₦airaland Forum

Honourable is now a graduate of Mass Communication from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

About Honourable, I can write a whole thesis, even though I have never written an official academic one. Honourable of De Honourable Luxury, Keffi, is and will always be my best guy. In the last one year, he has been my premium go-to person, helpful and thoughtful in ways I cannot list in one post.

I am utterly sad that I could not be there for his graduation sign-out. But my prayers, and of course, everything grace, are with him.

I have great confidence in him. I believe he has the Midas touch, that given time, he can touch anything and turn it to gold. He is graceful and a jolly great fellow.

I remember when this whole journey began in 2023, and here you are, a well-minted graduate, fresh from the bakery. I am as happy as anyone who knows you and has seen how gracefully you have pushed to attain this milestone.

Congratulations, Honourable.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes as De Honourable brother & Friend.

Alhamdulillah! 🎉🤲🏽

May Allah make the years ahead greater than those behind and grant me the grace to become everything He has destined me to be.

Allow your mind to autosuggest:

Positivity. Prosperity. Success. Wealth. Abundance.

Napoleon Hill called it the medium through which you deliberately feed your subconscious mind. The place where you decide which thoughts get to live rent-free in your head before the day’s noise moves in.

The mind doesn’t discriminate between what you feed it deliberately and what you allow to wander in unchecked. Left alone, it defaults to worry, to lack, to every reason something might not work. So I’ve learned to speak to it first, before it speaks to me.

Tell your mind what is good. Speak positive affirmations, clear and repeated instructions, until the subconscious begins to take them seriously.

You rise to the level of what you repeat to yourself long enough to believe.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

When people preach patience, they’re not asking you not to feel the pain. They’re asking you to carry it without letting it drive.

Nobody who has truly been patient will tell you it didn’t hurt. The waiting hurt. The silence from the door that hadn’t opened yet hurt the most. Patience was never the absence of pain. It was the decision to keep functioning even when it was tiring. It is acknowledging the pain, perhaps even allowing it to sit quietly in the background, but not in charge.

Patience isn’t numbness. It’s discipline practised while fully awake to how much something costs you. It takes something else entirely to feel every bit of that cost and still choose not to let it dictate your next move.

So when I preach patience to myself now, I’m not asking the pain to leave. I’m asking it to ride along, but not to steer. I’m simply asking it to sit in the back seat while I keep driving.

Inna Allaha ma‘a as-sabirin.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

“Glory crowns the actions of those who dare.” — Alexander the Great

Not those who plan the longest or wait for perfect conditions. The perfect season. The perfect sign. Glory has always belonged to the ones who moved while everyone else was still deliberating.

I’ve learned this the hard way: daring rarely feels like courage while you’re doing it. It feels like fear you choose to ignore for one moment longer than usual. It's just sending the application anyway, showing up at the gate anyway, logging into the dashboard after Maghrib without knowing what you’ll find.

Nobody dares without trembling a little first. That’s human.

But glory doesn’t crown the trembling. It crowns the action that happens despite it.

So I’d rather dare and be wrong sometimes than perfect my caution into permanent silence.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Alhamdulillah. I thank God. I thank Him for the gift of quality men in my life. I thank Him for everything, all the time. I thank Him for projecting me clearly enough that men see the little fire in me and decide to ignite it, when they could have simply walked past.

I know God’s gifts are not loans. They are deposits. They are given to grow in your hands, meant to become something bigger than what was first entrusted to you.

I thank Him for the first man who saw the smothering fire in me, Mr. Ismail Ali Ogah, who sent me to school. Ever since, everything has been building up. One decision from one man, and a whole life found its foundation.

I am a grateful child, and I do not forget any act of kindness. “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.” (Qur’an 14:7) And as the Prophet ﷺ taught, whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.

Thank you, everyone. Thank you for the prayers, mentorship, guidance, and everything. Thank you and thank you, all the time. Nagode.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, you can achieve it.” Napoleon Hill said that, and I believe it 💯.

The expert in anything was once a learner. Nobody arrives fluent. Nobody arrives all refined. Every master you admire has a version of themselves, clumsier, still fumbling through the basics, that they’d rather you didn’t know.

Shakespeare wrote that some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. So, you choose which category you belong to, and so be it.

I imagine it. I believe it. But, very importantly, I don’t skip the part where I need to sit down, roll my sleeves and actually learn it. That is where the achieving quietly happens.

May Allah increase us in knowledge. Amin.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

BISMILLAHI AL-RAHMAN AL-RAHEEM

I may be overrating myself, but if you took a headcount of my undergraduate class in our final year and asked who wanted to go for further studies immediately, I would certainly be among the top 2% who would answer without hesitation. I love school and education that much.

Well, life happens. Even before finishing NYSC, I had begun applying for local and national scholarships, hoping some would come through. None did. Towards the end of 2024, my teacher and mentor, Mr. Eze Elekwachi exposed me to the world of international scholarships, and I began doing some real work there.

Then 2025 came. I was fortunate, thanks to my ever-loving mother and career champion, to get a job immediately after NYSC. Gradually, I lost interest in academics. I was there till September 1st. Then off. Then on again in November. All thanks to my mother.

All through this, school became the least thing on my agenda. Survival was the major concern. Who school epp sef? Masters, keh. LoL.

I went off the radar again in February this year. Kogi, Kaduna, and Niger saw me briefly at some point, but they couldn't pin me down. I was just waka-ing about. April. May. June. July passed.

Somewhere in all of that, I went back to Allah and sought to know Him. I have unflinching faith again, and I read these ayat all the time: fa-inna ma'al-'usri yusra, with hardship comes ease, and wa lasawfa yu'tika rabbuka fatarda, your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.

So I decided I would go back to school. August became my light bulb moment. I went to UniAbuja, made some inquiries, and applied for the course of my choice. A course I was qualified for.

A few days later, after Maghrib at the mosque, I logged into my dashboard. And alas, Chiroma was admitted.

I couldn't eat that night. I was overexcited, and I had to run back to Allah in thanksgiving. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.

Good morning, and happy new month of SEPTEMBER.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Everything in life has a price. Failure carries a price, sometimes as steep as success. To be lazy is costly. To be unnecessarily stubborn is costly. To be arrogant is destructive. To be kind is priceless.

To work is hard. To work hard is harder. To work smart is difficult too. Excellence has a price. Great results have a great cost.

Discipline is key. Nobody pays you for discipline itself. They pay you for what your discipline produces. But when you lack it, the consequences eventually show.

For about four months now, I have set myself a simple task: read the Qur'an for at least 10 minutes every day and recite about 20 of the 99 Names of Allah, all in one sitting before Subhi. Thirty minutes or less.

It sounds small when written down. It has not been easy. Some mornings, I negotiate with myself between stopping and continuing. The lazy part of my spirit is not happy with the seriousness in me. It complains, always. But I care less. I simply ask the body to get it done and let all of us rest.

You do not need to become extraordinary this year. You need to become measurably harder to replace every year.

That is the real price. Not one dramatic sacrifice, but a thousand small, unglamorous ones. Paid quietly. Paid consistently. Long before anyone is watching closely enough to notice.

Ya Allah, increase my relevance and value, and decrease my nuisance value.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

May we not mismanage our luck. Amen.

I say this as someone convinced that success depends more on luck than we are comfortable admitting. Even the ability to work hard has roots in things you never chose, like the strength some people are simply born with. Call it biological luck if you want a name for it.

Look closer and the pattern holds. Some people are born with abilities that others spend years trying to develop. Some have great parents who guided them, while others lose theirs even at birth. Some are born in Kano, others in Burumburum.
Imagine being born in Okpari, Doma. Your chances of ever making it to NSUK are so slim, it would take nothing short of a miracle from God. How much more a miracle to reach UniAbuja, then UI, or even cross into neighbouring Ghana? To mention America or England might sound like a joke.
Nothing is impossible, actually.

The mentor who happened to notice you is luck too. Understanding early that you can become more than your circumstances is luck. Having someone or something push you not to resign to fate is luck. Even for you to be LUCKY, you need LUCK.The list goes on.

Just work hard enough, pray hard enough, and LUCK will find you.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Keffi is home. Home away from home.
I remember my first time here, August 2018. I came to Keffi for Post-UTME.

Keffi is the seat of Nasarawa State University. NSUK is one of the best state universities in the country. From 2019 until 2023, I spent more days in Keffi than at hometown—Doma.

Keffi gave me education, family, and a whole lot of other sweet memories. NSUK was the reason. And although I am not entirely happy with you, you're still my home.

Dear NSUK,
The young Ibrahim who once came begging to be accepted as a JJC has passed through you. Instead of coming back to you, he has decided to test another terrain in the country's capital. A different course. A different set of challenges.

I pray my newfound home at UniAbuja doesn't wear me down the way you did.

“But then, they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.”~Qur’an 8:30

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

In under three years, my career has crossed three worlds: Information Technology, the NGO space, and health sector work, all underpinned by a background in Linguistics. Three distinct sectors, but one repeated lesson: EVERYTHING IS BUSINESS.

Working in IT exposed me to systematic, process-driven problem solving. Working in the NGO and health sectors showed me something different: even resource-constrained organizations need sound business principles to survive and serve their communities. Across both, the pattern never changed. Every mission-driven project still has to manage budgets, people, supply chains, and stakeholders. Every technical solution still has to be delivered, financed, and sustained.

What I lacked was never exposure to business. Both my parents are into business, and theirs is one of the most practical business educations you can get. My mother, for instance, buys and sells Egusi, beniseed, maize, and other farm produce, and at one point I became her record keeper. I know how much she bought Egusi for in Jenkwe, Lafia, and how much she sold it for in Doma. I know how much she bought maize for in Agbashi and what it fetched in another market entirely. Sometimes she profited, sometimes she lost. When there was profit, it always showed on my “Kalachi”, my breakfast allowance. 😂

That business education came early, but what I lacked was structure. IT sharpened my ability to think in systems, a skill I want to apply at scale. NGO and health work deepened my appreciation for the social dimension of business, showing me how enterprises can deliver both impact and sustainability, especially in underserved communities.

Most certainly, my training in Linguistics also prepared me for this journey. It gave me a strong foundation in research, data analysis, and understanding how people communicate across diverse groups. Those skills continue to serve me in stakeholder engagement and organizational settings.

Together, these experiences convinced me that the gap between where I am and the leadership I aspire to can be narrowed faster through rigorous, formal business education than through continued trial and error.

By Allah’s will, the 2026/2027 session at the University of Abuja Business School will have yours sincerely as one of its students. In Sha Allah.

In the short term, I plan to use this training to sharpen how I manage strategy, finance, and operations within the IT sector where I currently work. In the long term, I intend to use the knowledge and expertise gained to earn a seat at the decision-making table in government, one of the Big Four, or any other top-tier organization, regardless of sector. I have always been able to switch, adapt, and work with people across different backgrounds.

When my lecturers said a Linguist can work anywhere, I believed them, and I am a solid example. 💯

PS: Henceforth, my name would read as Rt. Hon. Comrade Ali Oboshi Ibrahim, B.A. Linguistics (Second Class Upper 4.**, NSUK), MBA with specialization in Marketing (Distinction, In Sha Allah, UniAbuja).

Aside: I was a former Speaker of the Nasarawa State Children’s Parliament in July 2017, so the “Honourable” title is not one I picked up for fun. 👌🏾

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

I dream a lot. I love to imagine good things. I have imagined myself attaining great heights. I have lived it in my dreams. It is such a beautiful place to live.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. I am Chiroma, the Crown Prince. Princes do not beg. We ask. We inquire. We knock. We learn enthusiastically. We level up. Then we conquer.

Dreaming is great. I go to bed each night wondering what God might reveal through my dreams. Many of my dreams come true, especially the glad tidings. Others have cautioned me. I do not joke with my dreams or even my imagination. They are a powerful connection. I take them seriously. Very seriously.

Because a dream not taken seriously is just a wish, and wishes do not build kingdoms.

I am not here to wish. I am AGUNWA, the CHIROMA of the ... Kingdom.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

All thanks and adoration are due to Allah, the Lord and Sustainer of the world. I have no doubt that He alone is worthy and deserving of worship and that Muhammad is His messenger and prophet.

In Islam, there is Qadr, fate. There are verses and chapters in multitudes that mention it. Nothing is more certain than what Allah has ordained for one's life. Nothing. Yet there are prayers that can alter and even fast-track what has been written. There are prayers Allah has made a means through which some things are changed, delayed, accelerated, or averted. The Prophet ﷺ narrated of three men who prayed their way out of a sealed cave using their most sincere good deeds, and Prophet Ayyub, whose illness lifted after his prayer to Allah, and many other instances. Prayer moves what seems fixed.

Then there is tomorrow. Tomorrow wey always dey pregnant, e no dey born. It may look promising, but it remains unpromised. The anticipation of it would both strengthen and demoralize you. You cannot force a day that has not yet decided to arrive.

My Hausa people say, zafin nima kadai baya kawo samu, but life is not Nollywood. Moving to Lagos or Abuja will not automatically solve the problem. Crossing the border out of Nigeria may not even be the answer. Breaking even runs deeper than geography, deeper than hard work, deeper than luck even.

But and very importantly, I plan for tomorrow. I WORK SO HARD and pray fervently and believe that it has been granted to me already. Because I know so well that Allah knows what tomorrow carries and would give us bountifully until we are satisfied.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

The first person to introduce me to the art of note-taking was Mrs. Amina Ibrahim, my sister-in-law, when she was our teacher and my school bursar.

It was a little hard for us to write down every word she dictated since we were only in JSS1, but she was kind enough to write most of it on the board. Even then, I knew it was a good thing, and I always worked hard just to earn her commendation.

Unashamedly, some of us only grow well under commendation. I love validation, and I work hard to earn it. Tell me “well done” before you tell me “do more”. I am intolerant of needless condemnation. I love excellence, but I also appreciate progress.

So from junior secondary through university, I was always among the first three in note-taking. I am not the fastest, but I am certainly one of the best at writing down the right thing and understanding it.

Most certainly, my training in Linguistics also helped sharpen that ability. Today, that early training in note-taking has become useful in my work, especially when I serve as secretary and have to take minutes. I can listen, process, pick the important points, and put them down without losing the substance of the discussion.

Till date and I suspect forever, note-taking remains part and parcel of me. As the saying goes, the shortest pen is better than the longest memory.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

There comes a time in the life of every community when its elites must speak - not because they possess a monopoly of wisdom, nor because they seek to determine the political choices of others, but because silence in the face of an emerging social dilemma can itself become a failure of responsibility.
The growing political conversation in Gombe State, particularly as it relates to the leadership aspirations associated with Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, presents such a moment. My concern here is neither with the personality of Professor Pantami nor with the constitutional right of any Nigerian citizen to participate in politics. It is about something larger: the place of religious authority in partisan political competition and the danger of converting spiritual capital into political capital.
Professor Pantami is an accomplished scholar, former public office holder and, importantly for this discussion, a highly recognisable Islamic scholar and preacher. It is that latter identity which makes the question worthy of sober reflection.
What particularly inspired me to write this reflection is an experience that has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Outside Gombe State, in conversations with mutual friends and acquaintances - and especially among some followers of Professor Pantami’s well-known Ramadan tafsir at Al-Nur Mosque in Abuja, Capital of Nigeria, the moment they encounter someone from Gombe, the questions now come almost instinctively: “What about Pantami’s candidature?” “What is going to happen in Gombe come 2027?” I have encountered these questions often enough to appreciate that what might ordinarily have been regarded as a local political aspiration has assumed a wider significance precisely because of the personality involved. Interestingly, people are not merely asking about another prospective candidate; they are asking about Professor Pantami - the scholar, the preacher and the religious figure they have listened to and followed over the years. It was this recurring experience that compelled me to reflect more deeply on where the boundaries between spiritual influence and partisan aspiration ought to lie, and whether society should remain indifferent when a religious personality of considerable following becomes the subject of an intensely political conversation.
Islam does not require scholars to be indifferent to governance. On the contrary, justice, consultation (shura), trust (amanah), accountability and concern for public welfare are deeply embedded in Islamic political ethics. Contemporary scholarship continues to emphasise these principles, while Islamic political thought has long recognised consultation in public affairs as an important element of legitimate governance.
Indeed, there is a legitimate school of thought that goes further and argues that the ulama should actively participate in politics and even seek political office. Recent Nigerian scholarship has defended precisely that position. I respect that argument. But there is an equally important distinction between religion guiding politics and religious authority becoming partisan politics.
A scholar may teach a governor justice without becoming a candidate for governor. An Imam may condemn corruption without carrying the flag of a political party. A preacher may mobilise society against poverty, drug abuse, ignorance and injustice without asking his congregation to become his electoral constituency.
Indeed, the religious leader who remains above partisan struggle may possess something even a governor does not possess: the moral authority to correct every governor.
Once the revered scholar enters partisan competition, however, the dynamics inevitably change.
Opponents must scrutinise him. Political rivals must challenge him. Campaigners may ridicule his record. His statements will be dissected. His followers may interpret political criticism as an attack upon their faith or their teacher. Conversely, his opponents may begin transferring their resentment of the politician to the religious institution he represents. That is where society must be careful.
My appeal regarding Professor Pantami should therefore not be misunderstood as hostility to him. Quite the contrary. It arises partly from recognising the enormous religious influence he already commands. The question Gombe people should ask is not simply: Can Professor Pantami become Governor? As a
citizen, that is fundamentally a matter for law, politics and the electorate. The deeper question is: What does our society gain or lose when a prominent religious authority descends from the relatively universal platform of spiritual leadership into the divisive arena of partisan competition? (This similar question was also asked and attested to, by the cleric himself, at the time when the scripture was handy and the desire for worldly things did not germinate to fruition).
A governorship lasts four years at a time. Moral influence can endure generations. Politics necessarily divides people into camps. Religion, at its highest calling, should reconcile them.
Politics asks: Who defeated whom?
Faith asks: What is right?
Politics produces government and opposition. The religious leader ought ideally to retain the moral freedom to speak truth to both.
Nigeria’s experience demonstrates how delicate the relationship between religion and politics already is. Academic work has documented the complexity of religious identity within Nigerian politics and the potential of religious competition to affect Christian-Muslim relations and national cohesion. Nigeria’s constitutional architecture itself prohibits the adoption of a state religion while protecting freedom of religion, reflecting the need to accommodate a profoundly plural society.
Only yesterday, more than fifty Muslim and Christian leaders in Nigeria came together in Abuja around an interfaith peace initiative aimed at religious harmony and curbing extremism and hate speech. That illustrates the higher role religious leadership can play: standing above political divisions to preserve society itself.
This tension is not peculiar to Islam or Nigeria. Different societies have adopted different approaches. In some democracies, clergy participate actively in political life; in others, religious traditions deliberately create distance between spiritual authority and partisan politics. Comparative research, for example, notes the striking contrast between Thailand, where Buddhist monks face strong restrictions on electoral political activity, and Sri Lanka, where monks have a tradition of direct parliamentary participation.
Christianity has wrestled with the same question. The Catholic tradition, for instance, strongly encourages responsible political participation by the faithful while maintaining an important distinction between the vocation of lay citizens in political life and the special ecclesiastical responsibilities of religious leadership.
And recent events elsewhere demonstrate what can happen when institutional religion becomes deeply entangled with partisan confrontation. Armenia’s continuing confrontation between political authorities and senior church figures illustrates how quickly disputes involving clergy and government can place religious institutions themselves at the centre of political conflict.
We should learn without blindly copying anyone. The fact that something occurs in an advanced democracy does not automatically make it desirable for Gombe. Democracy gives people rights; wisdom teaches us that possessing a right does not mean exercising it in every circumstance is necessarily the highest service one can render society.
Permit me to use an analogy from another great challenge confronting mankind. The world has spent enormous intellectual, scientific and financial resources studying climate change and environmental degradation. Nations establish institutions, scientists conduct research, communities advocate conservation, and governments enter international agreements to protect the environment. I recall, from my privilege of attending the United Nations climate conferences (COP26) in Glasgow and COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt - how leaders of repute from different nations, faiths and intellectual traditions repeatedly spoke of a responsibility extending beyond the present generation. The recurring message was that mankind holds the earth in trust and must act collectively to protect not only those living today, but generations yet unborn from the consequences of climate change. That experience left a lasting impression on me: whatever our faith or station in life, responsible stewardship requires us sometimes to look beyond our immediate interests and ask what kind of world - and, equally, what kind of society - we shall bequeath to those who come after us.
For a believer, none of this means that Allah did not know from the beginning how the earth would evolve or when its existence would terminate. Divine knowledge does not abolish human responsibility.
We plant trees despite believing in destiny.
We treat illness despite believing that life and death belong to Allah.
We protect children despite believing that Allah is their ultimate Protector.
We pursue peace despite knowing that conflict forms part of human history.

Therefore, faith in divine decree can never become an excuse for abandoning human stewardship. The same principle should guide us in protecting the moral environment of society. Just as humanity accepts a collective responsibility to preserve the physical environment, religious leaders have an even greater responsibility to preserve our moral environment - truth, compassion, dignity, justice, restraint, tolerance, family, neighbourliness and respect for human life.
These values are not exclusively Muslim or Christian. People who profess neither Christianity nor Islam recognise honesty, human dignity, justice, compassion and peaceful coexistence as foundations of civilisation.
That universality should tell us something profound: religion is at its greatest when it elevates humanity rather than when it merely enlarges a political constituency. This is therefore my respectful appeal to our Imams, ulama, pastors, priests and other custodians of faith.
Participate in the moral development of politics. Educate citizens. Challenge bad government. Condemn corruption. Demand justice. Defend the poor. Counsel those in authority. Encourage competent people to seek office. Teach followers that selling votes is morally destructive. Pray for leaders and, when necessary, courageously correct them. But we must think very carefully before transforming the pulpit itself into a political platform.
A religious leader who endorses Candidate A risks making the followers of Candidate B uncomfortable in his congregation. A scholar who becomes Candidate A creates an even more complicated situation: criticism of the candidate may be mistaken for disrespect toward the scholar, while loyalty to the scholar may be converted into an electoral obligation. That is unhealthy both for religion and democracy.
This concern has also appeared in Nigerian public debate: even commentators who recognise the constitutional right of clerics to participate politically have argued that the special respect commanded by religious leaders creates a compelling case for neutrality and statesmanship. Our scholars should be fathers to competing politicians, not competitors against their spiritual children.
Let the politician fear that tomorrow the Sheikh may publicly tell him he has acted unjustly. Let the governor know that the Imam cannot be bought with appointment. Let the opposition know that the scholar will condemn its falsehood just as firmly as government’s wrongdoing. That independence is power.
I therefore address Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami with respect. Lest Professor Pantami wonders, perhaps with some amusement, why this elitist counsel appears to have chosen his name from among the many who aspire to political leadership in Gombe, the explanation is itself a compliment carrying a burden. He is no longer perceived merely as Isa Ali Pantami, the private citizen or former Minister; through decades of preaching, teaching and public engagement, he has become, rightly or wrongly, one of the most visible contemporary faces of Sunni Islamic scholarship in Nigeria, particularly to a
generation of Muslims who have listened to and learned from him. History has a curious way of attaching scholars to the intellectual traditions they publicly represent: centuries later, we still speak of Arab and Muslim scholars such as Ibn Khaldun not principally because of whatever ordinary ambitions surrounded their private lives, but because scholarship became their enduring identity. Professor Pantami may therefore forgive some of us for expecting more restraint from him than we might demand from an ordinary politician. One cannot enjoy the extraordinary moral capital of the scholar and, at the same time, reasonably expect society to treat one’s entry into partisan politics as though it were merely the career progression of another politician. The greater the religious stature society confers upon a person, the greater, rather inconveniently, becomes society’s legitimate concern about how that stature is deployed. There are victories greater than winning an election. There are positions higher than occupying Government House. There are constituencies larger than a state. A man who has acquired considerable knowledge, international exposure, national public-service experience and a large following has several avenues through which he can influence generations without necessarily becoming governor.
He can produce leaders.
He can mentor governments.
He can build institutions.
He can reconcile political adversaries.
He can speak for Gombe before every government irrespective of which party controls it.
And, most importantly, he can remain a religious voice to whom the winner and loser of an election can both comfortably turn.

Gombe needs good governors. But Gombe also needs respected elders and scholars who are bigger than its governorship contests.
This appeal does not question anyone’s qualification, patriotism or constitutional liberty. Nor should anybody weaponize religion against Professor Pantami or any other aspirant. It is instead an invitation to contemplate the price society may unknowingly pay when its most influential spiritual authorities become actors in the fierce competition for political power.
We must also remember that posterity will sit in judgment over the choices we make today, long after we have departed this world. History will be less concerned with the passions, ambitions and political calculations of our moment than with whether our actions ultimately served the common good of the weal and strengthened or diminished the society entrusted to us. As elites and custodians of faith, culture and communal values, ours is therefore a responsibility that transcends personalities, elections and generations. We are expected to leave behind a moral compass by which society can distinguish power from service, ambition from sacrifice, and what is merely permissible from what is ultimately beneficial. Our duty is not only to preserve religious doctrine and cultural heritage, but also to protect and sanctify the moral foundations of society itself - to nurture justice, restraint, tolerance, dignity and peaceful coexistence. The true measure of our stewardship will consequently not be the political victories achieved in our lifetime, but whether generations yet unborn inherit from us a society whose moral institutions remain strong enough to guide them when we are no longer here to speak.
Those of us who speak as elites or elders must think beyond the next election. The real question is not who governs Gombe from 2027. The greater question is what kind of Gombe we shall hand over to our children twenty or thirty years from now.
Will they inherit mosques divided according to political camps?
Will scholars be classified according to parties?
Will sermons be interpreted through electoral affiliations?
Will criticism of a politician who happens to be a scholar be regarded as hostility towards religion?

Or shall they inherit a society where the mosque remains a sanctuary for the supporter of every lawful political tendency; where the scholar can rebuke the government without being called opposition; and where he can correct the opposition without being called an agent of government? That is the Gombe I would rather preserve. Political power is temporary. Religious institutions outlive administrations. Governments come and go; faith accompanies communities across generations. Therefore, to Professor Pantami and every distinguished religious leader contemplating partisan political leadership, I offer not condemnation but an elitist’s appeal: Consider not merely whether you can win political power, but whether the moral authority you already possess is more valuable to society than the political authority you seek.
And to our people, let us never turn this question into hostility. Let us debate it with knowledge, dignity and brotherhood. For ultimately, the responsibility of the believer is not merely to prepare humanity for the Hereafter. It is also to make our temporary residence on earth more just, peaceful, dignified and humane. Just as we preserve the earth because it has been entrusted to mankind, we must preserve the sanctity of faith because it too is a trust. Politics needs the guidance of religion. But religion does not always need the possession of political power to provide that guidance. Sometimes its greatest power lies precisely in remaining sufficiently above the contest to speak truth to whoever wins it.


Signed:
Umar Usman Kukandaka,mni
K/Kumbia Quarters, Gombe
Gombe State

Wait. Before you read further, know that you are reading my story. It may not entirely sit well with you. Please peel off the bias glasses and read with an open mind. Thank you.

There was a time I didn't show my father my end of term result because I came second position. That was not the result I aimed for. For emphasis, I never promised my dad or anyone that I would take first position. I simply worked for it, and I was unwilling to settle for anything less.

From primary school, I have had a mindset of excellence. Unless you are excellence-minded, your definition of AVERAGE would never interest me. My average is the sum of my current effort and results, measured against my previous performance and the height I intend to reach. I don't measure myself by what anyone else calls "good enough." My deepest concern has always been not to fall below my own standard and/or the international standard.

I carried the same mindset into the university. Surprisingly, I met a shocking number of brilliant young minds who were comfortable being average. From my first semester to my final result, people kept telling me to simply be grateful for being the best student. They would say, "I wish I had your result." But I did not leave DOMA to come and compete with any average minds. I came to become more knowledgeable, more disciplined, the best version of myself and get the result I really worked for.

I have met people who openly admitted they chose to be unserious yet still insist on advising me to lower my standards. I have seen people who can throw a party if they ever attain a 2.50 or 3.00 CGPA on a 5.0 scale. I have watched talented people surrender to fate. Disgustingly, some lecturers also preached contentment and praise average performance. In fact, they see "Federal Character" and “equality" as fair practice. They demoralized the Strong in attempt to help the very lazy ones. In fact, they love God, but loathe humanity. Sigh!

This is not to say that I do not recognize or appreciate God's grace. I do. But God has never assigned anyone a task without also providing the resources to accomplish it. I am still young. I have supportive parents and siblings. I have mentors and role models I continue to learn from. I know that if I challenge my mind, it will produce what I need. If I push myself beyond comfort, I can overcome mediocrity and failure altogether. I honestly believe God would not be pleased with me if I settled for less than the capacity He has given me.

It is either you utilize your BLESSINGS or they become a curse.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Yesterday I trained my colleagues on Data Management. I stressed one simple truth: if you don't want to swear wallahi talahi that you don't know where a document went, keep records.

Record keeping is not bureaucracy. It is memory outsourced, memory that will not fail you the day you need it most. A man who does not keep records will one day stand before a question he cannot answer.

I told them my own story. At NSUK, I once kept my own record of a test score in a subject. The foolscap paper test saved me. When the result came out wrong, I had my own record to compare it against, and it helped me get my grade. I would later lean on that same strategy again, at a point that mattered, and get my “deserving” class of degree; but that story is for another day.🤗😂

That is the whole lesson. You do not keep records because you expect trouble. You keep records because trouble does not send a memo before it arrives.

So I told my colleagues: save your work, document your process, write it down before you trust your memory to hold it for you. Because one day, a question will come looking for an answer, and only the man with proper documentation will be acquitted.

Jummah Mubarak and Satyameva Jayate.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

I became born again early this year, and since then, I've accepted seeking knowledge as my path to breakthrough. Iqra. Reading became my number one companion. I read as much as I can, both the Qur'an and bestselling books. No wonder it is recorded that perhaps the only thing the Prophet (SAW) asked Allah for was knowledge: Wa qul rabbi zidni ilma ("My Lord, increase me in knowledge".

Well, life is not binary. It's not a plus or minus one arithmetic, but there are tested and trusted steps to attain great heights. As much as there's no absolute successful person generally accepted by all as success in and of itself. No single person as SI unit for measuring success.There are still very few individuals who have distinguished themselves enough to be considered fit as role models. Michael Hart did so well in his book The 100 Most Influential People in History. Call it subjective if you like, but he did well.

Success is not an accident. It is first divinely ordained. I ( and I emphasize I,) believe strongly in miracles plus luck. I pray so well that I assume myself in the presence of the Lord. I call on Him always, after everyone else has disappointed me. Now I understand why Allah is called Al-Rabb.

Human beings will disappoint you. Some intentionally, others unintentionally. Even the wisest among us have flaws, and even the most trusted can fail. That is the nature of man. But Allah never fails.

The best person to trust is Allah. The second person is Allah. And the last person is none other than Allah.

It is equally Allah's gift that you love and trust Allah.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

I am a happy soul. I look happy because, deep inside, I am overjoyed. Many times, I'm tempted to share a video of myself dancing, laughing, or even doing something weird, because joy fills my whole being.

Well, the secret is this: I read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In that book, I learned the Law of Attraction: the belief that our thoughts shape the direction of our lives. As a man thinketh, so he becomes.

So I decided to think love. Think abundance. Think good health. Think prosperity. Think wealth. Think all things good. I pray and declare that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

I have always lived by one line: HOPE MUST NEVER DIE. I said it out loud, wrote it down, and kept living as though it were already true. Even in the most hopeless situations, I don't flinch. I believe I will win, and I keep working towards that belief. I call it the secret at work.

I choose joy. I choose love. I believe I have the power to pursue what I desire because I am made in the image and likeness of God.

I ask. I believe. And, most certainly, I shall receive.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Over speeding kills, but the world rewards speed. Men and women of action are highly favored and reach the finish line first. They don't just dream; they move. 🚀

I love movement. I act on ideas before fear has time to negotiate with me. I have grabbed many opportunities because I showed up, not because I knew everything. I once left Kogi at 3am to tidy up loose ends in Lafia, and was back in Abuja before 6am, and resumed work at my desk by 8am. Life doesn't wait, so neither do I.

The more I move, the more I discover how close I am to the finish line. That realization boosts my confidence.

Victory is from the Lord.

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

Pay attention to what you're telling yourself.

I have caught myself mid-sentence more than once, about to call myself slow, not enough, and had to stop and ask: Would I ever say this to someone I truly love? The answer is always no. So I choose to speak positively to me.

I tell myself I am capable. I am moving. I am becoming. I am loved. I am grateful. I am happy. I am blessed.

That is why I keep moving. The mind believes what it hears repeatedly. So I choose my words carefully, especially the ones I say to myself.

Allah ya sa mu dace!

© Ali Oboshi Ibrahim writes from Abuja.

The President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), Ambassador Emmanuel Obi Okafor, mni, on behalf of the National Executive Committee and the entire AANI family, warmly celebrates Engr. Jani Ibrahim, FNSE, FAEng, FCIoD, OON, mni (SEC 24, 2002), on the joyous occasion of his birthday today, Saturday, 8th August, 2026.

Engr. Ibrahim's leadership as President of AANI from 2009 to 2012, and earlier as Secretary-General from 1999 to 2003, reflect a man whose commitment to the ideals and advancement of the National Institute alumni community has been consistent, selfless, and transformative. His is a life built on engineering excellence, entrepreneurial courage, and a deep passion for Nigeria's industrial and economic development.

As the 23rd National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Chairman of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), he drives policy for over 100 chambers of commerce across Nigeria, championing AfCFTA integration, private sector development, and the advancement of Small and Medium Enterprises across Africa. The Lubcon Group, which he founded as the first indigenous lubricant blending company in Nigeria to achieve ISO 9001 certification, with operations extending to Ghana and Ethiopia, stands as a towering testament to his entrepreneurial vision and industrial leadership.

He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (FAEng), and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Directors (FCIoD), and has been honoured with the national award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Nigeria's economic development.

AANI celebrates Engr. Jani Ibrahim on this auspicious occasion of his birthday and prays that Almighty God grants him continued wisdom, good health, strength, and many more years of service and fulfilment. May his contributions to the Association and our nation continue to be fruitful.

Engr. Ifeanyi Jude Ngama, mni
National Publicity Secretary,
AANI,
Saturday, 8th August, 2026.

I don't know where I will be in the next year, or even in the next minute. I truly cannot tell what I will achieve in the 2years to come, and I am certainly uncertain of what life will bring my way in the next second. But, and very importantly, I believe in God. I have absolute trust in Him. He has saved me every time I have called on Him. He has also "punished" me for going against His will, and I have petitioned Him, convinced at certain points that He had forsaken me.

My faith dropped. I was weak. I was hopefully hopeless. I felt lonely. I called on Allah. I called on people. I wrote to Him with words soaked in tears. I wrote to men I believed could change my life. I wrote repeatedly. God simply did not want them to listen to me. It was noisy in my head. I cried softly.

Sometimes I prayed. Other times I postponed it for later. But I keep records. I have every encounter with God written down. I have faulted myself in many ways. I have no right to demand that God bless me quickly, on my own terms and timeline. I genuinely thought I was His favourite. I still do.💯

I am lucky. I know that. Many people have said so to me. But I was sitting in the boys' quarters of my career even before I had started building. Life was tough. It was rough. I was underemployed, and eventually I decided I would rather be unemployed. I left Abuja at some point. I crossed to the other side of Niger State. I saw the almighty White Lion. I saw the Dangote empire in Obajana. It was massive. I could not stay there for more than 48 hours. I ran back, probably to my comfort zone. Abuja is tough, but it was nowhere near as harsh as life at the confluence state. Kogi na barrack🥲

I was confused. I was confusing many people too. But I was with God. One day is more than enough for one's life to scatter and rearrange itself. You will understand why there is an African Magic channel on your smart TV. Nollywood is no where near wety life fit reveal to you. Life happens faster than anything a camera has ever captured fictitiously.

I have made plans. Solid plans, or so I thought. I watched them crash before the foundation was even dug. I fear. I can be broken. I cry. But I am strong. Tough. Tougher than anything you can imagine.

I am loyal. Life made me to make some regrettable moves. I have offended a few good souls. I disappointed some great people who believed in me deeply. I am ashamed to face some of them right now. What distresses me even more is knowing they may be thinking of me, worrying about me, and quietly waiting for me to return ready to welcome me back wholeheartedly.

I have been lucky. I am blessed. Truly, I love God. He gave me the gift of remarkable people in my life. I have a few genuinely good friends. Some love me in ways I cannot fully comprehend. Honourable loves me. Abraham loves me deeply. Osome loves me dearly. Engr. Isa prays for my success faithfully. Abdul is my brother. And more recently, Emma tells me hard truths. I love sincere people. I am a learner. A loyal person. A true and genuine friend, and a serious one at that.
..............
I love to say with utmost confidence that I am serious person. The last thing you can ever associate with me is Laziness.

One thing I know so well about myself: I DO NOT FORGET ANY ACT OF KINDNESS (and equally, any act of wickedness). Please, do not offend me. I am still learning how to forgive. To err is human; to forgive is truly divine, o. My mind never strong

Thank you for reading this far. This is one of the things I do best. I love writing. Writing is my therapy. It is my joy. I pray the Lord eases all our affairs and blesses us all.

The Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) stands united in jubilation as the National Executive Committee and the entire AANI family celebrate the remarkable life and towering achievements of our esteemed President, Ambassador Emmanuel Obi Okafor, mni, on the joyous occasion of his birthday today, Wednesday, 24th June, 2026.

Ambassador Okafor's leadership has been nothing short of transformative, guiding AANI to new heights with vision, integrity, and an absolute commitment to the ideals that bind our great Association together. His is a life that speaks eloquently of excellence, and a career that stands as a testament to what it means to serve nation and humanity with honour and distinction.

Ambassador Okafor earned global recognition as Nigeria's foremost expert and Focal Person on Counterterrorism and Peacebuilding at the United Nations. His coordination of the first-ever UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Workshop for West Africa and the Sahel, hosted in Abuja in 2013, remains a foundational milestone in regional security cooperation, a legacy that continues to shape counterterrorism strategy across the continent. His voice has resonated at the highest international fora, from Bogotá, Colombia, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, cementing his place among the world's most respected security and diplomatic strategists.

His illustrious diplomatic service spanned over three decades across Nigeria's foreign missions, including postings to the Netherlands and Argentina, with concurrent accreditations to Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, and representation of Nigeria at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. Born in Enugu and hailing from Awka, Anambra State, his journey of excellence began at Methodist College Uzuakoli and Christ the King College Onitsha, before he proceeded to the University of Ife and the University of Lagos, where he honed the intellectual foundations of a truly distinguished career.

Beyond the corridors of diplomacy, Ambassador Okafor is a Knight of Saint Paul (KSP) of the Anglican Communion, a chartered member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, each distinction a reflection of a life devoted not only to professional excellence but to ethical leadership, faith, and selfless community service.

As we celebrate our President today, AANI honour a living embodiment of what the National Institute stands for: strategic vision, patriotic service, and unrelenting pursuit of a better society. His life remains a shining compass for every member of this great Association, and a legacy that generations of AANI will continue to draw inspiration from.

Happy Birthday, Ambassador Emmanuel Obi Okafor, mni! May your light continue to shine, your wisdom continue to guide, and your legacy continue to inspire for generations to come.

Warm regards,
Engr. Ifeanyi Jude Ngama, mni
National Publicity Secretary, AANI
Wednesday, 24th June, 2026