President Muhammadu Buhari

By Sulaiman Maijama’a

If not because of the dogged determination and great perseverance of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in defence of education in Nigeria over the years, public universities in the country would have since been in a dilapidated condition with poor infrastructure, poor remuneration of staff.

Moreover, the universities would have been stocked with unqualified teachers, just like what is happening to our public primary and secondary schools or perhaps worse than that. Those who misconceive ASUU, for its struggles, as being selfish know nothing about what education takes to be efficient.

It is common knowledge that people who had the luxury of attending private primary and secondary schools in Nigeria earn more prestige than those who attended public ones. This is so because the quality of education in public schools at the basic level has since been diminished. But the reverse is the case at the university level; products of public universities in Nigeria can show a trick or two to their counterparts who are produced by private institutions. This is to the credit of the ASUU.

The Union, despite the meagre resources it receives and the poor funding the universities suffer, is able to produce professionals who are rising and shining in respective disciplines globally. Notwithstanding this feat, the union has been pushed over the years to go into industrial action at the detriment of students and the action by the ASUU is always greeted with criticisms from the public domain.

As a university student, the fact that our academic pursuit is being elongated owing to strikes is paining, and so, I agree wholeheartedly that strikes embarked upon by the ASUU almost annually are not the best solution and not the best way to put pressure on the government to meet its demands but, to crucify the union for its doggedness is not fair at all. If we ever dug deep to understand how much education costs in the countries across the globe and compared it to the demands of the striking ASUU members that are yet to be met for over a decade, for which they have always protested, we would discover that education in Nigeria is as worthless as a waste dump.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommendation, for any nation that wants to adequately meet the demands of education, 15 to 20 per cent of its annual budget should be earmarked for the sector. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s budget for education has always fallen below the recommended benchmark.

Despite the daunting tasks and the challenges that are posing threat to the sector and the need for additional funding, President Buhari’s 2021 budget share for education is the lowest in ten (10) years. Out of N13.08 trillion budgeted for the year, only N742.5 billion, which is equivalent to 5.6 per cent, was allocated to education, which is the lowest allocation since 2011. This is about half of what President Jonathan earmarked for education in the 2015 budget.

In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan allocated 9.3 per cent of the total budget to education. It was further increased to 9.86 per cent in the 2012 budget; elevated to 10.1 per cent of the total 2013 budget. It was 10.5 per cent in the 2014 budget, and the same President Jonathan earmarked 10.7 per cent of the 2015 budget, which happened to be the highest in the last decade.

However, when President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, in his first budget in 2016, the education share was cut short drastically to 7.9 per cent of the total budget, and in 2017, it was reduced to 7.4 per cent of the total budget; in 2018 it was 7.04 per cent, while 7.05 per cent of the 2019 budget was allocated to the sector and in 2020 it was 6.7 per cent, and 5.6 and 7.9 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

While former President Jonathan had every year increased the budget share for education throughout his stay as president from 9.3 per cent in 2011 to the highest 10.7 in 2015, President Buhari has been drastically reducing the budget from 7.9 in 2016 to the lowest 5.6 in the 2021 budget.

In any case, the Buhari/APC-led administration’s lackadaisical approach toward education is indisputably disastrous to the lofty dreams of young Nigerians to attain global recognition academically. How could a serious government that values education give only 5 per cent of its annual budget to the most sensitive sector like education? This is beside the series of outstanding memoranda of understanding the government signed with the ASUU in 2009, 2013 and 2017, as well as the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 2019 and 2020, but yet to be implemented. How on earth could you expect the ASUU not to be aggrieved?

And now, the Minister of Education is further fuelling the disagreement by telling the ASUU members that their six months denied salaries during which they were on strike would not be paid, making reference to the “no work, no pay policy”. I don’t know the provision of law on this, but my concern is, how can you come to meet with a union of intellectuals like ASUU and dare to tell them that this is the final government’s offer and that there is no need for negotiation; it is either they accept or reject it? This is highly ridiculous.

In my view, education is a treasure. Whatever huge amount of money is invested in it, it will definitely pay off eventually. A member of the Senate Chamber, whether or not they raise a motion, whether or not they contribute to a debate, earn a whopping thirty 30 million or thereabout monthly. This is minus all other illegal earnings which are obtained through leakages and corruption. In comparison to academics, a professor who spends his life sacrificing his time and pleasure doing research to contribute to knowledge does not earn a mere five hundred thousand a month, with all the inflation.

I don’t want to dwell much on making comparisons with the fortune allocated to the National Assembly. But, if such an amount of Naira notes which is beyond imagination, would be given to the National Assembly, why can’t the Federal Government meet all the demands of the ASUU to proffer a lasting solution to this lingering strike that is jeopardizing the future of the Nigerian youth, wreaking havoc on the economy and threatening the fabric of our social structure?

It is evident during the EndSARS protest in 2020, when students were on strike, that the strike was a contributing factor that fueled the agitation, which later turned tragic. Had it been the youth who were mostly the ones at the forefront of the demonstration who were on campuses, busy coping with their academic activities, the move would not have been accepted to such an extent, and therefore, the government would have easily controlled it.

As the saying goes, “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop”. Now, the 2023 forthcoming elections are fast approaching, and the youth are bored doing nothing and, therefore, can indulge in anything that comes their way. Who knows what could possibly be the next trend if the youth remain idle?

The Federal Government must understand and appreciate the value and power of education, respect all agreements reached with the ASUU and invest more resources in the sector in order to save the future of young Nigerians. This is because, without education, man is like an animal.

The ASUU, on the other hand, needs to understand that strike is nothing but a calamity to education. They should adopt amicable and diplomatic ways of engaging the government. “When two elephants fight, grasses suffer the most”.

Maijama’a is a student at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, kano. He can be reached via sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Aminu 

The Federal Government (FG)has proposed June 2023 after the general election to eliminate subsidising fuel in Nigeria.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, disclosed this at the hearing of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee Investigating the Petroleum Products Subsidy paid between 2013 to 2022 on Thursday.

Ahmed, who disclosed that the FG is planning a new date to end payments on under-recovery between the landing cost and regulated pump price of PMS, stated that the subsidy regime was not sustainable and may force more borrowing in 2023.

She said that the government, in the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper planned for payment of the subsidy for only the first six months of 2023. 

Ahmed further disclosed that President Buhari transmitted the MTEF/FSP to the Senate and the House of Representatives as approved by the National Economic Council and the Federal Executive Council.

“One thing that stands out in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework was that if the nation holds on to fuel subsidy as it is designed now, we will be incurring from January to December a subsidy cost of N6.4tn. But we suggested to the Federal Executive Council, and the council approved that maybe, we could look at the option of exiting the subsidy (regime) for half a year. So, if we did that, then the cost would be N3.35tn, which is half of the N6.7tn.

 “The Federal Executive Council approved the second option. That is the option that was conveyed by His Excellency, the President, to the National Assembly. But Let me also say that even though this is a reduced option, it would mean that we are borrowing more than we would have borrowed if we did not have fuel subsidies.  In 2022 we are carrying the cost of subsidy throughout the whole year.

“Recall that the initial MTEF and approval by the parliament was for us to exit the subsidy by June of this year. But during the course of the year, making assessment of the difficult fiscal challenges in the economy and the hardship that our citizens are bearing due to high inflation and other challenges, we were asked to re-submit our plans and review them to include provision for fuel subsidy throughout the year 2022. That was how we came back to parliament with an incremental expense from N443bn which we had planned to up to N4tn subsidy expense in 2022,” the minister said.

She added that“This situation is not desirable and it is not sustainable. It is putting the country in a very serious, dire financial situation and we do hope that we will be able to exit this subsidy regime in the shortest possible time.

“The N3.35tn in the approved MTEF that is now before the National Assembly for consideration could have been funds that would apply to other vital sectors of the economy such as health, education and social protection. So, we are carrying a burden and we must sit back as citizens and really assess whether it is beneficial for us to continue to do so.”

The minister also presented a breakdown of withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Excess Crude Account for payments to oil marketers under the subsidy regime.

She said, “Deduction of PMS under recovery shortfall by NNPC for the period 2013 to 2022: We are reporting that there is a total sum of N4.436 trillion which was deducted as PMS under-recovery by NNPC for the period January 2013 to December 2021.

“In this report, we are reporting the sum of N1.774 trillion has been paid to independent oil marketers as subsidies from 2013 to 2016.

“I will like to call the attention of the committee to note that the total sum of N6.210tn – that is the N4.4tn plus the N1.774tn – was expended on PMS under-recovery by NNPC as well as payment of subsidy to independent oil marketers from 2013 to 2021.

“I want to report on the funding of subsidy payments to independent oil marketers for 2013 to 2016. Payments that have been made to them were directly from the domestic Excess Crude Account through the reduction of Sovereign Debts Instruments that we call the SDIs.

“The SDIs are negotiable short-term instruments that were issued by the government at that time to give marketers comfort and enable them access financial support from their bankers for the importation of PMS. The instrument was approved by the then President in 2010.”

 She added, “It is also important to note that there were instances where funds were transferred from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the domestic Excess Crude Account for subsidy payments.

 “For 2015, there are two instances: N31bn from the FGN’s excess domestic account, transferred from the CRF. Again in 2015, N156.1bn transferred from the CRF in another instance to the domestic Excess Crude Account.”

The minister, however, told the committee to request the statement of account of the NNPC from the company directly.

The committee resolved to request documentary evidence of the beneficiaries of the N500bn after some members expressed their reservations about the payments, especially without knowing the actual volume of PMS consumed daily.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The lead negotiator with the abductors of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers, Malam Tukur Mamu, has confirmed that the remaining 27 victims of the train attack are still in captivity.

Mamu confirmed this in a press release he personally signed in Kaduna on Tuesday. He said “this is to confirm without doubt that the remaining 27 passengers of the train attack are still being held by their abductors, nearly 5 months after the unfortunate and preventable incidence”.

“Though I have disengaged myself from negotiating, anxious family members, pressmen and concerned Nigerians have been calling to confirm the veracity of the news while many others justifiably have been celebrating and even congratulating relatives of the innocent victims” he said.

“While it is a news we are all praying earnestly to hear, it is highly irresponsible for peddlers of FAKE NEWS to circulate sensitive contents that are not only unverifiable, untrue but news items that will certainly trigger anxiety and concerned amongst the family members of those that remained in captivity and millions of their well wishers across the globe”.

“The condition of the remaining victims is still very bad, many of them are sick, the raining season is affecting them so much. I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts in securing their release immediately as the situation remains highly unpredictable while the families of those that are still in the bush are incapacitated in whatever way to negotiate the safe release of their loved ones”.

By Prof. Abdussamad Umar Jibia

It is well known that members of the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), the umbrella body of academic staff in Nigerian public universities, have been on strike for six months. Specifically, the strike began on February 14, 2022. Typical of the union of academics, it ensured that all means of avoiding the strike were exhausted before declaring the industrial action. Other university unions followed suit to avoid being left out in case ASUU emerged triumphant.

The issues are many, and not all of them have to do with money. And in fact, not all the funds mentioned in the dispute between ASUU and Federal Government will go to the pockets of ASUU members. No money goes to the union except the monthly dues it collects from members. It is not the duty of a trade union like ASUU to collect and disburse funds. That is the duty of university administrations.

Let me explain in plain language. But before I do, specific facts are vital.

Although the Federal Government has given licenses for the establishment of many private universities in Nigeria, only about six per cent of Nigerian university students are currently in private universities. More than 90 per cent of university students are in public universities owned by state and federal governments.

Another important note is that there are currently more supporting staff in public universities than operational (academic) staff. Consequently, there are three other unions in public universities apart from ASUU. People usually do not differentiate between ASUU and others, primarily due to Government propaganda. All of these unions are now on strike.

Nigerians may also wish to note that undergraduate students in federal universities do not pay a Kobo as tuition fees as long as they are Nigerians. The very little they pay as registration fees are for services like ID cards, games, hostel, etc.

The issues for which ASUU members are on strike are the same for which the immediate past government of President Jonathan Goodluck commended the union for being patriotic and selfless. One of them is the proliferation of public universities. Does it make sense that the same government that persistently complains of not having enough funds to run its existing universities is continuously establishing new universities in every nook and cranny of the country?

Revitalization of public universities for which an agreement was reached with Jonathan’s government to release N1.3trn in six instalments is what the FG has been using to misinform the public that ASUU is looking for too much money. Thus, any time the FG releases some paltry sum of N30bn, for example, it tells the world that it has given additional funds to ASUU. I think that is why some patriotic Nigerians once agreed to “donate the sum of N18b to ASUU” to call off its strike. This money does not go to ASUU. It is used to carry out projects by contractors appointed by FG or its appointee governing councils.

The only other thing that involves cash is the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement. In case you do not understand this, it is about the condition of service (SALARY AND ALLOWANCES) of academic staff, which the government promised to review every four years. But unfortunately, the promise has not been fulfilled for 13 years.

In 2020 after an ASUU strike, the Federal Government set up a committee to renegotiate with ASUU and other unions. The committee finished its work and submitted its report in May 2021. Regrettably, the report was dumped and, despite ASUU’s constant reminders and follow-ups, was only dusted when ASUU began its strike in March this year. That is when this government realized that it could not pay what was recommended by the committee. The same government set up another committee on the report it is unwilling to disclose.

As a student or parent, you are aware of all of the above if you have been following the engagement of ASUU with the Federal Government. I am only reminding you if you have forgotten.

I am particularly shocked to hear the Minister of State Labour, Festus Keyamo, calling on parents to appeal to ASUU to end the strike. The reason is that they cannot afford N1.2tr ASUU is asking for. When did ASUU ask for this amount? Is it the revitalization fund Keyamo is talking about which ASUU never requested the FG to pay in bulk? If that is the case, why does it have to take FG six months of ASUU strike to state it? Or is it the result of renegotiation for which the FG never called ASUU and said what it could pay? It just doesn’t make any sense.

What about other issues like the UTAS for which the FG has been meeting with ASUU and claiming to have conducted tests with xy results? Is Keyamo also appealing to parents to beg ASUU on it?

And who are these parents? Please let all the government officials involved in this ASUU/FG negotiation mention the number of children they have in public universities and the programmes they are following. Of course, I know the children of Mr President study in the UK. I wrote to advise him against it when his family celebrated the graduation of one of his daughters in December 2019. Whether or not the advice of nonentities like me matters is a different issue. It is the ordinary us that cast the votes to elect him anyway.

Finally, let me remind Mr President that he has only less than a year to leave office. Unfortunately, nearly all his diehard supporters I know have been disappointed. This is mainly due to the people he entrusts with fundamental issues like Security and Education.

On the particular issue of ASUU and sister unions, Mr President seems to be overconfident in the Labour Minister, a southeast politician who was expecting you to anoint him to take over from you next year. When you refused to do it, one of them, who is also in your cabinet, stood before you in the last convention and accused you and your party of injustice. With that, can you rule out sabotage?

Mr President, please use the little time left to correct your mistakes and avoid making another regrettable blunder. Nigerians did not elect Ngige, Keyamo, Zainab or any of those. If not for you, these names would have long disappeared into obscurity. Please remember that most APC politicians who won the 2015 and 2019 elections, especially in the North, won because of you. So, the expectation is high, and the performance is dismal.

I hope Mr President reads this.

Professor Abdussamad Umar Jibia wrote from Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via aujibia@gmail.com.

By Samuel Aruwan

“One who is loved, never dies.” – C.S. Lewis

Certain people we meet in the course of our lives become so important to our reality, that permanent separation from them is something the mind can never fully comprehend. The duration of meeting may not be long; it is the intensity and impact that linger in the memory.

Death is an inevitable end, but some people are simply larger than life, or should I say, death. Many times, it is easier to forget that they are no longer with us. We visualize their expressions, remember their presence, and hear their voices clearly in our heads as we recall conversations. For those who were known to the wider society, their work remains as a landmark to their lives, however short . The happiness of a memory quickly mixes with the sad recollection of absence.

It is with such mixed feelings, but mostly with a sense of great honour, that I remember, on what would have been Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru’s 56th birthday, a man of immense character, discipline, selfless service and dedication above and beyond the call of duty. With a sense of supreme privilege and humility, I pay a post-humous birthday tribute to Attahiru, who was in all ramifications, a consummate officer and a gentleman, and truly a soldier’s soldier.

As we commemorate him today, it would not be out of place to remember him as a nation builder and a true patriot in his own right, who served his country impeccably in a stellar military career through which he rose admirably to become the 25th Chief of Army Staff.

It is in his final role that many – including myself – will most potently remember General Attahiru. Upon his sudden and tragic demise in May last year, I recalled his reassuring ebullient presence, underneath which he carried the determination, discipline, and professionalism of a born soldier. I reflected on his attentiveness and enthusiasm in our fight against banditry, terrorism, and general insecurity in our state, and in the region at large. I remembered then, as I do now, his crystal-clear vision and passion for the Nigerian Army.

That is the General Ibrahim Attahiru with whom I was blessed to interact. I also know that he is fondly remembered within military circles as a leader who reached out to the men under his command, and even to all who came under his care, and he looked out for them.

In contemplating the lives of great Generals, we wonder if the uniform makes the man, or if it is the man who fills up the uniform he wears. Beyond all that General Attahiru was in his professional sphere and in the limelight, we must not fail to remember him simply as a human being, as a father, as a man who lived by a creed of openness and accessibility. At the launch of the General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation earlier this year, we heard about the man behind the uniform, Ibrahim Attahiru, the family man, the loving husband who never failed to put a smile on the face of his wife Fati. We learned of the doting and devoted father to Aisha Farrah, Zainab Maliha and Fatima Iman, who made it a priority to spend quality time with his three lovely daughters, encouraging them in their faith, in their academics, guiding them in their social lives and always letting them know that he was proud of them.

His job and its attendant demands notwithstanding, he made time to be a father and a friend to his daughters, and through his charm and courage, mentored them. These are the actions that will forever remain priceless in the lives of his wife and children, and they reflect the dedication with which General Attahiru conducted himself even outside the spotlight.

I will always be grateful for the privilege I had to interact with him, albeit briefly. During our engagements, he demonstrated to me quite clearly the power of hope, through his optimism, energy, and cooperative disposition. For me, and for others involved in security management, our highest tribute to General Attahiru, would be to walk in his footsteps, and to throw ourselves with unalloyed commitment at the fight which remains before us.

The General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation which was launched at the one-year memorial of his demise, will seek to cement and transmit the legacy of the man, and the virtues which he typified; the values of strength, dignity, commitment to excellence, leadership, tenacity, openness, accessibility, mentorship, and fatherhood. It is upon such values that nations are built. It is these virtues which have led to so many honouring him today, on the 56th anniversary of his birth, to celebrate what he stood for in his life, and indeed the way he represented the Nigerian Army with distinction for nearly 35 years.

Today, once again, it is right that we celebrate the legacy of a hero, as we also continue to immortalize his love for service, knowledge and impact. It is a mark of honour, and a tribute to his memory. He is no longer with us, but he lives on in the quality of life that he lived; a life, cut short just shy of 55 years on this earth. We are saddened at the fact of his absence, but we are reminded by so many aspects of his legacy, that truly, he lived.

And so today we salute the memory of a patriot, and (I am privileged to say) a companion and ally, who would have turned 56. We celebrate with honour, the memory of a mentor, a brother, a father, a husband. We commemorate the birth, the life and the times of a quintessential soldier, a true General, who exited the arena suddenly, in the middle of a war, and more so, in the line of duty.

In remembering him on the day of his birth, we ensure that the torch of his legacy and ideals will continue to burn brightly, to inspire and lead, as he did.

For truly, one who is loved, never dies.

Aruwan is Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State.

By Abdulrahman Yunusa 

Entire my life, I have never seen Nigeria more divided than this time under President Muhammadu Buhari. Even those who share the same geographical location, history and ancestral background at some point are fighting each other today. 

To be precise, the current tussle between Hausa and Fulani disturbs my psyche. Who really curses us? Are we used to such trivialities before, or just by accident, we found ourselves in this predicament overnight?

How can we convince the upcoming generation that the North used to be peaceful, where the inhabitants peacefully mingle with each other irrespective of tribal affiliation or identity? After all, the gleaming narratives have been bitterly coloured into ugly ones.

Perhaps, the crisis of identity was a thing of obscure in the North in those days. Nevertheless, for over several decades, the ethnics group have been romancing each other as if they were of the same origin, although they are to some degree. Hence they even succeeded in burying the ethnic difference by making social unions among themselves.

Sadly, today we are talking about another issue. Things have changed over time. We bow down and take a different dimension which goes in contrary to that of our great-grandfathers. The rising hostility is out this world today among the major ethnic groups in the North.

Honestly, this man may be the worst leader Nigeria has ever had. His advent into the corridor of power is a curse to the then two harmonious ethnic groups, who are fighting each other fiercely under the curtain of politics and other politically related issues. 

It’s unbecoming for the conflictual parties to shun the history of their peaceful relation to some cheap matters that don’t worth their attention, let alone consuming their long, everlasting, and marvellous cordial relationship. However, attached to any upheaval, there is a lesson to learn for the future.

On a lighter note, I sense some suspicious plan meant and orchestrated by some intruders to get this everlasting combo broken down. Sadly, soon chicken will come back home to roast. The invisible hands igniting the fire of hatred among the interrelated parties would bury their face in shame.

North would never be divided, in sha Allah. May North and Nigeria proper, amin.

Abdulrahman Yunusa is a political and social affairs analyst. He writes from Bauchi and can be reached via abdulrahmanyunusa10@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are unrealistic, and the Federal Government cannot be blackmailed into borrowing money to end the strike. 

Keyamo made the statement on Friday, August 5, 2022, while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today. 

“Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?

“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion. And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of.” He stated

The Minister then pleaded with parents to beg ASUU to return to the classroom.

“Like the President said the other time, those who know them appeal to their sense of patriotism,” Keyamo said.

“Let them go back to classes. They are not the only ones in Nigeria. They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse. The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.” He added

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14, 2022, and are seeking improved condition of service and revitalization of public universities amidst other demands. 

However, the Buhari-led Federal Government said it does not have the fund to attend to ASUU’s N1.1 trillion demand due to low oil prices. The impasse has shut down government-owned universities across the country.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

It is no longer news that the security situation in the country is pathetic and worrisome. Even the blind can see that the country is held to ransom by forces that challenge the state’s monopoly of violence. It is appalling that governments at various levels have failed in their primary objective of protecting the lives and properties of citizens. Terrorism and other atrocious crimes are being perpetuated wantonly and daily.

However, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahya Bello, is doing something different and commendable. In a Nigeria stuck with a replete of security challenges, Bello seems to be a shining example worthy of emulation by the president and his brother governors. This explains the relative peace we enjoy in Kogi, although it shares borders with about ten states in the country. Even while the country’s capital is under siege by terrorists and bandits, the same can not be said of Kogi State, which is about two hours drive from Abuja. 

Other state governors have to learn that as chief security officers of their states, the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of people in their state falls on their shoulders. As much as collaboration is necessary between the states and the federal government on internal security issues, there is apparent incompetence of the highest order on the side of President Muhammadu Buhari.

For example, whenever there is a security challenge in Kogi State, the governor actively engages locals and traditional rulers in the area of the security breach to proffer solutions. This has proved effective in curtailing crimes. Although every state has its peculiar security problem, it is high time the governors realized this and came up with creative solutions like Bello is doing. 

Although many Nigerians have realized President Buhari is a grand failure, it would still do the country immense good if the president adopts Bello’s carrot and stick approach to security. Bello queries and suspends government officials and traditional rulers complicit in security infractions.

Bello similarly rewards the officials who do the needful in forestalling attacks and maintaining peace. But, sadly, the president only expresses shocks and issues empty threats that are never backed with actions. He honestly needs to learn from Bello, his political son and acclaimed mentee.

Ahmad Deedat Zakari wrote from Kogi State via ahmadzakari111@gmail.com.

By Alkasim Harisu Alkasim

The abductors got bewitched by Hajiya’s daughter and wanted to hold her for marriage. Had they ever had sex with her? This remains an unanswered question, although such an act is their capital source of chillaxing. During their stay, the abductees could not be in the arms of Morpheus. I told you earlier that the kidnappers do different assignments, such as denying the victims a chance to sleep. There are others assigned to supply food and water and those to provide bullets, etc. 

Naturally, women suffer from menstruation period. How do they look after themselves during their monthly friend? It is devastating that the kidnappers eject from the den any victim suffering continuing ill health by gunning him. The kidnappers love talkaholism. They talk their ears off after drinking alcohol and dragging marijuana until an uproar overwhelms the place. Nobody is to tax the patience of these bestiality-stricken people unless they want to die.  

The bitterest part of this tragic story was where Hajiya came the selfish with the driver. Given the opportunity to call a blood brother residing in Saudi Arabia, she said something that made my blood boil. When the Saudi-Arabia-based brother asked how many of them got abducted, she shamelessly said they were two, deliberately forgetting to mention the driver. This unprintable selfish behaviour of Hajiya redounded back on her as the kidnappers held her daughter all the more and threw away the key. What a world! The driver got sorrow-ridden as problems slammed him. 

The superior kidnappers exploit the inferior by capitalising on their weaknesses and expertise. The inferiors bust their asses to gather money for the superiors, yet they can’t get the money that is worth their effort. The toil of the junior kidnappers is worth hundreds of thousands of naira. Things continued to pick up steam. As a result, they got pretty fed up with how the senior kidnappers capitalised on their expertise to gain money. This dilemmatic situation they got entrapped in emerged as a genuine concern. 

As raging parties, the senior and junior kidnappers failed to ensure a common mind among themselves. As the high frequency of their getting exploited steamed more, the juniors cut corners with some of the hostages despite their being under the magnifying glass of the kidnapping honchos. The new abductors collocated their new abductees in a new hidey-hole. Hmm! There is betrayal and sabotage even among the abductors.

One of them said to the driver, “Between you and me and these four walls, do you have relations who can ransom you?” The kidnapper did this to gain money to recompense the exploitation he had stomached when under the employment of their former superiors. But will they ever mend fences with their bossyboots? Nobody knows. The seceded kidnappers considered releasing whoever paid a ransom. They ordered the driver to pay some handsome amount to compensate himself. He told the kidnappers that his whole family could not gather such an amount. 

The driver bequeathed his wife and children through Hajiya, who was released on that very day following her ransom payment. So that the driver could not afford the amount they requested, they told him to pay any amount he could, no matter how smattering. Upon payment, he finally got relieved of being a hostage.

At this juncture, society and the government must do their utmost to see the youth walk a straight line in their respective communities.  Otherwise, they will always be putting a foot wrong. We all need to stop this problem, for failing to do so means we are putting a gun to our heads. It is also good to know that gaoling the criminals is not the only solution. Because at times, gaoling does not end social ills such as this.  Rather, the criminals should be rehabilitated, educated, enlightened and offered jobs. If you give them jobs, they can put butter on their bread.

Parents, too, should stop spoiling their children rotten to avoid paving the way for them to stubbornness. They should be more thorough with their children and reprimand them if they go wrong. They should be taken to market to learn the basics of trading. Maybe, some of them have got a Midas touch. Some boys are brilliant for they can work like clockwork. They can perform like a duck takes to water at anything they start. Let’s help them mend their lifestyle to begin to feel like a million bucks. It is disgusting that some parents contribute to spoiling their children by refusing to admit to handling even simple misbehaviour their children start to embody. This makes me lose the run of myself. This fact can’t admit to two interpretations. First, it is your faux pas. Period! 

I feel like a chicken with its head cut off to see our children engaging in the misbehaviour of flirting, misspending, playing truant, etc. Like it or lump it, our youth are rampantly becoming wayward. They abuse drugs like it is going out of style. They don’t only like it, but rather like it like mad. They busy themselves smoking and drinking like nobody’s business as if their lives depended on it. But indeed, if we make it our business, stopping this behaviour is just like taking candy from a baby. 

In conclusion, the government should redouble efforts, tighten security and reconnoitre suspicious places. The more disturbing thing the government should know is that the Chadians, Cameroonians, and other Fulani tribespeople form most of the kidnappers, while Nigerian kidnappers form a minority of those abductors. The government should also wake up to this, work hard to gain a wonder drug for the situation and record a great success. Let us strike while the iron is hot.

Alkasim Harisu Alkasim wrote from Kano via alkasabba10@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Federal Government College Kwali-Abuja has been shutdown after midnight attacks on the neighbouring Sheda community.

Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, attacked Sheda community on the night of Saturday June 23, 2022. According to locals, there were gunshots which lasted almost an hour and a resident was kidnapped.

Following the attack on Sheda, a community that shares the same border with the college, the school management has informed parents to pick their children from the school.

A senior staff of the college who spoke to the Daily Reality on ground of anonymity said:

“The management has gotten the approval of the Ministry of Education for parents to pick their children from the school pending when their safety can be guaranteed”.

The incident has prevented the students of the institution from completing their third term examinations, which supposed to come to an end on Tuesday.