Nigeria

By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka

When I was an undergraduate student, one of my lecturers during a physics class told us that physics makes you think better than others. We were wondering how. He said we don’t have to pick up a physics job after graduation but that whatever we decide, the skills acquired while studying physics will lead us through. That I later found to be true when I look at my classmates and their different endeavours.

In another class, the lecturer told us we should learn not to compartmentalise our brains. Let all that we have in our heads work together. During my undergraduate days, we were constantly reminded that as we pass through the university, we must allow the university to pass through us.

I was passing by the Department of Mathematics this morning, and my eyes captured their sign oars. On the signboard was the motto: “Critical thought for a critical mind”. The department claimed to be a place to develop critical minds. I have seen critical minds from there that are bankers, entrepreneurs, etc.

We were discussing this morning, and a friend narrated to us how he got a job as a marketing officer, a position he never applied for. He applied for the position of Admin Officer, and to end the interview after responding to all the questions from the panel members, the DG asked him why he didn’t apply for the position of Marketing Officer. He answered that he did not study marketing and he felt that from his degree, he was only qualified to be Admin Officer. The DG then responded that with his communication skill and confidence, he would do well as a Marketing Officer and was hired as a Marketing Officer.

One of the top skills required from a graduate is communication skills, and your training in the university includes that. Graduates need to be able to effectively get the message across, including in verbal and written formats. It’s also about listening and understanding other views. Good command of languages for projecting a confident, professional image and for good communication with clients and colleagues. If you don’t have it, you should blame yourself, not your university.

Aside from your hard technical skills, the other skills expected from a graduate are Time management, flexibility or adaptability to respond to unexpected changes in circumstances or workload effectively. Ability to work in a team to take on the responsibility to ensure your team achieves its goals. Critical thinking and problem-solving skill to approach problems and resolve issues from different angles is also highly valued.

Interpersonal skills to build positive working relationships, good communication, persuasion, and negotiation. Being flexible in your thinking and being open-minded and curious, and creative thinking that will help in problem-solving and innovation. The ability to understand others towards finding solutions that allow both parties to achieve their goals or come out of a situation. Leadership, the ability to bring something extra to a team, is essential. You are required to have a basic knowledge of the field. And guess what? You should have learned all these skills in school.

These are embedded in some of the activities we ignored in school. Some of them look routing, but there are important lessons in them. Time management is ensuring you hand in your assignment or report at the due date and time. That lecturer who locks you out of the lecture room, because you are 10 minutes late to his class, has nothing to benefit from you missing the class. He is training you to respect the time and be punctual. They say time is money, and punctuality is the soul of business. Flexibility to handle unexpected workloads is managing your time to take extra lectures and extracurricular activities. The ability to work in a team ensures that your practical or presentation group achieves its goal within the specified time.

Giving a class assignment or exam questions that require a little thinking is building your critical thinking to deal with challenging situations. You have classmates with diverse beliefs and ideologies to develop interpersonal relationships with and get to understand them. You are made to have seminar presentations to develop your ability to present an idea to the public and defend it. You are meant to lead a practical or study group for a reason. You are learning to be a team leader. Campus associations and societies are not there just for fun. Some of the union leaders grow to become political leaders.

So, don’t let anyone discourages you from pursuing a degree program, except it’s your choice not to go for a degree. Pursue your degree and pay attention to the requisite skills for the degree.

If you didn’t get these skills as you are graduating, stop arguing over skills vs “just” degree and blaming your university and lecturers for failing to acquire the skills during your study. You just passed through the university and did not allow the university to pass through you. Go and develop it; it is not late. Maybe you are the one that the book is referring to.

However, let me remind you that if you have these skills in Nigeria, it will be easier to use them to get a job outside than in the country. To get a job here, you may need the extra skill of knowing someone that knows somebody that knows another person to get a job. I learn some jobs are on sale. If you have the cash to buy one, I wonder if you need these skills.

An ex-aide to the Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission was reported to have confessed before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating job racketeering at ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). He said he had sold federal employment slots to job seekers at the directives of his former boss. According to him, some paid N1 million, others N1.5 million.

Finally, our problem is not skills or degrees; we have these in abundance and even export them abroad (the Japa phenomenon). Our problem is creating a system where the son of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. Our present system is not sustainable. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik, PhD, wrote from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He can be reached via aaabdelmalik@gmail.com.

By Omar Muaz

As commonly understood by many people that a working woman only means one that goes outside her matrimonial home or her parents’ house to earn a living [in most cases a salary or an income] isn’t but, as rightly put in different ways by Amina Adamu, in her paper “Balancing the Home and Work: Tales of Working Women” one who has attained a certain level of education and use it as an opportunity to secure jobs. Or the one who earns a living inside her home by engaging in in-door businesses such as fish farming, tailoring, poultry, and even selling clothes and kitchen equipment, or lastly, one who earns a living within the confinement of her house by using their children to hawk and sell for them. Whichever one takes as a definition of a working woman, it’s fine and okay.

I have read many articles claiming modernism to be the root of working women. However, history has it that in traditional African society, women work as much as men [or even more] to sustain the family. They do house chores and look after children and even the man himself — besides cooking for the family, the women wash the man’s clothes and keep his room and the whole house tidy. In addition to all, as affirmed in The Journal of the Islamization of Knowledge and Contemporary Issues, Vol. 1, they go to the farm and cultivate crops to supplement the feeding and economic sustenance of the family. 

By the coming of Islam — a religion that propagates women’s seclusion based on the Quranic provision in Suratul Al-ahzāb, verse 33 “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the times of ignorance.” and some authentic traditions of Rasūl, prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — to Nigeria in the eleventh century (Clerke and Lindern, 1984), women, more especially in the Northern part of the country, were restricted from going out unnecessarily which includes going to farm. They then concentrated on their roles as mothers while the men accepted and carried out their religious responsibilities of providing the basic needs for their family until the introduction of Western education [read: conventional education] to Nigeria in the 19th century.

The early 70s witnessed a large enrolment of girls into conventional schools, which started affecting the status quo of the family system, with women starting to work as civil and public workers in various organisations and parastatals at the attainment of conventional schools. Moreso, the spread of globalisation through the Western media led to the very foundation of the family, which includes respect, love, and trust for each other to start playing the second fiddle. 

From the 90s up to the end of the last century, 20th, many Islamic families subscribed to the global village by connecting the satellite dish to their homes and, of course, the internet. Probably, due to the impact of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) — an ambitious structural adjustment program which was adopted in June 1986 as a result of initial reforms including substantial increases in domestic petroleum prices that were announced in the 1986 budget — in the 80s, the man no longer care and provide the basic facilities needed in their homes. Thus, the man lost his pride and respect as the breadwinner both from the wife and the children. Hence, women were left with the only alternative, which was finding means of supplementing the family income, even outside their homes (Emeagwali in El-Sohli & Mabro, 1994).

It’s worth noting from the above paragraphs women were traditionally working before the advent of Islam, more especially in Northern Nigeria, which abolished the practice with the world turning into a conventional one. Women work to supplement the family income with reasons, of course, varying. There are many women that work, despite their husbands or parents being rich, because they feel bored sitting at home. This category consists of almost 10% of the working Northern Nigerian women. Others go out to work to earn a living, while others, at the death of their husbands, provide shelter for their children. In addition to the mentioned categories, some work to serve humanity in governmental and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Some Muslim husbands and parents, based on one of these cases, allow their wives and daughters to work while others, basing their argument on the Islamic concept of seclusion, keep their women at home. Now, the question is on the concept of women’s seclusion from in Islamic perspective. What is it? Women seclusion is a term referring to various practices designed to protect women from men in traditional Muslim societies, including confining women to the company of other women and close male relatives in their home or in separate female living quarters, veiling, self-effacing mannerisms, and the separation of men and women in public places.

According to the International Institute of Islamic Thought Nigeria Office’s journal, Al-Ijtihād, the issue of women’s seclusion in the Nigerian context, as has been identified, includes (1) complete seclusion — an opinion championed by traditionalists and fundamentalists who strongly believe that women’s role is exclusively restricted to her home only and therefore any other role outside her matrimonial home is forbidden. (2) partial seclusion — that women are allowed to go out when there’s need to go, such as hospital and visiting sick relatives and even attending Islamiyya schools, and (3) voluntary seclusion is seen as a more symbolic seclusion rather than physical.

The third, unlike the complete seclusion which was built on the widely circulated “myth” in some years back, at least in the Hausaland, that a woman has only three outings in her lifetime — that of her being delivered from her mother’s womb, going out to her husband house [being married], and then lastly taken to her grave —, is propagated by those in favour of women going out to work outside her matrimonial homes or parents’ houses and encouraged women who have attained conventional education to work in the civil service and other parastatals.

The existence of these divergent views, even during the lifetime of Usman Ɗan Fodio, triggered him to write a book “Kitabul Irshadul Ikhwān” in which he stated twelve instances where women are allowed to go out in Shari’a: going out in search of knowledge, participating in religious war [Jihād] where there’s need for their assistance, attending congregational prayers in mosques, attending Juma’at prayer, attending Eid prayer, attending prayer for rain [Salatul Istisqa], attending prayer for the dead [Salatul Janaza], going to pilgrimage, going to the court of law to sue or to be sued, visiting their parents and relatives, attending wedding ceremony [especially escorting the bride to her house because Aisha (RA) was reported to have done that] and buying and selling things especially when they don’t have someone to do it on their behalf.

In addition to the above-mentioned twelve occasions where women are allowed to go out, going out to teach isn’t in exclusion. There are instances — according to the prophetic ahādith, which were reported by Abu Dāwud, Ahmad and Imam Hakim — where women went out to teach even the wives of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The case of Shafa’a Bint Abda is a glaring example when the prophet (PBUH) not only recommended her for teaching His wife, Hafsa (RA), how to write but advised her to teach the wife how to cure rashes and bugs [Rukhyatul Namla]. Thus, Imam Ghazali, among many other Islamic scholars, emphasised the importance of women’s education, especially in the field of Medicine and Mathematics, with the essence of them specialising in these areas to cure sick Muslims and to teach Muslim children.

It can be concluded that women — even though they are fragile and weak because of them being created from a “crooked rib” of a man — among them are those who are blessed with the strength and energy to participate in even manual labour and, thus, they are not completely restricted, Islamically, to work as related above.

However, in order to have equilibrium in terms of matrimonial stability of the home on one hand and the woman’s pursuit for economic stability on the other, there should be an understanding between the two spouses [which is the man who is the head of the family and the woman under the umbrella and control of the man]. It’s recommendable that a working woman should fear Allah (SWT) in her mind wherever she goes and, when going out, should dress properly according to the dictates of the Shariah.

Allahu A’alam [ Allah knows the best].

Omar Muaz wrote via muazuumar45@gmail.com.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

One of the major issues that is increasingly capturing global attention is climate change. Since 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been committed to mitigating the repercussions of this phenomenon. The Conference of Parties (COP) convenes every year to discuss the progress of their commitment.

The last summit, COP27, was held in November 2022 in Egypt, with 190 countries attending. The summit’s focus was the establishment of a “loss and damage fund” to provide funding from significant climate change contributors to countries that are least responsible for climate change but are the most vulnerable to its impacts.

Our planet Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of sunlight, then radiates it back in the form of infrared; some of this heat reflects into space,  while some get absorbed by  Green House Gass (GHGs) in a process called Greenhouse Effect, this process stabilises our climate. Without these gases, the Earth could be considerably colder, well below freezing point. On the other hand, an increase in the concentration of these gases leads to a warmer planet. The consequences of interfering with this natural phenomenon are unimaginable. However, modern human activities are believed to be depleting this natural balance; we are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases, resulting in a rise in global atmospheric temperatures.

Whenever fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) are burned to generate energy for various needs such as industrial activities, transportation, and cooking, CO2 is produced as a major by-product (CO2 emission). This CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) and plays a significant role in the greenhouse effect. The emissions of CO2 and other GHGs increase heat absorption, resulting in global warming. Glaciers and ice caps melt due to global warming, leading to rising sea levels. This phenomenon poses a significant threat to coastal areas, as increased water volume can cause flooding and other existential hazards.

 Another big threat is that global warming causes heat waves. A heatwave is a period of scorching weather, typically lasting several days or even weeks; the temperature of some European countries (due to heat waves) is currently reported to soar up to 40 degrees Celsius.

In broader terms, while the global North (North America and Europe) mostly experiences heatwaves, glacier melting, and increased rainfall, the global South counterpart (South America, Africa, and Asia) mostly experiences flooding, drought, and forest fires. It is clear here that the latter is worst affected by global warming.

The overall global warming is currently measured at 1.2°C and is projected to reach 1.5°C by 2025. The Earth will be in real danger if global warming reaches 2.0°C (as forecast, at least by 2040). At this level, it will cause the acceleration and exacerbation of all the threats mentioned above. Drought will impact the majority of global farmland, while flooding will submerge a significant number of homes. Unquenchable forest fires will also reign, creating a sort of doomsday scenario for humanity.

It was against this foreseeable bleak future that the COP members, through the Paris Agreement, agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. This commitment means that the countries involved will restrict the usage of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas and instead transition to green and clean energy alternatives like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biofuels.

But one major obstacle hinders this promising energy transition, especially in developing countries: the glaring affordability of fossil fuels compared to all renewable sources. Due to the low cost of fossil fuels, all developed countries relied on them to propel their advancement. This is why transitioning to renewable energy poses more difficulties for developing countries like Nigeria. When Africa struggles to find its footing, this ugly scenario rears its head. The beneficiaries of fossil fuel’s abundance now advocate for cleaner energy solutions left, right, and centre. This situation is like campaigning to a malnourished person about routine medical check-ups when they primarily need proper nutrition. The person has to eat well before considering a longer life campaign.

The intriguing part of the global warming scenario is the unequal contribution of CO2 between developing and developed countries. The latter are far more culpable, with their giant machines releasing CO2 into the air ‘like tomorrow no de’. For instance, the US and China contribute more than 20% of the global CO2 emissions each, while the entire African continent contributes below 4%.

Nevertheless, these should not be discouraging for Africa, or a reason for kicking against climate commitment, since climate change is a long-term issue; in the future, when Africa’s economy snowballs, it will significantly contribute to global warming.

Instead, this should serve as an opportunity for Africa to embark on development while committing to climate action. Imagine if, a few centuries ago, Europe and America had received support to consider climate change mitigation while advancing their technology. We might not be where we are today, facing the current threat of global warming.

Among all the renewable energy sources, biofuel remains the most suitable option for African countries or any developing nations to adopt in their fight against climate change because it can promise simultaneous infrastructure development while combating climate change.

Agriculture is both a boon and a bane for development in many African countries since most citizens are farmers. Therefore, investing in the development of the agriculture sector through the energy sector by adopting biofuels can significantly contribute to the overall progress and development of a nation.

With COP’s commitment to supporting developing countries and the potential of biofuels to transform the agriculture sector, there is no better time for Nigeria to transition to cleaner energy.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin is a doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering at ABU Zaria, a public affair commentator, and a science writer.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Muslim human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has sounded a note of caution to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to shelve the idea of invading Niger Republic to reinstate the former President Muhammad Bazoum, who was unceremoniously ousted and detained by the military junta on 26th July 2023.

The Muslim rights organisation was reacting to a letter written and sent to the Senate and read on the floor of the red chamber by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Friday, 4th August 2023.

In the letter, President Tinubu listed several measures already taken to pressurise the soldiers behind the coup to release and reinstate President Bazoum. 

Some of the measures in place included cutting off the electricity supply to the Niger Republic, mobilising international support for the implementation of the provisions of the ECOWAS communique, closure and monitoring all land borders with the Niger Republic and reactivating the border drilling exercise, as well as military build-up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance should the military junta remain recalcitrant.

While strongly condemning the unconstitutional change of government in the Niger Republic, MURIC believes the handling of the situation by the ECOWAS is harsh, unpragmatic and may be counterproductive.

MURIC’s position was contained in a statement released on Saturday, 5th August 2023, by the Chairman of its Kano State Chapter, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa.

The statement further states:

“Military action should never be an option in solving the problem of change of government in the Niger Republic due to the current and historical relationship between Niger and Nigeria, two brotherly neighbours in West Africa. Relations between the two countries are based on a long shared border and common cultural and historical interactions.

“Citizens of Nigeria and people living in Niger are predominantly Muslims and share a solid socio-cultural and religious affinity. Nigeria also shares about 1,500 kilometres of land border with Niger.

“The Nigeria-Niger border is artificial. It was drawn in the colonial period by London and Paris, a process driven in part by the desire to check German expansion in West Africa rather than recognition of ethnicities or other indigenous factors. 

“Border crossings are also practically impossible to control. In many ways, Niger and northern Nigeria have much in common culturally, and the local language of both regions is Hausa.

“Significantly, Nigeria should maintain its age-long foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs, especially of a friendly neighbour.

“Before Niger, there were some unconstitutional changes of government in at least three Sahel countries, sharing the same historical and common border with the Niger Republic. Non of the countries were attacked, even though some of the countries are home to military bases of some European and US forces.

“Since 1990 till date, there have been 44 coups and 41 failed attempts in Africa. The fewest attempts, 13, came in the period between 2000 and 2009, compared with 36 attempts between 2010 and 2019 and then ten attempts since 2020 till date. The latest is that of the Niger Republic, carried out on 26th July 2023.

“The Nigerien transitional military government has already warned against any external intervention. On Wednesday, 2nd August 2023, its counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso warned that they would treat any attempt to restore Bazoum to power militarily as a “declaration of war” against them, and it would split ECOWAS.

At the home front, the internal convulsions will escalate as the Oduduwa Republic, Arewa Republic, Biafra secessionists, Niger-Delta separatists, and other sundry anarchists may have a field day with the opening of another avoidable conflict theatre.

“Already, European countries have started the evacuation of their nationals in Niger, as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea expressed support for the coup.

“Military interventions could certainly be unpopular in Nigeria and possibly lead to violent and widespread protests. This could only aggravate the worsening security situation in Nigeria.

“The situation in Niger Republic, like the rest of Africa, is an African problem that requires African solutions; going to war should never be one of those solutions. 

“It is more to do with the oppression and domination of France, the former colonial power that refused to allow her former colonies their rights to true independence.

“In the end, we call on President Tinubu, as a listening leader, to immediately withdraw the letter he sent to the Senate and toe the path of dialogue and diplomacy. 

“We also call on the Senate to flatly reject Mr President’s ill-advised request for its counterproductive and far-reaching, negative consequences that may only worsen Nigeria’s economic and socioeconomic conditions.

“We further call on Muslim faithful and other faith-based groups to intensify prayers for Allah the Most High to avert any disaster that may spell doom for Nigeria and Africa.”

By Hassan Idris

Discussing trending and contentious topics has never been my preferred inclination, not because of a lack of opinions or the ability to articulate them but rather due to the potential conflicts it may engender with those who hold me in high esteem. Nonetheless, today, I shall delve into the trending and contentious subject matter that has generated a whirlwind of discourse on social media, polarising individuals along sectarian, regional, and religious lines and culminating in mutual vilification.

Specifically, I aim to scrutinise the 45-second video released by the Nigerian music sensation David Adeleke, famously known as Davido. In this video, men donned in white jalabia and caps dance boisterously in front of a mosque immediately after partaking in prayers. Adding further intrigue, Logos Olori, Davido’s protege, occupies a prominent spot atop the building’s roof.

Notably, even though the singer makes mention of the phrase ‘Alhamdulillah’ (praise be to God), the video and the accompanying song have been met with severe disapproval from many Nigerians and fans, particularly among the Muslim community, who perceive it as an affront to Islam. They vehemently demand an apology, accusing Davido of disrespecting their religious practices by intermingling sacred rituals with song and dance.

Despite the mounting pressure, Davido finally relents and takes down the video after two days of receiving criticism, opting for a predominantly silent stance and refraining from issuing formal apologies. Notably, Professor Wole Soyinka, in a surprising twist, urges Davido not to apologise for releasing the ‘Jaye Lo’ video, asserting that dancing in front of the mosque does not possess the provocative connotation purported by some.

Among the voices calling for an apology from Davido are prominent Muslim faithful such as Ahmad Ganga, Ali Nuhu, Ashraf Yaman, Ayaat Saeed, Basira Ugochi, and numerous others. Conversely, some Muslims have countered this demand, contending that the singer’s lyrics and actions did not overtly denigrate the Islamic faith. Furthermore, they argue that the video was not intended to ridicule Islam but reflected a cultural norm in Yoruba society.

Additionally, they highlight the existence of Islamic sects, such as the Tijjaniya and Shi’ite, in the northern region, who employ the Mandiri drums as part of their worship practices, thus, indicating that some Muslims themselves engage in similar expressions of religious celebration, with no objections from the community. Before delving into the sociological perspective of religion, it is imperative to recognise the profound significance of religion, particularly in Africa. For many Muslims, it is not merely the song or the jalabiya donned in the video that raises concern, but rather the potential mockery of prayer, a cornerstone of Islam, considered sacred and inviolable. It stands in stark contrast to profanity and warrants utmost respect.

Comparatively, other musicians like Naira Marley may espouse diverse perspectives, yet their words do not evoke similar anxieties. For instance, Naira Marley’s song proclaims, ‘God is the driver, while the Prophet (SAW) is the conductor,’ which, despite its unconventional nature, does not overtly trivialise prayer. Indeed, if Naira Marley had ventured into such territory, he would likely have faced a similar backlash. In response to the contention that some Islamic sects might engage in activities akin to the video’s content, it is essential to discern that while various expressions of worship exist, dancing during prayers remains absent from any Islamic sect. Moreover, the significance of the mosque, as elucidated in the Qur’an, holds paramount importance for Muslims, who regard it as the most sacred and cherished space in their lives. Thus, actions that appear to contradict the mosque’s sanctity are naturally met with vehement objection.

As for Professor Wole Soyinka’s intervention, his failure to fully grasp Nigeria’s religious and multicultural fabric, coupled with his atheistic beliefs, may have influenced his hasty entry into this contentious issue without considering the multifaceted perspectives. Thus, there seems to be an underlying layer of ethnocentrism at play, though it is crucial to clarify that this observation is not intended to belittle Soyinka in any manner.

Turning our attention to Durkheim’s Elementary Forms of Religious Life, the philosopher Charles Taylor’s elucidation of religion as a comprehensive system of beliefs and practices encompassing human existence and its relation to the ultimate conditions of being and other human beings presents a multifaceted framework for analysis.

Durkheim’s seminal work contends that religion is not confined to individual beliefs and practices but rather constitutes a sociological phenomenon that both shapes and is shaped by society. Central to his argument is the concept of ‘collective representations,’ which denotes shared symbols and ideas that foster cohesion among individuals, binding them together in a collective community. Collective effervescence, a cornerstone of religious experience according to Durkheim, entails the shared emotions and sense of unity that emerges when people unite for a common purpose, often manifested in rituals and communal activities.

Furthermore, Durkheim’s delineation of the ‘sacred’ and the ‘profane’ elucidates the fundamental distinction between holy or special elements (the sacred) and the mundane aspects of everyday life (the profane). The video in question seemingly breaches this sacred-profane dichotomy, incorporating elements considered sacred within a context that may trivialise their significance. To elucidate the connection between Durkheim’s ideas of the sacred and the profane, the concept of totemism emerges as an essential component of his thesis.

Totemism encompasses groups of individuals coalescing around a common totem, an emblematic object or animal that symbolises the collective community. The totem, imbued with sacredness, serves as a focal point in rituals and ceremonies, forging a shared sense of identity and unity within the group. By drawing this parallel, the video can be perceived as appropriating religious attire and symbols, potentially attenuating their original sacred import.

Moreover, Durkheim’s concept of ‘mana’ merits consideration of the video’s content. Mana constitutes a spiritual force or energy believed to inhabit sacred objects or spaces. Often linked to animism, the notion that objects and locations possess spirits or souls, ‘mana’ illustrates how the sacred imbue objects and places with special significance. Here, the video’s portrayal of dancing immediately after prayers may be construed as desecrating the sacredness associated with the mosque. As Durkheim transitioned his focus to modern societies, the idea of ‘mechanical solidarity’ comes into play, wherein traditional societies cohere through shared values and beliefs among relatively homogeneous groups.

Comparatively, ‘organic solidarity’ characterises contemporary societies, wherein specialised social bonds form through the division of labour, with various individuals and groups performing distinct functions. The video, juxtaposing modern entertainment (the dance) within the context of a sacred religious space, potentially mirrors the fragmentation and diminished shared values observed in present-day society, evoking notions of anomie.

As a sociologist and poet, I believe some may perceive the Muslim community’s response to Davido’s music video as an overreaction. While concerns are warranted, approaching the issue with knowledge and wisdom, as instructed in the Qur’an, would have been more constructive. Addressing Davido’s actions maturely and knowledgeably could have fostered a more amicable resolution. However, amidst the controversy surrounding the video, it is crucial not to lose sight of the pressing issues in the North, such as kidnapping, terrorism, and poverty, which demand urgent attention and resolution. Calling for uniformity in addressing these challenges alongside the concerns over the music video could have a more significant impact in addressing social issues and fostering a sense of collective responsibility.

Furthermore, it is essential for everyone, regardless of their religious background, to respect and understand the beliefs and cultures of others. Ethnocentrism and a lack of cultural relativity can perpetuate societal misunderstandings and divisions. Respect for all religions, and their sacred practices, should be upheld, emphasising the need for mutual understanding and harmony among diverse communities.

In conclusion, when scrutinising Davido’s music video from a Durkheimian sociological perspective, many potential issues concerning the sacred and the profane in religion emerge. The video’s portrayal of dance immediately after prayers and its use of religious symbols may be perceived as disrespectful and culturally insensitive by some Muslim community members. Moreover, its potential impact on social cohesion and integration in Nigeria’s diverse and multicultural society warrants introspection. Both sociologists and individuals must remain cognizant of religious sensitivities while striving for a profound understanding of different religious practices, fostering mutual respect and harmony within society.

While the controversy surrounding Davido’s music video persists, individuals and communities must engage in constructive dialogue, foster mutual respect, and address societal challenges with collective responsibility. Religion is paramount. It should be treated with reverence, regardless of the particular faith. Let us strive to uphold the principles of knowledge, wisdom, and cultural relativity in our interactions, aiming for a more cohesive and harmonious society. May we all be guided right in our actions and decisions.

Hassan Idris is a Sociologist & Poet and can be contacted via idrishassan25@yahoo.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

A total of 1,205,888 applicants have enrolled for the current 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination, or SSCE, which is being administered by the National Examinations Council (NECO). 

The Head of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, revealed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. 

In Jos, while observing the administration of the exam in various schools, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, the NECO registrar, was quoted by Mr. Sani as having stated that 601,074 of the candidates were male and 584,814 were female. 

Based on information gathered from around the nation, he expressed satisfaction with the SSCE’s overall performance in 2023. 

The registrar noted that the 2023 SSCE, which will be finished next week, was the best organised in recent years.

By Abba Kyari Mohammed

In the Nigerian legal system, terms such as bail, discharge, conviction, acquittal etc., have always confused the non-lawyers, leading them to take erroneous stands over some issues. Anytime there is a high-profile trial before our courts and bail is granted to the accused person, Nigerians will curse the entire justice system describing it as weak, ineffective and a system that rigs itself to favour the rich – all because the courts exercise powers vested in them in a constitutional way to preserve the rule of law. 

I, therefore, find it pertinent to clarify some of these terms so Nigerians will stop bashing the judiciary and can redirect their anger to the right quarters while recognising their rights in the event they come in contact with the justice system, which for all intent and purposes is there to dispense justice in the best possible way. 

Let’s start with Bail, which is what always sparks the uproar in Nigeria, especially on social media, where you expect people to have become conversant with this term yet have somehow been misconstrued to mean absolute discharge and even exculpation from the charges for which the person on bail is being tried. 

Bail simply means a temporary or conditional release of a person arrested, charged or convicted of a crime. It’s granted by the police pending the investigation of a matter before it, by the court when the case is pending determination, and by the court pending an appeal when a person must have been convicted (Which is rare and only under compelling circumstances).

When bail is granted, it doesn’t mean the person is exonerated of the charges; it only means that he is released on the condition that he attends his trial until the end. In the end, the court may find him guilty, then sentence him(punish) or not guilty, and discharge and acquit him(release and exonerate) of the charges. 

Why grant bail? 

Some may ask why grant bail to people who have done despicable things. Why not convict them outright since all the facts are as clear as crystal, such as having video evidence, a confession etc? There are so many whys on our minds; perhaps, this may explain. 

To start with, under Nigerian Law, there is the Presumption of Innocence under section 36(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. It means every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court. To prove a case before the court in Nigeria, there are procedures and requirements laid down by the law which must be complied with. It’s not enough for the media or anyone to believe the accused person is guilty or the amount of evidence people think there is. This means that the presumption of innocence can only be rebutted when a person is convicted for the offence charged by the court. 

Premised on the above, persons charged with an offence (since they are innocent) are entitled to the right to personal liberty generously guaranteed by section 35 of the Constitution and cannot be derogated except in the circumstances justified by the Constitution or other extant laws. This means bail is a constitutional right enjoyed by persons accused of committing crimes, just like all of us do.

The courts, therefore, grant bail not because they are paid off or have regard for the criminals because of their status or offices but because it’s their constitutional right which cannot be trampled upon unless it is legally justifiable. However, bail is only granted upon an application made to the Police or the Court by the accused or his surety(s). It means you must ask the court to release you and explain why it should release you. Some may wonder why many low-profile criminals rot in a dungeon while others are released even though the crimes differ in gravity. The simple explanation is that “They don’t ask”. 

Then discharge. It is similar to discharging a person from the hospital but not entirely the same. Suppose a man has cancer and he was taken to a hospital for treatment, but the family does not have enough money to proceed with the surgery prescribed by doctors; the man is discharged, perhaps, to be brought later when the money is realised or may not be brought depending on the circumstances.

To discharge an accused person by the court doesn’t mean the court finds him innocent, but it means the court is letting him go because there is not enough evidence on the part of the prosecution to ground his trial or the prosecution withdraws the case etc. In these circumstances, the person can be rearrested and brought to court when the prosecution gathers enough evidence, just like in the case of the cancer patient when the family raised enough funds.  

Acquittal means that the court has found the accused person innocent of all the charges preferred against him after carefully looking at the facts and evidence presented by the prosecution. In a criminal trial, the case is said to have been unsuccessful and failed because the prosecution is unable to prove his case beyond all reasonable doubts.  Once the accused is acquitted, the doctrine of autre fois acquits is activated under Section 36 (9) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as amended] 1999, which means the person cannot be arrested or tried again for the same offence. It is similar to removing the cancer in the patient. Once it is removed, he is free from it. 

The Take-home therefore are:

Bail is a temporary and conditional release of an accused person pending when his trial is concluded. The accused goes home and always comes to court during his trial. In the end, the court may jail him or set him free. 

Discharge is the release of the accused person by the court but not a declaration of innocence. The person can be rearrested and brought to court again. 

Acquittal is the complete and total exoneration of the accused from the charges after the conclusion of a trial and the evaluation of evidence. 

Abba Kyari Mohammed can be reached via abbakyari2013@yahoo.com. 

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Nigerians have been advised against visiting the Niger Republic by Mustapha Sani, the NIS Comptroller in Charge of the Jibia Special Border Command, Katsina State.

This is because the Niger Republic is currently experiencing a crisis as a result of a coup d’état. Sanctions have been imposed on West Africa as a result of the event.

On Thursday, he addressed a joint celebration for the NIS’s Katsina State Command and the 60th anniversary of the service.

“Nigerians should stay at home and not attempt to go to the Niger Republic until the embargo is lifted. And we are determined to return any Nigerien we catch who is planning to come to this country,” he said.

He noted that the Service is deploying its officers to take care of the Katsina border to help curtail illegal movement from the Niger Republic.

“Despite the fact that we are divided by colonial masters, we share certain things in common like religion and culture, and that doesn’t guarantee them to enter Nigeria without valid documents,” he added.

“We have already put our officers on alert, and we have already deployed some to go and man the orthodox routes through which some of the foreigners use to enter into Nigeria and from what we have on the ground, we know it will be impossible for them to enter into Nigeria.”

By Musa Kalim Gambo

Approaching the first 100 days since Bola Ahmed Tinubu took oath as the president and commander in chief of the armed and unarmed forces of our beloved federation, life seems to have taken a painful and difficult dimension. This comes from the orthopaedic approach deployed to heal our irredeemably crippled nation –now on the edge of a hopeless recuperation from the previous government’s futile attempts at ‘change’.

How did we get here? Renewed hope! We rode on the feeble back of an aged horse, ultimately believing we could reach a place distant from the troubles of our land. Tinubu inspired hope for a better nation, that life will be better for even those ‘papa-mama-pikin’ fanatics who would rather ‘waste’ their inconsequential votes, in the words of a certain Woman of God. However, Tinubu remains the best horse for this turbulent race and is just coming on board.

We shouldn’t expect birth from a government that is still on honeymoon. The intercourse is not over yet. Tinubu’s government is still on a rough foreplay with the crippled Nigerian state, so there will be no immaculate conception.

After all, Tinubu has never promised to sell PMS to anyone at a cheaper rate! He has rather, at different times, threatened to withdraw government subsidy from this critical element of our daily lives – he said, “no matter what”, he will remove the subsidy. He boldly reiterated that there was no going back when he eventually inherited a nation without such subsidy. His top two contenders made similar threats, so why are we disturbed that he is now fulfilling one of his campaign promises?

We clapped at the justification because we believed the popular narrative that a certain top few political and business elite was short-changing us in this whole subsidy deal. We did not call on the government to go after them. We just simply hold this toxic populist notion that some big men are feasting on our commonwealth, which often comes in the format of ‘them’ against ‘us’.

What should be known is that no amount of political gra-gra can flip the side of the wealth distribution coin to favour the overwhelming destitute majority in a failed system. The few profiteering elites will always find their way around unfavourable government policies and return the burden on the proletariat.

In an edition of the Daily Trust (25^th July 25, 2023), President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, came up with the “Tinubu’s Seven Wonders in Seven Weeks” – a summary of his principal’s efforts as leader of Africa’s most populous nation, or rather the most complex and complicated country in Africa.

Abdulaziz started by reaffirming Mr President’s physical and figurative energy in grabbing some of Nigeria’s hitherto scary and untouchable issues with courage and decisiveness. Grabbing the bull of fuel subsidy and dollar rent-seeking by the horn is undoubtedly commendable – no one will disagree with Tinubu’s government. However, while Abdulaziz does his job quite well for his principal, it is possible that he is now too far and dining directly from the sound-proofed kitchen of power to hear the unending cries of the collateral victims of their policies. But Daily Trust’s editorial of July 24, 2023, which called for the reversal of Tinubu’s ‘chaotic subsidy policy’, painted a high-definition image of the situation. So it is possible that Abdulaziz’s “Tinubu’s Seven Wonders in Seven Weeks” is an attempt to neutralise the arguments contained in Daily Trust’s call for the reversal of the subsidy policy.

Now is not the time for arguments and counter-arguments; it is time to listen to the distant voices that defied the heat of the sun and, in some places, the threat to life by non-state actors to bring on board this much-anticipated government. The kindle of hope is still fresh and glowing, don’t blow it out.

Musa Kalim Gambo wrote from Zaria via gmkalim@hotmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former military leader of Nigeria, has been picked by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lead a mission to Niger for mediation.

He will be accompanied by Muhammadu Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, who commands great sway over the Muslim population both inside and outside of Nigeria.

Alieu Touray, the head of the ECOWAS Commission, is also a member of the group.

Patrice Talon, the president of Benin, and Mahamat Déby, the president of Chad, had previously been sent to Niger by the sub-regional bloc to meet with the coup plotters.

On Sunday, ECOWAS slapped sanctions on Niger, including a travel ban and a blockade, until President Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown by the military on July 26th, was reinstated.

Meanwhile, it summoned the sub-region’s defence commanders and threatened to deploy force.

A meeting of the defence chiefs reportedly took place in Abuja. Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Guinea were not present, though.

The restrictions are already in place, as Nigeria started cutting power to Niger on Wednesday.