The Nation Newspaper

Tag: letter

  • Letter to Nigerian Imams

    Letter to Nigerian Imams

    Preamble

    Dear Nigerian Imams, in the name of Allah, The compassionate, The Merciful, with humility and due respect in the spirit of Islam, I hereby forward this open letter to you as a way of rubbing minds and comparing notes with you on matters of common interest. In terms of age, knowledge, experience of life and charisma, I may not be qualified to tutor you on Islam. And this letter is not meant to do that. But the dynamism of this divine religion of ours is such that no one has any monopoly of either knowledge or piety, no matter his age or experience. And no one can evidently claim to possess purer soul and conduct than those of his fellow Muslims. Only Allah knows and can identify His true servants and reward them accordingly. This is manifest in Qur’an 49 verse 13 where He says: “We have created you (human beings) as males and females. And ‘We have’ classified you into nations and tribes that you may interact with one another. Surely, the most dignified among you before Allah are those who are most pious”.

     

    The Message

    ‘THE MESSAGE’ column as a reminder on Islamic matters does not ascribe any authority to itself. But in the process of comparing notes we may jointly find a clue to the problem we want to diagnose here. Two major issues jointly form the subject matter of this letter. One is the Qur’anic schools in Nigeria. The other is the Mosque affairs. The two are closely interrelated.

    You will recall Sirs, that Islam first reached some parts of what is now call Nigeria in the 11th century CE. That was over 1000 years ago when no one could have dreamt of a country to be called Nigeria. Even the colonialists who caused the emergence of Nigeria as a country were, at that time, still wallowing in blatant ignorance as they foraged wildly and aimlessly in the darkness of life. It took 500 years after the arrival of Islam before Christianity came to Nigeria in the 16th century. Today, if the two religions are compared in terms of education and material progress in this country, one will be found obviously ahead of the other by far. As a matter of fact, it will seem as if Christianity preceded Islam in Nigeria by 500 years. There is a fundamental question here not yet asked let alone answered. Where did things begin to go wrong for the Nigerian Muslims?

    It is only logical that a question like this is asked at this stage before any answer can be provided. From a Yoruba adage we learn that “when a kid falls he looks forward to someone who will lift him up. But when an adult falls, he looks backwards to see the cause of his fall”. After over 1000 years in Nigeria, Islam is eminently qualified to be called an adult. Thus we can jointly look back to see where things started going wrong if we sincerely adhere to Islam as we often claim.

    If the past generations of Nigerian Muslims did not ask the above question, it wasn’t because they lacked intellect or foresight. Even if they had asked such question, their hindrance would have been lack of wherewithal to answer it effectively. They could therefore be pardoned. The circumstances in which they embraced Islam and practiced it were quite different from those of today. That they even stood firmly by Islam in those days at all, despite the implacable persecutions and segregation they faced was an impeccable testimony to their steadfastness in faith.

    Unlike Christianity which was escorted down by its European propagators and strengthened by the colonialists after assuming power, Islam only migrated to Nigeria unaccompanied. That it emerged a force to be reckoned with was only due to the grace of Allah through the 18th century great Jihad of Usman Dan Fodio. Nothing encouraged that great scholar to embark on the Jihad more than education. It should be remembered that both Usman Dan Fodio and his son (Muhammad Bello) made such complex linguistic, theological, scientific and legal studies that the one had 93 books to his credit while the other had 97.

     

    Intellectual encounter

    It is also on record that Hugh Clapper-ton, a British colonial agent, once had an interesting intellectual encounter with Sultan Muhammad Bello, in 1824. After the encounter, Clapper-ton had to admit thus: “He (Muhammad Bello) continued to ask me several other theological questions, until I was obliged to confess myself not sufficiently versed in religious subtleties to resolve these knotty points”.

    And when Clapper-ton returned to Sokoto two years later (1826) and presented Bello with a complete copy of Arabic Euclid he was shocked to learn that his host already possessed one. (Euclid is an ancient geometry book of 13 volumes named after its Greek originator).

     

    Literacy in Nigeria

    When the Europeans first came to this territory in the 16th century the north was the only part of what is now called Nigeria that was literate. And that was because Islam had reached that part of the country since the 11th century with its Arabic literacy. The English colonialists confirmed this on their arrival in Nigeria in the 19th century. And that was why they were much more cautious in their dealings with the northerners than they were with the southerners.

    That the colonialists did not retain Arabic literacy in the north was due to the fact that they did not understand that language and could not communicate with it. If they had not ignored Arabic literacy, the north would not have been perceived as backward literarily today by the south. At least by 1919 when the south was just beginning to embrace literacy, the north already had about 25000 schools where students were taught various subjects in Arabic language.

     

    Education in Nigeria today

    Today, however, almost 70% of Nigerian Christians are conveniently lettered either in English which is the official language of Christianity in this country or in their vernacular languages through the Roman alphabets. That has enabled them to translate the Bible into over 20 Nigerian languages.

    But on the contrary, less than 10% of Nigerian Muslims can be said to be competently familiar with Arabic literacy. And without adequate literacy in Arabic language, there can be no thorough understanding of Islam which is the total way of life for any serious Muslim. Today, despite the age of Islam in Nigeria and the population of the Muslims, the Qur’an has just been translated into less than ten Nigerian languages. Even that was only possible because the initiators of those translations were well educated in the language of the Qur’an.

    Many Muslims who passed through the Qur’anic schools in Nigeria and claim to have graduated (through celebration of Walimah) end up being serious embarrassments to Islam.

     

    Problem of Qur’anic Schools

    The problem of Qur’anic schools in Nigeria is not just about faulty curriculum but also about primordial teaching methodology.

    In the Western conventional schools, children are not only first taught the language of learning, they are also encouraged to stay and learn in those schools even as friendly environments are created for them. They are encouraged to wear neat and attractive school uniforms. They are provided with toys and other play materials which can endear them to learning in those schools. The teachers do not only advise parents to feed their wards before coming to schools or give them food to eat in school but also encourage the pupils to maintain good hygiene while eating. Thus, the pupils always want to be in schools. And whatever they are taught becomes the gospel truth which no one else can easily alter in them. Most of those pupils grow up in life to become greater than their teachers because the foundation of their learning is very solid and formidable.

    This is not the case with Qur’anic schools which children of nowadays find abhorrent. Parents whose children attend both conventional and Qur’anic schools may ask those children to compare and contrast. If Muslim children could tolerate the inadequacies of the Qur’anic schools in the past it was simply because they had no alternative. The same cannot be said of now. That is why the population of children in Qur’anic schools has dwindled so tremendously.

     

    Role of Language in Education

    Language has a prima facie factor of any culture is a sine qua non in education. A culture not entrenched in a language is only bidding its time. Islam is a foremost culture with a foremost language. But with due apology, the attitude of some of you (Imams) and the clerics you appoint as custodians of the Qur’anic schools have virtually changed the colour and the taste of Islam as a culture in Nigeria. Rather than being an attractive place of learning, Qur’anic schools have been turned into scaring centres for our children. And only a very few of those children will willingly want to attend Qur’anic schools. The result is that no seriousness is attached to those schools in our society any longer. We all know the long term repercussion of this.

    Ironically, the method of teaching introduced in Nigeria by the colonialists was copied from the Muslims who standardized education in the world. The only addition made to that method by the Westerners is monetization of knowledge through emphasis on certification of education.

     

    Qur’anic Teaching Methodology

    It is rather inconceivable that the so-called Qur’anic teachers would cultivate a short cut to Islamic education by teaching the children from the peak. This is generally influenced by the pecuniary gain accruing to those clerics from Walimah.

    Qur’an is the epic literature in Arabic language. It is the encyclopedia of Islam. It is not meant for recitation alone. It is the final source of researches in all fields of learning for those who know its value. To be able to recite or use Qur’an for any research, one needs to understand the language in which it is written which is Arabic. No one can meaningfully read and comprehend the Encyclopedia Britannica without understanding English language.

    Perhaps the point needs to be made clear here that it is not compulsory that all Muslims should understand Arabic before they can recite the Qur’an. But anybody who wants to claim authority in Islamic knowledge must, of necessity, be able to read, write and comprehend Arabic language very well.

     

    Translation

    There can never be any true translation of a language to another language without sacrificing some elements of the originality of the mother language. This is where the error lies in the current methodology of teaching the Qur’an to Nigerian children by Nigerian clerics. Children’s brain is like a rock upon which a mark is made. Return to that rock many centuries later and you will still find the mark intact.

    In Islam, Qur’an is the Glass House in which the Muslims’ minds reside. The foundation of that house is Arabic language. Without understanding Arabic it is impossible to comprehend any literature written in Arabic, be it the Qur’an or Hadith. The best that can be achieved in such a circumstance is to memorize some parts of the Qur’an and base it understanding on hearsay or translated documents.

     

    Summary

    The summary here is that no education can be correctly imparted to any school child with the teaching of encyclopedia as a first course. As a matter of fact, a good teacher does not need to teach his or her pupils the contents of an encyclopedia. Just teach those pupils the language in which the encyclopedia is written and they will do the rest on their own at the appropriate time. That is what prompted the late Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory to establish the famous institute of Arabic and Islamic education (Agege) called MARKAZ in 1952. The indefatigable sage had also gone through the old system which he later found to be a cog in the wheel of Islamic education in Nigeria. He therefore traveled to Egypt for proper Islamic education and methodology of teaching despite his meager resources then. His intention was to pave way for millions of Nigerians and other Africans who might genuinely aspire to become Islamic scholars. Today, this columnist, being an alumnus of that great institute, is one of the beneficiaries of that blessed effort.  The full story of MARKAZ will be published in this column in the near future ‘in sha’A llah’.

     

    Review of Qur’anic education

    To endure in Nigeria, Qur’anic education will need a serious review by no other forum than yours (Nigerian Imams). The children attending Qur’anic schools must be made to see its value. The environment of learning must be made conducive for those children. The teachers in charge must be humane in conduct and in thought. The methodology of teaching must be made attractive to the learning pupils. Emphasis must be laid on language at the initial stage to enable the pupils know the meaning of what they are learning. Reading and writing assignments must be given to those pupils constantly. The idea of Walimah is not bad but it must be de-emphasized to reduce the impression that Qur’anic schools are mostly about Walimah for the benefit of Qur’anic teachers. Instead, premium must be placed on building total Muslims rather than just Qur’an readers.

     

    Memorisation of the Qur’an

    Memorization of the Qur’an is very laudable but knowing the meaning and the Islamic application of what is memorized should be giving priority. There must be close and lively interaction between the teachers and the pupils. A good arrangement must be made for teachers of Qur’anic schools to be reasonably remunerated. Periodic excursions to places of Islamic interest should be arranged for the pupils to boost their orientation and to expose them islamically. There should be inter-Qur’anic schools’ quiz competitions, debates and sports. Children of Qur’anic schools must look neat and decent in appearance.

    By the time all these measures are effectively taken the dwindling population of pupils in Qur’anic schools in Nigeria would have evidently become a part of history. And the fading interest in Qur’anic education would have been adequately rekindled. As for the Mosque affair which is the second leg of this letter, please watch out for it in this column in the near future God willing.

  • A private letter in the public sphere

    When columnist Olatunji Dare returned to column writing for The Nation on September 12, after a two-week break, with a column titled “Back on the beat,” he drew public attention to a letter sent to him by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President Bukola Saraki. The letter was Olaniyonu’s response to Dare’s column of August 15 titled “A preface to the silly season.”

    Dare said: “Olaniyonu sent it as a “private letter.”  But since it raises issues that belong in the public sphere, I sought his kind permission to publish it herewith, slightly edited.”

    In the said piece, Dare had focused on “those aspiring to be president,” saying what he presented was “by no means an exhaustive list.”  He added: “By the time the game really gets going, we may have as many as 240, if not more…As the game gathers momentum, almost everything else will be suspended.  Everything else will be subordinated to winning.”

    Dare’s list featured Saraki, which is why Olaniyonu wrote to him. The columnist had written: “Where else but up can Senate President Bukola Saraki go in the scheme of things?  Given the way he vaulted himself into his current position, and the Faustian bargain he made along the way, it was clear that he was out for the top job.”

    It is public knowledge that Saraki got to the helm of affairs at the Senate through an unapologetic defiance of his party’s desire and decision. The same twist resulted in a queer combination and cohabitation with Saraki of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Senate President and  Ike Ekweremadu of the discredited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as  Deputy Senate President. It is clear that Saraki is politically ambitious and perhaps desperate for high political office. His political moves and manoeuvres are the stuff of news, and stuff worthy of condemnation.

    So, Olaniyonu sounded unenlightened when he tried to fault “The Nation and Punch” for “their constant searchlight on Saraki and their unrepentant mischief against the man.”  He said of Dare’s list of possible presidential aspirants:  ”This error of omission or deliberate decision not to mention Asiwaju Tinubu gave an unmistakable impression that the article in question is part of the ploy by the Bourdillon media/Intellectual Think Thank to which you are widely believed to belong, to quickly take out the other potential rivals long before the race commences. However, I believe The Nation and its columnists will not have the last say on who becomes the next President after Buhari, either in 2019 or 2023.”

    Of course, it is expected that the sovereign electorate will have the last say when the time comes. It is also expected that insightful columnists like Dare will help shape public opinion so that the voters won’t endorse a figure with a questionable track record.

  • Open letter to the President

    SIR; I bear my heart out in this letter with great respect and humility.

    I was about 17 years during the Nigerian civil war. My youth was scandalized, and since then, I have carried a big scar in my heart. All I saw around me then, was blood, death, and hunger. That war, which could have been avoided was a collateral damage for easterners. Over three million people died – when it could have been resolved on a conference table.

    Most Nigerians, are hopeless, helpless, fearful, aggrieved and have been brutalized by poverty created by the status quo to terrorize my people.

    When you came on board I had hoped that yours would be a government that would assist the ordinary people; a government that will turn round the economy and put a smile on the faces of Nigerians.

    No, I don’t blame you for the woes that have befallen us, but, truth be told, you have so far spent too much time passing the buck than actually serving the people you struggled to lead. Two years is enough for us to start feeling like something would happen. I can’t believe that as hard and as many times as you applied for this job and you finally got it, this is the best you can do? Haba, baba!

    As a father, please do something to calm down this rising tension.

    As a father, it is very wrong to show your children that you have a favourite. Right now, it is clear that we are in a Big Mess. And sometimes I wonder if you understand how difficult it is for the masses to cope. People even from your village have complained to us (OurMumuDonDo movement); From Sokoto to Owerri, Benue to Delta, hunger everywhere, young people committing suicide, yet the legislators and executives still maintain their obnoxious lifestyle.

    There is so much I want to say as a very frustrated Nigerian, but for now what’s uppermost in my heart is to plead with you to intervene in this “Operation Python Dance”. Sir, you should be committed to dousing tensions and promoting peace and unity.

    In as much as I am aware that the federal government is concerned about curbing divisive messages and inordinate agitations within the country, I believe it should be more concerned about safeguarding the lives and properties of all Nigerians in any part of the country.

    It is also important to note that though recanted, the October 1 ultimatum issued by some misguided northern youths to the Igbos in the north remains weighty in the minds of many and the atmosphere is hypersensitive to any mishap that could foment such inter-ethnic wahala.

    Sir, suffering Nigerians are begging you to quell this tension than steaming up the flames of enmity and discord within the country by using force on harmless citizens.

    On behalf of all frustrated, hopeless, unsafe, hungry Nigerians I beg you, hear our prayer. As a father, show some compassion and give us hope that this too shall pass away.

     

    • Charly Boy,

    Abuja.

  • A private letter in the public sphere

    When columnist Olatunji Dare returned to column writing for The Nation on September 12, after a two-week break, with a column titled “Back on the beat,” he drew public attention to a letter sent to him by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President Bukola Saraki. The letter was Olaniyonu’s response to Dare’s column of August 15 titled “A preface to the silly season.”

    Dare said: “Olaniyonu sent it as a “private letter.”  But since it raises issues that belong in the public sphere, I sought his kind permission to publish it herewith, slightly edited.”

    In the said piece, Dare had focused on “those aspiring to be president,” saying what he presented was “by no means an exhaustive list.”  He added: “By the time the game really gets going, we may have as many as 240, if not more…As the game gathers momentum, almost everything else will be suspended.  Everything else will be subordinated to winning.”

    Dare’s list featured Saraki, which is why Olaniyonu wrote to him. The columnist had written: “Where else but up can Senate President Bukola Saraki go in the scheme of things?  Given the way he vaulted himself into his current position, and the Faustian bargain he made along the way, it was clear that he was out for the top job.”

    It is public knowledge that Saraki got to the helm of affairs at the Senate through an unapologetic defiance of his party’s desire and decision. The same twist resulted in a queer combination and cohabitation with Saraki of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Senate President and  Ike Ekweremadu of the discredited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as  Deputy Senate President. It is clear that Saraki is politically ambitious and perhaps desperate for high political office. His political moves and manoeuvres are the stuff of news, and stuff worthy of condemnation.

    So, Olaniyonu sounded unenlightened when he tried to fault “The Nation and Punch” for “their constant searchlight on Saraki and their unrepentant mischief against the man.”  He said of Dare’s list of possible presidential aspirants:  ”This error of omission or deliberate decision not to mention Asiwaju Tinubu gave an unmistakable impression that the article in question is part of the ploy by the Bourdillon media/Intellectual Think Thank to which you are widely believed to belong, to quickly take out the other potential rivals long before the race commences. However, I believe The Nation and its columnists will not have the last say on who becomes the next President after Buhari, either in 2019 or 2023.”

    Of course, it is expected that the sovereign electorate will have the last say when the time comes. It is also expected that insightful columnists like Dare will help shape public opinion so that the voters won’t endorse a figure with a questionable track record.

  • Anambra poll: Letter to APC delegates

    The primary election to nominate the APC flag-bearer in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election comes up this Saturday, August 19. This date is of significance because on that date, the fate of APC in this year’s election will be decided. The outcome of the primary election will determine whether APC will contest the November 18 election to win or to lose.

    On August 19, the chances of the party and, indeed, the hopes of Ndi Anambra to effect the desired change in the governance of the state will rest squarely on the shoulders of the delegates to the primaries.

    I, therefore, urge the delegates, as they step out on that day to cast their votes to elect a flag-bearer, to please be reminded that a rare opportunity has been thrust upon them to do that which is right and which will be beneficial, not only to them, but to their own children, all Anambra children and posterity at large.

    I say to you all: You became a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) because you became tired of the status quo and wanted a change from failure to success and from stagnation to acceleration. You now have the opportunity to   effect that change by nominating someone who has ability and capacity to defeat the incumbent administration on November 18. History is beckoning you to write your name in gold, as a major catalyst in the change agenda in the state. How will you react? Will you be guided by emotions and sentiments to nominate that friend or relation of yours when, indeed, you know that he does not have what it takes to defeat the incumbent and win the election?

    Will you be guided by earnest desire for the common good to nominate someone who has what it takes to defeat other contestants and win Anambra governorship for the APC and thereby kick-start that overdue change for which you became a member of the APC?

    Dear delegate, it is now up to you to decide whether you want Ndi Anambra to remember you as the hero who effectively empowered change, or the villain who sabotaged the best chance for change we ever had.

    I accept that it is always difficult to strike a fair balance between what is and what ought to be. As an indigene of the state residing in Ghana, I have followed this year’s election with uncommon interest because, however we look at it, the results of all elections impact on us positively or negatively. The last time, I wrote an article and asked the question: Can APC rescue Anambra State? My answer now to that question is:  Yes, APC can rescue Anambra State only if it succeeds in rescuing itself from enemies within.

    I have studied the personal data and pedigree of all the gentlemen aspiring for the APC ticket and for the sake of our common good, I have decided to be more pungent and direct in this open letter. This year’s election is not any aspirant’s personal war. It is a battle between political parties and the best each party can do is to enter the war arena with its best war commander, and the best that each aspirant, truly loyal to his party can do, is to support the person among them who has the best chances to win the election for the party.

    This is the major reason why I am writing this letter. It does not appear that some of the aspirants will allow the best among them to bear the flag because to them, it is not about the party and its members but about their personal ambitions. It is up to the delegates to correct this impression because they are party delegates and not personal delegates of the aspirants and therefore, they must be guided by a good sense of who has the best chance to win the election for the party.

    After due research and studies, the name that effortlessly comes to mind as the most equipped and prepared at this time to win this year’s election for APC is Senator Andy Uba, and this is for six verifiable reasons which I urge the delegates to investigate.

    The first reason is the man’s vast experience. The requisite experience of any leader is a beckoning asset that his administration can always leverage on. Uba was a close presidential aide for nearly eight years and no one can ordinarily dispute the wealth of experience that flowed from the job. He had contested and won Anambra governorship election before and has become familiar with the terrain. He is equally a two-term serving senator, openly acknowledged as having the highest number of bills in the Senate. Having served in the executive and the legislature, he knows how government works and his experience can be trusted and relied on, on this.

    The second is that his belief in the core values of Anambra State is not in doubt. As a close presidential aide, he was instrumental to the appointment of the three most cerebral indigenes of the state ever to work at the same time for one administration. Charles Soludo, Dora Akunyili and Oby Ezekwesili were some of the finest gifts of Anambra State to Nigeria and Senator Andy Uba’s contributions to these appointments cannot be denied. His commitment to the completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge, the dredging of the River Niger and a sincere Anambra Airport are proofs that the best for the state will always remain his priority.

    Thirdly, no one wins more elections than a politician who is on ground and close to the people. This is Andy Uba’s greatest advantage. In 2007, he established the structures with which he won that year’s governorship election. In 2011, he used the same structures to win his senatorial election and used the same structures to win his senatorial re-election in 2015. He has been using the same structures to campaign for this year’s election because unlike many politicians, he never dismantled his structures. They have kept him very close to the people for 10 years and as the D-Day approaches in this year’s election, there is really no time for experiments.  What APC needs to win this year’s Anambra guber is for its delegates to nominate him because he has existing and well-serviced structures to win the election.

    The fourth reason is that the Senator has no godfather. He is his own boss and will be in charge of his own decisions and responsible for his own actions. From 1999 till date, we are all aware of the destruction godfatherism engendered in the state and how much it slowed our wheel of progress. Anambra State is tired of following someone who is following someone else.  Uba has a personal vision of what he wants to achieve in the state and this vision will not be impaired by the control of any godfather.

    The fifth reason that urges the choice of this man is his extensive connections in high places that the state can leverage on for negotiations and concessions. The senator is well respected in and outside the state and as an astute strategist, he has become our established bridge across diverse national interests.

    Finally, he sees leadership as service to the people and not an avenue to enrich self or acquire houses abroad. He seeks to use the office of the governor to continue doing good which he has been doing in his private capacity. If he could touch so many lives as an individual, he can only do much more as governor.

     

    • Dr. Offodeme writes from Takoradi, Ghana.
  • Letter to APC Governors’ Forum

    Letter to APC Governors’ Forum

    SIR: For the All Progressives Congress (APC), its governors and legislators to be truly progressive and move Nigeria forward, as those controlling the reins of power today, they must help to create a constitution that will make Nigeria equitable and sustainable, thereby putting Nigeria on the path of progress. Religion that has been cause of disunity, violence, and retrogression must be boxed into privacy, since the constitution prohibits “state religion” so that religious people can take care of their religions in their shrines, temples, synagogues, churches, and mosques, while Nigerians unite to build a country of peace, progress and stability, where no one is oppressed.

    Nigeria can also not be progressive and sustainable if key positions are not taken care-of, rotationally among the federating zones or regions. We must forestall a feeling of marginalization. Restructuring is imperative. A return to the regional/district structure as it used to be before the military era will drastically reduce administrative centres and costs of administration.  Increasing Nigeria’s states to 54 from 36 will only worsen the economic situation.  Already, many states and local governments are unable to pay workers or owing workers several months of unpaid salaries and emoluments. Returning to the old region and district structure will minimize costs of administration and make funds available for infrastructure necessary for industrial advancement.

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is quoted as calling for dialogue as the solution to the agitation for the breakup of Nigeria. The All Progressive Governors Forum has also asked the federal government to commence negotiations with all agitators.

    I am suggesting that the governors should not call on the federal government to engage in dialogue, but itself to help Nigeria find solutions along the line of equity and fairness, and use its influence on the APC and the legislators who are positioned to initiate change.

    APC governors and legislators can help, and I believe opposition legislators will cooperate for positive change. Let the political powers that be bring change now. In addition to the foregoing there should be change to roaming of animals in crop farms. Animals are better reared in private places by their owners. The governors’ forum should not under-estimate its own power and influence, please.

     

    • Prof Oyeniran Abioje,

    University of Ilorin.

  • The letter storm

    The letter storm

    These days letters are going out of date. The post office has moved from the mainstay of communication to a dinosaur. So, we send emails, text messages, or bow to Donald Trump’s ultimate sharp shooter: the tweet.

    The past, as they say, never dies. So, last week, the letter roared back from the dead. It happened in two places. One in Nigeria, the other in the United States. In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari scripted one to the National Assembly. Donald Trump fired his to James Comey, the director of the FBI and the man probing his possible collusion with Putin’s Russia.

    The one letter was a hiring, the other a firing. Each let off a storm. They were written in what many will call simple sentences. Everyone should understand them. But, as it turned out, the phrases spun into a cloud of ambiguity.

    Trump’s letter fired Comey apparently for his handling of the Hilary Clinton email scandal. But the author denied and said it was all about the Russia probe. In the letter, he said he fired Comey on the advice of the attorney general. But when responding to questions, he said the counsels counted for little. His press corps agreed that the bottom line was that he fired the FBI chief.

    Here at home, Buhari’s letter referred to the relevant portion of the constitution that makes Yemi Osinbajo acting president. But fire gutted out of the phrase that the “Vice-President will coordinate the activities of the government.”

    The word coordinate, according to critics, belonged to a lower tier of authority. An acting president leads or heads, not coordinates, they would say. The storm roared into silence after Bukola “Eleyinmi” Saraki intervened. But that did not end the chatter around the country.

    Why did it generate so much brouhaha? Does a leader not coordinate? Of course, a leader does. But coordinate is not usually the term deployed for a leader. A leader leads, heads, is a visionary, orders, etc. Those are muscular words, indicating a man in the arena.

    But the storm came because language is never simple or difficult. It depends on context and sometimes the audience, or the utterer.

    The Buhari letter sparked predators on both sides of a divide. The divide predated the letter. Critics were miffed when he degraded from office to home to sign files. He was absent-in-chief at FEC meetings and became holy-in-chief at Friday prayers. Even that became epileptic.

    Suspicions pervaded certain quarters that his “kitchen cabinet” had corralled him. They wanted him around to do little so long as they wielded power. His absence meant their impotence. So, when the letter was unveiled, critics saw the hands of the cabal. They saw an attempt to cripple Osinbajo, to hem him in as vice-president.

    Were they right? They might and they might not be. If the president did not write it, at least he read it. The letter may have been written with all the best of intention. Maybe the president has seen himself as a sort of coordinator, working with others as peers in which he was first among equals. That is washed away by his martial bearing and feudal background, though. But could it be because he sees the word the way his critics don’t. After all, sections 148 and 149 refer to the word coordinate as the president’s function. That makes him home free. Some would say, well, it was not in the context of a handover from president to acting president.

    As the Senate president has indicated, though, the constitutional requirement sufficiently clears any fog of the intent. As easy as the sentence was, the epistolary flap will haunt Buhari. It will also irritate his supporters who think it is much ado about nothing.

    In the letter, we had the north and south divide, the PDP-APC divide, the cabal and the others divide. A stark wall disrupts understanding. A stark wall of words. Nor is it the first time such a thing would happen. Whether in politics, religion, or even literature, words have always sparked turbulence. It might be simple, it might even be clear in its rhetorical stumble, like Rosa Parks’ “My feet is tired.” Or when Mark Twain wrote that stories of his death were greatly exaggerated.

    The bombing of Hiroshima was attributed to misinterpretation of the Japanese leader’s response to the American threat. The Japanese leader had said he was considering Truman’s terms but it came away in translation as though they were ready for the Americans. When Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal…” it referred to only white men. Now, it’s everyone and gender. Even at that, Orwell’s Animal Farm still haunts, as some are “more equal than others.” Trump will agree. Ditto Marie Le Pen.

    Hence French writer Roland Barthes announces the “death of the author.”  According to him, “to give a text an author is to impose him on that text.” So, the writer is not writing but he or she is unknowingly a messenger of a group, a church, a tribe, a time, or consciousness. So, when a Jukun man writes, the Yoruba does not see it as the man’s views but his Jukun background.

    It eliminates the individual, everyone is in a sort of chain. While Barthes sets off debates, he has been engaged by such writers as Paul De Man, Barbara Johnson, Michel Foucault. Jacques Derrida lashed back with his “the Death of Roland Barthes.” When Soyinka flayed Achebe as guilty of “unrelieved competence,” he might have subliminally fallen into the Barthian spell.

    Sometimes it is a matter of the humble comma. When Jesus was at the stake, he told the repentant thief and fellow victim, “I say unto you today thou shall be with me in paradise.” Those who believe the thief went to heaven, place the comma before today and those who believe he did not put the comma after today. Or in analysing Becket’s play, Waiting For Godot, a critic described it as “nothing happens, twice.” If the comma is removed, it means something else. In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, megalomaniac Malvolio misreads the author of a letter and makes himself a public fool for love.

    So, when Buhari wrote that letter, the meaning left his hands. As the author, did he die, or was it the mischief of others who were imposing their own backgrounds on the words? A new book, Do I Make Myself Clear, by Harold Evans has intervened in the capacity of language to mock us. Evans is regarded as the best editor ever, having shown his mettle as editor of the Times of London. He cavils at obfuscations, long introductory sentences, clichés, abused words, etc.

    What we know here is that words are not only not simple, they are never innocent. That is because we are a complicated people with lots of mischief.

  • Much ado about Buhari’s letter

    Much ado about Buhari’s letter

    SIR: President Buhari’s letter to the National Assembly has opened a debate. Some persons are of the opinion that it wasn’t properly worded, that what the letter made the Vice President was a mere coordinator not an acting President.

    Let’s look at President Buhari’s letter to the National Assembly.

    “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I wish to inform the distinguished Senate that I will be away for a scheduled medical follow-up with my doctors in London. The length of my stay will be determined by the doctor’s advice.

    While I am away, the Vice President will coordinate the activities of the government. Please accept, the distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

    Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended states thus: “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.”

    Most people who are making a mountain of the President’s letter are those who are neglecting to grasp the import of this section.  All that the president’s letter has to say or needed to say or required by the constitution to say is that he will not be available. The letter has no power to say what the Vice President will become in the president’s absence; the constitution has already said that.

    Any such letter from any president is simply to state that the president will not be available to discharge his duties and why. Any other thing is superfluous. But as usual, we are distracted by the superfluous.

    So assuming without conceding that the said letter is at variance with any section of our Constitution, the letter will be null and void and the Almighty Constitution will prevail.

    So, if the Vice President assumes the office and functions of the President as acting President, he is also mandated by the Constitution to be coordinating the activities of the President, the Vice-President and the ministers of the government of the federation in the discharge of their executive responsibilities.

    In a country where governors travel without transmitting powers to their deputies, where a sitting President shut down this country when he went for medicals abroad, President Buhari should be commended for always transmitting powers to his deputy. You might have your issues with the Buhari administration but we should never miss opportunities like this to teach ourselves the ropes of governance and the law.

     

    • First Baba Isa (FBI) Esq,

    Abuja.

  • Letter to the political class

    Letter to the political class

    The heading or title of this letter is chosen for the purpose of reminding ourselves that our lives, our health and well-being and our fortunes and future are all in the mighty hands of Allah our creator and sustainer. We can neither know nor control what happens tomorrow and the rest of the days, months and years ahead. So, our own future is in the domain of Allah the creator and sustainer of the universe.

    If we always take note of this reality of our limitations, inadequacies and imperfections, we will act with caution and moderation. This is particularly true of those in leadership positions. It is in their best interest to constantly remember that they will certainly be called upon to account to Allah for everything they have done in their various positions – and there is no appeal, for Allah has all the evidence of our actions in this world.

    Now to the unending crises and difficulties in our country. These are due largely to our attitude and character in matters relating to government, politics, religion, ethnicity and business. It’s like having many good cars and handing them over to bad drivers, the result is many accidents on the roads, because of the bad attitude of the drivers.

    Both India and Nigeria got their independence from the British and started self-governing with parliamentary system of government. India made success of the parliamentary system. In our own case, we were unable to continue with parliamentary system because of the pain, the disruption and turmoil caused to the political system and process by the really unfortunate military coup of January 15, 1966. The killings, the civil war and the long period of military rule pushed the country out of the political learning curve.

    Again the military in Nigeria decided to create the next political dispensation in their own image and decided on the Presidential system along with the constitution and handed over in October 1979. The American Presidential system is very expensive because all the processes – from primaries, to campaigns, to lobbying, to colonies of staff of all categories that run the system. Also, the Presidential system depends on the strict adherence to the division of authority among the three arms of government the executive, legislature and judiciary. Once these checks and balances are not properly observed, the result is particularly, dictatorship, either of the executive arm, or the legislative arm.

    The problems, difficulties and crises we are now having in the operation of the Presidential system of government arise because of our attitude to politics and government. It’s a fact that the Nigerian economy depends to the extent of 70% – 80% on government activities and expenditure at all levels of the government. This means that unless those who are running the government reduce extreme partisanship, millions of people can be denied their livelihood on account of their political affiliation.

    So, our attitude to politics and government of winner takes all, revenge, all sorts of vendetta, vengeance, exclusion and even sadism always leave millions of people behind with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Businesses are run down because of the political affiliation of their owners. Right now millions of people are hungry, angry, bitter, desperate and hopeless because of our attitude to politics and government, business, religion and ethnicity. So attitude is very important.

    Again the fundamental objectives and directive principles stated in our constitution are to be actualised by the three arms of government. This means that the three arms must necessarily work together. Democracy must produce progress and prosperity to the people, must ensure safety and security of lives and property, must ensure accountability, transparency and rule of law, must guarantee individual and press freedom, human and people rights.

    Therefore, the three arms of government must realise that time is of essence. As the saying goes, time and tide wait for nobody. Therefore, technicalities, hairsplitting, vendetta and other distractions should not be allowed to take precedence over the substance of the matters at hand. Otherwise, about 80 per cent of the legislative, executive and judicial time will be taken away from substantive issues and matters.

    The present trend we are witnessing between the three arms of government gives room for a lot of improvement. So there is urgent need to halt this trend and a well moderated and collaborative system with sanity and synergy created and used by all concerned.

    I want to now draw the attention of all our people to the fact that no human society can survive and progress and prosper without some form of moral or ethical code of conduct. Within this moral code what is good is obvious and what is bad is also obvious – like killing somebody, stealing, cheating, telling a lie, breaking established laws, rules and regulations, oppressing people and all acts of transgression and intrusion. Most of these moral codes are observed in our daily lives as part of our common sense. Chaos and moral corruption result when things happen contrary to common sense and established ways of doing things regularly. Therefore, it’s advisable to use our common sense whenever we are confused in our daily lives.

    Now the way forward. Since 1960 we have had or tried world-class systems of government, constitutions, policies, laws and rules & regulations without achieving our lofty aspirations and objectives as a country with so many natural resources with large talented and industrious human resource.

    Certainly we have world-class technocrats, experts and professional class, human and natural resources. What we seem to be missing is getting nation builders in really sufficient numbers. Since our founding leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belawa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the great Zik of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, left the scene, nation building has not progressed with required momentum, focus, vision and even sincerity of purpose. The process has since been retarded by individual and ethnic materialism, religious bigotry, mal-administration/bad governance, severe poverty, massive unemployment, absence of real middle class and increasing income inequality and shortage of sufficient numbers of political elite to depend and promote national interest and public good in all their ramifications.

    Therefore, we should all pray to Allah, our creator and sustainer, the Almighty and All-Knowing, to give us nation builders through reliable and comprehensive leadership recruitment process in sufficient numbers, people with right attitude and character to nurture this our unfortunate country through the political, economic and social stages/processes we are now and have been passing through.

    We urgently need in the political and management class sufficient number of people who sincerely believe in this country and are prepared to work for the progress and prosperity of the people. We have wasted so much time, energy and resources and opportunities arguing about who is right and who is wrong. From now on let us ask and know what is right and go ahead and do it, and let us ask and know what is wrong and avoid it or prevent it.

    Now I will like to offer the following advice to fellow politicians and others concerned: –

    Right now, for reasons unknown to the vast majority of our people, more than two years after the general election, unending political rhetoric and partisanship, extreme bitterness, hatred and acrimony among the political class throughout our dear country are at the highest level.

    God commanded us to be our brother’s keepers, but we abandon this important commandment of God and adopted Satan’s commandment of everybody for himself/herself and God for all of us.

    The result is that we have now ended up with the vast majority of the people left behind and are desperate and frustrated and impatient and may act in anger with rage of burning fire.

    It’s very important to remind those in authority that the Nigerian economy is dependent on government activities and expenditure to the extent of about 70% – 80% as our private sector is still growing.

    Therefore, too much partisanship as we are now witnessing will exclude millions of Nigerians from earning their daily bread because they do not belong to the party in power at the federal or state levels.

    Accordingly, for the sake of God, justice and fair play and good governance, governments at all levels should be fair to all under their jurisdictions and should deliberately and urgently take adequate measures to drastically reduce extreme partisanship in governance matters and processes.

    Again, it will improve matters a lot if our politicians at all levels embrace politics without bitterness, hatred and acrimony without further delay. This is the only way to prevent Satan the devil from entering our affairs.

    After the political class have purged themselves of this extreme bitterness, hatred, acrimony, selfishness and injustice, all our anger, along with Satan, will disappear, our prayers will be accepted by God and God’s blessings and guidance will spread to all over our country and then we will start to prosper in peace, unity and security and with subsequent development in all sectors.

    Finally, as the borderline between constitutional democratic order and dictatorship can sometimes be blurred, the three arms of government need to be very careful so that our great country does not unwittingly find itself in the hands of some executive or legislative or even judiciary dictators. This can be avoided by always taking their actions and decisions based on public good and public interest and national security and unity. Once there is justice and fairness there is enough for everybody.

     

    • Abba-Gana is former FCT minister   
  • Presidency awaits letter from Senate on Magu’s rejection

    Presidency awaits letter from Senate on Magu’s rejection

    •Ndume kicks   •Consultations begin with stakeholders

    The Presidency will not react to the rejection of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu until it receives an official communication from the Senate.

    There were, however, ongoing consultations with some stakeholders on the fate of Magu.

    But a former Senate Leader, Sen. Ali Ndume yesterday faulted the rejection of Magu by the Senate.

    He said if the Senate could disqualify Magu on the basis of mere allegations, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and other Senators on trial have no business in the chamber.

    He regretted that Magu was not given the benefit of the doubt.

    The position of the presidency was made known in a tweet by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina.

    Adesina said: “The Presidency will respond to the non-clearance of Magu as EFCC boss after it receives official communication in writing from the Senate.”

    A government source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The President was already aware of the decision of the Senate but he wanted details on how the chamber arrived at its decision.

    “While still awaiting the letter, consultations have started in government on the implications of the Senate’s decision for the anti-graft war.

    “Definitely, the President will still seek the input of others on whether to retain Magu.”

    Ndume, who spoke on Channels Television, described Magu’s rejection as “unfortunate”.

    He said: “We have all been accused of some allegations at different times.  I have been accused of sponsoring Boko Haram, and the Senate President is still going to court on some allegations. It is the same as other members who have cases in court. Yet they occupy seats in the Senate.

    So, if you say because of the allegations he (Magu) should not be confirmed, then I should not be a sitting senator and Saraki should not be there as Senate President.

    “The issue at stake is an accusation. In the normal circumstance and by our constitution, accusation is not conviction. The Constitution of Nigeria is clear that every Nigerian is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a competent court of law.”

    On the N39million apartment allegedly rented for Magu, the ex-Senate Leader said: “The house is not in his name.

    “It’s a house called the safe house which was rented because of the rigorous work he is doing. You can’t afford to have somebody like that living in Karu or a densely populated area.”

    Ndume, who said it was proper to lobby for Magu because it is part of legislative business, expressed regrets that APC could not take advantage of its strength of 65 senators to secure clearance for Magu.

    He added: “There is no crime against lobbying, in fact we are supposed to lobby. I lobbied most of the senators but sometimes you keep on learning because this is kind of new.

    “It is unfortunate that Magu could be rejected in a government where APC is in the majority and the president nominated a candidate for the second time after clarification on the allegations.

    He dismissed insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari would have been aware of Magu’s rejection when he met with Saraki and House of Representatives, Speaker Yakubu Dogara at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

    “The President I know is not the kind of person that would interfere in such matters. I would have been surprised if the President discussed the issue of confirmation when he met the leaders of the National Assembly.”

    Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (Transparency International’s contact in Nigeria) and Zero-corruption Coalition (ZCC), yesterday faulted the Senate’s decision to reject Magu

    CISLAC made its position known in a statement by its coordinator, Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani)

    The statement said: “We express deep concern at the turn of events as we are aware of President Buhari’s determination to fight corruption, which can be seen in the uncovering of judicial corruption and repatriation of looted funds headed by the EFCC under the leadership of Magu.

    “This is the reason the President recommended him and still re-nominated him after he was first rejected.

    “There is no doubt that Magu’s performance as Acting Chairman of EFCC has been commendable and it is quite worrisome that the person who is at the forefront of recovering stolen funds within and outside the country, was rejected for a second time, despite being nominated by the president.

    “Nigeria is a very important country in West Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, but corruption has been the major malaise that has hindered development in almost all sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

    “If the fight against corruption is allowed to lose the momentum it has gathered, because of the leadership hassle over the confirmation of the leadership of the EFCC, one of the major anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria, we may likely be back to square one in the fight against corruption.

    “We call on the President not to allow the fight against corruption to lose steam on account of the non-confirmation of Magu. The Whistle Blowers’ Policy of the Federal Government must be exploited in the tackling of corruption and the government must quickly come up with an Executive Bill on Whistle Blowers Protection to ensure that the policy is better institutionalized.

    “CISLAC and ZCC appreciate the efforts some of the senators are making to ensure that corruption is tackled in Nigeria and urge other senators to queue behind the agenda, as nothing less is expected of them knowing the level in which corruption has eaten deep into our social fabrics to avoid negative perception of their roles in this venture.

    “It is crucial that the EFCC has a confirmed leader with integrity to sustain the fight against corruption and also prevent the recovered funds from being ‘re-looted’ in this leadership tussle. “We advise all well-meaning Nigerians and the media to speak out against all manners of unjust decision or resolution by the legislature or any other organ of government to subvert the on-going anti-corruption fight in the country.”