The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Criminal act, muted reaction

    Criminal act, muted reaction

    It was pure luck that he came out of the awful plot to let him rot in jail or ki. He was shaken and traumatised by the incident, but his consolation is that he lives to tell the story. Some before him were not that lucky. They died in the process and were entombed with the stigma of being sexual predators.

    Rev Israel Kristilere was spared that kind of disgrace by divine intervention. The plot was well hatched, with members of the Egyptian security forces at the Cairo International Airport involved in its execution. Every stage of the plot was well rehearsed and choreographed. There was to be no room of escape for their victim, as the noose was tightened around his neck.

    But the criminals failed to reckon with divine intervention. Except the Lord builds the house, we are told, they  labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes in  vain. Kristilere relived his harrowing experience in a video that went viral earlier in the month. Before I saw the video, I had heard the story from one of his friends, Rev Biodun Okunade (JP) of the Christ Apostolic Miracle Centre (CAMC) Lagos.

    His narration was not different from Kristilere’s account as reported by this paper on June 8. The reverend gentleman was on his way to Amman, Jordan when he fell into the hands of a band of criminals operating as security and other related officials at the Cairo International Airport. Now, an international airport indicates a place that is safe and secure. An haven of peace and quiet where passengers from all parts of the world can relax and feel at home.

    Kristilere and his entourage were on stopover at the airport en route Amman. He was with a woman pilgrim at one of the airport’s lounges, having a deserved rest and chatting with the lady pending the time for the continuation of their journey. He was at the head of a 28-pilgrim delegation. He did not just start this business of taking people on pilgrimage and back through his outfit, Oasis of Faith International Limited.

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    To him, the journey was in line of duty. The other pilgrims had gone their different ways in twos, threes and ones, exploring the airport and the environs, but with their eyes on the scheduled time for the resumption of their flight. The time finally came and the drama started. As boarding of passengers began, Kristilere and the woman were ignored. Apparently worried, Mrs Chinyere Ofoha, who witnessed everything asked her pastor why they were not being attended to.

    Just like her, Kristilere did not know. All he could do was to approach the so-called airport officials over the matter. He was told that they would soon be attended to. But in a jiffy, no fewer than 15 people described as policemen by Ofoha arrived and asked Kristilere to move out of the queue and stand aside. Why? She asked and one of the men said he ‘does not speak English’. She knew immediately that something was wrong.

    She was ignored despite her insistence on speaking with an official that understands English. The officials comprising men and women were acting a script. She and her pastor did not know this. These criminals single out a passenger at random, detain him on flimsy grounds and extort money from him. Where he cannot pay his way out, he ends up in jail. On this fateful day, they picked on the wrong target. But they succeeded in harassing and tormenting him for hours.

    It is worrisome that an international airport like that of Cairo is unsafe. At such airports when passengers sight uniformed officials, it is an assurance that they are safe and will come to no harm. A passenger is digging his own grave, if he sights a policeman or any other uniformed personnel at the Cairo International Airport and he does not ‘pick race’, to borrow a local parlance. Kristilere was saved by the pilgrims in his entourage who stood their grounds of not boarding their flight until they see their pastor.

    It was their indomitable spirit and the grace of God that saved the day. But should the matter die like that? Why are the appropriate authorities in Nigeria and Egypt not speaking on the matter? It is a shame that a Nigerian cleric will be so shabbily treated abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will act mute. It is not a time for silence, but a time to speak – loud and clear – so that no nation on earth will treat any Nigerian like a scum when passing through their countries.

    Indeed, as the man of God’s name implies, to serve the Lord is gain. May He continue to save His own from the snare of the fowler and any planned reputation destruction.

  • Nigeria, a poor country?

    Nigeria, a poor country?

    Sir: Prime Minister Winston Churchill had concluded after rebuilding of the Britain’s House of Commons bombed during the Second World War saying: ‘We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us’.

    It’s often said that your pet dog answers you by the name you call it. Poor people exist all over the world whether in developed or developing country. That doesn’t mean that poverty is a blessing or that God has purposely made some of her children poor. So many circumstances, conditions and environmental hazards contribute in making some people poor. Notwithstanding, a lot of people would hardly accept poverty even when they could hardly eat. Conversely, it does seem that Nigeria revamps with the status of “a poor country”.

    The presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga had explained that the wealth of Nigeria is overestimated. The renowned economist, governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo supported the claim that Nigeria is a very poor country.

    Africa is home to a large proportion of the world’s poorest people with many of them facing economic, political and social challenges. Poorest people in the world in terms of standard of living are in Africa. Most people in Africa lack access to basic services like sanitation, education and health care. The poorest countries in Africa include Burundi, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, DR Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, and Guinea Bissau. These countries struggle with high levels of poverty and inequality. Many in these countries face poverty, malnutrition, disease and political instability.

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    In 2023, the World Poverty Clock included Nigeria amongst nations with greater number of poor people exceeding 70 million. Of course, criticism and complaint cannot make many people happy but everyone is complaining. Nigerians grumble, gripe and complain knowing fully that their hardship and suffering is man-made, artificial which in turn affect their attitude and outlook. Judging Nigeria as a poor country which has a debt profile of over N100 trillion accumulated under six years misses the point. The former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele is currently being asked to forfeit property worth N12 billion when the population of the entire country is just 200 million. The crude oil theft runs into billions of naira. The vast arable land of the North is under siege due to insecurity causing food price inflation. There are other rich mineral deposits: gas and other materials in various places in the country which may not be accounted for.

    Economists and leaders all over the world put heads together to fight poverty and end hardship. The United Nations defined poverty as a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. A country where rules and by-laws are neglected, allowing the rich and mighty to do whatever pleases them, would not only have poor citizens but would become a poor country. It’s often said that the government, NGOs and the international organizations are making efforts to tackle poverty in the poor African countries but these efforts are many a times sabotaged.

    Nigerians would not let anyone bamboozle them with distortions and half-truths. The national cake shared amongst politicians is enough to guarantee the basic needs of the citizen, create a functional society with basic amenities, and make the country a wealthy nation. Joy fades, hopes dim, purposes are disappointed, there’s an overwhelming sense of failure and life seems over to many but we are not giving up. In spite of the ever increasing suicide rates, the mental health crisis and the frightening divorce statistics being reported all over the country, Nigerians are optimistic.

    It’s hard to trust the government or journalists. Employees hardly trust employers. Customers don’t trust businesses and we don’t even trust weather reports in Nigeria but freedom would come at last. Nigerians suffer hardships, experience sorrows and griefs but they can never be acquainted or intimate with them.

    •Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu,Awgbu, Anambra State.

  • On report of jihadists flooding Nigeria

    On report of jihadists flooding Nigeria

    Sir: On June 21, there was a newspaper report about Jihadists flooding Nigeria through Benin Republic published by a Dutch think-tank, the Clingendael Institute which is said to have done extensive research in the Sahel. It says an al-Qaida-linked group had crossed from Benin and settled in Kainji National Park in Niger State, once a flourishing tourist destination.

    In the organization’s website, the 76-page report authored by Kars de Bruijne and Clara Gehrling, released on June 18 titled Dangerous Liaisons: Exploring the risk of violent extremism along the border between northern Benin and Nigeria, came from four quantitative datasets of over 70 interviews with key informants interviews (KII) along the border.

    The report is not only timely but a much-needed information that holds significant potential for enhancing our national security and resilience. 

    Among those who gave the research team support and advice in Nigeria was our own reputable professor of History, Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who had done a decade of extensive research on armed banditry in Zamfara State that culminated in a published book, I am a Bandit.  In validating the report, I spoke with a contact in the Republic of Benin’s L’Université de Parakou with contiguous border with Nigeria’s Borgu who also confirmed the security situation in and around their borders from some security officials working along borders with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger. 

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    According to this contact, he said the three Beninese’s northern regions of Alibori, Atakora and Borgou are having mixed experience of the armed groups. Though Borgou was safe but Atakora bordering Burkina Faso and Togo was not safe from terrorist groups and Alibori bordering Niger, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, which is the focus area in this context, is not safe from armed groups.

    Interestingly, the three sub-regions share some structural conditions that generate political violence and terrorism. The political instability in the Central Sahel’s Mali, Burkina Faso Niger that ECOWAS is also coping with is a direct result of armed groups. Military coups are toppling democratic governments, and thereby changing the geopolitical landscape of the region among global superpowers.

    Thus the latest inflow of terrorists and violent extremists is worrying and gives the border communities a feeling of déjà vu. The porous regional borders have proved a security curse since their creation by the colonialists, and a cog in the wheel of community integration and economic cooperation. The ECOWAS citizens along the borders live in fear and despondency. There have been some inter-border community clashes and maltreatment of Nigerian nationals along the Segbana-Tsamiya border in Kebbi State.

    In Nigeria in particular, the report is coming on the heel of excruciating pains and suffering of residents living along the borderlines and beyond from violence and maltreatment perpetrated by bandit groups in Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states.

    No doubt, the arrival of the armed group portends more expanded operations for the military. The exponential inflow of criminals does not augur well for the counter-insurgency campaigns of the military. Ordinarily, the cross-border movement by criminals would have been nipped in the bud by the immigration service, the police and intelligence agencies. It does speak to our inability to halt armed groups, as it is emblematic of our national borders’ porosity and weakened policing and intelligence. It seems to me Nigeria is fighting a nationalist war while the invaders are fighting an existential war to destabilise the region and Nigeria in particular.

    As the Nigerian military records daily successes on its anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations by killing of insurgents and rescuing of victims, it is crucially important for all hands to be on deck to strengthen the border security efforts and enhance coordination among security agencies. This shines light on immigration and intelligence services. The infiltrations typically portrayed weak border management.

    Bandits and terrorists do not respect borders, let alone e-passports. So effective surveillance with modern technology is the pathway to fortify the borders. There is constant need to prioritise intelligence and information sharing and prompt response to identify risks, threats and vulnerabilities. More emphasis should be placed on border management and true actualization of the ECOWAS Protocol of Free Movement. The protracted and bitter insurgency should stop.

    •Dr. Olalekan Augustine Babatunde Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja.

  • In defence of Fubara, the man of peace

    In defence of Fubara, the man of peace

    I sympathise with Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He has been going through stress and strain since his confrontation with his estranged godfather. Despite boasting that he rose to become Accountant General of Rivers State, his detractors have continued to insist that nothing prepared him for the high position he today occupies. He has also been accused of lacking character or what Aristotle described as ‘balance between passion and caution of political actors, a virtue without which democracy is nothing but the tyranny of the majority. For this reason he is said to be unfit to become the custodian of participatory democracy.

    But why should Fubara be made the scapegoat for anti-democratic tendencies of Nigerian politicians? In any case, we have been told that democracy was a new value system embraced by Nigerian new inheritors of power even when democratic institutions it needed to thrive were at formative stages. But even beyond this, it was obvious our new inheritors of power after independence embraced democracy only as a means to an end and not necessarily because they had faith in the democratic system.

    And there is nowhere else this has been expressly demonstrated than among Fubara’s illustrious political forebears of the Niger Delta region. Successive Niger Delta governors from Alfred Diette-Spiff who was governor at 25, found on the high seas cruising with friends in his private ship during 1975 Murtala Obasanjo coup, through Diepreye Alamieseigha, who escaped to Nigeria from London dressed like a woman while facing money laundering charges, Peter Odili, shielded from prosecution for corruption by Nigerian judicial pronouncement, James Ibori who  served jail terms in London for defrauding his Delta State through Rotimi Amaechi and the private jet scandal and Nyesom Wike who according to Prof Itse Sagay rode to government house on the dead bodies of his people, the vicious battle has always been about self-preservation.

    Although he has also been accused of stabbing his benefactor on the back as well as deploying strong-arm tactics and self-help tactics, a euphemism for anarchy in his confrontation with his estranged godfather as if those were not  celebrated virtues his predecessors. I cannot therefore see what Governor Fubara has done differently from his illustrious forebears. He is not the author of self-help tactics. He was not the first to deploy strong –arm tactics in the quest for self- preservation. And he was not the first to falsely swear in the name of Rivers people during their struggle for power.

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     The Yoruba say that you don’t begrudge a man for resembling his father. Fubara is a true son of his political fathers. Amaechi betrayed Odili his godfather. Wike, the faithful ally, trusted chief of staff and enforcer of Amaechi’s self-help tactics betrayed Amaechi. Fubara also betrayed Wike. It is all family affairs. Although Amaechi and Wike, both belong to Ikwere clan, the former from Ubima in Ikwerre LGA and the later from Rumueprikom in Obio/Akpor council.  That did not stop their fierce Trans-Amadi Road battle of November 11, 2016 during which both resorted to self-help tactics. Speaking of the battle, Simeon Nwakaudu, who claimed Wike was attacked while on project inspection had said: “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Saturday escaped assassination, as Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the motorcade of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, attacked his convoy.”

    Giving their own narrative, Amaechi’s spokesman had also said “Suddenly, gun-toting security men attached to Wike’s convoy surrounded the minister’s car, threatening to shoot him. They hit the car, tried to smash the windscreens, “The Rivers governor and his troops physically assaulted by slapping and bruising the policemen…the governor made away with the AK-47 rifle of Sgt. Princewill Ubaji”.

    Some of Fubara detractors have also criticized him for leading a solidarity rally made up of jobless youths and errant elders to the torched state House of Assembly before ordering its demolition.  With all the elected Local Council chairmen lining behind Wike and 25 of the 28 House of Assembly declaring their loyalty to him, Fubara only decided to borrow a leave from Amaechi’s playbook.

    It is on record that Amaechi led the invasion of the Rivers State of Assembly when, five members of Rivers House of Assembly swearing in the name of President Jonathan’s wife, impeached the House speaker supported by the majority of members. Amaechi took charge of the police and his thugs who not only rescued his caged loyal lawmakers but also pummelled the five opposition lawmakers to stupor leading to Okey Chindah, having to be flown abroad by PDP for medical treatment.

    From the above, it is difficult to disagree with those who claim Fubara is a man of peace. For instance after Wike’s outburst that he had directed Fubara to ‘‘Do this, do this, do this, do this’, and you agreed before Mr. President and you did not do it”, Fubara, many have argued, could have stopped Wike from coming to mobilise his thugs in Port Harcourt.

    But instead, Fubara, only reminded Wike in case he has forgotten: “I am now in power even if it was by mistake”. It was not until he was threatened with impeachment that he descended to the level of his godfathers with his loyalists the torching of the assembly complex on October 29, 2023 and leading a mob to declare the assembly sick before ordering its demolition.

    To demonstrate he is a successful graduate of Wike’s school of political intrigue and subterfuge, Fubara refused to represent the budget earlier approved by three suspended loyal state lawmakers even after the warring 25 state legislators withdrew their impeachment threat.

    And Fubara, the man of peace, capitalizing on the threat by the 25 lawmakers of Rivers State of Assembly to decamp to APC (the court has since ruled they are not members of APC), Fubara’s three loyal members of the House declared the seats of the 25 majority vacant and got the judiciary to uphold their action.  The same three-man legislature that vetted his budget, screened his new cabinet members also screened his newly appointed Local Council chairmen who were sworn in last week. The method may be different but the goal is the same- self-preservation.

    The Ijaw elders have denounced Fubara’s attempt to position Wike as enemies of Ijaws.  But I don’t think anyone should blame this man of peace for attempting to exploit ethnic sentiments as part of war strategy against his estranged godfather. Let us remember that the roads to power by both Amaechi and Wike were paved with appeal to ethnic sentiments.

    It is on record that when Governor Amaechi was accused of betraying Niger Delta by not supporting President Jonathan’s re-election bid, his shrill cry was “They have taken our oil wells from Etche; they have taken our oil wells from Kalabari; they have taken our oil wells from Andoni and they are battling to take over those in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni. We are losing our oil wells every day; …Part of the problems were facing now is that we are fighting to protect our oil wells.”

    And similarly when in 2016, Itse Sagay alleged “Wike climbed to the governorship seat over dead bodies”, Wike who called Sagay a frustrated intellectual because “APC was not allowed to overrun the state and loot its treasury dry” also admitted through his information commissioner that he “had urged on his people to defend their right to freely choose their leaders with their blood”.

    Fubara, the man of peace, while avoiding the violent rough road trodden by his godfathers, is driven by no less self-serving objective- self-preservation.

  • Much ado about multinational firms’ exit

    Much ado about multinational firms’ exit

    By Magnus Onyibe

    Recently, there has been a lot of talk of international corporations leaving Nigeria, presumably because of the alleged difficult business environment caused by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies since he took office on May 29, 2023. Some Nigerians, particularly those from opposing parties, have been making a big deal out of it on conventional and social media, as if an apocalypse had occurred in Nigeria.

    Consider the situation of Guinness Nigeria, where a significant portion of Diageo, a European investor, was sold to the Tolaram Group, a Singapore-based company. Has anyone asked if our country has suffered any losses as a result of Diageo shares changing hands in Guinness Nigeria between two investors? Isn’t that what happens every day on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) when stocks are traded?

    The only difference in my opinion is the size of the shares swapped between the prior and subsequent owners, which is 58.2% and that is huge. In truth, this may have been a merger and acquisition, as is customary in the financial services industry. So what’s all the fuss about?

    What transpired with the share sales and purchases between Diageo and the Tolaram group is simply business as usual, and nothing suspicious in my opinion. Please take note that all of Diageo’s institutional investors are investment banks and enterprises based in Europe and North America.

    Interestingly, other multinational corporations that have made waves moving out of Nigeria during the last 10 years—and not just in the one year under President Tinubu’s leadership—are mainly American and European companies, ranging from Proctor & Gamble in Ibadan to GSK in Lagos.

    That is to say, a pattern has been gradually developing over time without the system noticing. And guess what foreign companies have been stepping in to fill the void left by American and European companies? Asian companies. These include both Chinese and Indian corporations. Even Singaporean and Lebanese firms have presence in the list.

    An Asian company that specialises in sanitary products for adults and children, similar to Proctor & Gamble, is currently in the process of opening a factory to cover the void left by P&G’s withdrawal. Just before Tolaram Group acquired Diageo’s stake in Guinness Nigeria, a group of Nigerian investors, Renaissance Group had purchased SHELL’s onshore holdings when the British and Dutch-owned oil giant made the decision to shift its activities to the offshore market and stay there solely.

    The building sector has experienced similar events to those that have recently transpired in the oil and gas and manufacturing sectors. The building companies from France, Italy, and Germany that once controlled the Nigerian construction market are nowhere to be found. Currently in decline, Chinese and other Asian companies are displacing them. Who are the Chinese building all the major airports in Nigeria? Which Chinese companies are revitalising our rail networks?

     Who in Lekki, Lagos, constructed a brand-new deep-water port in a comparatively short amount of time? The Chinese people. Examine the skylines of Lagos and other major Nigerian cities to determine whose construction companies are constructing the tall buildings: Chinese, Singaporean, and Lebanese companies, not European or American companies as was previously the case.

    Indians are firmly establishing themselves in the information technology and pharmaceutical industries, much like the Chinese are dominating the construction of railroads, airports, and seaports throughout Africa, including Nigeria.

    In my opinion, if a research is done to determine whether there has actually been a loss since the departure of companies like GSK and P&G, among others, I doubt that it will not show that the Asian companies that took their place have increased employment and increased the GDP of our nation.

    Based only on trend analysis, my educated guess is that after around 64 years of Nigeria’s political independence from Britain, the continent is only now experiencing true economic independence.

    Even though Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 and the British removed the Union Jack, neo-colonialism—the next stage of colonialism—persisted, with European and British corporations controlling the private sector and even holding a vice grip on governments.

    In actuality, the companies that departed Nigeria have been dependent on Nigeria to finance their operations. But because of the country’s current shaky financial services sector as a result of ongoing reforms, they have taken flight.

    It is important to remember that the main telecom companies from Europe and America showed no interest in Nigeria when the country was unbundling its telecom industry a little more than 20 years ago. However, the licences were obtained by Econet, a Zimbabwean network, and MTN, a South African network. Together with Globacom, a network that is exclusively owned by a Nigerian, these three networks have been controlling the market for more than 200 million users.

    Following the successful privatisation, American and European businesses have been vying for a share of the pie. A similar situation occurred in the energy sector, when no significant European businesses expressed interest at the time it was unbundled. But because of the industry changes brought about by the 2023 Electricity Act, companies like Siemens of Germany, which previously shied away from making large investments in Nigeria’s power sector, are now keeping a close eye on our nation.

    I’ve heard comments in the media claiming that Asian and Chinese companies that are taking the place of departing European and American companies don’t adhere to good corporate governance norms.

    When SHELL Nigeria perpetrated the crimes on Ogoni territory that the international court in The Hague eventually managed to force it to clean up and is still pursuing, was it not obligated by the highly regarded corporate governance rules in its home countries of England and the Netherlands?

    The reality is that Singaporeans, Chinese, or Indians no longer lack strong standards for corporate governance. They are active in the American and European markets as a result of their engagements in those markets, so they are conversant with the standards and their economies are flourishing.

    In any case, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is doing a fairly good job of regulating publicly quoted firms, and Nigerian extractive industries regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector are expected to keep a close eye on industries in that sector to ensure that there is not a corporate governance void left by existing Western countries.

    To sum up, I think the current reforms are good and have the potential to create a new Nigeria. I am fully aware of the problems we are all facing as a result of the shockingly high cost of living brought on by the policy to remove subsidies.

    We are all on the same boat, navigating the waves of the high cost of living. To get the ship to the land, all hands must be on deck, thus we should all make efforts even it is tiny to support one another in order to survive without depending solely on government. Let’s engage in recreational farming in the yards around our homes during our free time. We may produce basic crops like tomatoes and vegetables, which are currently expensive, before insecurity concerns that forced our farmers to abandon their operations and the cause of the food scarcity is resolved.

    While one supports the government’s call for Nigerian farmers to return to their fields, it is imperative that it first provide sufficient protection to stop the evil ambassadors from abducting more of our hardworking farmers.

     Prioritising the use of advanced technology in the fight against insecurity is vital, as is increasing the involvement of sociologists and psychologists in a non-kinetic manner to counteract the criminality that seems to be taking over our nation.

    There has been an enormous dependence on military actions to counter the threat up to an elephant size, while the soft approach has been treated with an ant size effort.

     In order to fully reap the rewards of President Tinubu’s socioeconomic and political changes, let us take a different approach to combating religious insurgency and banditry so that our country can flourish as the reform policies being introduced by President Tinubu begin to mature.

    •Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst sent this piece from Lagos.

  • These little boys may die young

    These little boys may die young

    It’s sixty-seven days since a boulder hurtled down the ancient Dukku Hills of Kebbi, killing eight underage boys. Muhammad Bawando, Musa Kambaza, Dan-sayyada Kambaza, Abu Takai, Nasir Cheferu, Barmo Babanda, Kalije Bawanda, and Yakubu Aminu – eight almajirai who went to the mountains to dig for clay.

    On Saturday, April 20, 2024, each shovel of dirt brought them closer to their goal; their hands stained with the rich, red earth, they shared dreams of new walls, sturdy roofs, and the warmth of a hut they could call their home.

    But fate had a cruel twist in store. High above, perched precariously on the edge of the quarry, a massive boulder teetered on the brink of disaster. Unseen and unheard, it waited, biding its time until the moment was ripe.

    And then, with a deafening roar, the earth shook as the boulder broke free, hurtling down the steep incline with unstoppable force. The boys barely had time to register the impending doom before the boulder crashed down, trapping them 10 metres beneath its weight.

    Dust and debris filled the air as their screams pierced the silence, desperate cries for help that went unanswered. Surrounded by throttling darkness, their voices faded to whispers, in the darkness of their tomb. Nobody heard their dying cries. Nobody saw them writhe and resign to their final fate. That fateful afternoon, the blazing sun belched irrepressible misery and death as the corpses of the eight pupils of the Malam Dan-Umma Qur’anic School at Bayan Science, Badariya, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi State were exhumed from the rubble.

    Echoes of their grisly demise still reverberate through the arid streets of Kebbi, and northern Nigeria, where many more minors are perishing in silence.

    These children, entrusted to the care of itinerant malams, languish in a world that seems to have forgotten them, their fragile lives hanging by a thread in a society that watches with cold indifference.

    The almajiri system, once a noble endeavor rooted in the quest for knowledge, has been sullied by corruption and neglect. It was intended to be a beacon of learning and spiritual growth, but over time, it has become a grotesque parody of its original purpose. In the alleys and byways of northern Nigeria, the almajiri boys are a living testament to a broken dream, their lives overshadowed by destitution and despair.

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    The rich, with their gilded gates and lush gardens, seldom consign their progeny to such a grotesque existence. Instead, they shield their children from the harsh realities of the world, while the poor are left to cling to the tattered remnants of a system that has long ceased to serve their interests.

    For the impoverished, the almajiri system offers a semblance of hope, a chance for their children to receive an education and perhaps a better life. But this hope is often illusory, a cruel mirage that fades with the rising sun.

    The boys, separated from their families, are denied the warmth of parental love and the comfort of a stable home. They wander the streets, begging for alms, their dreams withering in the harsh glare of reality. It is a heart-wrenching sight, indeed; a social crisis unfolding in plain view, yet met with averted eyes and muted indifference.

    The question that looms large is what the governments of Kebbi and other northern states are doing to address this conundrum. The death of those eight boys should have spurred decisive action. Instead, it has become yet another statistic in a long litany of tragedies.

    The Kebbi State government’s Almajiri Integrated Education scheme is not the first feeble initiative addressing the challenges of the almajiri system. In April 2012, former President Goodluck Jonathan launched the Almajiri Integrated Model School (AIMS) initiative through the Universal Basic Education Commission seeking to integrate Qur’anic schools with modern curricula and skill-based education, targeting the 13.2 million out-of-school children in northern Nigeria. It provided stationery, lunch, uniforms and classroom facilities. But despite spending about N15 billion to establish 400 Almajiri model schools and rebuild 36 schools across 19 northern states and Edo, enrollment and attendance rates remained low due to various issues, including the sustained apathy from parents and the students. Additionally, lack of funding from state governments led to many schools falling into disrepair and students returning to street begging.

    Islam prescribes that the primary legal and moral duty of parents is to take care of the welfare of their children, to provide them with food, shelter, security, health, and education. Parents are also instructed to instill morals into their wards, to the best of their abilities.

    Thus, memorising the Qur’an, which is largely what an almajiri does, is a desirable (mustahab) act. It is not compulsory for every Muslim, though it is encouraged, but because of bandwagon following (and of course poverty), most parents would rather trade their compulsory duty (wajib) for a desirable one (mustahab).

    It is a moral imperative for parents, guardians, civil society, and the government to break the cycle of neglect and indifference. To ignore the plight of these boys is to condemn them to a life of unending drudgery and hopelessness. They are not mere statistics; they are children with dreams, aspirations, and the potential to contribute meaningfully to society. To forsake them is to forsake our collective humanity.

    The almajiri system, in its corrupted state, is a glaring symbol of society’s failure to protect our children. It is a festering wound that must be healed, not with palliatives and platitudes, but with genuine, sustained efforts to reform and rehabilitate.

    A recent study, conducted in 137 villages across Kano and Kaduna, revealed that half of the boys who enter the almajiri system die, with 17 percent surviving and 33 percent getting lost, some of whom also die. The research was conducted by a team from four universities: Funom Theophilus Makama (University of Leicester, UK), Esther Funom Makama (University of Maiduguri, Borno State), Peter Maitalata Waziri (Kaduna State University), and Attahiru Dan-Ali Mustapha (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria). They found that the harsh conditions and forced begging make these boys vulnerable to violence, hunger, infections, and child predators, significantly reducing their chances of reaching adulthood, with many dying before age 16. They concluded that for every six boys enrolled, three die, one survives, and two go missing. Any system causing such high child mortality and loss is intolerable, regardless of its cultural or religious significance.

    Good governance is at the heart of the solution. Several measures including firmer enforcement of anti-trafficking laws protective of minors and bio-data tracking have been suggested to curb the menace. Government must, however, employ diplomacy while enforcing extant laws, and create the necessary environment to foster a reformed and more purposive integrated education system. Parents must also accept to play their part by having only the number of children they can cater for.

    In the wake of the demise of the Kebbi eight, the state governor, Nasir Idris, sent a delegation to condole with the boys’ families, and donated N20 million naira to the bereaved.

    But can N20 million bring back eight promising boys, teeming with life? Is it a worthy consolation to the bereaved families of Muhammad Bawando, Musa Kambaza, Dan-sayyada Kambaza, Abu Takai, Nasir Cheferu, Barmo Babanda, Kalije Bawanda, and Yakubu Aminu?

    Can the money revive their boyish chants, where dreams of home are shaped from earth? Can it reignite their heartfelt quest for warmth and delicate balance atop the shifting sands of fate?

  • Wasted money

    Wasted money

    How the Federal Government and the state governments contributed to poverty in Nigeria can be seen from the allegation by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, that the Muhammadu Buhari administration had mismanaged the first tranche of the $500m World Bank loan for women’s empowerment in the country.  The first tranche of the loan, meant for the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), was $100m.

    According to her, the President Bola Tinubu administration, which succeeded the Buhari government, was “not satisfied with how the money was used.” She alleged that the money had been misused “mainly for advocacy, meetings, and consultancy, and that was it and they shared it among the states… It is supposed to be meant for projects for women, but that was not the case.”

    Perhaps this partly explains why the number of Nigerians living in poverty is disturbingly high. Official statistics show that well over 100 million Nigerians are “multidimensionally poor,” with three out of five citizens living in poverty. The data calls into question the anti-poverty efforts of the Federal Government, and also raises questions about the seriousness of state and local governments in the fight against poverty.

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    The minister, who spoke about the women’s empowerment project on Arise Television’s Morning Show, said the project targeted vulnerable women in the country, and had been launched in 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The project aims to address barriers to women’s prosperity towards inclusive poverty reduction in Nigeria, and guarantee improved livelihood opportunities for thousands of women in the country.

    The minister lamented that under the former structure “women continued suffering.”  She, therefore, “raised a new structure on how that money will be utilised so there won’t be more issues of advocacy, meetings and consultancy, which to me is a way of lavishing the money.”

    The implication is that the money did not reach the targeted beneficiaries under the Buhari administration, which is indefensible. It suggests that poverty in the country is, ironically, partially government-driven. Poverty reduction demands integrity on the part of the authorities.

    The awaited new implementation structure, according to the minister, will positively change the story. She said: “$500m is not a small amount of money, and I can assure you that it can change the lives of every woman who is vulnerable in this country.”

    It remains to be seen whether the new approach will, indeed, succeed in empowering the targeted vulnerable women, and help reduce poverty in the country.

  • Army deploys 177 troops in Guinea Bissau for peacekeeping operations

    Army deploys 177 troops in Guinea Bissau for peacekeeping operations

    The Nigerian Army has deployed 177 personnel on a peacekeeping mission in Guinea-Bissau to help restore peace and stability in the West  African country.

    Chief of Army Operations, Major General Boniface Sinjen, disclosed yesterday during the graduation ceremony of the troops of the Nigerian company 3 ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission at General Martin- Luther Agwai Peacekeeping Centre, Jaji in Kaduna State.

    Addressing the troops ahead of their departure to Guinea-Bissau, General Sinjen, explained that the West African country is grappling with political instability and institutional crises, which have consequently posed a significant threat to peace and sustainable development in the sub-region.

    He said that the deployment of a contingent of military forces to Guinea-Bissau by the Nigerian government through the ECOWAS reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to consolidate its authority, address the security challenges and strengthen democratic governance, as well as foster stability in the country.

    “This deployment is in line with the mandate of the mission, which has been extended several times to consolidate the relative peace and stability in the country,” Sinjen said.

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    “You gallant men of the Nigerian Army have been trained by this renowned Centre of Excellence to play that critical role.

    “This Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) has equipped you with the necessary tactical skills and knowledge to support the government of Guinea-Bissau in stabilising the country.

    “The Chief of Army Operations cautioned the troops to conduct themselves professionally in accordance with mission guidelines, as well to respect the sovereignty and cultural sensitivity of the people of Guinea-Bissau.

    “I, therefore, urge you to remain committed to upholding the principles of ECOWAS peacekeeping operations. You will be operating in a complex and diverse environment where various ethnic groups coexist.

    “I implore you to maintain the highest level of professionalism, discipline, and respect for human rights and the sovereignty of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

    “As ambassadors of Nigeria, your behaviour will reflect on the nation’s image, so I urge you to uphold the highest standards of conduct and maintain the integrity of our esteemed profession.”

    Continuing, the army chief urged the troops to embody the core values of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and refrain from any actions that could compromise the mission’s objectives or undermine our nation’s reputation.

    He warned that the Armed Forces of Nigeria have a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, drug trafficking and abuse.

    “Any personnel found guilty of such offences will face severe consequences. The Nigerian Army’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of discipline and integrity remains unbroken,” he said.

    On his part, the Commandant, Martin- Luther Agwai Peacekeeping Centre, Major General Ademola Adedoja, said the Peacekeeping training which began on May 19 was designed to prepare the troops on contemporary peacekeeping operations for a successful tour of duty in Guinea-Bissau.

    He explained that during the course of the training, the troops were exposed to a series of lectures and field exercises on contemporary peacekeeping operations, with an emphasis on the peculiar nature of the security challenges facing Guinea-Bissau.

     “The troops were exposed to mentally and physically engaging exercises to equip them with the necessary knowledge and tactical skills required in peacekeeping operations in line with the United Nations Core PDT modules.

     “As you stand ready to embark on this critical mission, I urge you to carry the spirit of excellence with you.

     “Your contribution to the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission will be instrumental in shaping the future of Guinea-Bissau, thus promoting peace, stability, and development in West Africa.

    “You are not just representing the Armed Forces of Nigeria but also serving as ambassadors of our great nation,” he said.

  • Assange banned from returning to U.S. without permission

    Assange banned from returning to U.S. without permission

    The United States has banned Julian Assange from returning unless he is granted permission, the justice department said Tuesday, as the Australian native was freed in a U.S. territory and boarded a plane for Canberra.

     “Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission,” a Department of Justice statement said of the WikiLeaks founder, who has been embroiled in years-long international legal drama after publishing thousands of secret US documents in 2010.

    Julian Assange stood trial on Australian soil, having spent his first night in his home country in nearly 15 years.

    His lawyer Jen Robinson, filled with emotion as she addressed a rowdy media pack in Canberra, said Assange’s return home had “saved his life”.

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    Stella Assange, human rights activist, Julian’s wife, and the mother of their two children, said she could not describe the moment when he rushed from the plane, across the tarmac, and into her arms.

    “I was overcome by emotion when I first heard there were crowds cheering, that I didn’t even know were there,” Ms Assange said, recounting their reunion.

    “We embraced, and I think you’ve seen the pictures. I don’t want to express in words what is obvious from the image.”

    On social media, she offered one simple word next to the photo of their embrace: “home”.

  • Kenya’s president withdraws tax plan after deadly protest

    Kenya’s president withdraws tax plan after deadly protest

    Kenya’s President William Ruto said yesterday he will withdraw a finance bill containing controversial tax hikes after deadly protests, which saw parliament set ablaze on Tuesday.

    In an address to the nation, he said it was clear that Kenyans “want nothing” to do with the bill.

    “I concede,” he said, adding that he will not sign the bill into law.

    No fewer than 22 people were killed in Tuesday’s protests, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHRC).

    Ruto said he would now enter into dialogue with the young people, who were at the forefront of the biggest protests to hit the country since he was elected in 2022.

    “Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede.

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    “And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn. The people have spoken,” he said in the televised address.

    The bill was passed by parliament on Tuesday, despite nationwide demonstrations against it.

    Protesters broke into parliament, vandalising the interior and setting parts of the complex on fire. The ceremonial mace, symbolising the authority of the legislature, was stolen.

    Ruto initially responded with defiance.

    He ordered the military to be deployed, saying “violence and anarchy” would not be tolerated.

    But he climbed down yesterday, as public anger grew over the killing of protesters.

    Wanjeri Nderu, head of the International Society for Human Rights, told the BBC what was experienced during the protest was “like we were at war”, adding that police were using live ammunition even before parliament was breached.

    Catholic bishops also condemned the actions of the security forces and “earnestly appealed to the police not to shoot at the protesters”, while also urging protesters to remain peaceful.

    The Law Society of Kenya called on international criminal investigators to help families’ quest for justice, saying that it had reports that soldiers were engaging protesters in parliament.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened by the reports of deaths and injuries – including of journalists and medical personnel”.

    He also urged the Kenyan authorities to “exercise restraint”, and called for all demonstrations to be peaceful.