Ramadan

By Kharajnah Muhammed

Imagine a big mango tree with many branches, leaves and sweet fruits feasted upon by her children while also enjoying her cool shade that comes with a soft breeze, covering their heads from the scorching sun.

All of a sudden, someone cuts her off from her root. She fells down weeping, wondering how her children would survive without her, while they drink their tears day and night, searching for food and shelter, with little or no one to help them.

This is what happens when a father dies, leaving behind his family. At first, so many people will come and commiserate with them, with sugar-coated promises. His family will have hope that at least someone will be there for them even when the head of the family is no more. But what happens afterwards?

The widow(s) and her/their children are left to wander in the streets, searching for food, shelter, job to sustain their lives. Only a few are lucky enough to find help from his relatives or friends in one way or the other. It’s scary how fathers keep dying daily, leaving their families behind. Most people nowadays only do things for someone alive, someone they know they can gain something from. As soon as he is no more, they forget everything about him or his family.

As parents, I want to advise us to build a future in our children because we don’t know what tomorrow holds. Help them discover their talents and work on building them. As a husband, invest in your wife or wives, for they will never abandon your children. And she might be the only person to take care of them when you are no more.

And now, Ramadan is just a few days away. Have you ever wondered what most orphans are going through? Most of them have little or nothing to put in their breadbaskets, but they can’t ask anyone for it because they were brought up so that they can keep their family’s secret so that people will not look down on them. So, even if they ask some people, they might not help them out and probably go about telling other people or using the children’s helplessness to their advantage, especially the girl child.

I want to urge us to please help the orphans with food, clothes, and other items we can give out this Ramadan in order to gain manifolds of reward from the Almighty. You don’t have to go far. Look around your neighbourhood and start from there. Some people would rather cook plenty of food and throw it away in the morning than give someone.

Though things are hard these days, there is no harm in giving out the little you can afford. You never know what it will mean to them.

May the Almighty ease things for us, amen.

Harajnah Umar Ragada can be reached via kharajnah@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A senior lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr Ibrahim Siraj, has described the four-week strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a necessary evil Nigerians must learn to live with.

Siraj said that as we could not stop the strike, we could do whatever we could to minimize the ‘losses’ that come with it while anticipating the benefit.

The academic who disclosed this on his social media platform stated that if only we could use some formulas, we are all winners – driving many benefits from the strike.

The writing he titled, “How to Make the Month-Long ASUU Strike a Win-Win Situation”, provided some formulas which he married them up with the benefits worth driving if put into practice.

Dr Siraj wrote, “Federal Government is given an ample opportunity to study ASUU demands, engage in serious and sincere negotiation and finally seal a deal. This will save the system from further disruption and damage.

“And with the countdown to 2023 general elections just starting and political activities expected to reach their peak later in the year, no better time than now to do it. They can resolve this one and concentrate on their politicking. Win.”

He added that “for lecturers, this is a time to sort out all issues relating to continuous assessment (CA), have some rest, finish writing that paper, gain some renewed energy and hope for the best from the struggle. In-sha-Allah it will usher into a better university system: better teaching and learning conditions, better remuneration, and more productive scholarship. Win.”

Moreover, Siraj stated that this is also an opportunity for the students to prepare for the coming exams “eat up the notes, ‘cram’ the handouts and do additional reading and consultation on the topics. This could translate into better performance and ultimately higher grades. Win”.

“Final year students could use the window to invest more time in writing their projects. So, in addition to aiding timely completion, it could also enhance the quality of the output. Win,” he stated.

The lecturer stated that the adjustment in the calendar means that BUK students will spend a better part of the blessed month of Ramadan at home. Thus, he said, “this means students and teachers will have more time to devote to seeking Allah’s pleasure in the holy month. Win.”