The Nation Newspaper

Category: Femi Abbas

  • Dreaming the past

    Dreaming the past

    “When responsibility is entrusted to an incompetent person expect the end of time”   Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

    The above quoted Hadith was particularly in reference to leadership in any given society. When the Prophet was to send Mu’az Bn Jabal to Yemen as Governor, he asked him a pointed question as a way of confirming that his choice was right. He said asking Mu’az: “how will you govern the people in that country?” The latter said he would use the laws of Allah as contained in the Qur’an. Then the Prophet asked: “and if you cannot find a relevant solution in the Qur’an? Mu’az said he would use the Prophetic tradition (Sunnah). Then the Prophet further asked: “and if relevant solution is not found in Sunnah? Mu’az said he would adopt the consensus of opinions of learned scholars’’. Then, the Prophet asked: “and if you cannot get a consensus? Mu’az said he would use analogical deduction based on the three sources of law mentioned above. Thus, with Mu’az’s satisfactory responses, the Prophet technically confirmed the four sources of Islamic law by which any leader in an Islamic society should govern. The summary here is that governance should be by law and not by whim. 

    Thereafter, the Prophet counselled him as follows: “when you get there, my dear Mu’az, endear yourself to the people and do not be hostile. Be kind to them and do not be wicked. Be lenient with them and do not be harsh. Be considerate with them and do not be dictatorial. Be compassionate to them and do not be sadistic. Be sensitive to their plight and do not be indifferent. Be transparent and do not be seen as corrupt. Be a man of your words and do not be seen as a liar. Fulfil your promises to them and do not renege on such promises. Be trustworthy in utterances and actions and not be seen as a betrayer of trust. There are three signs by which a hypocrite is known. When he talks he lies; when he promises he reneges and when he is trusted he betrays. Remember that a leader is like a shepherd who cannot claim to be successful in a day until he has coasted home the last sheep in his flock. And every shepherd shall be asked by the Almighty Allah about what he does with the flock in his care’’. 

    Thus, the historic conversation between the Prophet and Mu’az confirms that good leadership is the bedrock of peace, decency and progress in any society. Today, many countries including Nigeria are dangerously restive because of deviation from that yardstick by irresponsible leaderships. A nation without a responsible leadership is like a body without head. Such a nation is likely to wander aimlessly and indefinitely in the wilderness of life just like the Egyptian gypsies of yore even as her citizens wallow helplessly in abject penury.                  

    Man ordinarily takes food for granted until he faces hunger where food is not available. He takes sound health for granted until he falls sick. He takes freedom for granted until he becomes a prisoner and he takes peace for granted until he faces war. One of the signs of living in a bad time is to keep remembering the good old days with nostalgia. Such is a confirmation that the past is better than the present. This is the situation in which overwhelming majority of Nigerians find themselves today in a country naturally and abundantly enriched with milk and honey.

    Who could have believed some years back that this same country called Nigeria might become a beggars’ own country one day? When political calamity engendered by economic mismanagement struck Ghana in the 1980s, Nigeria was the only rescue haven in Africa for hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians who trooped into this country for all sorts of jobs including menial ones. Thus, from that experience, one would have thought that a lesson had been learnt by Nigerian leaders never to subject the citizens of this country to a similar misfortune. But alas, the situation in the past 40 years or there about has proved otherwise. Ironically, the reality today, is that the citizens of this sixth largest oil exporting country in the world have become beggars being deported from a onetime calamitous Ghana that sought and got economic rescue in Nigeria. The same Ghana is today a model for Nigeria virtually in all things that is decent and civilized.

    God, in His infinite mercy does not create any living thing without adequate provisions for its existence. He endows individuals and nations with wealth in time and space as a trust. But He does not physically come down to manage such wealth for anybody. Neither does He give anybody the authority to redistribute it. But in the end, the managers of such wealth will be asked to render account on how they manage it.  Individuals and nations become humanly and materially rich only by Allah’s will at the place and time divinely earmarked for it. Any manipulation of such wealth by certain greedy cabal can only pave way for an untold calamity.

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    Like a fly in a bottle of wine which drinks and drinks till it dies in there, today’s Nigerian rulers see their position as an opportunity to suck Nigeria’s oil wells dry at the expense of the masses to whom those oil wells rightly and legitimately belong. These rulers have forgotten that if the oil reserve had not been divinely meant for this generation it could have been discovered and consumed by many generations long before ours.

    Nigerians of today have found themselves in a dream land. They are not only dreaming of what they ought to be as against what they are. They are also dreaming of the good old days in this same country that once gave them the confidence to build hope in their future as well as that of their children. That hope has practically become forlorn. Without necessarily sounding pessimistic, if there is any expectation for an ordinary Nigerian today, it is for death as despair is currently the song of destiny.

    Telling the history of Nigerian oil cannot end with the present generation. It surely extends to the future. Where are the founding fathers of Nigeria especially those who strove for the discovery of oil? Was the current  situation their dream? Even as Prime Minister and Premier respectively, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto borrowed money from banks to purchase a car and build a bungalow. They never possessed more than those even when their political contemporaries were accumulating empires.

    It is easier to be a legatee than to be a legator. The greatest spendthrifts are those who do not know the source of money in their possession.

    It is rather ironic that oil wealth which serves as the source of fortune for many countries is the main source of Nigeria’s misfortune. At least this country was economically steady and progressive before the so-called oil boom. At least there was no oil money when Nigeria went through a civil war for 30 months without borrowing one kobo. Why has oil boom become oil doom?

    In his nine years in office as Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon took the price of PMS from 6k to 9.5k per litre. After him was General Murtala Muhammed an obvious man of the people who never tampered with the price of oil till his death in 1976. It was General Olusegun Obasanjo who first took oil price by a leap moving it from 9.5k to 15.3k in his three and a half year reign from February 1976 to October 1979. In his own three years and three months in office, President Usman Shehu Shagari never tampered with the price of oil. And General Muhammadu Buhari who succeeded him maintained the status quo as he never increased fuel price even by one kobo during his 20 month rule. Thus, between 1979 when Obasanjo left office and 1985 when Buhari was overthrown, the oil price remained same and Nigeria did not fail as a nation.

    When the self-styled Military President Ibrahim Babangida took over in1985, his first focus was on oil. It was he who moved the price of PMS from 15k to 70k in his eight years of governance. But by far the greatest leap of oil price in Nigeria was introduced by Chief Earnest Shonekan an interim Head of State who took the price from 70k to N5 within the 87 days of his illegal rule.

    Then General Sani Abacha the maximum despot who forcefully high jacked power in October 1993 moved the price of PMS from N5 to N11 within his five years in office. That was an average of N1 increase per year. When Abacha died in 1998, General Abdul Salami Abubakar became the Head of State and virtually concentrated on oil. He can be called Nigeria’s Head of oil fields. It was he who took the price of PMS from N11 to N20 within the ten months he ruled Nigeria. When General Obasanjo returned to office as elected President in 1999, his first port of call was oil. Capitalizing on the precedent laid by General Abdul Salami Abubakar, he went ahead to raise the price of PMS from N20 to N70 within eight years he spent in office.                             

    Now, to prove that the removal of the so-called oil subsidy by previous rulers in Nigeria was a child’s play, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan decided to surpass them all even if all Nigerians would go to the gallows. After consultations with various stake holders and interest groups including traditional rulers, religious leaders, Labour Unions, ASUU and NANS, all of whom objected to any removal of subsidy at this precarious time, Mr. President decided to go ahead with his plan not minding any contrary opinion. His argument was that facilities like roads, hospitals, schools, refineries and rail system must be provided even if at the expense of the lives of Nigerians. And such removal must be done at a time when the feeding allowance of his family and that of his deputy is unilaterally fixed at about one N1billion per year. Mr. President is calling on Nigerians to sacrifice while the cost of his medical services in the Presidential clinic is about N1.2 billion even as another N300 million is earmarked for replacement of his kitchen utensils. For his trips abroad in 2012 alone about N10 billion is earmarked. But to show a good example of sacrifice for the nation, he and his Ministers have resolved to cut their salaries by 25% though we are not told the amount of each cabinet Minister’s salary. And nothing is said about their undisclosed allowances. That is exhibition of power for you.

    Thus by the signature of one man appended to an obnoxious policy imposed on the populace, it is certain that many lives will be lost, many marriages will collapse, many children will drop out of school and many agreements will crumble causing irreconcilable rifts. These did not happen in the time of Yar’Adua because there was no cause for such.   

    With YarÁdua as President, Nigerians did not see their newly rekindled hope ending up in a paroxysm of despair as the case today. Until he came on board as President, every other person that ruled Nigeria except Shagari and Buhari had claimed that there was subsidy on oil.

    Due to his short time in office, Yar’Adua might not have been perceived as a great achiever but the few achievements he recorded were quite remarkable. If those achievements had been sincerely inherited and maintained, Nigeria would not have been plunged into such a quagmire as we are witnessing today.

    At least with his few achievements, many ‘FIRSTS’ can be attributed to him in the history of Nigeria. For instance, he was the first Nigerian President to publicly declare his assets and those of his wife on assuming office. He was the first Nigerian President to publicly admit that the election which brought him into office was flawed thereby promising to reform the electoral process the machinery for which he sincerely put in place before his demise. And he congratulated the Labour gubernatorial candidate, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State who won a court case against a PDP Governor Olusegun Agagu in the spirit of political sportsmanship. Yar’Adua was also the first Nigerian President to confess that there was no subsidy on petroleum products and therefore reduced the price of PMS (petrol) from N70 to N65 per litre. Not only these, he was also the first Nigerian President to declare amnesty in a warless situation to ventilate a conducive atmosphere for permanent peace. If he were alive and remained in the saddle the present situation of uncertainties would not have arisen. Perhaps that was why he called himself a servant leader.

    Yar’Adua as a mortal being might have his own weaknesses, nevertheless, his short period as President wrought a remarkable foundation for this country. If he had not displayed the ingenuous tactics of declaring amnesty at the time he did, the story of Nigeria would have been quite different today.

    Nigerians continue to remember the good days of Yar’Adua today because the foundation he laid for a new beginning in those days has begun to crumble so soon in the hands of his successors. Just two years before her centenary celebration as a country, the President is telling Nigerians that the security problem in the country is bigger than a civil war and he can hardly handle it. In such a situation, who will save Nigeria from the prediction of the West? Meanwhile, the federal government has agreed in concert with Bornu State government to pay a compensation of N100 million to the family of Muhammad Yusuf, the leader of Boko Haram who was killed by the police in their cell in 2009. The big question is WHY NOW? And who will compensate the families of several scores of many other Nigerians who were killed subsequently?

  • Summary of Facts (RAMADAN)

    Summary of Facts (RAMADAN)

    Preamble

    At no time in the life of man can the true nature of human existence more manifest than in Ramadan. It is in that sacred month that Muslims reflect mostly on the purpose of their existence on earth. Some people fasted actively last year but are no more today. Some put their feet at the door step of Ramadan this year but never entered it. Some fell by the way side along the line. Some fasted with absolute faith in Allah and confidence in making use of the lessons of Ramadan. Some joined the spiritual train with no idea of their destination in the month.

    Segments of Ramadan

    At the beginning of this sacred month, an analysis was done in this column classifying the 30 or 29 days of Ramadan into three segments. The first segment was said to contain the first ten days of the month during which the blessings of Allah came to the faithful Muslims freely and in abundance. Except for meeting that segment with faith and good intention, there was no working for it. That segment ended after 10 days paving way for the second segment that began on the 11th day of Ramadan.

    During the 10-day period of the second segment, most fasting Muslims intensified worship (Ibadah) by spending their days and nights seeking Allah’s forgiveness and by chanting Istighfar. But such forgiveness was neither automatic nor free. Usually, conditions were attached to it. One of such conditions was for every fasting Muslims to admit his/her misdeeds and repent of them. The second was to voluntarily and genuinely seek forgiveness. And the third condition was to resolve never to return to such misdeeds again. To seek Allah’s forgiveness during the month of Ramadan, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have said that “if you want to speak with Allah, make your request on prostration. And if you want Allah to speak to you recite the Qur’an”. No one who abided by the above conditions and followed it scrupulously would ever be disappointed. Allah is both promising and fulfilling. He never reneges on His promise. In Qur’an 2:186 He promises thus: “…when my servants ask you (Prophet Muhammad) about me, tell them that I am very close to them. I answer the prayers of whoever seeks my favour if he seeks from me (without any intermediary). So, let them expect my favourable response and trust in me so that they may be rightly guided”

    Midway Ramadan

    Those second ten days were not just to consolidate on the blessings of the first ten days, they were also to prepare the fasting Muslims for the last ten days when they are expected to be fully liberated from the evil machinations of any Satanic forces.

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    Human life is not measured by the time or manner of his or her death. In Islam, death is neither the consequence of sin nor the repercussion of ignorance. There are instances when the sinless dies and the sinful lives. There are also instances when the learned dies while the ignorant lives. The schedule of life and death is not in the custody of any human being. Death is a debt which every living being owes and must pay.

    Not even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was spared of death or given a foreknowledge of it. Allah ordered him to say in the Q. 10:49 thus: “Say I have not the power to benefit or to harm myself except what Allah pleases. Unto every nation is a fixed term. When their terms expire, they cannot delay it by an hour nor can they bring it forth before its time”.

    This is a verse of the Qur’an which the ignorant ones have severally quoted and interpreted according to their whim. In their imagination, they want the Prophet to claim infallibility to enable them call him a liar.

    Nostalgia

    Some people dream but never live to realise their dreams. Some look but never see. It is only in the imagination of man that age should be a factor of death. We shall all die at our scheduled time. Therefore, whoever is privileged to pass through this year’s Ramadan successfully should endeavour to add spiritual value to his or her life and not diminish in faith after the sacred month. We shall all account for that value before Allah.

    Just a few days back this year’s Ramadan came to an end by the grace of Allah and we began to look back with nostalgia to the good things we have done in the sacred month. For instance, we shall remember that in no other month of Hijrah calendar is the role of Muslim women more pronounced than in Ramadan. Like in other months, they display the roles of wives, mothers as well as that of their husbands’ confidants. But more than in other months, they exhibit their religious dedication in Ramadan.

    Even as they assist their husbands financially in maintaining the homes, they still take care of those husbands as well as the children and relatives domestically. At the time of the day when the husbands are knocked out by fatigue arising from fasting, the wives are still busy in the kitchen preparing Iftar for the household. At the time in the night when some husbands are engaged in Tahajjud, or are snoring in bed, the wives are already up in the kitchen preparing the Sahur for the family.

    Some of these women are pregnant. Some are suckling their children. Some of them are knowledgeable enough to do the Tilawah (recitation of the Qur’an) like their husbands. Some are even rich enough to finance the home fully or partially.

    And, in all these activities, they never feel tired. Where and when they feel tired, they never show it. If any month has ever depicted the virtues of women, it is Ramadan and the women activities in it. If for the reason of their activities in Ramadan alone, they deserve tenderness and dignified treatment in the hands of their husbands.

    We shall also remember the role of our children in the month and then endeavour to ensure the continuity of those rewarding activities.

    Allah’s greatest gift

    Children are Allah’s greatest gift to man. Their presence in a house is blessing. Their contribution is immense. Those are children for you. They can play the role of teachers just as they can do that of students. They learn fast, they teach fast. They are a major security for parents in any given environment.

    Children play both temporal and spiritual roles in a matrimonial life. And with such roles, they sometimes create hope for humanity and sometimes, they signal despair. They are the greatest asset in the possession of parents in time of peace. They are also the greatest weapon for those parents against the forces of Satan.

    Because of their innocence, they pave way for God’s forgiveness and quick acceptance of prayers. And, most importantly, children guarantee the continuity of man’s existence on earth. It is only with them that the fulfillment of today’s promise is possible tomorrow.

    In the Qur’an, children are mentioned many times and most often with reverence. They are treated in that glorious book as a major issue in the life of man. As orphans, they do not only have a role to play, they also compel some adults to play a role relating to them.

    As heirs to their parents, they have substantial shares in inheritance. Muslim children are like cubs. They follow the footstep of their parents or guardians very closely. They are often with their parents during the five daily prayers. They watch their parents as the latter give charity to the poor. They accompany them to public lectures and Islamic social gatherings.

    And, in Ramadan, children are part of the Muslims’ total spiritual package. They wake up with them at night. They fast with them in the day. They break the fast with them at sunset. They join their parents at Tafsir and night lectures. They participate in Laylatul Qadr and in giving Zakatul Fitr to the poor. Who can substitute the role of children in a matrimonial home?

    In all the above mentioned activities, children are supposed to be encouraged. At the tender age of seven, they should be guided to fast even if for half a day. And when they reach the age of 10 they should be strengthened in faith and in religious deeds. They should be provided with necessities of life both on the temporal and spiritual grounds. With these, they will grow up to become the fulfillment of their parents’ dreams.

    Most children grow up as good or bad citizens by emulating their parents. A child is therefore what his parents make him. If advantage of Ramadan is not taken by Muslim parents to mould their children into good Muslims what other platform will be used? Your child is your sun. Make hay with it while it shines.

    Neighbours

    We shall also recall how we related to our neighbours, especially the non-Muslims among them in that month. In Islam, neighbours are as important as the next of kin. And, Islam attaches so much respect to them. According to Bukhari and Muslim, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was reported to have sworn by Allah three times saying: “he does not believe in Allah! He does not believe in Allah! He does not believe in Allah! And when he was asked who? He replied by saying: whoever creates fear in his neighbours atrociously”

    In another Hadith also reported by Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet was quoted as saying that “Whoever believes in Allah and the last day let him be nice to his neighbours and respect his guests”

    In the month of Ramadan a good Muslim is expected to wear a new toga of sobriety and repentance. He doubles his good deeds to his neighbours, extending generosity to them and cultivating a new atmosphere of friendliness and trust with them. He genuinely gives them as much impression of love and brotherhood as he does with his consanguine relatives.

    It does not matter whether those neighbours are Muslims or non-Muslims. Neither does it matter whether they are tribesmen or non-natives. The Prophet did not discriminate in his Hadith when he was admonishing on neighbours. And that is the inalienable position of Islam on neighbourliness. Whoever, had quarreled with his neighbours before Ramadan, therefore, let him/her go and settle the quarrel.

    Besides abstaining from foods, drinks and sex, in the month of Ramadan, a good Muslim must mind his relationship with people around him, including neighbours. Fasting in the month of Ramadan cannot be taken in half measure. Whoever wants to receive full rewards for his religious activities in Ramadan should treat his neighbours well. And, when Ramadan is over, the good deeds must continue. Ramadan is not made a pillar of Islam by accident. Its purpose is to return man to the original state of purity in which he was created. That Allah entrusts the world to man is also not by accident. Allah consulted widely before entrusting this great responsibility to man when the latter volunteered to bear it. This much is revealed in Qur’an 33:71 thus: “We offered the trust (of the world) to the heavens; the earth and the mountains they all turned it down and were afraid of it. Man undertook to bear it but he has proved to be insincere and deceitful”. For man to re-examine himself, repent over his misdeeds and become redeemed, therefore, Allah brought Ramadan as a means of rescue.

    Needs and wants

    It is in the month of Ramadan that Muslims reconfirm NEEDS rather than WANTS as the necessities required for the sustenance of their lives. Muslims, by their faith and orientation, are not, ordinarily, given to WANTS. They are more concerned about NEEDS than WANTS. The reason for this is not far-fetched. With NEEDS come contentment and satisfaction while WANTS are the cause of greed and avarice.

    Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, had provided the needs of every living creature even before its creation. But then, He (Allah) knew that of all those creatures man alone would go beyond NEEDS into the realm of WANTS. That was perhaps what informed the negative role which Satan assumed in the life of man shortly after the creation of Adam and Hawau.

    By introducing WANTS to man, what Satan did was to create a permanent job for himself in the life of man. Without WANTS the world would not have been what it is today. Blood would not have been shed. Money would not have been deified. Hatred would not have been known to man. And, man’s inhumanity to man would have been totally averted.

    The effect of WANTS first became known when Qabil (Cain), the first son of Adam preferred his brother’s wife to his. In the argument which ensued, Qabil (Cain) killed his brother Habil (Abel) and combined the latter’s wife with his. Thus, greed and avarice became ingredients of man’s culture. And WANTS rather than NEEDS became the domineering factor in the life of man. These are some of the anomalies in man that Ramadan comes to correct every year. You have witnessed this year’s Ramadan, hope you utilised your experience maximally. You don’t know whether or not you will have that opportunity again. Ramadan Karim in arrears!.

  • Leadership problem: Islamic solution

    Leadership problem: Islamic solution

    Preamble

    Today’s title in this column is not originally a coinage of ‘THE MESSAGE’. It is rather the theme of a public Ramadan lecture organised by MUSTAPHA AKANBI FOUNDATION (MAF) in Ilorin to which yours sincerely was invited as guest lecturer on August 29, 2010.

    The name Mustapha Akanbi cannot be strange to any contemporary educated Nigerian. It is a household name in Nigeria and beyond especially for those who are familiar with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other miscellaneous offences Commission (ICPC). The first Chairman of that Commission is Justice Mustapha Akanbi, an erstwhile President of the Federal Appeal Court of Nigeria.

    The Foundation

    Established in September 2006 shortly after the founder voluntarily resigned as the Chairman of ICPC despite the overwhelming pressure on him to continue, MAF is a non-governmental and non-partisan organisation dedicated to the uplift of mankind, to the enthronement of justice, equity and fair play as well as the promotion of the quintessential virtues of honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability in all human activities.

    The Foundation is committed to being in the vanguard of revolutionary changes aimed at reforming and transforming our society from being a body of self-serving individuals to a nation that places high premium on selfless service for the common good of all. The Foundation therefore, has, as its focus, the building and sustenance of a great nation founded on sound ethical values and good governance capable of holding its own in the comity of nations. It is in line with its focus that the Foundation chose the theme above and invited yours sincerely as the guest lecturer. At the occasion, I alluded briefly to the significance of Ramadan in the life of an average Muslim.

    About Ramadan

    Ramadan is no doubt the busiest month of the year for any genuine Muslim in any part of the world. It is the month in which paradise is liberally thrown open to those who are seeking to gain entry into it. It is mankind’s month of reunion with the Almighty Allah through repentance, remorse, reformation and new resolutions. In Nigeria, this sacred month wears a unique garment which even the blind can perceive with his or her inner eyes.

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    In Ramadan, every minute is meaningfully busy. Every moment is heavily pregnant and every soul is consciously cautious just as every reasoning faculty is spiritually engaged. There is no dull moment. With the introduction of Ramadan public lecture as distinct from the usual exposition of the Qur’an (Tafsir) in Lagos, Nigeria, about 40 years ago, the Nigerian Muslim Ummah introduced a useful innovation into the modern Muslim world to the benefit of humanity at large.

    With Ramadan lectures which invariably come up at weekends in the month, an opportunity was created for multitudes of Muslims to assemble at one point or another to be meaningfully engaged and learn through those lectures certain facts about Islam which could hardly be learnt from other sources.

    History of Ramadan Lecture

    The idea of Ramadan lecture arose in 1986 from a disappointment experienced with a pseudo Muslim who held an important position at a National Television Authority (NTA) station in Lagos but used such a position to suppress Islam. The man bluntly rejected a Cheque paid to his station for the sponsorship of Night air preaching which had been introduced the previous year due to unavailability of air space for Muslim preaching in the days.

    He called such sponsorship meant to educate Muslim multitudes during their Sahur in the nights of the sacred month an act of fanaticism. He also referred to his predecessor in office who initiated the idea as a fanatic. I knew this detail because I personally took the Cheque in question to him, which was issued by Bashorun MKO Abiola, and his brutish vituperation was poured directly on me.

    It was out of this unbelievably shocking experience that three gentlemen: the late Alhaji Saka Fagbo, then a Director at NTA Channel 10 in Lagos, Alhaji Abdul Majeed Shofola, the late Alhaji Abdul Kabir Ayomaya a staff of NTA and yours sincerely then a correspondent in the now defunct ‘CONCORD’ newspaper put heads together and resolved to introduce what globally came to be called ‘RAMADAN LECTURE’.

    Bashorun Abiola’s Involvement

    The idea was sold to the late Bashorun MKO Abiola who gladly sponsored the very first lecture and pledged to continue its sponsorship in subsequent years as long as he lived. And he conscientiously fulfilled that promise until he was incarcerated by the Sani Abacha regime for claiming his legitimately given mandate in 1995. The very first Ramadan Lecture was delivered by the late Alhaji Abdus-Salam Olatunde, then a National Hajj Commissioner in Lagos. Today, this noble innovation is no longer a Nigerian Affair. It is universal. Alhamdu Lillah! We pray the Almighty Allah to repose the soul of all those who were instrumental to the introduction of Ramadan Lecture and are no more today in eternal bliss. Amin.

    The lecture

    As a preamble, I told my audience that thinking of leadership in terms of those who are privileged to govern the country alone can never solve the problem of bad leadership in Nigeria. Leadership does not start from the top. It is rather a matter of good home management and excellent upbringing of children. Leadership is like a pyramid which has a base and an apex. Whoever wants to assess leadership in a society must start from the base rather than the apex. It will be unreasonable to sight a major fault at the roof of a house when the foundation of the same house is evidently faulty. Generally, children learn from their parents’ actions more than from the latter’s words.

    Any parent who starts the upbringing of his or her children with lavish celebration of birthday without teaching such children the act of money making early in life has initiated them into the world of reckless spending spree. The tendency for such children when they grow up is to look for money from any source including pilfering and stealing. What will be virtuous to such children is to get money to spend. It will never matter to them how they come about such money. And that is the root of corruption in a society like Nigeria where parents assist their children in cheating in the examination or in getting admitted into higher institutions with fraudulent pre-requisites.

    Leadership in Islam

    In Islam, leadership is so sacrosanct that the Prophet never relented in warning all leaders and aspirants to leadership about the delicate nature of ruling the people. In his farewell sermon, he reminded the Muslim Ummah that leadership is a great responsibility entrusted to an individual by the society as sanctioned by the Almighty Allah. The Prophet also admonished the people on their responsibility to both the state and leadership quoting Qur’an 4, Verse 59 thus:

    “Oh you, who believe, Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (of Allah) and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you do believe in Allah and the last day. That is best and most suitable for final determination”

    However, he did not stop there. He went further to explain that obedience to those charged with authority is conditioned by their own obedience to God in their deeds as well as the rule of law that governs them. In one of his statements, he said there is no obedience or loyalty to any human being, ruler or otherwise, who is not himself, obedient to God and the rule of law. He concluded that: “Whoever entrusts a man to a public office, where, in his society, there is a better man than this trustee, has betrayed the trust of God and His Messenger as well as the people of that society”.

    The Prophet’s Exemplary Leadership

    The exemplary leadership of the Prophet and his great teachings were scrupulously followed by the Caliphs who succeeded him in office.

     When, shortly after the Prophet’s demise, Abubakr was elected as the first Caliph, his primary objective was to continue the pious administration which the Prophet left behind. He took the mantle of leadership with which he was saddled as a responsibility to Allah.

    In his acceptance speech as new Head of State, he addressed the people as follows: “Oh people behold me charged with the cares of government. Yet, I am not the best of you. In carrying out this great responsibility, I need your advice and assistance. If you find me doing well, please support me. If I make mistake, counsel me.

    To tell the truth to a person commissioned to rule is faithful allegiance. So long I obey God and act according to law, obey me. But if I neglect the law of God and His Prophet, I have no more right to your obedience. The strong among you shall have no right over the weak on the basis of his strength. Neither shall there be any room for sycophancy, nepotism or undue favouritism. Authority, power and sovereignty belong to God in whose hand is dominion over all things….”

    From the foregoing, and contrary to what is happening today, especially in Nigeria, it is clear that leadership is a privilege rather than anybody’s right. It is a public trust which should not be betrayed under any circumstance. It is a responsibility to be carried out, not just with human face but with human heart as well. It is a humane and not sadistic public duty. It is a covenant between God and rulers on the one hand and rulers and the ruled on the other. It is a measure of conscience, piety and discipline. No one who is bereft of these traits should be entrusted with leadership.

    Other Caliphs after Abubakr followed suit and lived ascetic lives despite their access to unlimited state resources. Ali bn Abi-Talib, in particular, did not limit those qualities to himself. He extended them to his appointed Governors.

    While appointing Malik bn Ashtar as the Governor of Egypt he gave him certain instructions in writing and admonished him to follow those instructions to the letter in his governance in that country. Please read those instructions soon in this column and compare them with what obtains in Nigeria especially when new rulers are taking the so-called oath of office.

  • How muslims write will

    How muslims write will

    Preamble

    One of the obligatory Islamic duties which most Muslims take for granted is the writing of will. For every Muslim adult, male or female, writing a will is not a matter of choice. It is statutorily obligatory. But not many Muslims know this.

    The general thinking is that writing a will is only for old people who are close to death or those who are very rich. This does not only contradict the concept of Islam about death, it also contravenes the principle laid down in Islam about will writing. No one knows when death will come. An octogenarian may continue to live while a man or woman of twenties or thirties may die. The healthy may die while the sick lives.

    The circumstances of life in this age of technology which cause death are very unpredictable. Thus, death may come to anybody at any time.

    One of the advantages of Tafsir in the sacred month of Ramadan is to disseminate knowledge especially on sensitive but fundamental issues often over-sighted by most Muslims. Writing a will is one of such issues. Will in Islam is called wasiyyah. It is a very significant means of providing a flexible instrument of transferring estate or a fraction of it to those who not heirs.

    Wassiyyah basically means a bequest of assets and debts to others after one’s death. It depicts the differences between gift given out personally and one’s behave. Unlike hibah which means a gift in one’s life time, wasiyyah is a gift delivered to the beneficiary after the death of the giver.

    In Islam, writing a will is not about bequeathal of wealth per se. It is rather more about the explanation of certain things in the life of the will writer which were not known to his or her family members, relatives and close associates. For instance, if the concerned will writer did not pay Zakah when he was able to pay it, or he was indebted but did not disclose it to his relatives or if something is entrusted to him in confidence or even if he made a promise to someone without the knowledge of his relatives, it is incumbent upon him to include such matters in his will. This is to clear any possible ambiguity or doubt about his relationship with other people while alive.

    Writing of will by Muslims is ordained by the Almighty Allah in Q.2:180 thus:

    “It is decreed that when death approaches, those of you that leave wealth shall bequeath it equitably to parents and kindred. This is a duty incumbent upon the righteous. He that alters that (the will) after hearing it shall be accountable for his crime. Allah is all-Hearing, all-knowing.”

     Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was also reported by Bukhari and Muslim as saying that “Any Muslim who has something to bequest should not pass two nights without writing his will”. And Ibn Majah also reported a narration from Jabir quoting the Prophet as saying those who die leaving will behind died in the path truth and righteousness and they shall receive the forgiveness of Allah” 

    Ordinarily, in Islam, a Muslim has no right to share his property among his off springs or relatives by his own whim. The Islamic way of bequeathing inheritance has been divinely spelt out clearly in the Qur’an. And that is a different topic entirely not to be lumped with the issue of writing will.

    Who should write a will and how?

     If a will must be written according to Islamic prescription then the writer of such a will must be a Muslim. He must have attained the age of maturity. He must be sane. He must use an understandable language and clearly identify himself in his will. He must also append his signature and date to every page of such will. There must be witnesses to the writing of the will and those witnesses must also identify themselves clearly and duly sign the space left for them in the will.

    But if the will is to be orally recorded, the voice of the will recorder must be very audible with understandable language. The executors as well as the trustees of the will must be clearly named and if necessary, described to avoid any confusion that may arise from similarity of names. In the case writing, four original copies must be produced. And one each must be given to the four appointed executors. No one of the executors must know another and no photocopy should be produced for any reason. This is to prevent any possible leakage or connivance that may lead to betrayal of trust. Every appointed executor must be an acknowledged trustworthy person of integrity.

    Read Also: ‘Nigeria imports $4b steel yearly’

    Contents of the will

     An Islamic will should contain the following facts as a matter of necessity:

    •Listing the all assets

    •Listing all liabilities including debts, unpaid Zakah, promises made but not yet fulfilled, entrusted property, illegal acquisition in the possession of the bequether. 

    •Listing the wives, the children and other legitimate beneficiaries including the parents and siblings. All these must be clearly spelt out without mentioning the amount or share due to each beneficiary. 

    •Listing of special bequest and testamentary transfer  and endowment as well as the names of the beneficiaries. All these must be clearly spelt out.

    •Appointing a guardian or trustee for minor children until such children attain maturity

    •Specific sections of the will may be addressed to the wife/wives and children

    •The will must be updated from time to time and each latest copy must be given to the trustees and the old ones withdrawn for destruction.

    •The executors must not know the trustees. And the trustees must not take part in the execution of the will. Their duty is to ensure that the executors comply with the letters of the will.

    Outside the will

     Some facts not to be included in the inheritance aspect of the will of a Muslim are as follows:

    A non-Muslim child of a Muslim will-maker or an illegitimate child or a murderer (one who kills his parent) should not be included in the list of those to inherit because they are not qualified to inherit a Muslim parent under Islamic law. If, however, the will maker feels strongly about giving his non-Muslim child something from his estate, this may be contained in the aspect concerning testamentary transfer. Ditto the non-Muslim wife and illegitimate child. But the total aggregate of what a Muslim can will out to those not qualified for inheritance should not exceed one third of the entire estate after the deduction of debts.

    The idea of one third came about from a conversation between Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Sa’d bn Abi Waqqas. The latter had sought the Prophet’s permission to bequest his entire estate to certain people and groups. The Prophet said ‘NO’. He, (Waqqas), then said what of half? And the Prophet said ‘NO’. Then he said what of half? The Prophet at that stage reluctantly gave a go ahead indicating that even the one third was too much concluding that “it is better to leave your heirs rich than poor”. Thus, the final approval became a Prophetic tradition which Muslim must abide by. This means that one third is the maximum a Muslim can bequest to anybody in his will outside the inheritance bracket. 

    Islam does not allow Muslims to write bequest or make will for those who are legitimately eligible as heirs. Therefore, anybody who is qualified to inherit cannot be included in the will for any gift.

    The copies of the will may be given to banks or any other corporate institutions like courts for safe keeping without the knowledge of the beneficiaries. But there must be witnesses to the keeping of such document in bank or court. A Muslim must not wait until death approaches before he writes his will. Neither should he wait until he becomes rich before doing same. Writing a will for a Muslim must begin as soon as he marries. And what is applicable to men in this case is equally applicable to women.

  • Who owns the Schools ? 2

    Who owns the Schools ? 2

    By Kadijat Braimah

    “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we (should) fail to protest (against injustice).”  By Elie Wiesel

    Preamble

    This is one of the very rare occasions when this column, ‘The Message’, is compelled to serialize an article. The last time that such occurred was a decade ago.  That this article is being serialized now is a child of necessity. Ordinarily, professional Journalists who know their onions often strive to avoid serialization of articles except if it becomes a necessity like on this occasion. Generally, serialization of articles which often enables good readers to distinguish between professional journalists and mere writers has the tendency of leaving a sour taste in the mouth. 

    However, the seriousness of this article and the referential importance of its contents are the factors that necessitate its inevitable serialization. Surely, some serious-minded readers of this column who are intellectually inclined will appreciate the assertion here especially when the implications of the Appeal court on that case vis a vis the provisions of Nigerian constitution is taken into consideration. The delicate case of Hijab wearing by female pupils in public schools, whether in Lagos State or elsewhere, cannot be separated from the big but unnecessary question of who owns Nigerian public schools in the 21st century.

    Problem of Diversity  

    One good thing about life generally is the ability of the phenomenon called environment to conveniently accommodate the positive angle of life along with the negative angle despite their seeming incompatibility. This means that diversity may not be an oddity after all. It may serve a more purposeful end than humanly perceived. Perhaps that is why the Almighty Allah created all living things in twins of males and females as well as in couples of colours and hues. Yet, despite their natural differences they manage to cohabit without any visible rancour.

    Of all the creatures on earth, only human beings believe and emphasize the problem of incompatibility. At least we know that on a single farm land, all sorts of plants ranging from sugarcane to bitter leaf trees grow and cohabit without any visible rancour. And in the ecosystem, (forests or oceans) both the herbivours and carnivours coexist without threatening their habitats. It is only among human beings that the well fed rejoice in preventing the hungry ones from feeding even on remnants. With regard to this manifest situation, what is true of human beings in temporal life is equally true of them in spiritual life. Otherwise, how can some people who are claiming to be of faith insist on preventing others from covering their heads according to the tenets of their faith in a co-financed commonwealth affair when those of others do not prevent the half-naked ones from walking about in nudity despite the natural eyesore that the latter constitutes?     

    Genesis of Schools Takeover

    According to Dr. Amiel M. Fagbulu (quoted copiously in the first leg of this article last Friday), “the take-over of schools has not been reported upon sufficiently for most people to understand the nefariousness and Machiavellian dimensions attached to it. To start with, it meant loss of income to some proprietors who were actually milking the people while pretending that they were magnanimously making sacrifices for them. Next is the falsehood that the governments did not pay compensation to proprietors. Another was that it was the federal government’s decree that made takeover final and legal. Last but not the least is that by retaining their names government had conceded that take-over was just in name alone. There are other false assumptions that will be dealt with as they are made”.

    Fagbulu continues thus: “the takeover of schools was a final act of dissociation of former proprietors from ownership of their schools. The schools no longer belong to them. To talk of Muslim or Christian schools that are run with public funds is absolute nonsense. Any school that is run with public money is a public school. All others are private institutions at whatever level and by whatever name”.

    The Question of Compensation

    Also as a continuation of his expert treatise on education in Nigeria, Fagbulu further elucidated on the question of compensation for proprietors of old missionary and privately owned schools in Nigeria as follows: “the question of compensation was raised by the proprietors of most of the Christian- and Muslim-based schools. In the West (of Nigeria), the only bodies I clearly remember as handing over schools voluntarily and with no conditions attached were the Seventh Day Adventist group and Adeola Odutola who owned a fairly good secondary school at Ijebu-Ode. The noisiest ones were sole proprietors who individually owned schools. The discussions were preliminary and informal exchanges to advise both sides before the final decision was taken. The government of the Western State was glad to oblige but what silenced the demand were the conditions put to the proprietors based on government’s sense of fairness to the taxpayers whose funds had been utilised”. They were as follows:

    •“Proprietors would calculate their investment on all structures in the school including the land (x) which by the education laws of the time must be registered in perpetuity in the name of the school (at least in the West)

    •Proprietors would compute the total amount they had incurred in running the school from inception to date of takeover (y)

    •Proprietors would compile a list of the value of all gifts and donations the school had received (p)

    •Government would compile the value of all grants (general and special) that it had paid to the school up to the time of takeover (q). 

    •Compensation to proprietors would be C = [(x + y) – (p + q)]”

    Fagbulu’s personal comment

    When the discerning proprietors among them did the Arithmetic and found out that they would be seriously indebted to government at the end of the exercise, they blinked and went silent. A funny footnote to the exercise was the demand of one or two proprietors who wanted to be paid for their ‘brand’ name. Government had no use for their names anyway and when they eventually lost, they pleaded with government to kindly retain those names, a demand which was graciously granted”.

    His further comments

    “Heritage has at least two dimensions. Your child can only make claims to what belongs to you. That is one form of heritage. The other like UNESCO’s heritage, relates to values. The pleasure derived from listening to Sunny Ade’s music or reading Achebe’s books are golden gems they have bequeathed to the world. Achebe collects his royalty forever, which means that it is a heritage of his children. We who acclaim and cherish the books are not beneficiaries of the pecuniary offerings. Similarly UNESCO helps preserve those monuments in Egypt say, but it is the Egyptian government and people that own the monuments. The government, when it took over schools took over the land, the structures on them, and the responsibility to continue to run schools. Those who are capitalising on Heritage can be assured that it is their’s to cherish and share with the world. They are free to do so”.

    Analytical deduction

    In his analytical deduction on the unwarranted controversy over the ownership of public schools in Nigeria, then Octogenarian education expert revealed an eye witness account as follows: “A few students imported the Dancing Club from the Higher College, Yaba to the University College, Ibadan.

    We started the Bug and later others started the original Cult that was not malevolent. They are part of the history of that institution. The good things keep going from generation to generation and those who cherish them regard them as part of things to be retained forever. Heritage in the sense people are talking about it will survive on its own if the generations want them. There is no law that new influences cannot add their own quota before they pass away. There is nothing stopping those being locked out today from leaving their imprints that will be cherished behind”.

    He continued: “The form for the annual census of schools provides for three categories of ‘girls only’, ‘boys only’ and mixed schools. It is the responsibility of government to determine which of its public schools will be designated in any of the three categories. As a part of the process of development if it becomes necessary to alter the gender status of any school especially from a mixed to a single gender and vice-versa, it may be necessary to do some juggling of names. For instance a St. Agnes Girls’ School cannot become mixed and still retain its name. However it could become St. Agnes High School or something equally appropriate without much loss of identity. While the use of adjectives like Junior, Senior, Middle, High, and Primary are helpful indicators of level, those of gender like boy’s, girl’s, and mixed are pointless tautologies as names go. A St. Agnes should have no trouble ministering to both girls and boys, or doing whatever saints are supposed to do for both genders”.

    Elderly Advice

    “Government should not exert any serious effort to take on the trivial exercise of changing the names of schools for the mere fun of it. There must however be rhyme and rhythm in naming schools. Changing the name of an institution will always generate some heat. University of Ife alumni protested to the heavens but UNIFE is today OAU and the heavens have not fallen. It should be possible to reconcile all views with no ulterior motives through dialogue”.

    False Claim

    According to Pa Fagbulu, “the claim that the federal government enforced the takeover is false. Those who are old enough will remember that the exercise was not uniformly executed across the country. The Catholics put up a very tenacious resistance in the East and that slowed implementation. Some states only half-heartedly carried it out simply because Education has always been on the concurrent list and no central government could successfully enforce such a complex maneuver at a swoop even under the military. Decrees merely backed the intention of governments and the people who had spoken through Asabia”.

    He went further thus: “One lingering and unfortunate consequence of the takeover of schools is the undeniable fact that standards of education have fallen over the years since the takeover. It is in no way a direct consequence of the proposal but one of implementation by government. In fact the takeover was to be a new beginning whereby the following would take place in the spirit of Adefarasin and Asabia (recommendations): “

    1.         All existing and new schools would be registered: that implied that the basic minimum requirements for providing good education would be provided in all schools irrespective of who was the proprietor. That would satisfy the demand of the NUT that all educational institutions should provide equal facilities for the children to learn and the teachers to teach.

    2.         All schools would be bound by the same rules and treated equally when being assessed in respect of management, number and quality of staffing, and other areas that deal with the evaluation of the outcome of learning. I had the unpleasant duty of writing to the government of the Western State to give notice of closure in respect of the famous Government College, Ibadan of which I was by law the stand-in proprietor on behalf of the government, due to poor accommodation and general neglect. That decadence as it developed had shown that governments could default in providing fully for their schools and that any measure to avoid that unfortunate situation must be a corner-stone of any changes.

    3.         All schools would have properly constituted Boards of Governor to oversee the management of the schools as outlined in law. That body would be independent and good enough to get governments to act appropriately in funding schools”.

    Naked Truth

    “At the primary school level in particular, the Local Education Authorities have been greatly handicapped to the extent that it is difficult to believe that they exist at all. The (naked) truth is that governments have increasingly been unable to fund education adequately and though the rates might have been perhaps slower, the rot would have set in anyway if even schools had not been taken over”.

    Read Also: STEM education key to Nigeria’s economic growth – NACETEM DG

    Undiluted Fact

     Commenting on the recent hullaballoo over Hijab and ownership of schools in Osun State, the Message observed as follows: “It is regrettable that a respected body like CAN can display so much ignorance in respect of education in Nigeria. To start with, the State of Osun like the rest of Nigeria cannot discriminate in the provision of educational facilities on the basis of gender or religion. Secondly CAN is operating from a false premise that some schools are Christian schools. All public schools belong to all the people irrespective of their religious beliefs”.

    “If we Christians want to have schools over which we will have full control the constitution provides for that. Finally the history of the take-over of schools credited to Gowon is also false. The take-over of schools was a direct consequence of the Asabia Commission and I was the originator of the idea with my colleagues who served after me as advisers to that body”.

    Reason for the Brouhaha

    “A main reason for that action was that the proprietors who received grants from government and fleeced parents through high fees made education very expensive. In spite of not investing their own money in education they failed to pay teachers on time if at all; they tyrannized teachers; they even went as far as not promoting teachers on merit especially if those teachers belonged to other denominations. CAN should please do its research and acknowledge that Adefarasin emancipated teachers and Asabia, its sub-committee recommended the procedures for achieving that end, If CAN needs being educated on this issue, I will oblige. In the meantime it should stop spreading falsehood.  Aregbesola may or may not be guilty of wanting to Islamize Osun; that is not my concern here. Accusing him of using education is however not true.”

    Conclusion

    Concluding, Dr. Fagbulu said: “it should be reiterated that public schools belong to the people and that government as the representative of the people has the responsibility to determine the future of education and the direction and shape schools take. There is no problem of education that cannot be solved through dialogue if those involved are sincere and have no hidden agenda. And for the sake of our children let us take interest in education and make constructive inputs. Government should take the lead and we should walk and work with it all the way”.

    Notice: Dr. Amiel M. Fagbulu is still alive and he can be reached through the following email address: amiel.fagbulu@ymail.com

    For futher details, and confirmation of the above quoted facts, see Vanguard of Thursday, October 17, 2013

  • Who owns the Schools?

    Who owns the Schools?

    Preamble

    Experiences of life keep informing us of what people and institutions really are against what they are presumed to be. It is quite unfortunate that Africans, especially Nigerians, whose livelihood still depends heavily on the imitation of the misconduct of European colonialists, without considering the implications of such imitation, are the ones proclaiming civilization in Nigeria’s contemporary times. The Yoruba elite of the South West of Nigeria are particularly guilty of this cultural bastardization.  They are the ones who believe that the ability to speak and write the colonial language called English is what constitutes civilization. With the foreign languages permanently on their tongues, they have bartered their African brains for European brains.

    Unlike the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria and the Hausa people of the North, the Yoruba elite have become a serious embarrassment to their cultural pedigree through the relegation of their linguistic heritage. To them, the legacy of their ancestral lineage is a primordial shame not worth to be called a modern heritage. Thus, in their homes as well as in their public and private discussions, the language of communication is invariably English. And whoever is incapable of speaking Queen’s English or writing Shakespearean prose is considered primitive and unfit to live in cities and towns.

    It is, culturally, a laughable orientation attributable only to a tribe of black people who prefer to substitute their naturally endowed culture for that of the wild white people and thereby getting lost in the wilderness of cultural confusion. How can such people who are deeply engrossed in colonial mentality believe in the cultural emancipation of others? Today’s article is not meant for discussing the details of this fundamental aberration that chains a people to the apron of perpetual colonialism. Another day in the near future will do.

    Reactions to Appeal Court Ruling in Lagos    

    Reactions of various colours and hues have been trailing on the ruling of the Appeal court in Lagos State in respect of a litigation over Hijab wearing in public schools by Muslim female pupils in that State. But every reaction seems to be an exhibition of antecedent and level of civility on the part of those who have been reacting to it. The ruling was not the first to be pronounced by a Nigerian court of competent jurisdiction concerning Hijab wearing in public schools. It was preceded by a High Court ruling in the same State some years ago and we can still vividly remember the reactions that trailed it.

    When a Lagos High Court ruling that prompted an appeal by the litigants in Hijab case was pronounced in 2013, there were various reactions which have not lost on us. The affected Muslims, at that time, who got the wrong side of the judgment, did not bring fanaticism into it. They did not take the law into their hands by threatening fire and brimstone. Rather, they simply exhibited civility and adherence to the rule of law by appealing to a higher court. That is civilization in all its ramifications.

    Precedent   

    The unnecessary controversy over the right of wearing Hijab in public schools by Muslim female pupils in those schools is not peculiar to Lagos State. A similar court pronouncement was made in an Osun State High Court not long ago and we know the reactions that trailed it. So we cannot be alarmed by any inflammatory reaction to the court ruling from any quarter since we are familiar with its trend as far as such quarters are concerned. The original aim of writing on this topic today is neither to celebrate any victory nor to vilify any recalcitrance. But to congratulate the Lagos State Muslims on their civilized behaviour throughout the period of the case and to further encourage them to stick to the upholding of the rule of law in all circumstances including one of unwarranted provocation.

    Meanwhile, the outcome of that case has thrown open a fundamental question which had for long remained tacit. Who owns the public schools in Nigeria generally and in Lagos State in particular? This question becomes germane not because of last week’s ruling that was more about freedom of religion and dressing but because of the future of our children who may have cause to ask questions and may want to get the relevant and appropriate answers. The fundamental question of ‘who owns the schools’ deserves a fundamental answer that may become a reference point for our children in future. Luckily, yours sincerely needed not labouring much before answering that question. A foremost Nigerian educationist of Yoruba extraction (from Ilesa in Osun State) who incidentally happens to be a Christian has provided the right answer in his (unpublished) professorial book entitled  ‘DEFINING THE FUTURE OF NIGERIAN EDUCATION’ which he wrote about November 2012. In chapter 2 of that book, Pa Fagbulu traced thoroughly the history of schools take-over in Nigeria. The chapter was titled ‘THE OWNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA’.

    Excerpt rom the Book

    An excerpt from the book may be of useful reference to any intellectually   endowed Nigerian who may be in need of such a reference now or in future. It goes thus: 

    “Certain events in recent days make it imperative to clarify the issue of who owns schools in Nigeria. This search is complicated by the antecedents that define the history and development of Western education in the country. It is useful therefore to open the search with a brief digression into the history of that type of education with the view of gaining an understanding of the forces that shaped their development from their inception till today.

    It is pedestrian to repeat that Western-type education was an import of European missionaries and that the environment in which they propagated their type of education was entirely their personal or collective business, that is until government started meddling in the missionaries’ affairs. That movement started in England where some mainly rich do-gooders felt greatly concerned about the appalling conditions in which children of the poor worked and lived. Coupled with that was the horrendous imagery of the inhuman trade in slaves that filtered to these Christian countries to disturb the serenity of their conscience and awaken the humane elements in them that drove some to seek redemption in Christian deeds that included stopping the slave trade and making legal provisions to assist missionary schools at home and abroad. It must be acknowledged that saving the souls of those poor children was a professed and serious reason of those do-gooders who were so damn serious about that fixation that derived from the fervor of their religion.

    Historical Background

    Education in England was not planned. Ordinances and education codes that were enacted as when needed were the main sources for policy formulation over a period of about 130 years from about 1820 to the time of Nigerian self-government. Some years after they were established and applied in England. These bills, codes and ordinances found their way to the colonies where the colonial governments were obliged to adopt and apply them.

    Concerned and interested missionary and other groups took the initiative to establish schools and government’s concern was that the purpose for which they were established should be fulfilled. This development implied that sufficient assistance needed to be given to the schools to ensure that they survive to fulfill their dual role of harboring those freed from slavery along the West Coast and providing skills that would serve more the needs of the missionaries than the provision of life skills for those who were lured to go to, and who stayed long enough at school. The children in these institutions provided the fodder for missionaries to use in order to benefit from the fiscal intervention of governments in the form of badly needed grants”.

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    Source of Funds in Public Schools

    “Whichever face one puts on it, the bottom line was that governments became the major sources of funds without which the missionaries would have to go begging at home or abroad. They never adopted the option of closing schools; they persevered and made do with whatever they had. Under those conditions ‘schools’ could sink to any depth of badness. It was to obviate that possibility that governments at home and in the colonies accepted responsibility for ensuring that what was offered to the children especially of the poor in England and the converted in Africa would at least be of some benefit to them. That was how government got dragged into the business of assisting schools.

    The promise of grants-in-aid ensured that schools had reliable sources of funding if they attained defined standards.  So the giving of grants was a crucial factor in the rate at which new schools were opened and old ones expanded or improved qualitatively. The fact that schools did desperate things to get listed for grants speaks the obvious that grants have always been the lifeline of almost all missionary schools.

    We are lucky that the whole grants-in-aid saga is properly documented in the Phillipson Report. However, since that document is not widely available to the generality of people I have taken the liberty to use some segment of my writings (Chapter 2 of my unpublished book DEFINING THE FUTURE OF NIGERIAN EDUCATION, November, 2012) here.

    The Grants-in-aid Report

    “This brief highlight is about the financial assistance that government gave to schools across West Africa as an instrument for improving the quality of instruction being offered to the children in those areas. 

    The first purely Nigerian Education Ordinance was enacted in 1887. The Board of Education that assumed prominence at this time was empowered to use certain criteria to give grants to different levels from infant, through primary and secondary, to industrial schools. The Board even had the discretion to offer the sum of £10 to poor students to further their education at the secondary level. This and most of what follows come from the Phillipson Report,

    Phillipson Report

    As early as 1890 the familiar problems arising from the use of untrained ‘teachers’ in schools had become pronounced and problematic. Not only did demand outstrip supply, but many areas that also wanted schools could not be serviced. The consequence was that government had to step in to fill some gaps by establishing its own schools in areas where missionary influence was negligible. By so doing those schools became ‘models’ for the fund-strapped mission schools to copy.  (The Education Code of 1908)

    There were therefore generically three types of schools; the government, the mission, and the assisted schools.  Although the so-called government schools were government ‘owned’, the reality was that the local chiefs and Native Courts as appropriate were responsible for the buildings and their maintenance.  In fact, the recurrent cost for which government was supposedly responsible was covered in part by public funds.

    The 1916 Regulation abolished the ‘payment-by-result’ procedure of making grants to schools. That was replaced with a better one that took cognizance of the overall efficiency of schools. The immediate effect of this change was a rapid increase in the number of assisted schools. The carefully spelt-out conditions included visit(s) from inspectors. This in turn led to the increased and improved capability of the Department of Education to monitor the appalling and dubious quality of schools in the regions that the Governor-General had commented upon

    Important Information

    What is of importance in this narrative is that from as long ago as 1887 public fund had gone into the running costs of assisted schools. Second, government had actually transferred some of its own schools to the missions in the mid-fifties of the 19th century as contained at p.24 of that very authoritative report. This information has been ignored or denied by the missions when government had cause to reverse this trend more than 80 years later when the grant-in-aid system was being grossly exploited and abused mainly by private proprietors.

    After a thorough review of the grants-in-aid system which included one of the best documented and most authoritative writings on education for the period 1842 to 1946, Phillipson made his landmark and well received recommendations under the following heads (pp.93-98):

    1.         Division of the grants-in-aid vote

    2.         A national teaching profession

    3.         Separation scheme for non-Government certificated teachers

    4.         Staff and organization of the Education Department in relation to the new grant-in-aid proposals

    5.         Procedure in connection with the report: implementation.

    Documentation

     He (Phillipson) then went out specifically to make the following recommendations (p.99):

    1.         i.   That, in suitable areas and as an experiment, Native Administrations should be encouraged to introduce local education or school rates. (Paragraph 41 (b)).

    2.         ii.  That the Native Authority Ordinance, 1934, be amended so as to allow of local education or school rates being applied to the support of approved Voluntary Agency schools (Paragraph 41 (b)).

    3.         iii. That grants in aid of the recurrent recognized expenses of schools and teacher training institutions under regulations 1 to 32 and 34 of the grant-in-aid regulation be classified as Nigerian expenditure and that grant-in-aid of capital and “special purposes” expenditure under regulation 33 should be classified as regional expenditure. (Paragraph 41(f)).

    4.         iv.  That, subject to further consideration in connection with the first allocations of revenue to the Regions due to take place in July next, the special vote ( E150,000 in the 1948-49) Estimates) for Northern Educational Development should also be classified as Nigerian expenditure.

    5.         v.  That the provision in the Nigerian Estimates for grants in aid of recurrent recognized expenses of schools and teacher training institutions should constitute a division of the Nigeria Estimate under Head 32-Education, the arrangement being as proposed in Paragraph 48.

    6.         vi.  That the question of establishing national scales for certificated teachers, whether employed by the government, Native Administrations, Local Authorities or approved Voluntary Agencies, should be considered by the Director of Education in consultation with the authorities concerned.(paragraph 49)

    7.         vii. That the general procedure after the publication of this report should be as outlined in Paragraph 52

    8.         viii.   That for the better administration of the scheme proposed, the Senior Service establishment of the Education Department should be strengthened, particularly at the Provincial level. (Paragraph 51)

    9.         ix.  That the method of payment of grants in aid of primary schools should be as outlined in paragraph 45 (n) and that action should be concerted accordingly between the Education Department and the Accountant-General’s Department as part of the work preparatory to bringing the regulations into effect on 1st January,1949.

    10.       x. That the Government should definitely accept liability for the retiring benefit of non-Government teachers under the proposed superannuation scheme. (Paragraph 50)  

    “The most relevant part of the Phillipson Report for the 1960s was that the question of establishing national scales for certificated teachers, whether employed by the government, Native Administrations, Local Authorities or approved Voluntary Agencies, should be considered by the Director of Education in consultation with the authorities concerned. (Paragraph 49)

    Further details on the ownership of schools will be published in this column soon in sha’Allah.

  • A Guest of integrity

    A Guest of integrity

    Preamble

    Guests, everywhere in the world, are of different types. Some are of honour and treated with integrity because of their acknowledged robe of dignity. Some are bereft of honour but merely tolerated for their nuisance value. Each time we talk of guests, people invariably think only of humans in the erroneous belief that no other creature could be qualified for that title. What such people don’t seem to know is that humans are just a fraction of Allah’s creatures. There are millions of other creatures not often noticed by man. One of such creatures is the environment of which season is a part.

    Phenomenal Creature

    The phenomenal creature called season comes in different forms with different intensity and at different times of the year.

    Seasons are like the tides of an ocean. They roll out spirally in quick succession and reshape the world’s environment from time to time as they come in multiples of months. No one measures a season in the absence of months as there can be no seasons without months.

    Seasonal Visitor

    In a few days’ time, a unique guest will arrive in the world with the grandeur of integrity. Its arrival will be the divine catalyst with which the long awaited human respite for the currently prevailing global machinations will be ushered in.

    Europeans have so much respect for seasons that whenever they have an important guest they call him an ‘August visitor’. The month of August is the peak of summer season and the most comfortable month of hospitality for the Caucasian race of Europe hence the term.

    In Islam, the most venerable guest is the month of Ramadan. Its visiting time is not restricted to any particular season. Its arrival in the world may coincide with that of any season. That sacred month is therefore the guest of all seasons.

    With Ramadan as a guest, not only the Muslims but the entire humanity is consciously or unconsciously engaged in hospitable activities. Those who cannot fast in it do take advantage of its presence to sell or buy some relevant needs and wants. Thus, there can be no indifference to the awful presence of Ramadan in any part of the world.

    I recall the vivid description given this sacred month in ‘THE MESSAGE’   column some time ago which is still as relevant now as it was then. It went thus:

    “Once every year, something creeps into the world like the early morning light. It moves kaleidoscopically into an arena where the centre becomes its stool. It lifts its veil and beams a special focus on the world with an arresting attention in the days. It envelops the nights in a shroud of covenant linking the dream of man with its fulfillment”.

    Its journey

    “No one except Allah knows Ramadan’s port of embarkation. No human being knows its destination. All we know of it is that of a guest that is so vividly present in our world and yet so physically invisible. RAMADAN is the name by which it is divinely christened. Its coming is often heralded by a retinue of envoys. The months of ‘Rajab’ and ‘Sha’ban’ are the immediate escorts that alert mankind of its imminent arrival. Like the sun in the midst of stars, Ramadan ascends the throne in full regalia and all other months, (lunar and solar) quickly take their bow.

    Call it the king where other months are chiefs and you will be dead right. Call it the doctor in a world of sick people and you will not be wrong. Call it the compass in the wilderness of straying humanity and you would have spoken the truth. Call it the reformer of human soul; the sterilizer of human spirit as well as the purifier of human body and you will not be disputed. In its entourage are equally invisible ministers such as piety, knowledge, truth, justice and peace, all of which usher it into the world with splendor”.

    Connotation of Its Name

    Deriving its name from a natural healing phenomenon, this ninth lunar month called Ramadan is truly baking in effect.

    The word:  Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramd (meaning baking). The name had been in existence before the advent of Islamic calendar. It was coined from a baking summer that immediately followed a freezing winter. Ever since, Ramadan’s mission has been to firm up all loose ends in the life of man. And it does that with a touch of perfection”.

    Its mission

    In Ramadan, the entire month of 30 or 29 days is spent by Muslim believers in fasting from dawn to dusk. Such fasting is not about abstinence from foods and drinks alone. It is also about self-restraint from all sinful acts and self-equipment with a reign of impeccable discipline.  More importantly, it is about repackaging of one’s destiny through a new but sincere resolution.

    Fasting during this sacred month is believed to figuratively burn away all sins. It was in this glorious month that the revelation of the divinely reformative Book of guidance called the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) first began.

    In the sacred month of Ramadan, all gates of paradise, according to the Prophet, are open while those of hell are closed. The first ten days in it are blessings galore for those of the Muslim Ummah who need blessings and seek for them. The next ten days personify forgiveness for those who realize the gravity of their sinful acts, repent on them and resolve never to return to such acts again. Thus, Ramadan is far, far beyond a month. It is really a season that serves as a template for other seasons.

    Its anchor leg

    The last ten days in that sacred month are like a spiritual inoculation meant to liberate genuinely faithful Muslims from any satanic ailment that can lead to doom.  Whoever is liberated with that inoculation automatically becomes like a new born baby arriving in a new world with a ‘tabula rasa’ (clean slate).

    The Night of Power

    It is in these last ten days of Ramadan that a particular night called Laylatul Qadr in which the secret of human destiny is encapsulated. The night is otherwise known as the ‘Night of power’. Meeting that night consciously and spiritually is like securing the key to one’s own apartment in Paradise. The proviso, however, is that one needs to remain awake throughout those nights to be fortunate to meet the D night.

    Allah did not disclose even to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which particular night of the sacred month of Ramadan is called Laylatul Qadr. But by asking the Muslims to look for it in the odd nights of the last ten days, the Prophet has helped the rightly guided Muslim Ummah tremendously. However, who can be so sure of the odd nights when the issue of sighting the crescent before starting Ramadan often remains controversial?

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    Also, during the last ten days of Ramadan, some willing Muslims, in accordance with the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), do go for Umrah in Makkah or take to I’tikaf (spiritual seclusion) locally, to reaffirm their total submission to Allah. Following this is a session of charity made compulsory for all Muslims irrespective of age, gender and status, to give to the poor and the needy. This is called Zakatul Fitr or Sadaqatul Fitr.

     It is given in the very early morning of Ramadan Festival Day or the night before it to enable the poor and the needy celebrate the festival with the Ummah in a festive mood.

    Anti-climax

    The first day of the month of Shawwal immediately after Ramadan which is traditionally spent in great celebrations with rejoice and observed as ‘Fast-Breaking Festival’ (Eidul Fitr) by Muslims is the anti-climax of Ramadan month.

    Where else can one find a guest like Ramadan? Where else can one meet a guest that hosts his supposed hosts and heals mankind of ignorance and physical diseases? It was probably more to Ramadan than to man that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) referred when he said: “whoever believes in Allah and the ‘Last Day’ should venerate his guest” That guest is Ramadan. That is why Muslims often say in this unique month: ‘RAMADAN KARIM’ which means ‘Venerable Ramadan’.

    Preparation

    To start or end fasting in Ramadan, sighting of the crescent is just symbolic. The indices of recognizing when to start or end the month are naturally vivid to those who care.

    Ramadan is not preceded by two glorious lunar months of Rajab and Sha’ban for fun. The number of days in those two months is to enable any serious Muslim know the time of the arrival of Ramadan and prepare for it. No lunar month exceeds 30 days and none is less than 29 days.

    Crescent or no crescent, it is very possible and easy to know when to start Ramadan every year without waiting to be prompted. The confusion often created by the sighting of the crescent is therefore avoidable. If Rajab is 30 or 29 days, no one looks for the crescent before starting Sha’ban. As soon as Rajab ends, Sha’ban starts with little or no controversy at all.

    Dynamism

    Islam is a dynamic religion and nothing should be rigid about the sighting of the crescent before starting Ramadan. Sighting the crescent is not the only condition for commencing fasting in the great month. After all, the new crescent is not necessarily visible to all eyes at any given time in any locality. That is why a few Muslims who may be privileged to sight it are implored to invite some others to witness it and then inform the recognized authorities who will in turn, announce the arrival of Ramadan to the Muslim community in the locality or region.

    Besides Faith (Iman) and Hajj (which are the first and last pillars of Islam), nothing else in the sacred religion is really globally uniform in practical terms with regards to timing. The variation in the geography of the earth has legitimized the variation of time in the observance of Salat, Sawm and Zakat. The over 2.1 billion Muslims in the world today cannot commence Ramadan fasting on the same day or the same hour. Iman is global because it resides permanently in the hearts of the believers irrespective of their localities. Hajj is equally global because it is performed in only one place at a particular time.

    Geographical factor

    Where a gap of about nine to eleven hours exists between one part of the world and another, talking of global uniformity in starting or ending Ramadan can only border on sheer ignorance. For instance it is impossible for the Australian Muslims living in Australia and their South American brethren residing in Brazil or Argentina to start Ramadan on the same day. Even within Nigeria, all Muslims can start Ramadan on the same day, only if they have equal access to information. And even with that, it is not possible for them all to start or end daily fasting at the same time of the day. That is why the announcement or publication of Ramadan timing according to the various localities is necessary.

    Universality of Ramadan

    That Ramadan fasting is prescribed as a universal obligation for all Muslims in a particular month is deliberate. Allah who did the prescription is not oblivious of the geographical variations in the world. Neither is He unaware of the possible invisibility of a new crescent to most eyes. The design is to allow for the reverberation of the effect of Ramadan across the world. And time variation in observance of Salat or celebration of festivals is not peculiar to Islam. Even in Christianity, neither Easter nor Christmas is globally celebrated in one day. And, there is no media noise about it.

    What is global about Ramadan fasting is the month and not the time. Dawn and dusk vary from locality to locality. It is therefore possible for the Muslims in one part of the world to be breaking their daily fast at a time when their brethren in another part of the world are commencing theirs. Thus, the genuineness or otherwise of Ramadan fasting is not to be judged by man. That is why Allah is reported by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as saying in a sacred Hadith (Hadith-ul-Qudsi) that: “Fasting is Mine and I am the One to grant rewards on it.”

    Welcome to the coast of Ramadan. This sacred ‘ship’ must not leave the coast without you on board. Ramadan is like an institution of learning. A good Muslim must not just pass through it he must also allow it to pass through him. Who knows when the last time to witness the month will be?

    RAMADAN KARIM!

  • Acting their script?

    Acting their script?

    ‘’And beware of a calamity that will afflict not only the transgressors amongst you to the exclusion of others and know that Allah’s retribution is severe’’.

    Q. 8:25 

    Preamble

    Writing a drama is like conceiving a pregnancy. For the drama to be practically actable the writer must take into consideration not only the theme, the setting, the characters and the complications that may build up spirally to the climax in such a drama. He must also think of the anti-climax of the drama as well as its possible denouement.

    Nothing shows the ingenuousness of a playwright as vividly as the crew of actors who put into action the script that gives birth to the drama in question. It is like delivering a pregnant woman of her pregnancy. If the delivery process is not carefully handled, the deliverer may end up becoming an undertaker. And that is when a drama is said to be tragic.

    The entire world today is a paradoxical theatre in which about seven billion human beings including Nigerians are watching a drama. Whether for ecstasy or dismay the viewers may randomly roar into controversies as the drama progresses. But the main concern of each viewer is what may become of his favoured character. 

    In the ongoing global drama against which we had been admonished in the Qur’an as quoted above, the concern of this columnist is the ‘colony’ called Nigeria. This is not just because the colony is my immediate constituency it is also because Nigeria is the heart of Africa. And if anything negative happens to her the whole of Africa will cease to be at rest.

    Hidden Agenda

    A clandestine script was unveiled in respect of Nigeria in 1995. Its contents revealed that this heart of Africa called Nigeria was heading for a break up by year 2015. The designers of this devilish agenda had set a timeframe of 20 years for its execution without suggesting any solution. And to portray their dream as a realisable one they kept hammering the probability of the success of that obnoxious project using some hazardous occurrences in the land as evidence.

    For students of International Relations, such a prediction cannot be strange. It is part of the strategies often used by the imperialists either to re-colonize some old colonies by other means or to scoop and dominate their economies in a typical capitalist style. They have done it successfully in some other countries none of which is now firmly on her feet. Vietnam, Korea, Yemen, China, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine and lately the entire Arab nations all of which have had their bitter share of the pillage can testify to this assertion.  It is a modern day equivalence of the 1884/1885 partition of Africa carried out in Berlin, Germany, by the European imperialists, which led to the colonization of the black continent. If any of the above countries had resisted the project and stood their ground perhaps the world would have been spared of the throat-cutting threat posed today by the United States and her allies against what they perceive as lesser nations.

    Cult of Capitalism

    Incidentally, the US had also been a victim of this same imperialists’ guillotine especially in the hands of Britain. Yet, the cult of capitalism which has become their common bound would not allow the duo which had been mutually antagonistic to dwell differently because it is only in such a collaboration that the gains of their common interest can be accomplished. Unfortunately, Nigeria doesn’t seem to have learned any lesson from countries that had toed the   imperialists’ path hook, line and sinker.

    Rather than looking inwards for solution to our domestic problems as the US does, our governments do not only look up to Uncle Sam for solution even to a minor problem but also cry out to the President of America for help. It is just like the situation of a baby who has adapted to being spoon-fed at all times even while asleep. Today, Nigerian government can hardly think on anything without reference to America.

    Whereas some progressive countries like Japan, China, India, Brazil and even the United States in their days of search for growth and development shut their doors to the world and made do with whatever they could produce internally which was why their sudden zoom into the limelight came to the world as a surprise. This has never taught Nigeria any lesson. Rather, all that matters here is empty and monotonous noise about becoming one of the biggest economies in year 2020. No truly progressive country (even Ghana) has ever indulged in such empty and senseless propaganda before. What would have ordinarily justified such propaganda is a surprise zooming into the global economic stage as the listed countries had done.

    Propaganda

    It can only take a shameless country with so much wealth and without any visible progress in place to show for it to embark on such hopeless propaganda. What our government ought to have told us is how about $16 billion allegedly voted for revamping our electricity was spent on without any resultant availability of power. On the other hand, the government ought to have shown Nigerians the blueprint that qualifies us for such empty propaganda about year 2020 since it is a Nigerian project.

    In the 1980s, under the self-style military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the slogan was that of ‘Housing for all, education for all and jobs for all in year 2000’. It ended up in sheer deception. In the 1990s, under the maximum despot called General Sani Abacha, the slogan was that of ‘VISION 2010’. It ended up in mere fiasco.

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    Then came a former military Head of State, General now Chief Mathew Aremu Okikiolakan Olusegun Obasanjo the man on whom Nigeria’s premium was hopefully placed because of his military experience and prison antecedent. His own invented slogan was that of hitting the top echelon of global economy in 2020. And the slogan is continually being re-echoed even less than a decade away from the target mark, when Nigeria is without electricity, drinkable water, pliable roads, responsible airline, functional refineries and standard education programme that can propel any possible hope in the slogan. As an OPEC member nation, Nigeria remains the only country that exports crude oil only to import refined fuel for domestic consumption. Petrochemical industries are the major hope for most OPEC countries as a possible replacement for oil in future.  In these industries, thousands of their trained youths are employed. But this has no place in the economic dream of Nigeria. 

    Yet our government does not deem it fit to invite foreigners to solve such social problems. Rather, what it perceives as problem is the backlash of its ineptitude arising from misrule, hence the invitation to imperialists to suppress agitators and potential agitators.

    Implications           

    Now, by inviting foreigners including the US and Israel to help resolve the problem of insecurity in the land Nigerian government has not only admitted its incompetence to protect the citizenry thereby surrendering its authority to the invited countries it has also begun to compound the existing problems by externalising the country’s internal affairs. After all, these same invited countries are the manufacturers of the instruments of insecurity in our land. Security of a country is like the heart in human body. Handing it over to someone else is like paving way for one’s death. No serious government will ever trivialize the existence of its nation to that extent. We all know that whoever pays the piper must surely dictate the tune. And in diplomacy, a friend today may become an enemy tomorrow. 

    Yes, in the name of solving Nigeria’s problem even when they have been unable to solve theirs, the invited countries may bring their arsenal to subdue some government’s perceived and imaginary enemies. But what is likely to happen thereafter is the question which many generations of Nigerians may not be able to answer for decades in future. This has happened in most of the countries which had solicited for military intervention of the imperialist countries. Today, those countries are regretting their thoughtless actions. Yet, Nigeria wants to join their league.

    A government is said to be in control and of essence only if it is believed to be capable of protecting its citizenry and defending the territorial integrity of the concerned nation. Any government that is incapable of doing this and rather decides to throw the gate of the nation’s security open to foreigners for whatever reason is unfit to be called a government.

    Partners in Crime

    Globally, the US and Israel are known for their belligerence and implacable transgression against nations that refuse to comply with their imperialist policies. And it is probably in reference to such imperialist powers that Allah had warned mankind over a millennium and a half ago thus: “…When imperialists enter a territory they audaciously pillage and brutally destroy it even as they subjugate the juggernauts therein to the level of servitude”. Q. 12: 22

    The real problem of Nigeria is to serve as an incubator of problems and yet rely on foreigner for solution to those problems even when such foreigners cannot solve their own domestic problems. In a logical poetic stanza, an Arab poet once opined thus:

    “We all blame time for our misdemeanour; when the misdemeanour blamed on time is actually in us; We smear time with all types of iniquities and yet expect time to cleans us of any blame; Were time endowed with mouth to comment on us, it would have blamed us for generating all crimes; Certainly no dog eats fellow dog; it is only men that eat fellow men’’.   

    The truth of the matter is that the roots of the multi-dimensional problems staring Nigeria on the face are traceable mostly to the corridors of our government. Of all the vices that constitute seemingly insuperable problems for Nigeria today particularly corruption, none originated from a source other than that of the government. Even where such corruption happens in the private sector, it will be discovered to be a derivative of the public sector. How, on earth, can we classify the case of immunity clause entrenched in our constitution to protect stealing public funds (in the name of President or Governor) in a country where overwhelming majority of people are so wretched that they can hardly afford even one meal per day despite the enormous wealth with which we are naturally endowed. And this so-called constitution was never subjected to any referendum to assess its acceptability.

    Immunity Clause

    The absurdity in that immunity clause is that some of such protected thieves who may have fallen out of favour are chased around for questioning in the name of fighting corruption. And that happens only after they might have vacated the office. For God’s sake if a person aids a thief in the casting away of his property has he not become an accomplice in the stealing business? What justification will such a person have in prosecuting the thief thereafter for the reason of stealing? The similitude of the above scenario is like that of what obtains in Nigeria concerning corruption. Those who injected immunity clause in our constitution as well as those who are in position to remove it but rather chose to retain it are together accomplices in the entrenchment and spread of corruption in the land. Such people will have no logical reason to talk of fighting corruption because they are its creator and sustainers.

    Another evidence of audacious governmental corruption in Nigeria is manifest in the position of the so-called FIRST LADY. Here is a position which has no provision in the country’s constitution but which is given such prominence that classifies the occupier over and above the elected Vice-President at the federal level and Deputy Governor at the State level. This illegal position has no official budget but it is flamboyantly provided with such paraphernalia of office that compete almost favourably with that of the President or the Governor at the expense of the public. With this kind of illegal operation how can any Nigerian President or Governor morally question any stealing by any public officer? And now, the same federal government has mobilized its instrumentality of office to destabilise the judiciary which is generally acknowledged as the last bastion of ordinary people’s hope. 

    We are our own Problem

    We are our own problem. We know the sources of what we call problems. We advertently or inadvertently incubate such problems. And we know how to proffer solution to them. But, like ‘lotus eaters’, we are so much drunk with illegality that it has become so difficult if not impossible for us to part with it. Thus, like the pot that calls the kettle black, we continue to deceive ourselves by mischievously passing the bulk anytime the die is cast.

    For how long shall we invite foreigners to solve our problems for us when the causes of those problems continue to swell in our bellies as we incubate them? Now, having invited mercenaries into Nigeria as problem solvers, has the government thought of the social and financial implications of such action? Have we really diagnosed and identified the origin of insecurity in our country before inviting foreigners? Or do we expect those foreigners to diagnose our diseases for us and prescribe medicine?

    Once we start importing imperial mercenaries into the country to solve immediate problem we must not forget that those mercenaries will like to find a permanent seat here even if they will have to invent new problems for us in order to justify their stay.

    This admonition may taste bitter to those who have hidden agenda. But Allah’s words will never look for relevance. He warns in Qur’an 13:11 thus: “Surely, Allah will not change the situation of a nation or community until they themselves have resolved to change it through their attitude”. Whoever calls for equity must come with clean hands. Those in government must show example of what they want Nigerians to be as citizens. Acting the imperialists’ evil script will do no one any good in Nigeria. Think before you act.            

  • Sha’ban and its significance

    Sha’ban and its significance

    • By Kadijat Braimah 

    Sha’ban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar after the sacred month of Rajab and preceding the highly anticipated month of Ramadan. While Ramadan often captures much of our attention, Sha’ban holds significant value and blessings that should not be overlooked. It is a month of preparation, where we are encouraged to increase our acts of worship, seek forgiveness, and make efforts to purify our hearts. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) showed us how to maximize this time by fasting and engaging in other acts of devotion, setting an example for us to follow in order to spiritually prepare for the coming month of Ramadan.

    Significance of Sha’ban

    A month when deeds are raised to Allah as the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “It is a month when people tend to neglect, between the months of Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which deeds are raised to the Lord of the world, and I like my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.” (Sunan An-Nasa’i). This highlights the importance of Sha’ban as a month when our deeds are presented to Allah. The Prophet (SAW) made a point of fasting during this month to ensure his deeds were raised while in a state of fasting, encouraging us to follow his example by engaging in acts of worship such as fasting.

    Seeking blessing for Prophet

    The verse from Surah Al-Ahzab (33:56) commanding believers to send blessings and peace upon the Prophet (SAW) was revealed during the month of Sha’ban. “Indeed, Allah and His angels bestow their prayers upon the Prophet. O you who believe, bestow prayers and peace upon him in abundance.”

    This serves as a reminder for us to increase our recitation of blessings upon the Prophet during this blessed month.

    Change of Qiblah

    Sha’ban is also significant for being the month when the Qiblah was changed. Initially, the Muslims faced Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem for prayer, but after this event, the direction of prayer was shifted to the Kaaba in Makkah. This transformation, which took place on the 15th of Sha’ban, is a profound event in Islamic history, highlighting the month’s special status.

    Benefits of Sha’ban Granted Forgiveness:

    One of the key benefits of Sha’ban is that Allah grants forgiveness to His creation. This is a reminder to seek forgiveness and purify our hearts, ensuring that we have no hatred or ill feelings towards others.

    Striving for Closeness to Allah

    The Prophet encouraged us to seek Allah’s mercy and blessings during special moments, including Sha’ban. The Prophet said: “Indeed, your Lord bestows gifts that are preserved in your days, so seek them. It may be that one of you will fate upon it and will never again be in misery.” (Narrated by Imam At-Tabrani)

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    This teaches us to seek closeness to Allah during the blessed moments of Sha’ban and to make the most of the opportunities for the mercy and forgiveness that it offers.

    Preparing for Ramadan

    Sha’ban serves as a crucial period of preparation for the month of Ramadan. While Ramadan is the month of fasting and worship, Sha’ban provides us with the chance to spiritually cleanse and renew ourselves, so we are ready to fully engage in the acts of worship that Ramadan demands. Let us use Sha’ban to seek forgiveness, purify our hearts, and increase in worship, ensuring that we enter Ramadan with a heightened sense of devotion and closeness to Allah.

    May Allah grant us success in making the most of Sha’ban and allow us to enter Ramadan with sincerity, devotion, and His boundless mercy. Ameen.

  • Hamzat, UK don, Sayi for UMA Ramadan lecture

    Hamzat, UK don, Sayi for UMA Ramadan lecture

    The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) will on February 23, hold  its 30th Pre-Ramadan Lecture.

    The theme of this year’s edition is “The Transformative Power of Ramadan”.

    UMA National President, Dr Mumini Alao, at a briefing in Lagos, said the lecture will take place at the J.F. Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka.

    Dr Alao said this year’s theme was to highlight the huge benefits embedded in the holy month so that Muslim faithful can prepare to exploit them in full. According to him, the duo of Prof Mashood Baderin of the University of London and Justice Abdur-Raheem Ahmad Sayi of the Shari’ah Court of Appeal, Ilorin, Kwara State, have been invited as guest speakers.

    He said Baderin is an expert in Islamic Law and International Human Rights Law, which makes him a perfect fit for the lead topic.

    Baderin, he said, is making a second appearance in the annual lecture series, having delivered the 14th edition’s lecture in 2008.

    He said Justice Sayi, going by his training and vocation, has the requisite qualification and practical knowledge of the second topic.

    While Prof Baderin will speak on”Islam at the Intersection of Humanity and Religion, Justice Sayi will handle Shari’ah in Southwest Nigeria”.

    According to him, the topics were inspired by the apparent dilemma of Muslims on how to find the right balance between the demands of our faith, and the rights of our neighbours which sometimes might be in conflict.

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    Alao said: “During the past few weeks, this subject matter has come to the front burner following developments in Ekiti State where a traditional ruler purportedly “banned” the setting up of a Shari’ah Arbitration Panel as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism between and among willing Muslims in his domain. Is it true that the Shari’ah is strange to South West Nigeria? Is there no history, past or present, of its adoption and application in the private lives of willing Muslims in the region? Is it against the Nigerian Constitution for willing Muslims to opt for adjudication of some aspects of their personal lives according to the Shari’ah? Do traditional rulers or government officials have the power to ban private citizens from adopting an Alternative Dispute Resolution instrument of their choice?” Alao added that other dignitaries expected at the event include the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; former Governor of Zamfara State Senator Abdul’aziz Yari; the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba (Professor) Saka Matemilola, UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, is the Chief Host.

    Alao said the UMA has introduced some innovations this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the lecture. One of them is a “Qur’an Recitation Challenge” amongst primary, secondary and Arabic school children, the winners of which will be announced at the lecture.

    He said special recognition awards would also be given to some of the scholars that have delivered its lectures in the past, while the UMA Medical team will offer free medical checks to early arrivals before the programme proper gets under way.

    Alao said during the last three decades, the UNILAG Muslim Alumni Pre-Ramadan lecture has established itself as the forerunner of all other Ramadan lectures in Lagos and, indeed, the whole of South West Nigeria.