatment for her daughter, adamantly refusing any injections, stating, “I know they are doing this to kill my daughter, and I will never allow her to be injected with anything, no matter what.” 

She highlighted Murja’s familial support, particularly towards her and her ailing father. 

The court hearing is slated to resume on May 20, 2024, following the completion of the psychiatric evaluation as ordered by the trial judge, amid continued contention surrounding Murja Kunya’s case.

By Mahmud Aminu Dambazau

The renewed interest in the state of infrastructure at Day Science College, Kano, by its alumni is highly commendable. When I was admitted thirteen years back, the school was one of the best in Kano State. No student sat on the ground; teaching materials were adequate; the library was full of books; the Physics, Chemistry, Biology and  Agric laboratories were well-equipped and functional. There was a Technical drawing studio, a weather station and even a computer lab provided by MTN. 

A large generator and school bus provided by the Malam Ibrahim Shekarau administration were well-maintained and functional. The toilets were clean and accessible. We even had a mini farm utilised by the agricultural students; water was never scarce. The school mosque had enough mats. That was then!

The academics, discipline and respect were topnotch. We wouldn’t have been one of the best if we had not been so lucky to have some of the best teachers across all disciplines. The current intervention proposed by the school’s old students might solve or at least reduce the present infrastructural gap. Below are  suggestions I think would help in sustaining or maintaining such and future interventions. 

A report by the 2012 chapter of The Old Students in 2021 revealed that there wasn’t even one classroom fully equipped with infrastructure and several classes without a single seat! The situation is worse at the moment. This is despite the interventions by corporate bodies, NGOs, CBOs, alumni, individuals and probably even the government. Maintaining infrastructure and equipment is impossible without funding. This decay might have been contributed by the pronouncement of free education by the government without providing alternative funding for these maintenances and other costs. 

I, therefore, propose a meeting with parents, teachers and representatives of chapters of the old students. Parents should be made to understand the importance of quality education and the present state of the schools in the absence of a stable funding option. The parents should, therefore, pay the sum of just five hundred naira (500) per student each term, which will, of course, not be school fees but meant for the provision and maintenance of physical and learning infrastructure. The individual chapters from the alumni should similarly pledge and contribute an annual fee of ten thousand naira (10,000) to be utilised for the same purpose.  

A friend of mine, Engr. Mustapha Tukur founded an initiative initially meant to consist of one hundred individuals in the Gadon kaya area of Kano who contribute the sum of one thousand naira monthly. I still can’t believe the number of interventions we have made through the voluntary contributions, which now involve other friends of his, even outside Gadon Kaya. With thousands of us as old students of Day Science College, if we could get just one thousand volunteers who could contribute one thousand naira per term (3-4 months),  we would be getting a million naira each term, which will go a long way in solving these issues raised in both short and long term.  

These funds can be managed by a committee with representatives from the parents, teachers,  school management, the school’s alumni and a representative of the KASSOSA national body.  The committee could be named Day Science Development Fund with clear guidelines, objectives, terms, timelines and deliverables.  

The above recommendations should not stop future government,  individual, chapter, or corporation interventions.  

While interventions have almost always been focused on physical infrastructure, there is a need to pay similar attention to the quality of education rendered. I was present at a debate organised by the pioneer administration of the KASSOSA BUK chapter among science school students. Day Science emerged second to the last, even though it was among sister science schools. The school, KASSOSA, or any respective chapter did not care to collect, analyse and report students’ performances at SSCE or similar examinations. While it is possible to excel academically without infrastructure,  it is impossible without quality education, even with the best infrastructure.  

On this note, I suggest an assessment be conducted to determine the number of teachers currently available for each course. Where the teachers are inadequate, Kassosites, with emphasis on those from Day science, should be engaged on contract to supplement the shortage. 

We have numerous alumni who have graduated yet are unemployed. If monies could be realised, an allowance which can cover their transportation and possibly feeding should be given to them. With that, we would have helped the school, its students, and the members of the old students who would ordinarily have been idle. With these interventions, I believe the past glories of Day Science College, now Mukhtar Adnan Day Science College, will be renewed.  

Mahmud Aminu Dambazau is a graduate of KASSOSA DSCK Class 2013. He sent this article via madambazau@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The program, which was designed to foster economic empowerment and gender equality, was launched on Wednesday in Jigawa State by Blue Sapphire Hub in collaboration with the US Embassy in Abuja as part of its transformative Women on Wednesday (WOW) initiative.

The initiative had made significant strides in Kano and Sokoto states.

It aims to equip women entrepreneurs with essential entrepreneurial and digital skills and also alleviate poverty.

The inaugural cohort in Jigawa State comprised 30 women-led small businesses with limited entrepreneurial and digital skills.

Through a series of workshops, mentoring sessions, and networking opportunities, participants were immersed in a supportive environment designed to enhance their business acumen and market reach.

However, key institutions such as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Jaiz Bank collaborated closely with Blue Sapphire Hub to ensure the success of the program.

The participants report increased sales, improved financial management practices, and expanded market opportunities.

The graduation ceremony for the first cohort of WOW 2024 was held on January 25, 2024, with notable dignitaries in attendance, including the Honorable Commissioner of Women’s Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab, and the Principal Private Secretary to the Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Adamu Muhammad Garun Gabas.

A highlight of the ceremony was the generous pledge of N1.5 million made by Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab on behalf of her ministry and the Jigawa State Government to support the businesses of the WOW participants.

The Jigawa State Government has demonstrated unwavering support for the initiative, actively engaging in its implementation and expansion.

The WOW program is not merely a one-time initiative but rather a year-long commitment comprising four cohorts.

This sustained approach promises continued empowerment and growth for women entrepreneurs throughout Jigawa State.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Ramlat Princess, a TikTok skit maker, has been remanded in a correctional centre by a Sharia Court in Kano State following her arrest by the Kano State Hisbah Board. 

Reports show that Ms. Ramlat was apprehended after a video clip surfaced online, where she purportedly proclaimed herself as a lesbian. 

Operatives of the Hisbah command arrested Ms. Ramlat on Thursday, prompted by the viral clip that sparked outrage among social media users, leading to calls for her arrest. 

Upon her arraignment at the Sharia Court, Ms. Ramlat, who reportedly pleaded guilty to charges of sharing explicit material on social media and inciting public outrage, was remanded in prison custody by Judge Sani Tanimu Hausawa.

The judge scheduled a summary judgement for Monday, February 19, 2024. 

Ms. Ramlat, originally from Ghana and residing in Taraba State, claimed she was visiting her elder sister in Kano when she was arrested about a month ago. 

In the controversial video, Ms. Ramlat declared her lesbian identity, stating that any man wishing to marry her must consent to her marrying a woman as well. 

“I am a full-fledged lesbian. Lesbianism is a beautiful act that I can’t do without,” she proclaimed in the video. 

During questioning by Hisbah officials, Ms. Ramlat confirmed her involvement in the video and reiterated her stance on marriage requirements. 

The arrest of Ms. Ramlat follows a similar incident involving another TikToker, Murja Kunya, who was also arrested by the Hisbah Board and remanded in prison. 

It’s important to note that same-sex relationships, including homosexuality and lesbianism, are illegal in Nigeria, with offenders facing a minimum of 14 years in jail if convicted. 

Ms. Ramlat’s case highlights the ongoing enforcement of laws against same-sex relationships in Nigeria and the swift actions taken by authorities in response to perceived violations.

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

The recent Facebook ribbing about the number of professors from states and localities in various northern cities with universities reminds me of the male adolescent macho posturing of “mine is bigger/thicker than yours” game played behind classrooms! I am even mentioned as a trophy — “yes but WE are the ones with a double professor!” referring to my being from Bayero University, Kano (BUK), in Kano State (Daneji in Kano Municipal).

The whole thing was ignited by an infographic with its origin in ₦airaland Forum where one Zafsy75 posted the graphic. Right away a fierce debate ensured on the forum with many commentors disputing the figure. Zafsy75 themselves did not provide additional scientific methodology on how they arrived at the figures. Nevertheless, they infographic became viral — and started the prideful ‘mine is bigger than yours’ ribbing.

The infographic was from Statisense which uses Generative Artificial Intelligence to generate its data! A search on its site revealed another graphic of “most professors” in Nigerian universities, in September 2023, with the University of Jos leading with 530 professors. BUK had 434 professors which included 10 women. I can personally count more than 20 women professors in BUK in 2021, not 2023! No methodology was provided as to how the figures for the universities were arrived at.

People should be aware that AI generated data is based on what the engine can find — it does not create the data. Thus, it is actually not possible to accurately determine the number of professors per state or local government even based on the much-quoted NUC Directory of Full Professors, 2021 (link to the publication attached below).

This is because the directory lists professors by DISCIPLINE in order to promote research collaboration and networking amongst Nigerian academics. Also, the Directory was not based on official submissions by various universities, but voluntarily by INDIVIDUALS which was synthesized and summarized by NUC. Additional source for the AI was personal websites where a professor proclaims to come from a particular university.

Thus, not EVERY professor agreed to submit their details to be captured. With this, it therefore becomes very difficult to accurately determine the number of professors from each state, as that was not the focus of the Director (or NUC’s intentions).

You can only get the official number of professors from individual universities. As of October 2023, BUK had 381 professors with the largest category being in Medical Sciences. All the professors were, however, not listed by their States or Local Governments, but their DEPARTMENTS or specializations.

So, I can’t see how the game of ‘mine is bigger than yours’ started. I believe; however, it was started by the infographic floating around showing the number of professors per UNIVERSITIES in the various states. The graphic was not providing the number of professors per state of origin, but per the universities IN the state. It made it clear by stating it is “by state where the school is located.”

Thus, if you are from Anambra and are a professor in BUK, this infographic will capture you as being from a university in Kano, but you will not be captured in any university in Anambra. In this way, it does not tell you the number of professors from indigenous to Anambra.

Right away, it is faulty (or fake). As of October 2023, BUK had 381 professors. Last week another 11 were announced bring the total to 392 as of February 2024. So how can Kano have 428 professors in 2022? Granted there are many universities in Kano, but the main prominent ones — Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Yusuf Maitama Sule University — are basically tributaries of BUK. Indeed, most of the others rely on BUK professors as ‘visiting’ to their faculties.

Kaduna State where Ahmadu Bello University is located has at least eight universities — and you want me to believe the entire universities in the State have 62 professors? I am sure Kaduna State University (KASU) alone had either more than or close to that.

While the ribbing was fun while it lasted, at least it wakes us up to the idea of fake data and weaknesses of Generative Artificial intelligence.

As promised, below is the link to the authentic number of professors voluntarily submitted to NUC as of 2021. BTW, yours truly is listed TWICE on page 836. They still pay me single salary, though!

Directory of Full Professors in the Nigerian University System, 2021: https://shorturl.at/yKV34

By Uzair Adam Imam 

During a courtesy visit by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the Emir appealed to her to convey the pressing concerns of the populace regarding hunger and starvation in the country to the President. 

The Emir affirmed that while various channels exist for communication with the government, the First Lady’s direct access offers a vital avenue to highlight the severity of the situation. 

He stressed the urgent need for attention to address the escalating hunger crisis and also raised concerns about the prevailing insecurity, urging for more decisive action to tackle the threats. 

Additionally, Emir Bayero called for clarity on issues such as the rumoured relocation of government agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos. 

He also stated the importance of transparent communication with the Nigerian people to ensure understanding and trust in government actions.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Kano State Fire Service successfully intervened on Thursday to save a 37-year-old man, Saifullah Rabiu, who was on the verge of hanging himself from a tree. 

The rescue came following a distressing suicide note left by Rabiu, attributing his extreme action to a staggering debt of N2 million incurred during the process of obtaining a foreign visa. 

The Kano State Fire Service spokesperson, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incident in a statement to the media. 

The emergency unfolded when the fire service’s Central Control Room received a call around 10:07 a.m. from the Ministry of Works and Housing in Kano State.

The location reported was State Road, near Nasarawa Emir’s house. 

Swiftly responding to the call, the fire department mobilised its standby personnel, reaching the scene by 10:10 a.m. 

There, they discovered Saifullah Rabiu in a critical condition, poised to carry out his tragic decision. 

In his suicide note, Rabiu detailed the overwhelming debt he owed, revealing that he had already repaid a significant portion of the borrowed amount, approximately N500,000. 

The note narrated the distressing impact of the creditor’s actions, which had driven him to contemplate suicide. 

Following the successful rescue, Saifullah Rabiu was handed over to Divisional Crime Officer Zaharaddini of the Farm Centre Police Division for further investigation. 

The incident sheds light on the profound consequences of financial struggles and the urgent need for mental health support in addressing such crises.