The Arbiter It is a new” word, huh? Hypocrity. Well, it is not a word in usage. But come, you must have seen its closeness to hypocrisy. OK, hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have virtues, beliefs, or feelings that one does not possess, especially when those pretended beliefs contradict one’s actions. Now, interchange it with hypocrity. You get it. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established in 1957, is an autonomous international organisation within the United Nations system. It carries out programmes to maximise the contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use. Related to this is the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).…
Author: Hassan Gimba
Victory is with patience. Success is with endurance. And war is a matter of turns. – Imam Ali, Nahj al Balagha, saying 189. Gaza. A four-letter word sounding like the tasty gizzard. But Gaza is nowhere as palatable as the gizzard. Gaza is now the symbol of all that is bad with apartheid and racism. It brings to the world the sights, sounds and fury of the Holocaust. Gaza is not a place that can be tasty at all. Well, except for hunger. Diseases. Deprivation. And death. Gaza City, a hot semi-arid climate with Mediterranean characteristics, was the most populous…
Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaihir raji’un! May Allah have mercy upon their souls and grant them Aljanna Firdausi. My condolences to you and through you, to the entire Neptune Prime family as well as Borno journalists. – Governor Mai Mala Buni Inna lil Lah, wa inna ilahirraji’un! May Allah forgive their shortcomings and grant them aljannah firdausi, amen. My sincere condolences, and may Allah give you the courage and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. – SK Usman Please accept our sincere condolences. – Eng Suleiman Bah Gimba, Magajin Garin Fika May Allah forgive them. Ameen. – Ibrahim Sheme May Almighty Allah forgive her shortcomings and dwell her soul in Aljannat…
Last week was a dark one for journalism in Nigeria. The light of two of its bright stars, Hajiya Amina Alhassan Ahman and Haruna Dauda Biu dimmed and blew out. Amina was cast in the print section of the profession, while Haruna was a star in broadcast journalism. I first noticed Amina in 2014 at a Leadership Newspaper editorial meeting for editors and senior editorial management staff. The meeting, held every Monday, had each editor defending their paper comparatively against its counterparts from other media houses. Friday Leadership, for instance, would be compared against every paper around the country published on the same…
About three weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Katsina, where he charged the Nigerian Army to end the terrorism menace and reclaim every inch of the nation’s territory. He also strongly warned: “Let the enemies of Nigeria know — their time is up.” After other state engagements, he honoured an invitation to attend the wedding of Governor Dikko Radda’s daughter — an event where guests were treated to lavish entertainment. Recall that the Governor, about two months earlier, had lost his beloved mother. Were Hajiya Sarafa’u Umaru, who died at the age of 93, to be asked, she…
I borrowed my headline from a surah in the Holy Qur’an— Suratul Rahman. Ar-Rahman in English means “The Beneficent”, and is known for its repetition of the phrase “Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?”, Surah Ar-Rahman, with 78 ayats (verses), is the 55th chapter (surah) in the Qur’an. Surah Ar-Rahman, a Makkiya (revealed in Makkah), was unveiled in the early stages of the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) prophethood. This revelation underscores Allah’s mercy, numerous blessings, and gifts upon humanity, fostering gratitude and recognition of His power. The recurring question, “Which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?”, is…
From time to time, we give our readers a chance to make their voices heard through their input. Well, it has been quite a while since we did that. We will start a serialisation of such inputs beginning with this. Why should Nigeria not break up? (March 31, 2024) You expressed the minds of all genuine comrades and patriotic elites. Dr Matawalli Geidam No reason, sir…. It is a Destiny created by God that, whether we like it or not, we MUST live together as brothers and sisters of different religions, languages, attire, dress, behaviour, attitude, conduct, and ethnic…
In a tête-à-tête with journalists last week, the Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, openly disagreed with retired General Theophilus Danjuma, former Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Defence, over his advice to us Nigerians, to defend ourselves against those who have been killing citizens like Christmas turkeys and abducting and negotiating ransom payments like buying and selling sacks of potatoes in Shendam market. Namadi said, “He (Danjuma) is a very senior security person and should be respected. But if he says citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, I think you are causing anarchy.” TY Danjuma, of all people,…
Sometimes in life, one comes across people whom one is at a loss for words on how to present to the public. This is not because there are no words or that you lack them. No—it is mainly because you know them closely enough that you do not want it to look like you are buttering your words. After all, you know them. Take the case of Bala Ciroma, who recently retired as a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). When he was a newly minted police officer in the early 1990s, his house in Suleja was my transit “camp” on…
On Friday last week, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former House of Representatives Speaker and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufa’i, former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, and former Governor of Kaduna State Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, alongside other political heavyweights, paid a visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Kaduna. It was ostensibly a social visit, and they were seen exchanging banter, having a tete-a-tete, and enjoying lunch—all for the photo ops—before going into a closed-door meeting – where the main issue would be tabled, …
This is a repeat. It was published on 24/12/2023. Rivers, a state so rich because God blessed it with abundant crude oil and gas, is named after the many rivers that border its territory. Forty percent of Nigeria’s crude oil output is produced in the state. It also has deposits of silica sand, glass sand and clay. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), ₦1.93 trillion was raked in in 2022 as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) across the 36 states in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. Out of this, Rivers State generated ₦172.89 billion, second only to Lagos,…
“Today, nearly everything is made in China – except courage; it’s made in Palestine.” – Anthony Bourdain. Anyone conversant with world affairs knows what’s happening in the Middle East. One does not have to belong to a particular faith to take an interest in events there because, where humanity is concerned, all divine religions agree on the sanctity of human life. Even though Nigeria has unending problems, that does not mean one should shut out other humans and their suffering. It’s like saying we don’t have enough food, so we would not give someone in dire need, even a bite.…
Nigeria these days reminds me of the popular children’s novel back in the day, One Week One Trouble, written in 1972 by Anezionwu Nwankwo Okoro, a Nigerian writer and medical practitioner. The protagonist, Wilson Tagbo, begins secondary school, but his flaws soon put him at odds with the school system, and no week passes without him landing in fresh trouble at the school. In our country, these days hardly a week passes without the public space being thrown ‘one trouble’ that would have everyone huffing and puffing for a while before another issue comes up to push that one aside. Only…
“It’s a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe. Not as many people know the popular novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), which depicts the harsh conditions experienced by enslaved African Americans, as they know its author, Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896). She was an American author and abolitionist. Coming from the religious Beecher family, her book reached an audience of millions as both a novel and a play. It became influential in the United States and Great Britain, energizing anti-slavery forces…
Has anybody wondered why the generality of the first set of our educated citizens revered the United Kingdom and aped the white Briton? They saw the mode of dressing, manner of speech, behavioural nuances, and general etiquette of the Briton as the epitome of civilisation. It took some coups and counter-coups, the death of some British-trained political and military leaders, and a civil war, coupled with the British diminishing international political and economic influence on the one hand and the United States of America becoming a world power on the other, for Nigeria to discard the British parliamentary political system…
Things are happening fast, and in an ever-changing world, keeping track of them is becoming increasingly difficult. This is not particular to Nigeria alone, as we have seen many global shifts that may ultimately spell peace for the beleaguered, even though others may have the potential to exacerbate fragile peace. Russia/Ukraine axis may see peace, but Gaza may enter another phase. However, the revelation that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a sponsor of many global terrorist activities, including Boko Haram, may help us solve that aspect of our security problem. And who knows, perhaps even banditry…
As long as I remain the minister of defence, our soldiers will marry the prettiest women, live in the best houses, eat the best food, wear the best clothes and drive the best cars because when war comes, they will be the ones to die first. – Muhammadu Ribadu. If I did not get the above quotation right, I would not be far off the correct one. I vividly recall reading the book Power of Powers, A Biography of the Late Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu, in which the above quotation was narrated the year it was published. The 100-page book, published by Gaskiya…
That is the question. Perhaps we should first take a look at Lake Chad and Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State and current chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum. The Lake Chad Basin is an area of about 2,434,000 square kilometres (940,000 square miles), roughly 8 per cent of Africa. It includes parts of Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger and is fed by the Chari, Logone, and Yobe Rivers. There are around 30 million inhabitants and over 70 ethnic groups, with their primary sources of livelihood being farming, fishing, and animal husbandry. The lakeside is rich…
The Federal Ministry of Health, through its Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), has handed over a detailed report aimed at reducing maternal mortality to the Kano State government, on Saturday. The National Coordinator of MAMII, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, presented the report at the conclusion of a five-day workshop held in the state. Dr. Adeyanju explained that the report focuses on key areas for improving community-level healthcare, including better financial and physical access to health facilities. He emphasized that integrating the recommendations into Kano State’s annual operational plan would help secure the resources needed for timely interventions. “This…
There have been pressures on me from pro- and anti-Abdourahamane Tchiani elements to weigh in with my two-pence opinion, whatever that will avail. I deliberately said pro- or anti- because it was all about him. It is either you agree with his assertions or not. Now, in a matter as pressing as this, there is always the fear that you will either be a little to the left or a little to the right. This is because there is a tendency for you to go straight to support it or to go against it with no equivocation; after all, the issue is…
Throughout history, men have been under immense societal pressure to produce male heirs to carry on their names and legacies. This expectation has often led to strife, stress, and sometimes untoward actions. The preference for male heirs is deeply rooted in many societies, possibly stemming from the belief in male superiority. Historically, patriarchal families believed that women were economically dependent on men and thus became their subjects as daughters married, lived in their husbands’ homes, and did not carry the responsibility of caring for their parents. Despite these societal norms, women have shown remarkable resilience, often challenging these beliefs and…
Some time ago, I had an oblique conversation with Governor Mai Mala Buni about my health condition, and something related to the topic of this piece came out. Sometimes, I get amazed at how he recalls things we see as inconsequential or forgotten because of time and relates them to everyday life. Because of this and many others, I always believe the creator blessed him with so much wisdom that he could pass for a sage. Thanks to present realities, I mostly stay at home throughout the week, going to the office only on Mondays. However, I sometimes stay in…
In 1984 there was a universal review of the dystopian novel Nineteen Eight- Four, sometimes written and published as 1984, written by George Orwell. More known for his satirical book Animal Farm, George Orwell is a pen name adopted by Eric Arthur Blair, an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist and critic. According to Wikipedia, “his work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to all totalitarianism, and support of democratic socialism.” Published in 1949, after the Second World War, Nineteen Eighty-Four, as earlier observed, is a dystopian novel that warns against totalitarian governments that control every aspect of citizens’ lives. With terms such as…
For those who may not know, considering that I am a journalist and he is a politician, the first time I knew Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was in 1977, some 48 years ago. When God brought us together at Government College Maiduguri, we were both teenagers, eager and ready to dive headlong into the world of adventure. We wanted to survey the world, savour its mysteries, learn from the experience it would offer us, become better humans, and collect the baton from those we saw at its helm. Five years…
There is no doubt that trust was the main determiner in making earlier citizens pay taxes willingly. There was trust in the leadership of the day and the knowledge that the taxes collected would not be misappropriated. Now, even the gate man in a motor park or market sees the tax he collects at the gate as his. Some have their tickets. When such collection points take the remaining proceeds to the next point, it gets “edited” until the process reaches its final pool, where a large number is collected and pilfered in large measure. With the taxes willingly paid,…
There is this hullabaloo that has enveloped the country, with debates all over, in some instances threatening to degenerate into fisticuffs. It is all about the Tax Reform Bills. Even though, after all is said and done, it may end up as an issue that signifies nothing but being blown out of proportion, it made me recall Macbeth’s speech in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In his speech, he surmised that there is no meaning or purpose in life. Understandably, with his wife dead and armies marching against him, he came face to face with the transience of life. He visualised his life…
The North and its leaders seem happiest and satisfied when led by the nose. As in every election cycle, vote seekers would come and put a black liquid in a syrup bottle and, with fanfare, tell you they have gotten “crude oil” so we can re-elect them or that they should elect leaders based on tribe or religion. Because we have become so allocation-dependent, sheer laziness has become our lot because of the easy money that the monthly allocation has become to us. Our brains have frozen in time. We lack the imagination, the initiative, and the drive for enterprise,…
The topic on everybody’s, well, almost everybody’s, lips now is tax reform. Everybody has become an expert, so everyone is discussing it: the experts, the neophytes, and even those who do not give a hoot. Nigerians love to talk, dissipate energy, joke about it, and then move on as if nothing happened. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows his countrymen well; perhaps that is why he never loses sleep over our vituperations; he gets what he wants when he wants it. In faraway France, he promised to continue with his policies without losing focus. Did you not see that barely a few days after a supposed nationwide protest against hunger and bad…
“Money doesn’t change men; it merely unmasks them. If a man is naturally selfish, arrogant, or greedy, the money brings that out; that’s all.” – Henry Ford. Last week, while extending our birthday wishes to the Governor of Yobe State, we underscored his honourable character and concluded by asserting that this was but one facet of what makes him a truly admirable leader, promising to substantiate this claim with further examples. Let us, however, not dwell on his commendable efforts in reforming and repositioning Yobe’s education sector since declaring a state of emergency on it upon assuming office on 29 May 2019.…
The national grid collapsed three times last month and twice this month. This year, it has collapsed at least 11 times. This underscores our long-standing struggle to have a consistent power supply, even if not for the whole nation, at least for those fortunate enough to have access to the few megawatts produced by the so-called “Giant of Africa.” While last week, Niger Republic was able to add no fewer than 18 megawatts to its national grid in just four months, Nigeria, with an installed capacity of 16,348MW, achieved only 5,313 megawatts as of September this year. Our travails with…
