₦airaland Forum

This week is a tough one for me. Pondering over a topic to write on took away my precious time. Should I write on Sowore who addressed our dear President in the most unsalutary manner a president of any country would be addressed? In his reaction to President Tinubu's claim that since he assumed duty as president no more corruption in Nigeria while addressing an audience in Brazil, Sowore wrote: "This criminal actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!

Many argued that Sowore is uncouth; and that he went overboard in his opposition to Tinubu administration and attack on Tinubu's personality. I honestly cringed when I read Sowore's post. I soliloquized: "What audacity to call the President of the Giant of Africa 'this criminal' because of his alleged audacity to lie shamelessly!" I said again to myself: "This is happening because what we have now in Nigeria is chaotic democracy."

I have sympathy for President Tinubu for being addressed as a criminal and I somehow feel how those who criticized Sowore for being uncouth felt. But I am curious to know why no one really thinks Sowore lied in his reaction to the no-more-corruption-in-Nigeria's claim. Just as I cringed at the way Sowore described our President, Tinubu's claim also made me cringed. I wanted to discuss this further, then a part of me whispered to me that I should write about the carcass of democracy that was finally buried in Benue State.

Anyone who has been following recent happenings in Benue State should know that there is no pretension about the absence of democracy in the State. In Benue State, democracy has been killed. Now it is dead. Let me steer away from discussing insecurity in the State. In an article titled "Benue Bloodshed: In Defense of Tinubu's Remarks", I wrote about the I-don't-care attitude displayed by the State Governor on the issue of insecurity when the State had the privilege of being visited by President Tinubu. The theatrical display, few days ago, in the State House of Assembly is a renewed revelation that democracy has not only failed in Benue State; it has died. In Benue State, we learnt that what is meant by the three arms of government is actually three in one (3 in 1).

Under the rulership of the reverend-father-turned governor in Benue State, the concept of trinity seems to be in operation. The Father (the Executive), the Son (Legislature), and the Holy Spirit (the Judiciary). In that divine order and by divine decree, the son (the Speaker) must be loyal to the father (the Governor). The Speaker had to resign, not because he did what ought not to be done but for being stubborn to do what ought to be done. He refused to approve the Governor's commissioner nominees; particularly one university law lecturer. The House received a deluge of complaints about the alleged sadist who had allegedly 'destroyed' the lives of many students in the university before he was nominated and presented to the House for approval.

The Speaker, following the outcome of investigation, decided not to approve the Governor's nominee for the well-being of the State. This surprisingly turned out to be a serious crime. If it is a must for the House to approve governor's nominees, why the need for the formality? The Reverend Father cannot tolerate the disloyalty of a Son (the Speaker) in Benue Trinitarian Democracy. The Son had to quickly resign from his speakership before the "divine wrath" envelopes him. In fact, no time to type. The resignation had to be handwritten. Even with the speed of his resignation, he could not completely escape the "divine wrath." He was slammed suspension.

I wanted to go into more details, then I thought of writing about ASUU protest and the looming strike. But to conclude the Benue chaotic democracy episode, a new Speaker was immediately elected in a manner that is best described as the last shall be the first and the first shall the last. Only those that are familiar with how the new Speaker was elected will understand. Anyway, the rest is history.
Back to ASUU. One of the lies being peddled by this government and touted as achievement is its bragging about two years without an ASUU strike. One can pardon the ignorance of whoever thinks this is an achievement because it is difficult not to fall for government propaganda—especially a government that is very adept at propaganda.

But to set the record straight, the working and the living conditions of university staff have never been more terrible and terrifying than now. I wonder where ASUU got that resilience from. I mean the union ought to have shut down public universities since the first six months of this administration so that the public (or rather the world) would know that the government is virtually doing nothing. To add salt to injury, the government is asking the overwhelmingly indebted staff of universities to apply for loan. I wrote some weeks ago that ASUU should reject the malevolent loan. I am happy ASUU did not disappoint me and other like-minded individuals.

When I listened the lie that no agreement between ASUU and the government, and that there was only proposal, I giggled. I recalled writing an article three years ago titled "ASUU Strike: A Highlight of the lies of Adamu Adamu." In that article, I chronicled the lies of the then Minister of Education. Maybe it is a curse that our political appointees must lie to defend their paymasters. No agreement between ASUU and the government!? But I think there is a need to protect one's integrity while in office since officeholders will be out of office one day. Where is Adamu Adamu today? Is anyone even talking about Chris Ngige anymore? I learnt they are still alive. That is life.

Except if ASUU would act chaotically because our democracy is chaotic, I don't think it needs any negotiation with government. ASUU, in my opinion, has only three options. It should continue to exhibit resilience while its members manage their terrible condition even as that condition continues to deteriorate. It should shut down the universities until the government proves to be responsive and responsible. The third option might be difficult because of the pulverizing poverty in the country. But it is still an option. ASUU members should massively resign and japa so that the government can ultimately privatize all public universities. But negotiation with government? No. No. No.

I wanted to write more on ASUU but something snatched my attention again. It was the news of how the government finally shamed that teenager from Yobe State who allegedly won the TeenEagle competition. After demands from different quarters that this teenager be celebrated like the Nigerian Super Falcons, the government finally had her invited to Abuja to shame her with a gift of 200k. I just hope the money will be enough for her to get back home without needing to ask her parents or school management for more to complete her air ticket. What I expected the government to do is to reject the achievement as phantom, given the insinuation that it is not real. But to shame her with 200k!? No.

To conclude, is the government encouraging Nigerians to japa? Or is it discouraging us? I really don't understand. This hundred percent increase for the renewal of international passport took many by surprise. If I am right, I think the government is trying to discourage us from japaing. Perhaps, government thought that after all, prices of staples are crashing in markets. Why should anyone japa? Kudos to the government if the crashed prices of staples is the outcome of its efforts. Can someone tell our rulers that we can still not afford the foods whose prices they boast to have reduced?

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

The traditionalists in Yorubaland should be savouring the fruits of democracy by now. They marked the Isese Day on Wednesday, 20th August, 2025. They had been long marginalized, so they thought, by the two dominant religions in Nigeria. No doubt, the traditionalists are religious minority group in any state in Nigeria. Though the Yoruba states are at the forefront of championing the Isese cause, I don't think there is any Nigerian state that does not have a fraction of traditionalists.
For readers who might not know who traditionalists or Isese people are, they are individuals or groups who believe in a complex pantheon of deities. Many traditional worshippers are essentially pantheists who believe in pantheism. Pantheism is a philosophical and religious belief that equates the universe with God or claims that divine reality is identical with the universe. To the traditionalists, anything and everything is god or could be god. In essence, in traditional religious thought, gods are uncountable.

That is why objects of worship for traditional worshippers can vary from from place to place. They do not have unified object(s) of worship. It depends on what their ancestors handed over to them. Some worship sun, moon, thunder, river, mountain, fire, etc. They invoke different gods according to their needs. Some would have their gods (idols) made from woods or rocks which they would afterwards worship. Though this might sound stupid to reasonable people, it is religion anyway. And adherents have the rights to worship what they create.

Even Satan—the senior king of devils—is revered and would be eulogized as a form of appeasement when there is a need to do so. Animals are not spared too; they are objects of worship. It depends on place and time, cows are gods in some regions. Trees are worshipped, ghosts are gods, even female Instruments are temples of gods (I mean they are gods in their own right). All the aforementioned are believed to have spirits inhabiting them and those spirits could be invoked and worshipped.

All these do not need to make sense to those of us that do not worship idols. The point is that it makes sense to those that worship them and because there is element of worship in it, it is religion. But how sensible, reasonable, and sane is the sense that makes sense out of these objects as objects of worships? My focus in this column is not to answer this question. My focus is on Muslim Rights Concern MURIC and other religious matters.

It is no news any more that public holiday for traditional worshippers has been added to the long list of holidays in some states in Nigeria. It was Osun State (or the State of Osun) under the governorship of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola that started it. That was in 2013. It was followed by Ogun State in 2023. Lagos and Oyo have joined the league. Other states will possibly join. This is democracy at play. Except where extreme secularism is blended with a democratic system of government, democracy itself is pantheistic. Although the federal government has not given it any recognition, the traditionalists are making frantic moves for federal recognition. it would not be surprising if, by next year, a nationwide public holiday is declared by President Tinubu to celebrate Isese Festival.

I don't worship idols because the humanity in me (being human) has elevated me to see myself as the most honored among all creatures. If idols are living things or beings, they should rather be subservient to me and to anyone that has thinking faculty. Not the other way round. So, no one should think I am holding brief for idol worshippers.

Having made this clarification, I am of the opinion that the Lagos State Government did well for the declaration of Isese public holiday. We all know the role the juju people played during the gubernatorial election in Lagos through their Oro rituals when it dawned on the political and traditional rulers in the State that the "Obidients" were about to sweep Lagos—having defeated Tinubu in the presidential election. On this, I wrote an article titled "Kano Thugs, Lagos Thugs, and the Threat of thuggery to Nigerian democracy." This is the time to settle them. In addition, Nigerian witches and wizards, of recent, have been pitching their tents in support of some political office seekers. They were solidly behind Tinubu when he needed them most during the 2023 presidential election. They even sent strong warnings to those who opposed President Tinubu.

The above aside, Nigerian traditionalists are Nigerian citizens who deserve special days recognized by government like Muslims and Christians. This reality and the realization of the reality is well captured by the man in charge of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola. Akintola understands this reality and beautifully captures it thus: "This demand is just, legitimate and constitutional. In so far as the other two religions enjoy the right, traditionalists also deserve it. Therefore, we have no objection to their demand." The MURIC man spoke well like one that truly understands the pantheistic nature of democracy.

But here is a point to ponder on, and the MURIC man is right again. He says, after expressing his public holiday support for the Isese people:"But the support came with a conditionality, namely, that traditionalists must also respect the rights of others by putting a stop to the declaration of illegal curfews, restricting the movements of others, violation of the rights of women and the secret killing of human beings for ritual sacrifice." This caveat is very important. If not in Nigerian chaotic democracy where everything goes, how can a small group of Isese people restrict people's movement because of their religious rituals? Isn't this nonsense?

But the Muslims and Christians are also culprits, though to a lesser degree. It is not unusual to see major roads being blocked on Friday and Sunday because of Jumua't service and Sunday worship. Where is sense in this? How can we claim to be socially responsible? Which moral right can we claim to criticize the Isese people for restricting movement during their religious observance? And where is the godliness in this ungodly behavior of churches and mosques blocking major roads during their holy ghost service. A good example is the discomfort "the men and women of God" of the Redeemed Christian Church of God's used to cause to users of Lagos-Ibadan expressway. It has been long since I plied that expressway, I don't know if that nonsense still goes on.

The only difference—which is of course an ugly and a dangerous difference—is that the Isese people's movement restrictions have taboos and fetishisms attached to them. Anyone who violates the restriction—knowingly or unknowingly—might become a sacrificial lamb to appease their bloodsucking gods. Such a person might be stricken by the god of fire, god of thunder or any of their gods that urgently needs to suck human blood.

That was why MURIC cautioned, “If the adherents of Isese religion (also known as traditionalists) demand the recognition or enforcement of their rights, they must first recognize and respect the rights of others."
MURIC further warned: "They [Isese people] must remove all the skeletons in their cupboards. They have come to equity. They must come with clean hands...there shall be no more illegal curfews, no more unlawful restrictions of people’s movements particularly during Oro festivals, no more infractions on the rights of women, no more public flogging of innocent Nigerians by masquerades, no more killing of humans for ritual sacrifices, etc."

May I seize this opportunity to implore the Muslim-Muslim government of President Tinubu to meet some of MURIC's democratic demands. After all, MURIC is a quintessential champion of the the Muslim-Muslim political campaign. In the spirit of democracy and rewarding MURIC, Shari'a should be declared in all Yoruba states for those who are willing to be ruled by it. Friday should be free working day for Muslims like Sunday is for Christians. Tuesday might be made free working day for traditionalists. Agnostics and atheists may also have Wednesday. Civil servants might have only one or two days to work in a week. This will go a long way to help civil servants save a large fraction of their salaries which they spend on transportation.

Let's have enough public holidays, all in the spirit of democracy, to make every religious group feel important. When too many holidays finally destroy the economy, we can have a roundtable discussion on the way forward.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

The West African Examination Council used to be an examination body that made students wake up from their slumber in those age that could be called the golden age of Nigerian education. In that age, students were generally dedicated to their studies. Students that were hitherto not very serious with their studies—as they progressed from junior to senior classes in secondary schools—suddenly became serious when they approached the terminal class (SSS 3). That was because WAEC, in those days, had magical effect on students. It changed students' attitudes to reading. Lazy readers among students suddenly became avid readers. WAEC humbled students and students were awed by the mere thought or mention of WAEC.

Parents were, then, very responsible and supportive. Children that were preparing for WAEC were conventionally exempted from house chores. They would not run errands for their parents except when there were compellingly overriding needs to do so. Female children who were preparing for WAEC would be banned from the kitchen and from everything that has to do with the kitchen. Those big boys would not go to the field for evening football matches. Everyone knew the right thing to do. They knew it was time to study; not the time to play.

"O my God! Tolu, why do you look emaciated like this?" said Mama Joy. In response, "Ma, I am preparing for WAEC," said Tolu."

"No wonder, my daughter. Please study hard o. Don't disappoint your parents o. May God grant you success. Don't worry my daughter, you will regain your weight after you are done with WAEC", assured Mama Joy.

"Thank you ma, Mama Joy. I will read harder and I promise not to disappoint you," said Tolu.

That was a time in Nigerian history of schooling when extramural classes were organized by teachers who were born to teach and were respected by students, even more than their parents. It was also a time that students attended extramural classes without anyone encouraging them to do so because they knew they must study hard to pass and the only way to pass WAEC was through the hard way. The fear of WAEC failure was really the beginning of wisdom. If I should say students studied hard for WAEC as if WAEC result was then a requirement for admission into Paradise, I would be pardoned for that exaggeration. Yes, that will be a commendable exaggeration.

Those who lived in those age can recall. Students who were about to write WAEC spent 5-8 hours a day studying. Some spent even more than that. It was like a reading competition. Then, your worst enemy was he or she that refused to wake you up for night reading. Then, students devised different means to outsmart sleep in order to keep vigil. Some would chew gum (I mean chewing gum), some would have their feet dipped inside bucket filled with water, some would continue to sip hot Lipton, all in attempt to kill sleep. Some would sleep well during the day in order to read extensively at night.

One can only be nostalgic about those days. We have lost that golden age when WAEC was WAEC and JAMB was JAMB. We are now in the age that Gen Z students, and maybe Gen Z parents, consider studying for these exams as a waste of time. And isn't it a waste of time? It takes a great courage, a strong desire to acquire knowledge, and a great determination, for any student to study for WAEC or JAMB in this age. In fact, reading for these exams, in this age, is like swimming against the tide.
It all started with the emergence of miracle centers in about 2-3 decades ago. Once you registered in these centers, be confident that you will pass. It doesn't matter whether you read or not. I doubt if these miracle centers existed anymore. What we have now are miracle schools that perform miracles than the now moribund miracle centers. In our miracle-working-schools, parents can confront school management if their wards fail. Why? Because they have the "moral" right to do so. After all, they knew how much they paid for "assistance" after paying for WAEC.

There was a mass failure in the recently released WAEC results. The initial results showed that only 38.32 per cent of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat the examination passed—with credits and above—in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. It was adjudged to be the worst results in the past decade. Since students are supposed to pass even without studying in a dysfunctional educational system, WAEC immediately spotted a "technical glitch" in the released results and announced closure of its result portal.

Though few months ago, JAMB also had a glitch and many believed it because its exams are computer based. JAMB addressed the glitch by re-engaging the affected candidates in a rescheduled examination. How did WAEC address its own glitch? Was there a glitch in the first place being a paper based examination? This is the examination body that promises to launch its own CBT by next year. How prepared is WAEC?

Anyway, after some hours, we were told that the glitch had been resolved. A new version of WAEC results was released. This time around, many would say after the results were padded, 62.96 per cent of the candidates obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics. This is a great improvement upon the initial version which was 38.32 per cent. But teachers in the higher institutions would suffer a lot to teach some of these students. In fact, and I am speaking from experience, many of them are not teachable.

I once asked a class of about 60 students in 100 level if there is anyone who wrote WAEC or NECO by themselves, (I pleaded to them to be very honest), only one of them claimed to have written the exams by himself. They all agreed they were all "assisted." When one observes the pattern of students' responses to WAEC questions, it is easy to conclude that those answers were either written on boards for candidates to copy or dictated to them. One still finds students who could not write the dictated answers. I am also talking from experience. I used to mark WAEC as team leader but stopped marking some years ago. It is not encouraging at all.

It is commendable that WAEC attempts to curb exam malpractice by exiting paper exams to embrace CBT. However, going by JAMB experience, would grade "C" in WAEC remains the pass mark and would "C" be counted from 50-59? We should not forget that the JAMB cut off mark used to be 180 before CBT but ridiculously and laughably dropped to 120 (and even 100) after CBT. This drop in performance that leads to lowering the bar for pass mark shows how academically impoverished many Nigerian students are: they cannot pass JAMB or WAEC without malpractice. I critiqued this nonsense of admitting students who failed woefully into our schools in an article titled "Affirmative Action or Removing the Bar? A Critique of Admission Requirements into Government Schools in Nigeria," published in Journal of Social and Educational Research based in Turkey.

To add salt to injury, the government keeps establishing more universities (in addition to the under funded ones) that need to admit students by all means. As if that is not funny enough, it keeps giving approval to the establishment of private universities that are also desperate in need of students. As I write, there are about 150 private universities across the federation. With F9 in JAMB, one is most qualified to be admitted into MOST of these advanced secondary schools that we call higher institutions. I have written a quite number of columns to condemn this unfortunate abuse of JAMB cut off mark. Wouldn't WAEC go the way of JAMB after transition to CBT?

What is even more unfortunate is that I have not seen Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU—that prides itself as the only existing union in Nigeria—shut down the universities in protest against this nonsense. In addition to other legitimate demands, ASUU should demand that our universities should no longer be used as dumping grounds for ill-taught, untaught, and assisted-to-pass students.

To stop mass failure, government should invest heavily in education. It should pay teachers reasonably, ensure that they are disciplined and upwardly revise JAMB cut off mark. Examination malpractioners among teachers, parents, and students should be given exemplary punishment as a deterrent. We can be better.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

At a time when many Nigerians think the standard of education has fallen to the level of irredeemability, our daughters from Yobe State proved the notion wrong. They convinced not only us, but the whole world, that in Yobe State where many erroneously think book is haram, is a place to study English grammar. They do not only master the language, they defeated native speakers of the language in the recently concluded Global English Competition. Do not think the competition was held in Nigeria, in which case one may be prompted to say there is "ojoro" in the whole exercise. The competition was held in the UK where English Language was transported to other parts of the world.

If you say the UK is the land of the English language, you've spoken the truth; indeed, it's more than that—it is the spring, fountainhead, and the very cradle of the English language. One of the three Yobeans, Nafisa Abdullahi, outperformed over 20,000 students to emerge the world’s best in English language skills at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals held in London, United Kingdom. One would ordinarily think these over 20, 000 participants were selected from some remote villages in Yobe, Maiduguri, Zamfara, and Jigawa. No! They are teenagers with strong proficiency in English Language from 69 different countries. The other two are Rukaiya Fema and Khadija Kalli.

I wonder why the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is yet to address these teenagers. Won't Trump ask these teenagers where they learnt English Language such that they could speak it so fluently? They learnt it in Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC). Perhaps Trump is busy investigating how NTIC manipulated the whole exercise to advertise itself. Perhaps he is not convinced that a school in that part of the North could teach so effectively to have such wonderful students. Whether we like NTIC or not because it is in Yobe State, it is a good school. I have taught many students that graduated from NTIC as undergraduates and I have interacted with many of them.

Could it even be why President Tinubu was reluctant to recognize the teenagers' sterling performance? Though I learnt he finally acknowledged them through a congratulatory statement via an X post by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He also advised the teenagers to remain steadfast in their studies and wish them continued success. To show the commitment of his administration towards education—being a critical element for national development—he reiterated that he has removed financial barriers for indigent Nigerians seeking higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). If Onanuga actually acted on behalf of Tinubu by his congratulatory post on X and if the post is well understood, it is as if the President is saying the three teenagers should avail themselves of the financial window provided by NELFUND.
In order words, any Nigerian who is interested in schooling or has excelled in education and wishes to excel more, the Government is ready to give him or her loan. For those who do not know the financial aid NELFUND provides, here is the summary. NELFUND pays your school fees directly to your school account and gives you N20, 000 stipend for your monthly upkeep. Be clear, to benefit from NELFUND, you must be admitted into any of the public underfunded universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics. Students who choose to attend well-funded universities are barred by default. Beneficiaries are to repay after graduation. It not clear whether the loan is interest-free or not.

This is the outcome of the thinking of the think-tank of this administration. This is because the regime runs itself through foreign loans, the only way it could help its citizens (students) who are critical elements for national development is also through loans. This explains why the government insists on starving its intellectuals in the Ivory tower by paying them ridiculous peanuts as salaries due to "lack of funds" but offers to give them a survival loan (not prosperity or development loan) to effectively further trap them in debt and entrench their enslavement. Sad!

What is more, the President apparently struggled to congratulate these teenagers. Hence, a newspaper headline reads: "Tinubu FINALLY Congratulates Brilliant Yobe Girl Who Won Global English Prize." His congratulatory statement came after unrelenting pressure from mesmerized citizens who could not understand the depth of the President's disdain for education and his love for entertainment. It seems his love for those who entertain him with praise songs like "Ọmọ Ologo" and those who make him shout "it is a goaaaaaal" has no bound. This could be why football and basketball Champions were given National Awards, Renewed Hope Houses, and billions of naira, but Global Champions of Global English Competition are treated like nonentities with worthless achievements. This is disturbing. Though I reject that message our rulers try to send, but the message is clear: Education is a scam. Entertainment is the way. Failure in JAMB and WAEC is normal. On the debate of whether education is a scam or not, read an article titled "The 'Education is a Scam' Debate in Nigeria: A Critical Discourse Analysis" by Muhammad Adam and my humble self. Nigerian government pays lip service to education.

There is another perspective to the President's attitude which, if that is true, would even be more unfortunate. That takes an ethnic dimension. It is as if to say the teenagers represented Yobe State, not Nigeria. Put differently, what concerns Yoruba President with Aboki's achievement? How can the "Aboki's" compare themselves with those female footballers and basketballers? I don't think President Tinubu could think or should think like this. But can I defend him? No. Why? His traducers will always argue that he once said he didn't believe in one Nigeria. That was a long time ago before he became the President. But it will be presidential for the President to pretend that he believes in one Nigeria now that he is President. Thus, these teenagers, though "Aboki" from Yobe State, deserve, at least, $100, 000 each, a three bedroom flat in the Renewed Hope Estate, and National Award.

What should be a good reason for national celebration has unfortunately given wings to ethnic profiling and insult. If the ethnic banter had been lighthearted and humorous, I would have participated, for my love of jokes. One will struggle hard to convince some northerners that what the President have disdain for is education; it is not that he belittles our girls for that feat because they are of northern origin. Yet, one must appreciate those Nigerians (Igbo, Yoruba, Calabar, Itsekiri, etc.) who celebrated these girls, not just being from Yobe, but as good Nigerian ambassadors.

The former vice president, through his foundation, Atiku Abubakar Foundation (AAF) has generously awarded scholarship to these teenagers. The scholarship, as promised, would cover the rest of their secondary school education as well as university studies, at any institution of their choice. Call it eye service, call it political, call it campaign strategy, I don't care. All I care about is that these teenagers should be appreciated so that others would be encouraged. I have not seen Peter Obi exhibiting his generousness. Obi is very good at things like this. Perhaps he is warming up and planning to see how to celebrate these kids. Criticize him that his spendings are political and that he is too ambitious to become Nigerian president, I don't care.
Could it also be that President Tinubu has realized that this precedent that he was trying to set by gifting hundreds of thousands of dollars to Nigerians who win trophy of any kind could not be sustainable? This could be a plausible reason. I trust Nigerians, we no dey carry last. If winning a continental or global competition will automatically transform Nigerian participants to accidental millionaires like our Super Falcons, President Tinubu should be ready to splash millions of naira every week.

Whatever plausible reason is given for not rewarding these teenagers remains unreasonable until these teenagers are "extravagantly" rewarded and awarded like the Super Falcons. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Period. The president should act presidentially

Kudos to NTIC, the teachers, and all those that contributed to the success of these girls from Yobe.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

At a time when many Nigerians think the standard of education has fallen to the level of irredeemability, our daughters from Yobe State proved the notion wrong. They convinced not only us, but the whole world, that in Yobe State where many erroneously think book is haram, is a place to study English grammar. They do not only master the language, they defeated native speakers of the language in the recently concluded Global English Competition. Do not think the competition was held in Nigeria, in which case one may be prompted to say there is "ojoro" in the whole exercise. The competition was held in the UK where English Language was transported to other parts of the world.

If you say the UK is the land of the English language, you've spoken the truth; indeed, it's more than that—it is the spring, fountainhead, and the very cradle of the English language. One of the three Yobeans, Nafisa Abdullahi, outperformed over 20,000 students to emerge the world’s best in English language skills at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals held in London, United Kingdom. One would ordinarily think these over 20, 000 participants were selected from some remote villages in Yobe, Maiduguri, Zamfara, and Jigawa. No! They are teenagers with strong proficiency in English Language from 69 different countries. The other two are Rukaiya Fema and Khadija Kalli.

I wonder why the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is yet to address these teenagers. Won't Trump ask these teenagers where they learnt English Language such that they could speak it so fluently? They learnt it in Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC). Perhaps Trump is busy investigating how NTIC manipulated the whole exercise to advertise itself. Perhaps he is not convinced that a school in that part of the North could teach so effectively to have such wonderful students. Whether we like NTIC or not because it is in Yobe State, it is a good school. I have taught many students that graduated from NTIC as undergraduates and I have interacted with many of them.

Could it even be why President Tinubu was reluctant to recognize the teenagers' sterling performance? Though I learnt he finally acknowledged them through a congratulatory statement via an X post by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He also advised the teenagers to remain steadfast in their studies and wish them continued success. To show the commitment of his administration towards education—being a critical element for national development—he reiterated that he has removed financial barriers for indigent Nigerians seeking higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). If Onanuga actually acted on behalf of Tinubu by his congratulatory post on X and if the post is well understood, it is as if the President is saying the three teenagers should avail themselves of the financial window provided by NELFUND.

In order words, any Nigerian who is interested in schooling or has excelled in education and wishes to excel more, the Government is ready to give him or her loan. For those who do not know the financial aid NELFUND provides, here is the summary. NELFUND pays your school fees directly to your school account and gives you N20, 000 stipend for your monthly upkeep. Be clear, to benefit from NELFUND, you must be admitted into any of the public underfunded universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics. Students who choose to attend well-funded universities are barred by default. Beneficiaries are to repay after graduation. It not clear whether the loan is interest-free or not.

This is the outcome of the thinking of the think-tank of this administration. This is because the regime runs itself through foreign loans, the only way it could help its citizens (students) who are critical elements for national development is also through loans. This explains why the government insists on starving its intellectuals in the Ivory tower by paying them ridiculous peanuts as salaries due to "lack of funds" but offers to give them a survival loan (not prosperity or development loan) to effectively further trap them in debt and entrench their enslavement. Sad!

What is more, the President apparently struggled to congratulate these teenagers. Hence, a newspaper headline reads: "Tinubu FINALLY Congratulates Brilliant Yobe Girl Who Won Global English Prize." His congratulatory statement came after unrelenting pressure from mesmerized citizens who could not understand the depth of the President's disdain for education and his love for entertainment. It seems his love for those who entertain him with praise songs like "Ọmọ Ologo" and those who make him shout "it is a goaaaaaal" has no bound. This could be why football and basketball Champions were given National Awards, Renewed Hope Houses, and billions of naira, but Global Champions of Global English Competition are treated like nonentities with worthless achievements. This is disturbing. Though I reject that message our rulers try to send, but the message is clear: Education is a scam. Entertainment is the way. Failure in JAMB and WAEC is normal. On the debate of whether education is a scam or not, read an article titled "The 'Education is a Scam' Debate in Nigeria: A Critical Discourse Analysis" by Muhammad Adam and my humble self. Nigerian government pays lip service to education.

There is another perspective to the President's attitude which, if that is true, would even be more unfortunate. That takes an ethnic dimension. It is as if to say the teenagers represented Yobe State, not Nigeria. Put differently, what concerns Yoruba President with Aboki's achievement? How can the "Aboki's" compare themselves with those female footballers and basketballers? I don't think President Tinubu could think or should think like this. But can I defend him? No. Why? His traducers will always argue that he once said he didn't believe in one Nigeria. That was a long time ago before he became the President. But it will be presidential for the President to pretend that he believes in one Nigeria now that he is President. Thus, these teenagers, though "Aboki" from Yobe State, deserve, at least, $100, 000 each, a three bedroom flat in the Renewed Hope Estate, and National Award.

What should be a good reason for national celebration has unfortunately given wings to ethnic profiling and insult. If the ethnic banter had been lighthearted and humorous, I would have participated, for my love of jokes. One will struggle hard to convince some northerners that what the President have disdain for is education; it is not that he belittles our girls for that feat because they are of northern origin. Yet, one must appreciate those Nigerians (Igbo, Yoruba, Calabar, Itsekiri, etc.) who celebrated these girls, not just being from Yobe, but as good Nigerian ambassadors.

The former vice president, through his foundation, Atiku Abubakar Foundation (AAF) has generously awarded scholarship to these teenagers. The scholarship, as promised, would cover the rest of their secondary school education as well as university studies, at any institution of their choice. Call it eye service, call it political, call it campaign strategy, I don't care. All I care about is that these teenagers should be appreciated so that others would be encouraged. I have not seen Peter Obi exhibiting his generousness. Obi is very good at things like this. Perhaps he is warming up and planning to see how to celebrate these kids. Criticize him that his spendings are political and that he is too ambitious to become Nigerian president, I don't care.
Could it also be that President Tinubu has realized that this precedent that he was trying to set by gifting hundreds of thousands of dollars to Nigerians who win trophy of any kind could not be sustainable? This could be a plausible reason. I trust Nigerians, we no dey carry last. If winning a continental or global competition will automatically transform Nigerian participants to accidental millionaires like our Super Falcons, President Tinubu should be ready to splash millions of naira every week.

Whatever plausible reason is given for not rewarding these teenagers remains unreasonable until these teenagers are "extravagantly" rewarded and awarded like the Super Falcons. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Period. The president should act presidentially.

Kudos to NTIC, the teachers, and all those that contributed to the success of these girls from Yobe.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

Do you think Nigeria is normal? Although I stubbornly hold to my opinion that Nigeria is not bewitched, I must admit, the country needs help. It is a country that has no direction. This is not because there are no directions to follow but because its rulers choose to wander around and grope in the broad daylight as if in darkness. With the current crop of rulers in Nigeria, the country is not on the path of greatness and is not even ready to dream of prosperity. Nigeria is a sleeping giant. Yes! It is not awake; and even in its sleeping mode, it is not sleeping to dream of prosperity.

Except if Nigeria would be an exceptional case, it is difficult to find a country that developed by despising, humiliating and starving its thinkers, scientists, intellectuals, and workforce. Rulers in Nigeria do not hide their hatred for scholarship and what scholars do towards national development in terms of teaching, discoveries and research outputs. They ridicule them in public while the world incredulously watches as spectators.
In Nigeria, as I write, it pays, though disappointedly, to be an entertainer than to be a scientist, or an intellectual, or a medical doctor, or a civil servant. They are not just comparable. Entertainers are far ahead. Nigeria is a country, especially under President Tinubu, that plays with its destiny and future because it believes in amusement and frowns at serious mindedness.

In unserious nation, the serious minded are objects of scorn and are ridiculed by their rulers. If Nigerian teachers, health workers, security agents, and civil servants wonder why hard work does not put food on their tables, it is because they choose reputable professions in a country that is ruled by rulers that value frivolities. No suffering Nigerian should think the country is poor or in debt; the country is rich and in abundance. But its wealth is in few hands.

When our rulers go cap in hand in search of foreign loans, they are only being theatrical. It is just a comical display to entertain the world and make the world giggle. It is not because the loans are actually needed. Or which of the loans procured by Nigeria can anyone recall to have been used to execute any serious project to its completion within the stipulated timeframe? When a serious nation that approaches governance with sobriety takes loan, it is fixated on how to repay the loan and achieve a lot by it. However, an unserious nation would take loan, squander it, and go for more loans until it mortgages the future of its unborn population.

If you are in doubt that Nigerian government is rich but claims to be in financial crisis by always borrowing, the recent billions of naira's gift gifted to the Super Falcons should clear your doubt. Just last week Tuesday, the Senate approved President Bola Tinubu’s external borrowing plan of over $21 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle. Can anyone explain where the (Gi)ant of Africa, which could not even fund its annual budget, suddenly found billions of naira to celebrate a trophy?

According to Daily Trust, "The cash price splashed on Nigeria’s women national football team, the Super Falcons, is enough to take care of the monthly wage bill of about 16,000 doctors, 66,000 teachers and over 78,000 lowest ranked officers of the Police Force." This is the angle from which Daily Trust looked at it. Daily Trust is right. According to me, looking at it from another angle, the money (roughly N150m) gifted to each member of the national football team would pay the salary of a Nigerian university professor for 25 years. If you don't understand why many Nigerian professors, who are yet to sell their cars, could not regularly fuel them, this should open your eyes to the extent of their impoverishment.

Do you know why our nurses and doctors, who should be looking after the sick, look sick and distressed in government owned hospitals? Do you know why they are always staring at the exit door—ready to japa at any slight opportunity? What about our men in uniform? Do you know why they look unfed and need to take bribe to feed themselves and their families? Do you also know why many of us think policemen are our enemies and the Police Force needs to convince us that they are our friends? And do you know why those retired police officers are abandoned to rot after risking their lives to serve and protect the state (Kudos to Omoyele Sowore for the recent protest)?

It is because the focus of our rulers is on those that entertain them. Those that make them compulsively shout "it is a gooooooal." They focus on those artistes that praise them to the highest heaven. If, as a Nigerian, what you do is to protect the citizens from attacks, cure them of their ailments and diseases, or liberate them from ignorance, you need to always embark on strike to draw government's attention to your plights. Even with industrial action, you would only be lucky if our rulers acknowledge that you exist.

To solve your problems, committees upon committees would be set up to buy time. Whey they are done, after wasting your time, you will be told the government is broke. But to dish out billions of naira and splash them on the Super Falcons, no committee was set up. Senate approval was not even sought. Even if Senate approval was sought, we all know it is all formality.

Have you heard about the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF)? It is a renewed hope initiative. With the TISSF, many naive Nigerians and regime apologists would think, and probably sincerely, that the government is working. No. The government knows that it is only running in circles. According to the document, "The purpose of the fund is to address systemic issues affecting tertiary institution staff across Nigeria." Let me use the language we would understand better. After subjecting university staff to pulverizing poverty, the government, instead of increasing salaries and addressing staff welfare issues, plans to give them loan. Unfortunately, many of us who struggle to think properly are applauding the initiative. I think our poverty is not only material poverty. We now also suffer from poverty of thought. I hope the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would insist on better working conditions and focus on its 2009 negotiation. This does not require setting up any committee. It only requires action.

Come to think of it, your employer shortchanges you. He pays you what is far below you labour and your worth. He pays you a worthless salary that could neither take you home nor put food on your table. You complain to him that your survival has been miraculous—you barely manage to survive. You let him know that your salary cannot pay your house rent not to talk of your kids' school fees. You show him your bank account statement to see how empty you are. You let him know that you are in serious debt.

Having listened to your complaints, your employer says: "I understand your plights and I know you are actually shortchanged but I have no money to pay you your entitlements, but I can lend you money." Could there be a wicked employer than this? This employer is an enemy of progress. Only an unthinking employee would jubilate, in this context, that his employer is about to help him by lending him money.

So that university unions would fall for the bait—lure them into the trap—it is said to be an interest-free loan. It is possible that the Muslim-Muslim clerics advise the government to make the loan interest-free.
Are you also aware that health workers are on strike? The billions of naira that is spent to celebrate the Super Falcons' trophy would go a long way to address heath workers' demands. But it is as if our rulers are saying: "if those patients in hospitals would die, let them die. Allow us to celebrate our beautiful Super Falcons who made us shout 'it is a gooooooal.'"

All said, the new millionaires (Super Falcons) should enjoy their millions and sleep well in their flats in the Renewed Hope Estate. No one should disrupt their peace. We are not against that. What we are against is government's stifling of its workforce and its disrespect for intellectuals to please entertainers.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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When many factories are under lock and key in a country, when some are about to wind up, and when the few that still keep the production line running are also struggling to operate, there are bound to be serious problems. This is because nature abhors vacuum. Definitely some factories would emerge to replace the moribund ones. Though these factories could be illegal, they would gradually increase and dominate.

The primary materials that would be used as inputs in these factories would be bad. Thus, their products would be worse. Similarly, consumers of their products would be terrible. Ordinarily, these factories shouldn't be allowed to exist in the first place. They would now exist because those that should be assisted to exist have abruptly stopped operation due to the unfriendly environment that kills legitimate businesses.

Every human, we were told, has that intrinsic instinct of survival. To survive, humans must always devise some means. And when the desirable means are not available, the available means become desirable. To put it differently, humans must survive—either by lawful means or by all means. But for humans to survive only by "lawful means" as against "any means" or "all means", government, religion, and culture must come together to their rescue. If I were to choose Nigeria as my case study in this column as a country where illegal factories are replacing the legal ones, I would say the Nigerian government has failed. Religion has failed. Culture has failed.

Due to the failure of these three important institutions, many Nigerians have now resorted to "all means" and "any means"—no matter how undesirable and detestable—to put food on their table in order to satisfy their survival instinct.

What am I alluding to? I am alluding to the menace of baby factories that is gradually becoming a new ugly normal in Nigeria, especially in Southern Nigeria. Someone that is not well informed might ask: how could babies be manufactured in factories? Aren't babies the outcomes of intimacy between man and woman, whether in a marital relationship or out of wedlock? Yes, that is right. That very intimacy that produces babies becomes factory when it takes a transactional character.

Homes are where babies are born as progenies, succeeding their parents and continuing their ancestral lineage. These homes become factories when babies are born into them not as progenies but as marketable items—items meant for sale. So, babies in this unfortunate circumstances become factory products (they become factory babies). While this is not new in the South, the recent disclosure by the Anambra State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ibadin Judith-Chukwu, is worryingly disturbing.
What is known to many is the practice whereby abandoned pregnant girls get hooked up in these factories where they are taken care of with the arrangement, or rather agreement, that their babies would be sold to make up for the expenses incurred by the baby factory operators. This would be their reward for taking care of the pregnant girls who are now mothers without babies. After they put to bed, these pregnant girls might be given some token to transport themselves back home.

It is also common knowledge that teenage prostitutes who "mistakingly" got themselves impregnated with unwanted pregnancies ended up in these factories to add "value" to the production chain. After having the babies which they never wanted, they felt relieved from their burdens and zoomed off to catch more "fun" and continue life in the immoral underworld as usual untill another round of unwanted pregnancy is conceived.

However, Judith-Chukwu alarmingly revealed a disturbing trend in Anambra State. This is different from what is generally known. She narrated situations whereby young people now cohabit by mutual consent solely to produce babies for sale. She further lamented that this unholy sales of babies is more prevalent in rural communities. If not in a society where government, culture, and religion have all failed, where else would couples deliberately cohabit to conceive with the sole aim of selling babies after delivery?

That is not all. Speaking in an interview with journalists in her office in Awka, as reported by the Nigerian Tribune, Judith-Chukwu continued: “We have seen situations where a girl gets pregnant, and then someone suddenly presents a marriage proposal. After she gives birth, often without her knowledge or consent, the man takes the baby and sells it." This is how wicked some men could be. How would any sane man make a marriage proposal to a pregnant girl, then marry her—under the pretence of love and care—only to sell her baby after she puts to bed?

Similarly, this shows how stupid some ladies are. How would a lady be impregnated and someone—who is not responsible for her pregnancy—suddenly emerges from nowhere, makes a marriage proposal to her and she marries him while still pregnant? Though, the case of these thoughtless and unguided girls is different, they actually wanted their babies but were duped by criminal lovers who pretended to be their husbands. When the deed is perfected by their fake husbands, they would be psychologically traumatized—losing their babies and "husbands" at the same time. This is a double tragedy.

The next question to ask is about the final consumers of the products produced by these baby factories. Who are the final consumers? First and foremost, there are desperate couples who, for one reason or another, cannot bear a child. But there are legal processes for child adoption in which case one could legally adopt a child from registered government approved motherless homes. Buying babies from baby factories, even by couples who genuinely need babies for adoption, is a crime. This should not be encouraged; couples in need of child adoption should be enlightened.

The worse category of consumers are traffickers who buy and then sell these unwanted babies into slavery. Some as house boys and house girls but their wages are paid to their masters. This is how inhumane humans could be to humans. These children are literally lost. No mother. No father. No relatives.

What about ritualists? These are the worst category of consumers of products from baby factories. They are people who sickly believe that flesh or blood of newborn babies can be utilized, through some concoctions and spiritual rituals, to generate money or become powerful.

How do we arrest this ugly trend? Judith-Chukwu hammered on the need for far-reaching public enlightenment, with emphasis on residents of remote areas. While enlightenment is always very important, does one really need to be enlightened to know that it is wrong to cohabit to get pregnancy in order to born babies for sale? No matter how ignorant and uncivilized some humans are, we can always correctly assume that they should be better than animals. If that is the case, what could have pushed humans to act so savagely and so immorally? How would a girl go through pregnancy pain for nine months only to sell her baby for peanut after delivery?

To nip this ugly trend in the bud, the government should take a firm stance. This is not only about making and enforcing laws to curb the menace of baby factories; laws alone cannot be effective and sufficient. In addition to enforcing laws, Nigerian government at all levels should create jobs for the growing jobless population to earn wages that can sustain them. Moribund factories must be revived and more factories should be established. This would mean countering baby factories, whose products reek of immorality, with real factories that produce legitimate consumables.

As I noted above, the instinct to survive by any means in the absence of legitimate means is intrinsic to human nature. When legitimate means are difficult to come by, there could be a limit to the roles of culture and religion in stemming the immoral tide. And this is where the government and the community should assert themselves and come to the fore in job creation.

In conclusion, baby factories, where babies are produced and traded, are a common practice in South. This is not to absolve the North. Each region has its unique challenge. Though babies are not commonly marketed in the North, the North is also plagued with unwanted children. If you think I am referring to the almaajiris, in tatters with begging bowls, you are right. They are obviously not wanted by their parents.

Almajiri practice is as detestable to religion, civilized culture, and common sense as marketed babies in the South. Whether our factories produce marketed babies as prevalent in the South or unwanted children that are ubiquitous in the North, we are sitting on powder keg. "A stitch in time," as the saying goes, "saves nine." All hands must be on deck.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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I am not a cultural traditionist. Nor am I a traditionalist. I do not belong to the palace. I am also not impressed by what traditionally goes on in palaces. I can recall, almost twenty years ago as an undergraduate, I did a course on local government administration. In that course, we were taught the roles of traditional institutions. The lecturer was obviously a conservative—he was soaked in his local traditions. He did not hide it. We also understood him.

In that course, and as usual in the social sciences, there are arguments for and against the relevance of traditional institutions in modern democratic states. I knew the position of my lecturer—a professor I so much respect. However, in examination, I argued against his position and I knew the implication. That is exactly me. Then, I did not mind losing some marks. All I wanted was to argue my points even if my lecturer was not comfortable. As far as I am concerned, analysis of concepts and practices, and conclusions therefrom, should be based on conviction, not loyalty. In this context, I am not a loyal student. My loyalty is to my conviction. I got an average grade. A part of me told me I deserved something better. Yet, another part of me whispered to me that my lecturer was even generous not to have failed the "useless boy" for arguing against a position favored by his lecturer.

But here I am today extolling a traditional ruler. Has anything changed? Nothing has changed. It is only that the Awujale of Ijebu Land, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, is one of those few traditional rulers that are reformers in conservative regalia. Traditional institutions are full of taboos. The late Awujale is free of taboos—both in thoughts and deeds. He disliked cultural taboos with passion and he did not hide his dislike. He was not a talkative oba that talks a lot in condemning ugly things but who does not act. Our amiable King talks and acts.

Narrating some of the events and rituals in the coronation process around 1960 when he ascended the throne, the late Awujale wrote: "At the Owa Stream, the Elese of Ilese, carried me on his back across the stream as custom had it that my feet must not touch the water. After this, according to tradition, the Elese must never come to Ijebu-Ode again to visit or see me for the rest of his life. Also at Odo Esa, I passed an iroko tree which, again by tradition, I was told I must never see again. Indeed I was forbidden to ever pass that very road again or, according to tradition, I would die. I did not believe any of this of course and I have since travelled the road and passed the iroko tree on several occasions!" Just imagine some of these superstitious tradition!

The Awujale continued: "Also at Ijebu-Imusin, there was again another tree at Oja Imusin which I passed and which I was never to set my eyes on again, yet I have also seen this one many times. So much for all these unnecessary taboos!" These quotes are in Chapter One, The Road to the Coronation, of his memoir titled "AWUJALE: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K. AdetonaOgbagba II" (page 23-24).

Some of these taboos are unnecessary. Civilized people should disregard and discard them. In our modern world, and to the modern mind, they are just ridiculous. On what account and for what traditional reason, for instance, should I be prevented from setting my eyes on my brother for a lifetime? Explaining why his official staff was not present at the palace of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, one other King in Ijebu Land, Oba Sikirullah Kayode Adetona, states that as an elder brother to the Awujale, he could never prostrate to the late monarch or see him face-to-face even when he was alive. This is serious!
Generally speaking, there are many things in the process of kings' coronation that are shrouded in secrecy. This is well known. This is not only in Yoruba land. It is virtually everywhere. But why? On page 21 of his memoir, the late Awujale wrote: "All the secrecy that they maintained about the rituals was, therefore, as I saw it, simply a ploy to extort money from the public, just as their fathers did before them. They deliberately made the rituals look very mysterious. In my opinion, custom or tradition should not be dominating the people but rather, people themselves should be creating the traditions and customs according to their needs. As far as I am concerned, I do not see any value in continuing to cloak the rituals in a mystical veil."

The Awujale ascended the throne in 1960, when Nigeria gained her independence. While it is debatable whether Nigeria is truly independent or not after sixty five years of independence, the Awujale remained independent throughout his six five years on throne. He maintained his integrity. He stuck to his principles. He joked not with his celestial religion even as a traditional ruler. He kowtowed to no one; not even to governors and presidents. Authorities higher than him tried to cow him. The Awujale remained uncowed. Because he was fearless and non-partisan. I will cite two instances.

It was in the early 1980s. The Awujale was to travel out of the State (Ogun State) to the UK for medical attention. Then something happened. Let's hear from the horse's mouth: "I was going to the UK for medical attention and I wrote, as I had always done in the past, in a friendly way to inform Chief Onabanjo in his position as the Governor...He replied that he wanted more particulars about my health and trip to enable him take a decision on whether to grant my request or not. I replied that my letter to him was written out of courtesy to keep him abreast of my absence, and not to ask, in the manner of the Civil Service, for permission about my travel." (See page 97-98 of his memoir).

Being a no nonsense king who was loyal to his cherished principle, the Governor, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, could not tolerate him. The Awujale was deposed—allegedly for insubordination. But there is more to the King's deposition than meets the eye. He was deposed based on religious cum political grounds. For details, readers should read Chapter Seven of his memoir "The case with Chief Olabisi Onabanjo" (page 89-110).
The Awujale would not tolerate nonsense. He mounted a legal challenge against the Ogun State Government. Since it is God that ultimately gives power, after two years or thereabout, the King regained his stool while the Governor (the sacker) was sacked, in return, by higher authority (a military government). The Awujale, after he was deposed and regained his stool, remained the King for the next 41 years till he passed away few days ago at the age of 91.

The second instance to show that the Awujale was not power-drunk though powerful and was not afraid to lose his power to assert his integrity was during the Abacha dark days. Yes, the Awujale was willing to lose anything, not his integrity. Who could dare General Sani Abacha in those days? Only few people could make the list. The Awujale was on the top of that list.

There was a time traditional rulers and politicians were falling on top of one another in a long queue to watch coup videos in Aso Rock in exchange for large brown envelopes. It was the "coup videos" of the late General Oladipo Diya on invitation of General Sani Abacha. To many traditional rulers, Abacha's invitation was the greatest favor of their life. Being invited to Also Rock was like, wow! But to my subject of discussion in this column (The Awujale), it was a slap on his authority. He cannot take that slap; so, he could not honor the invitation. He was very vocal against Abacha whom he considered a tyrant and his shenanigans.

Fast forward to 2021. Knowing fully well that His Lord would be inviting him soon to the Next World and being acquainted with the fact that there are many taboos—in form of rituals—in wait for his deceased body, the Awujale quickly pushed for a legislation that will allow him to be buried in Islamic way after his death. We learnt from the Awujale a new way to plan for one's death. Though the legislation was vigorously resisted as the respected Olusegun Adeniyi rightly mentioned in his Thursday Column, the assembly passed the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law of 2021 Bill. It was later signed by the "Eleyi of Ogun State", Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun. Kudos to our governor.
The chaos that the death of the Awujale would have generated between the traditionalists and the Islamic clerics was averted by the wisdom of the King who pushed for that legislation. Another traditional fetish practice was again averted—all to the king's credit. The deceased body of our dear king would have been messed up and even mutilated in the name of tradition. Rather, he was buried according to the Islamic rites.

If our traditional institutions would be rid of taboos, superstitions, and blood-demanding rituals, we shall all embrace it. After all, we are tired of democracy. The traditional institutions could be an alternative, but only if they could be reformed. The Awujale has set the ball of reformation rolling. I hope other kings would follow suit. I earnestly supplicate to the Almighty to overlook the shortcomings of our respected Awujale and shower His Mercy on him as he embarks on the journey of no return.‎

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
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The politicking aimed at unseating President Tinubu by his opponents has started. So is the politicking that is aimed at keeping him in office till 2031 (or as life president) by his supporters. In fact, it is taking an interesting turn. Those who are fixated on unseating Tinubu could not hide their hatred for Ọmọ Ologo and the Emilokan theorist. They are desperate to uproot the evil which they said they brought to power. Who is the evil that is referred to here? Readers know better. Tinubu himself confessed that they hate him like Hell. He was referring to Nigerians who don't like him, especially those who are hellbent on sending him back to Lagos.

As usual, in life, you cannot be hated by all, even if you are more Satanic than Satan. Similarly, one cannot be loved by everyone, even if one is more angelic than angels. While Tinubu is strongly hated like Hell in some quarters, he is also blindly loved by some people. If those forming coalition against Tinubu hate him like Hell without hiding it, the former Governor of Nassarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, represents those who love Tinubu like Paradise without owing anyone apology.

Al-Makura made this known on Trust TV last week that he is an incurable and committed member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and could do anything to please his master, Tinubu. In his words: “If Mr President, as the leader of this country, tells me that ‘Al-Makura, I want you to come to my office and dust my table every Monday, that is what pleases me, that is what I feel will make the party and this country progress, I can assure you that I will make it a date that every Monday, at that appointed time, I will come, dust the table, and go." To display his unalloyed loyalty to Tinubu, he capped it all: “I will be satisfied that I have done what the President wants. That is the level of my commitment and loyalty to a leader.”

Based on this unfortunate and unwholesome utterance, he has been referred to as Tinubu's slave. Truly, one cannot be so submissive without being a slave. For this reason, I find it difficult to disagree with those who call Al-Makura Tinubu's slave. But at the same time, can't his utterance be interpreted differently and even positively? Can't we say he made that servile statement with a deep sense of patriotism? Good listeners who listened to the interview would notice that Al-Makura's willingness to dust Tinubu's table every Monday is with "if." That is to say, only "if" that will make APC and Nigeria progress. In other words, if dusting Tinubu's table every Monday would not make Nigeria progress, perhaps Al-Makura will not dust the table.

I am giving this positive interpretation to Al-Makura's apparent slavish statement not to defend him. Politicians are funny people. It is possible that he has truly enslaved himself to Tinubu or willing to enslave himself. But I just can't imagine why a two-term governor, a former senator, and an old man like Al-Makura who is a septuagenarian would choose to be a slave to another septuagenarian (if we agree Tinubu is not above 80).

Looking at it from another angle, can we say Al-Makura is one of the sycophants with whom Tinubu surrounds himself who habitually make sycophantic utterances just to please the President, make him happy, and get some favor? This is also possible, considering the fact that he is eyeing the exalted seat of APC National Chairman like other contenders, especially the White Lion (former Governor Yahaya Bello) from Kogi State whose posters, we learnt, have flooded Abuja streets since the position will must likely be Zoned to North Central. For instance, when Al-Makura was asked whether he would accept the position of the national chairman of APC, his response, without any reluctance, was that he would gladly accept the offer.

Therefore, anyone that understands the master-slave relationship that exists between elected rulers and their lackeys in Nigeria will not find Al-Makura's willingness to dust Tinubu's table too outrageous. The king maker that suddenly became king deserves more than that. Al-Makura should not only dust Tinubu's table every Monday, he should dust it to his satisfaction. He should not stop at that, he should lick Tinubu's boot and even lick it very well with slavish dedication. I don't know why this should cause headache to any Nigerian. What should be the concern of every suffering Nigerian is how to join the coalition—or any other political party—that will help to pull Nigeria back before it slides into a full-fledged autocracy as I pointed out on this page last week. If we are successful in doing that, what we should do next is to hold elected officials accountable.

Although they appear to be the alluring brides and the cynosures of all eyes that are tired of seeing Tinubu on that seat, the internally displaced politicians IDP in the coalition should never be trusted. No one should fall for their putative mission to "rescue" Nigeria from the former "rescuers" who are now in government but making life difficult for the masses. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to view these "rescuers" in the coalition as liars, deceivers, and hypocrites until they prove to be truthful, straightforward, and righteous.

Now that governance seems to have been suspended in this regime in preparation for the 2027 election, I don't know if it is too late (or not) to advise our rulers in Nigeria. The advice is that no leader or ruler (as the case may be) should allow anyone, whether out of love or stupidity, to deify them. Don't allow your loyalists to enslave themselves to you and don't smile at sycophants. Sycophants are worse than slaves. Slaves are not necessarily sycophants. Sycophants are the worst calamities that can strike a ruler. .

Slaves are less destructive than sychophants. There could be among slaves those who are God fearing and responsible. Though loyal to their masters, some slaves will still find a way to offer sincere advice. This is not the case with sycophants who are inherently and entirely dangerous. Nothing good comes from them and nothing good should be expected from them. With Al-Makura's publicly declared willingness to please President Tinubu, I fear he is not trying to be a sycophant.

Let me emphasize again, sycophants are the most irresponsible people; they should not be tolerated by any intelligent and wise ruler. Only fool and stupid rulers would get their egos massaged when being praised by sycophants. Wise rulers would rather throw sand into their faces. May God increase His blessings upon the Prophet; he did not forget to caution those with listening ears about sycophants. He said: "When you see those who flatter others (praise singers), throw sand in their faces.” Four years ago, In an article titled "Leaders should be Wary of Sycophants’ Shenanigans and their Lies", I wrote: "When a leader gives a listening ear to sycophants, they not only abase him, they kill the state. Failure of a leader is a failure of a nation."

Fellow Nigerians, don't be table dusters; join the coalition if you can. If you cannot, join any other party or stay away from party politics. If you must remain in APC, at least, remain dignified. Don't trade your integrity for a penny.

Dear politicians, your children, neighbors, and family and friends are watching. They listen to your utterances. Don't shame them or subject them to ridicule. I am just wondering how Al-Makura's family and friends would feel when he made that servile utterance.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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One should not be defeated in hoping that there is hope for Nigeria. That is why critical writers should continue to write to critique government steps and missteps, actions and inactions. For the same reason, advocates for good governance should continue to advocate for transparency and accountability in government circle. Also, human rights activists should carry on with their activism. When hope is completely lost, writing, advocacy, activism would be of no use.
Similarly, politicians should continue their politicking. What politicians do or choose not to do cannot always be adjudged to be wrong. In other words, politicking does not always connote evil or derogatory act. It entirely connotes evil and derogatory act when it becomes the sole business of government. This is exactly what politicking has become under the current All Progressives Congress (APC) government headed by the Master Politician, President Tinubu. It is a party that has a chronic dislike for good governance under a ruler that loves power only for the sake of power.
To clip his wings and those of his party, and also send him back to his Bourdillon School of Politics where he is worshipped like a demigod, politicians teamed up to form a coalition These politicians are called different names. Some APC government data boys call them Internally Displaced Politicians. We also learned they are fake and expired politicians. Though I find the ruling party too nauseating for my liking, yet, I must confess, I enjoy some of their jabs at the coalition. If one is a careful observer who could make an objective analysis of some key actors in the coalition, one may not have problem with the APC lackeys calling politicians in the coalition fake, expired, and Internally Displaced Politicians (IDPs). Are they really not internally displaced politicians?
But yet, "even in churches, there are witches and wizards." I lifted this quote from Deji Adeyanju's recent Facebook post where he pleaded to the controversial activist and "trouble maker", Omoyele Sowore, to join the coalition. Turning Adeyanju's quote upside down, we can then say even in the midst of fake, expired, and internally displaced politicians, there might also be real, active, and Internally Dependable Politicians (IDPs).
On this note, the coalition is a welcome development. As for the IDPs in the current coalition, we can say this is their own way of saying all hopes are not lost. It could be their way of saying NO to "Tinubucracy"—Tinubu's one party state—; and YES to restoration of democracy. Democracy in Nigeria has indeed lost its meaning since two years ago when the current Nigerian President was elected by minority and voted against by the majority.
However, the coalition has been criticized of an attempt to hijack power. This criticism is in order; the ruling party is right to have said so. If the coalition does not have hijacking of power—through the ballots—as its major agenda, it means members in the coalition are stupid. What is the function of a coalition, in the political sense, if not to hijack power? Recently, the fear of power being hijacked has actually gripped the ruling party. But that shouldn't be the headache of the suffering Nigerians. What should be our concern is what the power would be used for if the coalition eventually emerges triumphant in 2027. Would the coalition use the power for general benefits or abuse it? Let's start asking the question.
Under this current regime, power has actually been abused and misused. How can we prevent the coalition from abusing power if victory smiles at it after the poll? This should be our concern. Apparently, no difference or much difference, if any, between those who want to seize power and those who currently wield it. One would struggle hard to point to any of the political heavyweights in the coalition who was not, before now, an APC or a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member. Are they not the same people that brought Nigeria to its knees?
So I find it hilarious when they were called the Internally Displaced Politicians. If they had not been displayed and made irrelevant by Tinubu, they would have been praising the government actions and inactions as always the right thing to do. Yes, they wouldn't have been different from those data boys. I hope Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje too will join soon to extract his pound of flesh from the APC he laboured to bring to power only to realize that he is as dispensable as tissue paper. I wish him quick recovery from his "health challenge" that caused him to resign from his position as APC Chairman. It is not too late for him to join Nasiru El-Rufai in the coalition to uproot the evil seed they planted in the Nigerian political soil. The seed has germinated. It has produced some fruits and agbado (maize). But because the seed is evil, its fruits are bitter and poisonous.
Sadly, the masses have no other option than to eat the poisonous fruits. In case Ganduje joins the coalition, now that he is politically displaced, he will not be the only former APC Chairman in the coalition. John Oyegun is there already; perhaps waiting for him.
Would the coalition able to unseat Tinubu? Only God knows. If it unseats Tinubu, would it be any better? Still, only God knows. For, who does one trust among the politicians in the coalition? How many of them are free of corruption, looting, and abuse of power? What assurance do we have that this coalition will be different from the one that sent former President Goodluck Jonathan to Otueke?
Nasiru El-Rufai, one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent members of the coalition is obviously on vengeance mission against Tinubu. I have no problem with that . He has the democratic and constitutional rights to hold grudges against Tinubu or any president. He does not hide it. His mission is to uproot the evil seed he regrettably helped to sow. He said it clearly that he is not interested in contesting for president. I strongly believe him.
But if the coalition eventually sends Tinubu packing, while Abubakar Atiku, Peter Obi, or any of the expired politicians (for that matter) becomes the President, would El-Rufai offer constructive criticisms? Would he complain to the expired politicians that the masses are suffering if they are indeed suffering? This is the responsibility he must be ready to bear.
Finally, what is coalition? To confirm that I still know what coalition means and that my understanding has not been affected by T-pain, I checked my dictionary. It tells me coalition is "A combination or alliance, especially a temporary one, of persons, factions, states, or parties formed to further a common cause or achieve a specific goal." The specific goal here is power (the Presidency). The challenge here is that it is temporary. What happens after the capture of power? Collision of Interests or liberating the masses? Time will tell.
My take in all this? The coalition should be supported or at least any party that can arrest Nigeria's slide into full-fledged autocracy.
I wish to use this medium to remind the APC government and whoever is in charge that many civil servants are yet to get their June salary. This column, as usual, always send this polite reminder. When I checked the Federal Government Calendar, under President Tinubu, it say today (Friday) is June 34.
May God help Nigeria.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen.
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Nigeria is a big name. Quote me anywhere. It is destined to be great. A brief journey into its past would expose one to this reality. Its epithet "Giant of Africa" is not a mistaken epithet. Calling Nigeria a giant is not only well thought out, it is a giant in all ramifications. Is it its abundant human and natural resources that are not enough to make it a giant? Or its fertile lands in which vegetables and even staples grow wildly—cultivated or not cultivated? Or its strategic geographical location that makes it accessible to other parts of the world?

Yet, regrettably, the country, which should be a lighthouse and a leading giant, is at war. The war it is fighting is not with its neighbors. It is not fighting to reclaim its lost epithet as a giant of Africa. It is not fighting a war to establish itself as a regional power in Africa like Israel and Iran are doing (or just did) to prove who is more superior in the Middle East. Nigeria is fighting a war against itself—a protracted war; a war of attrition.

The war defies definition. What majorly characterizes it as a war is the sheer number of innocent souls being lost on daily basis. It is not a war in the sense that there is a declaration by one warring party against the other. Thus, defining it is problematic. If you think it is an ethnic war, you will suddenly realize that you are wrong when religion takes the central stage. If you argue that it is religious war, you find yourself again in a dilemma when the killings take regional dimension, as if to say it is an inter-regional war.

But a conventional war has a starting date. It has a specific beginning. Even when it starts abruptly, everyone knows that war has been declared. The recent Israel-Iran war was said to be a twelve-day-war. The war Nigeria is fighting against itself which involves killings, arson, and wanton destruction of properties was not formally declared and seems not to have end in sight. A Trump announced the end of the twelve-day-war between Israel and Iran. Before you know it, real de-escalation of attacks was witnessed. When would a Trump announce the end of incessant killings in Nigeria? Are we not tired of these killings?

Who are those actually benefiting from these killings. Muslims are regular victims of these callous messengers of death. Many Christians have lost their loved ones to these ruthless and killer marauders. The Unknown Gun Men are not tired of gunning down their own people in the East. The Tiv and the Idoma are becoming unwanted species—struggling to survive—even in their own land. The most recent sad reference was the killings of about 200 people in Benue State.

The Yoruba are not safe. The menace of Yahoo Yahoo Boys, especially in the South West, and ritual killings makes everyone to be on their guard. Many Yoruba have lost their loved ones to ritual killings. What is even sad is the freedom and the I-don't-care attitude with which these criminal Yahoo kids operate and how they display their ill-gotten wealth. It is also sad to note that the moral fabrics are completely torn and worn out such that Yahoo Boys Mothers' Associations now reportedly exist without anyone raising an eyelid.

The Hausa, the Fulani, the Kanuri, the Jukun, are not safe even in the North. If anyone thinks the Edo ugly episode in which some northern hunters were burnt beyond recognition happened because it was in Edo State—a state in the South, what do we say about the recent killings of travellers in Plateau State? This leaves one to wonder how beastly are some beasts among us! If the hunters looked suspicious because of some local hunting weapons found on them, what do we say about these travellers who were not only well dressed as marriage guests in joyous mood but appeared educated and urbane? Even the official bus that has Ahmadu Bello University boldly inscribed on it could not stop these savages from striking nor spare the passengers from being hacked and burnt to death. These criminals are directly telling the Nigerian State that they are at war with it. Is President Tinubu ready for the war? I asked similar question about three years ago when the Muslim-Muslim promoters of Tinubu said the presidency is a jihad in a column titled "Is Bola Tinubu Ready for the Jihad?" before he became president. Then, I doubted he was ready. After two years of his presidency, he is apparently still not ready. What he is ready for is 2027 election.

If killing travellers in government official vehicle is not considered attacking the State enough, what about the killings of our gallant soldiers in Niger State just few days ago? Seventeen soldiers killed just like that!? Though it is not a breaking news; it is a recurring news. Killing of these numbers of soldiers which should ordinarily throw the whole country into a mourning mood, was, at best, only condemned. The bandits were called cowards; and that is all.

Because the country is at war with itself, billions of naira and funds earmarked for military hardware and other equipment were squandered with no consequence. The noise about Dasukigate has subsided. No one is talking about it again. While other countries built arsenals and tried to be up-to-date in their armament in order to resist external aggression, Nigeria is only up-to-date in training politicians who have learnt how to conduct and win elections in order to be in power and remain in power for the sake of power. Power to them is their ability to keep the masses in a dormant state (after being completely impoverished) while they cause the country and its economy to bleed.

Has anyone paid attention to the number of Iranians and Israelis reportedly killed this month (June) during the twelve days war? Compare it to the number of Nigerians—military and civilians—killed within the same timeframe and tell which has recorded more fatalities. Killings in Nigeria alone are way more than the reported killings in a war that was initially thought to be third world war. The killings are not externally engineered. Missiles are not involved. It is Nigerians slaughtering Nigerians. Isn't this a case of a country at war with itself? When shall these killings stop? Who will help bring them to an end?

Many thought electing Buhari, a retired military man, will solve the problem of insecurity. After eight years, what we experienced was an escalation. His successor, President Tinubu, with no military background is not doing well either. Would those teeming up against Tinubu be the "Trump" that will bring an end to the war Nigeria is fighting against itself? I heard former Governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State confessed to have contributed to this mess by helping to bring President Tinubu onboard. That evil, if not removed, El-Rufai emphasized, will destroy Nigeria.

I don't have problem with Tinubu being sent back to Lagos if that will end the war in Nigeria. If Tinubu will also end the war, he might continue till 2031. My problem is this political grandstanding that will not address senseless killings that now characterize Nigeria. I also listened to one sheikh-turned-comrade also spewing brimstone that he will not support Tinubu if his vice, Kashim Shettima, is replaced by a Christian. Nonsense! How does this stop killings in the land? How does this address the problems of unemployment, economic downturn, insecurity, corruption, bad governance, etc?

May the Almighty guide us out of this quagmire of insecurity and reform our rulers. If they are not reformable, may He bless us with better leaders. These killings must stop and this war must come to an end. Only if we are wise and informed, then shall we understand that we are all brothers. May God help us.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Nigeria is becoming synonymous with calamity. It is sad news all over. Yet, the country is not at war. The incidence of killings is scaring. Human lives in Nigeria continue to lose that element of sacredness. When you think you have mourned the death of your fellow Nigerians enough and pretend to forget that calamity had ever stricken, some messengers of death—from 'nowhere'—would just strike again.

Benue State witnessed the most recent widely reported senseless killings. I said 'widely reported' because killings are ongoing in several parts of Nigeria on a large scale without being widely reported (especially in rural communities in the North). For instance, killings in both urban and rural communities in a state like Katsina may not be widely reported since such violence has painfully become the norm. Human souls have become valueless in that part of the North so much so that their only message to President Tinubu when he visited them was "Katsina Ba Korafi." This means "in Katsina, no complaint, all is well" despite all the killings.

The Tivs, the Idomas, and other ethnic groups in Benue State certainly still believe in the sacredness of the souls of their lost ones. This explains why they cried out about what looks like massacre—killing of about two hundred of their people at a go. Every sane human should hold the human soul sacred and dearly—irrespective of ethnic, religious, social, and other identitarian distinctions. I doubt if the elected rulers in Benue State believe in the sacredness of the souls of their people. Even if big billboards with "Benue Ba Korafi" were not mounted in Makurdi to welcome President Tinubu like those of Katsina, I can't see a difference. If there is a difference in the manners of welcoming the President to a state that is soaked in blood, then, that of Benue State is even more disappointing than Katsina State.

When the President visited Katsina State, he was actually invited for merriments and to dance to the Omo Ologo's lyric. But he was to come to Benue State to mourn and to commiserate with the bereaved. It was supposed to be a condolence visit. However, it was very unfortunate and very painful that Benue State Government, acting on the directive of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, planned to welcome the President with fanfare. I thought it was a joke when I read that one Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Groups Mobilization was, by the directive of the Governor, to mobilize support groups to give the President a rousing welcome. I was wrong.

According to an official letter dated June 17, 2025, the support groups are expected to organize a shoulder-to-shoulder procession from the airport to the Government House in Makurdi. Not only that, to merit accreditation, a special instruction was given to support groups that accreditation will be done strictly by the numbers and colors.

The President was actually given a rousing welcome as the event eventually turned out to be a fanfare. To be fair to the President, even if he expected a rousing welcome as he likes to be praised (being Omo Ologo), he apparently did not demand a rousing welcome from the Governor. He was in Makurdi to pay a condolence visit. Yet, as the Nigerian 'best' President, I expected him to ask the Governor if his people were actually mourning or celebrating the killing of those who were gruesomely killed.

Regrettably, the President did not ask Governor Alia that single question. If he had asked him that important question, he would have taught him (Governor Alia) a subtle lesson that a responsible governor who lost about two hundred of those he was elected to govern in that gruesome circumstance should learn how to mourn. If our governor could not mourn for whatever reason, at least, he should have learnt how to pretend to be mournful.

Probably because President Tinubu saw the joyous atmosphere engineered by the governor and the smiling faces of the support groups who enthusiastically welcomed him in the warmest manner, he decided not to spoil the show. Therefore, he seized the opportunity to make that historic statement. That statement should be archived.
"They hate me like hell too, but I am here. I am the President, and under a democratic regime, I made a promise that I will even protect my abusers and accusers with the principles of democracy and freedom of prosperity. We will protect them! Abuse me all you want."

This was said by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the occasion of his condolence visit after the brutal killing of about two hundred citizens of Nigeria in Benue State. Abuse Tinubu all you want for the above statement. If you like, condemn his statement as unpresidential. It isn't his fault. Anyone who blames our dear President for his utterances in Makurdi on Wednesday should have a rethink. The President was influenced by the joyous atmosphere. Blame Governor Alia!

The President would have been moved to tears if he had met the people he came to pay condolence visit to in a sad mood. Governor Alia and his handlers would have actually looked sad and conducted themselves solemnly if they are serious people who understand the worth of the lost souls. If the Governor himself had appeared in a tattered cassock (being a priest) and had been weeping relentlessly over the lost souls, if the shoulder-to-shoulder procession were only made up of people in rags and whose clothes have the stain of blood, if those at the high table—very closed to where the President was seated—were the actual bereaved who looked disheveled and thin with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, the President would have made a different remarks entirely. He must have shown the human and humane side of himself.

Notwithstanding, I praise President Tinubu for one of his remarks: "The value of human life is greater than that of a cow." Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the reverse was the case or seemed to be the case. We should thank Tinubu for setting the record straight. His visit to the hospital to see the injured is also commendably presidential.

Before I conclude. I will like to give the Tor Tiv this credit. If not for his brief address to the President, the atmosphere that should expectedly be a mournful one, would have been an entire fanfare. Prof. James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv, said: "We do have a grave concern with the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State." He continued: "Mr President, it is not herders, farmers clashes, it is not communal clashes, it is not reprisal attack. It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as, remain tolerant, negotiate for peace, learn to live with your neighbours."

He further explained: "What we are dealing with here in Benue State is a calculated, well-planned and full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits. This has been on for decades and it’s worsening every year." He cautioned: "Wrong diagnosis will lead to wrong treatment. We are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It not learning to live with your neighbours it is dealing with the war."

He did not forget to mention the political dimension of the crises. According to him "Politicians in the state are busy politicizing the crisis, passing blames instead of joining hands to fight the crisis. We heard that there are some politicians who would even prefer that the crisis will worsen so that it will be a based for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue State."

If the government is interested in finding solution to the crises in Benue State, the Tor Tiv's submission should be the starting point—whether one agrees with him or not. The Food Basket of the Nation should not become the Body Bag of the Nation. Enough of these senseless killings! My condolences to the bereaved.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
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Let this be a reminder. It is something we all know. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is an obligatory act of worship; and that makes it a pillar. The Lord of creation Who makes Hajj compulsory for the Muslims, knows, in His infinite knowledge, that fingers are not equal. Thus, He makes the obligation a qualified obligation to exclude those who do not have the means. To put it differently, the obligation of Hajj is conditional upon one's ability to make provision for it.

Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime sacrifice expected only from those who have the means. Permit me to add this, it is highly rewarding. But our God, the Lord of mercy, is never unjust. To Himself, He forbids injustice. He does not favor the rich and abandons the poor. He does not only waive the obligation of Hajj for the poor without means, He stipulates some righteous deeds and rituals that are equivalent to Hajj in terms of reward. This fact is well known in the circle religious scholars. Thus, the poor may help themselves to perform Hajj—without actually going to Makkah—by other acts and/or means.

But suddenly, we find ourselves in a situation where the rich that need not be helped are helped from the taxpayers money to perform a religious act. This is a religious act that individual Muslims should be happy to foot the bill for themselves since it is a religious sacrifice. Rather, our governors partially foot the bill. Then, ironically, the poor that must (or should) be helped out of poverty by the government—and even by the rich—are left in the cold hands and embrace of poverty and hunger.

Our rulers in Nigeria and those clerics who urge them to spend public funds to subsidize Hajj are making religion to look oppressive and retrogressive to the masses and critical thinkers—people with critical and functioning minds. The rate at which Northern Muslim youth are derailing from Islam and inching towards atheism is alarming. This should be blamed on clerics who make religion look oppressive and illogical to the masses. They make religion look supportive of the selfishness and corruption of the ruling class and the rich.

For instance, the Federal Government subsidized Hajj last year by a whopping N90 billion. It was not only mismanaged, a large fraction of it was embezzled. Yet, some clerics, in the name of religion, defended the subsidy and the embezzlement that trailed it. I am not sure if the Federal Government subsidize Hajj this year. I am aware that some state governments, by other means, did. Though subsidy is not the word they used, it was reliably reported that some governors gifted money and other valuables to the pilgrims.
In a report by Daily Trust, Borno State paid the cost of sacrificial ram (hadiyya) for each of the pilgrims from the state—totalling 2,174 pilgrims. Who asked the governor to do that? That could not be God; or could He? His action was not also in tandem with any of the provisions in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; was it?

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gifted each of the pilgrims 180 Riyals (equivalent of N74,870) totalling N98,454,050 for all of them. What concerns Sanwo-Olu about Muslim pilgrims such that he has to be so generous with gifts. Does Sanwo-Olu, a Christian, believe the Muslims are 'children' of God? Even if he believes so, as a Christian, is that how God, in the Bible, asks him to help his 'children'? He abandoned the 'children' of God—Muslims who struggled to feed themselves on festival day—and gifted unsolicited minimum wage (N74, 840) to the wealthy pilgrims. This is a misplaced priority.

The Jigawa State has 930 pilgrims who were reportedly given 100 Riyals (approximately N43,000) each as “Happy Arafat gift.” But Sallah greetings were sent to the poor masses who could not make it to Hajj. While the rich pilgrims deserved monetary gift, one wonders why the poor masses only deserved Sallah greetings as gift. If this is what clerics tell our governors about Islam, they have done a grievous injustice to Islam—conceptually and practically.

With its 3,800 pilgrims, Kebbi State seems to be the state with the largest contingents of pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj. The State Goveror Nasir Idris approved 200 Riyals (approximately N86,000) to be disbursed to each of the 3,800 pilgrims. Perhaps, the governor has enriched the Kebbians so much so that poor people are no more visible in the state. He is now extending the state's largesse to the rich. Well-done!

In that religious competition to 'please' God—by helping the pilgrims who deserve not to be financially helped—our 'generous' Governor from Sokoto State takes the lead. He is the winner. To each of the 3,200 pilgrims from Sokoto State, 1,000 Riyals (equivalent to N450,000) was gifted as Sallah gift by Governor Ahmed Aliyu. If well utilized, N450,000 can positively and completely change the life of an almaajiri. Let's just imagine that 3,200 almajirai in Sokoto get this amount of money (N450,000) each, purposely to take them off the streets, that ugly spectacle of our streets in Sokoto—littered by dirty and wretched almajirai—will have some semblance of beauty. Can anyone tell me where to situate or locate Islam in all this?

The Governor of Kano State reportedly gave each of the 3,345 pilgrims from the state 50 Riyals (approximately N21,000) and promised them a large travel bag in preparation for their return journey home. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf appears to be the least in this father Christmas-like gifts to the pilgrims. Even Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, a Christian, did father Christmas better than him (though we do not know the cost of the additional large travel bags). This could be because our amiable and workaholic governor has a lot of projects to execute in Kano State.

A source even said the token is from his pocket; not from government purse. If that is the case, his act might be commendable. It will certainly be more commendable if he had channelled his personal money to help those who genuinely need it.

All said, some of our rulers could be good leaders if they are well advised and surrounded by God-fearing clerics. Hopefully, we shall get it right one day. I wish our pilgrims happy return as they enjoy Sallah gifts from our governors.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

We are certainly in the season of festival. Our living conditions cannot change the reality. Whether one is able to slaughter sacrificial animal or not cannot stop one from celebrating. It is that season of the year in which people, who are hitherto too busy and unavailable, find time to rejoice with family and friends. People travel far and near in the spirit of festivity. If not for fear of oversimplification, one would be tempted to say humans are by nature hedonistic. While Islam frowns at excessive pleasure-seeking (as hedonists would like to), it allows occasional celebration. It can be said that celebration is integral to every civilization. Since Islam is a civilization, Eid-ul Adha is a major celebration within Islamic civilization.

Therefore, Muslims all over the world should be in a festive mood. But are we really in a festive mood? It is difficult to say yes when one thinks of the Palestinian Muslims in Gaza. How can homeless people who were forced, and still being forced, out of their homes celebrate? In addition to being homeless, many Palestinian Muslims have lost their loved ones under the most gruesome circumstances at the hands of Zionists, while the world stands by idly." To the Palestinian Muslims, and this is understandable, this Eid-ul Adha festival might be meaningless. May the Almighty grant them relief and bring them succour.

If the Palestinians are far away from us, and some of us probably hardly think about them, can we spare a minute to think about the flood victims in Mokwa town in Niger State? What happened to them is a calamity that is too heavy to bear. That of Maiduguri is still fresh in our memories. As far as I know, no one is held responsible for the collapsed dam in Maiduguri despite the huge ecological fund allegedly provided for its repair.

Here again, after some months and before our eyes, hundreds of people became victims of flood. The incident was said to have occurred following a heavy downpour that reportedly lasted for about 18 hours. The surrounding settlements, farmlands, homes and infrastructure were submerged, leaving residents who should be celebrating Eid-ul Adha in a mourning mood. Many lost family members. Over 2,000 houses were reportedly destroyed and the displaced people could only be counted in thousands. Death toll has risen to about 200. Someone reportedly lost seven children. One of the hardest hit is a man who lost 14 members of his family to the raging flood.

We read that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved immediate release of N2bn to begin the reconstruction of homes destroyed by the recent devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State. He also promised to donate 20 trucks of food items to victims. This is a good gesture from the President, provided it isn't a promise made on paper and announced to the public for people to think that he cares.

I commiserate with the victims of flood in Mokwa, the people of Niger State, and their governor. It is high time our rulers learnt to be proactive. Their reactionary approach to preventable calamities is not good enough. It should be noted that it is more economical—in monetary terms—and wiser for rulers who are guided by wisdom to prevent calamities before they occur; not to react when they occur.

So, before our clerics mount the pulpit to say it is a divine punishment and that people should stop sinning to prevent future flood, let me quickly remind the government—what it already knows but perhaps has forgotten—before another calamity strikes. There is need for the construction of drainage. Waste management is very important as its mismanagement leads to blockage of drainages where drainages exist and obstructs the flow water especially when it rains. Our towns and cities should be well planned.

The focus should not only be on Abuja— especially areas that are typically first sighted by foreigners as their aircrafts prepare to land on the Nigerian soil via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Physical structures are habitually mounted on waterways due to lawlessness or ineffective laws. This causes blockage of waterways and leads to flood when there is heavy downpour. This is what our clerics naively and ridiculously describe as God's punishment–a punishment that often targets only the poor and the oppressed.

I am using this medium to call on the well-to-do Nigerians—with good hearts—to come to the aid of these victims. We can make them feel some ease by supporting them in this period of festivity even as they count their losses. They desperately need our support. The government cannot do it alone even if she so wishes. It is a calamity—a burden—that is too calamitous to be managed by the government. In case there are no enough funds, I advise the Federal Government to suspend the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and deploy resources to flood-prone areas in various states of the federation to save lives. Because the next flood disaster might be more disastrous than what was witnessed in Mokwa. The warnings are loud enough for proactive actions if we had a responsible government.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has raised the alarm of heavy rainfall and flooding in several states in 2025 and raised concerns about high possibility of cholera outbreaks in those states. In its 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction released on Monday, NiMET identified Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, and Akwa Ibom as states that are mostly at risk. Prevention is always better than cure.

This column should also serve as an admonition to Nigerian federal civil servants who are yet to be paid their May salaries, especially the Muslims among them who might not happily celebrate Eidul Adha. Many have complained that this Muslim-Muslim Government seems to be deliberately punishing the Muslims. Hmm! It was a similar case two months ago when the end of March coincided with Eidul Fitr (end of Ramadan) festival and the government refused to pay till after the festival.

Well, their complaints are legitimate. I am suspicious of this Muslim-Muslim Government too. But thinking of Mokwa flood victims, one can only thank God for not being paid salary on the 37th of May than being flood victims. I may be wrong, but I think it is better to be modern slaves–which civil servants have now become–under Tinubu than being displaced and camped as IDPs under terribly humiliating conditions.

Some thought I was harsh on the Muslim–Muslim Government in my last week column titled “Under Tinubu, Don't Ask Anyone if they are Fine”. I am not harsh. I have only refused to be a religious bigot. In that column, I wrote: “As Muslims set to celebrate the Eidul Adha festival next week Friday (6th of June), the civil servants among them are not sure if the Muslim-Muslim Government would pay them their May salaries at the end of the month.”
I continued: “This is not because the month of May wouldn't have ended before the festival but because months in Nigeria, at times, do extend to about 40 days.” I then concluded the paragraph with: “We are in deep mess.” Are we not in deep mess? Did I exaggerate that months could be forty days under President Tinubu? I am vindicated.

Today (Friday) is 37th of May. There would be public holiday on Monday. Federal civil servants that would be lucky to have their salaries paid on Tuesday would have had them on the 41st of May. Read the title of this column again: “Eid-ul Adha: To Mourn or to Celebrate?” I will gladly receive your response in my email address below.
May the Almighty God ease the affairs of Mokwa victims, the Palestinian Muslims, Nigerian ‘modern slaves’, and all those in pain. Eidul Mubarak. May we witness many blessed years.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Take away those bigoted clerics who have seemingly sold their Hereafter for some worldly gains and some politicians who are a minuscule dot in the large population of suffering Nigerians, and who, against their conscience, continue to say all is well (and that they have no complaint), Nigerians are fed up with this government. I am yet to see a reason (I mean one reason) to be convinced that this Tinubu regime cares about governance. What it prioritizes is politics and politics. After politics, in this regime, it is still politics. Anyone who is still in doubt that too much politics suffocates democracy and destroys the state should study and understudy Tinubu's Nigeria.

Commentators have raised concerns about the steady slide of Nigeria into a one-party system under this regime. They are right. But I wouldn't have bothered much if that makes life easier and better for the generality of the masses. Should we accord plausibilty to the Benthamic argument, we may conclude that a regime needs not be a democracy to be popular; it only needs to ensure greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This is obviously not the case under Tinubu. The greatest number of Nigerians are in pain. Some regime apologists initially thought it was a temporary pain (T-pain). It has now dawned on them that it is a Real Pain. This is more than T-pain.

The hardship is overwhelmingly unprecedented. The hardship is traumatizing. It becomes even more traumatizing when one realizes that, to this hardship, there may be no end in sight as the regime continues to ignore the masses' interests in its politics that hardly produces good policies. Subsidy was discontinued, as they said, to save money to benefit the masses. If despite all the money 'saved' from subsidy, government still needs to take loan, in trillions, to run itself, there is definitely fire on the mountain.

In a Daily Trust's news caption, we read "Nigeria’s debt to hit N162trn as president seeks N17trn loans." This is if the lawmakers ultimately give a nod to the loan approval request puts forward to them by the executive. Someone said: "Who are they not to approve it?" I can't argue otherwise. For, under this regime, presenting loan approval request by the executive to the lawmakers is as if the executive presents loan request approval to itself.

In eight years, Buhari increased Nigeria's debt by roughly 600 percent. As at When he took office in 2015, the country's debt stood at approximately N12.06 trillion. By the end of his tenure, this figure had risen to N87.4 trillion, representing over a 600% increase. President Bola Tinubu regime, continuing from where Buhari stopped as promised, has been traveling northwards to worsen Nigeria's debt burden. In just two years, the country's total public debt has risen from N87.379 trillion to N144.67 trillion, representing a 65.5% increase. This immediately transformed former President Jonathan into a saint.
As if President Tinubu is not convinced that Buhari had sunk Nigeria enough before he left office, his attempt to sink it deeper, through excessive loans, calls for serious reflection. What is even more saddening is that there is nothing to show for these loans as they continue to loom larger. No infrastructure to show. No industrialization on a large scale. Perhaps the loans, despite saving from removal of subsidy, would be used to pay workers' take-home pay which hardly takes them home.

As Muslims set to celebrate the Eid-ul Adha festival next week Friday (6th of June), the civil servants among them are not sure if the Muslim-Muslim Government would pay them their May salaries at the end of the month. This is not because the month of May wouldn't have ended before the festival but because months in Nigeria, at times, do extend to about forty days. We are in a deep mess.
In the present day Nigeria, the middle class has completely disappeared. One is either rich or poor. Even the rich, except the super rich, now pretend to be poor to protect their little riches from the prying eyes of embarrassing beggars who now litter the Nigerian streets. Gone are the days when one calls to ask family members if everything is okay. It is ill-advised, at the moment, to ask people if they are fine. People, already pauperized, would seize the opportunity to list all their problems not knowing that you also have a mountain of problems. Even those who are fine, under President Tinubu, are afraid to say they are fine. Not because they are not grateful to God Who keeps them moving despite all the odds but because it can be risky to openly claim one is fine in the midst of hungry and angry Nigerians who struggle to feed.

What is more, begging is digitalized. With the aid of ICT, you are easily reached by family and friends just as you can also easily access them. Rate at which people beg for money via Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms is alarming. I have personally developed phobia for picking up calls from suspecting beggars who do not know that I am also a beggar. Even those that one would never expected to beg would call to beg. Note, not because they are not working. And when I also beg, it is not because I am not working too. It is because it does not pay to work or to be employed under Emilokan Regime. Most employments in Nigeria, as I write, are not gainful employments. Except one is employed as a political appointee (being an Emilokan disciple), it is difficult to be gainfully employed. It is so terrible!

I have seen people penning tribute to extol President Tinubu's 'sterling' performance after two years in office. Most prominent among them is the former president Muhammadu Buhari who laid the foundation of modern day hardship in Nigeria (that is if we all agree that the real democratization of hardship became intensified begining from 2015 when Buhari came on board). It was during Buhari regime that Nigeria became the poverty capital of the world. In a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari was reported to have said Tinubu's bold reforms are yielding fruits. Hmm!

He urged Nigerians to continue to give support for the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government. "Okay, noted, sir" was my response when I read the latter part of the statement. No one should blame Buhari. Possibly, he dictated that statement to whoever wrote it on his behalf from his comfort zone. Hereunder is my humble tribute to President Tinubu's two years in office on behalf of majority of Nigerians who live in the opposite zone of Buhari's comfort zone.

Dear President Tinubu, as you clocked two years in office, I thank you on behalf of Nigerian masses for making life unbearable—through your ill-informed and rashly formulated policies. Life has become unbearable so much so that people are now afraid to ask about the living conditions of those they should care for.

However, like Buhari, I am wishing you a heartfelt congratulation on your two years in office. May you keep leading with wisdom and care. Dear sir, the remaining two years (or is it six years?) is enough for you to make Nigerians happy if you so wish. I hope we can hope against hope to witness a better Nigeria under Your Excellency. Our dear President, may God help you.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is apparently the last, not necessarily the least. The obligation of Hajj on the Muslims is a privileged one. It is not an obligation in the sense that praying five times in a day is. It becomes an obligation for whoever has the wherewithal to perform it.

What is required to perform Hajj after being a Muslim are, among others, wealth and physical strength. While performing Hajj has many spiritual (and even social and economic) benefits, it shouldn't be a do or die affair. It is also not something to brag about. In other words, the hujjaj or hajjis (Muslims who have performed pilgrimage) should not look down upon other Muslims who are yet to perform it and may not be privileged to perform the once-in-a-lifetime ritual.

Many would ask: "Is Hajj really once-in-a-lifetime ritual?" This question is not inappropriate. The rate at which some rich Nigerians, politicians, and even kidnappers etc. perform Hajj almost on yearly basis may prompt people who are not well informed to ask such question. Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation. Though there are reasons why some people are privileged to perform it several times. It could be due to the business opportunities the season presents. Yes! People go to Hajj for business' sake. This is not blameworthy. In fact, it is praiseworthy (provided the business is lawful).

Other people perform Hajj due to the nature of their jobs. Their jobs offer them the privilege. In this category are pilgrim workers, journalists, medical corps attached to pilgrims, clerics who regularly serve as guides and instructors on Hajj rites, etc. There is another category of regular Hajj goers. In this category are kidnappers, bandits, thieves, criminals, prostitutes, some politicians (public fund looters), juju clerics, and some sick elites who frequent Hajj just for show off, etc.

Do people in this latter category see Hajj as religious obligation? And do they perform Hajj for the sake of God? This is the main focus of this column. What is said above is just an introduction. We recently read that the DSS arrested two bandit's kingpins on their way to Saudi Arabia for 2025 Hajj in Abuja and Sokoto Hajj camps as they prepared for their departure to the Holy Land.

Many wonder what could be the relationship between these blood-sucking criminals and Hajj. I wonder too. There is a widespread bogus, illogical, and dangerous notion that whatever sins a Muslim commits, and no matter how gravious and heinous they are, once they do Hajj, those sins would be forgiven. It is also held that any supplication one makes to God during the rites of Hajj will definitely be granted.

This is a thoughtless lie. Should anyone quote some certain hadiths—sayings of the Prophet SAW—to support those notions, we would insist he or she is misquoting our noble Prophet Muhammad. While the Kaaba—the Sacred House of Allah—is the best place to make supplications, acceptance of supplications or otherwise is determined by the wise decision of Allah Who knows what is good or bad for his servants.

It is true that there are clerics who, through their teachings, spread these notions among the criminally minded people. This is why religion could be dangerous if it continues to be preached by uncritical scholars that are literally glued to Islamic literature, but are ill equipped to contextualize text—especially in this trying times that morality is at its lowest ebb. The wrong teaching of religion contributes to why many of our elected Muslim rulers make it a point of duty to perform pilgrimage or lesser pilgrimage regularly after impoverishing the masses. They laugh sardonically at their victims (the suffering masses) as they gleefully jet out to Saudi Arabia to 'please' God with their ill-gotten wealth. Is this not fooling God? God cannot be fooled, anyway. But as they 'play smart' in their diseased ignorance, they end up fooling themselves unknowingly. (See Qur'an Chapter 2 verse 9).

Think about it. How would God forgive unrepentant bandits whose hearts are so hardened that feeding newborn babies to dogs do not make them cringe? (I mean babies born by a woman, not those born by a goat). How would God accept the rites of bandits whose supplication is to be bloody rich through shedding of innocent blood? If such god exists, that is a useless god. Not the Merciful God.

It was reported that the Prophet said “Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back (free of sin) as his mother bore him.” (Bukhari, 1449). How does this apply to a bandit? What a bandit does is more than evil and the condition of forgiveness is not to do evil. Also, a Muslim who intends to perform Hajj is expected to make provision for the journey and the best provision, as Qur'an Chapter 2 verse 197 teaches us, is at-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.). On the contrary, these bandits made their best provision by soiling their hands with the blood of the innocent. This is satanic. It is not godly.

In another report almost at the same time, Saudi Arabian authorities was said to have arrested two women alleged to be the wife and mother of one Ado Aliero who is one of Nigeria’s most feared bandit kingpins in the holy city of Medina where the women had been living under assumed identities. This is a good news. But the downside is that one might not hear anything about these laudable arrests by our hardworking security agents after the fanfare that comes with such breaking news. This troubles the mind.

It gives support to the recent claim by Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, that there are informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, among politicians, and even within the communities that collaborate with these enemies of humanity and agents of Satan. Zulum asserted that there is politicisation of security issues in Nigeria and called for a concerted effort to address them. In his words, “Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness; we need not politicize insecurity.

Many Nigerians will not doubt Zulum. But aside the politicization, there is religious aspect to it. And that is the belief that after all (i.e. after committing all atrocities), God could be 'bribed' by visiting His Sacred House in Makkah. This is where our respected ulama (clerics) should come in. They need to re-educate the ill-educated and miseducated among these criminals and the general masses that there is no forgiveness for major sins without repentance. They need to deconstruct people's notion, especially Nigerians, about Hajj.

While Hajj's significance will always remain significant to the Muslims, its significance should not be over hyped. It is this wrong notion about Hajj that gives wings to the practice—common among politicians and some wealthy individuals—of sending people to perform Hajj when Hajj should be the least of their priorities due to their pitiable economic circumstances.

Imagine giving ten million naira to a wretched and jobless man to perform Hajj—a man who could not pay a house rent and has become irresponsible in terms of caring for his family. Believing whatever he (the pilgrim) requests from God in the Sacred House will be granted, without setting aside a considerable amount as empowerment capital when he returns, is an extreme case of religious bigotry. Isn't this thinking too skewed?

There are one thousand and one verses in the Qur'an that encourage the rich to help feed the poor. This is often overlooked. As if to teach God His religion, what we pay attention to is to send poor people who could barely feed to Hajj when God plainly and unequivocally declares that Hajj is compulsory only on those who have the means (see Qur'an Chapter 3 verse 97).

That said, incautious and unconditional narration like “The haji (pilgrim) will be forgiven, and all those whom the haji seeks forgiveness on behalf of" could be why the two wanted bandits (now in DSS net) wanted to do Hajj so that they can seek God's forgiveness for themselves and for the remaining bandits in the bush. Our clerics should take note.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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When would good news be heard from Katsina, Zamfara, and other states in the North where bandits hold sway? It is one calamity after the other. These states, though with elected governors, have significant areas that are ungoverned or governed by unelected bandits and kidnappers who are 'governors' in their own right. Each time freed victims recount their experiences in the hands of the 'governors' of these ungoverned spaces, one cannot stop to imagine if these bandits are humans or other creatures in human flesh.

Addressing journalists at the National Assembly two days ago (on Wednesday), Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji who represents Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency revealed a horrifying incident, among others, of a kidnapped pregnant woman who gave birth in captivity. This experience is not only harrowing and agonizing, it is traumatizing. In kidnappers' den with pregnancy followed by labour? Only death can bring an end to this trauma. This is definitely an unforgettable nightmarish experience.

Devilish people have some moments for sympathy and do show mercy at times, not these bandits. The pregnant woman would ordinarily see her painful delivery in kidnappers' den as a blessing—an opportunity to be let out. She gave birth to twins. She must have thought this is the right time to be freed. It is apt to think so. The bandits, no matter how stonehearted, should have a place for sympathy in their hearts for this woman and her twin babies. This was not the case. According to the lawmaker, Hon. Jaji, the newborn twins were fed to dogs by bandits. They threw the new born twins to dogs and were devoured by dogs.

While Hon. Jaji might not be saying anything new since there are many dreaded narratives like the ones he referenced, it is at least consoling that a lawmaker from the ruling party is saying this. If he (Jaji) were from an opposition party, he would be accused of projecting Tinubu government in a bad light.
The Northwest region where these horrifying news are reported on daily basis hosted President Tinubu for two days. In those two days, the President was made to realize, I believe to his surprise, that there is a state in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is free of all problems. "Katsina Ba Ƙorafi" which means "We Don't Have Any Problem" was boldly written on a billboard.

Katsina is the most unfortunate state in Nigeria in terms of insecurity. The reason is that one of its sons (Muhammadu Buhari) who was a former military head of state served as democratically elected President of Nigeria for eight years. With his military background and his love for his people, many thought the issue of insecurity in Katsina State would be a forgotten issue. They were wrong. Rather than abated, the insecurity situation in Katsina became even worse under the leadership of General Muhammau Buhari. It is glaring that Buhari wasted Nigeria's eight years while in office. History has noted this, and History teachers will continue to teach this sad episode to posterity. His successor, President Tinubu, has been doing well to continue his legacies. Tinubu, as far as I know, is the only president who has not disappointed Nigeria.

He kept his promise which is to continue from where Buhari stopped. No wonder, his son, Seyi, declared him the best president ever.
When Tinubu's planned visit to Katsina State was first announced, many thought it would be an opportunity for the elected rulers in the State, especially the Governor, to go cap in hand, tears in eyes, and kneel down before the almighty Tinubu, to explain to him what they are going through. Many expected that Governor Dikko Umar Radda would beg Tinubu not to fulfil his promise to continue from where Buhari stopped since he must have realized that fulfilling that promise, in respect to Katsina State, would be suicidal. That would mean to continue insecurity!

People of good conscience all over Nigeria expected the rulers in Katsina to seize the rare opportunity of that visit to narrate all their nightmarish stories about the blood loving bandits in the state to President Tinubu. I trust that our kindhearted Tinubu would have shed tears like the JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede. He would have tried to do something about insecurity in the North, especially in Katsina State, even if that means not fulfilling his promise to continue from where Buhari stopped.

But what did the rulers in Katsina State tell Tinubu? We don't have complaint was their complaint. So that Tinubu would not think he did not hear them well, "Katsina Ba Ƙorafi" was boldly and strategically written to be clearly seen by the President. Officially, President Tinubu was informed that all is well in Katsina. If all is well in Katsina, Tinubu might be exonerated if he thinks all is also well in the North. He may even conclude that all the nasty security reports in the North are the handiworks of his traducers who do not want to appreciate his efforts towards bringing a total end to insecurity in the North.

Can Tinubu believe Katsina elected rulers that they have no complaint? The Tinubu I know will not take that from Governor Radda. Tinubu's conscience cannot be agreeable to that scripted nonsense. How can you say you have no complaint? Why did former president Buhari who promised to stay very far away from Abuja to either spend the rest of his in Daura or Niger Republic suddenly leave Katsina for Kaduna if all is well? Some even said the former president Buhari did not just leave Daura but ran away for his life due to insecurity. Who knows? But to take President Tinubu's mind away from asking some critical questions about "Katsina Ba Ƙorafi," he was distracted by one Dauda Kahutu Rarara—an almajiri-turned-praise singer.

Being a president who likes to be praised, I doubt if anyone was surprised when President Tinubu started clapping and swaying to Rarara's praise for him in that Ọmọ Ologo's (a child of glory) track. Let's thank the Katsina State Governor for entertaining Tinubu with Rarara's Ọmọ Ologo's track as people in the state, who are always under attacks, continue to abandon their villages and homes for safety. Even as new babies, born into captivity, are fed to bandits' dogs in the Northwest region, Katsina State political bootlickers deserve our commendation by speaking 'good' of their state. They deserve our trophy for the 'patriotism' they displayed by telling Tinubu that all is well. We can only remind them that there is God.

The political strategist, President Tinubu, would probably be visiting other states in the North in preparation for 2027. Governor Radda's Katsina has set a template. It will not be shocking to see large billboards with "Zamfara Ba Ƙorafi," "Niger Ba Ƙorafi," "Kebbi Ba Ƙorafi," and "Borno Ba Ƙorafi" even as terrorists in Borno State now deploy sophisticated armed drones against their targets and kill our soldiers effortlessly.
If anyone tells you that Tinubu does not pay attention to the North because he is from the South, tell them he doesn't need to pay any attention to the North because the North has no complaint. Again, if anyone tells you that power must return to the North because only the northerners can be patriotic enough to address insecurity and other issues that negatively affect the North, ask them how they fared under Buhari in his wasted eight years as president from the North. Northerners are the problems of themselves. Until their rulers start behaving responsibly and the masses begin to hold their leaders accountable, I don't see the North solving any of its problems; I don't see it making any progress.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Rape had always been a crime. It is still a crime. It shall always be a crime. Even if strange things and immoral acts become normalized, rape shall always remain a crime—a savage act. It is not only a crime, it is also a sin. It is not a sin that is committed by humans in the sense that every human is a sinner. No! It is a sin committed by the most wicked and the most shameless among humans. Thus, rapists, under some circumstances, are ranked below animals in savagery and in worth. Do rapists even have any worth? Only to the extent that they can turn a new leaf if they escape the wrath of law. If they are eventually caught up by the wrath of law, under some circumstances, death is deserving of them just as they are deserving of death.

A bridegroom in Jigawa State invited his friends to 'help' gang rape his bride (new wive). Even in movies, this will be strange. If it happens in dream, our people would say: "dream is foolish." This saying, in their wisdom, is meant to dismiss the possibility of strange things seen in dream happening in real life. Read the subtitle of this column again: "Bridegroom Invites Friends To Gang Rape His Bride."

It is not a tale by the moonlight. It is not a fiction. It is not a cock and bull story that is suspiciously unbelievable. It is a reality that depicts how low humans can descend in the absence of cultural values and religious ethics. Are our cultural values dead? What happens to our religious ethics? For a man (not a walking ghost) to gladly supervise his wife being gang raped by his friends on his invitation is a disgraceful and precipitous fall to the lowest of the low, especially in a region that takes pride in being religious. This is the nadir of immorality. Any society or human settlement across the globe would cringe at this. It is cringe inducing.

How and where exactly did it happen? It happened that the police arrested one 20-year-old groom, Auwal Abdulwahab, and his three friends (all of the same age) for allegedly gang raping his bride to death just few days after wedding. The husband allegedly orchestrated it according to police preliminary reports. The incident happened in Tungo village in Albasu District, Sule Tankarkar LGA of Jigawa State.

The age of the bride is not stated in the report I read. Many have argued that the couple are unripe for marriage going by the husband's age. "They should have engaged in courtship for some considerable length of time before they tied the knot in order to know one another better," it is argued. I asked: under what cultural mores, religious practice, or constitutional provision is a 20-year-old man unripe for marriage? What length of courtship is needed to cure a rapist or prevent a sick man from inviting his friends to gang rape his wife? That is not the point. The point is that the moral fabric of our society is completely weak and has began to shred. All hands must be on deck to repair the moral fabric before it shreds completely into pieces.

Until investigation unravels what really happened and the motive behind the orchestrated gang rape, one can only make some guesses on what drove these 20 years old men to this dastardly act. It could be addiction to drugs and pornography or both. It could also be forced marriage that isn't new in that part of the country. But how would a bridegroom choose to punish a bride who was forced to marry him with gang rape? I am more inclined to think it is exposure to pornography. Perhaps, the new 'husband' wanted a Bleep but ended up in gang rape. These are two different perverted sexual practice.

Gang rape is characterized by violence, coercion, and lack of consent where many people (men or women) sexually assault a single victim (man or woman) and often results in physical and psychological trauma for the victim. On the other hand, Bleep is a consensual sexual activity where multiple partners engage in sexual orgy with one individual (man or woman). The key difference is consent. Because it is consensual, it is considered non violent adult sexual entertainment. I don't know if this is a crime in Nigerian constitution. Frankly speaking, it is detestable in most African cultures (including Nigeria) and a sin in all celestial religions.
Some youths that are exposed to pornographic websites with assorted sexually pervasive contents—including gang banging—might, out of devilish curiosity, develop a strong desire to practise what they watch for entertainment. It is possible that adult entertainment, as explained above, was the intention of the bridegroom and his gang but the refusal of the bride led to gang raping by the sexually charged amoral friends. If the bride had not been in the cold embrace of death, her explanation of what transpired would have painted the true picture.

It should be noted that this happened in a state that is becoming notorious for rape. In a 2021 report from the Jigawa State Ministry of Justice according to Daily Trust, rape was reported to be on the rise in the state. It was reported that out of the 196 case diaries on various offences received by the ministry between January to December 2021, rape cases topped with 90 case files, followed by 31 cases of sodomy.

What is the way forward? What is commonly proffered as solutions to ugly crimes such as this is to urge clerics, teachers, and parents to do their jobs or even blame them for not doing their jobs. While they are all stakeholders in addressing the problems at hand, addiction to pornography isn't a habit from which addicts could be easily weaned.

The first step is to block the means. I am happy that the Nigerian House of Representatives, having realized the psychological, sociological and mental consequences of viewing pornographic content, has recently instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block all pornographic websites in the country following a motion sponsored by Dalhatu Tafoki, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Katsina. This instruction was given two months ago. I don't know how long it will take to obey the instruction. I am not also sure if the instruction was given to be obeyed.

What I am sure of is that there are countries that do not even claim to be religious but do not (and would not) tolerate the nonsense Nigeria tolerates on her cyberspace. China and North Korea are known for their total ban on pornography. India and Russia have restricted access to it. Nigeria tolerates it with no restrictions despite her 'religiousness.' If the total ban of pornographic websites is the only thing the current Muslim-Muslim Government would be able to achieve, it would earn our commendation. And I strongly believe prominent religious figures among Nigerian Christians and idol worshippers will not hesitate to support the ban. It is also most likely that some porn addicts who are remorseful but could not help it due to free access will be happy to see it banned.

Should Nigerian government under President Tinubu ban pornographic sites, clerics and teachers would then be expected to do their jobs with some measure of success. For no amount of religious sermons and sex education can effectively minimize the menace of rape; I also doubt if severity of punishment (for instance death) will effectively curb this devilish act if the major root cause (pornography) is not addressed. This is not to exonerate these gang rapists. They should be made to face the wrath of the law. In fact, they should be given the severest punishment for their devilish behavior.

I fear we are witnessing the end of times that have been foretold. Let's hope we can reverse the ugly trend. May the Almighty grant the family of the victim the strength to withstand this loss and console them in this time of grief.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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In many countries, worldwide, Workers' Day is a public holiday celebrated on May 1st. It is meant to celebrate workers' achievements in their struggle for better life. It is also known as International Workers' Day or Labor Day. In addition to celebration, Ḿay 1st is a day set aside to advocate for workers' rights and promote fair labor practices, decent work conditions, living wage, and socio-economic justice for workers. It is also an occasion to show solidarity in which workers are united in their struggles for fair wages and other benefits.

It is established from the above that Workers' Day is actually a day workers are, or should be, in celebrating mood. Are Nigerian workers in celebrating mood? The answer is a resounding NO. Do Nigerian workers have any achievement to celebrate in the face of unnerving poverty that has consigned them into a state of melancholy? The answer to this is also an echoed NO.

But these answers are wrong. We are wrong. I am wrong. Nigerian impoverished workers have a reason to celebrate; it is only that we are not grateful. We should be grateful for being poor. Poverty is a virtue.

Yes, I mean it. Poverty is a virtue. The Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio said it. This could be the reason why the government—in which he is the Third Citizen—continues to stymie Nigerians in the big cauldron to force souls out of their bodies. Because poverty is a virtue, Nigerians, in millions, are forced to be virtuous. In other words, millions of Nigerians are forced to hug poverty in order to be virtuous by a morally 'upright' government that likes virtue (poverty) for its citizens but hates it for itself. If poverty is a virtue and our Senate President is not poor, it means, the Senate President, materially speaking, is not virtuous.

Though I know of Nigeria, I don't know if there are other countries on earth where workers celebrate Worker's Day in the month of May but are yet to be paid April salary. This is how workers fare under the leadership of the best president Nigeria had had since its independence. Nigeria's best president has recently come up with a novel practice of best governance by governing the country from France. I don't know how often President Tinubu would resort to governing Nigeria from foreign countries, but I know that the most recent working leave (whatever that means) took him about 18 days to complete. The President, in those solid 18 days, must have worked around the clock to 'address' poverty in the country. The immediate noticeable achievement recorded in the 18 days working/private visit is the government inability to pay workers as they 'celebrate' Worker's Day.

Even if President Tinubu had decided to pay workers, or in the words of Senate President, decided to "let the people breathe," workers would still be hungry on Workers' Day. Poverty-induced hunger, whether salaries are paid or not, has come to stay in Nigeria. Because what the vast majority of salary earners earn today in Nigeria (in both public and private sectors) is only enough to keep them alive in the cycle of poverty from which they have no opportunity to escape. There is no sign that the cycle of poverty into which Nigerians are ensnared would be broken anytime soon.

As workers, if the body language of our rulers in Abuja is anything to go by, we only need to renew our hope of getting more dose of poverty and be resilient since our rulers have assured us that poverty is not a crime. No Nigeria should think he or she is a criminal for being poor. In fact , to quote Akpabio once more "poverty could sometimes be a virtue of God." And since Nigerian workers are religious people, we cannot, according to Akpabio, "worship God in splendour." Except we choose to turn against God as workers, we should not harbor the thought of a better life. Thinking about a better life could be counterproductive to spiritual upliftment under the renewed hope regime—a regime that sees poverty as a virtue. This is a pity.

One major take away from 2025 May 1st Worker's Day 'celebration' is that Nigeria's minimum wage is not a living wage. It is a wage that perpetuates workers' slavish condition. Nigerians are actually resilient people. They are not talking about working condition. That is to say, they can work under any condition. The least they are demanding is to get a minimum wage that would make basic needs affordable. This least demand is, sadly, what governments at all levels are dragging feet to grant. It is sad to note that, despite hyper inflation that renders minimum wage meaningless without value, there are state governments that are yet to fully implement the minimum wage.

As Nigerian workers continue to struggle to breathe in the stifling economic environment that bites harder and harder, what Nigerian rulers prioritize is the 2027 election. Hunger in the country, increasing insecurity, frequent collapse of national grid, brain drain in the health sector, bastardization of education, etc. are not topical issues and thus do not merit government attention. What grabs our rulers' attention is politics and how to perpetuates themselves in the corridor of power; not governance.

With the near collapse of democracy under this regime which is reflected in the defection of bigwigs from among members of the opposition party to the ruling APC, we can only hope that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), though not political party, would not defect to APC too. If INEC chooses to be an independent commission that it is meant to be, 2027 election, I agree, will definitely be between APC and Nigerians. But with unnerving poverty that makes crumbs appealing to impoverished workers, would Nigerians have the nerve to vote out bad rulers? Wouldn't rice and sperghetti be used to woo voters to vote against their conscience? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, rulers in Nigeria should have pity for workers. They should recall that religion is one of the factors they appealed to in order to win election. This means they are people who believe in God and worship God. We have learnt from Sen. Akpabio that we cannot worship God in splendour; and to worship God, we must make sacrifice by giving generously to the needy. Nigerian workers are in need; they are the needy who should be shown generosity. Though we were told by one of our rulers that God cannot be worshipped in splendor, could this be true? If this is true, one wonders if our rulers really worship God because their entire existence is in splendor while those they rule are in squalor. It is high time they prioritized workers' welfare and the welfare of their subjects. Or are we not their subjects? Happy Worker's Day.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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As widely reported, the State House has increased the budgetary allocation to the State House Headquarters from N47.11bn in the proposed 2025 budget to N57.11bn in the approved version. This is not budget padding that we are used to. It is budget puffing. The State House budget was puffed—inflated—by a staggering 10 billion naira which was allocated for the installation of a solar mini-grid at the Presidential Villa.

As usual, the news was coldly received by Nigerians. "How selfish could our leaders be?" This is one of the reactions. It comes in form of a question. I wanted to answer the question, then I realized the question is rhetorical. Those who asked the question know the answer better than he who overheard the question. But why should one ask a question when the answer is known? It is just to express consternation. When Nigerians react painfully and disappointedly to things like this, I always find their disappointment disappointing.

I am honestly not disappointed. My reason? I don't consider the current leadership of Nigeria as people capable of benefiting Nigerians by anything and in anyway. This is not to say there could be nothing good from their actions or inactions. It is just to prepare one's mind that as Nigerians, we have neither right nor privilege to benefit anything from this government. When benefits come, in whatever form, we should see the benefits as accidental outcomes of policies that are not intended to make things easy for the masses.

Our rulers behave as if the right thing to do, and their only mandate, is to punish us for electing them. This is why they keep telling us to smile as they continue to whip us. They defend their profligacy to spite the masses.

As usual, the approval of a N10 billion solar energy project for the State House, Aso Rock, has been defended. Rather than describing it as the selfish hedonism that it is, the Presidency said it as a strategic long-term investment in sustainability and energy efficiency. On his verified X handle for instance, Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said the project is in line with global standards for presidential residences. Can someone ask Onanuga if the global standard is to keep the masses in darkness? What about the banding of Nigerians arbitrarily into those that deserve stable power supply and those that do not deserve it? He wrote: “The White House in Washington D.C. uses solar power.”

Thus, onanuga argued: “We are not reinventing the wheel. We are following a tested and globally accepted model for powering important national institutions sustainably.”

Why this solar project at this point in time? Could it be that the State House which falls within Band A finds the electricity bill—which had increased astronomically since last year—too scaring to foot? If the State House cannot foot electricity bill with all the resources at its proposal, where does the government expect Nigerians—with lesser fortune—to source for the resources to pay huge electricity bill monthly? It has now dawned on Nigerians banded in Band A that the stable electricity supply (let's assume it is even stable) is not to make them smile. It is to make them weep as they pay through the nose until their diminishing resources are strategically and completely sapped.

Sometime last year, April 2024 to be precise, tariffs for Band A consumers increased from N68/kWh to N225/kWh, representing an increase of over 230 per cent. The implication of this increase on household expenses and businesses is well known. It is deleterious to general survival, to say the least. Even though it was slightly reduced to N209.5/kWh after some few months, it remains unbearable to consumers. Perhaps to avoid the unbearable bill, the State House, being a top consumer, allocated N10bn to what it called “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid” through the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during its last meeting.

With the solarization of the Presidential Villa, the Presidency has saved itself from the shameful incessant collapse of the national grid which averagely occures once in a month. This ordinarily should be an upside—an achievement—to celebrate. The downside, however, is that Nigerians should increase their knowledge on how to survive in darkness which had been part of their existence before now. In other words, it is a wishful thinking to expect our rulers in Abuja to prioritize fixing the national grid incessant collapse for improved power distribution (and affordability) now that it has strategically sorted itself out of that national disgrace.

Many are of the opinion that N10bn is too staggering. Just to provide solar energy in a single location? They are right. But that, to me, isn't the real issue. If our rulers in Abuja would allocate staggeringly unbelievable funds to embark on a similar solar project nationwide to provide stable electricity to the greatest number of Nigerians, and if that amounts to greatest happiness, who will criticize government's profligacy. However, the issue is that our rulers have adopted two distinct philosophies: one for themselves, the other for the masses. Hedonism for themselves; asceticism for the masses.

Hedonism, as defined in dictionaries, is "the belief that pleasure or happiness is the highest good in life. Some hedonists, such as the Epicureans, have insisted that pleasure of the entire mind, not just pleasure of the senses, is the highest good." Ordinarily one might ask: what is wrong in one's devotion to pleasure? Well, that might not be instrically wrong. It is wrong when rulers desire pleasure for themselves but preach asceticism to the masses. This is when altruism is completely divorced from hedonism. Hedonism minus altruism is the definition of leaders who throw the masses into darkness but cannot tolerate it for themselves.

If, as an informed Nigerian, one does not see the general profligacy of this government, and particularly the N10bn solarization of Presidential Villa, it could be as a result of being infected (or is it afflicted?) with one of these three diseases. One, one is either a Yoruba irredentist (ethnic jingoist) who see Tinubu as a kinsman whose failure must be seen as success. Two, one is a Muslim-Muslim bigot who thinks the evidence of being a religiously committed Muslim is to defend the lackluster and so-called Muslim-Muslim Government, no matter what. Or, three, one is an APC loyalist who thinks a proof of party loyalty is to defend party's shamelessness and to insist darkness is light while he (himself) continues to grope in darkness.

I don't have any of these diseases. May all Nigerians be cured from them. They are terrible diseases. When we are all cured, then, all hands shall be on deck to develop the country.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

Nigeria's democracy is sick. To cure it, it does not need medical doctors. What it needs to get well is a group of democrats that would pull it out from that slough in which it is trapped. If it continues to be trapped in the slough by anti-democratic forces who benefit from it being trapped, it will continue to be sick. If it continues to be sick, its death may soon be announced. And I am very sure that the death of democracy in Nigeria, if it is eventually announced, will not shock the world. Going by the characters of the Nigerian ruling 'democrats,' democracy's death is overdue. Why democracy is still breathing, if it is actually breathing, remains a mystery.

That song 'Tell Your Papa' by that ace artiste whose name is a household name in Nigerian music industry clearly shows a symptom of ailing Nigeria. Eedris Abdulkareem has been consistent in firing his powerful missiles at the most appropriate time and at the most appropriate quarters. His songs are not replete with obscenities which make listening to music a no-no for some of us. Abdulkareem, through his songs, spoke the minds of all suffering Nigerians. I should make myself clearer. It is not that Nigerians have not been speaking, it is just that their voices have either not been able to reach those people within the corridor of power or it has been reaching them but they pretend to be deaf.

Abdulkareem had concluded, long time ago, that Nigerian rulers are not deaf. Anyone who has been listening to the author of 'Nigeria Jaga Jaga' will understand that what Abdulkareem is saying is: "It is not that Nigerian governments do not hear the voices of Nigerian masses as they wail. It is just that they (Nigerian rulers) do not understand both the spoken and written languages the masses have chosen as medium of communication."

In his unique manner of speaking truth to power, the Jaga Jaga man puts it rightly without mincing a word: "this one don pass jaga jaga." We all agree that, under Tinubu, what Nigerians are going through pass jaga jaga. We thought every reasonable Nigerian agreed to this basic incontrovertible fact until the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission NBC declared the infamous ban on 'Seyi, Tell Your Papa.' It was then I realized Abdulkareem is right: the government is not deaf. The missiles that accompanied 'Seyi Tell Your Papa' lyrics were fired with precision. It hits the target. It sends a strong message to the Nigerian ruling class who has made torturing the masses a pastime. It is why Tinubu government finds the missiles fired by Abdulkareem too poisonous.

But can 'Seyi Tell Your Papa' be the cure to our ailing country? Is Seyi the right guy to tell President Tinubu that the life and the general affairs of Nigerians are topsy-turvying with his wicked economic policies? When was Seyi actually elected or nominated to act in that capacity? When exactly did Seyi become an arm of government whose function is to checkmate the excesses of his father. Can he actually deliver Abdulkareem's message to his father after declaring him the best president in Nigeria? Does Mr. Lecturer (Eedris Abdulkareem) think Seyi has two mouths? Which mouth exactly would he use to tell his father that Nigerians are suffering when a mouth of Seyi said, and perhaps still says, his father is the best thing that has ever happened to Nigeria and Nigerians? I am just wondering.

Yet, Eedris Abdulkareem is not wrong to have sent the right message through the wrong person (Tinubu's kid). For it is possible Abdulkareem believes democracy is completely dead under Tinubu. In that case, he is right to have chosen Seyi for the message. Seyi, please, “tell your papa country hard; tell your papa people dey die; tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga." Has what Nigerians going through actually not passed jaga jaga?

He continues: "Seyi, how far? I swear your papa no try; too much empty promises; on behalf of Nigerians, take our message to him; kidnappers dey kill Nigerians." This one too na lie? Just last Friday, kidnappers 'kidnapped' an official Toyota Hilux that belongs to the office of the National Security Adviser. It is by God's grace that Nuhu Ribadu wasn't in the vehicle. Wouldn't it be a global disgrace that Tinubu's NSA is kidnapped, not in Sambisa in Borno State but in Abuja the Country's Capital? Just imagine that Ribadu was in that Toyota Hilux!
Abdulkareem actually asked Seyi to deliver the message. But before Seyi could telephone his father who was enjoying his life in France while killings of Nigerians on a large scale were/are ongoing in Benue, Plateau, Borno and other states, he was overtaken by the NBC—as if in a competitive race—to deliver the message. The NBC delivered the message better than Seyi would have done by banning the song. Thanks to NBC. The song was banned from being aired but the NBC forgot to ban it from being sung. Someone said the ban was an empty ban. I consider it a foolish ban. How can you ban a song only to popularize it? With the benefit of hindsight, the NBC should know that banning such a song will boomerang and end up with an unintended result. Except if the NBC is working against Tinubu's reelection by exposing his government to ridicule, those behind the ban did not think before they leaped.

Many are not aware of Eedris Abdulkareem's 2021 "Jaga Jaga Reloaded" or his "Oti Get E" in the same year. His recent "Emi lokan" which he sang last year (2024) seems also not to be noticed by many Nigerians. If not for the ban, many (though not me) wouldn't have heard of 'Tell Your Papa' lyric or even listened it. I listened to it before it was banned, I found it very timely, and even thought Mr. Lecturer deserves multiple awards. I was right. The ban is like awarding the ace rapper by other means. Or is anything more rewarding to Abdulkareem than seeing his 'Tell Your Papa' go viral? Could he be more fulfilled than seeing how his 'Tell Your Papa' discomforted our rulers who are comfortably cocooned in their comfort zone from the reality of daily unbearable hardship Nigerians are forced to go through?

If we think democracy is dead completely in Nigeria and has given way to unconstitutional monarchy, Seyi, the heir apparent should be accorded the respect he deserves. Sending him to his father, as Abdulkareem did, is just the right thing to do. We may also wish to send his wife Sen. Remi (whether we agree she is our mama or not) to talk to Kabiyesi on behalf of suffering and dying Nigerians.

But I am of the opinion that democracy in Nigeria is sick (not dead) since our lawmakers at the National Assembly still pretend to be making laws and our courts have not stopped to dispense selective justice. Untill these two arms of government formally surrender their rights to President Tinubu, there is hope of getting Nigerian democracy out of ICU.
In conclusion, can anyone tell me if what we are presently witnessing in Nigeria is one of the signs of the end times? Eedris Abdulkareem, a rapper, always speaks for the masses and risks his comfort but our clerics are becoming government spokespersons, all the time, to justify whipping the masses as they are encouraged to turn the other cheek. Let me ask again: is this not end times?

Yes! There are clerics who are yet to be bought and there are those who are unbuyable. Clerics with untainted integrity should appeal to their clerical colleagues in the houses of God to fear God. Their ungodly behavior—forming unholy alliance with wicked rulers against the masses—is turning people away from religion. Our Imams and pastors should take note.

To Eedris Abdulkareem, a big thumbs up.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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The Nigerian Senate (Red Chamber) under the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is a joke. If anyone thinks the Senate is not a joke but represents an arm of government, it is still a joking arm of government where joking relationship seems not to be frowned upon. I am yet to change my stance that the Red Chamber, under Akpabio, is not capable of making common and uncommon Nigerians happy through lawmaking and oversight function especially as that relates to checkmating the excesses of the executive arm of government and its proclivity towards dictatorialism. And this because the Senate President is an uncommon senate president.

Under this current regime which has President Tinubu as the First Citizen, it is doubtful if the three arms of government still exist. Examples abound to argue that the three arms of government, since the emergence of uncommon Akpabio with the support of Tinubu, had been merged into one single executive arm. The executive arm, which looks like a merciless sledge hammer, now hammers the masses at will—unhindered and unchecked. That sledge hammer does not discriminate between the lowly and mighty. Once one does not belong to the caucus of Tinubu's henchmen, escaping that sledge hammer would be miraculous. That is why I pity Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in her lone fight.

Who is Natasha to challenge Akpabio? If the bimbo eruption in the Red Chamber could be verified to be true, who is Natasha to say 'no' to Akpabio's advances? Maybe she needs to be tutored that as a senator, one loses his or her gender and transforms into a unique human specie that cannot be sexually harassed. I don't know if that is what a former female senator, Florence Ita-Giwa, meant when she said: "When you get to the Senate, you are there as a person. You’re not there as a man or woman."

Bimbo eruption means a sex scandal in which a woman publicly accuses a male politician of sexual misconduct. The problem here is that the woman making the accusation is also a politician. I have, for long, struggled to find a streak of integrity in the Senate President. Yet, I must say it clearly that it is difficult to believe any of the Akps (Akpoti and Akpabio). Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a saint that must be believed and Akpabio may not be the billy goat that he has been caricatured to be—no matter how loose we think he conducts himself.

Untill Natasha substantiates her claim that Akpabio harassed her and was fixated on that 'thing' that should ideally be monopolized only by her husband, it is still an allegation that women easily make against men when they lock horns with men. This is not to say the Senate President is not lascivious (we should not forget his “We are not in a nightclub” address to Natasha sometime in July 2024). It is also not to say he is. The truth is that lasciviousness, of this magnitude that involves the Third Citizen, can only be established with convincing evidence; not by mere weaponization of the media to heat the polity.

Again, Akpabio might be excused since he is known for his characteristic verbal diarrhea or 'verbal incontinence' as Prof Toyin Falola chose to put it, but can't the Third Citizen learn to be polite or pretend to have some dignity while discharging his duty as Senate President? Only few would raise an eyebrow, for instance, if he uses dirty language in a club while he socializes with female lawmakers. Dignified language should, however, be reserved for the Parliament and the serious business of lawmaking.

Whether Natasha is right or wrong in her accusation, she has been knocked out (for six months). She was suspended, they said, not because of the sexual harassment allegation made by her but because of her unruliness in flouting some rules in the Parliament as they relate to sitting arrangement. We thought the suspension was too much for punishment, we were wrong. A recall process was immediately initiated. Akpoti has indeed crossed the red line. Fighting Akpabio, if she was well informed and appropriately counselled, is like fighting the Federal Government. For that reason, even the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, who was once threatened to be impregnated when she was a senator by an unruly misogynistic senator could not empathize with her. Her body language to Natasha is OYO (On Your Own).

Though Natasha outsmarted the powers that be in Kogi State and rendered them toothless and tactless by her 'magical' helicopter in her last visit where she was warmly welcomed by an overwhelming crowd of supporters, one is not sure if she would defeat the powerful Akpabio even if she could convincingly substantiate her claim. I am saying this because this regime seems to be more dictatorial than democratic. If that assumption is right, no amount of evidence could all the Natashas of this world pull together to unseat or villainize Akpabio. He is although a lawmaker, Akpabio belongs to the presidency and the presidency belongs to him. But, again, because Natasha has been carrying the global community along, we can only remain spectators in the ongoing match of immorality in our national parliament.

Akpoti versus Akpabio's harassment match started long time ago. The last straw that broke the camel's back was the sitting arrangement which led to the unmuting of the initially muted sexual harassment. Now again, it is assassination harassment. But this time, it is Natasha that is harassing Akpabio. So, what do the suffering Nigerian masses gain in all this? Nothing!

Conversely, what do the suffering Nigerian masses lose in all this? Everything! When lawmakers abandon lawmaking to entertain the citizens with in-house altercation that bothers on sexual harassment, we can only mourn the death of democracy or queue behind the Burkinabe military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who recently claims democracy does not produce development. Traore's claim about democracy is true of Nigeria. One of the products democracy produces in Nigeria is the shameful display in our national assembly. No one should think all our lawmakers are birds of the same feathers. It is possible there are fine exceptions but their voice cannot withstand the cacaphonous voices that we often hear.

In one of my columns two years ago after the inauguration of the 10th Senate and knowing that Akpabio is the Senate President, I wrote: "I advised Nigerian lawmakers that law-making is a serious job and that it should be given the seriousness it deserves. Nigerians are not to be ridiculed in the name of law-making." I saw it coming and it has come to pass. Although I never knew there would be bimbo eruption and that things will be this bad and even worse, I knew many of the lawmakers will end up ridiculing Nigerians.

Nigerians are eager to see Natasha in court to prove her allegations or shut up. They are also eager to see Akpabio in court to defend himself or apologize to Natasha and recall her from suspension. If Natasha would not shut up and Akpabio would not apologize, the court should act fast to determine their case. My advice to them is not to be represented by lawyers or any legal team. After all, they both read law and bagged a degree in law. If they both defend themselves in person, the sexopolitical drama will be more interesting.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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Let me begin this column with a famous and authentic saying of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith no. 3641. He says: "The learned (ulama) are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham (i.e. wealth), leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion." The emphasis in this Hadith is that the ulama are not to be known for their wealth (even when they are wealthy) but for their knowledge which makes them successors to the Prophets.

Some ulama are materialistic nowadays so much so that their lifestyle, their attires, and the expensive jewelries they display have led people to pay attention to their outlooks rather than their knowledge and piety. What is more, their unholy alliance with the politicians dents their image so much so that people readily believe any uncomplimentary scathing remarks made about them. This is unfortunate.

Few days ago, Dan Bello stirred the hornet's nest when he hurled some dirt at a prominent cleric, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, in the North. Bala Lau is the National Chairman of Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatul Sunnah (JIBWIS) which is said to be the largest Salafi movement in Nigeria. Dan Bello claims, among other things, that Bala Lau has 30 different bank accounts; that he squandered huge amount of government funds meant for the execution of different projects; and that fake compan(ies) is/are registered by him to get unmerited government contracts.

This has sent the entire social media into a frenzy. Some are pained that Dan Bello is indirectly working against Islam by exposing the misdeeds of a cleric with such a commanding height. (This is on the assumption that his allegations are not out of place). There is also a group that outrightly dismissed Dan Bello as purveyor of lies who wants to be relevant by all means even if by bringing down a renown scholar). Many queued behind Dan Bello and expressed their annoyance against the clerical class whom they said are far away from being heirs to the Prophets—going by their romance with the political class.

In the meantime, before my analysis, who is Dan Bello? He is Bello Galadanchi, an eclectic and a multifaceted personality. He is a Nigeria-American content creator, comedian, teacher (with a PhD), journalist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. I think what marks him out and thrusts him into fame is his satirical videos, with which he exposes the staggering corruption of the political class and government atrocities against the masses. His satirical dragnet, which respects no one, somehow ensnared a big fish (Bala Lau) in the cesspool of corruption. Would Bala Lau and JIBWIS come out clean of these allegations? Time will tell.

At this juncture, I will like to address some questions. Many have expressed concerns about ulama's acceptance of government contracts, questioning its propriety. If the allegation that Bala Lau has about 30 bank accounts is true, wouldn't that be too outrageous? Why should religious movement enmesh itself in politics as dirty as that of Nigeria's? Do the ostentatious outfits, the kingly lifestyle, and the expensive attire adorned by some of these ulama justify the common narrative of overwhelming poverty in the North?

The question about the ulama accepting contract from government is a misnomer—the question is problematic. It should not be asked in the first place. It is as if the ulama are not Nigerian citizens. So if Bala Lau accepts government contract, he does that within his fundamental rights as Nigerian citizen. No one, in his right sense, should criticize him or any other cleric for being awarded contract by government provided they merit the award. Now, did Bala Lau execute the contract(s) he got from government or not (if he actually got some contracts)? This is another topic entirely.
What about his 30 bank accounts? I am not aware that having multiple accounts is against any law in Nigeria. Although, having 30 bank accounts can give room for suspicion. Clerics are always advised to steer clear from suspicious activities since they are (ideally) heirs to the Prophets. And that Bala Lau has 30 different bank accounts is still an allegation. He should deny it if it is a lie.

On the question of religious groups and their meddlesome with politics, my answer to it is a counter question: why shouldn't they participate in politics? Are religious groups constitutionally barred from participating in politics? JIBWIS for instance campaigned for the Tinubu/Shettima Muslim-Muslim ticket. These two politicians who are now Nigerian Presidents and Vice President respectively are not members of JIBWIS.

In the next cycle of elections, JIBWIS may go beyond that to present Bala Lau and any other notable Izala cleric (maybe Sheikh Yahaya Jingir) as their Muslim-Muslim and even Northern-Northern candidates. In case JIBWIS does that, it will still be an expression of the constitutional rights of its members to vote and to be voted for. However, the ulama should know that when they choose to participate in politics (especially in democracy), their flesh is not poisonous as it was traditionally thought to be. It is the reason why comedian like Dan Bello would strip a cleric naked and people would still clap for him. But the ulama can build a wall of integrity around themselves and be respected (even when they participate in politics) by the likes of Dan Bello.
What about the kingly lifestyle of some clerics and their ostentatious attires? I will say they did not learn this from the Prophet (SAW) who lived a life of a servant that he truly was. Yet, the ulama have the right to adorn themselves with expensive attires provided they legally earn their wealth. But how could this be justifiable in a region where there exist millions of almajiris in tatters (and even so in the name of religion) while their ulama's attires are outrageously expensive? Well, this is a moral question; not a legal question. Yet, it is an appropriate question to ask.

All said, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau should prove to the world that Dan Bello is only acting drama as a comedian that he is and whose allegations should be taken with a pinch of salt. Bala Lau's reaction so far, to the allegations, leaves much to be desired. He, and other ranting clerics, should prove his innocence in the court of law. Dan Bello should be sued. As it is said, it is not about babbar riga (large robe). It is about convincing counter evidence that should lay bare the falsity of Dan Bello's allegations. Already, in the court of public opinion, the pendulum seems to be swinging in favor of Dan Bello. In addition, Dan Bello's allegations against Bala Lau have opened some old wounds. People have started talking about Dasukigate and how some clerics were complicit. They have also started talking about some unholy romances between clerics and politicians.
I wish Bala Lau comes out clean. Dan Bello could be wrong. If he is wrong, that would be bad of him and stupid of him. If he is right, that will be a defeat of a cleric by a comedian.

In that case, it means our clerics would need to work hard to clean their stable if they want to remain the lighthouse of guidance which they should be. For the ulama that are truly heirs to the Prophets and have demonstrated that in their conducts, may they continue to be strengthened on the path of righteousness.
Concluding this column, I learnt about the demise of Dr Idris Dutsen Tanshi (Dr Tawhid)—a no nonsense cleric from Bauchi State.

Although very controversial, he was not known to be embroiled in government contract palaver. He was not accustomed to supporting the oppressors against the oppressed, a stance some clerics have now notoriously adopted. He will be missed by many. His departure may also be celebrated in some quarters because of his tough, hardline, and uncompromising stance on many religious issues which always pitches him against his opponents. May Allah forgive his sins and accept him as His sincere servant.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16HfSpAHgm/

I have devoted all my columns in the month of March—which coincides with the month of Ramadan—to Ramadan. This is the fifth column in that series (and with it) I shall conclude my discussion on Ramadan. In the month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world strive harder to come closer to Allah than in any other month. This makes the fasting period a season in the Islamic Calender year where Muslims seek spiritual upliftment. Muslims ply different paths to spiritual upliftment.

One's socio-economic status goes a long way to determine which path of spiritual upliftment one chooses to tread. Some focus on reciting the Qur'an and other religious rituals. Many are committed to spending their hard earned wealth to support Islamic programs. There are well-to-do Muslims who impose upon themselves the feeding of the poor throughout the fasting period. Yet, some few rich individuals make it a habit to perform 'Umrah (lesser Hajj) in the month of Ramadan.
While I was contemplating on what to write to end my Ramadan series, I chanced upon a news item on Intel Region that reads: "Nigerians, others may face punishment as Saudi Arabia warns pilgrims against content creation during Hajj/Umrah." That is a nice thing to do. Place of worship like the Ka'aba that requires presence of mind with earnest dedication to worship should not be turned to amusement park.

Did the Saudi Arabia Authority actually issue such warning? I honestly don't know as I was impatient to find out. But from the news headline , I got an inspiration to write on the above title. It is true that unnecessary religious content creation that appears too ridiculous is gradually supplanting earnest focus on acts of worship that should be solely done for Allah's sake. What is even more disturbing is that the month of Ramadan has been marked, by some, for content creation rather than dedicated focus on worship. Below are some top content creations in Nigeria's 2025 Ramadan.

A Lagos based cleric used his Ramadan tafsir (lecture) as avenue to accuse a fellow cleric of using diabolical means to mastermind his recent sickness. We were taught, in Islamic theology, that whatever befalls us of calamities is a trial from Allah. This is not to downplay the role of human agency in causing harm. But the basic thing that every Muslim should know is that sickness has a natural cause and could be a divine trial from which no mortal is free.

However, it is surprising that the self-acclaimed cleric lacks this basic belief or could not put it into practice. I thought the cleric accused of voodoo practice would resort to legal action against his accuser and insist that he should provide evidence of how the accused spiritually harmed him. The reaction of the accused only shows how Ramadan tafsir has become avenue for creating entertainment content. Attending the religious learning circles of this class of clerics amounts to a waste of time. Their Ramadan lectures are dry, empty, and bereft of spiritual refreshment. They are content creators at best.

Another top content creator is the son of our dear President Tinubu, Seyi, who also seized the opportunity Ramadan presents to create content. In his widely reported tour to northern Nigeria to feed 'hungry' Muslims with cooked rice and 'danwake' during Ramadan, we saw politics rather than a genuine desire to assist the vulnerable. In other words, it is politicization of Ramadan purposes other than spiritual.

In his address to an audience in Adamawa, Seyi described his father (President Tinubu) as the best thing that has ever happened to Nigeria and Nigerians. He ended up entertaining Nigerians and the fasting Muslims by creating engaging content. While I think he needs some tutorials in public speaking, as I mentioned last week, many Nigerians compare his energetic speech-giving style to that of secondary school debaters struggling to convince their audience. Interestingly, Martins Vincent Otse, a Nigerian social media influencer also known as verydarkman, did a mimicry of Seyi's energetic content creation in a new viral video.

The topmost of all these content creators are are the organizers of a 'religious' festival in Zaria, Kaduna State. I find the festival the most ridiculous content creation in this month of Ramadan . The festival was named "Bikin Ranar Takalmin Annabi Yafi Kowa." This means: "The Festival of Prophet's Sandal is More than Everyone." This festival was celebrated last Sunday which fell within the last ten days of Ramadan that Muslims are required to intensify acts of worship by retreating to some designated mosques for the purpose of worship.

What is even more ridiculous is how it creates a schism between clerics . Some hold that, truly, the Prophet's sandal is more important than any creature (living or dead). Others argue that while the Prophet is undoubtedly the most important figure in history, such importance cannot be attributed to his sandal.
O my God! When I first heard of this baseless debate initiated by some idle hands and empty minds, the first question I asked is: where is the Prophet's sandal which is now a topic of debate? At least I have to see the sandal before I can conclude whether it is better than me or I am better than it. That festival is utterly ridiculous. Those who organized it are content creators; they are not worshippers. It is an evidence of how religious bigotry can make supposedly sane people lose their sanity without being apparently mad.

How can any reasonable person be celebrating a sandal that does not even exist? Isn't it comical? Must one be stupid to be religious? Is religiousness tantamount to stupidity? I searched for the answer to this question in the Qur'an. The answer I found is NO. Islam is not for stupid people who cannot use their brain. To be a Muslim, the Qur'an explicitly states, one needs to be intelligent, wise, and reasonable. The Qur'an addresses itself to men of understanding (Q 13 v 19), it invites men to reason (Q 4 v 82) and extols reasonableness and wisdom (Q 2 v 269; Q 15 v 75) . One cannot be fool and effectively be Muslim. Celebrating sandal cannot be religiousness; it is religiosity. Use your brain. Don't be stupid.

As Ramadan gradually comes to an end, we beseech Allah to forgive all our sins and accept our righteous supplications. Happy Sallah in advance.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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The month of Ramadan is a special month to the Muslims. It is that season of the year that every Muslim feels the need to communicate with their Creator (Allah). Even nominal Muslims who hardly perform the five daily prayers suddenly appear saintly by virtue of the noble month. It is also glad to note that some non-Muslims are beginning to identify with the Muslims in the month of Ramadan by providing iftar (a meal taken by Muslims for breaking fast after sunset). It is actually a season of giving, spending, and sharing. May Allah reward every sincere giver with abundance.

While feeding people in Ramadan is a worldwide practice especially in countries that are predominantly Muslims, it has been politicized in Nigeria. Its politicization is made possible because of the widespread poverty in the land. It should be noted that feeding in Ramadan in some countries is not about the poor. It is not because the people are poor or could not feed themselves. Rather, it is an expression of love, a social function, and an entrenchment of "there is love in sharing" philosophy. In Nigeria, in most cases, it is because the poor—who are now in the majority—could actually not feed themselves.

Where the poor exist in large number, like in Nigeria, it is religious obligation upon the rich to feed them. But the feeding must be for the sake of Allah. It should not be used as constituency project; neither should it be unnecessarily televised or used as bait for votes. However, it is unfortunately observed that some lawmakers use this occasion of Ramadan to distribute food to the poor in their constituencies to score some political points. These are the same people they have abandoned throughout the year. And because poverty and hunger have done a lot of damage to our thinking process, these self-serving politicians are praised to high heaven whenever they dole out their usual Ramadan crumbs. In some quarters, Ramadan feeding has become a yardstick for good governance. Best performing governor is also determined by the extent of the huge amount of money a governor is able to earmark for Ramadan feeding.

In normal climes where elected leaders discharge their responsibilities, Ramadan feeding using state resources would never be seen as a commendable act. A praiseworthy act would have been to empower people to feed themselves. It is hypocritical and even ungodly to feed people in Ramadan and deliberately allow them go hungry after Ramadan. This is an ill-intentioned seasonal 'generosity.' While generosity should be intensified in Ramadan, it should not be limited to Ramadan. The Prophet SAW— from whom we learn—Islam was said to be generous not only in Ramadan but more generous in it. That is to say, the Prophet's generosity is an all-year-round gesture.

This year Ramadan feeding was even more politicized as we witnessed one Seyi Tinubu who is said to be President Tinubu's son at the center of Ramadan feeding program. He, on the third day of Ramadan fasting, joined some Kano residents and political leaders to break fast. He reportedly used that occasion of 'special' Iftar to launch a feeding program for the less privileged. The program was said to be part of Seyi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Youth Engagement (RHYE) initiative, aimed at supporting vulnerable groups, including persons living with disabilities. In addition, The RHYE was conceived to provide community service and social welfare package, particularly during Ramadan to the hungry Muslims.

After the formal launching in Kano, Tinubu had toured many other states in the North. The President-like reception he was given in some of the states he had visited—with his Ramadan feeding program—is superlatively ridiculous. He was graciously received as if he were a top government official on official visit. And what was the purpose of the visit? It was to empower the youth by distributing 'danwake' among other things. 'Danwake' is a common street food made from a mixture of flour, potash, and some other additives. Well, I think that is what the northerners deserve anyway.
No one should tell me it is politics o! I no go gree. Seyi Tinubu's Ramadan feeding is for the sake of Allah. It is due to the genuine concern he has for Nigerian masses whom his father's policies have thrown into the seething cauldron of poverty. His feeding empowerment program even has the blessings of some clerics. Thus, the food was packaged in plastic bags adorned with pictures of President Tinubu and Seyi so that Allah will know that it is from Seyi Tinubu, not from any other Seyi.

Although many northerners criticized the feeding program which they condemned as a ploy to fool them again in 2027. But this was only after some had collected the packaged food which looked like packaged crumbs that cannot satiate their hunger-induced rumbling stomachs. To add insult to injury, he recently claims his father is the greatest president ever in Nigeria. No one should disagree with him. Truly, his father is the greatest president in the history of Nigeria. Is there anyone among Nigerian presidents that had a son that ruled the country together with his father like a kingdom? If this doesn't make President Tinubu the greatest president ever, I don't know what would. The unelected Seyi with no constitutional role now outshines even the Vice President in ruling Nigeria. I think it is high time we had First Son Office.

Addressing some youth in Adamawa State few days ago (perhaps after he had fed them to 'empower' them) he went beserk, claiming that all former Nigerian presidents tried to enrich themselves, except his father. In his words, he claims his father is: "The only president that created an economy that has benefitted everybody, the only president that is not trying to enrich his own pocket.” I think he needs some tutorials in public speaking.
His assertion that his father is the greatest Nigerian president ever is obviously a jab at the former president Olusegun Obasanjo who recently labeled the Tinubu administration as corrupt. Although Nigerians do not need an Obasanjo to tell them how corrupt Seyi's father's administration is, yet it needs to be said that this regime reeks of corruption of monumental proportion. If you want to find out, just go through its budgets. No one, no matter how patriotic, reads the annual budgets of this administration since inception and remains hopeful.

All said, it is clear to the northern youth that Seyi Tinubu's Ramadan feeding is all about politics—2027 election. Though there is hunger in the North and in Nigeria at large, northern youth should learn how to be principled (even while hungry) to say no to cooked rice and 'danwake.' What the youth need is job not 'danwake.' Seyi should tell his father with whom he seems to co-rule Nigeria that the northern youth would not take anything but a demonstration and evidence of good governance. It is not too late, there are two years to the next round of elections.
Finally, our politicians—elected and unelected—should leave us alone with Ramadan.

Enough of the politicization of Ramadan feeding. What the youth need is job creation that is befitting to human dignity with a sustainable wage, not an occasional Ramadan feeding given to some selected hungry Muslims that are driven back to the seething cauldron of poverty and humiliating hunger after the month of Ramadan.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

https://www.opinionnigeria.com/seyi-tinubu-and-the-politics-of-ramadan-feeding-program-by-abdulkadir-salaudeen/

We are still in the month of Ramadan. Although an important month, it has been the most abused month by clerics who seek to mislead unsuspecting worshippers and enslave them by means of religious gaslighting. Two weeks ago, in my column titled "Ramadan: Between the Muslims and the Pseudo Clerics," I drew our attention to some categories of clerics that Muslims should run away from. In this column, I draw readers' attention, again, to one of the antics employed by pseudo clerics to entrance their audience such that they lose their thinking faculty while they feed them with lies. I will return to this shortly after the brief admonition below.

The month of Ramadan is full of blessings. The rich experience what the poor have got used to. I mean pang of hunger. For those who are fortunate among the rich, that pang of hunger leads to pang of conscience. While the former is experienced by anyone that starves themselves for spiritual or medical reason, the latter (pang of conscience) might be experienced only by a few.

Pang of conscience is a feeling of embarrassment, resulting from one's bad behavior or habit which one regrets. The bad habit which is common among the rich is to ignore the plights of the poor. It is to look the other way as hunger continues to strike the poor until they become emaciated. The fortunate and blessed ones among the rich would feel not only the pang of hunger in this noble month but also the pang of conscience. After fasting for a whole month, they would turn over a new leaf. They will not only sympathize with the poor but empathize with them.

If this happens to the rich, it means they have actually passed through Ramadan and Ramadan has passed through them. It means Ramadan has taught them to be dutiful to Allah by helping the poor. It also means Ramadan has trained them how to sacrifice their hard-earned wealth to seek Allah's blessings.

The poor on the other hand who might have little or nothing to spend should exert much efforts to increase their acts of worship, especially the recitation of the Qur'an which is believed to have been revealed in the month of Ramadan. They should read the Qur'an as many times as possible. Thereby, seeking Allah's blessings. The rich can also gain additional rewards by reciting the Qur'an despite having spent a lot to assist the poor.

We have read a lot, and a lot has been narrated to us, about great Muslim ulama and awliyaullah (worshippers) who devoted their time to reading the Qur'an in the month of Ramadan. Some, we were told, would complete the recitation of the whole of the Qur'an everyday. Some would read more, some would read less. May Allah reward us and them.

How many times have you completed the Qur'an in this month and how many times do you intend to complete it? If you have not started at all, this is the right time to start. If you think it is late already since we are almost halfway through Ramadan, I think it is not too late to seek Allah's blessings. Our malams (clerics) told us that recitation of the Qur'an is one of the best acts of worship (especially for the poor who might not have other means to seek Allah's pleasure in this blessed month.) Our clerics are right.

But don't forget to use your sense when listening to some of these clerics. They mix falsehoods with facts. At times, they present one fact as a smokescreen to inundate their followers with a thousand and one falsehoods. If you are not knowledgeable enough to separate fact from falsehoods or to identify the crooks and the trusted ones among the clerics, always pray to Allah for guidance and use your sense. I mean common sense.

At times, or even often, some of these clerics tell lies just to enslave you. They make you look helpless and feel defeated in your spiritual journey by telling you some stories and spiritual feats—that seem verisimilitude to tales by the moonlight—about some certain Sheikhs (men of God).

If you accept those tales, the next thing is to make you revere those Sheikhs and their offsprings more than the reverence you have for your Creator, Allah. They might even tell you that worshipping these sheikhs is like worshipping Allah because they are close to Allah in terms of worship so much so that there isn't difference between them and Allah.
I will cite one instance to understand one of their antics and, hopefully, we shall realize why we should use our common sense not to fall victims of religious manipulation by the tales of some so-called men of God.

But before then, here is a question. Is there a limit to the number of times a Muslim shoud/could complete the Qur'an especially in Ramadan? Many will say there is no limit. One should just keep reciting. This answer is wrong! There is a limit because there are 24 hours in a day. This implies that one can only recite the number of Qur'an that is practically recitable in a day. Yes! A Muslim might wish to recite the Qur'an, say, a hundred times a day. But time constraint (24 hours in a day) will set a limit for him against his wish. This is a very simple logic.

It is an established fact that a skilled and experienced reciter of the Qur'an could complete it within eight hours if he recites it at a faster pace. It is reasonable to believe this. But can one complete the Qur'an twice a day? Well, such reciters would have to overburden themselves to achieve that. That would mean immersing oneself in the recitation of the Qur'an—16 out of 24 hours a day. We can assume that this is possible. The remaining eight hours might be used for mundane things like sleeping, resting, eating, attending to other personal needs, etc.).

I watched a viral video in which a cleric was lying to his audience while the dull and credulous audience who lack the thinking ability to discern truth from falsehood were overawed by the concocted lie. A late Nigerian Sheikh (waliyyi) in a state in the North who is worshipped like God was said to have recited the Qur'an seven million times in his lifetime.

No wonder some months ago, some senior worshippers of this Sheikh went to his well decorated tomb to update him (the Sheikh) about their worldly affairs and complained to him about their predicaments and sufferings!

Among other things, they foolishly told the man of God (perhaps he is even so-called), whose bones should have been pulverized in his grave that: "Things are tough. Prices of food and essential commodities have skyrocketed due to the removal of subsidy. We have come to you to ask for your intervention in this matter." Hmm! Expecting an entombed helpless deceased to attend to one's needs is the height of religious stupidity. Though these people apparently acknowledge God as God, one can conclude that they grudgingly do so.

Their real object of worship is their Sheikh who, by virtue of having recited the Qur'an seven million times, has become 'god' in his own right.

But common sense would tell you that even if one could recite the Qur'an the whole day without sleeping and avoiding all worldly distractions like a monk, the highest one could complete in a day is probably three. Let's assume he does so unceasingly for seventy years, he would end up with the recitation of the Qur'an 76,650 times (which is impossible anyway). So, how is it possible to recite the Qur'an seven million times in one's life time?

Unfortunately, however, when these pseudo clerics unleash these lies as virtues, one is amazed to see their audience shouting Allahu Akbar (GOD is Great). May we not lose our senses—our ability to think clearly and make good judgements.

It should be noted, it is not even how much of the Qur'an one recites that matters. What matters is to what extent has the light of the Qur'an illuminated our heart. A heart that is well illuminated with the Qur'an will not cheat, will not lie, and will not steal private or public funds. Such heart will not be unjust to his fellow beings nor would he tolerate injustice. Don't take everything from clerics. Don't be enslaved in the name of religion. Use your sense. Ramadan Kareem.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19CSoZVNW6/

The objection of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) to Ramadan school closure in four northern states has unfortunately snowballed to an unhealthy debate. And of course, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is at the forefront. I look forward to seeing the day when CAN and MURIC would come together, as religious groups, to jointly fight against some of the menaces that plague Nigeria. Sadly, they work at cross purposes.

For instance, after the notorious blood-sucking Ilorin young Muslim cleric did what he did, a satanic pastor by the name "Prophet" Whepetoji Babaniyah was also arrested in Lagos for the gruesome murder of one Ogunbode Kodri Adedamola Olasunkami. Yet, again, for ritual. It will do the country some good if CAN and MURIC could work together to help fish out these criminal clerics. Or to use MURIC's words, to "acrobatically" and "gymnastically" combat these evil people in their respective religions before they come for our heads.

MURIC and many Muslims do not see the fine point in CAN's objection to Ramadan school closure. What they see is the politics. This is not strange as CAN and MURIC are overly politicized religious groups; and their politics isn't about the development of the polity. It is about the numerical strength of their brethren in government—whether elected or appointed. This explains why they overlook flagrant abuse of power by one of their own.

One hardly finds MURIC and CAN criticizing one of their own in government. And when they are circumstantially constrained to do so, they do it meekly, reluctantly and unenthusiastically—very economical in calling a spade a spade.

Any religious association that turns a blind eye and look the other way when one of their brethren does wrong but makes a deafening noise when the wrong doer is from outside their religious circle should not deserve our respect.

Having said that, I honestly don't see anything wrong with CAN's objection to school closure in Ramadan by the four northern states: Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi. But because we politicize everything, the polity has been unnecessarily heated. It is disturbing to think that every objection to Muslim government's decision by CAN is, by default, criticism against Islam and the Muslims. The case at hand is one instance. Despite the conspicuous merit in CAN's argument against school closure, MURIC, and those who think like it, thinks it has to be countered because CAN is the one complaining. If this is how we think, it means we still have a long way to go.

It is like an enemy drawing one's attention to one's house being gutted by fire, a wise man will not, in order to spite his enemy, allow his house to burn to aches. While he might not be happy that his enemy is the one drawing his attention to put a stop to the raging fire, it is for his own good to pay attention and do the needful.

Thus, it is for our own good (we Muslims) to allow our students attend regular classes during Ramadan. I have listened to the arguments of many northern clerics against CAN. I have also read MURIC's objection to CAN. All the arguments, put together, I am sorry to say, are not convincing. Below are some of the arguments:

One, "CAN should stop poking its nose into Muslims' affairs." I can't see how CAN interfere in Muslims' affairs here. If Ramadan school closure is only meant for the Muslim students while Christians are allowed to go to school to continue normal school activities, I don't think CAN would raise any objection (except if CAN would be generous to give unsolicited advice out of sympathy for Muslim pupils).

Two, "some students would need to trek long distance to school while fasting." I find it difficult to make any sense of this argument. Can't our Excellencies in these states, in the spirit of Ramadan, provide buses to shuttle these students to their various schools? What about students who live just few meters away from their schools? Can we also ask why schools are not shut down for students in tertiary institutions in these states?

How do we think if we really think? Pupils in our basic schools, generally speaking, are not of the age that fasting becomes compulsory. We keep them at home. But schools remain open to those in the higher institutions who have come of age and must fast. Is this not ironical?

Three, "Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State gave two weeks Christmas break and no single Muslim raised an eyebrow." This is resorting to whataboutism—false equivalence. Primary and secondary school students were already on break when the holiday was declared. The two weeks break did not in anyway affect their studies. Though that shows how reckless the Governor of Benue State is about governance, it was perhaps advantageous (too) to the Muslim civil servants in Benue State. If the Muslims in Benue State were not happy about it (then), why did they keep mum or where was MURIC (then)?

Four, "Christians have three months holiday in a year." Another whataboutism to justify something that is not justifiable. This is an allusion to Saturdays and Sundays that are free workdays. When you add them up, you get 104 free working days in a year. When I read this argument (attributed to Reno Omokri and now weoponized by some Muslim clerics), I laughed. For, I can't understand how that prevents students from going to school. Well, Muslim governors in northern states can make Friday a free workday. Former governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State had set the precedent before he left office. I think it is a good one. Yet, it does not justify why schools should be shut down for five weeks in the middle of the term because of Ramadan fasting.

Five, "schools were shut down so that Muslim students can focus on worship in Ramadan." This is struggling to make a point by all means. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Islaamiyyah (Qur'anic and informal Islamic schools) across Nigeria that hold classes during Ramadan. I don't shut down my Islaamiyyah too because of Ramadan. And some parents of my Islaamiyyah pupils who would be reading this column would testify to that. So, that argument is just too watery.

Six, "where was CAN when ASUU shut down universities?" This is red herring. It is bogus. CAN and other religious bodies have lamented on university closure, times without number. CAN had also participated in meetings to interface with the government on closure of universities.

Seven, "we can not allow our children faint or die while going to school due to fasting." Haha! How many students in the North died due to fasting even when fasting was observed in May, June, July—the peak of heat in the North? What does Islam say when fasting becomes "unfastable" (I mean, unbearable?). Isn't it just to take a break and fast at a later time?

Now, are those northern Muslim governors who did not (and would perhaps not) give Ramadan holiday not Muslims enough or heartless Muslims? I wonder, why are other civil servants in the four states not given Ramadan holiday too so that they can focus on worship? Why are markets not closed? Or are traders not supposed to worship in this holy month?

I hope our Muslim students writing WAEC and other national examinations would be locked up in the mosques to focus on worship whenever Ramadan falls within the period of exam. I don't even think our wives and mothers should be cooking in Ramadan, especially in the evening, so that they will not faint. For, they must have been exhausted by then. I know Ramadan fasting is essentially prescribed to make us pious and conscious of our Creator. Our clerics should explain to us if Ramadan is (or was) prescribed to make us lazy.

If any state in Nigeria would shut down its schools because of Ramadan, I don't think it should be from the North. Except if we could convincingly deceive ourselves that those ugly statistics about our backwardness in education are false. I am happy that of all the clerics I have listened to, including MURIC and The Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria (SCSN), none claims it is Islamic injunction to shut down schools during Ramadan. All they would say is that Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) would stop teaching and would discharge all his students to focus on worship during Ramadan. This is a respected salaf (a predecessor) whose practice many of our clerics ignore because they are busy teaching tafsir in Ramadan and holding public lectures while students are prevented from going to school to "focus" on "worship." Many contradictions!

This should not be seen as defending CAN, it is just that CAN, in my humble opinion, on this issue, has a point. And when I wrote against CAN on its jaundiced antagonism towards female Muslim students donning hijab and its criticism of El-Rufai's four workdays in Kaduna State, it is not that I hate CAN or love MURIC. It is just that CAN (then) had no point but MURIC (then) had point.

Should I be the only Muslim holding this view, I don't care. I understand that in an environment like ours where opinions are influenced by bigoted and acrobatic religiosity, my points might be pointless. I just have to make them. If they change nothing, at least it should be on record that the points are made.
In case all other Muslim majority states shut down schools for five weeks in next year Ramadan just to spite CAN, all I can do is to shake my head in sympathy for Muslim pupils. May we get it right. Ramadan Kareem.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

Published in the News Chronicles
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Time seems to run faster than usual nowadays. By tomorrow (Saturday) or a day after (Sunday), Muslims all over the world would start Ramadan fasting which begining is signaled and heralded by the appearance of the crescent. The date for the commencement of Ramadan cannot be fixed. But intelligent and informed guess could be made about its commencement by Islamic scholars who busy themselves with studying and taking records of the moon as it waxes and wanes.

I am aware that some clerics who claim to be authority in Islam do fix date for the commencement of Ramadan. This is sheer ignorance. Following these kinds of clerics only gives wings to pseudo clericalism. One should be wary of these categories of clerics. They have abandoned the scripture and the age-long Islamic tradition, as clear as they are, to embrace some so-called scientific calculations which they barely understand. They end up confusing the uninformed Muslims on when to start and end Ramadan fasting (one of the pillars of Islam).

Ramadan is the month of spirituality. Many Muslims seek spiritual elevation in this noble month. To be elevated spiritually in the month of Ramadan, one needs only to be dutiful to Allah. To attain some degree of spiritual height, one needs, among other things, to increase acts of worship and acts of generosity. One needs to be kind to a fault. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was generally generous, he was said to be more generous in the month of Ramadan.

To maximize rewards in this month, one should increase righteous deeds and shun wickedness and miserliness. It is wickedness to hike prices of essential commodities, fruits, and staple because of Ramadan. It is miserliness to feed to one's fill but be less concerned about one's poor neighbors. This is the month to spend; not to save. This is the month to distribute and give freely what had been amassed; it is not the month to amass what can hardly go round. Misers are great losers in this month as every act of generosity is geometrically rewarded.

As I mentioned above, we must be wary of pseudo clerics. They are vampires who fully operational in this month. This is the month they sap people dryly and parasite on the innocent and their wealth. For clarity, pseudo clerics hardly give out in this month but expect to be given. The instruction is to give to the poor and the needy. Don't be deceived, there isn't any religious obligation upon you to give to the clerics except if they are poor or are in need. You can only be generous to clerics who render essential services like teaching the Qur'an and other religious books, leading prayers as responsible and God-fearing imams, and giving religious talks (sermons) especially in the month of Ramadan.

Please! please!! and please!!! Don't have anything to do with pseudo clerics as we approach Ramadan. Avoid them, even after Ramadan. I mean avoid them entirely and indefinitely. Know them and avoid them. They are injurious to one's spiritual growth. If you don't know them, please endeavor to know them. As I mentioned above, they are gluttonous—always ready to take but never willing to give—and very ostentatious. They are jobless people, not because the country is plagued with joblessness but because they are not employable and are not willing to be trained to be employable. They should be on the government watchlist as I wrote in my previous column; "They are very dangerous people in our midst notwithstanding their innocent outlook as they garb themselves in clerical attire."

These "clerics", when you see them, run! One of them, Abdulrahman Bello, made the news headline about two weeks ago. He hypnotized his victims and raped her. Not done, he dismembered her and threw her family and concerned Nigerians into a melancholic mood. Bello and his accomplices are not alone. There are many of them. They flaunt wealth with no visible source of income. They speak in the name of God but are actually poisonous tools of Satan. They are very fetishistic even in their interpretation of the scripture. They are devil incarnates and are found everywhere. They gained more followers in the month of Ramadan. So, be careful!

They present "religious" talks on different media and in several fora. Their preachings are majorly centered on prosperity. They will tell you, you cannot make it in life when you are too Godly. You need to dine with Satan with a long spoon to attain success. Thereafter, they will urge, you may seek God's forgiveness. They will tell you the witches and wizards in your village are behind your predicaments because they follow you to wherever you go. They will frighten you that though God exists, but there are powerful people—owners of the world—who should be feared than God.

In fact, they are post-truth clerics. "Post-truth" is a concept that describes modern political communication as full of untruths. Therefore, post-truth clerics are those that spread misinformation and manipulate religious facts and scripture to negatively influence people's belief for self enrichment. These pseudo clerics are post-truth religious leaders who present farce as fact. They skew facts to bewitch their gullible audience. They dish out narratives that are not found in books except perhaps in their so-called esoteric books that are readable only by them.

To identify them, just ask them for reference for whatever claim they make. In their usual response to being challenged to provide reference, this may be said to you as reference: "You need to dine with elders, not all clothes are spread out in the sun." This is a possible reference if they try to be polite. If they are arrogant, their response to being asked reference for their strange claims and fictions would be to shout you down. "You are stupid", "you are mannerless", you are uncouth", "how dare you challenge an authority like me", "do you know how fathers in this land" are some of the usual responses to being asked references. This is unscholarly. It is charlatanry.

Open your eyes. Don't be a prey to charlatans who claim to be men of God. Don't subject yourself to mental slavery in the name of religion by listening to this devilish clerics. When you hear them or see them, run! There is nothing esoteric in Islam. Islam is very easy to learn. Even at scholarly level, all you need to do is to devout your time to study hard. This may be time consuming but it is, at the same time, interesting. Anyone, Muslims or non-Muslims, can study Islam and understand it. The concept of esoteric knowledge given to some special people does not exist in Islam. Any cleric who claims to have a special knowledge that cannot be known by anyone but only him is a devil. Run away from him before you are bewitched.

These so-called clerics prioritize ideology over truth. They detest factual accuracy. Rhetorical and emotional appeals are the most potent tools they use to gaslight their audience. Run away from them. When you begin to admire them more than you admire God, when you begin to obey them more than you obey God, and when you begin to fear them more than you fear God, know that you are in trouble. When you start experiencing the above, you are already a pawn in their game. Do not also be deceived by the crowds they attract in their Ramadan public lectures. Be intelligent and vigilant; for, they are everywhere.

As I welcome you and myself to the month of Ramadan, use your time wisely. Recite the Qur'an often. Endeavor to complete the Qur'an as many times as possible. Attend tafsir (Qur'an interpretation sessions) where questions are entertained by interpreters/scholars who are not only self-effacing and pious but well grounded in knowledge. Let's seek Allah's forgiveness as we try to forgive others.

Finally, I warn you again as I have warned myself. Avoid the assembly of pseudo clerics. We are in the post-truth era. Shine your eyes. May Allah grant us success, accept our acts of worship, and bless Nigeria. I congratulate Muslims all over the world as we embrace Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem!

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

Published in the News Chronicles
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A sad news broke out few days ago in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The news is about a lady, Hafsoh Lawal, a final year student of the college of education Ilorin who was used for ritual by her Facebook boyfriend who claimed to be a cleric. While the news of ritual killings isn't new, this recent one shocked every Nigerian who isn't blood-sucking ritualist to the marrow.

To an average Nigerian, diabolical rituals for money or acquisition of power and prestige is not new. It is common knowledge that people who are steeped in fetishism could become stupendously rich overnight. What is not known to many is how these rituals are made and when it is justifiable to make them.

Though Abdulrahman Bello—the satanic cleric and a disgrace to his family—was only caught unfortunately (or should I say fortunately caught?), there are many so-called clerics like him who might have perpetrated even more heinous blood-demanding ritual crimes in which humans were sacrificed to appease Satan, displease God, and throw victims' family and friend members into lasting melancholy.

Or could there be anything that can erase the thought and the grief from the mind of Hafsoh's parents? As long as they live, the thought and the grief of losing their beloved daughter in that circumstance shall continue to reverberate. They can only be strong in faith or pretend to be strong by trying to focus on other things that could minimize the recurring image of their daughter's dismembered body parts and thus manage the grief. May we never witness this again. This is something very difficult to bear. May the Almighty grant them the strength to bear it and compensate them for the loss.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the Satanic cleric allegedly committed the crime with his accomplices. Now remanded, the charge sheet reads: “During the course of the investigation at the State CID, Ilorin you, Abdulrahman Bello ‘male’ indicted and confessed to have done the act with the consent and knowledge of the following persons; Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Suleiman Muhyideen, Jamiu Uthman and Abdulrahmon Jamiu all ‘male’, who were all into same occultic group and that led to their arrest."

According to the investigation conducted at the State CID, Ilorin, it was further revealed that Abdulrahman Bello, his arrested accomplices, and others at large are a syndicate that has been killing unsuspecting citizens for ritual purposes. How do they use human parts for ritual purposes? I cannot answer this question. I am an ignorant. My ignorance of this Satanic ritual process is a deliberate ignorance. For it is easy to know it if I had wanted to know it. It has become so easy—no thanks to ICT—to learn these rituals than to learn ABC. All one needs to do is to be friends to these evil people on Facebook and follow their instructions. I mean instructions on how to transform human flesh and blood to money. If this is what our youths do and learn from the elders among us, it means we are backward people who lack the least ability to progress. We really still have a long way to go even if we attempt to move forward with this kind of orientation of acquiring material wealth.

Just two years ago, a 35-year-old suspect, Akeem (an indigene of Osun State) was arrested by detectives in Ogun State Police Command for allegedly murdering an 18-year-old student of Obafemi Awolowo University to harvest body parts for sale. He revealed that he learnt about how to use human heads from Facebook groups. Note: Facebook GROUPS. Not one group, the groups are many on Facebook.

In 2022, we read about one Soliu Majekodunmi—a teenager who slaughtered his girlfriend for ritual money. He also confessed to have learnt the ritual practice (or is it an art?) from Facebook. According to him, he typed "how to make money ritual" on Facebook and got the details. The link instructed him to behead a female and burnt the skull in a local pot. How would a burnt female skull transform to money? In their stupidity, they believed the skull would turn to money when some ingredients which cost about N2,500 are added to the burnt skull. When asked why he and his accomplices who are all teenagers needed money, he explained they needed to make money in order to ride exotic cars and live in luxury apartments. Perhaps they wanted to be like our politicians who are no doubt models for luxury lifestyle.

Just last year, we also read about a man from Enugu State—simply identified as ‘Anaegbuachara’—who confessed to killing his mother, grandmother, sister and her child by poisoning for the purpose of money ritual. The cases are too numerous to list. While a society might not completely be free of ritualized criminal acts, the growing number of their incidence is alarming. All stakeholders: government, clerics, teachers, parents, security agents, must come together to brainstorm on implementable way out. Not wingless way out that ends up on paper like toothless bulldog.

There is an urgent need to sanitize our virtual space which has become a source of dehumanizing many Nigerians who end up as heartless beings. Isn't dismembering a fellow being a crude display of heartlessness? I wanted to say parents should monitor what their children do online. But how can parents monitor an adult like a 24-year-old Hafsoh who was a final year student in higher institution? While there is little parents and guardians can do to monitor their wards' activities online, there is a lot they can do (and should do) to teach them morals.

We should all be wary of these devilish clerics around us. It is easy to identify them when one has basic understanding of religion. I mean true religion; not religion that preaches only material prosperity as if it is a crime to be poor or as if poverty is a curse. Our ladies who are in most cases victims of lovemaking should be very careful. They should not be carried away by the handsomeness of some of these guys and their display of wealth. They should look up to having responsible, even if poor, partners.

Our teachers and clerics who should teach morals should be encouraged to be models of morality. Though some might disagree with me on this point, it is the reality. What is it? An underpaid hungry and hopeless teacher/cleric might not be able to teach morals. Teachers should be well paid. Clerics that are not teachers and not employed and not employable should always be on government watchlist. They are very dangerous people in our midst notwithstanding their innocent outlook as they garb themselves in clerical attire.

Our justice system? Hmm! If anyone asks me what happened to the previous criminal ritualists I cited above and many others, I will just heave a deep sigh and say hmm. Something is fundamentally wrong with our justice system. Criminals like these should just be eliminated the way they eliminated their victims; except when there are justifiable reasons for delay. Justice delayed is justice denied; and it gives room for claiming criminals have mental issues for committing crimes. Don't be surprised if Abdulrahman is said to be battling with some mental disturbances.

There is a question I have not answered. When is it justifiable to use human parts for ritual purposes? It is justifiable when one has concluded that Hell is their final destination. In that case, government should help to hasten the admission of such people into Hell before they cause more havoc on the innocent.

My final thought. Yes, many will commit these heinous crimes and go scot-free. There are many Abdulrahman Bellos who were not caught and will not be caught. If there isn't life after death, it means there is no justice. Without that belief in life after death, the concept of justice—within this narrow worldly understanding—is meaningless. Are you an atheist who strongly believes God does not exist? Have a rethink. God exists; and with Him lies the ultimate justice.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

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One should wail over a country that has its education bastardized. One should pity a country that compromises its standard of education. One should also mourn a country that separates manners and character from knowledge. A country that even turns its teachers to punchbags has declared a war against development. Such a country will not be able to dream of development let alone develop.

If Nigeria were a country, we may begin to investigate the general backwardness that now characterizes it from the perspective of manners and character of those that were/are elected to govern it. Most of them are obviously educated and wield different kinds of certificates. Some of them even speak well polished grammar but with catastrophic outcomes in state management.

If teaching is a profession and teachers are professionals, it is both logical and factual to conclude that those ruling us today were taught by teachers. But to repay these teachers' generosity for making them what they are today, Nigerian rulers package poverty in the name of salary as reward for teachers. They mockingly tell these teachers that their reward is in heaven.

While previous generation of students, who are now rulers today, punish teachers from their vantage position of power (as policy and law makers), the present generation of students, not yet in power, are in a hurry to turn their teachers to punchbags even as students. They could not hide their disdain for teachers who are more or less humiliated beings (at least in Nigeria). This gives a hint of what the future of teachers would likely look like in the future. The present is already frightening.

Can anyone imagine that a student could have the gut to slap a lecturer? This question belongs to the past. It is an appropriate question to ask students in the 1970s, 1980s, and maybe 1990s, and the answer would be: "is he or she mad?" Because it is unthinkable, I mean unimaginable, that a student would slap a lecturer. But to Gen Z students, slapping a lecturer is not just imaginable, lecturer can be slapped for fun. And the best the lecturer can do is to try all his best to prove to the world that he or she is not at fault.

This is my interpretation of Dr Chukwudu Okoye's reaction to that spoilt and mannerless "kid" from Nnamdi Azikwe University who turned him to a punchbag. She fought hard as shown in the viral video and tore the lecturer's cloth for interrupting her while recording a video in the university hallway. How was she interrupted? Because the lecturer gently tapped her as he managed to walk through the narrow hallway and said "excuse me."

Many commentators expressed annoyance; not at the student but at the lecturer. According to them, "the lecturer should have beaten her to stupor. He should have taught her the lesson of her life." But Dr Okoye, in my opinion, should not be blamed for his attitude and composure for three reasons.

One, since lecturers are disdained by government, he might not have the backing of the school authority except he could prove beyond reasonable doubt that he is the victim not the victimizer. Two, he might be too feeble to fight the student due to hunger—courtesy of unpaid salaries. Many lecturers started receiving their January salaries on the 41st of January and one could not be sure if Dr Okoye had received his salary or not when the student turned him to a punchbag. Lastly, wouldn't it be disgraceful for Dr Okoye—an elderly man with visible grey hair—to fight a mannerless "kid"—A female for that matter?

Though the UNIZIK management promised to investigate the matter with the seriousness it requires, I advise the management to suspend the student in question (if she had not been suspended) pending the outcome of the investigation. No one should conclude that this can only happen in the South or Southeast. Victimization of lecturers by students is not peculiar to any region, ethnic or even religion. It is a general thing across the country.

While the student in question is apparently from the South and maybe of Igbo extraction, she is mannerless not because she is an Igbo but because she lives in a country where teachers are not valued. I wrote about a Yoruba student from the University of Ilorin who brutalized her female lecturer on this page sometime in 2021. He was immediately expelled by the school management.

Just last month in Kano State Polytechnic, a Hausa female student sent a thug—her boyfriends—to torture a lecturer whom she alleged was an obstacle to her academic aspirations. The lover thug brought a cutlass along with him with which he macheted the lecturer who sustained serious injuries.

I have written quite a number of articles to argue that tertiary education is not for all and sundry. Knowledge acquisition in tertiary institutions is too serious an endeavor to be allowed to be ridiculed by quacks and the mannerless who, due to lack of home training, will always misbehave like kids even after attaining the legal age of majority (adulthood). Knowledge acquisition in higher institutions is not meant for spoilt kids who are mistaken for adults. For, they lack the character to be students and it might be too late to inculcate in them the necessary character that naturally comes with knowledge acquisition.

Governments, at all levels, should make teachers look respectable and honourable by making teaching profession appealing. Teachers and lecturers cannot look wretched and famished with sunken eyes and cheeks; they cannot be seen in tattered cloths and worn out shoes and expected to be respected by Gen Z students (especially when they look far better than their teachers). As it is, Nigerian teachers are too wretched to be admired due to poor remuneration. It is one of the reasons they are disdained and brutalized by students.

I join other well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the brutal treatment of innocent teachers and disdain for responsible lecturers who are the brains behind the success and development of the modern world. If Nigeria were a reasonable country, not a shithole, it will recognize its intellectuals as the powerhouses of development. It will, as a state, prioritize their welfare and protect them from abuse.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

There are serious crises in Nigerian universities. I don't know how long the crises would last. But I know they will not be resolved overnight. How do I know? I know because there seems to be no much difference between the administration of Nigerian universities by many vice chancellors/governing councils and the administration of Nigerian government by politicians. Nowadays, one needs to fight dirty to become vice-chancellor in many Nigerian universities. To become vice-chancellor, the first victim is integrity. If you still have a scintilla of integrity in you, the position of vice chancellor is not for you in some Nigerian universities.

The fraud, the illegality, and the unprincipled politicking that now characterize the process of electing vice-chancellors leave one in deep bewilderment. Unless something is urgently done to reverse the ugly trend, we may begin to shut down our universities and send students to stay off campus because new VCs are about to be elected.

What is even more surprising is that these universities are said to be starved of funds. Yet every baby professor and the old ones want to become VC. Not only that, there are those who could not wait to become professors to be elected as VCs. In that case, they give it all what it takes to become professors.

About three months ago, it was a breaking news of one fraudulent professor who became the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Anambra State. The "fraudfessor," Mr Bernard Odoh, claimed to have been promoted to professorial rank since 2015 in the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS). Many were shocked when FUGUS countered the claim that Mr Odoh's professorship and the supportive documents he referenced were all “products of administrative fraud”.

The FUGUS management informed the public that Mr Odoh was never a staff member of the university and his claims are “tissues of lies and misinformation.” This is the highest academic fraud which is too cringy even for our politicians to tolerate. That is to say, Nigerian rulers, as corrupt as the corrupt ones among them are, are yet to master a large scale act of criminality of Odoh's proportion.
Yes! There have been allegations of forgery of WAEC and university degree results against some of our rulers; not professorship. President Tinubu did not waste time. He sacked Mr Odoh and dissolved the governing council that approved his elevation to the position of vice-chancellor. He also sacked the university registrar.

While the leadership crisis in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, which started around June last year is not about professorial academic fraud, it can be described as a hot political contest that leaves much to be desired. The university, since June last year, did not have a substantive vice-chancellor. It has been one VC, in acting capacity, after the other.

We read, yesterday (Thursday), that Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu the acting VC of UNN and Aisha Maikudi the VC of University of Abuja, were sacked. While Maikudi was said to be illegally appointed as VC, that was not the case with Chigbu. Professor Chigbu was removed because his six-month acting tenure ends by February 14, not because he was illegally appointed as VC like Maikudi. The sad news in UNN is that another acting VC, not substantive VC, was appointed for another six months. The UNN crisis started when Professor Charles Igwe, the then outgoing VC, allegedly tried to foist his stooge on the University like what played out in University of Abuja.

If the eggheads in our ivory towers could not get something as basic as VC selection process right, can we excuse our politicians for rigging their ways into the various elective offices in the country? It is either an outgoing VC wants to plant a stooge while he leaves or someone wants to rig their way to become VC. At times, the crisis is about a clamour for the son of the land to become VC like the recent case of University of Ibadan; though we celebrate Nigerians who became university vice-chancellors in far away UK and other countries across the globe. Are we not too awkward and backward? I mean, is our thinking straight?
I have read quite a number of opinion articles by supposedly educated people who should understand the inner workings of university, defending that glaring illegality that characterized the appointment of Maikudi as UniAbuja VC. They may need to write articles (in protest) now that she has been sacked. No wonder the government has no regards for intellectuals in the country's higher institutions of learning.

What is even more amusing is the allegation by some that are pained by Maikudi's dismissal, claiming that Tinubu is dealing with the North. If Tinubu is actually dealing with the North, is this reference not too thoughtless. Professor Lar Patricia Manko who was appointed in Maikudi's place—in acting capacity—is from the North. I struggle to make sense of the allegation of "Tinubu dealing with the North" if a woman from Katsina State was sacked and was replaced with another woman from Plateau State. She is from the same state as Yaqubu Gowon after which the University has now been named (Yaqubu Gowon University). Shouldn't we applaud Tinubu for making a great match?

Maikudi, like Odoh, has the right to kick back. Together, they may jointly fight back through the Court to have their position back. I personally won't be shocked if they won their case. This is Nigeria where things that are unbelievable in dream happen in real life. And when they happen, one must believe they actually happen.

May I use this medium to draw the attention of President Bola Tinubu to the plight of Nigerian lecturers. Now that some VCs are sacked (followed by some reshuffling in the leadership of governing councils of some universities), would the President give order to those in charge that they should pay Nigerian lecturers their peanuts (salaries) so that they can manage to put something into their empty and shrinking bellies and also feed their families? Today is 8th of February. Some calenders are reading 39th of January. Our rulers in Nigeria should forgive lecturers their sin—the sin of choosing teaching as career. They wouldn't have embarked on that career path if they had known that it is a sin.

Dear President Tinubu, please forgive us. Our children are crying of hunger. I pray they will not die of hunger. May you not witness the pang of hunger as you globetrot and junket. Extend my regards to the French people and your colleague over there, Emmanuel Macron, as you enjoy your private visit. I pray when you plan to come back, you will not meet us in pieces. Ameen.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com

Few days ago, Pa Bisi Akande was interviewed by Edmund Obilo. The interview was very interesting and revealing. As a former governor of Osun State (1999-2003), Bisi Akande was (and is) widely acknowledged to have done well. He is, to some extent, an exemplar of good governance and respectable elder statesman.

This same elder statesman happened to be a former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is the party that took over the destruction of Nigeria from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) with the promise to repair the destruction only to crush Nigeria into debris. That Tinubu's APC will transform the debris (which Nigeria now is) to a developed Nigeria in the next two or six years can only be by miracle. That is to say, the possibility is near impossible.

This elder statesman gave the behind-the-scenes account on the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria's president. Pa Akande, in that interview, recounts that Tinubu fought everyone that tried to persuade him to contest for president. Although to become Nigerian president is what Tinubu had craved for, for his entire political life, but he had to be convinced and begged to contest. Pa Akande did convince Tinubu and Tinubu became convinced that "Emi Lo Kan" to be president.

Hmm! Don't get confused and don't laugh. This is called orisirisi in Yoruba Language. Because I am not confident of my mastery of Yoruba (for I know my Yoruba is at the level of kindergarten) I will not translate orisirisi; I will rather render it into English. The rendition, in this context, would be that the narration by Pa Akande that he intervened to prevail on Tinubu to contest is surprisingly ironical.

Who should we believe between Pa Akande who gave the narration about how he pleaded with Tinubu and Tinubu who was the man pleaded to in the narration knowing full well that he needed not be convinced to contest for president which he claimed was his lifetime ambition? If this question is directed at me, I will say I don't know. Though I know Pa Akande's 600-page book "My Participation: An Autobiography" which he published in 2021 is said to be full of lies.

Pa Bode George said so. Pa Ayo Adebanjo seconded. Pa Olu Falae agreed that Pa Akande wrote nonsense which he published as book. I am not saying Pa Akande is a liar or has lied against Tinubu. After all, those mentioned above who think his book is encylopedia of lies are all politicians. I am only saying that the story he narrated should be probed.

To Pa Akande, one can say, from that interview, that Tinubu cannot do any wrong as president. In other words, he is solidly behind Tinubu for the fact that he "convinced" him to contest. But surprisingly, Pa Akande poignantly said Tinubu was very Ignorant about the politics of Nigeria. He acknowledged that Tinubu knows Lagos politics but not Nigerian. If this is coming from President Tinubu's critics, his bigoted worshippers would conclude that it is all politics. They will say such critics need Tinubu's appointment.

They may be right. We learnt this from Daniel Bwala. After he energetically and enthusiastically tarred Tinubu with a dirty brush by calling him all sorts of names, he ate every ugly words he had previously uttered as soon as he got Tinubu's PR job. Tinubu suddenly becomes a good man. "I was only doing my job under Atiku, I didn't mean my words" is the summarized paraphrase of the rationale for Bwala's historic U-turn. To understand what "integrity" and "the lack of it" is, that explanation from Bwala—and the rationale behind his sudden U-turn to the direction of Aso Villa—is basic.

But this declaration that Tinubu was very Ignorant of Nigerian politics before he became president is coming from Pa Bisi Akande, an elder statesman who claimed to have "convinced" and "influenced" Tinubu (against the latter's will) to contest for president. On Tinubu's ignorance of Nigerian politics, many think Pa Akande is right. But should deliberate ignorance be a blameworthy ignorance? If Tinubu is truly ignorant of the politics of Nigeria, it could be because he did not believe in one Nigeria. (Perhaps now, being the President, he believes in one Nigeria). If one doesn't not believe in one Nigeria, I don't think they should bother themselves about—or burden themselves with—the knowledge of Nigerian politics.

We learnt from Pa Akande that under Tinubu, everything is okay and nothing is wrong. Peace is everywhere. Pa Akande asserted: "only lazy people are hungry in Nigeria." The old man cannot see and will probably not see hunger anywhere in Nigeria because a Yoruba man whom he fully supports is currently the President. No one should blame him, especially from the North. For, when former president Buhari too was gradually but steadily separating Nigeria from every connection the country had with prosperity, some Northern elder statesmen were clapping for him and praising him as the only good thing that had ever happened to Nigeria. So, on this, anyone who had no problem with Buhari's praise singers should not have problem with Pa Akande. Yes, anyone can call Akande a blind and bigoted supporter of Yoruba presidency which Tinubu represents. I don't care and he should not care.

However, my problem with Pa Akande is the insult he hurled at us (Nigerian masses). When Edmund Obilo asked him again to confirm if he really meant calling hungry Nigerians lazy people, I thought the elder statesman will be guided by wisdom to realize that his blanket denigration of Nigerian masses who have been toiling fruitlessly as lazy people is unstatesmanlike. But alas, like Buhari, Pa Akande insisted that hunger cannot kill anyone in Nigeria except lazy people. To cap it all, he said: "He who does not work does not eat." This is my retort, in case Pa Akande does not know: "many Nigerians work under Tinubu regime but could not feed themselves."

He claims Nigeria has fertile land. He also claims that he plants what he eats and has vegetables in his wide compound. He thinks every Nigerian has a specious house like his with vast cultivable land that is wide enough to farm what they should eat. If elder statesmen—supposedly fathers of the nation—think and reason like this, one can only shake one's head regretfully that Nigeria still has a long way to go.

Reacting to this unfortunate characterization of hardworking but suffering Nigerians as lazy people, a Yoruba commentator lamented that all the Yoruba gods will judge Pa Akande for what he said. Touched and pained, I was about to shout amen to that prayer, then I realized I don't believe in the gods of Yoruba even though I speak Yoruba. Yet, and definitely, the Supreme God will judge Pa Bisi Akande, Pa Tinubu, Pa Buhari, and the rest of us, especially on that point that we are hungry because we are lazy.

That said, Pa Bisi Akande is a very intelligent man. Even at that age (over 85), his responses to the questions he was asked speak volume of his intelligence and mental alertness. It is only that Pa Akande used his intelligence to install Yoruba president then went to his hometown to rest. One would be tempted to conclude from that interview that Pa Akande's primary interest is not about Nigeria but about Yoruba presidency and about Tinubu who is very ignorant, according to him, of the politics of Nigeria.

I pray to witness the day in Nigeria when elected leaders will be supported based on the evidence of track record and good governance and criticized due to their woeful performance in office; not because of where they come from. I will not do justice in this column if I did not commend Edmund Obilo for that interview. It is too early to declare the Ibadan based journalist from Imo State the best interviewer of the year. This is January. Some describe him as an interrogator, not an interviewer. Obilo conducted the interview excellently by asking relevant and follow-up questions.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com