Politics

By Ibrahim Nasidi Saal

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Tuesday granted an order of interim injunction restraining the Shehu Sagagi-led executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kano from exercising any power pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

Mr Sagagi is allegedly loyal to a former governor of Kano State and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The case was filed before Justice A.M. Bichi by one Bello Bichi against INEC, PDP and 40 others.

The order is as follows:

 “That in order not to create a serious power vacuum In the party at the State level and to prevent any anarchy which could result from such a vacuum, an order of interim injunction is granted restraining the 3″‘ to 42nd Defendants from parading or continuing to parade themselves as the Party Executives of the PDP in Kano State, from exercising any power pursuant thereto, or doing anything in that purported capacity pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice herewith filed, which is fixed for hearing on the 24th day of May, 2022.

“That an order for leave is granted allowing the substituted service of the Court Order and the originating and other subsequent processes on the 3rd to 42nd Defendants by leaving same with or at the office of the 25th Defendant, Mr. I. Wangida, Esq.”

The daily Reality reports that on April 28, another court of concurrent jurisdiction, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had reinstated the Shehu Sagagi-led state and 44 local governments’ executives of PDP, pending the determination of the substantive case before it.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo granted all the prayers of the Sagagi-led executives and warned the PDP national leadership against taking any action that would undermine them.

By Hassan Ahmad Usman

What else do we need to see before we believe that we don’t have anyone to cry out to, fight with, or even be our hope? 

Two things happened over the weekend that explained clear how dualism exists in Nigeria. First, the gap between the so-called “elites” and the masses is so wide that you can’t imagine these two people living and sharing a country.  It is a clear call for us, the less privileged children, to have sense and redirect where we burn our energies and pursue a realistic future.

First, when airline operators announced their resolution to stop operations on May 9 due to the ever-increasing prices of aviation fuel, we thought it was time for them too (elites) to feel how discomfort Nigeria can be and how a malfunctioning Nigeria is not suitable for anyone. But our curiosity got punctured when we woke to the news that the operators had suspended the planned stoppage of operations.  Why? How? We only have one answer – it is something that has to do with them (“elites ” or “big men” if you like). They don’t deserve humiliation. On the contrary, they deserve a swift response to what affects them (even behind closed doors). They are the true Nigerians.

 How do you expect an Atiku, Tinubu, Moghalu, Wike, Amaechi and the rest to campaign without air transport? Osinbajo will undoubtedly use the presidential fleets. So he’s a bigger boy. 

On the hand, ASUU announced the end of their warning strike of three months with another three months of strike ( it doesn’t even sound logical). How can you go on strike while on strike? So it is another painful morning for the children of the poor and their parents. 

It is high time we understood that to survive in Nigeria with these same elites; we must go beyond being their praise singers or political foot soldiers for actualizing their political dreams.  We must understand that our unborn children deserve much more than we have.  

Our schools have been closed for a quarter of this year, and we’ve braced up for another quarter to go unaccounted for.  Unfortunately, given the political atmosphere looming for the next general election, the ground is set for them to cultivate many young, hungry people for political thuggery with the help of our lecturers who never see sense in keeping us in school to shape us for the future.  

My dear children of the masses, our lives and future are not and never tied to any politician.  Therefore, despite our condition, we can dream and aspire just like their children. What we need is to focus and keep building in ourselves.

Let’s equip ourselves with relevant skills. The certificates ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria are denying us are becoming irrelevant on the global stage. Yes,  education is good, but there is no specified timeframe for it. We can build ourselves before going back to classes. So, let’s endeavour to show that we’ve not only come of age, our senses, too, have come of age.  

Hassan Ahmad Usman writes from Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. He can be reached via basree177@gmail.com.

By Nasidi ibrahim Saaal

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has urged political parties to make drug integrity test part of the screening requirements for aspirants seeking to contest political offices in the 2023 elections on their platforms.

Marwa stated this while responding to questions from journalists at the 2022 First Quarter Best Performing Commands Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday 27th 2022. 

According to him, for politicians, we have long advocated and I take the opportunity again to repeat the advocacy that when they run for public office it demands a lot of responsibility from the person and we need to be certain if he’s a person that is already a drug addict/user who will spend all the money he’s given for public service to consume cocaine and his head will not be in a stable condition to handle the affairs he has been entrusted with. For this reason, we have advocated and will continue to advocate that drug test be conducted for politicians; some state governments like Kano state is already doing this.

“Not just politicians, but government appointees, and I’ve just sent a letter this morning to the National Chairman of APC, who will be the first of the national working committee I wish to pay an advocacy visit on this issue. I recommended that drug tests be incorporated in the screening process for all those interested in running for public office; we’ll do the same to the PDP and other important parties.”

While addressing officers and men of the Agency present at the event, Gen. Marwa said the ceremony has become part and parcel of our corporate culture. Recognizing and rewarding hard work and excellence has always been a pragmatic way of stimulating productivity and enhancing the attainment of organisational goals; making it a tradition for the Agency is our way of enshrining meritocracy in the system.

“Statistics from the first quarter (Q1) report, indicated that our performance level has not dropped off. Indeed, achieving 3, 539 arrests, 677 convictions and seizures of 65, 916 kg of drugs in three months is no mean feat. Little wonder our performance continually earns the Agency deserved accolades from the right quarters within the country as well as from abroad, especially from international partners and peers. While we have not yet achieved the utopia of a drug-free society, the results showed that we are getting it right.”  

He told the officers that the awards and commendations are expected to will spur them to surpass their current feats at the next awards ceremony. The ceremony should be a poignant reminder for us not to forget where we are coming from. And there is no better way to say it other than for us to be mindful of the saying that success has a hundred fathers, but failure is always an orphan. No organisation would understand this adage better than NDLEA in the light of our past rock bottom experience. Therefore, we should all be mindful that we hold the fate of NDLEA in our hands, and that fate will be determined by our patriotism and dedication to duty, as well as our collective resolve to work towards the attainment of the Agency’s mandate. 

“Let me also seize this occasion to remind you about the importance of propagating the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme in your various commands. There is much we can achieve when our communities are working hand-in-hand with us. That is why our roadmap, the NDCMP 2021-2025, strongly emphasises collaboration with all the stakeholders in society. We have to woo members of society to work with us on this very important assignment. Therefore, I charge you to ensure that WADA is correctly and deeply entrenched in the spheres of operation of your respective commands, he stated. 

While assuring the officers that the Agency is proud of them, he said the sacrifice of a narcotic officer cannot be quantified in gold or silver, for he is fulfilling a higher calling. As we go about our duty of securing our society against the corrosion of illicit drugs, we should be aware that we are the direct beneficiaries of our work because for every kilo of drugs seized, we are making our streets and society safer for our children, family and kinsmen.

NDLEA is proud of its workforce; the Agency treasures the effort of its officers and men; the management shall continue to look out for their best interest. We shall continue to reward hard work and excellence.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The mother of the missing social media critic, Abubakar Idris, aka Dadiyata, has passed on at sixty-six. 

The Daily Reality gathered that the deceased died at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, where she was being treated.

Family members, Aminu and Usman, confirmed her death to journalists, adding that the deceased was rushed to the hospital where she had finally died. 

Usman said, “She was okay when she went to bed. However, she woke up at midnight, and she couldn’t talk. She became unconscious and was rushed to the hospital.”

Dadiyata was reportedly taken forcibly by unknown men on August 2, 2019, at his residence in Kaduna. However, until today, all attempts to trace his whereabouts have been fruitless.

By Usama Abdullahi

Two things are so sure in life. The first is we are all going to die someday. The second is a person is most likely to suffer for being honest at all times. However, in this recent case of Sheikh Nuru Khalid, we can attest to the second fact.

You don’t expect anything good from people who hate hearing and being told the truth. It doesn’t surprise me to see Sheikh Nuru Khalid being unfairly relieved of his role as the Chief Imam of the Apo Legislative Mosque by the Mosque Committee under the chairmanship of Senator Dan Sadau.

For that’s what you get when you decide to stick with the truth. My fear is not him being fired for speaking against the cruelty of this present government but how politicians manipulate our religious leaders. They use them as baits to help tame or silence the veracious clerics who speak truth to power. This has been the norm for many years now. What makes it look appalling is that those easily manipulated clerics reduce themselves to mere sycophants.

Aside from getting lured into misquoting the Holy Books and preaching only what best suits the hearing of their political godfathers, they try to persuade their followers to believe all the rubbishes they preach. So, to be sincere, I wasn’t surprised when I learnt of the dismissal of the “Digital Imam” over his true statement about the government. It’s not like what the media paints. His sermons weren’t anti-government. 

Yes, his Friday sermon was just a simple reminder and awareness of how to call our hardened and irresponsible government to task. Sheikh Nuru Khalid doesn’t speak for himself alone. He represents the voice of the oppressed masses who brought this government to power through their votes. Only the patriotic and religious ones will fully understand what he preaches. They are the only ones who will realise that this government doesn’t care about the plight of the poor citizens who voted them to power.

It’s so disappointing that he got sacked because of his intestinal fortitude and truthfulness. I saw this coming, considering how fierce he’s lately been in criticising this government for their failure to secure the lives of the people they had sworn to defend. I see his calculated dismissal as more of a  politically advised plan to compel him to complete silence so that they will continue to suppress us by being neglectful regarding safeguarding our vulnerable lives without him chastising them for their ugly sins.

What frustrates me more is knowing that his dismissal letter was full of grammatical inaccuracies and negotiated by people who are said to be genuine Muslims. Yet, their actions betray their faith and academic standings. Islam neither promotes nor tolerates such despicable acts. It’s the religion of peace. Hence, there’s no room for what they did in Islam.

We should be happy that he still breathes because we have seen how some of his likes were slain for saying the same thing. In case you forget, truth-telling cost Sheikh Jaafar and Albany Zaria their noble lives. So, it’s little wonder that the Digital Imam was just sacked. We’ll never get it better by hiding under the pretence of religion to promote and cover up the faults and interests of those usually self-seeking politicians. Accordingly, it’s unfair to deny our clerics the podium to speak truth to power simply because of political gains. 

Usama Abdullahi wrote from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached via usamagayyi@gmail.com

By Umar Farouk

Your Excellency, I am writing you this letter with indubitable respect to your humble personality. Unfortunately, I am obliged to address you openly since personal access to you may be barred by your bureaucratic and routine security protocol. Hence, people like me can’t get access to meet you privately.

My joy is neither limited to the letter’s content nor the means of satisfying my professional conscience. It is rather vested in my utmost trust that you have a listening ear. It is on this that I implore that you gracefully through to be mention perception consider the actualisation of the message therein.

I, therefore, pray that this letter meets you well and that God would grant you the grace, wisdom and the presence of mind to accept this for what it is. It’s an honest attempt at giving you a perspective on handling the existential crisis facing Jigawa state and its people.

On many occasions, your administration claimed to be transparent, accountable, and respect the commoner, especially young people. I believe we have to grow beyond sentiments about those that govern us if we really want to move in the right direction, but I think your administration has performed below our expectations. 

Your Excellency, you may kindly wish to recall that the youths have been at the forefront of every struggle since the creation of this state. Also, most of the protagonists for the emancipation of Jigawa from Kano State were young people. 

Sir, youths’ trust deficit and loss of faith in you as the governor of our esteemed state is in dire need of rebuilding and assurance. I am particularly hoping you do this in earnest so that it won’t go down in history as one governor who lost his fort to secure his people out of obscurity and perpetual distrust in governance.

The younger generations have no patience for long messages; their understanding outstrips speeches and press statements lacking facts and pragmatism. They want today a vital social ideal for which to live and labour in. A system that will ensure their voices count while the equitable distribution of wealth and resources is guaranteed now and in the future.

My dear Governor, please note this, our youths, who graduated recently, are in large numbers, and many cannot find means for a decent livelihood. Many who desire to advance their education further cannot do so. Many of them, due to pressure, fall prey to employment scammers. The challenging life experience pushed many into drug peddling, organised groups engaged in stealing and all sorts of crimes. 

It would be a great thing if His Excellency’s administration would avoid lip service to youth’s plights but work concretely with them, not just with celebrities and most opinionated social media activists alone. We must also not forget to accommodate the army of young people that do not possess any skill and therefore would not fit into any formal employment description

The resourcefulness of Jigawa youths is enormous, of which I know your Excellency is very much aware of going by the information at your disposal as our governor.

About 65% of our population are young people between 18-42. Therefore, the need to invest heavily in developing this energetic group can never be overemphasised. Therefore, youth empowerment and development should have been the cornerstone of your administration. 

Your Excellency, after the end of your first term and second year into your second and final term, many believe you have not done well on those matters, and others think you can do better. The unemployment rate in Jigawa is simply worrisome and should not be taken lightly. Furthermore, the NBS reports for three consecutive years have shown we are not doing well in job creation.

I am, however, aware of the various intervention measures your administration has initiated to engage our young people in gainful ventures. Still, they are a far cry from addressing the hydra-headed problem. They need more opportunities to discover their capabilities and an encouraging environment to grow and innovate. For this reason, the government needs to develop initiatives to train and retrain the youth and create awareness about new and emerging fields of entrepreneurship. 

Sir, Your top aides, political leaders within your party and your friends may not tell you the truth even when they complain bitterly within their closets and are quietly compiling a list of your sins they will use against you at the appropriate time.

You must understand that a leader who takes delight or cares less about his people’s disturbing condition is not worth being called a leader. Jack Welch said, “Great Leaders love to see people grow. The day you are afraid of them being better than you is the day you fail as a person” John Maxwell added that “Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”

Sir, this clamour is not in any way aimed at attacking you, as I remain ruthless in our support to ensure the State of Virtues rise above the shackles limiting it to a desirable standard that places it in the heart of all and sundry, but it’s just as important to speak against the repression of this sort, as I believe and stand convinced that the price of unflinching loyalty shouldn’t be undue abandonment. 

Mr Governor, have my best wishes as you reform and initiate programmes and policies that have positive effects on our State and people. 

Best wishes. Thank you.

Umar writes from Jigawa, and he can be reached via umarrfarouk2015@gmail.com. 

By Lawi Auwal Yusuf

So great are the expectations. Some people believe it to be long overdue, and others are immensely surprised. But, to those who understand, the Infallible Saints Party (as they call themselves) and its government are much to be anticipated. Probably, it seems like coming with strong whims of making a revolution.  

Is it a one change whirl like that championed by the ANC in South Africa under its propellant, Nelson Mandela? Or the CCP in China contrived by its mastermind, Mao Zedong or the PAP in Singapore with the engineering of its leading figure, Lee Kuan Yew? But, as the change charlatans are about to leave office, people have realized that their revolution is nothing but a trick, deception and betrayal. Thus, the malignant political parties of old crooks and the treacherous ISP of the self-righteous saints are but the two sides of a coin. 

As the stormy wind of politics swept across the country in 2015, people were in a dilemma because the incumbent party had taken the nation to the verge of absolute rot. Hence, it was necessary for a vibrant new captain to take over so as to save the capsizing ship on the muddy, turbulent and already disturbed ocean. ISP and its leading forces, the messiah, who promised a miraculous change, were our last hope for survival. Therefore, we undoubtedly reposed the trust, firmly believing that the mess would be cleared once and for all, come what may. 

For over a decade, people sacrificed their wealth, resources and lives for the success of the so-called “jagoran talakawa” (masses emancipator). Today, what is the gain earned? An excoriating economic hardship, an avoidable but seemingly inevitable mass killings and abductions. Sadly, he campaigned unwaveringly for the big office for more than a decade. However, he practically lacks any blueprint for the motherland’s development. 

They violated the faithful confidence and trust of compatriots for personal gain. It was a deliberate and calculated disregard for trust and faith, failing to understand that change requires tireless efforts, sacrifice and effective policies. 

Contrarily, the head of the government remains aloof. As a result, the government’s obsolete and unrealistic policies aggravate the people’s misery. They make life worse, more challenging and make the poor poorer. Moreover, they deepen the crises rather than resolve them. 

ISP has assured people that they are the masters of ineptitude and mediocrity by engaging dirty incapacitated politicians to do the job. This is why they are making the project uglier than ever before. 

The sanctimonious Mai Gaskiya (The Truthful One) and the die-hard cohorts of the ISP boastfully brag that the administration performs better than the preceding regimes since the inception of democracy. This is a gaffe and a baseless argument to fool the psych of those who are gullible. If the ISP believes this to be true, it’s a self-guile at its most deceitful form. This evidently shows that they are only specialized in the game of political wangling and finagling. Indeed, this is the worst government in the history of the modern motherland. And expecting them to do better is like kicking a dead horse.

On account of this, people are in deep regret as frustration is boldly written on their faces. This is the worst decision and mistake they have ever made. Consequently, they have fallen from the frying pan into the fire. 

At last,  they will leave next year as ones who promised a better life but made it more grievous. Those that vowed for a quintessential change instead come with an illusionary one. They can not save innocent souls being murdered in cold blood daily, ones who couldn’t save us from woes. Those saviours have turned into disappointment.  

Lawi Auwal Yusuf wrote from Kano, Nigeria, via laymaikanawa@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Tukur

For many years, persons with disability have been encountering various forms of discrimination from the government of all levels in Nigeria. From the onset of Nigeria’s democracy, nay, independence, there had been the executions of different, life-changing, life-saving and life-enhancing projects. However, if meticulously observed, one can see that only a very few numbers of persons with disability have benefited from it. Finally, in its bid to battle against abject poverty, and thanks to the establishment of the National Disability Commission, the current administration began to make a difference.

Persons with disability, for many years, have been using various mediums to battle against the discrimination thrown at them by the government. They clamour for their right, but their efforts yield only a slight result. Although the current administration enacted a law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disability, it has yet to be implemented in its entirety.

Disability-based discrimination is a huge problem that seems to have abounded every nook and cranny of our country. Fighting such entails a decisive element in the vicinity where the discriminations exist.

Persons with disability in Nigeria receive little concern or attention from the government regarding employment, health, education, empowerment etc. This happens as a result of the fact that persons with disability do not have a voice that will fight for them.

To eradicate this irrational discrimination, persons with disability should participate in politics. They can then play roles or be advocates of good leadership to help their kind and the general public.

Ibrahim Tukur wrote via inventorngw@gmail.com.

By Abdulrahman Yunusa

The fact is that no matter how saint or pious you tend to be in the realm of politics, the rotten eggs surrounding the defined political territory must, at all cost, drag you to the diabolical clique of corrupt individuals.

“Politics at whatever level has no nexus with morality,” I have said this over and over, and I will reiterate it now and forever. Therefore, when you see people ditching or bashing people of high repute and class, be it among scholars or royal personalities on a political basis, don’t ever worry about it. They buy it themselves by aligning themselves to the dirty game of politics and paying the price at all costs.

You can’t eat your cake and have it. It’s either you stay away from politics and get your dignity saved or choose to be part of the game and get your dignity torn apart. That’s just the truth. As a person of class, if it appears must for you to associate with men of power, you can do it but with diligence and yet without being actively part of the game. Therefore in another term, you can choose to be passive in the sense that you can air your advice from far for that will earn you more respect in the world of murky politics as of today.

Although, under no reasonable circumstances, you can dive into the gutter with a clean dress and still expect to come out as clean as before. Don’t hoodwink yourself, my man. However, in the meantime, you can possess the guts and audacity to challenge power on behalf of the weaker masses and remain respectful ever in their sight, but getting intimidation by power can worsen your personality. So get this, don’t say we don’t tell you. 

However, suppose you have an interest in politics. In that case, I can advise you to humbly naked yourself from that regalia of dignity and respect for the simple reason that environment you set to get yourself involved in doesn’t favour people of such type. Instead, it brings about gross damage to your hard-earned personality knowingly or unknowingly. 

The case of Sheikh Pantami and Kwankwasiyya supporters of 2019 isn’t far from us, as it trended over and over anyone conversant with Nigerian politics can attest to the overt fact that it’s the Sheikh that once crossed the path of their Messiah (accidentally) without knowing the repercussions that might follow back. Thus, since he believes he is ready to play the game, he has to pay the price of his action in such an unwanted way. 

In addition to that, the bulger case against Bukar Abba, former Yobe state governor, is also a famous instance to prove me right. His private affairs with some ladies who were once brought to media. Such a dirty act cost him much from his dignity. Because many went with the idea that HE IS A WOMANIZER and you know how sensitive every saner society react to case related to sexual content thus, Bukar was trolled and later left in the abyss of shame. However, he wasn’t showing any sign of regret about it, but none can deny the fact that his dignity was mischievously touched.

Meanwhile, you better know that when you get yourself into the chaotic environment, don’t ever anticipate a position that won’t get you compromised. It’s either you recant and make a public apology against your step or delve deeply and get compromised.

Therefore, anyone trying to make “Politics and Morality” two exclusive things in the case of Nigerian politics will forever be proven wrong. The system is designed to favour nothing except indecency, corruption lewdness and injustice at all realms.

Even if they find it sweet and succulent to ridicule the personality of our beloved Sheikh on every single move taken by him, don’t be anxious or worried. The Sheikh is not the first and will never be the last victim of such devastating and nauseating political reality. For many will rush to get themselves into the corridor of power, thinking they are shrewd enough to escape the traps set on the paths without knowing the fact that those deadly traps are not set in the way someone can go through them without being injured or distracted.

Know when and how to set your foot in politics and prepare well for the challenges ahead. 

Thank you!

Abdulrahman Yunusa is a political and public affairs analyst. He writes from Bauchi and can be reached through abdulrahmanyunu10@gmail.com.