Nigeria

By Uzair Adam Imam Vice President Kashim Shettima has appealed to Nigerian doctors to resist the temptation of leaving the country for greener pastures, urging them to stay back and help salvage the nation’s healthcare system.

He made this appeal during a courtesy visit by the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Shettima commended the sacrifices of Nigerian doctors and their contributions to the country’s healthcare system, assuring them that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to supporting their efforts.

He emphasized that the government values their services and needs their expertise to improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The Vice President encouraged the doctors to remain steadfast and resist the “Japa syndrome,” a term used to describe the brain drain of Nigerian professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.

He expressed optimism that with collective efforts, Nigeria can become a great nation, and its healthcare system can be transformed.

This appeal comes at a time when the country is facing a challenging healthcare landscape, with many doctors seeking better opportunities abroad due to the perceived lack of investment in the healthcare system.

By Ishaka Mohammed

I discussed in my last article why I don’t generally consider private school teachers victims of proprietors’ inhumanity. Many factors could be responsible for the seeming wickedness of some school owners. However, these teachers are mostly underpaid.

I understand that some private school teachers earn good salaries, but such usually come at the expense of their dignity and peace of mind. This is due to the presence of unruly students who are highly protected against reasonable corrective measures. A teacher must either tolerate their misbehaviour or be ready to quit.

In addition, schools that pay competitive salaries and have standard facilities often overlook other factors that might hinder learning aside from the teachers’ incompetence. Teachers’ efforts are hardly appreciated, as parents and proprietors judge everything based on the students’ scores in internal and external exams. As a result, teachers are usually under pressure to deliver near-perfect performance, hence sacrificing extra time and energy. 

Teachers in the above category are very few compared to those with meagre salaries. Based on my personal experience and interactions with colleagues and other stakeholders, a privileged private school teacher in Nigeria is one whose annual salary is enough to cover feeding, accommodation, clothing, toiletries, and transport expenses without attracting debts. I am talking about a person with perfect health conditions and no dependents.

I have seen instances where a teacher has to rely heavily on contributions (susu or adashi) for several months to be able to buy a new Android phone. 

Some people have questioned why anyone would choose to depend on such a job instead of finding additional sources of income.

Well, I don’t think anyone would decide to subject themselves to the life of penury that the job promises. 

Most private school teachers wish to have “side hustles,” but certain factors, such as time, location, information, capital, etc., block them.

We might think they should be able to access relevant information since they’re adults and educators, but life isn’t always like that. So, I believe that every individual, including you, the reader, can assist one or two teachers by occasionally sharing valuable information concerning alternative sources of income.

And if you own a school or are positioned to influence teachers’ well-being, I urge you to do your best to improve their economic status.

First, I appeal that you frequently review salaries based on economic realities and teachers’ efforts. Although salary increases largely depend on the organisation’s revenues, you must remember that a teacher’s failure to meet basic needs would adversely affect your organisation and education in general. 

Second, as much as possible, reveal dates on which your employees should expect salaries. This would allow them to plan how to use their money correctly. 

Lastly, strive to grant them access to interest-free business loans with flexible repayment terms. You can also organise workshops (for them) on managing multiple income streams.

I believe the implementation of the above suggestions would lead to win-win situations.

By Abdul Sale

The perception of an average young man in Nigerian life is to have a good-paying job, own a house and settle down with his wife. After that, nothing more or less, while in foreign lands, the reverse is the case as struggles to have different means of income usually start after marriage. However, on the other hand, gathered a handful of Nigerians who have zeal and set their minds on travelling abroad looking for greener pastures, which, to them, is the only way to make it to the promised land.

In 2019 alone, during the Buhari administration, over twelve thousand Nigerians, especially professionals like doctors, nurses, medical lab scientists, engineers, and care workers, travelled to Canada as a result of low remuneration and bad conditions of the working environment. They alleged that the Federal Government refuses to address this. At the time, Nigeria fell into recession, which devastated the economy; then, the Japa trend (jakpa Yoruba word meaning “to flee or run”) became an anthem in Nigeria, especially in the southern part.

Thousands of Nigerians have fled to oversee countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and other European countries to better their lives and families. In the northern part of Nigeria, the trend was not popular then, even though there were hundreds of northerners who had travelled abroad.

Moreover, I have noticed a wave of japa in the northern part of Nigeria lately, especially in the core north; the emergence of travel agencies and travel agents helped. Hundreds of Arewa youths have fled to countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Jordan, and Kuwait, spending around 2 to 3 million Naira.

In some cases, Nigerians embark on the journey through land borders en route to Niger, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, which mostly ends in tragedy. For instance, Aljazeera reported that at least 61 refugees and asylum seekers, including women and children, have drowned following a “tragic” shipwreck off Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says.

On June 14, 2023, the Adriana, a fishing boat loaded with 750 people en route from Libya to Italy, went down in international waters off southwest Greece. There was a series of similar tragic stories as Flavio Di Giacomo, an IOM spokesperson, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that more than 2,250 people died in 2023 on the central Mediterranean migrant route.

More than 153,000 refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Italy in 2023 from Tunisia and Libya, according to the United Nations refugee agency. One would wonder what triggers this massive wave of migration, especially among youths who are perceived to be the backbone and the future leaders of society.

The country’s economic situation is one of the driving forces that pushed some Nigerians to make that decision. Our leaders should, as a matter of urgency, create policies and bring ways to improve the country’s economic situation, thereby creating an enabling environment for the people to flourish their businesses.

Federal and state governments should invite foreign investors to come and invest in Nigeria to employ the thousands of unemployed graduates in the country. Moreso, the military and other security agencies should always respect the fundamental human rights of the citizens, as Nigeria is labelled as a country with high cases of human rights violations.

As we are reaching the second quarter of 2024, many Nigerians, especially youths, are ecstatic and happy about 2024 democracy day, full of hope and dreams that they wish to accomplish this year. Therefore, the government in power should redouble its efforts in helping these ambitious youths to realise their dreams.

Abdul Sale wrote via abutalatu72@gmail.com.

By Dr Raji Bello

Our high-maintenance and strangely imaginative federal legislators have embarked on another fancy idea for solving our country’s problems – a single six-year term for federal and state chief executives. I have since realised that Nigerians would suggest anything as a way out of our problems other than the most pertinent one: defeating impunity. At the current rate that our National Assembly is moving, we will wake up one day to hear a motion to return the country to using miles instead of kilometres as a way to improve efficiency. 

Although I advocate for replacing our current system with a more centralised one, I have never doubted that the country’s most important problem is that its citizens can conduct themselves without any fear of consequences.

The fear of consequences has always moderated human behaviour and has brought peace, order, stability and prosperity to human societies. Even the most sophisticated countries in the world today have never thought of lifting the threat of consequences for law-breaking on their citizens. But Nigeria has decided that applying consequences for breaking the law is unkind and should be done away with. 

We are always unwilling to punish wrongdoing while also being unable to do so. As a result, we keep moving from chaos to dysfunction and back to chaos again. And each time we sit and ponder over potential solutions, we always look away from impunity – we feel that some cosmetic changes could rescue us while we allow our personally profitable culture of impunity to remain.

When our electoral system is not working, we think of changing electoral laws but without punishing those who broke the existing laws. Hardly anyone is in jail at the moment in Nigeria for sponsoring or perpetrating electoral violence, and the infamous former Adamawa INEC commissioner has still not been punished one year after he wilfully infused chaos into the state’s governorship election. 

We are incapable of punishing corruption by our VIPs; our most celebrated cases—Abacha loot, Alamieyeseigha, and Ibori—only happened because foreign countries assisted us. The Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandals were never punished in Nigeria, although both companies were prosecuted in their home countries for the crimes that they committed in Nigeria. 

It took the determination of the UAE and the US, not Nigeria, to finally put scammer Hushpuppi away. We have managed to convict kidnapper Evans after several years of trial, but there are now fresh attempts to arrange a plea bargain for him. As big as the problem of oil theft is in our country, only foreigners and other minor individuals have ever been convicted of the offence. 

A notorious bandit, who could not be arrested in Nigeria, was intercepted recently when he crossed the border into the Republic of Niger. If not for the help from the same Niger, we would also not have Abdulrashid Maina in prison by now. Nnamdi Kanu jumped bail and left Nigeria while our security looked the other way and it took the cooperation of Kenya to get him back. 

In the Boko Haram theatre, terrorist kingpins only die from infighting among their factions, not by getting killed by the authorities. Any terrorists that we actually capture are given a pardon and ‘rehabilitated’ in camps in our towns, where they end up living side-by-side with their terrified former victims. Over a dozen soldiers were killed on active duty in Delta State without any accountability by the culprits in that act, but we were surprised when five were killed yet again in Abia State. 

The few VIPs that we have managed to jail for corruption after long trials were given official pardons by the former president of Nigeria, whose pardon list also included ‘common criminals’ jailed for offences like the 419 scam. Donald Trump and Hunter Biden have just been convicted of, guess what, lying, but Nigeria could not as much as arrest and arraign Yahaya Bello for looting public funds and the famous case of our former Accountant-General Ahmed Idris has not taken off yet. 

Senator Omo-Agege was fingered by the police for the theft of the Senate’s mace but he got promoted to deputy senate president soon after. Ahmed Lawan has regained his senate seat without really participating in a valid electoral contest. He did not contest in the original primary but got his party to stage another one for him after he had decided that he wanted to be a senator again, not president. With his ‘victory’ in the arranged primary, he got the Supreme Court to support him via a 3-2 split decision. The same individual spoke to the BBC Hausa a few days ago as an elder statesman, where he proffered solutions to the problems of Nigerian democracy. There is no way that a country with such brazen industrial-scale duplicity would make any headway.

Open incitement is largely consequence-free in the country, and the perpetrators know that. Our Islamic clerics who went to foreign countries to study must have seen how public preaching is highly regulated in these countries. All Friday sermons are written by the state, and Imams get fired for merely letting substitute Imams deliver their government-authored sermons. But the same clerics return to Nigeria to assert their freedom to speak publicly in any way that they choose. For Nigerians, democracy is the same thing as lawlessness.

Well, there are no new laws or new political systems that could work side-by-side with impunity. We must defeat impunity first before anything else would work. Impunity begets even more impunity, unleashing a catastrophic loop. As long as the average Nigerian does not fear possible consequences for their actions, we will never be a normal country.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu marked Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of democratic governance, paying tribute to the country’s journey from military rule to democracy. 

The President honoured the sacrifices of pro-democracy heroes, including Chief MKO Abiola, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Pa Alfred Rewane, who fought for the nation’s freedom. 

Tinubu acknowledged the challenges faced during the transition but praised the resilience of Nigerians and the crucial role of pro-democracy activists, journalists, and media establishments. 

Displaying democracy as a way of life, the President vowed to safeguard citizens’ rights and freedoms, promising continued economic reforms and a commitment to listening to the people. 

As Nigeria celebrates this day, Tinubu urges citizens to cherish and protect their hard-won democracy, working together towards a brighter future.

By Jamilu Magaji Mohammed

The Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, has commended the Management of the Federal University Birnin-Kebbi (FUBK) for maintaining high academic standards despite many operational challenges. The Deputy Governor made the commendation when the Management of FUBK, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, paid him a courtesy visit in his Office on Wednesday.

Senator Umar Tafida expressed the State Government’s concern over the problems of transportation, hostel facilities and land disputes affecting the University. He assured that these would be forwarded to the Governor for intervention and solution. He stressed the need for the institution to maintain an open communication channel with the State Government and continue to have cordial relationships with the host community as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Zayyanu Umar, told the Deputy Governor that the Federal University, which was set up in 2013, is planning its first Convocation of 5 sets of graduands before the end of this year. 

He said the institution, which has over 8,000 students, 70 per cent of them from Kebbi State, is facing challenges such as an acute shortage of transportation system, hostel facilities, power supply and non-payment of a parcel of land with its host community. He, therefore, appealed to the State Government to support the University towards hosting its very first combined Convocation coming up before the end of the year.

Prof. Umar said inadequate transport is seriously affecting the University, which is located 15 kilometres from Birnin Kebbi township, adding that only four buses jointly donated by Tetfund, Zamfara State Government and former Chief of Army Staff are presently serving the students of the institution.  

The Vice-Chancellor implored the State Government to come to the aid of the University with additional buses,especially now that the rainy season is fast approaching. He also urged the State Government to help in alleviating the 

acute shortage of hostel facilities, as well as interventions on settlement of land disputes with the host community to enable the University to put some development projects in the area. 

Highlights of the visit include the presentation of published materials of the University to the Deputy Governor by the Vice Chancellor and group photography.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has charged officers who graduated from Senior Course 10 at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, to prioritize staff welfare and continuous learning. 

Speaking at the graduation ceremony on June 7, 2024, CGC Adeniyi said, “I congratulate you for your commitment, which has led us to today’s occasion. I implore you to put to work all you have learned during your training at the college.” 

He also assured the college management and members of his unflinching efforts to enhance the welfare of officers and members, directing staff, which will improve efficiency in the Service. 

The Commandant of the College, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Kingsley Egwuh, conferred the graduating students with the title of Pass Senior Course (PSC) and implored them to practice what they have learned. 

Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the College, Comptroller Oluyomi Adebakin, highlighted that the students had been duly trained in various fields in accordance with the curriculum of the Senior Course to enhance officers’ skills and abilities with a high level of moral standards. 

The management of the college had earlier hosted a regimental dinner night to honour the graduates of Senior Course 10, where the CGC was represented by DCG Beatrice Nwafor, who tasked the graduates to consider the opportunity of attending a month’s course at the college as a means to improve their performance as Customs officers. 

The graduation ceremony marked the end of a rigorous six-month training program for the officers, who are now expected to add value to the Service and contribute to maximizing security at the borders, suppressing smuggling, and generating revenue.

By Haruna Yusuf Abba

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is grappling with severe economic challenges, including a debilitating recession, widespread poverty, and stagnant growth. Meanwhile, the Asian Tigers – Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan – have transformed their economies into high-tech, high-income powerhouses. This article explores the secrets behind the Asian Tigers’ success and how Nigeria can draw inspiration from their model to revitalise its economy.

I. Introduction

Nigeria’s economic woes are well-documented. With a shrinking GDP, rising inflation, and a volatile political climate, the country urgently needs a new economic direction. The Asian Tigers, on the other hand, have achieved remarkable economic growth and development, becoming global leaders in innovation, trade, and investment. By examining their strategies and policies, Nigeria can identify valuable lessons to overcome its current economic hardships.

II. The Asian Tigers’ Success Factors

A. Export-Led Growth

The Asian Tigers focused on export-oriented industrialisation, leveraging their competitive advantage in manufacturing and trade. Nigeria can similarly develop its export sector, particularly in areas like agriculture, textiles, and mineral processing.

B. Human Capital Development

Investing in education and training, the Asian Tigers built a skilled workforce, driving innovation and productivity. Nigeria must prioritise education, vocational training, and capacity building to enhance its human capital.

C. Infrastructure Development

The Asian Tigers invested heavily in modern infrastructure – transportation networks, energy systems, and telecommunications – creating a conducive business environment. Nigeria must upgrade its infrastructure to facilitate economic growth.

D. Economic Diversification

The Asian Tigers diversified their economies, reducing dependence on a single sector. Nigeria, too, must diversify its economy, exploring opportunities in services, manufacturing, and renewable energy.

E. Strong Institutions and Governance

Effective governance, rule of law, and institutional frameworks underpinned the Asian Tigers’ success. Nigeria must strengthen its institutions, combat corruption, and ensure transparency and accountability.

III. Nigeria’s Way Forward

A. Diversify the Economy

Nigeria must reduce its reliance on oil exports and develop other sectors, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and services.

B. Invest in Human Capital

Nigeria needs to prioritize education, vocational training, and capacity building to enhance its workforce’s skills and productivity.

C. Infrastructure Upgrade

Nigeria must invest in modern infrastructure, including transportation networks, energy systems, and telecommunications, to facilitate economic growth.

D. Export-Led Growth

Nigeria should focus on export-oriented industrialisation, leveraging its competitive advantage in areas like agriculture and mineral processing.

E. Strengthen Institutions and Governance

Nigeria must strengthen its institutions, combat corruption, and ensure transparency and accountability to create a conducive business environment.

IV. Conclusion

Nigeria’s economic revival requires a comprehensive approach, drawing inspiration from the Asian Tigers’ success factors. By diversifying its economy, investing in human capital, upgrading infrastructure, promoting export-led growth, and strengthening institutions and governance, Nigeria can overcome its current economic hardships and embark on a path of sustainable growth and development. The time for action is now.

Haruna Yusuf Abba wrote via ealistharoonyusufabba@gmail.com.

By lbrahiym A. El-Caleel

As I mentioned elsewhere, Nigeria’s educational system is not actually that bad. We need to understand that Nigeria has many good systems in place; the only problem is that these systems are either abused or not functioning efficiently. For instance, in our banking sector today, credit and debit alerts are nearly instantaneous. If I send you money now, you will be credited immediately and receive an SMS alert. This is made possible by the investments Nigerian banks have made in technological infrastructure, such as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

Many people, including myself, were shocked by the revelation that in Germany, there is a one-day lag in effecting transfers. This means that if I send you money today, you will only receive it in your account tomorrow. This was the system we had in Nigeria about 15 to 20 years ago. Germany is still stuck there despite being a G8 nation. At least, this is what we read from Dr. Muhsin Ibrahim in 2021. Germany is lagging behind Nigeria in banking efficiency. Who could have foreseen that? I am making this point so that we understand that Nigeria is not lacking systems. Many things in this country have established systems.

Now, let’s discuss our university system. Nigeria understands the need to bridge the gap between industry expectations and what is being taught to graduates in classrooms. Nigeria recognizes that graduates need to develop skills beyond classroom teaching. These are the relevant skills that will assist them in their careers when they graduate. Therefore, as far back as 1973, Nigeria established the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), commonly called “Industrial Attachment/Training” or simply IT. This program is nationally facilitated by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) directorate, with headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.

The objective of SIWES was to address the problem of tertiary institution graduates’ lack of appropriate skills for employment in Nigerian industries. When was this problem first addressed? In 1973. A very long time ago—51 years ago! So, who said Nigeria’s educational system isn’t aware of the graduate skill gap? This is something it established 51 years ago and is still running.

Now, what is supposed to happen during SIWES?

At this stage, let me quote directly from the ITF’s Policy Document No. 1 of 1973, which established SIWES. SIWES is to:

1. Provide an avenue for students in Institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills and experience in their respective courses of study.
2. Prepare students for the Industrial Work situation they are likely to experience after graduation.
3. Expose students to work methods and techniques of handling equipment and machinery that may not be available in their Institutions.
4. Make the transition from school to the world of work easier; and enhance students’ networks for later job placements.
5. Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge to real work situations, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice; and
6. Enlist and strengthen Employers’ involvement in the entire educational process; thereby preparing the students for employment in Industry and Commerce.

These are the objectives of SIWES. Do they sound familiar with all the yearnings we hear about “skills, skills, skills”? Now, does a Nigerian degree expose a student to skills acquisition or not? Well, it does! SIWES is a full semester in the Nigerian degree curriculum.

Students in SIWES have a logbook where they are expected to record their activities in the organization every single day of the entire 6-month program. Nigeria pays lecturers to travel across the country to supervise these students, ensuring they are doing what the curriculum expects. Furthermore, these students write a “project” at the end of SIWES to explain what they’ve learned. The country pays them ₦15,000 (at our time) just for participating in this program.

Therefore, we only need to call the attention of students to make the best out of their SIWES. Students from the Faculty of Education should take their “Teaching Practice” seriously. They should go to a standard school where they can develop professional teaching skills, not just select a secondary school in their neighborhood because they don’t want anyone to “disturb” them. After learning about lesson note and lesson plan, Teaching Practice will give them an opportunity to do it practically as it is done in the teaching industry.

The law graduate should take his Nigerian Law School seriously. He should get a reputable law firm during his externship programme and appear in court to maximally learn what he needs to know. This takes him from simply memorizing acts, to practically using them in the law industry. The same goes for the medical graduate and his housemanship, as well as the pharmacy graduate and his internship. Come on, these things are part of our educational system. Graduates are simply not making the best use of these opportunities, and that’s why it’s easy for any pundit on Facebook to tell them degree certificates are no longer what should be sought after. Skills are the go-to area.

A degree is a comprehensive package of both academics and skills. In your pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, you will gain skills that will give you competitive advantage in your postgraduate life—whether you choose to go purely academic, or go to industry practice.

The degree will train you to think for yourself and determine what you should do with your life, rather than simply following the crowd. You will be able to critically evaluate yourself to understand what suits you better- going academic, or going the industry way, or even starting up a business.

Degree develops your mental agility to do all these things. This is why if you’re running a degree programme, I will tell you to take it seriously.

And very importantly, pray for Allah’s blessings in this. You will see wonders.

Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel writes from Zaria and can be reached via caleel2009@gmail.com.

By Saifullahi Attahir

After I read many books and essays about the life of the Late General Sani Abacha, including the famous Soldiers of Fortune by the brilliant historian Max Siollun, I was able to draw out some key lessons I wanted to share with my readers, hoping it would serve as a guide toward their leadership, professional, and other life aspirations.

A famous Hausa saying goes, ‘In ka ji wane ba banza ba’, meaning (every popular, great, or successful person has a hidden story behind it).

Sani Abacha was born in Kano in 1943 to a Kanuri businessman. He attended Kano Provincial College (later called Rumfa College) before proceeding to Nigeria Army training in Kaduna. He was commissioned into the Army and could participate in various trainings and engagements within and outside the country.

Abacha was destined to be among the few soldiers to become Nigeria’s Head of State during his career. Little was known about this young man before the 1983 coup that brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power. It was stated that only three times during a span of over three decades did Abacha ever appear to make any official public statements. He was a master of silence and maintaining a low profile.

For an ambitious and very calculated person like Abacha to achieve his dream within the cycle of influence in the elite Nigerian army, it must call for some behaviours and attitudes that he possessed either inherently or learned that he was fortunate to use, and quite predictably, these were the strongest weapons he used during his time.

 I am not advocating military rule or any form of ruthless use of force to lead people. In contrast, my article is about what characters can learn from great individuals regardless of where they hail from or their human mistakes. I hope this will be a guide to our youth who aspire to lead a responsible and impactful life.

Below are the lessons I wanted us to learn: 

1) Concealing intention

Abacha may have read Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power or mastered the art even before the book was written. Whether Abacha had already harboured the intention to rule Nigeria was another subject of debate, but his ability to remain unpredictable to the extent that even his boss, General Ibrahim Bahamas Babangida (IBB) stated that he never for once thought Abacha had any intention to become Head of State. This concealment of intention shielded him from the attraction of his colleagues with similar ambitions. Also, he was able to escape the trap of Boss/protégé conflict. 

Had Abacha publicly started showing any intention of replacing his boss, their relationship might have gone sour. This key lesson of never outshining your master and never publicly sharing your dreams and goals with anyone except the needful ones is a very important strategy for achieving your goals in life. Keep your enemies busy and maintain an air of unpredictability.

2) Patience

The importance of this assertive attitude can never be overemphasised. The art of patience, deliberation, and taking things without a rush is one of the best attributes for lasting success and achieving life goals.

When you are patient, life-changing opportunities will eventually come your way. Both Abacha and Bukar S. Dimka were contemporary ambitious young soldiers, but Dimka rushed his ambition by conniving with others and making his intention known. He eagerly executed an ill-prepared coup against Murtala. The tragedy ended up destroying both Dimka and his collaborators.

On the other hand, Abacha was more patient and allowed his ambition to buy time until 20 years later when he became an indomitable force to reckon with. He eventually became the Head of State. 

3) Know when to decide

 It’s not advisable to remain patient and inactive all your life. You are supposed to know when to act when to strike and when to attack. Whenever the long-awaited opportunity presents itself, you must seize it and act decisively quickly. At that point, you are not likely to procrastinate even for a while. When the country plunged into crisis, and the Interim National Government (ING) under Shonekan could not control the situation, Abacha saw this as both necessary and an opportunity to exercise his power. The rest is history.

These art and qualities require training and mastery by every person from any walks of life.

May Allah forgive his shortcomings and let his gentle soul rest in peace, ameen.

Saifullahi Attahir, a Medical Student of Federal University Dutse, wrote via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.