Back to the pulpit

Also published in Daily Trust

Ever since the emirs of the now defunct Daular Usmaniyya began to delegate their responsibilities as chief imams of their respective emirates, to others and subsequently abandoned their pulpits by appointing substantive chief imams, they created a huge vacuum that can only be filled when they return back to their respective pulpits.

Besides, the value of their pulpits was hugely reduced though not necessarily because the appointed chief imams are not intellectually qualified to climb them but because the weight of the pulpits and, by implication, the impact of the message being delivered on them depend, to a large extent, on the influence and charisma of the emirs whose words carry a lot of weight and indeed outweigh that of any Islamic scholar including the chief imam for that matter.

Neutralizing the incumbency advantage

Even in advanced democracies where politics is largely issue-based and where performance determines the incumbent’s reelection chances, incumbency advantage exists and it indeed favours the incumbent, one way or another, anyway.

While this is not necessarily bad, politically speaking, after all, a particular incumbent may still be better than the other contenders vying to unseat him, it is obvious that, incumbency advantage in Nigerian politics accords the incumbent a disproportionate political advantage that easily enables him to retain his position or practically install his favoured candidate while he vies for and indeed “wins” another elective office if he can’t constitutionally run for the same position anymore.

Boko Haram: Attributions of blame

Also published in Daily Trust 

As blame game and conflicting conspiracy theories over the identities of the vested interests (if any) behind the emergence, persistence and escalation of Boko Haram crisis continue to circulate, the fact that the crisis reflects the extent of our collective failure as a country cannot be disputed.

Yet, fairness necessarily entails attributing appropriate portions of blame to the actual person(s) or party/parties responsible for each particular aspect of the crisis. This, after all, determines the nature and scope of what is expected of individuals, communities and, of course, the government in order to come up with a collective approach to end the crisis. By the way, this method is the first realistic step towards addressing all the other challenges bedevilling the country.

Anyway, as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the largest portion of the blame goes to President Jonathan, particularly as it relates to the persistence and escalation of the terrorists’ attacks, since, having come to the presidency after the terror gang had already emerged, he can’t be held responsible for playing any role in its emergence.

Worries over Buhari’s candidacy

Also published in Daily Trust

                                (L-R)     Buhari, Atiku & Kwankwaso

Now that the much desired consensus among the APC’s top presidential contenders is not likely to be achieved after all, primary election to elect the party’s presidential candidate appears inevitable. Each of the opposition party’s three main presidential hopefuls, Muhammad Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Kano state Governor, Rabi’u Musa kwankwaso is busy lobbying the party’s delegates who will elect the party’s presidential candidate, in order to secure the highest number of votes and win the party’s presidential nomination in the forthcoming primary election.

Though I don’t belong to any political party as I believe that candidates should be assessed and elected based on their individual qualities rather than their partisan affiliations, yet I believe that each of the three APC’s main presidential aspirants would, if elected, perform much better than the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

‘Yan tauri and the fight against terror

Also published in Daily Trust

Though many countries struggle with Boko Haram-like terrorism, the recent exploits by some gallant vigilantes of local hunters and ‘yan tauri against Boko Haram terrorists underscore the peculiarity of the situation in Nigeria and also highlight the urgent need to explore effective local strategies to combat Boko Haram insurgency.

Similarly, the growing public support for the idea of involving ‘yan tauri and local hunters in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram reflects Nigerians’ disappointment and lack of confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Army to tackle the insurgents.

Elections in insurgency-held areas

Also published in Daily Trust

Despite the enormous coercive and tempting instruments of power at the disposal of the PDP-led federal government, which it never hesitates to employ in politically-motivated occasions, its prospect of clinging to power in next year’s presidential election faces the most serious threat as represented by the accumulated sense of frustration and disappointment being expressed by Nigerians over President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure, or inability, to tackle the country’s worsening socio-economic turmoil and political instability.  

Fortunately also, the ethno-religious trick it has often used, especially under the present administration, to further divide and sustain the disunity among people and distract them from recognizing the urgent need for a collective and relentless approach to advocating for good governance and the end to their  shared predicament of poverty, is being exposed, as a growing number of Nigerians are realizing how they have been ethnically and religiously manipulated by corrupt politicians and some vested interests masquerading as ethnic or religious leaders.

The business of ceasefire negotiations

Also published in Daily Trust

Against the backdrop of the steadily failing Nigerian state, an increasing number of unscrupulous Nigerians are growing more desperate and mischievously creative in devising means of making fast and illegal fortune even at the expense of the lives of millions of their fellow citizens.

This trend is taking more frightening dimensions as even the handling of Boko Haram crisis is being, or rather has been, turned into a highly lucrative money-making business, which explains mystery behind its persistence and alarming escalation.

Buhari's loyalists

Also published in Daily Trust

As the 2015 presidential election approaches while political activities gather momentum, Buhari’s presidential candidacy continues to generate controversy particularly ever since the release of Dr. Ahmad Gumi’s open letters to him and President Jonathan respectively in which he advised them to rescind their decisions to contest.

The barrage of the largely critical responses against Dr. Gumi’s letter further highlighted Buhari’s phenomenal hence politically intimidating popularity particularly at the grassroots level where his ardent loyalists rightly or wrongly believe and indeed vehemently argue that he represents the only hope for Nigeria at the moment.

By the way, though this view may sound too myopic, it is admittedly hard to convince the average Buhari’s loyalist to change his mind even with superior counter-arguments, especially in view of the lack of any other presidential candidate with comparable moral credentials and also the acute scarcity of non-corrupt and incorruptible politicians among the country’s politicians.

Politics of Hijra

Also published in Daily Trust

As the new Islamic Hijri year begins, Muslims, as usual, reflect on the event of the prophet’s forced migration from Makkah to Madina 1,435 years ago, especially the unprecedented jubilation with which the extraordinarily hospitable and generous people of Madina welcomed and accommodated him and the other Makkan migrants, which Allah the Almighty Himself acknowledged in various verses of the Qur’an.      

However, not many people bother to intellectually examine, highlight and imbibe lessons from the politics and diplomacy that preceded the migration and led to the provision of the enabling socio-political atmosphere in Madina, which paved the way for the migration and the eventual creation of the Islamic State of Madina.

Going abroad to fix local problems

Also published in Daily Trust

In the absence of the culture of independent and thorough investigation into government processes in Nigeria, cases of monumental corruption and alleged involvement of some government officials and their cohorts in treasonable acts usually come into the open only by accident, or when some real or perceived political opponents are deliberately targeted and discriminatorily victimized.

In any case, such scandals often end in bogus investigations; the purported findings of which are dumped in the archive, or some unnecessarily and indeed deliberately extended trials that eventually deliver ridiculous sentences that neither return back the looted resources to the public treasury nor deter others already engaged in similar corrupt practices or even destabilizing activities.

A Friday in history

Also published in Daily Trust  

Though Friday is and will always remain the most preferred day in the sight of Allah the Almighty (See Sahihu Muslim, Hadith No. 854), a Friday 1,426 years ago, was and will forever remain, particularly significant, because it was the day the messenger of Allah (pbuh) delivered his last major sermon known as the Farewell Sermon.

The event was the first and the only Hajj the messenger of Allah performed in his lifetime and the place was the Arafat ground at the foot of the famous mountain, Jabal-Arafat or Mount Arafat some 20 kilometres east of the holy city of Makkah.

It was the 9th year after Hijira just less than 100 days before his death after spending almost 23 years delivering the message of Allah the Almighty to the humanity, the first thirteen years of which he had spent in his native Makkah before his forced migration to Madina where he spent the remaining ten years.

The knot unravels

Also published in Daily Trust

One interesting thing about a knot, be it literal or metaphorical e.g. a conspiracy is that, no matter how it is intricately knitted, once it begins to unravel, especially in an abrupt manner, it can hardly if at all be stopped, as it will simply continue to unravel until it exposes whatever hidden in it.

This is exactly what is gradually unfolding in Nigeria, which is also exposing the treacherous elements among the Nigerian ruling elites and their cohorts who are hell-bent on prolonging the current Boko Haram crisis for their personal interests.

The plot thickens….

Also published in Daily Trust

Just as the denial of the existence of Boko Haram altogether or claiming that the real Boko Haram insurgents were crushed by the Nigerian army in 2009 when the insurgency broke out is prejudiced, so also the denial of the existence of any conspiracy behind the persistent escalation of the crisis.

In any case, it is increasingly becoming clear, particularly ever since the scandalous disclosure of the federal government’s involvement in a failed attempt to link Boko Haram to the Eagle Square twin bomb blasts in Abuja on the National Day 2010 that, apart from the misguided Boko Haram terrorists there are also some highly influential vested interests out there who capitalize on the situation to plot and execute a subversive agenda against northern Nigeria in general and northern Nigerian Muslims in particular.

Diplomatic counterinsurgency

Also published in Daily Trust

The Nigerian military’s embarrassing display of tactical cluelessness in the battlefields against Boko Haram terrorists and the obvious failure of the country’s security intelligence agencies in intelligence gathering, processing and utilization simply reflect the amount of confusion at the country’s political leadership level.   

Though my comment will definitely attract a sarcastic dismissal from the army personnel and their apologists as a mere naïve assessment by a “bloody civilian”, yet considering the rate at which the terrorists continue to capture more Nigerian territories, force the army to take to their heels, which the Nigerian military authorities shamelessly call a tactical manoeuvre, I wonder if the situation could be objectively described in a different way.

Re-Reflections on Imam Mahdi (lll)

Also published in Daily Trust 

In the second part of his interventional rejoinder that appeared yesterday, Hajiya Bilkisu’s Sheikh continued to ignore the excerpts I quoted in the first part of my rejoinder three weeks ago, from the Shiites’ most recognized reference books, which expose their actual belief that, when their Mahdi emerges he will effectively abolish the holy Qur’an, introduce a new religion and a new judicial system, exhume the prophet’s two leading companions; Abubakr (RA) and Umar (RA) from their graves, burn them down and scatter their ashes to the wind, then he will exhume the prophet’s wife; Aisha (RA) from her grave and flog her, among many other blasphemous acts and atrocities.

Instead, Hajiya’s Sheikh went on quoting some Muslim scholars to prove the prophesied emergence of Mahdi towards the End time but in a way cleverly hinting that the scholars referred to the Shiites’ Mahdi, which was clearly misleading. He simply ignored Muslims’ arguments that, the Shiites’ Mahdi is irreconcilably different from the actual Mahdi prophesied by the prophet Mohammad (pbhu)

Re-Reflections on Imam Mahdi (ll)

Also published in Daily Trust

When I saw yesterday’s rejoinder by the very Sheikh who had presented the lecture that inspired Hajiya Bilkisu’s piece, I thought he, being presumably a scholar, would address the specific arguments I had raised in the first part of my rejoinder or address the excerpts I quoted from the Shiites’ major reference books on their actual belief about their Mahdi.

Unfortunately however, he instead ended up making some empty allegations against my person including what he called my ignorance to spell my own name correctly. Anyway, I believe the issue at hand is much more important than I am, let alone the way I spell or misspell my name, so I will only focus on the relevant issues. Yet, I may, in due course, address his unwarranted worry over my name spelling issue, subject to space availability of course.

Re-Reflections on Imam Mahdi (l)

Also published in Daily Trust  

The above referred article that appeared on 14 August 2014, which was, according to its author, Hajiya Bilkisu, a collection of some notes she had taken from a keynote address in an event, was clearly inspired by the Shiites’ version of Al-Mahdi narrative, which basically contradicts the version adopted by more than 90% of the world’s Muslims.

Though she rightly highlighted the emergence of Al-Mahdi towards the End time and how he will lead the whole world, put an end to all forms of oppression and establish justice hence global peace and prosperity never enjoyed before, I intend to shed some light on the peculiar ideological context of the Shiites’ version of Al-Mahdi narrative from where she obviously derived inspiration.

Politics of conspiracy mongering

Also published in Daily Trust

It is very unfortunate that, in Nigeria’s peculiar political context where politics and trickeries are literally indistinguishable, all it takes to gain, regain or retain political power, influence and relevance is the ability to manipulate the reasoning of the average Nigerian voter, with prejudiced ethno-religious or regional notions, empty and unrealistic promises and/or buy his vote, or rather his right, to put it more appropriately, with peanuts or some meagre hand-outs of foodstuff, “which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger”, to borrow the eloquently descriptive Qur’anic phrase.

Nigerian politicians, both the incumbents (most of whom are clearly clueless and incompetent) and the opposition (most of whom are mere political opportunists awaiting their turn to perpetuate the status quo) would always cling to such irrelevant stuffs in their desperate struggle for power and influence.

Boko Haram and Nigeria's foreign relations

Also published in Daily Trust

The controversy generated a few months ago by some western countries’ offers to assist Nigeria in its war against Boko Haram terrorists, which some Nigerians welcomed with high expectations while others who – having suspected conspiracies behind it – rejected, has finally died down after it appeared that the West would not commit combat troops on the ground after all.

Besides, even the intelligence gathering assistance they later pledged to provide has turned out to be much below expectation, having probably realized that the crisis does not pose any serious threat to their economic and other strategic interests in the country and the West African sub-region, at least for now and perhaps for the foreseeable future. This explains the apparent failure of the purported intelligence assistance they are ostensibly giving to Nigeria in its struggle to contain the crisis.

Lest the roof collapse

Also published in Daily Trust

The high rate at which Nigeria’s social fabric is weakening as a result of the actions, inactions and utterances of Nigerian politicians warns of an abrupt collapse of this roof the Nigerian state which, having failed to properly utilize its resources to nurture and develop a viable country since its independence from Britain more than half a century ago, has only been able to survive somehow miraculously.

Though I am not arguing for or against the continuation of Nigeria as a corporate entity, which in any case appears to be unsustainable, I wonder how these politicians, who are after all the sole beneficiaries of the status quo, fail to realize how their reckless show of desperation for power and their apathetic attitudes towards the resulting intercommunal distrust, socio-economic and political turmoil in the country increasingly erode what remains of the already shrinking pillar that underpins the country.

Beneficiaries of the disunity among Nigerian Muslims

Also published in Daily Trust

It is an unfortunate irony that despite the spiritual significance of the month of Ramadan when Muslims are supposed to imbibe more sense of unity and solidarity, the lingering disunity among Nigerian Muslims becomes particularly perceivable during Ramadan public Tafseer sessions by various Islamic scholars of particularly the three main Muslim groups in the country i.e. Qadiriyya, Tijjaniyya and Izala whose interpretations of some Qur’anic verses contradict one another as though they are reading and interpreting different books altogether.

By the way, I deliberately omit Shia ‘sect’ here because their case is different in this context. I may write a separate article about it sometime in the near future.

Anyway, though, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), which is the umbrella organization for Muslim groups in the country does its best to promote unity among them, the absence of a substantive religious body with adequate authority to introduce, implement and enforce regulatory reforms to address this situation, which is obviously due to constitutional constraints, remains partly responsible for the persistence of this negative phenomenon.

Tips for self-appraisal in Ramadan

Also published in Daily Trust

Ramadan represents an annual opportunity for a Muslim to review his relationship with Allah the Almighty over the past years and how the relationship is likely to be or remain over what remains of his lifetime. After all, his ultimate destiny in the hereafter where he is inevitably going notwithstanding the amount of fun he enjoys or hardship he endures in this world is determined by the condition of his relationship with Allah before his death.

Though this self-review exercise should be continuously conducted all the time especially in view of the enormous temptations and distracting challenges of life that tempt or distract a Muslim from thinking about his relationship with Allah the Almighty, yet it is particularly imperative during the month of Ramadan when the sheer amount of Allah’s Mercy made much more effortlessly accessible outweighs the actual needs of the faithful. Nonetheless, it takes a strong will, sincerity of intention, total submissiveness to Allah the Almighty and adherence to the Prophetic guidance in performing the Ramadan worship rituals for one to stand a chance of earning it.

The holy month is here again: Ramadan Kareem!

Also published in Daily Trust

As Ramadan approaches and indeed begins in less than forty eight hours, Muslims all over the world increasingly imbibe a greater sense of piety to prepare themselves for this annual spiritual exercise in pursuit of the Pleasure of Allah, His Mercy and Blessings, which are particularly abundant and much more easily accessible during the month of Ramadan.

Usually towards the beginning of the month of Ramadan, Muslim scholars and opinion leaders in different Muslim countries and communities around the world sensitize the faithful in their respective countries and communities on various issues related to Ramadan rituals and other relevant issues to enable them utilize this blessed but limited days and nights in order to reap as many rewards as possible.

Reforming Kano emirate

Also published in Daily Trust  

The achievements of the late Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero in preserving the integrity and moral authority of Kano emirate notwithstanding, the new Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Sunusi ll, as he is now officially called, is not only expected to build on his predecessor’s legacy but is also expected to reform the emirate to enable it continue to inspire and command public respect from which it derives and maintains relevance and indeed on which its survival depends.   

Besides, considering his antecedents, Kanawa’s expectations in him are high and sometimes even unrealistic, because many of them don’t seem to realize that, due to the constraints of his new job he can’t remain the same liberal intellectual, social critic and whistleblower, after all.

An Emir's dilemma

Also published in Daily Trust

Even though Kano Emirate and its entire affairs are exclusively Kanawa affairs, the nationwide media attention attracted by the succession controversy following the death of the late Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero last Friday signified the particular significance of the coveted Kano throne, which is certainly the most popular and arguably the most influential traditional throne in Nigeria.      

Besides, even before the death of the late Emir, there had been speculations anticipating intense succession tussle considering the chances of the contending princes particularly among the families of late Emir Sanusi Bayero who had obviously looked forward to reclaiming it ever since the controversial abdication of their father in 1963, and the family of late Emir Ado Bayero who had wanted to retain it. Likewise, there had also been intra-family struggle among the contending aspirants within either family.

Barbarity and survival

Also published in Daily Trust  

Though, the general stereotype about the Sub-Saharan Africans that they are inherently barbaric cannot be scientifically or academically justified, the amount of sheer cruelty that characterizes their acts of violence against one another supports and indeed makes it hard to refute this stereotype. After all, the alarming prevalence of this savage attitude among Nigerians can easily be manipulated to purportedly support it, because being a country with the largest Black people population in the world; Nigeria represents the most reliable yardstick to arrive at any conclusion about the Black people.

Obviously, Nigerians have for long lived and resiliently coped with the sense of constant horror imposed upon them by the prevalence of barbaric crimes in the society, which also influences and dictates their subconscious attitudes towards their day-to-day schedules and lifestyles. Unfortunately also, as the situation persists and continues to deteriorate further, many forms of violent acts of crime as grievous as assassination, armed robbery, ritual killing and gruesome lynching, have virtually ceased to provoke any considerable public shock anymore due to the high rate of their prevalence in the society.

Clues in Shekau’s monologue

Also published in Daily Trust 

The escalating succession of the bloody and indiscriminate attacks across the North is obviously becoming too overwhelming not only for the victims and the other vulnerable people, but also for those who follow its unfolding incidents, especially considering how some devastating incidents are quickly overshadowed by other incidents in terms of the number of fatalities and amount of devastation. After all, even the incident of the mass abduction of hundreds of teenage girls in Chibok, which has attracted unprecedented international attention, is gradually being overshadowed by other incidents.

Interestingly enough, even though it is so far the biggest single abduction committed by the insurgents, the amount of international outcry it has attracted continues to baffle many observers considering the fact that many massacres had been committed before the Chibok abduction and have indeed continued to take place across the region, yet the reaction (if any) of the same international community has always been inadequate and lacked sincere commitment to prevent its recurrence.

Chibok: The case for foreign intervention

Also published in Daily Trust  

The excitement expressed by many Nigerians and the outright rejection voiced by many others over the possible United State’s intervention to help rescue Chibok abducted girls subsided when it appeared that the US would not actually commit combat troops to engage the insurgents, after all. Instead, its intervention and that of the other countries which offered to help would be limited to aerial surveillance and advice on counter-insurgency tactics.

Consequently, though the foreign military experts have since arrived the country and are presumably executing their mission, not much is expected from them since  the actual battle is still expected to be executed by the same Nigerian troops who are, honestly speaking and to a large extent quite understandably, too downhearted to tackle the increasingly audacious Boko Haram terrorists.

Resilience has limits

Also published in Daily Trust

With their sense of resilience, creativity and self-motivation, majority of Nigerians have been able to, some extent, cope with the challenges and resiliently endure the leadership-inflicted misery imposed upon them by the country’s successive military and civilian regimes over the decades. As a matter of fact, many of them have been able to achieve various degrees of success in different fields of human endeavour, in spite of the overwhelming impediments.

In other words, an average Nigerian creatively devises means to endure and survive the impact of the systemic deterioration and failure, while, in the meantime, he consciously or unconsciously lowers the bar of his expectations in the system, which is, in any case, the most realistic attitude under these peculiar circumstances, for it, at least, spares him the trouble of further disappointment.

Zone of death

Also published in Daily Trust  

The title of this article was inspired by a weekly television programme, “Sina’atul-maut”, which literally means “death making” aired on the popular Dubai-based and Saudi-owned news and current affairs Arabic satellite TV channel, Al-Arabiyya.

The programme hosts intelligence analysts and experts on terrorism who address and analyze the brainwashing propaganda and combat strategies of various non-state combatants, militias and other terror gangs operating in different countries particularly in the Middles East.

The programme also highlights the “exploits” of such terror gangs in their rebellious activities against their respective governments, which underscores the formidable security challenges they pose to their countries, as it also, to some extent, exposes the failures of the notoriously ruthless (though not necessarily competent enough) military and intelligence services of those governments.

Beneficiaries of Nigeria's rebased GDP

Also published in Daily Trust  

Despite the unmistakable inconsistency between most of the so-called positive economic growth figures in Nigeria and the reality on the ground, government’s growing obsession with the generation, or rather falsification, of such figures is growing even at the expense of real and sustainable development. This is because while it takes virtually no effort to fabricate such figures, it takes honesty, leadership skills and political will to achieve real and sustainable growth.  

The recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebasing, which increased the size of Nigeria’s economy by almost ninety percent at once, made it the largest in Africa and the 26th in the world, followed many other so-called positive economic growth figures which have indicated that the country has been achieving impressive and steady economic growth over the past several years. Interestingly, economically speaking, the size of a country’s GDP doesn’t necessarily determine the actual quality of its people’s standard of living, especially if it (i.e. GDP) is considered in isolation from other relevant economic factors.

Missteps Buhari's handlers make

Also published in Daily Trust   

When the “military kingmakers” who had brought General Muhammad Buhari to power abruptly ended his rule in another military coup in 1985, Nigerians had already come a long way in adjusting to the new order of social discipline his regime had introduced and vigorously promoted.  

Nevertheless his overthrow was greeted with indifference, and even cheers, by a significant portion of a largely gullible populace who, having been used to the culture of chaos and social indiscipline over the decades, had regarded the new social order under Buhari/Idiagbon regime as being too harsh. Of course, the beneficiaries of the status quo among the notoriously corrupt politicians, their associates in public service and private sector, as well as their business associates, also greeted his overthrow with jubilation.

If I were a northern elder….

Also published in Daily Trust

Though since its independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has managed to contain many of its serious challenges without necessarily addressing them, and even survived existential threats, many observers rightly believe that, the situation is simply unsustainable.

For instance in his aptly titled book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, John Campbell, a former US Ambassador to Nigeria addresses the situation in the country and warns of an inevitable state failure if the status-quo persists.

Obviously one doesn’t have to conduct any research to realize and confirm this fact. Because against the backdrop of the worsening sense of frustration among the general public, deepening public polarization along regional and ethno-religious divides, deteriorating security and socio-economic conditions, shrinking public confidence in the increasingly confused political elites who also lack political will to tackle the crises, a spontaneous system collapse can’t be ruled out.

Rethinking the national conference

Also published in Daily Trust

Though last week I argued that, the ongoing National Conference would simply end the same way the previous National Conferences ended, I had to rethink my stand when I learned that this Conference recommendations would be subjected to a national referendum, as confirmed by President Jonathan who also called on the National Assembly to expedite the process of the ongoing constitution review as it relates to the provision of  the necessary clause, which would allow for conducting a referendum on this Conference recommendations.

That development also vindicated some observers particularly from the northern part of Nigeria who had suspected government’s motives for convening the Conference. Besides, though in his speech during the Conference inauguration, President Jonathan advised the delegates to work for strengthening the country’s unity, I wonder how could that be possible in the light of some of the focus areas he listed on which the delegates can deliberate and possibly come up with recommendations to be subjected to a referendum.

Intrigues of political containment

Also published in Daily Trust

Though political power invariably comes with privileges, the disproportionate amount of privilege that unnecessarily comes with it in Nigeria explains the desperation of Nigerian politicians to get and keep power at any cost, especially considering the prevailing culture of monumental corruption and impunity in the county.

Nevertheless, in view of how similar challenges in many other rich but underdeveloped countries particularly in Africa easily lead to uncontainable chaos and total systemic failure, Nigerian politicians perhaps deserve some credit for keeping the country away from similar fate ever since the end of its unfortunate civil war more than four decades ago.

Apathy vs. audacity

Also published in Daily Trust

Contrary to the assumption that Boko Haram security crisis is the result of a grand conspiracy plotted against Nigeria, the north or Muslims, I believe and have always argued that there is indeed Boko Haram as a group and as a deviant ideological phenomenon also.   

Nevertheless, in view of how these desperate AK-47-clutching terrorists continue to exhaust and indeed overwhelm the presumably better-trained, better equipped, and supposedly motivated Nigerian army and other security agents, I began to look for a plausible explanation of the mystery behind the recurrent escalation of terror activities and the persistent failure of the military to tackle it.

Re: Islam and revolution [lll]

Also published in Daily Trust 

I admittedly feel somehow guilty for not addressing the recent escalation of terror attacks in the north-east where innocent and defenceless people have been mercilessly massacred over the past few weeks. Yet, it’s worth it anyway since I have been engaged in refuting some misrepresentations intended to cover the 1979 Khomeini revolution in Iran with Islamic cloak.

Now, to conclude this serialised rejoinder, let me address the political aspect of the revolution. First of all, it is important to note that, Iranian political system is basically based on the theory of Wilyatul-Faqeeh i.e. Supreme Guardianship of the Jurist, a concept cleverly created in order dodge a very serious dilemma in Shi’a religious doctrine.

Obviously, one of the fundamentals of the Shi’a Imamate belief is the belief in a heretical doctrine of Imamate (explained in part 1 of this rejoinder). Besides, they believe, among other things, that, world can’t survive without one of the twelve imams, also all Shi’a adherents shall not follow any political leader not among those twelve imams.

Re: Islam and revolution [ll]

Also published in Daily Trust

While still examining the purported link between Khomeini-led revolution in Iran and Islam, and before I draw conclusions in the light of the few quotes from Shi’a’s most recognized books of reference in part one of this rejoinder, let me discuss yet another serious doctrinal contradiction of Shi’a creed that says it all about the unmistakable irreconcilability between it and the fundamentals of Islamic religion.

It could be recalled that, according to Shi’a creed as I quoted, all, except three of the Prophet’s companions (i.e. Salman Al-farisi (RA), Miqdad bin Al-aswad (RA) and Abu-tharr Al-giffari RA) renounced Islam in the aftermath of the Prophet’s demise. This clearly means that, all the narrations of the Prophet’s companions were simply false, according to the Shiites. After all, they have indeed rejected such narrations, which authentically disseminated the entirety of Islamic religious principles, teachings, injunctions and values as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), simply because according to them the narrators were not Muslims in reality.

Re: Islam and revolution [1]

Also published in Daily Trust

I’ll skip the usual pro-Iran slants in the above-titled article by Malam Adamu Adamu, which appeared in his regular column last Friday in Daily Trust. Yet I may still discuss them in due course, subject to space availability. For now I intend to examine the assertions made by the writer over the purported link between the 1979 Khomeini-led revolution in Iran and Islam.

First of all, to determine whether the revolution is actually Islamic or not, one has to look beyond the systematic and sustained media propaganda promoted by the regime’s propagandists and apologists, and gullibly imbibed and chanted by the gullible. Instead one has to look at it against the backdrop of the religious ideology that inspired it hence its link, if any, with Islamic religion.