The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Religion

  • Elites use politics, religion to manipulate citizens, says Omatseye

    NIGERIAN elites are responsible for the seemingly unending political and socio-economic challenges confronting the country, The Nation Newspapers’ Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye has said.

    Omatseye said the country’s military and political elites had realised early how to impoverish the masses and manipulate their reactions on national issues through religion.

    Omatseye spoke in Abuja at the weekend while delivering the keynote address at the President’s nite of the Government College Ugheli Old Boy’s Association (GCUOBA), Abuja branch.

    He said: “In the Northeast, the partisans of Boko Haram began as political foot soldiers. Just as the Niger Delta militants, after being wearied into irrelevance when the ljaw Itsekiri fight ended, became happy recruits of the political masters.

    “A former governor of Borno State once boasted that the newspapers were wasting their time reporting his poor performances since most of his people could not read. We can understand why Boko Haram burgeoned.

    “Poverty is a twin sister of illiteracy. So, many of the poor were recruited by the political brass for elections. When they enacted their victories, they abandoned them.

    “We had a secular example of the trend recently in the bloody bank robbery episode in Offa in Kwara State, where the culprits allegedly were traced to government house.

    “What happened in the Northeast was the story of an abandoned citizenry turning to self-help in the name of the Almighty.”

    Omatseye said the greatest disservice the elites did to Nigeria was to mix religion and politics to the detriment of the country.

    He queried: “How come religion cannot stay in its place and politics in its as well? After all, the concept of a secular state was borne out of this necessity.

    “Nigeria seemed to enjoy this until Nigerians started to hear the acronym OIC, which stands for the Organisation of Islamic States, and Christians started to cry out against what they saw as the lslamisation of Nigeria. Before then, were we innocent of religious bias?

    “We were not but it ran like an invisible, subterranean thread in the country… So, how did we descend from a nation with a pretension to secularity to an impunity of bigotry?

    “One explanation is the advent of the military. Since the military coup that brought the Army to power, the military played a major role to sanctify one religion almost as an official epaulette of state. Those who espoused the faith of the generals in power rose in rank, and others were consigned to subordinate positions.

    “The other reason is the gradual decline of the economy, and the immiseration of the Nigerian masses. When I was in Government College, Ughelli, we hardly spoke of the pound or dollar, because of the proud sovereignty of the Nigerian Naira. It was a currency that could hold its own against any in the world.

    He added: “We thrived in oil, but also prided on the groundnut pyramid, the palm produce, the cocoa, and blooming middle class and an array of role models craved by the young. Industry dwarfed opportunism and no one loved to cut corners to the top. That was then. Now, it is a different kettle of fish.

    “The military also bludgeoned the economy, and gradually the value of the currency, as the bellwether of the state of our finances, began to cascade. The nation witnessed a slow loss of its self-confidence.

    “l was serving my youth service in 1985 in Kano when newspaper headlines fumed over the fall of the Naira to the dollar. It was four Naira to a dollar. We were shocked and worried for the economy. But as the Americans say, we ain’t seen nothing yet.”

    Omatseye said as the Naira lost the primacy of value, “we started to lose not only self-confidence but our treasured population.”

    According to him, “Brain drain crept like a serpent into the anxiety of common vocabulary. Some of the gems in the arts, culture, finance, sciences peered west for pastures: Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, et al. The middle class, now going to seed, was only so in name.”

    On way forward, Omatseye, who was honoured alongside other old boys for their services to the school and the society, said Nigerians must fight ignorance and poverty, if an enduring and prosperous democratic society must be built as obtained in other climes.

    “In a society like this, nervous breakdown is imminent. When violence ‘of herdsmen broke out, we were less interested in the facts than in lining up behind religious barricades. It is increasingly clear that much of the matter was not as religious as it was posted, but a canvas of criminals who held anchor with violence as many perceived their carnage as religious.

    “All of this comes from ignorance, and ignorance from a poor education system that feeds us with poverty.

    “We have had these in the United States and Europe. Their love of secularity does not mask their origin in faith. Missionaries played great roles in America, but the state was born as secular entity.”

  • Eyes on football, not religion

    Ahmed Musa has shown the kind of leader he is. He leads by example on the field of play by scoring goals. Ignore the fact that Bakary Gassama, the centre referee in Saturday’s game at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg allowed one of the assistant referees to mislead him into disallowing a goal scored by Musa. Off the pitch, Musa joins his mates in celebrating after victories and reminiscing on unfavourable results. Fans should not mix sports with religion.

    When players celebrate, the motive of their victory songs is to rejoice and thank God (for the Christians) and Allah (for the Moslems). For Musa, the songs are celebratory, so he dances with his mates. He mimes the words as others sing along, that is if he doesn’t know the songs. Back home, Nigerians continue the celebration into the night, especially if the teams defeated are the Black Stars of Ghana, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon or Cote d’ Ivoire – these are our rivals in the continent.

    The Eagles stand-in captain shared a video of himself and other stars rejoicing after they were held to a 1-1 draw in the match played on Saturday. But a fan of the Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia’s striker, musaumarsaid1348 posted a message reminding Musa about his faith.

    “Don’t forget you are a Muslim,” the Instagram user said.

    But the ex-Leicester City star, who was visibly upset, wasn’t having it. Musa set the record straight by telling the fan not to bring any form of religion on his page.

    “Don’t come to my page and talk about religion. Take it out of my page please. I do what I like, not you telling me what to okay. Keep it to yourself if you are not okay with what I’m doing,” he added.

    Will anyone blame Musa for dancing to Christian songs when two-thirds of his team mates are Christians? The Christian worship songs were sung in our major languages. It was a spectacle to hold on television. I was bowled over watching Gernot Rohr’s assistants, the Germans, clapping, singing and dancing along.  So, what was wrong with Musa’s participation if foreigners enjoyed what they were witnessing? The beauty of dancing sessions in sports is that all faith have their songs. And it is always nice dancing to them if each faith is represented in the team.

    Musa, who is from Edo State, has a Moslem upbringing. He doesn’t hide the fact that he isn’t Hausa, even though he speaks the language as fluently as the native speaker. Besides, Nigeria is a secular nation. In fact, in sports, it doesn’t matter where you come from, your creed or beliefs; what matters is your talent. It is only during sporting activities that Nigerians forget creed or religion. We embrace ourselves when our teams and athletes win laurels just as we stand up to recite our national anthem before major events.

    Interestingly, the Bafana Bafana game had many twists and turns, one of which was the little South African boy, who wasn’t interested in Saturday’s game. He wanted to see, touch and talk with an Arsenal FC of London player, Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi. No prize for guessing that this kid supported Super Eagles against Bafana Bafana. What won’t fans do for their clubs and players? Age isn’t any restriction. It was moving watching the boy shed tears of joy of meeting Iwobi. He was fulfilled that Iwobi autographed his jersey – a lifetime experience. That he came with his mother shows how passionately the game is being followed globally.

    This writer isn’t quick to complain about refereeing of matches. What we see on television at home are all the angles from slow motion replays, which the referees don’t have. Referees’ decisions are taken on the spur of the moment, even as this shouldn’t be why they can’t make the right decisions. What is intriguing is if the referee could have apologised to Musa. No referee apologises to any player after a game. An admittance of error to a player won’t be taken lightly by the continental soccer body.

    I’ve read Musa’s response to the so-called apology and nowhere did he refer to where they met before the apology was made. Nor did he tell us what the referee wrote or said that precipitated his response.

    “I will say that it was good that he realised his mistakes and apologised for his action and it is past tense for me,’’ Musa was quoted as saying.

    “The major thing is that we have qualified for AFCON for the first time since 2013 and we are delighted about that. I don’t see any big deal about that because our emphasis was on playing at the Africa Cup of Nations and now that we have qualified, we are relieved.

    “I am not worried that I was not able to score because we didn’t lose and we have got our hearts’ desires with the ticket to Cameroon. We know that it is time now for serious preparations and that is what we are after now.”

    Clearly, Musa was responding to what he read. I digress.

    No surprises that Eagles’ admirers always want the team to win matches, hence the barren draw result against the Cranes of Uganda elicited some harsh comments from them. Many felt that the players didn’t show enough enthusiasm to win the game. A few ex-internationals such as Victor Nosakhare Ikpeba, a former Africa Footballer of the Year, felt Gernot Rohr should scout for good midfielders – that section was weak due to Wilfred Ndidi’s absence.

    Ikpeba posited: “The transition of this team from the midfield to the attack remains the weakest link. We are not quick enough. If we get our transition right, we will be unbeatable in Cameroon.

    “We will be a threat in Cameroon with the qualities we have, but we must be ready. Egypt, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia are there; they will be there to compete. We have to do well in Cameroon after missing out on two editions. (But) winning the AFCON will be difficult and I think the last four will be a good outing for the Super Eagles.”

    Indeed, one of the assistant coaches, goalkeeper trainer Alloy Agu revealed: “We’ve set a precedence in the Super Eagles such that any of the goalkeepers can come in and do well for Nigeria.”

    “That was what Ikechukwu Ezenwa did for Nigeria in South Africa. You saw Daniel Akpeyi do it also against the Cranes of Uganda. So, it is not something that we should begin to say Super Eagles felt the absence of Francis (Uzoho) in South Africa.

    “No, his absence did not affect the team. But truth is that he is a good goalkeeper, a fantastic one for that matter. He is still part of the team. He has done very well for the team and we are praying for him to recover and come back. But if there is any player the team felt his absence in the match (vs South Africa), it is (Wilfred) Ndidi, Agu.”

    Will Rohr tell Nigerians next year that the Eagles are a work-in-progress, considering the time he has spent with them? We need to see Eagles play with plenty of understanding. We should sit anywhere in the world and watch the team devour countries not in our class. Fans are not asking for too much, if they felt the Eagles should beat the Cranes of Uganda – even as we have not beaten the Ugandans in recent times.

    No Eagles team has enjoyed the kind of exposure to bigger friendly matches which Rohr’s has. In the past, friendly games were mostly played in the media.

    Gallant Super Falcons

    Super Falcons and other female Nigerian sides are magicians. Every time they attend competitions, I root for them, knowing what failure means to them. Our girls are on their own when there are no international competitions. We only remember them when an event beckons.

    Falcons, for instance, have been inactive since they clinched the trophy two years ago. In the lull period of close to two years, other countries exposed their girls to rigourous training, including playing quality matches, a case in point being Bayana Bayana of South Africa.

    It, therefore, hasn’t come as a surprise to pundits that Bayana Bayana beat the Falcons in the opening game. Rather, this writer is excited that the South Africans are changing the narrative in women football in Africa, with the way they trounced Equatorial Guinea 7-1 to show that their victory over Nigeria wasn’t a fluke. I won’t be surprised if the South Africans start the first professional female soccer competition in the continent.

    We need  a new approach to female football in Africa, which the emergence of South Africa could bring to the game. Nigeria’s dominance has translated to nothing, largely because we have a system where the sports minister thinks developing the industry through the involvement of the corporate world is a mirage.

    A situation where the minister doesn’t watch matches involving our national teams explains why these teams are cash-strapped. It is important to inform the minister that these teams hoist our green-white-green flag during competitions. When they win, they make Nigerians happy. The teams are not for NFF but Nigeria. It is shameful when the international media is awash with stories of Nigerian players being owed huge sums of money.

  • ‘Northern leaders using religion to exploit their people’

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has decried the use of religion by politicians, particularly from the north, of exploiting their people.

    He warned that the North is presently having a larger population of destitute compared to the southern.

    The Emir was speaking at the International Youth Graduation and Annual Lecture of the Katsina Vocational Training Centre, Katsina.

    The centre, founded by the late M.D Yusuf, focuses on empowering the youths, particularly the physically-challenged, through vocational skills and grants to enable them become self-reliant.

    Sanusi, who spoke on “Youth, Security and National Development in Nigeria”, lamented that the north had, in the last two decades, lost its focus due to the politicisation of region and culture.

    He said: “Politicians had turned Islam into a vehicle for political campaign, thereby exploiting the religious character and ignorance of the people.

    “Rather than solving problems in education and health, governors were busy promising to deliver religion, which led to the underdevelopment of many states in the north. It was no surprise that states, which lay too much emphasis on religion over development, were those found to lag behind in socio-economic advantages.”

    The emir lamented that due to the problem, the people no longer demanded education for their children, nor demanded for healthcare, but were satisfied with slogans and pilgrimages that have become jamborees

    He, however, said the state alone should not be blamed for the present predicament, as it was a collective responsibility to find solution to challenges facing the region and country in general.

    Sanusi, therefore, called on organisations like the vocational centre to play important advocacy roles by making “informed suggestions to policy makers based on scientific studies because of the soft power you possess.”

    He also called on the government to invest more in agriculture to absorb the youths, as this was what some Asian countries did before they became what they are today.

    The monarch also urged political leaders to sign peace pacts before the 2019 elections which would ensure peaceful elections and discourage the use of youths to perpetuate violence.

  • Oshiomhole decries use of ethnicity, religion for political choices

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole yesterday faulted the use of ethnicity and religion as basis for friendship and political choices.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at a book presentation in honour of old Kaduna State Governor Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, said the former governor sacrificed his office for what he believe in because he was not prepared to negotiate away his belief.

    The former Edo State governor, who was chairman of the book presentation, dismissed claims by several Nigerians that the country was not worth dying for.

    He said Nigerians must understand that they have no other country and must strive to make it a better place.

    Oshiomhole noted how Balarabe Musa, as governor, gave him his first political appointment by appointing him into the board of one of the state owned companies.

    He added that the Second Republic politician was not bothered about his religion or where he came from.

    He said: “Today in Nigeria, several years later when we are supposed to have known better, ethnicity and religion have become the basis for friendship, sometimes, the basis for political choice and national discourse. These are the type of things that Balarabe Musa will not be part of. For him, people should be defined in terms of who they are and who they believe in.

    “The second thing Balarabe Musa taught us that we should try to internalise is that if you can’t beat them, kept fighting them because they can be defeated, and that even when they have beaten you, in the long run, your conscience will remain standing.

    “Those of us who knew why Balarabe Musa was impeached and the forces that impeached him, will know that most governors today would want to negotiate.

    “He was not impeached in any allegation of stealing, corruption or abuse of office, but that he refused to bend, open the state treasury for people to help themselves, to pursue policies that in his judgment would be inimical to the welfare and wellbeing of the masses of the people of Kaduna State.

    “For that, the forces that wanted things to remain the way they are were predetermined to check him out. I am aware that there were all manner of forces to make him negotiate.

    Also speaking, Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, lamented that present day political parties did not even know the direction they were heading, but were merely fighting to occupy political power without any form of ideology.

    He said it was unfortunate that many members of the executive of political parties did not even know the manifesto or constitution of the parties they lead.

    Eulogising the former Kaduna State governor for his leadership qualities, Sani said “What has been lacking in our politics is that conviction and principle. Take your time to check the manifestos and constitution of the political parties in Nigeria.

     

     

  • Religion: The price of ignorance

    Preamble

    This article is not new. It was first published in 2012. But it is being repeated here today because of passionate demand for it by many readers who feel it is very relevant to the current Nigerian situation in which religion has become the biggest commercial venture and some so called religious leaders are provocatively dishing out hate speeches in torrents from their pulpits as a form of advertisement to their ignorant congregations.

    Definition of History

    History is an invisible object with two invisible wings flying across generations in time and space. One wing is positive, the other is negative. With history, the present becomes the heritage of the past even as the future awaits the baton of continuity or otherwise from the present. No living nation or tribe or even individual can dream of a realizable future without a veritable present based on the experience of the past. The web of life is like a magnet which no iron element can bypass on its way to ornamental glory.

    Against what ought to be a valuable heritage, Nigeria is, today, passing through a fabric of uncertainty as she rolls back the fibres of the future into those of the present and weaves both into the vestiges of the past. Such is a sign of a dead nation waiting to be interned. What war is not ravaging Nigeria today in spite of Allah’s abundant bounties? The forces of the present seem to have connived with those of the past to wrestle down the future with a determination to deprive the generations yet unborn of any hope of decent existence. From all indications, Nigerians live in a country that is evidently enslaved to her so-called leaders who are politicians.

    For decades, Nigeria had been forced by those so-called leaders to fight wars ranging from political to economic, to social and to ethnic conflicts without winning any. Now, a religious dimension is being added.

    Like a billow vigorously storming around at the instance of an invisible tempest, a melee of religious hullabaloo engendered by a vicious political Pandora has virtually turned Nigeria into a land of curses.

    Youths for peace  

    To avoid the scourge of such a melee or prevent its spread and intensity in Nigeria, some foresighted Nigerian youths (Muslims and Christians) of Yoruba descent bravely took the bull by the horn in 2012. Those youths, led by a versatile Journalist, Adewale Adeoye (a Christian) and a brilliant Lawyer, Shenge Abdur-Rahman (a Muslim) formed an organization named ‘Yoruba Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group’ and organized an interfaith in Lagos on February 23, 2012. The core objective of the group was to foster a stronger peaceful co-existence between the Muslims and the Christians in Nigeria with a view to precluding the growth and spread of Boko Haram carnage in Nigeria.

    The summit which attracted a number of Muslim and Christian organizations as well as some prominent individuals made the gathering to look expressly meaningful. Yours sincerely was one of the guest speakers invited to that occasion. Below is an excerpt from the speech I delivered:

    Purpose of religion

    “….By its design and intent, religion is supposed to be not only a panacea for all human psychological ailments but also a soothing balm for any spiritual ache. Ironically, however, it has been turned into a poison in our society which seemingly has no provision for any antidote. And through our attitudes, we seem to be bent on swallowing the pill of that poison without minding its consequences.

    The factors that culminated in what we now variously call religious militancy, extremism, fanaticism and terrorism emanated only from the yoke of ignorance which bad governance has come to incubate. And could anything have influenced bad governance as much as ignorance? Yet ignorance would not have had a role to play in our religious or political lives if we had demonstrated the will to genuinely follow the tenets of our religions and learn from the lessons of history without banking on mere assumption and rumour.

    History as a teacher

    History as a teacher always has a lesson to teach those who are ready to learn. But unfortunately, most human beings especially Nigerians refuse to learn any lesson from history and the price is what we are paying today.

    In 1962, Nigeria’s Governor General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (who later became Nigeria’s first President), paid a three day official courtesy visit to the Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello in Kaduna. Dr Azikiwe was accompanied by his wife, Flora. The host Premier mobilized all the paraphernalia of office in honour of his guests whom he gave an unprecedentedly flamboyant hospitality. The visit enabled their wives to become so familiar with each other that Flora also invited the Bellos to the East on a similar visit. By the end of the visit, Dr. Azikiwe had become so much impressed that at the point of departure he held Ahmadu Bello’s hands and gently told him to “Let us forget our differences”.

    In response to that emotional but infatuating gesture, Sir Ahmadu Bello said in an equally gentle but emotional baritone voice: “No sir! Rather than forgetting our differences, let us understand them. I am a Muslim and a Northerner. You are a Christian and a Southerner. It is only by identifying and understanding those differences that our friendliness can truly endure”. There and then, Dr. Azikiwe nodded in agreement with his host’s logic accepting the fact that one could not forget what has not been identified. The lesson to learn from this experience is that of mutual understanding without pretentiously sweeping anything under the carpet. That is the principle upon which the marriage of political strange fellows who find themselves in the same political party is often based in Nigeria. It is also the principle upon which the partnership of many Nigerian businessmen and women is based despite their cultural incompatibility.But that principle is not applied to Religion in Nigeria because of the dubious access to cheap Wealth by the so called religious leaders.

    Ignorance from primordial times

    For thousands of years, peoples of all races and tribes across the world thrived vaingloriously on cultural ignorance attributing their calamities to mysterious forces and blaming such mysteries on what they called witchcraft. In the past, here in Africa, millions of children were forced to die in infancy by their own parents out of sheer ignorance while the same parents turned round to blame what they called ‘ABIKU’ or ‘OGBANJE’ for the mass infanticide. With time, however, education and knowledge of science brought about the invention of various vaccines with which children are now immunized against all diseases thereby giving them the opportunity to survive. And this has enabled us to know today that the mystery once called ‘ABIKU’ or ‘OGBANJE’ is a euphemism for ignorance in African mythology of those days.

    Now that the days of cultural ignorance seem to be over, Nigerians have devised another means of restiveness by shifting to religious ignorance which enables them to replace the infanticide of the yore with modern day genocide and this in the name of religion. It is hoped that one day,   knowledge will also help us to overcome the spectre of religious ignorance by the grace of Allah.

    If it had pleased the Almighty Allah to make all human beings one single race with one colour, one tongue and one religion, He would have done so without receiving any query from anybody. But as the Omnipresent and Omnipotent, His decision to diversify His creatures cannot be faulted as it is from that diversity that all creatures have consistently derived benefits. In the world today, there are different races and tribes of human beings with different colours, languages and cultures each functioning as predestined and yet they all interact positively with one another to the benefit of all and sundry.  This is in accordance with the words of Allah in Chapter 49 verse 13 of the Qur’an thus: “Oh mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and classified you into races and tribes that you may interact with one another (and thereby draw from the advantages therein). Verily, the most honourable of you before Allah is the most pious among you. Allah is All-knower and most acquainted with all things”.

    Nature of creatures

    What is true of human beings here is equally true of other creatures. For instance we can all see that on a single arable plot of land, a variety of plants may grow to form an orchard but each with different foliages and fruits. Some of those fruits may be sweet, some may be bitter and some may be sour. Some may be fruitful, some may be fruitless. Some may be trees of gargantuan posture while others may be ordinary legumes. Yet they are all fed by the same soil, watered by the same rain and photosynthesized by the same sun. Their different foliages, sizes, heights and tastes notwithstanding, they all function effectively and advantageously according to the purpose for which they are created. In the ecosystem, no tree in an orchard will ever accuse another of bearing fruits different from its own and no animal will blame another for carrying a different feature or wearing a different colour. Neither will a whale denigrate even a fingerling in the ocean for sharing the same water with it. Ditto the world of birds, reptiles, and that of insects.  Even as plants, animals, aquatics, birds and insects, they know that for everything Allah does He has a purpose which may not be known to them as creatures. It is only among human beings that discrimination and segregation exist based on ignorance.

    Parable of religion

    We can also compare the above analogy to a situation inside a football stadium where there is a variety of sections such as State Box for the upper class, State Box Extension for the Middle Class and popular side for the lower class. At the entrance of the stadium, each person obtains a ticket according to his or her financial ability. And that qualifies him for a seat in any of those sections according to the status of the ticket obtained. Without prejudice to the categories of the tickets they obtain, all the spectators in the stadium are authorised to watch the match for which they have paid. If at the end of the match however, a spectator who was privileged to sit in the State Box turns round to say that another who sat at the popular side of the stadium did not watch the match others around them will sarcastically conclude that something might have gone wrong with the psyche of the accuser. The positions from which those spectators watched the match might be different but the fact remains that they all watched the same match. That is the parable of religion in the lives of individual human beings.

    A famous German dramatist and critic Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) once made a related axiomatic statement in a stanza thus:

    “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”.

     The mission of religion

    In Islam, revealed religions are like an embassy established by a nation in another nation to strengthen her relationship with the host country. The Ambassadors appointed to manage such embassy, can be changed from time to time just like the foreign policy which guides those ambassadors but the embassy remains intact barring any unforeseen circumstances. So is the case with the Prophets of Allah. They might have come at different times and from different lands and tribes. They might have brought different books and spoken different languages but their mission was one and the same. Muslims believe that all the Prophets and Messengers who have come into the world to guide mankind were from one and the same God who created the universe. Thus, Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael) Ishaq (Isaac), Musa (Moses), Daud (David), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (SAW) as well as others who preceded them or came in-between them brought the same message of monotheism through which mankind was counselled to worship one God and be upright in conduct.

    In Qur’an Chapter 2 verse 285, Allah admonishes Muslims against discriminating among His Apostles thus: “The Apostle of Allah, Muhammad, (SAW) believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord, and so do the (Muslim) faithful. They all believe in Allah and His Angels, His Books as well as His Apostles. We do not discriminate against any of His Apostles. They say ‘We hear and obey. Grant us your forgiveness oh Lord! To you we shall all return”.

    Religious rivalry

    As a Muslim, you cannot believe one of those Apostles and disbelieve others. Neither can you believe in one of the revealed Books while disbelieving in others. That is why no true adherent of Islam will ever express foul language against the person of Jesus or blame the misdemeanour of a Christian on Christianity as some Nigerian Christians do against the person of Prophet Muhammed(SAW) and Islam as a religion. Were Nigerian Muslims also to bring such a disgruntled rivalry into religion, the country called Nigeria would have long been forgotten especially in their preachings.

    Unity of God

    Though the modalities for worship may differ from faith to faith and from sanctuary to sanctuary this does not change the course of their faith in only one God. Thus, the rivalry between Muslims and Christians especially in Nigeria over who is spiritually right or wrong is a product of ignorance.

    As taught by Christianity and Islam through their respective revealed Books, the areas of life that need our cooperation are by far more comprehensive than those in which we differ. For instance, both the Bible and the Qur’an counsel humanity to worship one God. They preach good deeds to neighbours and other fellow human beings publicly and privately irrespective of religious lineage. They advocate good care of our parents, our children, the aged ones amongst us and the handicapped. They urge kindness to our wives and leniency with our adversaries. They admonish us against cheating and any form of corruption. They forbid theft, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism and above all the killing of fellow human beings extra-judicially for whatever reason. They also warn us against provocation, aggression, exploitation and transgression even as they emphasize the ephemerality of this world and the eventuality of the hereafter. In all these, we have a common affinity to jointly guard.

    The few areas in which we differ are abstract and quite personal. They are not areas in which human beings are given the power to pass judgement. Only the Almighty God can judge on them. Such are the areas which we believe will pave our ways into Paradise. But since paradise is for individuals and not for religious blocks why are we fighting each other? After all, the journey to Paradise or Hell is a matter of choice for every individual. And no one can tell with precision who will go to Paradise or go to Hell. Such is the prerogative of God which He has not assigned to any human being and which no human being can and should arrogate to himself or herself except one who wants to play God.

    As an adherent of a religion, you can only perceive your God according to your faith and that should not cause any rancour between you and adherents of any other religion. As Nigerians, we dwell in the same country, eat the same foods, drink the same water, wear similar dresses, trade in the same markets and spend the same money. Our children attend the same schools, write the same examinations and obtain the same certificates. We intermarry across tribes and ethnicities as well as religions. All these form a stronger bond that ought to unite us much more than the abstract ones which often threaten to divide us. In a situation where the factors of life that unite us grossly surpass those that divide us will it not be stupid to sacrifice unity and cooperation?

    Conclusion

    With the formation of this interfaith group (Yoruba Muslim-Christian Youth Dialogue Group), I am beginning to see a future of harmony in Nigeria not only in the sphere of religion but also in the social and political spheres as well. This is the time for change. We cannot wait any longer. Let the Christians amongst you engage in Crusade and the Muslims in Jihad against all vices in the society which the two revealed Books (Bible and Qur’an) abhor. Let all of you jointly cooperate in upholding the values of life as contained in the Bible and the Qur’an. And with this, in the very near future, we shall find ourselves in a new world of peace and harmony.

    God bless you all”.

  • Corruption, religion and politics

    Corruption, religion and politics

    In  my time as an undergraduate  at the great Ife  in the early  seventies, more  final  year students  chose  to work at  the Department  of Customs  and Excise  than in any  government institutions on  offer  for  employment   and recruitment   after  graduation at  that time. Most never  wanted the Civil Service  and working in oil  companies  and banks   were the more  preferred  places for new  graduates.  The  reasons were obvious. Those  in Customs  who   left  the campus on graduation got richer quickly  and built  houses in a year  or two, while those in  the civil  service  only showed traces of toil  after getting their first  cars in  record  time. Those in banks and oil companies  were the rich  boys and girls in town.  These  in those  days were the eligible bachelors  who  married  the most  beautiful ladies  in town  and threw  the most  expensive parties.

    That  was in the seventies  and I  was  part  of it   and let  me use  myself as an example because I  cannot sue myself   for  defamation   or  slander   as my Sociology Professor,  the late  Pa  Sam  Adenola  Igun  use  to  say  in those days at  Ife. I was in the Civil Service   after   graduation as  an Assistant  Secretary on level 08. I  managed  to get  a job at the Daily  Times  as Staff Writer  and made it to  a bank   where  I worked  for 27  years before  retiring a decade ago. That  was  my time, a far  yesterday   and a far cry too,    from   the realities of today  which we will  look at  in the  context of today’s topic.

    Nigeria  today  has a government in place  that came into power on the  reputation  of a presidential candidate   renowned   for  integrity  and discipline. That  government was elected  in the  2015  presidential  elections and has fought  corruption massively  and seized looted  properties  from  looters.  Recently   there was   talk of selling seized  properties  from  looters  and two strong voices came up  like thunder.  The  first was that of the Sultan  of  Sokoto  the Head of the Nigerian  Muslims who  said despite the  war on corruption,  corruption is still  very  much  with  us. The other was that of the  governor of Ekiti State,  Ayo  Fayose   who  said  that  the names  of looters should be published  before seized  assets  are sold. Obviously  anti Corruption  forces  have fought back desperately  and the government itself  is fighting for its political  life  just  as the next elections of 2019  is around the corner.   I  have put this scenario  of the nature of the government of the day in perspective so one can  appreciate  the   comparison  I  want to make between  the eligible  bachelors of  my time and those  of the present time.

    The eligible bachelors of today are not in the Customs or  banks or oil  companies  as before. They are in the Political Class,  the Civil Service, the Security services,   and    the religious institutions. Special Assistants –SAs for short are the dream  husbands  for parents who  want the best for their daughters in marriage  nowadays. Pastors  are elegant  and very  wanted,   budding grooms  grooms  that  most Nigerian  mothers    seek   for their  unmarried  daughters  so  that the immediate future  can be bright for them  and their family at  large. Of  course  politicians and Honorables are the toast  of high  society  in any or all  of our 36  state capitals  and  the numerous  local  governments,  where  even  local  councilors will  get  a royal  treatment  before  any teacher  or  university  lecturer. That is the situation on the ground nowadays  in  Nigeria  as we battle corruption   and prepare  for another  presidential  election next year.

    What  is however  pathetic  about  the scenario  I  have  dug  up is that  in the battle against  corruption  of  the  present Administration    today, and in  the nation at  large,  the professions and calling I  have highlighted   as  reeking with  the most  eligible bachelors in society   nowadays,  are  in the   front  line of the government  of the day’s     fight  against  corruption. Your  guess  is as good as mine  therefore  how  successful  they  have been.  I   add  very   significantly   that   these  Nigerians   are  mainly  from the two  major  religions in  Nigeria namely   Christianity  and Islam  and   again  they   are  the toasts of   sermons and  praises   at all  our mosques   and churches  where  they  are blessed    as  products of divine benediction   and salt   of the earth,   regardless of the source of huge  donations and grants they  bring personally   for  the welfare    of the leaders   of  these  religious institutions. I will    therefore  illustrate  with  three  events   both  here  and in  the USA to  show that  corruption  is hydra headed  and that those  who  are  expected  to fight it must  like Caesar’s wife  be above reproach as  those who  live in glass  houses  should   not  throw  stones.

    I  will  comment  on the news in the media that there  was  corruption in the election of the Bishop of  Lagos by the House of Bishops in  the   Nigerian Anglican  Communion in Ilorin, the capital  of Kwara  State  recently.  I will  take issues  with  the suggestion of the US President Donald  Trump  that  teachers  should be trained  to use guns after  a mad student walked calmly to a school  from where  he had been dismissed  in Florida, USA,   and killed  17  of his school mates. I will  round up with the  observation  of  the Sultan  of  Sokoto  that corruption  is still  very  much  a way  of life in Nigeria   in  high   places   and  that criminals  should   be called  criminals regardless  of whether   they   are  Christians  or  Muslims.

    The  news  that bribery  was involved in the election  of the new  Bishop of Lagos  by the House  of Bishops in Ilorin bothered   me as I am an Anglican  and worship at Christ Church  Cathedral,  Marina, Lagos,  the Mother Cathedral  of  the Anglican  Communion in Nigeria and the seat  of the Bishop of  Lagos. The  pedigree  of this   Cathedral   is an  important  one in the  history of the Anglican  Communion  and the House  of Bishops  should accord that respect to history  and know that  the election of its Bishop is important   and  should  be treated  with great  respect and circumspection  given  its huge  contribution now and in the  past, to the fortunes  and growth  of  Anglicanism in Nigeria.

    Christ  Church  Cathedral, Marina   should  not be treated  as  just   a part  of  the Anglican  Community in Nigeria because it has paid its dues  in  terms of the quality  of its congregation  and its leading role  as  center of  high  quality  church music, its impeccable Choir  and communal  rendering of liturgy and Songs  of Praise  of   the highest quality  in  Nigeria. Succession  to the seat  of the Bishop  of Lagos should not be stage managed  as alleged  and not at  all  by those who  think money  can  buy anything in Nigeria  including the House  of  God. The  end should come decisively  to  an era of those who have  said the clergy  should not be given second hand cars and should only use new Camrys  when  most of the congregation  in many Churches  do   not even own cars and are  expected to buy such expensive spiritual  fringe  benefits  for their spiritual  leaders. Money  indeed is the root of all evil  but it should  not  affect  the choice  of who is the  Anglican  Bishop  of  Lagos.

    On  Donald  Trump’s suggestion  that teachers  should bear  arms I  think  he was just  trying  to dance to the  powerful    guns lobby  on the right of Americans to bear  arms. His excuse was that if teachers  have arms mass killers  could be stopped faster. But then teachers according to analysts did not enter their profession to bear arms but to educate.  The US’  problem  is that it has over pampered  its youths  and the result  is the  unprecedented  killings by teenagers of their  mates.  The  present generation  of  Americans  glorify  rights at  the expense   of  God  and   even   their own security. Even  the present killer of 17  innocent kids  was given a VIP treatment in  court  with the female police officers handling  him  so  carefully  and with something  akin  to affection. That will not deter crazy people like  him  from envying and wanting to emulate  him.  In  addition the students of the school    who   were  killed  by one of them   were  allowed   to   lead a delegation    to  the White  House   to  meet  the president of the US  who  simply said he has heard  them   and was thinking of  making a law   to check  mental  history   and raising the age of gun owners   to  21, well  beyond the age of the students.  It   is the moral  right of parents   in the US   to  control   and discipline their   children   in school   as   students   not   turn them  on society  as protesters  when  one of   them   turns  the gun on his fellow    students    in  this crazy  manner.    The   US  motto    is ‘In   God  we trust ‘   but  in reality  Americans    value  their rights  to  own  guns   and    live   as gays   more  than  their God  or even their security.  Indeed   America  has not been truthful to its own on the guns  issue  and is going to  pay a huge price  now  for that moral  corruption  that can  only spew  out  more violence and killings after  the six  that have occurred  in  schools   in   the two  months of this year  alone.

    Lastly,  the  Sultan  of  Sokoto  at a recent  book launch  observed  that the Fulanis as a tribe  have been  branded  as killers because  of  some Fulani  herdsmen killing people all  over the nation. According  to reports, the Sultan said – There  are millions of  Fulani who don’t even know what a cow is. I am Fulani I am not  a herder. He then concluded –Lets  give criminals their ideal  name, not Christian criminals, not Fulani criminals, not Muslim criminals. If  the government   has  failed, let  them call us to come and help  out. I cannot agree more with the Sultan. Once  again,  long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • Religion, violence  and leadership

    Religion, violence  and leadership

    Let  me start  on   a dark  note on today’s topic  by quoting Bonaparte Napoleon’s  anti   religion observation that  ‘religion was created to  prevent the poor  from killing  the rich‘. Shocking as Napoleon’s historical  quote  was,   it found grim  expression in the violence unleashed  by the French  Revolution of 1789  when the poor rose in fury  against   iniquities   in French    society,  killed the rich mercilessly and invented the guillotine as an equipment for beheading   them, even as they shouted their  slogans    and  objectives of -Freedom, Liberty and Equality – in creating a new modern society  based on social equity  and liberalism.

    In  Nigeria this week  Nobel  Laureate Wole  Soyinka,  while holding the Federal Government complicit  in not doing enough to  contain marauding Fulani herdsmen killing people all  over Nigeria,   reminded us all  that Boko  Haram  started  on a  similar  note of resentment  of iniquities in our society    which  were  ignored then,  and are  indeed   being  ignored  now,    in the way and manner that the   issue   of Fulani   herdsmen killing  other Nigerians is being treated  with   levity    by the authorities.  A  newspaper headline shouted  that  Nigerian authorities  were behaving like the infamous Emperor Nero  of the ancient  Roman  Empire who  historically  fiddled while Rome burnt in the way  and manner the Fulani  herdsmen  have been left  undeterred while they unleashed murder  and horror  on innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians. Both  Wole  Soyinka’s indignant  outburst and the newspaper  categorization of the authorities ‘seeming  reluctance to deter the herdsmen,  are  both sides of the same coin and both hit the nail on the head squarely  on how Nigerians generally feel  about the Fulani  herdsmen and the atrocities they  unleash nowadays and lead to a disturbing conclusion that religion  has  something to do  with this as Fulani   herdmen  are mostly Muslims.

    Presidential  spokesman Femi  Adesina tried to dissemble the Fulani  connection  with the president but then  he complicated  the issue by giving  statistics showing   that herdsmen killed over 756   Nigerians in two  years  under the Jonathan presidency. Painfully   though,   such statistics not only miss the point but showed clearly  that the situation is even  more alarming than we know now  and even  in the past. This   is because  even  if one Nigerian is killed illegally on Nigerian  soil the government  is liable under the rule of law,  because the constitution  which  is our  social     contract  vests the power to protect the lives  and property  of  Nigerians in the Federal  government. That  really is the bottom  line and it does  not matter whether it is Jonathan or  Buhari  Administration  that  is in charge in looking after Nigerians as long as Nigerian are not killed  with impunity on their  own soil  and in full view of the government of the day. A local  proverb  puts it very  succinctly   in saying  that it does not matter  who  kills the snake as long as the snake is killed   and a stop put  to its murderous  menace  and nuisance.

    Since  the world is such  a global  village,  thanks to Information technology,  it  is not difficult  to see that we   have  not addressed the issue  of  the Fulani  herdsmen  with the requisite deterrence and  empathy or  sympathy  for victims of  the  violence. I  read  reports this week that on January 7  this year unusual  events happened in both Russia and Egypt. Incidentally   I just  learnt     that  January  7  is the Christmas day  for  Christians  of the Greek  Orthodox Church  in Eastern Europe  and Coptic Christians in  Egypt. On  January  7, this year  however the  Russian  leader President Vladmir  Putin worshipped  and celebrated Xmas  at an  Orthodox  Church Cathedral  in  the city of  St  Petersburg  in  Russia. In  Egypt, unbelievably, President Sissy   attended the January 7 Xmas  Mass   at a Coptic Church Cathedral  in Cairo  conducted  by the Archbishop  of the Coptic  church  in Egypt. I  will  expatiate  on these  two  developments , one after  the other, to  show how they  have helped in healing the wounds of violence  in the context  of today’s topic.

    Russia this year  celebrated  100  years of the Bolshevik Revolution that turned Russia and later  the   Soviet  Union into a communist state  which  condemned religion and was blatantly atheist. The  church  was relegated  to the background  under communist  rule for a century and the state security  apparatus  the  KGB,   monitored the daily life of Russians citizens  so  closely such that it inspired the famous novel  by George  Orwell  titled – 1984 – which  included the famous  intelligence  slogan –’Big  Brother is  Watching You‘  until  the Soviet  Union collapsed in 1991. President  Vladmir  Putin was a  KGB officer  who  was handpicked  as Vice President of Russia  by the Russian President  Boris  Yeltsin   but  he has changed  from being  an ardent  atheist  and Godless communist  to the worshipper at the Xmas service at St Petersburg Cathedral  on January 7 2018. What  a turn around  and what a boost  for the Orthodox Church in  Russia  100  years  after  the Bolshevik  Revolution which  turned Russia into  a communist state  and banished  religion  while worshipping literally the dead body of  Lenin  at its now deserted Mausoleum in Russia.

    More surprisingly in Russia  is that religion has a key  role to play in mobilizing   political  support for President Vladmir  Putin  in his quest  to literally rule Russia  for life.

    At  a time when gay rights are the vogue in the west  and Islamophobia  is a crime, it  has  been  reported by even the western media,  that  religion, nationalism, sovereignty, and conservatism  are  the cornerstone of Russian  state policy under President  Vladmir  Putin   and he has carried  his people with him all  the way in boosting patriotism  and loyalty  to the Russian state at home and   Russian  citizens ‘pride  in their nation’s sovereign reputation abroad. Which  really shows that religion when well  marshaled judiciously  and with  equity can be a potent force for good in any society, including Nigeria, of course.

    In  Egypt  Coptic  Christians  have been  blown  up in their churches  all  over Egypt where  they are a small minority in a predominantly Muslim nation.  Just    like  Boko  Haram has  been blowing up Nigerians especially  with suicide bomber  teenage girls in both mosques  and churches in Nigeria. That  President  Sissy  chose to worship  at a  Coptic  Church in  Egypt  was  therefore  a personal, political  and religious risk loaded  heavily  with serious security  implications. He  could be killed by either Coptics in retaliation or by fellow Muslims for abandonment of faith , and he still  risks being communicated. But  the Egyptian  president, an ex general, braved  all  that and more  and went  to worship  with the Coptic  Christians to  show  solidarity  and empathy with a small minority in Egypt  that they  are not orphans in their own  nation  and that the Egyptian  state  is not in any collusion  whatever  with their killers  and tormentors.  That is the duty of any government to its citizens especially  when they are being tormented  brutally  by fellow  citizens as the Fulani  herdsmen  are doing to other Nigerians with impunity,  right now in our midst. Once again, long live  the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • ‘It’s time to de-insitutionalise religion in Nigeria’

    ‘It’s time to de-insitutionalise religion in Nigeria’

    Convener of the One people: One mission; One nation Movement (3-OM) and Chief Executive Officer of IPI Solutions, an ICT company on the continent, Adamu Garba, has said for the country to move forward, it must de-institutionalise religion in its politics and governance. According to the 35-year old Adamawa state born Microsoft Certified Solution Expert, who spoke with Dare Odufowokan, Assitant Editor, “Nigerians love themselves but there is great need to remove those things that are dividing us and play up the many things that are uniting us as a nation.”

    THERE is great strength in our diversity. The people of Nigeria, irrespective of the ethnic, religious and geographical divides existing among us, are largely happy to belong to one great nation. We are pleased to see ourselves as one people on a mission to greatness together. However, it is when these diversities are mistakenly or unintentionally played up by some people that we see us fight ourselves needlessly,” he added.

    Speaking with The Nation newspapers on the mission of his group, Garba, who insisted that the main function of leadership is to inspire and give hope to the people, lamented that Nigeria is today in need of people who can reignite the zeal with which the founding fathers of the country worked towards making the country great upon the independence of Nigeria from the colonial masters in 1960.

    “As a young independent nation back then, our equally young leaders were so optimistic and full of hope that Nigeria will be great. And their optimism rubbed off on the whole nation. That is the type of leadership we need today. It is the type of leadership that mobilizes the people, young and old, towards greatness. It is the type of leadership that promises equality of all groups and people across the country,” he recalled.

    Garba warned agains the continued politicizing of religion in Nigeria, saying if not cautioned, it posits great danger for the future of the country. He called on relevant authorities to immediately start working towards de-emphasizing the role of religion in the corridors of power so as to put an end to needless rivalry along religious lines. “All the things that are contrary to our desire to remain one indivisible country must be done away with,” he insisted.

    “We say Nigeria is a secular state, yet we promote religion in everything we do politically and in governance. And we watch as this causes conflict and needless rivalry. We urgently need to de-emphasize religion in politics and governance. I am a muslim and I preach Islam to people. But I am agains the use of religion by politicians to pitch Nigerians against one another. There is no basis for playing up our religious diversity the way we currently do. It is doing more harm than good.

    “In my candid opinion, If I am the President, I will remove both the church and the mosque from Aso Rock and other seats of government. Most Nigerians are either Christians or Muslims,  so what is the need of such reminder that we differ? Without that, we can be truly Nigerian and patriotic even in our diversity. When we all get back into our privacies, we know our religion and our modes of worship while appreciating that of other Nigerians.

    “Our difference in religion shouldn’t matter in the way we live together as one people. We have a plan that will help Nigeria  to grow above our religious differences within two years. If this plan is followed, the average Nigerian across the country will within two years, cease to see fellow Nigeria through the prism of religion and would start to appreciate the strength in our diversity the more,’ he said.

    Garba also called on those in authority to approach the growing call for restructuring carefully because, according to him, “the agitators for restructuring are actually raising the age-long issues of marginalisation and resource control. And these are issues we cannot wish away. As a nation that is desirous of remaining united, we must discuss these issues as part of the many questions about our nationhood.

    “The process requires that we examine all the things dividing us and eliminate them as much as possible. Even issues like the Federal Character and quota system must be thoroughly examined. We must consider the necessity or otherwise of many of these things in the interest of our nationhood. It shouldn’t matter where you are from or which religion you practice at all. What should matter is your patriotism to Nigeria as a Nigerian from wherever practicing whatever religion.”

    Recalling his childhood in Adamawa, the internationally recognized ICT expert said he almost ended up as an Almajiri following his father’s initial insistence that all his male children must attend Arabic, and not conventional schools. But it took the determination of his mother that he and his other male siblings must acquire western education, for him to eventually take his place at his community’s public primary school at the age of 8.

    “Like most Islamic scholars of those days did, my father, a respected cleric, wanted all his male siblings to attend only arabic schools back then. In spite of my mother’s objections, he had his way and I was enrolled in an arabic school at the age of four. I was there with no hope of western education but my mother, not ready to give up, appealed to my father that I be allowed to combine attendance at both arabic and conventional schools.

    “My father didn’t budge until when a local primary school was opened in my community and my mother without delay, dragged me down to join other children. We had no classes and we studied under the trees. We were nonetheless happy to be given the opportunity to attend conventional school. After initially resisting my mother’s move again, my father agreed that I combined both schools. That was the turning point for me.

    “But for that opportunity to go to school, I would have remained an Almajiri back home. I went on to secondary school, the university and then got certified as a Solution Expert by Microsoft. I worked here and there for a while before resigning to set up my own business at the age of 26. Today, I sit atop an organization that provide ICT solutions to scores of international organization with and outside Africa. That is the type of things that happens when we look beyond religion in our socio-political relationship as a people,” he explained.

    The IPI boss also spoke on the agitation in the southeast and concluded that those championing separatism must give peace a chance by seeking other avenues to discuss their grievances. He similarly advised the government of the day to be open to discussion with those currently seeking the balkanization of the country saying their agitation may be as a result of their frustration with the current situation of things within the polity.

    “We must not just talk about their agitation, we must worry about the root causes of this uprising. I suspect that it is as a result of a feeling of entitlement. When such feeling of entitlement are dashed or ignored for too long, that can drive people to think of marginalisation when they don’t get what they think they deserve from the system. In my opinion, the agitators must peace a chance by seeking other avenues to discuss their grievances while the authorities must be open to discussion with those currently seeking the

  • How youths can be financially independent

    When struck by misfortune and poverty, many people tend to seek succour in religion or fetish ideologies. To some people who never have the opportunity to become wealthy, money suddenly becomes evil. They usually console themselves with sayings, such as: “money can’t buy happiness”, and “money is not everything”. Quite often, people’s response to financial failure is unnecessary resentment.

    Money matters. It always will. We must admit this. So what?

    Before you give up and claim this as your destiny, remember even as religious people, we know there are ends and there are means to get to them. So, what happens to money making? Does any kind of religion in the world deny a man from seeking the bounty of the Lord? No! Whether religious or non-religious, good things of the world are there for man to enjoy. Why not probe into why money seems elusive?

    It is understandable that getting rich in Nigeria seems to be an uphill task. The system seems rigged against us. We have a government that consumes up to half of that national resources, and corrupt politicians, who care little about the wellbeing of the citizens. Many Nigerians face the daunting task of making a headway. Setting up a goal on money sure does require some courage. But like any other enterprise, getting rich has its dos and don’ts. As students and young people, we can arm ourselves with tips I have found workable.

    First, let us admit we need money. This sounds simple but it’s a great deal. As many prefer to shy away from talking about it, it is never a good idea hiding what you are born with. Every human is destined to crave for convenience. Money buys some comfort. And to deny such is to be ashamed of how we are created. Nothing drives a man to success than a desire to succeed in anything. We must know this; it is a golden rule.

    Secondly, we must save money. Remember, as a student, we started accumulating knowledge in ones and twos. The same thing goes for money. Unless some of us have wealthy parents from whom we can inherit property that can fetch us fortunes, there is a need to save the little we have if we want to have a foothold in the financial world. If not, we can be impoverished forever. Let us kill that monstrous fear now and begin to save, possibly five to 10 per cent of money we have. That is how to get ourselves off the ground, even if we have no one to finance our ideas.

    Thirdly, we must suspend desires and buy only what’s necessary. Benjamin Franklin said: “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” Most Nigerians live beyond their means of livelihood, believing, erroneously though, that money comes their way by accident and more will come. Well it does come by accident but goes by choice. Until we learn how to live below our source of income, most young people will always have a lean purse.

    Investment is another key value we must imbibe. What obviously can we do with our savings? If we ever want cash to always flow in our direction, we must create for ourselves the kind of opportunity we create for others. That is, unless we have something we sell for others, the money we spend will never come back to us.

    Make no mistake, investment does not necessarily have to be on buying and selling of goods. A worthy self-improvement pays even more dividends than material goods. Let us take a cue from writers, graphic designers, carpenters, public speakers, etc.

    Let us continue to seek for knowledge. This is a must, if we want to improve our condition. Most start-ups lost their money to lack of knowledge. In an intellectual world, everyone who wishes to thrive must seek knowledge constantly to keep up with the pace of a fast-developing world, lest they would be consumed by leaping blindly or get duped by downright liars or fake advertisers. Knowledge gives us power.

    Neither in today’s world nor in the past has long-term success ever favoured mediocrity. If it seems to thrive at first, it’s only a matter of time before it gets swallowed by the presence of the originals. Let’s make sure we always give our best to see the best result.

    Lastly, we need to place a premium on human relationship. Nothing can be compared to good relationship among humans. No human loves to deal with robotic or emotionless human. Create a cordial atmosphere where people are free to engage you.

     

    • Ali is a student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

  • Tribalism, religion not our problem

    Sir: Tribalism and religion are artificial problems created by selfish leaders for their own personal interest.

    There are only two major tribes in Nigeria. The elites and the masses. Once you make lots of money, you belong to the elite tribe. When you are a commoner or suffering, you belong to the tribe of the masses. If you are a member of the elite and you need more power, or aspire to an elective position, you sow seeds of tribalism and religion among the masses, so as to sway their emotion for personal victory. This happens at both the national and state levels.

    Unfortunately, after the election when they have won and joined their “sworn enemies” to drink and party, the gullible masses continue to fight each other.

    Even smart people who belong to the masses sometimes will sow seeds of tribalism and religion among the masses, and then the masses will carry them up until they belong to the elite class.  It is a classic strategy used over 3000 years ago in the art of war. A commoner who aspires to sit with the elites, could stir up powerful tribal or religious sentiments; such wave if properly utilized either by shedding blood or destabilizing the elites, carries the commoner to the elite class. But once there, he immediately mingles and makes peace with the elite tribe, and turn his back on the same masses that helped him get there.

    Youths are the worst victim of this power play; they kill each other, call other tribes unprintable names, do terrible things and sometimes, even lose their lives thinking they are fighting for their right, not knowing that they are fighting for the personal welfare of someone whose own children are probably safe in America or London.

    So youths, don’t invest your hope on the government. If you don’t have a job, create one. There is abject poverty in the south as well as the north, whether Ogoni or Maiduguri. At the same time, there is massive wealth in Lagos, Onitsha, Nnewi, Aba, Kano, Abuja, irrespective of zone.

    China has five major religions – Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity. Nigeria has only two – Christianity and Islam. Yet we claim that religion is our problem.

    America, the strongest economy is comprised of every tribe in the world since they accept anybody from any part of the world. Yet they are united and extremely patriotic. Nigeria has three major tribes, and we claim tribalism.

    Late General Sani Abacha’s loot is still stashed away in Switzerland. Did he use it to develop the north? Those that stole billions under the previous administration of Goodluck Jonathan stashed it away in foreign banks, bought expensive toys, jets and foreign homes; are they using it to develop the south? Now the ones stealing currently including the “grass-cutters”, are looking for Ikoyi apartments, abandoned houses, and pit toilets to hide it. Are they using it for the youths in their tribe?

    Nigeria is bigger than these corrupt elites. They are the problem, not the poor masses.

    •Usman Mohammed,
    Lapai-Niger State.