Nigeria

By Anwar Usman

Former presidential candidate and the national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has firmly denied claims that he submitted a letter of intent to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He made this statement in response to reports of his imminent defection to the APC.

This comes amidst rising political chatter early Friday morning, suggesting that the former Defence Minister had made formal overtures to the APC and had already begun talks with the party’s National Chairman behind closed doors.

In a statement personally signed and released through his media team on Friday, Kwankwaso refuted the claims, describing them as “online statements” lacking credibility or foundation.

The statement in part reads “we have been alerted to some online statements suggesting that we have submitted a letter of intent to join a political party in the country”.

“We would like to clarify that we have not made any such submission to any party. The public is therefore advised to stay informed of any further information regarding our matter through the established official channels”.

The speculation has triggered fresh speculation within political circles, especially as the 2027 general elections begin to cast long shadows across the country’s volatile political landscape.

Earlier on Friday, reports from political sources within the APC said that Senator Kwankwaso had allegedly sent a “discreet” letter to the party’s national secretariat indicating interest in joining the party.

The reports also hinted at ongoing discussions between Kwankwaso and the APC National Chairman, sparking a flurry of reactions across social media platforms and party caucuses.

With 2027 elections coming closer and the APC reportedly eyeing a broader northern consolidation, insiders believe both sides may be keeping lines of communication open — even if no formal letter has yet changed hands.

For now, Kwankwaso maintains that no move has been made — but in Nigerian politics, silence and denial are often the calm before a calculated storm.

By Umar Sani Adamu

The Almajiri system, once a noble pursuit of Islamic knowledge, has degenerated into a humanitarian disaster spread across Northern Nigeria. From the streets of Kano to the slums of Sokoto, thousands of children wander barefoot, hungry, and hopeless victims of a tradition that has outlived its purpose.

The idea behind Almajiranci was simple: young boys, mostly from rural or poor families, would be sent to Islamic scholars for religious education. But over time, what began as a pathway to learning became a pipeline to poverty, abuse, and neglect. Today, these children beg for survival, live in unhygienic conditions, and face constant exposure to criminality and exploitation.

Every year, thousands more are pushed into this cycle. With no formal curriculum, no sanitation, no feeding structure, and no monitoring, the system violates every principle of child welfare and human dignity. Many of these almajiris live in overcrowded, unventilated rooms, sometimes as many as 18 children in a single space, with no access to health care, no protection, and no future.

While governments talk reform, very little action meets the urgency. Integration programs are underfunded, religious institutions are left unchecked, and families often forced by poverty continue to submit their children to this outdated system. Meanwhile, the streets of Northern Nigeria grow more unsafe as vulnerable children are manipulated by extremist groups and criminal syndicates.

Let’s be clear: the Almajiri system, in its current form, is not education. It is abandonment. It is state-sanctioned child endangerment masquerading as religion. Any society that claims moral or spiritual uprightness cannot continue to tolerate this level of systemic neglect.

What Northern Nigeria needs is not a patchwork of reforms, but a complete overhaul. Islamic education should be formalised, monitored, and integrated into the broader national curriculum. Children should learn in safe environments where Qur’anic knowledge is integrated with literacy, numeracy, hygiene, and vocational training. Religious scholars must be trained, certified, and held accountable.

Above all, we must shift the responsibility from children back to adults. Governments, communities, parents, and religious leaders must admit the system has failed and work together to end it. The Almajiri child deserves more than survival. He deserves dignity, opportunity, and a future.

This is not just a social concern. It is a national emergency.

Umar Sani Adamu can be reached via umarhashidu1994@gmail.com

By Uzair Adam

The Katsina State Government has terminated the employment of 3,488 staff from 34 Local Government Councils and Local Education Authorities following a biometric screening exercise that uncovered extensive fraud.

Governor Dikko Radda, who received the screening report on Wednesday, said the exercise covered 50,172 staff members, verifying 46,380, while the remainder were found with fake credentials, ghost postings, absenteeism, or refusal to participate.

The report was formally presented at a State Executive Council meeting attended by top government officials and members of the Biometric Screening Committee.

The initiative has produced the state’s first-ever unified digital database of all Local Government Council (LGC) and Local Education Authority (LEA) staff, with projected monthly savings of N453.3 million if recommendations are fully implemented.

The 10-member committee identified falsified birth certificates, underage employment, illegal promotions, and instances where staff positions were sublet to others.

Additionally, N4.6 million was recovered from officers drawing double salaries or collecting pay while on leave.

Committee chairman Abdullahi A. Gagare revealed that the exercise also exposed the Education Secretary of Zango LEA for allegedly colluding with others to insert 24 ghost workers, describing the case as a “serious breach of trust.”

Governor Radda said, “We have been in the system for a long time, and we know these issues exist. Many warned me that the Committee’s work could damage my political standing, but I was determined to reform the system and do what is right for Katsina.”

He directed that the committee’s findings be converted into a White Paper for full implementation. Radda noted that local governments currently have about half a billion naira in savings, which could increase to N5.7 billion if the recommendations are applied.

“Despite high revenue allocations, many local governments in Katsina still struggle to pay salaries. Councils such as Kafur, Malumfashi, and Daura carry heavy wage bills, mostly due to staff who are not genuine,” he explained.

The governor emphasised that reducing this burden would free up resources to support grassroots development.

“This reform is aimed at saving the state from the grip of a few, ensuring more funds reach the people in our local governments,” Radda added.

The screening exercise was carried out by a 10-member committee, including four retired Permanent Secretaries and six Directors, supported by 16 co-opted members and security personnel.

By Uzair Adam

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has filed charges against five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for allegedly falsifying their ages to unlawfully extend their years of service.

The case, brought before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, has been assigned to Justice Yusuf Halilu, who has fixed September 25 for the arraignment of the defendants.

The 14-count charge names Idowu Owohunwa, a retired assistant inspector-general of police; Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, both retired commissioners of police; Obo Ukam Obo, a retired deputy commissioner of police; and Simon Lough, a retired assistant commissioner of police, while also referencing “others at large.”

According to the police, Owohunwa allegedly falsified his date of birth in Abuja in December 2024, claiming July 20, 1970, instead of his actual birth date. Igwe is accused of altering his records to reflect October 7, 1968, when investigators found he was born four years earlier, with his enlistment record showing contradictory entry dates of 1988 and 1996.

Lough allegedly changed his birth date from May 14, 1967, to May 14, 1969, in July 2022 to remain in service.Police say these acts violate public service rules and are punishable under sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code.

The accused officers, however, denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations malicious and politically motivated.

They said the case arose from a petition by the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group led by Kelvin Adegbenga, which accused them of manipulating service records.

Following the petition, the IGP issued them queries for serious misconduct on January 7, 2025.

In response, Owohunwa admitted a clerical error in his APER form listed 1970 instead of 1967 as his birth year, insisting his official appointment date remained August 15, 1996.

Igwe and Lough also denied the allegations, claiming the petitioners had confused their career records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows certain officers’ records to be updated.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, September 22, 2025, officially flagged off its 2025 Public Relations Officers Workshop in Kano, charging officers to demonstrate professionalism, resilience, and innovation in sustaining the Service’s image and public trust.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was represented by Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, at the opening ceremony held at the Centre of Excellence, Twin Theatres, Bayero University, Kano.

Delivering the CGC’s keynote address, Ag. DCG Bomodi highlighted the Service’s critical role at the “confluence of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security,” noting that every decision made by Customs affects citizens, the business community, and international partners.

He stressed that communication in such a sensitive environment must be more than ceremonial.

According to him, public relations officers serve as policy interpreters, dispute mediators, crisis managers, and custodians of the Service’s corporate image.

“Our actions may speak, but it is the voice of public relations that interprets, contextualises, and gives meaning to these actions. That is why this workshop is not just a routine exercise, but a strategic investment in the future of the Service,” he said.

Speaking on the workshop’s theme, “Beyond Masters of Ceremony: The Strategic Role of Public Relations Officers for Institutional Growth and Stakeholder Trust,” the CGC described it as timely and transformative, as it redefines the role of PROs from mere event announcers to key players in policy and stakeholder engagement.

He called on participants to embrace new technologies and crisis response tools, explaining that the rise of artificial intelligence and the risks of misinformation demand higher communication standards.

According to him, “The work of a PRO is not without its challenges. You will face crises that test your judgment, criticism that questions your integrity, and moments where silence may seem safer than speaking. But it is in these moments that your professionalism is most needed.”

Bomodi further assured that the leadership of the Service regards public relations as a vital component of its reform agenda, adding that its partnership with Bayero University represents “a bridge between scholarship and practice.”

He also welcomed BUK students present at the session, noting that their interaction with officers would enrich their academic exposure.

Declaring the workshop open, he urged participants to recommit to integrity and innovation, remarking: “The legacy you leave will not be measured by the number of events you anchored, but by the trust you built, the narratives you shaped, and the credibility you sustained for the Service.”

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, represented by his Director-General of Media, Sanusi Bature, commended the Customs Service for its role in national security, trade facilitation, and revenue generation. He described integrity and fairness as the backbone of effective public relations, stressing that the Service’s National PRO had set a standard for building public confidence.

He added that artificial intelligence, digital analytics, and social media engagement have become new frontiers for PR professionals.

However, he cautioned that “no technology can replace human values of honesty, empathy, and responsibility in communication.”

The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Professor Haruna Musa, also welcomed participants and reaffirmed the institution’s readiness to support the Service through training and research.

He described the workshop as a platform that “blends theory with practice in preparing officers for the demands of modern communication.”

In his presentation, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, emphasised that strategic communication is central to nation-building, urging officers to evolve from “managing perception to actively shaping the credibility and trust upon which governance thrives.”

Also speaking, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, underlined the importance of social media as a tool for transparency and accountability.

He advised officers to deploy digital platforms effectively while guarding against disinformation.

Other experts at the event expressed optimism that the four-day workshop would enhance officers’ communication capacity, strengthen their stakeholder engagement, and further solidify the Service’s reputation as a forward-looking institution.

By Uzair Adam

Some Islamic clerics in Kano State have received training on fact-checking and media literacy to help them counter false narratives and disinformation in their sermons and public engagements.

The two-day training, organised by Alkalanci, a fact-checking platform, brought together members of the Council of Ulamas and other religious leaders across the state.

The Daily Reality reports that the programme focused on equipping clerics with tools to identify, verify and dispel fake news, particularly on social media.

Speaking at the session, the Chairman of the Council of Ulamas in Kano, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, emphasised that religious leaders carry the responsibility of upholding truth and preventing the spread of falsehood.

He noted that misinformation has contributed to social tension and division, urging clerics to lead by example in promoting accuracy and fairness.

“Millions of people listen to you. Whatever you tell them carries weight,” Khalil said, adding that Islam condemns lies and encourages verification before passing information to followers.

Similarly, the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by Bauren Kano, Alhaji Abbas Dalhatu, Managing Director of Freedom Radio Group, highlighted the impact of social media on shaping public opinion.

“Freedom Radio reaches over 230 million people. The impact of fake news is delicate and dangerous,” he said.

He also cited Surah An-Naml, where Prophet Suleiman instructed his servant and a bird to verify reports about Queen Bilqis, describing it as an Islamic precedent for fact-checking.

Earlier, the founder of Alkalanci, Alhasan Bala, said the workshop targeted religious leaders because of their central role in shaping public opinion.

“We live in a time where information travels faster than ever. A single message, video, or image can reach thousands in seconds, and much of it is inaccurate,” Bala said.

He warned that misinformation threatens peace, unity, and trust in society, stressing that clerics must ensure what they share is true, informed, and beneficial.

Bala added that Alkalanci, established in October 2024, is committed to promoting media literacy and countering disinformation in Hausa-speaking communities.

The training included practical methods of verifying information both online and offline. Bala expressed appreciation to the emir, the Council of Ulamas, and other facilitators for their support.

By Gambo Zilkifilu Mohammed

In a moment that resonated with profound significance, the world of Nigerian academia has a new, groundbreaking milestone, and it bears the name of yet none other than the humble yet Noble Professor Umaru A. Pate (Kaigama of Adamawa state). He was inducted as a Fellow of the prestigious Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), shattering a long-standing tradition.

For the first time in the Academy’s esteemed history, this highest of honours has been bestowed upon a scholar from the field of Communications, a moment that feels both like a personal triumph and a victory for an entire discipline. The induction ceremony in Lagos was more than just a formal event, it was a heartfelt recognition of a lifetime of dedication.

The Academy, a hallowed body of the finest minds in the arts and humanities, wasn’t just celebrating a list of publications, they were honouring the immense impact of Professor Umaru Pate’s work. They acknowledged how his prolific research and visionary scholarship have fundamentally shaped the development of Mass Communication and Media Studies in Nigeria, empowering a generation of thinkers to understand the powerful role media plays in weaving the fabric of society.

But this historic moment didn’t appear out of thin air. It is the culmination of a decades-long journey marked by relentless pursuit of excellence.

Long before this fellowship, Professor Umaru Pate(Kaigama of Adamawa state) had already cemented his legacy as an academic titan. His path saw him shape young minds as the pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Communication, also the Dean school of post graduate Studies both at Bayero University, Kano.

The pioneer president society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SBN), The current president of Association of communication scholars and practisioners (ACSPN).

He didn’t just teach curriculum but nurtured the ethical core of future media professionals. Today, he provides strategic leadership as the current Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Kashere, guiding an entire institution toward its potential.

Beyond the walls of universities, his expertise has rippled out into the real world, impacting lives through his work as a consultant for global organizations like USAID, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO, World Bank, Ford Foundation, Mac Arthur foundation and the BBC World Service Trust.

Here, he leveraged the power of communication not for theory, but for tangible human development.

This profound body of work, over 70 publications strong, has already been celebrated with awards like the NUC’s Best Researcher Award and Award of excellence for service to humanity by the National Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ )in 2020, yet this latest induction carries a unique emotional weight.

Professor Umaru Pate’s story is about more than one man’s ceiling-breaking achievement. It affirms, in the most powerful way possible, that the study of how we connect, inform, and persuade one another is not just a social science. it is a vital humanity, one that sits at the very heart of media, culture and society.

His fellowship is a beacon, illuminating the path for future pioneers.Gambo Zulkifilu Muhammad is a final year student at thedepartment of mass communication BUK

By Oladoja M.O

In every democracy, opposition is meant to sharpen governance, hold power accountable, and deepen national debate. However, when opposition is driven not by facts, ideas, or vision, but by ignorance and a desire for power, it ceases to be the conscience of democracy and becomes the cancer of progress. Nigeria is today saddled with an opposition that mistakes noise for logic, Twitter trends for policy, and cheap comparisons for economic analysis.

The latest shameless theatrics are the attempts by the obedient leader, our chief serial-contester, and their coalition of recycled political elders to compare Nigeria’s economic trajectory with that of Argentina. They raise Argentina as though it were a heaven of reforms, while ignorantly or deliberately ignoring the bitter cries of Argentines battered by Javier Milei’s austerity chainsaw.

Argentina has cut nearly 48,000 public-sector jobs, vetoed even modest pension increases, and forced retirees onto the streets to be beaten by police water cannons and rubber pellets. Poverty there is climbing toward 60%, subsidies have been axed overnight, and the government survives only by begging the IMF for lifelines.

That is not reform, it is desperation.

This is in contrast to the Nigerian reality. Here, we removed the cancerous fuel subsidy, unified exchange rates, and embarked on painful but necessary monetary tightening to bring inflation under control. Inflation, which soared in 2023, is now sliding downwards in 2025, with headline CPI dropping to 21.8% in August. The fiscal deficit has narrowed from 5.4% of GDP to about 3.0%. Electricity sector debts are being refinanced, and the macroeconomy, though still rough, is anchored on a foundation of stability.

Even Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, no spokesperson of any party, but the globally respected WTO chief, publicly affirmed: “Nigeria has achieved stability, now the task is to drive inclusive growth.” Yet, the same opposition that celebrates Argentina’s IMF-borrowed pain and police-clubbed pensioners shamelessly called her “economically ignorant” for acknowledging the obvious.

Tell me what else defines nitwittery than this.

Though not so surprised, because ignorance has always been their brand. They cannot differentiate between stability and growth. To them, the economy is nothing more than the price of a bag of rice. Mr Obi throws around phrases like “lifting people out of poverty” as if they were trendy slogans for his following rally chant.

Oga Atiku, the permanent opposition aspirant, is once again cobbling together his “company of ex-this and former-that”, a cargo association of spent forces whose only qualification is that they once had access to government coffers and now desperately want another turn to loot. Their supporters, equally blind, cheer along, not out of reason but out of ignorance or bitterness, unable to see that governance is not Instagram clout, but hard, grinding policy.

This is not to canonise the Tinubu administration, make no mistake. I, too, demand more. There are ministers in this government who are sleeping on the job, and there are loopholes where reforms have yet to trickle down. Nigerians are eager for a positive impact in their daily lives, particularly in areas such as health, nutrition, education, and civil service efficiency. But unlike the ignoramus opposition, I understand sequencing. You first stabilise the macroeconomy, then you build growth on that foundation. What we need now is coordination, urgency, and social interventions that humanise the numbers. And to be fair, signs are there.

The launch of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, designed to empower 1,000 persons in each of Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, is one right instinct: drilling development down to the grassroots, away from abstract figures, into real people’s lives. As Minister Atiku Bagudu explained, this initiative will stimulate ward-level economic activity, generate employment, enhance food security, and turn stability into grassroots growth. It is precisely the kind of bottom-up complement that the current macro reforms require.

So yes, the work is far from done. Nigerians need more, faster, and better delivery. However, comparing Nigeria to Argentina is intellectual dishonesty or outright ignorance. Argentina is bleeding; Nigeria is stabilising. Argentina is laying off workers; Nigeria is restructuring its debt. Argentina is on IMF life support; Nigeria is financing reforms internally. Argentina is repressing protests; Nigeria is still debating freely.

The opposition can continue to chase clout, weaponise ignorance, and gather their fellowship of losers. Unfortunately, we are not getting what we deserve. Nigerians deserve informed opposition, not this company of old cargoes and nitwits parading as saviours.

However, for those of us who see clearly, we will demand more from the government, but we will not be drawn into the cesspool of ignorance disguised as activism.

The path forward is clear: build on the stability achieved, accelerate the trickle-down effect through real social interventions, empower the workforce, integrate the informal sector, and ignite genuine growth. That is how nations rise, not through the shallow chants of ignoramus opposition, nor through the empty hunger of clout chasers, but through truth, stability, and hard work.

Oladoja M.O writes from Abuja and can be reached at: mayokunmark@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Gyadi Gyadi in Kano has vacated an earlier order that led to the closure of Prime College, a private secondary school in the state.

Presiding Magistrate, Fauziyya Sheshe, on Monday directed the immediate reopening of the school, clarifying that the Kano State Private and Voluntary Education Board (PVIB) had misinterpreted her earlier ruling.

The Daily Reality gathered that on September 16, the court had issued a perpetual injunction in a suit filed by PVIB against Prime College, pending the hearing of a motion on notice scheduled for October 7, 2025.

Magistrate Sheshe explained that she had now vacated any restrictions arising from the earlier order, stressing that the school was free to operate.

She said the decision was based on an application filed by the State Counsel and her own discretion.

The legal team representing Prime College had appeared in court on Monday to challenge the legality of the “perpetual orders” earlier obtained against the institution.

The dispute traces back to a July 2025 announcement by Prime College of fee adjustments for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The school cited inflation and the need to sustain quality teaching and infrastructure, assuring parents of flexible payment plans and that no student would be denied education for inability to pay.

While the management claimed that more than 94 percent of parents complied with the new rates, fewer than 20 parents rejected the increment and petitioned PVIB, describing the move as exploitative.

Following the petition, PVIB Executive Secretary, Malam Baba Abubakar Umar, visited the school with some parents and set up an interim PTA committee of eight parents and five teachers.

The committee voted in support of the fee hike, but PVIB later declared the process inconclusive and directed a reversal of the increment.

The management of Prime College alleged that attempts to dialogue with PVIB were met with “abuse, denigration, and public embarrassment.”

On September 17, the school was served with a court order halting implementation of the new fees and suspending operations.

However, the following day, September 18, media reports suggested that the school had been completely shut down — a claim the school described as a misinterpretation of the court’s directive.

With Monday’s ruling, Prime College has been cleared to reopen immediately, pending further hearing on the substantive suit.

By Dr Abubakar Bello

The recent controversy over an alleged honorary doctorate awarded to musician Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara has sparked debate across northern Nigeria. Initially, reports indicated that the European-American University conferred an honorary doctorate on him in Abuja. However, days later, the institution publicly denied endorsing such an award, describing the event as fraudulent.

This is not the first time Rarara’s name has been caught in institutional back-and-forth. At one point, the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) was said to be planning a conference to celebrate his contributions to music and politics. Yet the university later backtracked, insisting the information was fake. The recurring pattern suggests not a lack of merit on Rarara’s part, but rather institutional hesitation in dealing with a figure whose art, political songs, and social influence are both celebrated and contested.

There is clear precedent for cultural icons receiving academic recognition. The late Mamman Shata, perhaps the most revered Hausa musician of the 20th century, was formally honoured by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. That recognition secured his place not only in the cultural memory of the Hausa people but also in academic history. By that measure, Rarara too will, sooner or later, be recognised by universities both within Nigeria and abroad for his cultural and political contributions. The real question is: which university will take the initiative?

Across Nigeria, universities have rightly celebrated industrialists, politicians, and philanthropists with honorary degrees, sometimes even surprising their own local institutions, as happened when other universities honoured Katsina’s business mogul, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, taking Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, his home-state university, by surprise. Yet cultural figures, especially musicians whose work captures the pulse of society, are too often overlooked until history forces recognition.

This is an opportunity for Nigerian universities to redefine what they celebrate. Honorary degrees are not just ceremonial gestures. They are statements of value, affirmations that music, political commentary, and popular culture are as vital to society as commerce and politics.

Whether in Katsina or beyond, Nigerian universities have the opportunity to lead by recognising Rarara. Doing so would not only honour one man but also promote the significance of indigenous music and political expression in our collective intellectual and cultural heritage. The controversy over fake awards should not overshadow this larger truth: Rarara’s contributions are genuine, and he deserves formal recognition.

 Dr Abubakar Bello wrote from the Department of Biological Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina. He can be reached via bello.abubakar@umyu.edu.ng.