Absolving poverty of responsibility for Almajirci

...also published in Daily Trust  

Though this piece is prompted by the controversy over Rev. Mathew Kukah’s initiative to train 10 million Almajirai in northern Nigeria, it isn’t actually addressing the initiative. I may do so in due course, God willing.

Meanwhile, as its title suggests, this piece addresses the perceived link between poverty and the persistence of Almajirci phenomenon in northern Nigeria; an assumption that’s not only prevalent among the general public, but also among academics and analysts, which explains why most of the measures often proposed with a view to tackling it focus on the need for the provision of facilities and other services for Almajirai so that they won’t have to wander the streets begging in order to survive.

This assumption is so widespread that one can tell what the average anti-Almajirci activist or writer would always propose as a solution to Almajirci in the region. Besides, over the decades, all the policies formulated by successive governments and the charity initiatives introduced by charitable organizations and individual philanthropists to tackle Almajirci have always been guided accordingly.

Kano flyovers between needs and wants

….also published in Daily Trust

Following his return to the Kano state Government House in 2011 after an 8-year interruption, former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso embarked on massive construction of flyovers in Kano metropolis ushering in an era in the state’s pursuit of infrastructural development befitting its tumbin giwa slogan.

As the construction took shape adding features of a standard modern metropolis to the city, Kanawa got more excited. On a lighter note, the flyovers triggered the Zazzagawa-Kanawa rivalry jokes with the former jokingly mocking the latter for finally having a flyover, which Zaria, albeit a local government, already had.

A look into Nigerians’ assessments of Buhari administration

…also published in Daily Trust

With the approach of the 2019 presidential election, the Buhari administration faces Nigerians’ verdict on its performance that determines its fate. Meanwhile, the atmosphere is already charged up with divergent assessments of its performance.

As it isn’t possible to assess every assessment, I screen out politically-motivated and ethno-religiously-motivated assessments, whether positive or negative. As I also screen out other assessments that sound particularly self-centered, whether positive or negative. Because such assessments are obviously too subjective to deserve any consideration.

Terror financing: The Ƙwarori connections

The Lebanese community in Nigeria, otherwise known in the northern part of the country as Ƙwarori, settled in pre-independence Nigeria and has lived there since then. Most of them hold Nigerian citizenship in addition to their Lebanese citizenship.

As business-minded people, Ƙwarori hugely prospered as linkmen between various European manufacturers and Nigerian marketers, and between local suppliers of agro products/raw materials and European buyers. Since then they have equally thrived in wholesale, retail, hospitality and nightlife entertainment industries. 

     

They have also enjoyed advantageous elite connections among the top echelons of business, military, political and masarautar gargajiya elite circles in the society, which they have always leveraged to get their way and indeed get away with their excesses. Many people have always felt intimidated by them knowing that they are practically untouchable.

Impediment to decisive victory over Boko Haram

…also published in Daily Trust

After nearly a decade since the eruption of the protracted war between the Nigerian state and Boko Haram insurgents, and in view of the failure of the Nigerian military to achieve a decisive victory over the terrorists, it’s high time the federal government identified and addressed the underlying impediment(s) to achieving it.

This is absolutely imperative as it appears that the already barely prepared and largely demoralized Nigerian military has practically exhausted its tactical capabilities, which explains the preventable yet recurrent massacre of its personnel at the hands of the terrorists who are growing more audacious and exhibiting more sophisticated attack and tactical maneuver, thanks to their apparently growing links with some transnational terror groups, e.g. the so-called ISIS from and/or through which they receive more terror training, more funding, more weapons and equipment.