Why Tackling Almajirci is Tricky

Also published in DAILY TRUST

A critical look into the successive federal and state governments’ attempts to address the issue of almajirci, and how the phenomenon has often defied all proposed and implemented measures anyway, would show an irony quite hard to unravel. It is obvious that, there are three main players involved in the whole equation i.e. government, parents and alarammomi i.e. the Qur’anic tutors under whose custody the children go through the process of learning and/or memorize the Qur’an.

Panacea to Plateau’s Predicament

Also published in DAILY TRUST

 

I really wonder how much blood has to be shed in Plateau state before the stakeholders come to their senses. I believe even if the sand of Plateau state were a bloodthirsty beast, it would have had enough by now. Plateau state is by the way so blessed that, had it been lucky enough to be in another country, it would have been one of the most attractive states in the world. Unfortunately however, it is now crying for the attention of the people of conscience.

Valuing in a Vacuum

Also published in DAILY TRUST

 

Unlike elsewhere, where national honours are reserved for some exceptionally competent people able to think outside the box to achieve exceptional results that would significantly add real values to some critical sectors in human or at least their nations’ endeavours, in Nigeria the criteria, essence and objectives of awarding national honours hardly if at all seem to consider that.

Deadly Silence

Also published in DAILY TRUST

Amid the severe poverty ravaging particularly the North Eastern Nigeria, and while people in Yobe state in particular were struggling to provide the little they could in order to create some festive atmosphere to mark the occasion of the recent Eid Al Adha, Boko Haram launched its deadliest attack so far, killing more than hundred, maiming many more and causing huge material losses.

Neglected Aspect of Hajj

Also published in DAILY TRUST

Hajj is obviously one of the Pillars of Islam, and Muslims from all over the world aspire to perform it as many as possible, even though it is obligatory only once in one’s lifetime, and only to those who are fit and wealthy enough to undertake it for that matter.

Triumph of Mediocrity

 Also published in DAILY TRUST

The persistent leadership failure in Nigeria has predictably led to the triumph of the culture of mediocrity over the culture of excellence and efficiency in all aspects of life in Nigeria.

In almost everything, hardly if at all anyone expects excellence or efficiency, as it is hardly if at all anyone cares to observe it either. Services (if any) are scantily provided, products are poorly manufactured, works are inefficiently done and enterprises are barely managed. Mediocrity has become too entrenched in Nigeria’s culture to the extent that,  insistence to perform efficiently or expect excellence  in everything is tantamount to naivety.

Obstacles to Poverty Eradication

Also published in DAILY TRUST

Recently the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was commemorated to highlight the challenges that poverty presents, review the efforts of tackling it and assess the success achieved or failures suffered along the way. By the way, poverty evokes a terrible fear in man, who understandably struggles throughout his life to overcome it.

When is enough is enough?



Also published in DAILY TRUST

The current controversy over the removal or otherwise of fuel subsidy is basically an issue of mistrust between the rulers and the ruled in Nigeria.  Obviously, most Nigerians rightly believe that, the expected proceeds from the exercise will simply end the same way previous proceeds realized went. Interestingly enough, it has been confirmed for instance that, 80% of all government’s privatized enterprises are grounded, and the proceeds have predictably developed wings and flown.

A guide to survival in Nigeria

Also published in Daily Trust

Nigerians are understandably fond of lamenting their largely leadership-inflicted predicaments. Every Nigerian has endless tales to tale in this regard, including the rich.

Lamentation has virtually overshadowed the points of discussion among Nigerians. Majalisa, Mai Shayi or Suya spots, markets and even commuter buses etc; are all virtual platforms for Nigerians to share their lamentations over various problems ranging, for instance, from issues as critical as chronic poverty to the relatively less important ones like a dismal performance of the Super Eagles.

Nigeria @ 51: Counting the cost continues

Also published in DAILY TRUST

Just as almost everything Nigerian in nature is typically ironic, the country turns 51 year “young” tomorrow. Equally ironic is how such annual event in Nigeria is largely overshadowed by counting the cost accrued over the decades of being a country as such. Incidentally, ever since her independence, the very issue of whether the country should remain together or not has never died down. The situation escalated in the mid 60s when a civil war erupted that lasted for about four years through which millions of lives and properties were lost. Though ever since then, there has been no any other civil war again, counting costly costs has never ceased anyway, and is not likely to cease either, in view of the recurring breakouts of ethno-religious and other social conflicts all over the land.

Our Collective Hypocrisy

Also published in DAILY TRUST 

                   PEOPLES DAILY 

It is an unmistakable fact that Nigeria is in a deep self-inflicted mess. Equally the resultant misery needs no further explanation, because as a Hausa proverb puts it “Jiki magayi” which more or less means physical suffering says it all.

Ironically also, there is a general apathy despite the common agony, which some analysts attribute to a pervasive hopelessness. Perhaps it is such hopelessness that gave rise to our obvious collective hypocrisy, which makes us pretend to not know the very cause of the mess let alone tackle it. Instead we beat around the bush to find a scapegoat to blame. In fact some of us (out of sheer naivety) even attribute it to God the Almighty Himself, claiming that it is actually our predestination, hence it is beyond our control.

I Want to be a Nigerian Citizen, Please!

 Also published in DAILY TRUST

                          NIGERIAN PILOT

Modern civilization has among other things redefined the concept of citizenship as the right of belonging to a sovereign political entity, where citizens’ rights and obligations are defined in the context of the appropriately enacted laws of the land. It therefore abolished the old concept of subordination that used to define the relationship between rulers and the ruled.

Nigeria’s Irony of Affluence

 

Also published in DAILY TRUST

One of the funny ironies in Nigeria is how even the rich hardly if at all enjoy comfortable lifestyles worth their accumulated fortunes. This perhaps represents one of the implications of bad governance perpetrated over the decades by the ruling elite in collaboration with their cronies, most of who are rich or even super rich for that matter. Incidentally, while indulging in their inconsiderate looting spree, they never seemed to have realized that they were simply creating an unfriendly social environment for themselves where they could not enjoy their loot.

Nigerians’ Ironic Religiosity

Also published in DAILY TRUST 

         Nigeria's President kneeling down before a pastor 

Perhaps the much publicized finding that Nigerians are “the most religious people in the world” yet among the most corrupt, to say the least, represents the trickiest paradox I have ever come across. Because after all, I know for sure that all religions irrespective of their ideological differences have more or less similar core values.

Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 and America’s Failed-State Prediction

 Also published in DAILY TRUST

Back in 2005, The US National Intelligence Council predicted the outright collapse of Nigeria by the year 2015. However on its part, Nigeria launched an “ambitious” initiative (i.e. Vision 2020) designed to take the country into the list of the best 20 economies in the world by 2020. There is of course an unmistakable contradiction between America’s prediction and Nigeria’s vision, and it is pretty clear that, reconciling these two predictions is absolutely impossible.

Panacea to the Boko Haram crisis

Also published in DAILY TRUST

  

When recently a Facebook friend cynically threatened to report the state governments that refuse to pay the 18,000 minimum naira wage, to Boko Haram, I found her comment quite funny indeed. And even when I read how a self-acclaimed radical Islamic scholar in Kano retracted a “negative” comment he reportedly made against Boko Haram, after he had apparently realized the possible consequences, I still never thought that Boko Haram evoked such scare in people.

Between Anti-Semitism and Nigeraphobia

Also published in PEOPLES DAILY

Anti-Semitism as defined by Rev. Ted Pike is the “belief that Jews, because of heredity, are evil, greedy, corrupting, subversive,degenerate, etc”. It was so widely held and deep-rooted that, over different stages of history it culminated in their persecutions, killings and even annihilative attempts; the most well-known of which were those committed by the Pharaoh of the ancient Egypt and Adolf Hitler of Germany, in ancient ages and 20th century respectively. Incidentally, the latter provoked the devastating world war ll.