The Nation Newspaper

Category: Friday

  • Iran versus the West

    Iran versus the West

    No sensible educated person will ever limit his life to a permanent habitat; to keep moving and migrating from place to place is the secret of human progress”

    Going by the above quoted poem rendered by an Arab poet, ‘The Message’ today chooses to migrate from the insanity of Nigeria’s political and religious rigmarole to the global political tempest if only for a change. After all, elasticity has its own limit. And by so doing, some relief might come to readers of this column about the economic heat being heartlessly generated by the so-called rulers of this country. Recently, Al-Jazeera Television Cable Network throbbed with breaking news, saying that a United States military aircraft strayed into the airspace of Iran and the latter promptly responded by shooting it down. Iran announced another of the like just three days ago. This disturbing development has further aggravated the tension between both countries which started in 1979 with the Iranian revolution that uprooted the country’s imperial despotism which had caged the citizens for decades. In reaction, the US authorities explained that the destination of the shot aircraft was Afghanistan but its pilots lost control and strayed into Iranian territory. Shortly before that incident, Some Iranian students had besieged the British Embassy in Tehran protesting the meddling of David Cameron’s government in the internal affairs of Iran. And in retaliation, Britain quickly evacuated her diplomats in Iran and sent the latter’s diplomats in London packing despite Iran’s regret over those students’ action. To further complicate the matter, the French government also issued a 48 hour ultimatum to Iranian Embassy to quit France. This was done in solidarity with Britain in the spirit of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Things have since moved so fast that it now becomes difficult to predict what will happen next. Most diplomatic observers saw similarity between these developments and the unexpected occurrences of the early 20th century that precipitated both World War I and World War II. Their fear is a possible reoccurrence of those wars. Retrospectively, the genesis of the faceoff between the West and Iran took roots in the latter’s unexpected revolution of 1979 which shut the door against the West’s economic exploitation of her people. It was 33 years last February, since Iran jumped to the world stage with a surprising revolution. February 11, 1979 was the precise climax of a struggle, in that country, which began in 1963 between the oppressed people seeking independence from the shackles of imperialism and the implacable oppressors wanting to keep that country’s innocent peasants in perpetual subservience. The success of that revolution has since changed the grand design of the Western powers for the Muslim world.

    That grand design was first expressed in 1902 by a British Prime Minister, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman when he observed as follows: “There are people who control spacious territories teeming with manifest and hidden resources. They dominate the intersections of world routes. Their lands were the cradles of human civilisations and religions. These people have one faith, one language and the same aspirations. No natural barriers can isolate them from one another….If, per chance, these people were to be unified into one state it would then take the fate of the world into its hands and separate Europe from the rest of the world. Taking these considerations seriously, a foreign body should be planted in the heart of this nation to prevent the convergence of its wings in such a way that it could exhaust its powers in never- ending wars. It could also serve as a spring board for the West to gain its coveted objects”. Sir Bannerman’s observation was in further pursuit of an earlier demand by Theodor Herzl, a leader of the Zionist movement founded in 1879. Herzl, an Austrian Jewish lawyer and journalist demanded thus: “Let sovereignty be granted us (Jews) over a portion of the globe large enough to satisfy the rightful requirements of a nation; the rest, we shall manage for ourselves…”In response to that clandestine demand, another British Prime Minister, James Arthur Balfour issued a devastating declaration that now bears his name conceded a major part of Palestine to the Zionists as a home has since put the Middle East in an incessant turmoil read thus in part: “His majesty’s Government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and will use its best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this objective…. The rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country shall not be prejudiced by the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” To facilitate that objective effectively, some other Middle East countries had to be incapacitated economically and politically by excising from them, a juicy chunk of their lands. Thus, Lebanon was excised from Syria and Kuwait from Iraq. The strategy was to cause a dissention among the citizens of those Countries with the intention of breaking the yoke of the Muslim unity which Bannerman had targeted in his infamous observation quoted above. How does Iran come into this picture when she is not an Arab Country? That is the logical question anybody would who is not quite familiar with the Middle East and the intricacies of its political and economic set up would ask. Naturally, Iran is affected by three major factors: Politics, economy and culture. And by culture here, we mean ISLAM. Iran is a foremost Islamic Country even if her official language is not Arabic. And, as an Islamic Country, whatever affects other Muslim Countries must affect her. The case of Turkey is a good example. Turkey was though not an Arab country she was nevertheless the seat of the Islamic Caliphate until 1924 when a diabolical agent of the West came on stage as Head of State. His name was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; a man who wanted to prove to the West that it was possible for a non-Catholic to be “Holier than the Pope” especially when it came to adopting the so-called Western Civilisation. On March 3, 1924, just one year after assuming office as the ruler of Turkey, Ataturk introduced a bill to the Turkish Parliament seeking to secularise his country by abolishing the office of the caliph without any consideration for the feelings and sensitivity of the people he ruled. Presenting the bill, Ataturk said: “Ottoman Empire was built and existed on the principle of Islam. Islam is Arabic in character and in concept. It shapes from birth to death, the lives of its adherents; it stifles hope and initiative. The Republic (of Turkey) is threatened by the continued existence of Islam in its midst….”With the passage of that bill, Turkey was recognised as a secular state. Politics was separated from religion and Islam was relegated to a personal matter rather than the state religion that it was before then. The caliphate was abolished and Islamic law was abrogated. Ataturk borrowed the new Turkish civil law from Switzerland, the criminal law from Italy and the international law of trade from Germany. The Muslim personal law was harmonised with the European civil law. Religious instruction in public schools was prohibited. Purdah system was abolished and declared illegal. Co-education was introduced to schools. The use of Arabic alphabets was prohibited and replaced by the Latin Script. Adhan (the call to prayer) was no longer to be made in Arabic but in Turkish language while the national costume was changed to that of the Europeans even as the wearing of hat was made compulsory. What Ataturk did not do was to abrogate the tenets of Islam completely. Thus, by one man’s whim, Turkey lost her values and heritage of centuries in a bid to adopt the so-called ‘modernity’ brought by ‘Western civilisation’. One can imagine what Islam would have become today if countries like Iran, Indonesia and Pakistan had adopted the same misfortune. It was this same situation that prompted the late Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatullah Ruhullah Mousavi Khomeini to embark on the liberation struggle in 1963 that culminated in a successful revolution in 1979. Unlike Ataturk, however, Imam Khomeini knew that the greatest virtue that could be lost in the life of man was culture. He knew that without a clear-cut culture man couldn’t be better than a beast. He knew that such values as law, education and religion, which guide man in his peregrinations on earth, are the attributes of culture. He knew that a nation, which surrenders its culture and adopts that of another nation, has enslaved herself permanently to the caprice of the latter nation. Thus, Khomeini saw Islam, (the culture of over one billion Muslims in the world at that time), as the target of the Western imperialists, which needed defence and protection. No one believed in 1979 that a mass protest which started like a small political billow, engendered by the country’s unarmed Mullahs could eventually grow into such a great magnitude of political ‘earthquake’. By the time the foggy dust finally settled, a new Iran had emerged from the debris of the old. Against the wish and expectation of the capitalist West, the secular, monarchical Iran became an Islamic republic. The drama was quite electric. Characteristic of the West, all hands were put on deck, at that time, to ensure that an Islamic republic did not succeed the tyrannical monarchy headed by the Shah Pahlavi, heavily backed up by the oppressive West. America was most active in that ambitious but vain effort. She would not easily allow the massive benefit she had been enjoying for decades in that oil-rich country, under the Shah regime, to slip out of her hands just like that. Thus, under the pretext of wanting to rescue her citizens from the siege laid by Iranian students on that country’s embassy, in Tehran, the US attempted an invasion of the country. The espionage activities by the American diplomats, inside that embassy, against the new Islamic government in Iran had warranted the siege. While a number of US F15 bomber jets were approaching Iran, President Jimmy Carter engaged his country’s press in a chart without giving any hint of the impending military operation in Iran. The tactics was to divert the attention of the press and that of the country from the illegal Pentagon’s military expedition. But no sane person can ever fault the contents of the Qur’an. More than 1,400 years before that incident, a verse of the Qur’an had been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) thus: “They (the unbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed. Allah is the supreme schemer”. Q. 3:54. Jimmy Carter’s thought was that by the time he would be finishing his press address, the news would have reached him that America had successfully invaded Iran. He had therefore intended to announce the news of his ‘great’ successful scheme to the press as the epilogue of his address. And that would have served as his impetus for wining that year’s election for a second term in office. But, as Allah would have it, instead of the expected news, what he got was a shocker of his life. Two of the F15 fighters deployed for the operation miraculously collided in the air just at the point of entering Iran crashing with their contents, and consuming the lives of 16 top air force officers while the other jet fighters had to turn back having run into confusion. When this devastating news reached Carter, it was too much to hide and it quickly became a public knowledge. Thus, the mighty America failed woefully, with her technology, in circumstances she has never been able to analyze and explain convincingly. With that scheme, it became obvious that Jimmy Carter of the Democrat Party had dug his own political grave. Of course, he lost the election to the cowboy turned Politician, (Ronald Reagan) of the Republican Party. For about 444 days (well over a year), the 52 American hostages remained under the siege of the Iranian students. It took high-level diplomacy, through third party countries, to get them released. Yet, America was not done. She went ahead to freeze Iran’s foreign reserve of $80 billion in addition to imposition of economic sanctions with the intention of running that country’s economy aground. The only Iran’s offence in this case was to chart an independent political course that could liberate her citizens from the manacles of the Western imperialism. Ever since, the relationship between America and Iran has remained icy. That relationship however, further deteriorated recently when Iran started a nuclear project with which to prop up her economy. America responded with a threat saying the United States would not tolerate any nuclear project in Iran because she could not trust that Islamic nation. And of course, America’s voice was re-echoed by the United Nations, through the mouth of the latter’s Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. Only a fool will not know that the UN, as presently constituted, is the greyhound of the US through which the latter barks randomly at the rest of the world. But for the recent Iraqi episode that became regrettable for the self-appointed policeman of the world, and of course, the North Korean case, which has become a cancerous sore on the head of the US, another Gulf war would have either ensued or been in plan by now. The secret of America’s military successes in various parts of the world is neither in technological advancement, nor military superiority per se. The failed rescue mission in Iran can confirm this. That secret is rather in her ability to cause schism among some other nations and races. Iran has never been a prey to America’s direct military aggression, even when the Shah Pahlavi was in power, because she has never played a fool dancing to the sour music of that predatory country in a seeming open market.Now, with the threat of invasion of Iran by Israel on the one hand and economic and political sanctions against her by the Western the NATO allies on the other, will history repeat itself? One fact has become clear about the US political trend ever since that country withdrew from her self-isolationism in 1945. Her internal politics has been regularly dictated by her foreign policy. Thus, many American Presidents have won or lost elections at home due to the foreign policy of the concerned President. Will this also repeat itself? The days ahead will answer this fundamental question as events continue to unfold even as the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine also remains a cog in the wheel of global peace. But with the objection by China and Russia to any economic sanctions against Iran, the US and her allies will have to watch their steps carefully especially with respect to any planned invasion of Iran before embarking on a military action. Iran is neither Iraq nor Afghanistan. The world cannot afford another World War now. No one should attempt to plunge it into one. A word is enough for the wise.

     

  • OUK-TA tango and Igbo leadership

    OUK-TA tango and Igbo leadership

    Nigeria’s politics of today bears the ugly pockmarks of god-father/god-son feuds. Our political arena is littered with small men who happen upon (read hijack) high offices which only confer on them, a certain notoriety that some of them mistake for greatness. Where are our statesmen; our titans, our men of timber caliber? Where are the new Nnamdi Azikiwes, Michael Okparas, Akanu Ibiams, Alvan Ikokus, Alex Ekwuemes, Sam Mbakwes, Ezekiel Izuogus? Where are our men of stature? Or is Igbo land suffering from a sort of terminal leadership disease, something like Igbolaria? It is true that Igbo abhor monarchy (Igbo enwe eze) but have we grown so regicidal that true leadership can no longer thrive on Igbo soil?

    OUK diminution This swoosh of questions have been triggered by the running tiff between the former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK) and his successor and current man-in-the-saddle, Chief T.A. Orji (TA). The story of the twain and the ascension of the latter to Abia State government house are well known to most enlightened Nigerians. OUK had held sway in Abia for eight years from 1999 to 2007. Being quite young at the time he mounted the stool, it was an era that cannot readily be remembered for much of vision or landmarks. It was an era defined by youthfulness of the most exuberant kind and remarkable for its extreme personality cult and a near seamless meshing of family business and the State’s.

    If the lack of vision, rigor and administrative acumen of OUK’s era can be forgiven, how is one to explain his profligacy in frittering away an important political foot hold gained in the politically famished Southeast zone. At the end of his tenure, OUK had ditched the vehicle of his ascension to office – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), floating a new party (Progressive Peoples Alliance) PPA. Providence is sure kind to OUK. He got the opportunity to lead Ndigbo on a platter with PPA winning two states in the Southeast. His contemporary, Senator Bola Tinubu had half that chance in the Southwest initially, with just one State. He took his chance and today, Tinubu is not only the dominant factor in Southwest politics, he is a force not to be ignored in Nigeria’s political configuration today.

    The retooling of TA

    Since the loss of his ‘paradise’, OUK has continued to run from pillar to post seeking relevance and accommodation in the PDP he jettisoned and cursed. Twice he had tried to return to his PDP vomit and twice they would not let him taste even his mess. How callous can politics be? He has been gobbling up humble pie in the last few years and as we all know, that is not the best pie in the world, it tastes like muck. OUK’s desperation to crawl back into PDP conjures the picture of a landlord who sold his mansion and seeks to rent a room in it. What does that betoken? Where is the character? Where are the principles that inspire followership?

    TA is at the vanguard of shutting out OUK from the PDP. Rightly so. Self-preservation remains the first rule of life isn’t it? OUK would do exactly the same to TA, if not worse if the positions are reversed. But the issues go beyond the current skirmishes; it is about leadership, strategic thinking, elevated statecraft, group survival, quiet strengths that derive from knowledge, rigor and communion with the divine. OUK will have to come to terms, sooner than later, with the fact that he is not a leader in the classic sense of it and that he is not going to morph into one tomorrow. Yes, he is a very clever fellow; yes, he may have the touch of Midas and yes, he knows how to get the result he wants out of life by any means possible but LEADERSHIP, the type that is spelt with capital letters, is made of finer stuff.

    Besides, it might just serve OUK better if he allows his protégé some breathing space. In Nigeria’s politics, there are only god-fathers and god-slaves. There are usually no godsons in the true sense of the word. And a god-slave is never allowed to grow up to the father or for that matter, to grow up at all. Such was the relationship between OUK and TA.

    Having worked as chief of staff to OUK for eight years, carrying the cans and covering his behind and even getting incarcerated for it, TA must have been found loyal enough and worthy enough to take over as governor. But he was never good enough to be left alone to run the state. For four years – from 2007 to 2011, the well known OUK dynasty still held sway in Abia. In essence, OUK and his family can be said to have ruled Abia state for 12 years. Without seeming to hold brief for TA, his first four years was like living in bondage; he was in office but OUK and family was in power. TA was a mere stringed marionette dressed like a governor.

    It must have taken a whale of courage, a dose of wisdom and serpentine guile for TA to extricate himself from the vice grip of OUK and family and to ‘liberate’ the State as Abians like to say. TA has only come into his own in the few months of his second term and he has acquitted himself pretty well since then. Apart from the non-indigene civil servants palaver, TA is gradually emerging as the Igbo leader to watch. One is not surprised. Humble, mature, temperate, non-overbearing, all these are attributes that come from sound education (Holy Ghost College, Owerri and University of Ibadan), grooming and a solid track record of work (Imo and Abia States Civil Service). There are few Igbo leaders today who combine all these qualities.

    Shall we say that TA has the game to win or lose? All he needs do is to raise his game by way of more performance, identify and reach out to worthy Igbo sons and daughters across the zone, hone his strategies for delivering collective good and keep an eye on the big picture. He just needs to stay the course, the people ultimately know who their true leaders are. They sure can tell the desperadoes apart from the genuine; the impostors and self-seekers from the real men. We have to begin to rethink and reconfigure Igbo leadership.

    Don’t kill Capital Oil &Gas

    There seems to be a grand conspiracy to ruin Capital Oil &Gas Industries owned by a certain young man, Ifeanyi Ubah. From the indefinite shut down of its vast facilities for nearly one month now, there is only one deduction to be made. Ubah was first detained for alleged involvement in subsidy scam. When that did not seem to hold water, it became loan default. The Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) was drafted into the plot. But a million questions beg for answer in this matter: is Ubah the biggest debtor on AMCON’s list? Has AMCON not given bigger waivers to other well known businessmen? Has Ubah repudiated his debt to warrant the invasion of his facilities? Is it not true that Ubah has the biggest fuel distribution facilities in the country today which is a going concern that can pay back its debts if given time? For transparency sake, we challenge AMCON to publish all loans, waivers and assets of all debtors for Nigerian to judge. In an industry where some people are ranked the richest in the world without a visible office, Ubah should be encouraged for adding value and employing thousands of people. He should not be victimized.

  • Moving Oke-Ogun forward

    Moving Oke-Ogun forward

    As the good people of Oke-Ogun assemble this week-end in the historic town of Tede, I am sure that they understand very well the task of development that stares them in the face and they are determined to move forward with an agenda that privileges the strength of the collective efforts of all.

    There is no denying the truth of the good old axiom that there is enormous strength in unity. Unfortunately, as is the case with the larger Yoruba nation, the all important requirement of unity has been an elusive goal of Oke-Ogun community. All is not lost, though. For it is also very true, as the history of nations makes it clear to us, progress or development has never been achieved on the basis of a hundred percent participation of members. Indeed, a minority of selflessly dedicated citizens and leaders have led the development efforts in the majority of historical cases.

    In the matter of the plight of the communities, including the ten local governments that make up Oke-Ogun, it is an understatement to suggest that there is much work to be done. With poverty on the increase and spreading, everything else follows on the road to decline. Health is an easy prey to the scourge of poverty, and we are seeing an alarming rise in the morbidity and mortality rate among young folks. If it took a statewide free health clinic for many of our people to discover the near-death nature of their bodily conditions, it is not a surprise that we have recorded such a large number of untimely and unexpected deaths in recent years.

    The statistics are far from heart-warming. The response, however, cannot be a mournful resignation to despair. What is needed is a renewed determination to move forward with thought leaders stepping up to the task of generating innovative ideas that challenge preconceived opinions and lethargic thinking.

    Since what ails Oke-Ogun is integral to what ails the nation at large, it stands to reason to stand back a little and reflect on these common ailments. Of course, it is not an original idea to suggest that politics tops the list since the political system is the all-embracing and all-devouring leviathan of our time. If we play the game right, politics should leverage our aspirations and achievements in other areas. For one thing, by ensuring the security of life and limb, we should enjoy the peace of mind to pursue our individual dreams. By providing the public goods that no individual can provide for himself or herself (e.g. good roads) economic activities are boosted for all. If government, whether local, regional, or national, is unable to deliver on these matters, then citizens are in jeopardy of unfulfilled aspirations.

    In the case of Oke-Ogun, there is a double jeopardy. Without the advantage of early recognition and attention during the prosperous times of our national economic advancement, our various communities lived with derelict roads and poor infrastructure for a long time. And second, when the national economy tanked, these same communities bore the brunt of the collapse.

    A glaring if embarrassing illustration of the pathetic condition referenced in the last paragraph is the Ikere Gorge Dam project. Initiated by the Obasanjo military administration prior to its handing over in 1979, the project was inaugurated in 1982 by the Shagari administration. The multi-billion naira 700 million cubic water dam project was designed to provide electric power, irrigate farmlands, and provide portable water for the entire Oke-Ogun communities and beyond. Former President Shagari did not complete the project before he was ousted and the military administrations that followed did not care much about it. The civil administration of President Obasanjo apparently had too much on its agenda to take notice of such an “obscure” project. The consequence is that the dam site is now a safe haven for reptiles. But it is worse. For there is a genuine threat of a tsunami-like flooding of Oke-Ogun should a breach of the levee occur.

    I have not brought this matter up to apportion blame. Rather, the question on my mind is a simple one. If the national government is too far from our corner of the nation to the extent that it has no qualm abandoning a project that is meant to improve the lives of the people, what is the story about our local governments? For Ikere Gorge dam, there is plenty of blame to go round. Where should the blame go for the supply of basic material needs in our local elementary schools, local dispensaries, and for the construction and maintenance of our local roads?

    Local governments have responsibilities assigned to them by the constitution. This is one of the most encouraging aspects of the constitution—that the welfare of the local people is placed in the hands of local leaders. And it is the tragedy of our clime that the sacred expectation of the constitution has not been fully realised in this matter. I do not want to be misunderstood. A good number of local politicians are above board. But there are many that understand their mission in ways that suggest that the people are expendable. There are rumours about the practice of sharing local government allocations by local government chairmen and councilors. How much of this is true and what are community leaders doing about it?

    For thought leaders, traditional rulers, business men and women from Oke-Ogun, there is a need for community forums where the plight of the people and the responsibility of local government are addressed with the sacred authority of the community brought to bear on the decisions taken. Local governments are peopled by local community members. The power that they exercise is from the community. A servant is not greater than the master or mistress. As servant leaders, they are answerable to the community. Should the community, in a non-partisan forum, express its disapproval of the actions or inactions of particular local leaders, such disapproval cannot but be taken seriously.

    Every local community has a community organisation. These organisations have functioned effectively in raising awareness and promoting development. That was until the politics of party affiliation severed the ties that bind extended families of a community. Interestingly, this is one dilemma that only Oke-Ogun people have resolved against their larger interests. In other communities, blood brothers and sisters not only belong to rival political parties; they also hold political offices as senators, ministers or commissioners. Oke-Ogun indigenes have the distinction of elevating party loyalty over and above family loyalty. And when families are split on account of party loyalty, family affairs invariably suffer irreparable damage. In such cases, we are justified to judge such loyalty as blind and unhelpful. There must be a reconciliation of differences such that politics serves the needs of the community and the people. This is how to move Oke-Ogun forward. I extend to all delegates very best wishes for a successful convention

  • Readers’ comments

    Readers’ comments

    Communication among humans is a two-way track. It may be oral or written. If it is oral, there must be a listener (or listeners) while the speech is on. If it is written, a reader (or readers) must have read the written thoughts of the writer before reacting. This logical process is generally recognised as the etiquette of communication. A one-way communication is either a sign of despotism or no communication at all. And such can only at best create a situation for soliloquy or monologue.

    As a participatory column the only means of confirming that ‘The Message’ is globally read is to get reactions from its readers which may be randomly published in this column. For each weekly outing of ‘The Message’ there are scores of reactions from various sectors of the society home and abroad. Such reactions are a proof that preaching is like mud bitten with a stick. When it splashes to all directions, not even the preacher will be spared. Below is a cluster of examples especially in respect of last Friday’s article in this column.

    The contents of last week’s article in ‘The Message’ about Hijrah holiday (as constitutionally declared by Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola) was precipitated by the obvious mediocrity displayed in the editorial comment of a self acclaimed ‘most widely read newspaper in Nigeria’ based in the Southwest of the country. It will be recalled that the points marshalled to counter that editorial in this column were meant to put the falsehood arrogantly exhibited in the said editorial to shame while letting Nigerians know that some elements in our local media are like rolling stones that gather no substance.

    A newspaper is worth the quality of its editorial. If the editorial of a supposed foremost newspaper in Nigeria could be what was published in that paper on November 20, 2012, one can then imagine the real weight of such a paper and that of the forces behind it in concrete terms. In the intellectual realm, monopoly of knowledge is surely an anathema to which only an ignoramus can condescend. Journalism is a major segment of that realm. It is only a nonentity that will rubbish intellectualism in that realm by not conceding facts to where or who facts belong. Professional charlatans are known not only by their naivety but also by their insistence on ignorance even where and when knowledge has been evidently established. This was the case with the pedestrian editorial written to draw the public into unwarranted controversy.

    Religion, as we all know is perhaps the most volatile issue to handle in the media. That is why a renowned poet came up with the following relevant stanza:

    “There are good men in every land; the tree of life has many branches and roots; let not the topmost twig presume to think that it alone has sprung from the mother earth; we did not choose our races by ourselves; Jews, Muslims, Christians, all alike are men; let me hope I have found in you a man”.

    It may be necessary here to recall the genesis of the ongoing media campaign by a fanatical newspaper against Osun State Governor if only as a reminder. In his holiday declaration speech, Governor Aregbesola stated inter alia thus:

    “When we gathered here last year, the Muslim Community requested for three things: that the Islamic lunar year should be officially recognized. We did not give immediate response to this request. We only said if God so permits, we would assist Muslims in the state to celebrate the New Lunar Year. We are grateful to God that He grants us the opportunity to make it. This is beyond human capacity. I am glad that as a Muslim, God used me to make this day.

    There is a difference between how days are counted in Islam as against the way it is done outside Islam. A fresh day commences after sunset. A day ends after Maghreb (early evening) prayers. Many Muslims do not know this. In Islam, a fresh day commences after sunset. The scholars will explain this further….

    “So, we have been having this celebration for Muslims to also know that they have their own way of taking counts of periods of day, days of the month and months of the year.

    I therefore rejoice with Muslims of the world. We thank God for granting us the opportunity to witness this new lunar year. May God make it a blessed year for us all. Amin!….

    It is pertinent to state that whatever affects the eyes, gets to the nose. The turmoil currently being recorded in the northern parts of the country is affecting both ends of the North and other parts of the country. Those who take eggs to the North for commerce now feel the effect. They have nowhere to take them to; just as those who buy goods from there no longer have that opportunity. These are the consequences of instability. That is why we need to pray that God grants us peace, stability and tranquility. We should pray that He gives us the grace to live in harmony.

    The world has changed from the trend of brazen and crude imposition; hence we need to ask God to grant us the grace to relate with one another peacefully.

    Let us ask ourselves; what does Islam require of us? Does Islam preach hooliganism or violence? The little knowledge I have concerning the religion is not as much as many of the scholars here today. However, the little I know of the religion tells me that a high sense of decency is required of every Muslim. Islam preaches such virtues as due respect for all creations, humility, tolerance and obedience to God and all properly constituted authorities. This must be practiced by whoever professes the faith. Allah states in (Quran, Chapter 3 verse 110) that Muslims are the group he created to enjoin goodness among people and forbid evil. If this is what Allah says of us; should any Muslim be nefarious? A Muslim that engages in bad act contravenes God’s injunction….

    As a demonstration of the impact of this celebration, I enjoin all Muslims of the world; starting from those in Osun, to move away from vices. Let us move away from hypocrisy and other bad lifestyles. Let us be good examples in every sense. It is best that we stand out as good examples for people around us always. A school established by a Muslim should be the best in terms of administration, dissemination of knowledge, and character building. Also in commerce, a Muslim trader should be a best exemplar of his trade; so that people would say if you want to have good bargain, go and get it from ‘“Iya Sikirah”’. In addition, as civil servants, Muslims should take the lead in diligence at work. Every Muslim should be a good exemplar.

    “…..Every Muslim here today and those that would be listening to me elsewhere should be reminded that this year’s celebration is a re- awakening. For us to admit that we are really celebrating, we should get back to our various homes and say to ourselves “I relinquish my bad ways no matter how little. I want to be God’s representative on earth in good deed”. May God make it easy and possible for us to accomplish. Amin. Secondly, do not relent in supplicating to God. Our state requires prayer; just as we personally do. Every living soul requires supplications to God.

    I would like to urge us all according to what God says in Suratul-An Nissai (Quran Chapter 4). He enjoins that we be fair to everybody; not to Muslims alone, even if it is against our interest. We get this injunction in Nisaa (chapter 4 verse 135), yes. He says we should do justice even if it hurts our parents, our loved ones, self etc….I would not go further than this. As we are happy and celebrating our New Year now; we should take cognizance that there are some others who desire to have their own festivals that government has not so far given recognition. If we do so don’t be hurt. We would only be following God’s injunction to be just….”

    Despite this self-explanatory address by the Governor, the zealot newspaper in question ignorantly but arrogantly engineered a media brouhaha over the issue with the aim of causing religious hostility among the people who have all along lived together in harmony. It was in reaction to that unwarranted fanatical provocation that ‘The Message’, as usual, came out to put the records straight in this column last Friday.

    Even the Osun State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) issued a statement rejecting any alleged religious hostility in the State. According to him, “the celebration of Hijrah in the state does not disturb us as Christians and we don’t have anything against it. There was no Christian that calls to show any displeasure to it or complaint from any quarters because we believe that it is promoting Islam. I as the Chairman of CAN in the state I sent congratulatory message to Sheikh Mustapha Ajisafe and Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the celebration to wish them well”. Aladeseye who admonished all to tolerate one another, maintained that the nation could only develop where there was peace and stability emphasising that there was peace in the state and calling on residents of the state to give the current administration maximum support to succeed.

    He also disclosed that most religious issues were resolved at National Religious Council (NAREC) meeting in the state adding that the controversy surrounding the use of hijab in public schools had been resolved amicably at the meeting. According to him, “Governor Rauf advised us to go and resolve the matter at the NAREC meeting where agreement was reached that it should not be enforced at the Christian Public Schools across the state and one year after, there has been evidence that the matter had been put to rest.

    In its own comment on this issue, the Muslim Association of Nigeria congratulated the Governor and good people of Osun “for this unique performance in recognizing the yearnings of the Muslim Community and their right with a declaration of Hijrah holiday. To us this will foster unity among various religious groups in the state and usher in peace and economic development. This is a state to watch for good things in years to come in Nigeria. Alhaji Yusuf Sulaiman, President of MAN.

    Also in a lengthy comment digging deep into the archive of Islam in Nigeria, a veteran journalist and former, manager of programmes, North Africa and Overseas service in Voice of Nigeria (VON) who was also the National Missioner, Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN), Sheikh Najmudden Binuyo stated in part as follows:

    “The people of Osun, especially Christians in the state, who are well aware that the Governor has good intentions, are certainly not complaining. The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Evangelist Abraham Aladeseye confirmed this during a chat with journalists on the matter. The venerable man of God stated that Christians in the state are not against the declaration of the Hijrah holiday. “I even sent congratulatory messages to Governor Aregbesola and the chairman of the League of Imams and Alfas. We Christians don’t have anything against it,” he said. So, why is this particular newspaper crying more than the bereaved?

    On its own, the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) views with serious concern controversial editorial of Tuesday, November 20, 2012 (p.18) in a Southwest based newspaper. But we were not surprised that the newspaper in question viewed the decision Governor Aregbesola on declaration of holiday for Muharram 1 (Islamic New Year) as “odd and totally uncalled for”. The newspaper proceeded from a perverted logic when it asserted that “many predominantly Muslim states do not even have public holidays for hejira” (sic).

    For avoidance of doubt, Hijrah is remarkably significant to Islam both in form and in content as it represents for Muslims an epoch-making event that culminated in the rapid growth of Islam from Madinah. Hijrah, in fact, exemplifies the basis of the mutual understanding between the Muslim global community and the people of other beliefs, especially the Christians and the Jews.

    It (Hijrah) symbolises for Muslims, movement from dehumanising oppression to liberty, escape from danger to security, exodus from ignorance to knowledge, abstinence from corruption, adoption of accountability, eradication of infanticide and disentanglement of women from the bestiality of the ignorant past (Jahiliyyah) as well as general transformation of humanity from all traits of evil to the illuminating light of Islam. These and many others which are hardly found in other religions are the causes of envy that might have led a section of Nigerian media to grow so wild.

    Nevertheless, despite any unwarranted provocation, we, as Muslims in the Southwest, will continue to discuss our differences, in good faith as we have always done, to avoid any recourse to actions that may threaten our peaceful co-existence, as brothers and sisters, in a just and united Nigeria. By Mustapha Balogun

    Chairman, NACOMYO, Southern Zone

     

  • Jonathan smiles as Nigeria dies: 5 points to ponder

    Jonathan smiles as Nigeria dies: 5 points to ponder

    What do we have to do to catch the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan? How can we convey to him that the situation in Nigeria today is the worst since after the civil war? How can we convince him and his minders that Nigeria is on the tenterhooks; that we are today, loitering around the precipice, taking casual peeks into the abyss of our doom. And in all of this, our dear president sits pretty, cool, seemingly oblivious of our clear and present danger. Here are some points Mr. President might want to address his mind quickly if he is to pull the chestnut out of the fire:

    The worst country on earth Have you noticed that our dear country, the giant of Africa now ranks at the bottom of every global human development index? The 2013 Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU) Where-To-Be-Born Index ranks Nigeria 80th out of 80 countries measured. Ask the average Nigerian on the street and 9 out of 10 will probably tell you that he wished he were not born here. Nigeria is also the haven for kidnap-for-ransom accounting for the highest percentage of body jacking in the entire world. We are the most dangerous country in Africa as well as the most fraudulent. We who are living it everyday can confirm that these assessments are not far from our reality. And we ask, how did our dear motherland come to be more Hobbesian, more arid than strife-stricken places like Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq? Shouldn’t these kinds of report wipe the smiles off the face of our president?

    Corruption unlimited It has gone on record that this administration has earned the title of the most corrupt so far but more worrisome is that it has become apparent that President Jonathan has neither the will nor moral strength to fight the scourge. Now we can only pray that this monster does not consume us all sooner than later. A national newspaper has been able to work out about N5 trillion as the sum lost to graft since Jonathan climbed the helm of government. KPMG, the worldwide accounting firm has reported that in the first half of this year alone, fraudulent activities have cost Nigeria about $1.5 billion. But that must be an understatement. Scratch just any organ of the polity and what gushes out is not blood but fraud. It is as if there is a secret pact to loot the country to death and the president seems to have been duly informed. It is not possible to keep track any more. But worse, no big thief is being prosecuted not to mention being put behind bars.

    Even the president has made sure that Nigerians never got to know what he is up to as far as his personal stack is concerned. He does not give a damn what we think about his hiding his assets; about his transparency status and about the glorious strength of presidential personal example. He does not give a damn about providing us with the much-needed moral leadership. Corruption has become unmanageable under Jonathan because we cannot vouch that our leaders are clean. In fact most of us suspect that most people in the villa are utterly corrupt which may explain why our president is so supine before the monster.

    The worst security apparatus in the world Now do not seek to find which global agency has made this declaration; it is Expresso that has declared that Nigeria must have the worst of security agencies to be found anywhere in the world. The Boko Haram menace has been on since 2009 and kidnapping has been with us for nearly 15 years yet we have not been able to device any strategy to contain these vices. To think that the immediate past chief of defence staff could be suspected of finagling with crucial defence equipment procurement contracts. It did not matter to him that explosives were going off everywhere targeting officers and men under him. Do you wonder why the ill-trained, petit terrorists would bomb our police headquarters, bomb our anti-robbery office and garner the derring-do to hit our major military cantonment, the very seat of our ant-terrorism initiatives? If we gained nothing else from our current adversity, it must be the elevation of our military, security and intelligence agencies to rank among the best in the world. But professionalism and serious duty have gone with the wind from this clime long ago. We are an anything goes country; an ad-hoc nation where absolutely nothing seems important to us. Yet Jonathan keeps smiling.

    Cash export Have you noticed the recent mad rush to ship dollars out of the country? Hardly any day passes without Nigerians being caught with large volume of foreign currencies outbound. The other day, $7 million dollars was found on a 24 year old fellow who claimed he was helping a big man ship it out. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi told us recently that so far in 2012, $11 billion in cash had been taken abroad through our airports. Who owned the $7 million cash? One thought the president would have taken umbrage, dug to the root of that cash and used the owner as example. No table-banging action from our president. The president keeps smiling.

    Subsidy fiasco and the oil industry The uncanny tale of our oil industry and the so-called subsidy story has already become a landmark ‘achievement’ of the Jonathan administration. Our oil sector is the most corrupt and the most inefficient sector today and there doesn’t seem to be anything going on than looting and more and more stories of it. The most important thing which is to build refineries and free the country from fraudulent importation of petroleum products is never addressed. Nigeria is the only oil producing nation that exports crude and import refined products. While wretched, landlocked, desert country, Niger Republic, has just built a refinery, from which Nigeria wants to import cheap kerosene, the president has given us a 10-year target to end products importation! Yes, all of 10 years!

    Other troublous signs Why is the federal budget being so badly bungled? Why are members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) embroiled in turf fights? Why is there no bright spot anywhere; anything at all emanating from the federal government to cheer the populace? Never before had our budget been so very badly put together; while the current budget is caught up in the usual inertia and non-implementation, the 2013 budget which is in the making is riddled with loopholes and wasteful propositions. Our budget now seems like a garbage bin in which all sorts of rubbish (expenditure) are thrown in. Is there nobody or team who goes through the document rigorously (with a knife if need be) to take out the fats and the wastes? It is amazing that too much junk is being presented to us a budget under the watch of our dear Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Where do we turn to?

    What to do Nigeria dies right before the eye of President Jonathan; the situation calls for drastic action. As has been said on this space several times, Jonathan must resolve forthwith to fight corruption. He has no choice than to declare his asset publicly as the very first intent of seriousness. He must make every top government official to do same. He must move quickly to fire some of his appointees – those that have proven to be incompetent and quick-fingered. He knows them. Then we need to see him at work as he tackles some priority programmes like power, key roads and refineries. He should do less of the ceremonies; in fact he should delegate them. He only has himself to beat so he must re-invent himself.

  • Security on their minds

    Security on their minds

    Security is on the minds of our lawmakers this week as they begin to feel the heat of the Boko Haram terror attacks closing in on their magnificent edifice. To be sure, this is strange. The people’s House and the Upper Chamber should be immune from any and all forms of physical threat. Recall that in the wake of the nationwide protest against increase in petroleum prices, the people were prevented from getting close to their House. Now, our men and women of honour are afraid of just a few terror mongers?

    That is the nature of terrorism. Its goal is to destroy the morale of a people and to weaken their sense of security with its chosen method of random killing and maiming. You might ask: why would any reasonable human being engage in such an obviously immoral act? The answer is simple. Many reasonable people in many places engage in obviously immoral actions. Corruption is immoral. People engage in it. Robbery is immoral and people also engage in it. Not to talk of adultery and other such sinful behaviors. The difference between terrorism and these other immoralities is not just that terrorism involves killing the innocent, but that it is also a form of psychological warfare against the innocent. It creates panic, as is evidenced in the exposed mindset of our lawmakers. It also weakens confidence in the ability of government to secure its people, as is the case now in dear country.

    The last point has been brought to the fore more effectively with the statement credited to the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who allegedly stated that his party is not a security agency. Assume that the statement might have been taken out of context, it does not help assuage the feeling of helplessness that citizens have about the current security regime in the country. To be sure, a political party is not a security agency. It is an organisation of like-minded individuals in pursuit of common ideological principles for the governance of a nation. But those principles must necessarily include principles to effectively secure the people once the party succeeds in acquiring power. For what this acquisition of power means is that the people have entrusted to the party and its flag-bearer the responsibility to take care of their security needs for four years. For any political system, the security of the people is the first and foremost task.

    The latest assault by Boko Haram should not have come as a surprise, given its past approach following a government declaration. It followed the former Inspector General of Police to his office after he declared war against the sect. It has flexed its deadly muscle once an official declaration of intent was made. Taking the battle to den of the lion that Jaji is supposed to be must be seen as an undeniable victory for the group. How much more embarrassment can the government take? The Police are incapable. Now the military has been seen as impotent inside its own house? This must explain the frustration expressed by members of the National Assembly.

    The expression of fear by honourable members of the National Assembly over the activities of Boko Haram is natural and instinctive. Everyone, except the suicide bomber, fears the violent death for which he or she delights in and spreads. However, the contagion of fear that Boko Haram represents should not grip the National Assembly as an institution. This is because that institution, along with the Presidency, has the sacred duty to sustain the confidence of the people in times such as this. It is instructive that the party of the President controls the majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. A more effective approach would be for the members to approach the Presidency with concrete recommendations to contain the insurgency.

    The question now must be whether Boko Haram is here to stay and we are all condemned to a life of terror and fear. Are we now in the same league with Somalia? What explains the impotence of government to deal with this threat?

    It is interesting that the National Assembly debate expressed fear of terror attack on the institution when the Executive arm has been reluctant to describe what is going on as terrorism and has in fact lobbied the United States against declaring Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation. If it is not, then what is it? And if the government can deal with it as something other than a terrorist group, then why isn’t it working? This is where citizens must ask questions of their government. It appears that government is out of its wit in this matter. We have a security challenge that must be solved if everything else, including the economy, tourism, and foreign investment must pick up. It is unacceptable for government to throw its arms up and give up on the people.

    I believe that this country is internally blessed with human and material resources to deal with the challenge of insecurity. However, if I am wrong in this confidence in our people, then I would urge that in the matter of our security, government cannot be too proud to seek help from friendly nations. And the first step to doing this is to wake up from our state of denial. We must recognise the fact that we have a security challenge from a terrorist organisation that is determined to undermine the republican system of government that we uphold as the best for our multi-ethnic and multi-national structure. If we give in because we are unable to rise up and meet the challenge head-on, then we must be prepared to accept the inevitable demise of the country as we know it.

    Already the leadership of ACN is appealing to southern governors to wake up and confront their northern colleagues to stop the killings. If Boko Haram succeeds in pitting the South against the North, it would have achieved its foremost objective. Then what would the President and the National Assembly do about their oath of allegiance to protect and defend the constitution?

  • Hijrah and Nigerian media

    Hijrah and Nigerian media

    Information is power. It can make or mar. An informer must be informed. He must know what information to disseminate. He must know, not only when and where to disseminate such information but also why and how to do it. These are the qualities that make trained journalists professionals in their calling.

    Journalism as a profession is not about news gathering and news reporting alone. It is also about education dissemination as well as entertainment all of which require common sense. That is why a journalist is perceived as a professional who knows or should know something about everything.

    To be a thorough professional, a journalist must be familiar with virtually all the temporal and spiritual spheres of life. He cannot report space exploration without some scientific knowledge of astronomy. He cannot report agriculture without some knowledge of soil, plants, rainfall, aquatics and even husbandry. Neither can he report war without some knowledge of weaponry and the geography of the war areas as well as the sociological and political history of the involved warring groups. No journalist of worth can report a religious festival or service without knowing some terms relating to the norms and regulations of the religion in question. That is why media establishments often earmark certain beats for effective coverage.

    And, of course, in the process of filing his/her reports, a journalist must be conscious of the technical sequence to be followed. This is generally known in the profession as the ‘five W’s plus H’. The coded cliché here is interpreted as follows: “Who (does) what? Where? When? Why? And How?” Without practical knowledge of that sequence, a journalist cannot be worth his professional status.

    From whatever angle journalism is viewed, knowledge remains the main axis around which journalists’ activities rotate. No ignorant person should have any business with that noble profession to which yours sincerely fortunately and proudly belongs.

    It is, however, unfortunate, these days, that the conduct of some Nigerian media practitioners constitutes an embarrassing nuisance to the well informed Nigerian public as much as it does to those practitioners themselves. Most Nigerian journalists of the present generation seem to be more preoccupied by pecuniary gain than the value of their profession, an indication that journalism has seriously deteriorated in Nigeria. And this seems to be a justification for the notion of ‘BROWN ENVELOPE’ often attributed to Nigerian journalists by the public. A typical example is last Tuesday’s editorial opinion of a supposed front line newspaper in the Southwest of Nigeria, which expectedly exhibited blatant ignorance about Hijrah calendar even perhaps to the embarrassment of the publishers of that newspaper.

    In its rambling official opinion called editorial, the paper threw knowledge and decency to the winds as it shamelessly promoted religious bigotry to the front burner. And in its attempt to vilify the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for declaring a public holiday for Hijrah in his State, albeit constitutionally, the so-called editorial displayed so much ignorance that it could not even spell the words Hijrah and Muhammad correctly as it kept repeating ‘Hejira’ and ‘Muhammed’ which came to remind us of the anachronistic media style of deliberately denigrating Islam during the colonial era. In the glorious days of journalism in Nigeria, misspelling a person’s name or that of a place in the course of reporting was enough reason to sack a journalist. But this is no longer the case as journalism has virtually become a matter of cash and carry.

    While basking in the usual euphoria of ignorance and fanaticism, the paper forgot that the world is now a global village where no charlatan can take the public for a ride any longer by dishing out obsolete garbage in the name of information and expect such garbage to be swallowed hook, line and sinker . The Nigerian reading public has outgrown that stage and has become much more informed about the happenings around the world than any parochial journalist or newspaper would vaingloriously want them to believe. The claim in that grossly uninformed and parochial editorial that countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and Turkey do not declare public holiday for Hijrah is not only a shameless lie but also a glaring evidence of blatant ignorance on the part of the paper as well as its employed journalists. On the contrary, all of those mentioned countries do not only declare public holiday for Hijrah with reverence as a religious tradition, they also celebrate it with fanfare. This may be verified on the internet or through their embassies in Nigeria.

    And even if those countries do not declare any holiday at all for Hijrah celebration is that a logical justification for the fanatical newspaper to write a garbage in the name of editorial as a way of preventing Nigerian Muslims from getting justice which had long been denied to them? Who says the yardstick for practising Islam in Nigeria is domiciled in Saudi Arabia or Turkey?

    And in a bid to justify its vilification of Ogbeni Aregbesola, the newspaper rhetorically cited the example of the late Ziaul Haqqi of Pakistan who it accused of turning secular Pakistan into an Islamic State. But rather than going that far to cite an example of a perceived religious lopsidedness, one would have expected an informed newspaper to cite a closer and more relevant Nigerian example of when General Yakubau Gowon (a Christian), as Head of State, unilaterally declared Saturday as national public holiday in 1972 on the demand of a Christian denomination (the Seventh Day Adventists), without any protest from the Muslims. After all, before that time, Nigeria was a six working day country though Saturday was half work day.

    For 99 years of the colonial rule (1861 to 1960) Nigerian Muslims, especially those of the south, were never granted any holiday for any festival be it Eidul Fitr or Eidul Adha. It was the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who, after becoming the Prime Minister, declared a national public holiday for both Muslim festivals and gave Nigerian Muslims a sense of justice for the first time. Today, while Nigerian Christians enjoy a minimum of 108 days (Saturdays and Sundays) of public holiday in the 54 weeks of the year, the Muslims enjoy nothing and they are not complaining. Yet, the only time that public holiday is being granted them for Hijrah as a matter of right in a state, a section of Nigerian media is characteristically but fanatically challenging it in a way of adding to religious tension in the land through unnecessary media bullying and intimidation.

    One conspicuous fact about religion in Nigeria which Nigerian media have deliberately and consistently refused to acknowledge is that Nigerian Muslims neither make frivolous religious demands nor unnecessarily oppose the demand of their Christian counterparts. If anything is responsible for religious tension in Nigeria it is provocation (as championed by Nigerian media) and not intolerance often hypocritically claimed by the same Nigerian media. This is the time to let it be known that an unjust status quo cannot be maintained indefinitely. That was the spirit behind fighting for Nigerian independence. And that same spirit cannot be killed in other matters of injustice.

    In journalism, the general norm is that ‘when you are in doubt (on an issue), leave out’. This is to save the practitioners any embarrassment which public exhibition of ignorance may cause for them. In writing its deceptive editorial, the concerned paper did not consider that ethical norm. The ‘Message’ hereby challenges the newspaper in reference to show evidence of its claim on the cited examples in its misinforming editorial. Yours sincerely studied and lived in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia just as I traversed the entire Arab countries (23 of them) plus Iran, Pakistan and Turkey in series of journeys until I became familiar with their traditions as well as their systems of governance, especially as I speak Arabic language. And I do not know anyone of those countries that does not celebrate Hijrah year with public holiday. So, where did the paper get its published fabrication?

    As far back as over 1,000 years ago, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had foreseen the likelihood of this kind of misinformation and deliberate falsification of facts which was why he recommended the permanent notion of seeking knowledge to the Muslims by saying: “Seek knowledge even if you will have to travel to China”. At that time, China was known to be the farthest place from Arabia where the Prophet resided. Nothing in the life of man is comparable to knowledge. As a matter of fact, life can only be deemed worthwhile if it is based on knowledge.

    Perhaps that was why the message of Islam through the revelation of the Qur’an started on the premise of knowledge. The very first chapter of that Sacred Book commenced thus: “Read in the name of your Lord who created; He created man from clots of congealed blood. Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, who taught by the pen. He taught man what he (man) did not know…” And, to further emphasise this, the Prophet said that “knowledge is missing, Muslims should search for it and pick it wherever they can find it”. He did not restrict such knowledge to religion neither did he exclude religion in it.

    In the same editorial, a pointed question was raised about the person of Aregbesola vis a vis the declared holiday thus: “what is the interest of Aregbesola? The newspaper may wish to know that the same interest which prompted General Yakubu Gowon in 1972, to declare Saturday a national public holiday with fiat in favour of a Christian denomination is that of Aregbesola in 2012. That interest may be justice which has all along been denied to Nigerian Muslims.

    For the information of the uniformed writer of that controversial editorial and any other Nigerian journalist, the new Islamic year begins on the first day of the month of Muharram which is the first of the 12 months in the Islamic calendar. The other months are: Safar; Rabi‘ul Awwal; Rabi‘ut-Thani; Jumadal ‘Ula; Jumadat-Thaniyah; Rajab; Sha‘aban; Ramadan; Shawwal; Dhul Qa‘adah; and Dhul Hijjah. Each of these months contains either 30 or 29 days.

    The first day of Muharram is celebrated every Hijrah year by all Muslims throughout the world not only as a commemoration of the great success of Islamic religion but also as a token of rejuvenation of faith, peaceful co-existence, love and humility to which all Muslims are expected to sincerely adhere.

    It must be recalled that this calendar came into existence in commemoration of the inspired bravery and humility of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who, under the guidance of Allah, brought a revolution called Islam into the world at a time when the world was adrift almost uncontrollably with ungodly human activities. The Prophet’s emigration from the evil machinations of Makkah to the spiritual serenity of Madinah in 622 C. E was the catalyst for the success of Islam as a revolution. That historic adventure thus marked the beginning of Islamic calendar which now serves as a good reminder of what the religion of Islam demands from an average Muslim.

    Basically Hijrah institutionalised three important aspects of Muslim life: social, economic and political in addition to spirituality. In the social sphere, when the first revelation came to the Prophet (SAW) a period of twelve (12) years was devoted by him to inculcating religion in the minds of individuals while no pattern of a collective life based on true religious concepts could yet be presented to the world. The status of the Muslim individuals in Makkah thus gave rise to the general misconception that Islam was only a personal affair which pertained to the hereafter and had nothing to do with any collective life here on earth.

    It was only after Hijrah that people began to see clearly that Islam was a total way of life which pays attention to and reforms every facet of human existence as it began to give directions regarding virtually every moment of one’s conscious time. Hijrah also enabled the Arabs in particular, to see what a Muslim house-hold should be in a Muslim society. Hence, it was only after this great event that the world could see the aspect of social decency and decorum encapsulated in Islam.

    The second reason for the importance of Hijrah is its economic aspect. The economic effects were due to the permanent emigration to Madinah by the earliest Muslims. The matchless hospitality of the people of Madinah towards the Muslims immigrants did not only provide a new peaceful home for the newcomers, but also showed the hosts’ passionate self-sacrifice. And with Hijrah, the immigrants vividly came in contact with agriculture and artisan-ship resulting in an economic revolution for the place. Thus, it was only after Hijrah that agriculture, industry and trade freely helped the Muslims to bring about an integrated, balanced and unfettered economy for the Ummah. And, as a result, every one of them adopted legitimate means of righteous earning without having to depend on anybody again.

    The third reason which made Hijrah a very important event is the political freedom for the Muslims. Before Hijrah the Muslims had no say in any matter, internal or external. They were considered a minority against whom the hearts of the majority were full of enmity as they (the Muslims) were an insignificant part of a set of dominating unbelievers in Makkah. It was Hijrah that made the Muslims Masters of their internal affairs, external relations and matters relating to war and peace. There was great understanding among the Muslims. For instance, in the case of any difference that might occur between them and non-Muslims the final decision was to be made by the Prophet. This showed an autonomous set up of a Muslim Ummah just emerging. And this was the beginning of a city-state which, within ten years during the life time of Prophet Muhammad expanded to the entire Arabian Peninsula and from there to the rest of the world. Today, with a population of about 1.7 billion Muslims in the world, Islam has come to stay despite the wreath of thorns being frequently put on its way.

     

  • IFEANYI UBAH: three brief points to ponder

    Igbo quagmire in the 2015 miasma: Everything will get mired and there will not be anything sacred that will be left standing on the road to 2015. This sounds like a divine injunction but it is only a note of caution for Ndigbo must because 2015 could be their second Biafra if not worse especially in terms of its looming economic and psychological toll on the people. Unfortunately, Ndigbo is right in the eye of the 2015 storm and worse, she is currently a headless body; a miserable pun in a chess game that would make or mar Nigeria. It is a war that Ndigbo is already stringed up for decimation because she has no strategy, no candidate and no concert of voices. Ndigbo have only few very big men who are sadly, imbued with very small minds and who are quick to sell the rest of us for the pot of porridge. Ndigbo of old talk about the crooked firewood that is apt to unsettle the fire. Igbo is easily unsettled by a jingling of a few coins. Is any Igbo listed on the recently released Forbes Rich List; can any Igbo rich man lace the sandals of Aliko? Yet they are quick to be rallied for subterfuge missions against one another. The Ifeanyi Ubah, Cosmas Maduka public brawl is a foretaste of what to come.

    The politics of business, the business of politics: Big business is no different from high stake politics. While in politics, you always watch your back for the opposition, in business, you always watch out for competition. Opposition wants your seat badly and competition wants your market. It is double jeopardy when a man mixes politics and business. Now such a man has opposition and competition massed up against him. Very few men come out of this milieu still standing. The irrepressible MKO Abiola is a Nigerian classic in this regard. Is Ubah being cut to size for his 2015 dalliances?

    Curiouser still: Having warned that Ndigbo will be the villainous subclass playing all the subplots in the emerging 2015wood (as in Nollywood) the Ubah versus Maduka tango gets curiouser and curiouser. Here are a few posers: how come Mr. Aig Imoukhuede, group managing director of Access Bank was drafted to by the Federal Government to head the all important oil subsidy panel when his bank is deeply embroiled in the subsidy racket? He was judge and jury in his cause hm?

    Which law permits Maduka unlimited access in Access Bank cash beyond all known obligor limits; without any security? How could Ubah, a mendicant as Maduka wants the world to believe, have built such capacity that could handle such volume of business? How come Maduka, a shrewd businessman exposed himself to the tune of hundreds of billions of naira to someone he had been warned was not creditworthy? Why the relentless harassment and invasion of his business premises? How much does Ubah owe compared to other debtors. If there is no witch-hunt and politics to all this, let AMCON publish the original list of all debtors on its book against their assets for the world to see. Simple solution, isn’t it? Not really, because there is more to all this than meets the ordinary eye. Ponder on it.

    Re: Jump, Diezani Jump (readers’ reaction)

    Thank you for your essay on Ribadu’s Report. Diezani should be left alone to continue her good work in the oil and gas sector. The call by some Nigerians for her to be removed is misplaced. Nobody has said explicitly what her offences are. Oil subsidy should be removed completely, that is the only way fuel supply can be guaranteed. Capt. AI Olisadebe, (rtd), 08033119751

    Jump, Diezani jump! Thank you for reminding us what kind of evil is seated at the petroleum ministry. Never shy away from writing the truth. JBA, 08037032765

    Steve, your objective and sincere advice to Diezani is most timely and brotherly. Maybe because he is married to your brother-in-law. Ayo (Oritsejafor) is a disgrace to Christendom. Has he seen or heard about a Catholic or Anglican bishop owning a private jet despite the large followership? He has joined the league of commercial preachers who should be banned from assuming the position of CAN president in future. 08035482602

    Jump, Diezani jump! Powerful article, bold and insightful! Well-written brother, you are a literary prophet! 08033572801

    Please I want you to hit the nail on the head with respect to what is happening in the petroleum industry in connection with Mrs. Diezani. 08037114167

    Those with your type of brain are only fit to sell stock fish in Ariaria market. Dieziani was a director at Shell prior to her appointment. She was not a jobber like you. No wonder you can only work for a Yoruba-centric organization like The Nation. Amadi, PH. 08033217685

    Mr. Osuji, I have just read your column (The Nation Nov. 16, 2012), it is more than wonderful. At a time that sycophancy and praise singing have taken over most of our media houses, it is gratifying that we still have forthright journalists like you. You have restored my faith that there is yet hope for a better Nigeria. Please keep it up and God bless you. U. M. Aboki, Chief Imam, Ughelli Central Mosque, Ughelli, Delta State. 08024448026

    RE: Ayo Oritsejafor: my PJ is

    bigger than yours

    I do not know whether Ayo Oritsejafor belongs to the class of men with incurable monomania for opulence. But I do know that those who commercialize the gospel in the name of ‘my God is not a poor God’ certainly belong to the class of men doomed to waste away in HELL. I owe God the duty to condemn the spiritual zombification of my fellow men in the name of Pentecostalism. These men who call themselves men of God tell their followers to pray for security while they move about with police escort. They tell us to give to God but what we give end up in their bank accounts. Why will they not buy jets? Ehi, 08076823815

    ‘Banksters ‘! That’s a new one. Now none is left that gives hope, they’ve all left this sunless hell – how lucky they all are! Thought you would tell about how Oritsejafor started his ministry (remember the Warri 6, Idahosa, etc) and how come Mrs. Idahosa was not among his well-wishers? To tell the truth, methinks Nigeria is in the biggest of troubles, far more than anybody can ever imagine. 08034476916

    Your piece on Pastor Ayo refers: the sordid role of a hunter’s dog made him forget Matthew18: 15 – 20. Quite unfortunate for a professed Christian! 08059214357

    Something to cheer in Nigeria?

    Dear EXPRESSO, your request for a Nigerian who gladdens our heart in this season of anomie is very apt. the man who does his job efficiently and unobtrusively is the IGP, Mohammed Abubakar. He is the winner of the pack. He is an example of how public officials should perform their assigned duties. Ezekiel Olojoba, Sapele, 08052213888

    Dear Steve, let me first congratulate you for your boldness and incisiveness. I would like to commend our men and women in uniform. They include the police, army, navy, airforce, civil defence, etc. without them one can imagine what the country would have been like. Yes there are bad eggs among them but the good ones are more. Let us treat them with respect, look into their welfare and support them. They are trying their best in the face of daunting odds. Austin Onuoha, Warri, 08094779331.

  • Thankfulness

    Thankfulness

    It is the season of year when, if we are privileged and sufficiently wise to count our blessings and name them one by one, we might be pleasantly surprised at what God has done for us. It is time for thanksgiving. And as has been a tradition for me, I have to enlist the support of my bosom friend, whose demeanor this year has been a bit of a surprise too. He not only acknowledged the reality of our people-hood, he also extolled the virtues of our democracy in spite of its challenges.

    “In this season of thankfulness, may I ask you a simple question? What blessings are you most thankful for?”

    “That is not a simple question” Opalaba responded. “First, it is unfair to categorise blessings in ascending or descending order. A blessing is a blessing and all blessings are equal to a thankful spirit. Second, however, since our experiences are complex and often compartmentalised, for purposes of analysis we may categorise them. We are all supposed to be political animals. I don’t believe that I am. I am a medical professional, you are a philosopher. I am a family man as you are. And we are both spiritual beings. In each of these spheres of our lives, there are uncountable blessings. Therefore, for all the blessings I have received I am most thankful and will forever be.”

    For some reason, my friend sounded tamed and subdued. How weird! I wondered to myself, what could account for this sudden appearance of rationality. Could it be the near-death experience of the past year? Mindful of the need to sustain the civil tone of our dialogue, I simply tagged along.

    “That’s wonderful, Opalaba!” I chimed in. “I agree completely with your observation. We are pieces of complex machines and our complexity must be acknowledged and applauded. So tell me, what are the reasons for your thankfulness, all things considered?”

    “Let me start with the political,” Opalaba answered. “Though we have not always agreed in the matter of the direction of our political life in the country of our birth, I have also been the one that appreciates the fact that it could be worse. And I can tell you now that when we talk about blessings and thankfulness, the driving force of my attitude is that possibility, indeed probability, of it being worse.” We are still one country and one people. Imagine what it would mean if you have to apply for visa to visit your in-laws on the other side of the Niger! Now I easily accompany you, but I don’t know what I will do if I need to go to the Embassy of ?? to get a visa! The thought of it makes me sick!

    I told Opalaba how insightful his observation was. It reminded me of my service agent at Darcas Dealership whose instant response to the normal “how are you?” greeting was always: “I could be worse.” That indeed is the spirit of thanksgiving. To know that the situation could be worse is to be thankful first that it isn’t but also second, to entertain the hope that it would be better. However, I wanted to probe Opalaba more.

    “You know, of course, that the “it could be worse” spirit is a dangerous one simply because it leaves a lot of room for complacency and resignation to fate or destiny. If you come to the conclusion that our political arrangement and its outcome for our wellbeing could be worse, doesn’t that let the powerful operators off the hook too easily? How will they be held accountable for their excesses and lapses? And by the way, while I am also apprehensive of what a breakup might mean for someone like me who have extended a handshake across the Niger twice, applying for a visa is the least of my concerns.”

    “To suggest that matters could be worse is not to suggest that it could not be better. Indeed there is a certain amount of negative connotation to “it could be worse.” Note that my response could have been “it’s great! I can’t ask for a better political arrangement!” More importantly, resignation or complacency should not even be an option for the reason that even the most advanced political systems are also constantly challenged to improve. What we need is the engagement of citizens as the gadfly of democracy and egalitarianism. At any rate, I am thankful that in this country, we have a large number of citizens who are willing to make the necessary sacrifice to move the country forward.”

    “You are right again, my friend,” I complimented Opalaba. “As the last general elections in God’s Own Country demonstrate, democracy is always going to be work-in-progress. With some states enacting laws that suppress votes by cutting the number of days for early voting, or demanding photo identification, you would have to wonder what their understanding of democratic election is. It took the vigilance of citizens to ensure that democracy was not ambushed by oligarchs. And I am thankful that we did not have a shortage of hands literally and figuratively. Otherwise, the outcome would be different.”

    “Politics is important because it directs all other spheres of our lives,” Opalaba observed. “But it isn’t exhaustive of our experiences. We have a social life, a spiritual life, and of course a personal life that matters to us. And in all these, I am thankful. I know that my redeemer lives and I am going to live the rest of my days making sure that I please Him. I am thankful for the grace which I do not intend to abuse.” True to his nature, Opalaba now wanted to know what I am thankful for, not minding my self-assigned role as the questioner.

    “I cannot ask for a better social life,” I volunteered to my friend. “I am thankful for the joy of family, for the experience of true friendship, for the opportunity to live in a society that allows me to flourish physically, mentally, and spiritually, and for the life that I have chosen. I am thankful that when I saw the need, I was able to make my modest contribution alongside others to the renewal of the hope of democratic governance. And now that I have answered the call of duty to serve my profession at another level, I feel blessed and thankful.”

    Everyone has good reasons to be thankful. And as the scripture attests, from the mouth of little children, we are able to discern the lessons of life. A girl who could not be more than six years of age put the matter of thanksgiving extremely well the other day. Asked by a television reporter what she was thankful for, the girl responded: “everything.” And before you wonder what could be the reference to everything in the life of a six-year old, the girl added: “Even when you fall on a sidewalk, you still have reason to be thankful because you could learn one thing or two from the fall.” How philosophical!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  • RIBADU REPORT: Jump, Diezani jump

    Our dainty dame of the Petroleum Ministry, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, sure knows how to heap it on us. She takes the coal in furious shovelfuls, red-hot, crackling and throws it at us in a devil- may- care manner. Her latest assault is that anti-reform forces are behind the call for her sack? She insisted that those who want her fired are enemies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda especially as it concerns the oil sector which she supervises. Hear her:

    “Those fighting the government in the media are doing so because we have been able to frustrate their efforts in strangulating the economy through their devilish black market and questionable profiteering at the expense of the Nigerian people.

    “I would not want to join issues with those criticizing me because they are crying foul that through us, Mr. President has broken the old order where things were done without coordination.

    “What is hurting them is that we have put policies in place where they can no longer cheat the government and cause untold hardship to millions of Nigerians.”

    Diezani’s woofing is particularly galling coming on the tail of the sordid presidential soap opera re-enacted during the submission of the Ribadu Committee report. Recall that Diezani had set up a series of committees in the wake of a national protest that greeted the yanking off of the so-called petrol subsidy last January. One of such panels was the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force (PRSTF) headed by Malam Nuhu Ribadu. But not even a thousand committees can cover up for Dieziani’s inadequacies since she was appointed to the federal cabinet about five years ago. Her incompetence has become more glaring since she was put in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. That heart beat of the country has never been in a worse mess since the creation of Nigeria.

    Indeed, were she not a minister of the Federal Republic, one would have accused her of either being rude to the extreme or harboring mischief of the most devious kind. Perhaps she is gangrened by a combination of the two conditions because that is the only circumstance under which she would dare to heap so much insult on the festering injury she has inflicted on the people of Nigeria in the last few years.

    How dare Diezani talk to us about reform in the midst of a debilitating fuel scarcity and surreptitious price hike? What reform in an industry with anaconda-sized corruption? Only last August, The Economist described Nigeria as the world capital of oil theft with about $7 billion lost annually. This crime has grown exponential in her time and she obviously has no clue as to how to solve the problem. Dieziani is the supervisor –in –chief of a corruption crippled industry that cannot adequately refine petroleum products, cannot import, cannot store, cannot distribute. What is the nature of this so-called reform for a minister who does not know the quantity of crude oil we export nor does she have statistics of the quantity of petroleum products we import? Where does the so-called reform start and end for a maladroit minister who cannot explain to Nigerians how trillions of naira of the so-called subsidy fund was signed away to a confederate of rogues who claim to be oil importers?

    Why are our pipelines being shut down under her watch? Why are major oil firms like Shell and Total suddenly selling off their assets and migrating? Why is the nation bugged down by perennial scarcity of petroleum products yet we reform? Somebody sure needs reformation if in all this we accuse ‘anti-reform forces’.

    We insist that Diezani has clearly become an albatross around the neck of the president, the presidency and the nation. We advise she takes a dive. The most honorable thing left for her now is to jump. She must jump while she can; she must jump while there is still some dignity left. She must jump before she is pushed.

    AYO ORITSEJAFOR: My PJ is bigger than yours

    “Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!” Ezekiel Ch. 13vs.3 (KJV)

    So this is what it’s all about; all the shadow-boxing and hullaballoo is all in aid of acquiring a private jet (PJ) just like all the other ‘big boy’ preachers and ‘men of God’. The news last weekend from Warri that flamboyant Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had acquired a PJ did not surprise many watchers of Nigeria’s Christendom. What may have baffled many was the slant that the nearly $5 million (about N750m) bird was a gift from his church, Word of Life Bible Church. It was meant to be reward for 40 years of toil in God’s vineyard.

    But Nigerians ask: how could the church write such a fat cheque to the Founder, Visioner, General Overseer and Papa of the church? Can the tail wag the dog? Why would our dear man of God show such inefficiency in managing the truth of his new luxury toy?

    Could it be that Papa is ashamed of his monstrous new-found wealth? He need not be. Have we not been taught that their god is not a poor god and that poverty is for ‘true’ Christians? He has company; he is now among the super-rich, jet-set ‘ men of God’. Some of them even have more jets than some one-jet, Nigerian commercial airlines. In a time of unspeakable rot in the polity and extreme privation and impoverishment of the people, our ‘men of God’ have got themselves into a race for acquiring billion naira private jets. They are in the race with corrupt politicians, oil thieves and ‘banksters’. They are in competition to show opulence, to exhibit their material worth.

    Why would a true preacher of the Word be in such a hurry as to need a PJ? Some heads of state do not own PJs. I am not aware that the British Prime Minister owns one. Where on earth would a true preacher want to fly to in such private- jet hurry? Even Christ could not get to Lazarus in time enough yet he got the job done when he eventually got there. When did this spiritual labor become a race to conquer space and time? Expresso thinks something does not add up in this new wave of mind-numbing flamboyance. Which god is this we are talking about that allows our vanity to grow expensive wings? Can anyone see Mammon peeking from somewhere?

    LAST MUG: Your turn: anything to smile about? Is Expresso an incurable pessimist or is our country truly a mirthless, cheerless entity that only makes us sad? This is the question for you to answer dear readers as this space is hereby thrown open to next week Friday November 23, 2012. Please text information about any person or thing in Nigeria that gives you hope, cheers you up, inspires you or makes you proud and happy to be a Nigerian. Ensure that your contributions are short, simple and verifiable; including your name and location.

    Warning: another sad piece awaits you if we don’t have adequate responses to fill this space by Wednesday. Have a great weekend.