Nigeria

By Uzair Adam Imam

The families of the abducted Abuja-Kaduna train victims threatened that the train service must not resume unless all the abducted passengers are rescued.

Speaking through their spokesperson, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, the victims’ families said adequate security measures must be put in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers.

The Daily Reality reported how bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, killed eight persons, and abducted many passengers last month.

The bandits in a video threatened to kill all the victims if the federal government refused to negotiate with them.

However, reports disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the NRC to set up a situation room for the coordination of the rescue mission for the passengers.

But the families lamented that “Still, one week after this presidential directive was issued, the NRC has never contacted the relatives of the kidnapped victims nor established any situation room.

“This display of gross incompetence and insensitivity should lead to appropriate punishment,” they said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A well-known social media activist and lawyer, Abdu Bulama Bukarti, lambasted the Buhari administration over the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

This came as ASUU extended its ongoing strike by three months due to the government’s poor handling of the issue. Also, Bukarti’s remarks surprised some as he had been publicly criticising ASUU on its resolve to strike.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had announced Sunday at the end of the Union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which was held in Abuja, that the strike had been extended by three months.

Bukarti, known for his stern opposition against frequent strikes by ASUU, said that Nigeria has failed to mitigate the menacing issue of strike by ASUU because it does not affect them (the elite) or their beloved children.

In a Facebook post, Bukarti lamented that the government “never hesitate to move on putting the strike by the Airline operators to an end because it has [a] direct effect on them and their children. But since [the] ASUU strike has no direct or indirect effect on them and their children, they failed to solve the problem.”

The Daily Reality reported that ASUU suspended its nine-month-long strike in 2020 after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government. Still, a year after, the government is yet to fulfil its promises to the union.

The ASUU strike has been described as one of the most lingering issues paralysing Nigerian universities, leading to the delay in students’ graduation, deterioration of the educational system and promulgation of serious social vices across the country.

Not only that, many people argue that the strike has destroyed the future of many promising youths, including both university students and their lecturers.

By Ibrahim Tukur

Communication barrier is one of the major problems holding many deaf people back. Living in an inclusive world—a world that comprises people with differences, one has to know the others better to get along together. We can only achieve that through communication. Unfortunately, however, many people have immensely misunderstood due to the communication barrier. Some see people with hearing impairment as stupid, insane, mad, etcetera.

Communication barrier has brought various challenges that not exclusively affect the personal achievement of the deaf but also their educational, spiritual and economic development.

Due to this barrier, many deaf experience loneliness, depression and isolation at home because they have no one to communicate with as most of the family members don’t know how to communicate with them. In the same vein, their parents often neglect them and find it challenging to communicate with them in their day-to-day interactions and operations. Thus, this makes many deaf children, if not all, grow up morally deficient.

In many tertiary institutions, deaf students face many academic challenges that interfere with their studies. Although all tertiary institutions are inclusive, they are not offering special services like Sign Language interpreters. Consequently, those students often sit in the class watching their lecturers lecturing verbally and their coursemates with no hearing loss drinking from their knowledge flow.

Deaf people face immense challenges when it comes to employment. Many organisations and companies find it difficult to employ deaf people due to this barrier, as good communication is one of the essential requirements in entrepreneurship. This is why many deaf people have automatically been disqualified during job interviews despite meeting all the requirements.

Again, because of this barrier, deaf people are denied from getting jobs as doctors, engineers, journalists, lecturers, lawyers, accountants, etcetera. Many deaf who have studied others fields are forced to become classroom teachers as if teaching is the only profession for the deaf.

Although the current administration has enacted a law that prohibits discrimination against people with disability, thanks to their bid for inclusion, they failed to trench the underlying causes of the discrimination. 

To nip the deaf-based discrimination in the bud, Sign Language should be introduced as a core curriculum in all schools since the communication barrier is its underlying cause.

Sign Language specialists should be employed in all schools and tertiary institutions to teach Sign Language so that everybody will learn to communicate with the deaf and get to know them better.

Teaching Sign Language in schools nationwide will improve this communication gap and end the disparagement, discrimination, and stigmatisation they experience. It will equally create a comfortable environment for the deaf folks to live in this Inclusive world.

Ibrahim Tukur is a 400 level student of Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via inventorngw@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s Green Chamber, the House of Representatives, has called for an emergency session scheduled to hold on Monday. 

The clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, in a statement on Saturday, April 6, 2022, announced that the emergency session would hold on Monday. However, the clerk did not state any specific reason for the emergency but said in the terse notice that critical issues of national importance would be discussed. 

“This is to inform all Hon. Members, staff, media and the general public that the House hereby recalls all Hon. Members for an emergency plenary session against Monday, 9th May, 2022, at 2:00 pm. It is particularly intended to discuss critical issues of national importance. The House regrets any inconvenience this short notice would have caused,” The notice reads.

It is unusual for the House to sit for plenary on Mondays. Usually, they sit on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

However, the House members have been reportedly neglecting plenary sessions. It is believed that the incoming political parties’ primaries are the reason.

By Aliyu Nuhu

It has been revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria is reaching an agreement to release Boko Haram commanders and give them hefty amount of money for the release of the Kaduna train victims the terrorists abducted, according to some media reports.

The major reason a nation should not negotiate with terrorists is very simple, sensible and straightforward.

When a government rewards terror for perpetrating evil by giving the terror what it wants, it is reasonable to expect that they will, like others before them, continue their horrendous acts of violence, knowing that there may well be a prize for them afterwards.

Releasing people who have blood in their hands and giving them millions of dollars in return for release of some captives may bring a temporary relief to the nation and happiness to their families. However, always know that more families are put on the line to suffer the same agony in the future. The nation will enjoy reprieve only temporarily as terror has no rule of engagement. There will be more train attacks in the future, mark my words.

One area used effectively to defeat terror is denying it funding from all sources so that it will be unable to fund its heinous operations by paying salaries, hiring more fighters and getting fresh supply of weapons. Nigerian government has unwittingly been doing the opposite, by freeing Boko Haram commanders and giving them money to carry on with their acts of terror against hapless Nigerians. And this is the same government that is creating a law to make ransom payment a criminal offense.

The government knows where the captives are kept. Like what governor Nasir El-Rufai said, the place should be raided and rescue the victims. There may be some casualties but that is more acceptable than rewarding terrorists with what they want. The government will be releasing dangerous people to the society knowing that they will never repent. There are many ways to rescue the victims safely without much casualties. The government can gas the area. If it doesn’t know the technology, it should consult experts.

Another alternative is violent crackdown on them. History is replete with many examples. Nigeria has relative peace in the Northeast today not because it bought peace but because it carried arms and crushed Boko Haram. Patience and intelligence gathering will always produce results. Terror without money and fresh recruits crumble and die.

Nigeria is neither patient nor tactical enough in its approach. If it cannot do the job, it should invite mercenaries.

Aliyu Nubu is a public commentator. He writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

By Dr Abubakar Mohammed Gombe

It is interesting to understand the divine marriage between a country and its citizens, specifically between Nigeria and Nigerians. In such a marriage, no amount of lives lost puts asunder. The mysterious marriage keeps producing low-quality products who believe eliminating half brothers will better their lives. Nonetheless, the marriage produced the golden voice of the continent that was, however, eliminated by the products of his mother.

The first army General who coordinated the marriage affair was also eliminated by the same products. Many more military coordinators in charge of the Nigerian marriage were eliminated. The latest were the homemade healthy transition of General Sani Abacha GCON; the prison made transition of MKO Abiola with General Shehu Musa Yaradua, and the contagious transition of President Umaru Musa Yaradua GCON. Yet, the marriage stands. It was only death that did them part.

A three-year civil war could not put asunder. The Ojukus were forcefully retained for the survival of the marriage of interest that occasionally accepts religious and tribal killings and hailing such acts by pardoning popular champions like General Zamani Lekot of the Zangon Kataf crises by the IBB regime and rehabilitating others for communal reintegration by the Buhari regime. These are sincerely done to sustain the cracked marriage until death.

The emergence of popular movements like Boko Haram, IPOB, Kidnapping, Cattle rustling, Herdsmen, Bandits, and Terrorism move to ensure the marriage failure. Still, the lifetime Unity in Corruption among the children of the marriage, which recently pardoned Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, is stronger than the distraction of the popular movement groups that also exploit brothers of the same marriage.

While Unity in Corruption ensures poor education for brothers and sisters of the same marriage, BH went on destroying primary and secondary schools. They also vandalized electricity supplying poles and transformers to complement Unity in Corruption’s idea of rural electrification. IPOB, in its territorial states, declares Monday as an additional weekend while Kaduna officially declares Friday as the beginning weekend. In their territorial states, Bandits know all the army free zones where they peacefully operate without stepping on army toes. Cattle rustlers also know where there are no cattle, and so, instead of taking away cattle, they take the lives of entire villages that provoke them by not keeping cattle, their needs.

Nigerian lives are not safe on the road, on rail and at the airport. One finds it difficult to comprehend a passage in which children of the same mother kill within the home. Yet, the marriage stands and keeps producing children. Everyone identifies with the mother in a polygamous family and blames half brothers. In the Nigerian case, there is only one mother with several tribal lands. It seems only the Fulani have no land. Yet, the Fulani also join the powerful elites’ movement of Unity in Corruption. Under the same mother, the socio-political and economic status becomes the dividing line. The certified children that form Unity in Corruption blame the Almajiri for retrogression.  

Then, the most disturbing effort of closing universities to seek the attention of the I Assure You Regime by the educated class that formed ASUU appeared with the support of their supporting staff of SSANU and NASU to seek revitalization. ASUU believes closing universities and sending brothers and sisters home will pain Unity in Corruption. It indeed doesn’t. Instead, ASUU complements Unity in Corruption in denying access to university education and actualizing BH’s mission while in self and family hunger. While most state universities in the north religiously observe the ASUU strike, some state universities in the south graduate students. Yet, the marriage stands till death do us part.  

Considering the time, the response of the previous regimes, the regime of assurance with less action, and the possible incoming regime, ASUU ought to have a comprehensive retreat, call off its hunger strike, restrategize and declare regime change in Nigeria with the support of SSANU, NASU, Colleges, Polytechnics, NUT, students, parents and good citizens.

All Nigerians are deeply involved, and all political and armed movements are sponsored either to sustain Nigeria’s marriage for sponsors’ personal gain or to put asunder. With all the prophesies, projections and armed movements, the marriage of amalgamation remains. What Nigeria needs is the game-changer, and that changer can be found in ASUU. Nigeria needs focus and determination. ASUU must go into governance en mass. Otherwise, one or two members hardly make a meaningful impact.

ASUU should simply declare for the office of the Federal and State University Visitors, Senatorial Districts, Federal and State Houses of Assembly in the 2023 general elections and work with SSANU, NASU, Colleges, Polytechnics, Monotechnics, NUT, students, parents and good citizens. Nigeria must be saved. We remain Nigerians till death do us part. 

ASUU must retain its strong UTAS team and set in motion its national planning and enforcement team, policy enforcement team, economic team, company revival and creation team, employment creation team, national security management team, education monitoring team, patriotism enforcement team, salary and pension enforcement team, manufacturing promotion team, local and international lobby team, Crude oil and refinery enforcement team, action or resignation enforcement team, among others,  

Let’s use our hunger to save our country. With ASUU, SSANU, NASU, Colleges, Polytechnics, Monotechnics, NUT, students, parents and good citizens, Nigeria can be saved.

Let’s save Nigeria till death do us part.

Dr Abubakar Mohammed Gombe wrote from Gombe State University. He can be reached via amgombe2@yahoo.com or +23408060839578.

By Sa’id Sa’ad

As a people of oral tradition such as folklores, stories and songs, modern poetry today – or what is otherwise called contemporary poetry – could still be traced back to the oral literary traditions which have, over centuries, served the purpose of cultural entertainment and preservation in Nigeria.

However, even with the consistent growth of poetry in some parts of Nigeria – mainly because of the existence of some of the most celebrated African literary giants in those parts: Wole Soyinka, Niyi Osundare, Gabriel Okara, Christopher Okigbo – poetry in northern Nigeria has continued to suffer significantly amongst the wanna-be-poets and growing poets, who are thirsty of platforms to put their arts out for the right audience. With no or few consistent literary communities, inaccessibility of literary mentors and workshops or festivals, this category of young people genuinely interested in the art has been in a dilemma between giving up their dream or continuing to breathe in water.

Six years ago, Poetic Wednesdays was built—a rescue mission run by young people for young people. Of course, they understood the challenges of their fellow youths so well. However, It is not surprising that a small team of young people from the under-represented communities in this part of the world would give birth to a literary community of sorts. But what is exciting is how – in six years – these young people Poetified most of Northern Nigeria. It was surprising how, in six years, they were able to achieve what will take others a decade-plus to achieve. This is a product of genuine passion for the course.

Thus, these are young people who – when they began – were never given a seat at any literary or poetry workshop, of any sort, as a way to propel or guide their growth as future literary stars. And this is, sadly, a coat-of-arm that Northern Nigeria, in almost all industries, has cursed itself with, which is ‘intentionally’ refusing to tap on the shoulders of their growing talents. Relatively, most of the young talents in this part who have grown to horn their talents were able to do that without mentorship. Accordingly, they are used to thorns.

However, against all odds, with Salim Yunusa, a young writer from the narrow streets of Zaria, to Nasiba Babale, a noble lab scientist with poetry all over her syringe and test tubes, to Abdulbasit Adamu, a passionate poet and spoken word artist wobbling on the highway between Kaduna and Kano, to Maryam Gatawa, a Kano poet turned entrepreneur, to Abduljalal Musa (AJ) and scores of others who pushed the lorry behind the camera, these passionate and talented people stood and birthed a poetry community run by young people – solely to promote literary arts, to give a platform to other young people especially the wanna-be-poets who are ‘only’ interested in seeing their forced-rhymed poems read by others, and the growing poets who have the dying needs to hear feedback about their art.

Excitedly, with fewer resources, Poetic Wednesdays has grown to do beyond a toddler literary organisation. Especially using digital media/social media platforms like Facebook, hundreds and thousands of young poets have access to sharing their poems with global audiences every Wednesday. With Poetic Wednesdays, in the last six years, one can say that the recent robust revitalisation of poetry, especially in parts of Northern Nigeria, can be directly attributed to literary organisations like Poetic Wednesdays. Now, the north is ‘poetified’ with excellent poets who have and are capable of creating some of the best poems in the country.

Accordingly, with these bold decisions, numerous literary communities have sprouted from some of the most unexpected parts of Northern Nigeria, which have continued to host literary functions and promote their local artistic prowess. From Borno Literary Society in Borno, Yobe Literary Society in Yobe, Sunshine Literary Society and in Adamawa State, literary communities in other northern states such as Taraba State, Sokoto State and Kebbi State sprouted as well. This occurs due to the hard work of a few young people who dared to take up the challenge and push beyond boundaries.

This doesn’t contextualise Nigerian literature based on geographical lines; I am solely a Pro-Nigerian-Literature irrespective of where it comes from. However, it is also essential to acknowledge the growth of particular people or at least point a green mark on an honest, passionate move. Moreover, Poetic Wednesdays or any literary community doesn’t only speak for the people of the north but speaks for every Nigerian artist. Whereas some are even growing to go beyond Nigeria to a broader African space, which is commendable in a way as well.

Today, northern Nigeria is Poetified. From Sabon Gari in Kano to Bulunkutu in Maiduguri, to Ribado Square in Adamawa, to Tudun Wada in Zaria, to Unguwan Dosa in Kaduna, Gidan Kaya in Sokoto, to Bunza in Kebbi, to Madobi in Jigawa, to Sardauna in Taraba, these and more thousands of streets in the north now breath poetry and are giving birth to the most talented literary giants in the country.

If they ask you about the north, tell them that the north is poetified.

Sa’id Sa’ad is a Nigerian writer and performance poet from Maiduguri. He won the Peace Panel Short Story Prize, 2018 and NFC Essay Prize, 2018.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari.

Nigeria’s Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has taken to his official Facebook page to remember his former principal, Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.

Thursday, May 5, 2022, marks exactly twelve years since Yar’adua died, and Jonathan, who succeeded him as Nigeria’s President after his death, remembers him fondly on the anniversary.

He said although Yar’adua has left this world, the memories of his great works live with us.

“Twelve years ago, our nation lost a patriot, a selfless leader and a peacemaker who governed with sincerity and passion for the people. President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua is no longer with us today, but his strides in public life continue to testify for him and keep his memory alive,” He wrote.

Jonathan also added in the third paragraph of his eulogy that Yar’adua is the kind of leader that is rare and hard to find

“He was a soldier of truth, committed to justice, equity and other democratic virtues. He was a servant leader and a good man, the type that is hard to find.” He stated

By Ibrahim Nasidi Saal

Nigerians may have to pay more for calls and data as telecommunication companies proposed a new tariff increase of 40 per cent. They made this known in a letter sent to the Nigerian Communications Commission titled, ‘Impact of the Economic and Security Issues on the Telecommunications Sector’.

The telecommunications companies wrote the letter under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria to the NCC.

According to The Daily Reality sources, the Telcos have proposed the price floor of calls will increase from N6.4 to N8.95 while the price cap of SMS will increase from N4 to N5.61.

The Telcos noted that the increase in energy costs had impacted their operating expenses by 35 per cent, Our Source added. 

The Telcos, which include MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile, also said that the introduction of the recent excise duty of five per cent on telecom services had further increased the burden of multiple taxes and levies on the industry. 

The letter read in part:

 “As the commission may be aware, the power sector, under the supervision of its Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission of the power sector in November 2020, undertook a review of electricity tariffs to cater for the economic headwinds reported above.

“In view of the foregoing, ALTON considers it expedient for the telecommunications sector to undergo periodic cost adjustments through the commission’s intervention in order to minimise the impact of the challenging economic issues faced by our members.

“Upward review of the price determination for voice and data and SMS. Given the state of the economy and the circa 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business, we wish to request for an interim administrative review of the mobile (voice) termination rate for voice; administrative data floor price, and cost of SMS as reflected in extant instruments.

“With respect to voice an SMS cost, ALTON respectfully requests the commission to consider a mark-up approach to address the upward price adjustment desirable for the industry. We have enclosed herein and marked as ‘Annexure 1’our proposal in that regard.

“For data services, we wish to request that the commission implements the recommendations in the August 2020 KPMG report on the determination of cost-based pricing for wholesale and retail broadband service in Nigeria. Excerpts from the report, are attached and marked ‘Annexure 2’ to provide a further illustration.

“In implementing the said recommendations, however, we recommend that the 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business be factored in to arrive at a cost price per GB in view of the current economic situation.” 

By Abdullahi Yusuf (Abdool)

The viral tape of Chrisland School, Lagos, has become a trending topic lately due to its indecency and the nature of the people involved (i.e. children).

But before we conclude on whether the act involved rape or not, let’s look at the bigger picture, which is questioning the moral upbringing of the kids involved, who are obviously at the initial stage of puberty (below 13 years of age). We can all believe that it is too early for them to have such a bad experience at this young age. But who is to be blamed for this?

The 21st century has come along with many technological advancements. Some of these are of optimal benefit to humanity but detrimental to morality in some aspects. Contemporarily, one can access information and things we merely hear about in the olden days.

Internet is one of the goodies of this century. It enables its users to access what happens around the world quickly. Internet helps one learn a lot of things and get exposed to global opportunities with ease, while on the contrary, it holds a lot of negativities, especially for our younger ones.

We can’t dodge away from the reality of the moment, but we can put a lot of effort into making sure the negativities of the moment do not corrupt our progeny or us.

Parental negligence is the major contributing factor to the immorality we are experiencing. Parents nowadays show an unreasonable love to their children, which haunts them when they can no longer protect themselves or the children. This love gradually exposes the evil in the children due to a lack of due diligence in discharging parental responsibilities by the parent.

In the olden days, a total stranger could discipline a child for misbehaviour, and the child’s parent would appreciate the stranger for helping them do the right thing. But unfortunately, in the present time, a neighbour cannot punish a child for any misdemeanour because doing that could instigate the wrath of the child’s parent, and they would fight back as if punishing their child is a felony.

I could remember a scenario I read about on Twitter not long ago. A lady who visited her aunt narrated the story. She was necessitated to make a call and realised that her phone was out of credit which compelled her to borrow the phone of her aunt’s son, who was about 14 years of age, to make the urgent call. When using the phone, a video suddenly came in through WhatsApp, and she became curious to see what had just come in. She was shocked when she saw a nude sent to the boy by a young lady who happened to be his classmate. So she went through his chat with the same young lady to ascertain the fact. What she saw was devastating. She realised that the boy had been in a sexual relationship with that girl for a very long time.

In the above scenario, the parents are unaware of what’s going on with their child. He has been destroying his life without their knowledge due to their negligence. Their contribution to his misbehaviour is massive as they provided him with a phone and never cared to monitor what he was doing with it.

Typical African parents find it disgusting to give sexual orientation to their children. They think doing it is immoral, while not doing it causes more harm than good to our contemporary society.

Sex education to children is not about telling them about sexual intercourse; it’s about orienting children about their sexuality, sexual abuse, and what they should know about the sensitive parts of their body and acts they should consider as molestation. It is also about gender stereotypes and limitations concerning their morphology and physiology.

In conclusion, being a parent means being a protector, a teacher, a guide and a counsellor to the child. As a parent, don’t ever become reluctant to discharge your sole responsibility. Whenever you fail as a parent means unlocking an element of distress to society, which will strain you before diffusing to the larger community.

Abdullahi Yusuf (Abdool) studies at the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Bayero University, Kano. He wrote from Kaduna State via abdoolphd@gmail.com.