₦airaland Forum

Five and a half weeks of war with Iran provided Israel with important lessons regarding the limits of its capabilities. Iran has been weakened, but it has also managed to establish a new balance of economic deterrence. It's doubtful that the Israeli government would have pushed for war had it known this would be the result

It's still unclear what the terms of an agreement between the United States and Iran might be following the cease-fire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in the middle of the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, Israel time. The only certainty is that the weapons fire between the two countries was to stop and that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would resume.

That's also how the fighting between Israel and Iran is expected to end – at a financial cost to Israel of nearly 50 billion shekels ($15.9 billion). The cost includes the expense of nonstop Israel Air Force sorties to Iran, the continuous operation of Israel's aerial defense systems and the damage inflicted by the Iranian missiles. It also doesn't take into account the cost of a partial shutdown of the Israeli economy, which amounts to tens of billions of shekels.

The question this naturally prompts is what benefits has Israel gained at such a cost. What have we actually spent that 50 to 100 billion shekels on? It doesn't appear that the original goals of the investment – toppling the Iranian regime and neutralizing its nuclear capabilities – have been achieved.

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We have managed to weaken Iran. Five weeks of destroying missile launchers and ballistic missile stocks have rendered Iran weaker militarily than it was at the end of February, when the war, launched by the United States and Israel, began. But such capabilities can be restored.

The main outcome of the war has actually been a new economic balance of deterrence between Israel and Iran, one that didn't exist before. Over the past several weeks, Israel has learned several things first-hand about its capabilities – facts that, had they been known before the war, might have led the government not to urge the United States to embark on the war.

1. War is tough even under optimal conditions
Even after five weeks of war, during which the Israel Air Force had total control of the skies over Iran and operated unimpeded alongside the world's most powerful air force, it didn't manage to stop Iran from firing ballistic missiles at Israeli population centers. It's possible that we didn't hold out long enough – that it would have happened with another five weeks of fighting – but Iran has shown that even under optimal conditions for Israel, with the full backing of the United States, it's capable of reducing the Israeli economy to only partial functioning for an unknown number of months.

2. A defensive layer – with holes
Israel's aerial defense functioned throughout, but it became clear that its capabilities had limits. Before the war, defense officials estimated that there would be two or three sites destroyed per week from ballistic missile strikes. In practice, the last two weeks of the war produced higher numbers. In addition, it became clear that Israel's laser defense system would take several more years to become operational.

On the other hand, the Iranians showed an ability to learn as they went, identifying weak points in Israel's defenses – whether by increasing their use of cluster missiles, taking advantage of weather conditions or playing with the frequency and grouping of missile fire

3. A bit of hardship – and the skies shut down
Over the five weeks, Israel's nearly exclusive gateway to the world – Ben-Gurion International Airport – was almost totally idled. Israelis found themselves stuck in the country or forced to take a bus to Eilat in a desperate attempt to catch a flight out of the small airport across the border in Taba, Egypt. For years, Israeli authorities have dragged their feet over the location of an additional airport to complement Ben-Gurion.

The war also highlighted how easily ballistic missiles could almost shut down Israeli civil aviation. It's an issue that must be resolved, either by expanding capacity at Ramon Airport north of Eilat, establishing a new airport, or creating protected areas on airport runways.

4. Will the crisis affect international involvement in Israel's conflicts?
Iran has also made it clear that even when severely weakened, it's capable of triggering a global energy crisis – by closing the Strait of Hormuz and threatening all of the Gulf countries and their energy sectors. The spike in oil prices has caused economic harm around the world. -

From the standpoint of the Israeli economy, this has been nothing more than a secondary concern, but the international implications of the damage raise the prospect that the world will once again pay greater attention to Israel's foreign policy and even to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, it seemed that Israel's conflicts no longer had an impact on the global energy sector. In that sense, the current war has taken us back 50 years.

An anti-war protest in Tel Aviv last week. The U.S.-Israel relationship also has its limits.

5. The impact on U.S.-Israel relations
Israel's relationship with the United States also has its limits. In large measure, Trump embarked on the current war due to pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As a result, the fact that the current cease-fire was declared without achieving the war's goals could be held against Israel.-

The war's direct cost to the United States has been similar to, or perhaps even higher, than Israel's. Trump will need to explain this outlay to the American public. The lessons of the past five weeks will also have a long-term impact on America's readiness to embark with Israel on similar adventures in the future.

Article by Haaretz newspaper

https://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-s-eye-on-iran/views-on-iran/2026-04-09/ty-article/.premium/5-lessons-israel-learned-from-iran-at-a-cost-of-50-100-billion-shekels/0000019d-72db-db3c-a3df-fbdf61790000
In

If course Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria. Nigerians largely vote on religious/ethnic interests. I said largely not wholly. Of course there are exceptions. But election in many cases reflect demographics.
If you believe Christians are more in number in Nigeria please tell any Christian candidate (e.g Obi) to pick a Christian running mate and watch how it will end!

Obaranje:
are you for real? Iran that her entire airspace was taken over by the Jews, all her generals scientist nuclear site were all decimated by the Jews her spiritual leader went spiritual under ground up till now no one knows where he is why natayahu is busy visiting missile affected areas in Israel is a match for Israel.

If Iran can be a match for Israel, then dead Hezbollah and Hamas can equally be a bigger match for Israel because they did much better than iran

then why were the zionists begging for ceasefire?

porthouse7:
what's did Iran achieved in the war, name just one

1.Iran has shattered the long-standing perception of Israeli military invincibility, a narrative reinforced for decades by Western media. The belief that no Middle Eastern country could match Israel militarily has now been brought into question.

2. Iran’s military actions have garnered respect and support from several countries globally, particularly due to its ability to give the zionists a serious beating that the have to call for US intervention to avoid defeat/collapse.

3. The conflict has exposed limitations in Israel’s Iron Dome system, which may be effective against irregular militias like HezbolLah but appears less capable when facing a conventional and sophisticated force such as Iran’s military. Some observers have even mockingly referred to it as the "Nylon Dome"

4.Iranian military hardware has now gained international attention and credibility. Given the performance of its ballistic missile systems in the current conflict, one could reasonably ask: If you were a head of state choosing between Israel’s Iron Dome and Iran’s missile capabilities, which would you invest in?

This war is a disaster for the zionists they started the war but were soon forced to call for US help. The lesson is don't start what you cant finish!

Poormanpikin:
Tell me what they do to deserve October 7. Are they the ones creating enemies or the other way round? Get your facts right.

They occupied Palestinian land since 1967 and imposed a sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007 (I think). So Gazans can't import or export goods like all normal country. That was why they have to dig tunnels to bring in goods from Egypt. So who can tolerate such humiliation forever

irunoko:
haaa try dey lie small small o.

I know alhikmah University in ilorin.whether you're a Christian atheist or African traditionalist if you don't wear hijab as a woman you cannot enter be you visitor,student,parent or anybody. So why is professor mumuric trying to harass adeleke University in doing things their way.oyinbo says when you're in Rome behave like the Romans meaning that if you are in a Christian school you better behave like a Christian because I don't know why by your own leg you carry yourself go beach you come dey complain say beach water or beach sand dey touch you

You dey accuse christians of intolerance.i see how tolerant and peaceful muslims are of the christians in northern nigeria

read my post again, i talked about christian institutions forcing muslim students to attend christian worship you are talking of wearing Hijab. Lets even assume your claim is true, does waring hijab makes you a muslim. no Hijab is just a form of decent dressing, you cant compare that to forcing a muslim student to attend so called morning or evening devotion. I repeat no muslim school in Nigeria will force a christian student to enter mosque and pray but the revwerse is very common with christain schools

many nigrerian christians are intolerant, have you ever heard of a muslim private school forcing christian students to go to mosque, but go to christian school, they will force you to attend morning devotion and subtly stop you from practising your faith. Bunch of intolerant fanatics

i hope Edo state will also allow the teaching of Islamic religious knowledge in public schools

Kobojunkie:
That's because you never had real motivation. Go ask kids who started fasting in their teaching years and they will tell you the same thing. You writing an epistle at age 23, saying religion is the only motivation you ever had makes you look like a joke. Go ask those kids who started modeling at age 14 or older, or even those who had to lose about 40 lbs to fit into their prom dresses and they will tell you real stories.

so what exactly is your point? and who are the ones fasting at the age of 14

“Fasting during Ramadan was surprisingly easy. Mental preparedness played a key role. I was as energetic as suhoor during the iftar,” he said.

Salah likened the experience to the energy he felt during the early morning Fajr prayer. “The Fajr prayer was something I had not experienced earlier. The only thing that existed in my mind the whole day was that I wouldn't be even having a sip of water,” said Salah.

“Before embracing Islam, I always thought about how Muslims could fast for a month. It was a fear when I accepted Islam. Finally, I did it and all thanks to Allah, it was at ease. The mental readiness was the key,” said Salah.


Salah's journey into Islam began with a profound curiosity sparked by an unfortunate incident – the tragic mosque attack in New Zealand in the year 2019. He embarked on a quest to understand the teachings of Islam, a religion that advocates peace and unity. Guided by a sense of compassion, Salah found solace in the teachings he encountered during his exploration.

“I was born to a father of Jewish faith and a mother following Christianity. My diverse family background provided me with a unique perspective on religious coexistence. I had read the Bible and the Torah. As my mother and father belonged to the religion of books, which helped me understand the Quran a bit early and better,” said Salah.

It was in January of this year that he formally embraced Islam. “I felt a connection with the principles of Islam, especially its emphasis on compassion, tolerance, and unity. It became clear to me that true strength lies in embracing diversity,” said Salah.

Having arrived in the UAE last year, Salah found a supportive community that further fueled his spiritual journey. The melting pot of cultures and religions in Dubai offered him an environment where people from various backgrounds coexist harmoniously.

Choosing a new name
Mohammed Salah chose his name with profound significance, combining elements that hold deep spiritual resonance. “Mohammed, a name revered for its purity and association with the Prophet Muhammad, reflects a commitment to a righteous and virtuous life. The choice of Salah as the second part of my name is the importance of prayer in my newfound faith,” said Salah.

For Salah, every time he hears his name called, it serves as a gentle reminder of the sacred act of prayer. “This intentional naming reflects a personal journey intertwining identity and spirituality, creating a harmonious connection between my chosen name and the spiritual practices that have become an integral part of my life,” said Salah.

Volunteering for a good cause
A recent graduate, Salah has chosen to devote his time and energy to volunteer work for an Islamic organisation in Dubai. “My commitment to community service aligns with my belief in the importance of contributing to the well-being of society."

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/ramadan/uae-23-year-old-who-recently-converted-to-islam-describes-first-fasting-experience

February 17, 2024s
Source: Reuters
BRICS has called the US dollar-dominated SWIFT global payment system “unfair and costly”. The majority of countries, including BRICS settle global trade in the US dollar using the SWIFT payment mechanism. A SWIFT transfer comes with a price as it has multiple charges including transfer fees, exchange rates, and hidden fees. Leading global banks charge close to 3-5% on the exchange rate for each transfer between two countries.

?

The country that initiates the transaction in SWIFT bears the burden of the exchange rate while the US profits. The BRICS alliance now wants to reverse the process making local currencies benefit and not the US dollar. Read here to know how many sectors in the US will be affected if BRICS ditches the dollar for trade.

BRICS Look For Alternative To the US Dollar’s SWIFT System

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a press conference that BRICS will redress the SWIFT payment system. She said that the SWIFT payment mechanism favors the US dollar and the West but penalizes BRICS and other developing countries. Pandor labeled SWIFT “unfair and costly” to other countries indicating an uneven international playing field.

Also Read: BRICS: Nigeria Plans To Sell Oil in Local Currency, Not US Dollar

BRICS will “redress what we regard as a rather unfair and costly payment system,” she said on SWIFT, reported CNN. Her statement comes at a time when BRICS member Russia is working towards building a new alternative payment system challenging SWIFT, and the US dollar will not be integrated.

For the uninitiated, Russia confirmed that is building a payment system that will make developing countries move from SWIFT. The new payment mechanism will allow other countries to settle trade in local currencies and not the US dollar. This will help developing countries strengthen their local currency and will help their native economies grow.

Also Read: After Applying to BRICS, Zimbabwe Aims To Back Currency With Gold

After three months, it's becoming clearer that Israel has been largely killing unarned civilians and not Hamas.

UPDATEFROM THE LIVEBLOG OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2024

IDF says 5 more soldiers were killed yesterday in Gaza, bringing day’s toll to 9
By EMANUEL FABIAN

The IDF announces the deaths of another five soldiers killed during fighting in the Gaza Strip yesterday, bringing the toll of slain troops yesterday to nine, and since the start of the ground offensive against Hamas to 185.

They are:

Master Sgt. (res.) Amit Moshe Shahar, 25, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom unit, from Ramat Yohan

Cpt. (res.) Denis Krokhmalov Veksler, 32, an officer in the Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom unit, from Beersheba.

Cpt. (res.) Ron Efrimi, 26, an officer in the Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom unit, from Hod Hasharon.

Master Sgt. (res.) Roi Avraham Maimon, 24, a paramedic in the Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom unit, from Afula.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Akiva Yasinskiy, 35, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ 8173rd Battalion, from Ramat Gan.

All five were killed by explosives that detonated in central Gaza’s Bureij, along with Sgt. First Class (res.) Gavriel Bloom whose death was announced earlier.
Courtesy' timesofisrael

Why cant Nigerian and Ethiopian companies carry out trade with their own currencies, why do they need dollar in the first place?

At a moment when people who had put in over 30 years of service are planning to retire and rest, 73-year-old Isyaku Musa believes that though retired, he is not tired. In 2015, he fabricated a solar-powered tricycle, the first of its kind ever seen in Kano State.

Engineer Isyaku as he is fondly referred to became a symbol of inspiration to many young people and he used his fabricated tricycle to travel across states, displaying his God-given talent.


Born in 1950, Isyaku was educated at both Gidan Makama and Rimi City primary schools, he was part of the pioneer students of the then newly established Kano Educational Development Centre (KEDC) created by the Audu Bako-led administration under a crash programme to bridge the then existing gap in western educational development.

They were taught by teachers selected from England and the students were later divided into various professions; some were sent to the teaching line, technical, among other professions. Young Isyaku was employed as a storekeeper in one of the state’s secondary schools and he was later taken to the state audit
He later joined a private sector company as an internal auditor and later joined a construction company where he served at managerial positions. It was under his management that the present-day Kano State House of Assembly structures, Sokoto State Polytechnic, among other structures were built.



In 1984, he travelled to England to further his education and it was while studying in England that he got into contact with what has changed his life. During his free time, he enrolled in a school where he learned how to operate and repair modern knitting machines and at that time, the technology was new to Africa. He stayed in England for five years before relocating back to Kano State.

While in Kano, he set up a knitting outfit and taught his wife who taught others. During Maryam Babangida’s Better Life for Rural Women project, he was enrolled as a trainer and he won several awards under the project. After the project, he opened a mini selling and repairing workshop for knitting machines where he had been training youths on the profession which he still operates and maintains.

Committed to self development, Isyaku ventured into importation of knitting machines from Japan and in the process, he travelled to Japan where he came into contact with solar technology and as inquisitive as he is, he enrolled to learn the processes involved, that was how his romance with solar technology began.

“After acquiring the technical skills in solar from Japan, I became a household name on solar installation in Nigeria. I started fabricating my own inverters among other solar related gadgets. I then realised that solar energy can also be applicable to other things, and that was how the idea to develop a solar powered tricycle was conceived. I displayed my fabrication at several trade fairs across the country. I met with governors, ministers and commissioners who had promised to expand my innovations but sadly none of their promises have been fulfilled,” he said.

According to him after his fabrication in 2015, he used to travel to Abuja using the tricycle to participate in science and technology exhibition every year and it was during such incidences that he was involved in an accident that damaged the tricycle. “I had an accident while coming back from one of the science and technology exhibitions held in Abuja where I represented Kano State. On my return, I wrote to the ministry informing them of the accident and they promised to handle the case. However, after waiting for months without any response, I took advantage of a science and technology programme held at the state government house to relay my request to the state governor. Unfortunately, nothing has been done till this moment,” he revealed.

He also converted his car to a solar powered car as well. Within a short period, Isyaku became the talk of the town but unfortunately, he lacks the needed support and that has been a source of worry for him. “I wanted to create a huge innovation hub that will give hundreds of our able youths the opportunity to be innovative and creative, but I cannot do that alone, I have the technical skills but lack the financial strength. I am optimistic that with assistance from either the private or the public sector, we will be able to come up with a lot of innovations that will create jobs for many people,”

Source: daily trust newspaper


info@dailytrust.com

symbianDON:
very possible. His card details and PIN must have been 'skimmed' when he used it on a random POS device. This shows that you must be very very careful the kind of POS device you slot your card in. Also, he may have had his card secretly photographed (by the operator) and his PIN monitored while using a POS device. Never ever let the operator take your card out of your view for any reason. Personally, I don't use a card associated with my main account for POS transactions. In fact, I explore the option of doing a transfer for cash most of the time I need to use a POS terminal.

Thanks a lot.

How is this possible?

Ridhwan Abdullahi

Babangida Yushau (not real name), a Kaduna-based Federal Government worker, has told FIJ how his May salary was fraudulently taken from his First City Monument Bank (FCMB) account two hours after receiving it.

He said while over N160,000 was debited, a quick cash loan to the tune of N30,000 was also requested and got on the account.

He did not perform either of the two transactions, as he was returning to his family in Kaduna when the two transactions took place.

The situation had rendered him incapable of meeting his family duties, he told FIJ



“It happened on Friday, May 26, after my salary was paid. I was on my way to Kaduna. I had my ATM card and phone with me,” Yushau told FIJ.

“I noticed the debit alerts of N160,000, and another N30,000 fast cash loan. This prompted me to check my phone. I nearly collapsed in the event.

“I find it difficult to take care of my family. I find it difficult to feed my family, even to transport myself to work.

Yushau, who further explained that he had never shared his bank account’s personal details with anyone, wondered how such transactions could have taken place without his bank authorising them.

When Yushau contacted his bank, he was directed to take his case to the Bank’s head office in Lagos. But he couldn’t afford to travel to Lagos. He then contacted his account officer, who advised he should rather make a telephone call to the head office.



“I reached out to my account officer, but they told me to visit the FCMB branch at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where I could get an active landline to report my case to the bank’s head office in Lagos,” Yakubu explained.

Yakubu returned to his branch and lodged another complaint. However, two weeks after, nothing has been done by the bank.

“I further visited the National Assembly branch of the bank, and I submitted a written complaint. They told me they would investigate the issue, but nothing has been heard since,” he said.

When FIJ emailed FCMB customer service unit on Thursday, Temitope Akinwunmi, the representative of the unit replied late Friday that the bank was still investigating the matter.

⚡ Source: Foundation For Investigative Journalism fij ng
Email: info@fij.ng

[quote author=tishbite42 post=123714957]Don't be smart by a half.
The US practices true federalism, not the useless unitary system done here. [/quote
Guess who turned Nigeria to a Unitary State. Aguiyi Ironsi. Under Tafawa Balewa Nigera was practising federalism with each region doing their things almost independent of each other. Then Nzeogwu and his gang struck. The rest is history

*RESTRUCTURING MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE: A MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT*

Prof. Idris Bugaje,
National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna.

*Introduction*

‘No nation can rise above its level of education’, is a popular dictum. We congratulate the new President-elect, as his election has raised our hope that the educational sector will be repositioned to become functional in its output, productive to the Nigerian youths and stable in its operations. It is in this respect and having played some role in both the Ministries of Education and Science and Technology in the past 12 years, this memorandum is written to the Jagaban to appeal to him to make key restructuring of these two Ministries if Nigeria is to rise again.

*Restructuring Two Ministries*

The Education Ministry is probably the largest Ministry in Africa, with mandates covering both basic, secondary and tertiary education (Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, Monotechnics, Specialized Institutions, etc.) besides the non-formal education sub-sector consisting of Nomadic Education, Adult Education and the upcoming Almajiri Education Commission, and several other parastatals too numerous to mention. The Ministry of Science and Technology (recently they added ‘innovation’ to their name), on the other hand, is one key ministry that is still struggling since its creation, to give us one single innovation or global technology product that the world can call Nigerian. It has 17 Agencies and Research Institutes under its supervision gulfing tens of billions of research budgets every blessed year.

Last two weeks, Nigeria received a visiting delegation from South Korea who came to Nigeria to inaugurate the BEAR-3 Project, that’s ‘Better Education for Africa’s Rise’, it’s 3rd phase in West Africa, as two earlier phases had been done covering South Africa and East Africa. In 1958, five years after the devastating Korean civil war, three nations in three different continents were adjudged as being at the same level of development by all UN indices and these were Nigeria, Brazil and South Korea. Sixty five (65) years after, South Korea has not only emerged as the 10th largest economy in the world but are trying to help its former peer, Nigeria out of the woods. South Korea is proud to put major brands as innovations on the global table, such as different LG and Samsung Products, the Hyundai brands, HUBO Robots, etc. Nigeria is yet to get one product of innovation into the national or continental levels not to talk of the global market. What went wrong? The answer to this pertinent question is the very reason for this memo to His Excellency, the President-elect, to get Nigeria back on track!
Eleven years ago, while on an official visit to Vietnam for research collaboration, I discovered that every Research Institute in Vietnam was Postgraduate Degree awarding. Nigeria’s Research institutes don’t enjoy this mandate, except the few of them domiciled in Universities, and this could explain why no serious research is taking place in the 17 Institutes under the Science and Technology Ministry. Most of these agencies are only doing window dressing and the researchers are poor with very few publishing High-Impact-Factor International Journal papers, with little patents registered and virtually zero commercialization of these patents. Most Researchers in these agencies have stagnated. This must change.

I propose that the Federal Ministry of Education be split into two – Federal Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Federal Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. The Federal Ministry of Higher Education and Research should be merged with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technologyy and all its 17 research agencies. More importantly, all these Research Institutes should be relocated to relevant Federal Universities and given immediate mandates to open up their laboratories to undertake Masters and Doctorate training/research with academic superintendence from the University Senates. Presently, most Agricultural Research Institutes (supervised by the federal Ministry of Agriculture) in Nigeria are run this way. The staff of these Institutes should be assessed by University standards and ranks given to them with the advantage that those hardworking may rise to Professorial Chairs. This shift will radically change the postures of Nigerian Research Institutes and make them more productive with some of the researches hopefully becoming innovations as seen in most Emerging Asian economies.
Presently these research Institutes are not undertaking any serious research with few patents registered not to talk of innovations. They operate without research road maps that gives targeted goals over time frames, what Malaysia called IRPA – Intensive Research in Priority Areas, since the 1990s. This is bound to change once the Research Institutes are made to operate under academic environments with effective monitoring by the University Senates.
The new Federal Ministry of Higher Education and Research should equally give priority to skills development under the Technical and Vocational education and Training (TVET) sub-sector. Employability of Diploma holders should be the new paradigm and in this respect a policy that will ensure that Nigerian students in Polytechnics must graduate not only with a Diploma but at least one certified skill (Nigeria Skills Qualification, NSQ) of the candidate’s choice. There are presently so much skill gaps in the nation’s economy and we should drive the skills agenda vigorously to reverse the present importation of skilled labour from Asia in our several oil and gas, hydroelectric power, rail and other key projects.
The Federal Ministry of Basic and Secondaryy Education should be repositioned to effectively deliver on its current mandates in basic and secondary education and equally address the over 20 Million Out-of-School Children, vast majority of who are Almajiris. The upcoming ‘National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education’ is a very commendable effort of the National Assembly which will surely address a major concern of most Nigerians, the Almajiris. During the public hearing held this month, it was stimulating to note that even the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) supported the Bill with minor modifications.
Almajiri education was an inherited system which had its roots almost a millennium before colonization, from the famous Sankore University in Mali, established in the year 989 AD, the World’s third University and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. What this system of education requires today is reform by introducing modern methods of teaching, infrastructural intervention and embedding skills acquisition in the training program, to end the menace of begging, which was not part of the scheme originally.

*Conclusion*

We look forward to a successful inauguration of the new Government, as Nigerians are hopeful that Asiwaju shall re-engineer and re-invent the Nigerian nation to be the pride of the Black Race through major restructuring, key among them shall be the overhaul of the Education and Science & Technology Ministries, the split and merger of their relevant components with clear roadmaps.

Source: https://newnigeriannewspaper.com/restructuring-ministries-of-education-and-science-a-memo-to-president-elect/

Afebli now Dunu Rejoice Zainab is a Christian convert who went on to adopt the Niqab (veil) and memorised the Qur’an.

In this interview with Daily Trust Saturday , the final year student of Pharmacy, University of Ilorin, with a Ghanaian father and Nigerian mother from Kogi State, shared the story of her journey to Islam, experiences so far and challenges that had come with it. Excerpts:

Give us a glimpse into your educational and family backgrounds.



I was born into a Christian home by a Ghanaian father, Mr Michael Afebli and Nigerian mother, Mrs Otaru Aina Florence, who hails from Ogaminana, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State. My dad owned a school which has since been sold and mum wasn’t working. Though she died when I was 12 years old, the last time I saw her was when I was 9. I was told she was sick and had to be operated on but couldn’t make it to the theatre. I attended Board of Glory Primary School and got to Primary 5 around 2008/09, then went to Covenant Junior High school and finished in 2012 before I proceeded to Anlo Senior High School in 2012-15. I got admitted to the University of Cape Coast (2015-17), all in Ghana, before I came to the University of Ilorin, in Nigeria, in 2017 till date studying Pharmacy. I speak Ewe, Twi (Ghanaian languages), Yoruba and English. In my secondary school days in Ghana, I was a very devote Christian and went out for evangelism because of my principle that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, whether in academics or any other aspect of life. As a Christian, I used to believe that I would get to a stage where I will not sin again. When I commit a sin then, I will go to a place and cry myself out because of the resolve to serve God in truth and worship.

So how did you encounter Islam?

Though I have very few distant family members who are Muslims, my parents were strong practicing Christians. After my secondary school, I came to a family friend’s pharmacy in Nigeria to assist while waiting for admission because I love the medical field. But I never knew Allah had other plans for me as I became a Muslim through her. I loved the woman and the family so much. She was so submissive, of good behaviour and together with the children, dressed modestly. At this point, I was interested in knowing what is really in the religion and after some time and with conviction, I took my Shahada before I gained admission to the university in Ghana, Alhamdulillahi.

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How were you able to deal with the challenges thereafter from family, especially and friends?

My family friends were very supportive. Actually, if my mum was alive, maybe it would have been a tug of war. It is something I feel bad about but I thank Allah for the guidance. My dad is educated and a very rational person even if he is not the regular church going type. At some point, his Christian friends queried why he would watch me and allow me to make decisions on my own to the point of converting to Islam. So, my father called me and wanted to be harsh but I told him to look at all his children and that of his friends, which of them can he compare to me in terms of academics and morals, among several other criteria. That was the last time he questioned my decisions. Apart from that, I didn’t really face much problem.

Have you had situations where some of you family members and friends who are Christians have tried to convince you to revert back to Christianity?

Yes, I have had such situations but when I was a Christian, I knew the religion because I used to go for evangelism. Some of the verses they bring to convince me, I know it more than them. It’s only now that I have forgotten some. See, I have studied Islam and can see the difference. At times, when we are having a conversation and some of them are not being rational, I try to avoid it.

When did the interest to memorise the Qur’an start?

It was after my conversion and admission into Cape Coast University in Ghana while I was studying medical diagnostics in 2015. I linked up with two female Muslims, a Niqobist who had completed memorisation of the Qur’an and her second who had completed more than half of the Holy book. This really motivated me. Also, I was eager to dress like them even though I didn’t really know much about Islam then. But I always put in my best in whatever I am doing and I took up the Niqob, Alhamdulillah. Interestingly, while in Ghana, I memorised from the 58th chapter, Juz Mujadillah to Nas, the end of the Qur’an which is 62 pages without even recognising alif or any Arabic alphabet. I just memorised it like music through listening and trying to follow the tune. It took a lot of efforts but Alhamdulillah. When I came to Nigeria, I started all over and got an ustaz who took me through Nurul Bayan, a book on how to learn Arabic. Now, I have completed the whole Qur’an at Assunnah Academy of Arabic and Islamic Studies, here in Tanke, Ilọrin.

What was your greatest challenge while you attempted to memorise the Qur’an?

It was very challenging and I had to sacrifice my 100 level, meaning not putting much effort in my academics in order to memorise the Qur’an. It’s not that I did not do well, but not as much as I know I can because of my focus. I am studying Pharmacy, that on its own requires a lot of efforts and it was not easy combining both. Also, finding a Qur’anic tutor then was not easy because I prefered a lady. But when you befriend one and establish chemistry and friendship, the seriousness will wane. For that, I had a lot of people who took me through my Qur’an journey. Although it affected my CGPA, I am grateful that the decision was for something better and Alhamdulillah, I am building it back up now in 500 level before my graduation this year. But it has not been easy combining university and attending Madrasah. I have female friends that I started together with who couldn’t continue. At a point, it almost affected me when I started to ask myself whether all these troubles were worth it, but with good intention, Allah directed other friends who advised me never to give up, that I can do it and here I am today. I am not the type that will sit down doing nothing but one who always wants to add value to myself with respect to the deen and the secular world towards attaining Paradise which is my ultimate goal. I can’t compromise that for anything.

What worked for you in your memorisation of the Qur’an?

One thing I have always wanted is to home school my children so that when they are speaking outside and are asked who they learned the deen from; they will proudly say their mother. That has been my driving force and the routine for me was to wake up early in the morning before Subhi and put in the effort I can and continue after prayer. That was part of why I sacrificed my 100 level. I also had a friend who had finished memorising the Qur’an that I used to go to their house during vacations because I know I will not have house chores to do, her mum understands. I will lock myself up in her room and after she reads some verses to me, I will go and memorise it. These were the little things that greatly assisted me.


How do you see yourself in the next five years, In Shaa Allah?

As a lady of substance who would have improved in reading the Quran which I so much cherish in terms of memorisation, Tajweed and Qirat (different renditions). I have just memorised the Quran in one rendition; I still have about 19 others to add. I want to be married, have kids and complete my PhD in Public Health or Pharmaceutics and Industrial Chemistry and make an impact in the pharmaceutical world because I love academics.

Do you have any regret so far?

Absolutely not, I still have a Christian home and my family members are educated and rational, whenever I go to Ghana for vacations, which I still do and when it’s time for Fajr, they are the ones that come to wake me up for Fajr, the dawn prayer. It was a friend who suggested the name Zainab after my conversion and was told that it’s the name of one of the prophet’s daughters, so I went for it.

Your message

I will not say it’s easy or you will have it on a platter of gold, but Allah has made it so for me and that is why it is important that you have a driving force that keeps pushing you. In my case, the fact that I will be among those most beloved to Almighty Allah (Ahlul Quran), if I memorised the Qur’an, was too powerful to ignore and then I will have the opportunity to train my children in the way of Islam and the Quran. When it gets a bit difficult or stressful, I will relax and then continue pushing. Women are the home and have to put in much effort to build themselves Islamically to be able to build the kind of home we envisaged for ourselves and families.

This nigetian coach should be sacked.

@lawag3 you are behaving true to type. Because I quoted biblical verses that shocked you, verses that you probably never knew existed in the bible, you decided to start insulting prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him, I understand your frustration. since you cannot reject the biblical verses, you employ insult to derail the argument.
I will descend to your level by trading insult with you, I certainly cannot insult Jesus.
If you want this discussion to continue, address those verses I quoted and delete all the insults you wrote otherwise I will not reply you again.

Lawag3:
The bible doesn't specifically talks on religion tolerance but it's speaks on loving your enemy this is what the Quran teaches Qur'an 2:191Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loves not transgressors. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter .
You yourself knows christians are more tolerant.

You see yourself even the verse you referred to above clearly admonish muslims not to transgres limits, the verse directed Muslims to fight those who fight them. I.e , if they fight you. Fight them, no reasonable man will consider this as inappropriate.

Now let us see what the bible says about killings and violence:

Not Kill Virgins":
Numbers 31:17-18
Now kill all the boys (in Midian). And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

Judges 21:10-12
So the assembly sent twelve thousand fighting men with instructions to go to Jabesh Gilead and put to the sword those living there, including the women and children. 11“This is what you are to do,” they said. “Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin.” 12They found among the people living in Jabesh Gilead four hundred young women who had never slept with a man, and they took them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

Killing People for Looking into An Ark:
1 Samuel 6:19
And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

Now between the Quran and the bible which one preaches violence?
(

noble2faith:
Swear young man if you are sure!

Go and conduct research on that particular verse in the Quran. It was when Islam was still growing your prophet said so. Go and conduct research on that. After Islam grew to the point your prophet now saw that it was powerful enough, then he began the real compulsion.

Even if your scripture says so, do you guys practice it?
In practice, who is more tolerant?
What do you have to say concerning those that converted to Christianity but were later killed or imprisoned? Is that not compulsion?

About pointing out in the Bible where we are asked to tolerate one another.
Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Hebrew 12:14 says follow peace with "all men"...
Take note of "all men".
Aside from that, Jesus Christ demonstrated tolerance by eating with sinners, his encounter with the Samaritan woman

All the verses you quoted from the bible were not talking about religious tolerance, be humble and gentle does not equate religious tolerance.

While the verses 2: 56 I referred to specifically talks about no compulsion in religion.
I challenge you to quote a biblical verse that specifically talks about religious tolerance

noble2faith:
Christianity does not teach them that. Like someone has said, their action was solely born out of the deep hatred they have towards Islam.

Now this question to. Be sincere to us, in fact I would love you to swear by your Quran in answering this question that the answer you will give should be nothing but the truth and it shouldn't be based on sentiment.

Between Islam and Christianity, which is more tolerant?

Why do you want me to swear? Did anybody asked you to swear before making your statement?

Now to your question. Islam preaches more tolerance than Christianity. Qur’an 2:256 clearly stated that there is no compulsion in religion. Show me a corresponding verse on the bible that preaches tolerance

And these are people laying claim to religious tolerance. Trying to kill your brother because he converted to Islam

Sunday Remijius, now Abubakar, hails from Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State. Born into a strong Catholic family, the graduate of Economics education, from the Nasarawa State College of Education who loves cooking, was employed at one of the Shoprite offices in Abuja as a Merchandiser.

But his encounter with a colleague led him to Islam. That decision has left him with steel in his leg from one of the several attacks from his family for renouncing his religion. In this interview, he shares his tough journey to Islam, his struggles with his family and his cry for help, among other issues of interest. Excerpts:

How did you become a Muslim?

I accepted Islam through the influence of a colleague while I was working at Shoprite in Apo, Abuja. His name is Ibrahim and his attitude made me to become a Muslim. Shoprite employ people from a state and post them to another state for training. I was posted from Abuja to Kano but I met Ibrahim when he was posted to Abuja from Kano. There were about 23 boys with me then and some cabal used to deduct N2000 each from the salaries of all us unknown to the management. This happened for years. Ibrahim was directly in charge of that ‘deduction project’ when he came but he refused to take the money. When I inquired why, he said his religion does not allow him to touch haram. Coupled with other traits I noticed about him because of his religion, it made me to accept Islam. I reasoned that if his attitude was possible because of his religion, then I want to be part of the religion.



How did your wife receive the news of your conversion?

We were working together at Shoprite then but she was angry when she learnt that I converted. Initially I didn’t want her to know. But one day, she saw me coming out of the mosque we have at the office and was wondering what I went there for. I opened up and told her ‘I’m now a Muslim’. Her name is Helen. She said she can never convert to Islam and called my family who came down to Abuja from Nasarawa State where we lived. This was in 2020. All they thought was that someone converted me. The period coincided with my yearly leave at Shoprite and I took the opportunity to travel to Enugu State with my wife. Meanwhile, because of my conversion, my family left Nasarawa State and relocated home. They said I brought shame to them, especially my father who is a traditional title holder.


How will you describe your experience with your parents as a Muslim?

It was terrible and unimaginable, especially for my father. He finds it hard to believe that I could be a Muslim and want to remain one. But my mother and younger sister, who is the last born in our family, love me so much. After my conversion, if I miss any prayer, I will be very uncomfortable until after I pray and I will happy and very peaceful with myself and everyone around me. I was observing my Maghrib prayer in one instance and reciting Suratul Fatiha aloud when all of a sudden, I felt a terrible blow from behind. When I turned, they were some of my relatives. They hit me with plank, iron and anything they could get. I tried to fight back because I am a very strong person just like Umar in Islam, but they were five of them. They hit me to the extent that I fainted and they wanted to kill me. It was my mother that prevented them by throwing herself on top of me that day. When I regained consciousness, I discovered that I couldn’t stand up anymore and my hands and legs were broken. Initially, I was taken to a local hospital in Enugu where I was bedridden for six months. My hands were okay but my legs became a problem. Anytime I tried to walk, I will feel and hear cracking of bones inside me. I made arrangement to come to Idala Hospital in Kano for specialized treatment on the advice of Ibrahim. It was there that steel was infused into my leg. The treatment cost me my entire savings because I was doing very well at Shoprite with about N200,000 salary when my allowances were added. My office gave me six months but I spend about a year and five weeks without full recovery. It was within this period that I lost my job at Shoprite. I was loved there and the management wanted and was eager to give me back my job, but for my condition.

How much did your operation cost?

About N420,000. I was operated twice. After the first time, my leg became shorter, so I went back and they had to use something to lengthen it a bit. That was when they put the steel in my leg.

During your time of tribulation, did you receive any assistance from the family?


No, except my mother who loves me to a fault. Although she was not happy that I became a Muslim, she offered support when she realized they wanted to take my life.

Did you reach out to the Muslim community in Enugu?

I’m the only Igbo Muslim in my entire local government, apart from those that came for business. There is a mosque where I used to go to pray and the mosque management later involved the police. But my father as a high-ranking personality intimidated the policemen. He said he had to relocate from Nasarawa because of me and here I am again. He told them that I am his first son, and unless I renounce Islam and stop praying, he will never allow me have peace. I told him that I wasn’t the one that chose Islam, rather it was Allah that revealed it to me and he said over his dead body. When we got home, I was told that I’m no longer welcome in the house and on the land which he gave me where I built my house. I have left everything for him. It was the DPO of the station who is also a Muslim that I met where I used to go and observe Jumat that advised me to emulate the Prophet (SAW) and make hijrah by leaving the community. My father warned him not to interfere or it will lead to another crisis. He rejected the intervention of my mother. It was one Hausa man that gave me N50,000, another one gave me N20,000 among other assistance. I had to leave because my wife and her family were also giving me problem. I collected my daughter who is 7 years old now and arranged for her to get to Nasarawa.

How did you come to Ilorin and how have you been surviving?

It was one Hausa man I met in Enugu, who had once sold meat in Ilorin, that advised me to come down to Ilorin maybe because of the relative peace and tolerance here. I was given a place to stay by a good Muslim and one Hausa told me to always come if I want to eat. My place is at the heart of Maraba Motor Park where passengers to Kano, Kaduna and Niger, among other states in the north, board vehicles. I help the drivers to load (for a token) whenever I am not having pain in my leg.


Have you been speaking to your family?

It is only my mother and our last born that still speak to me. There was a time during this fiasco in Enugu that my sister Lovina came to my house and saw me sleeping. My English translated Qur’an which I often read before going to be bed was on the ground and she began to read it. It coincided with the time my father walked in. It was her scream that work me up from the vicious hit from my father.

Since your conversion to Islam, any regrets?

The only regret I have is the persecution from my family. I love my mother so much and my happiest day will be to witness her profession of Islam. That will further inspire many others to follow. But I know most of my family members wouldn’t want that to happen. If I put on jalabiya back there in Enugu, my people will be looking at me as if I don’t know what I am doing. They see my conversation as something abnormal and unusual.

What help do you seek now?

The help I seek is concerning my legs, the metal implant is affecting me. Sometimes I sit down on the ground to pray and hate myself (astaghfirullah). At times, I will cry and pray to Allah to assist me. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m the first person to convert to Islam. Lovina once asked me that if she converts to Islam, will she also pass through the same pain I’m passing through. If I had my way, I would have brought her closer to me. She is a graduate of the Nasarawa State University. I am trying to convince her because I know that In Sha Allah, I will be the source of my family accepting Islam.

How much will the operation cost?

The doctor at Idala said N120,000 and I have tried to raise the money by selling the only phone I have now for N11,000. I don’t have anyone again. I had sold my Mercedes 190 during a stage of the previous operations. I wanted to make arrangement to dispose my remaining motorcycle but learnt my junior ones are using it. I had to forgo the idea because I don’t want anything that would disrupt the happiness of my



https://dailytrust.com/tough-road-how-enugu-man-overcame-huddles-converting-to-islam

How will she inform her parents: mum I can't continue with this marriage because
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