President Muhammadu Buhari will hold his first Presidential Media Chat tomorrow, December 30. A statement from special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said that the programme will be broadcast live on the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). He said that President Buhari will answer questions from a panel of journalists on a broad range of current national issues. Adesina said that the Presidential media chat is scheduled to begin at 7pm even as he advised other television and radio stations in the country to hook-up to NTA and FRCN to relay the programme to their viewers and listeners. [myad]
The Hult Prize Foundation, the world’s largest start-up accelerator for social entrepreneurship, holds an annual $1,000,000 international competition for university students. These students are challenged to develop innovative social enterprises that aim to tackle grave social issues faced by billions of people. The Foundation is a partnership with President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Hult International Business School which, each year, challenges millennials around the world to produce life changing ideas. In early 2015, the American University of Nigeria as the only undergraduate team to make it twice to the semi-final round in Dubai, was granted the hosting right for “The Hult Prize @”. At this level of the competition, participants from AUN get an opportunity to bypass 10,000 applicants in the traditional process. This privilege fast-tracks the AUN team and its ideas through to one of five regional final rounds of the competition in Dubai, London, San Francisco, Shanghai, or Boston. AUN’s undergraduate scholars competed against master’s degree students, PhD candidates, and alumni from other universities around the world. Unlike other business case competitions that are geared towards solving typical business issues, the Hult Prize engages students to use their business skills and expertise to take on some of our world’s most pressing social problems, such as clean water access, education, and poverty. The 2015 challenge focused on building start-ups that might provide sustainable, high quality, and early education to 10 million children under the age of six by 2020. As Africa’s first Development University, this million-dollar challenge is particularly well suited to the American University of Nigeria students, all of whom routinely focus on development issues as part of their undergraduate education. This is one of the reasons that the Hult Prize organizers chose AUN as an “Hult Prize @” site, with the President of AUN, Dr. Ensign, serving as one of the student coaches for the project. An instructor in Business & Entrepreneurship, Fardeen Dodo, who worked with last year’s Hult team, utilized the networking benefit of the Hult Prize. He arranged an e-learning session at AUN’s new e-library with Mr. Bijan Masagh, the winner of the 2014 Dubai round. Mr. Masagh, leveraging on AUN’s Internet capabilities, served as guest lecturer in AUN’s Entrepreneurial Innovation class. The 25-year-old Hult Dubai winning team leader shared his experiences with the students in Mr. Dodo’s class, speaking about entrepreneurship and his Hult competition experiences. AUN senior Blessing Douglas, who has led the effort to bring the Hult competition to AUN, and has participated in the two regional Hult finals, was invited to a Hult Prize@ Campus summer camp in the United Kingdom. Here she was appointed a Hult Prize Campus Director for AUN. As a campus director, Ms. Douglas qualifies for over 25 incentives, including meeting President Clinton and a trip to attend the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting New York. “Hopefully, in 2020 AUN will be hosting the regional competition in Africa,” Ms. Douglas said with high hopes the competition.” As part of “Hult Prize @,” 15 AUN student teams competed in the first ever AUN Hult Prize Campus challenge. Each team pitched ideas that will address the 2016 topic focus: “Crowded urban spaces – solutions on doubling the incomes of the residents who live in some of the toughest conditions in the world through improved mobility and increased connectivity to people, products, and services.” The teams at the AUN Hult Prize @ Campus Challenge took the opportunity to present compelling social business ideas to a panel of influential judges including popular Nollywood actress and role model, Ms. Joke Olu Jacobs (née Silva). The campus challenge winning team led by Ms. Feyiosola Ogunbanjo pitched their idea on sustainable farming methods – an indoor faming that incorporates vertical and greenhouse farming. Vertical farming is cultivating crops on an inclined surface or a skyscraper. The group explained that the indoor farming allows growing year-round crops, farming at home, healthier crops, and producing crops that grow faster than the produce of conventional farms. This method also allows minimum overheads, low labor costs, and low water usage with controlled transpiration, enabling a farmer to use 90 percent less water. The selected team will be the third AUN team to represent the University at the Dubai regional finals which will take place in 2016. Mrs. Jacobs commented, “We chose Sil Indoor Farms because the team dealt with several challenges that the world is facing right now. They are looking at running the business in a sustainable manner.” Mr. Dodo said that the Hult Prize competition will enrich the students’ college experience. “Besides the competition, students will benefit from several workshops, networking, and entrepreneurial learning events run by a number of professionals and trail-blazing global experts, including Stuart Fleming of Enviroserve; Garett Awad of the Scholl Centre of Entrepreneurship; Ali Edrissi of JP Morgan (UK), and Khaled Gazawi, the CEO of Grameen-Jameel.” The $1,000,000 incentive is also not far from anyone’s mind. [myad]
Nigeria and the United States of America are currently engaged in talks over the sale of the country’s crude oil
Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu who gave this indication, expressed hope that the ongoing talks might result into the US resuming buying Nigeria’s crude oil.
Kachikwu said that despite having diversified into the Asian market and other parts of the world, the talks with the US government on the possibility of the latter resuming the purchase of crude oil from Nigeria is part of the outcome of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the United States.
He, however, explained that it would be wrong to say that there’s presently zero infusion of Nigerian crude into the US, noting that there are about three oil majors, including ExxonMobil, which are US-based companies that export their share of Nigerian crude into US-based refineries. He therefore stated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) portion of crude is the one being discussed. [myad]
Nigerians woke up just about two days ago to discover that suddenly, fuel had became available in many of the nation’s filling stations. This was a sharp diversion from the ‘acute’ shortage which, since late October, had led to fearful long vehicular queues in most of the filling stations across the country for fuel that was hardly available. The magic wand for the sudden return of fuel was the announcement recently, by the nation’s minister of state for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, of the impending reduction in the fuel pump price from N87 per litre to N85. The oil marketers who apparently have hoarded the product, creating artificial scarcity, in anticipation of increase in the pump price, were thrown off balance by Muhammadu Buhari’s government which is gradually focusing on dislodging the masses of Nigeria from the strangle hold of the few blood-suckers that called themselves oil marketers, and their sponsored surrogates that are found even in the supposedly respected labour unions. These blood suckers, who have fed fat on the poor masses, by collecting huge sums of money for the products they did not supply to specification, and which subsequently snowballed into excruciating prices of common commodities in the markets and services, suddenly realized that they would lose huge money if they allow January 1 to roll in with the hoarded fuel unsold. They seemed clever-by-half, for, if conversely, Kachikwu had announced that the government would increase fuel price from N87 per litre to maybe, N90, they would have kept the product under lock and key until January, so that they would make a huge rip off. With the scenario that has played out in just these few days, Buhari’s government has shown that it is cleverer, more foresighted and more proactive than the oil marketers who have been guzzling every kobo, every dollar, every Euro and so on, irrespective of the negative effects it has on the common people of the country. This brings me to the notion I always have that Nigeria is a very funny country with some kind of funny people. The good thing about Nigeria is that Nigerians have shown clearly that they are the easiest set of God’s creation to be governed, just by anybody, including thieves. And the bad side is that they rank highest or one of the highest in murmuring complaints about their leaders and about the prevailing system that does not favour them. I have always been amazed that Nigerians remain as cool as cucumber whenever they are being ripped off, a thing that could lead to major revolution in some other countries. When oil marketers and their cohorts decided to hoard the product and make them to be on unending queues, Nigerians could only murmur and complain under their breath.Now that the marketers have rushed the product out to beat price loss, Nigerians jubilate in murmur. That also reminds me: when many parts of the country began to enjoy some kind of steady electricity shortly after President Buhari mounted the leadership of this country, ardent supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan said it was the foundation he laid that we were enjoying. Even now that fuel has resurfaced in filling stations, some people are saying that it was Jonathan that laid the foundation. Some others are even blaming the Nigerian labour unions for keeping quiet as the Buhari government proposes to remove fuel subsidy, even though the government has slashed the price of the fuel and begin to ensure that refineries are working. Those are they who would not buy Buhari for a cent. That are Nigerians for you; always dogmatic on individual leader! [myad]
Arsenal, today, beat Bournemouth by two goals to nothing in the Premier League match, by advancing the top of the table and ending the Cherries’ six-match unbeaten run. The opening 25 minutes of the contest went by with little incident as Bournemouth largely frustrated the hosts and were the more threatening of the two sides. However, the Cherries fell behind as Gabriel Paulista marked his return to the team with his first goal in Arsenal colours, heading home a corner from Mesut Ozil, who claimed his 16th Premier League assist of the season. The goal filled Arsenal with confidence and they were soon surging forward in numbers. Theo Walcott was twice denied by Artur Boruc, while Gabriel, who had not scored for over two-and-a-half years, almost had a brace in 10 minutes as another header from an Ozil corner came back off the post. Boruc appeared to get a crucial fingertip on the ball to help it on to the post and Per Mertesacker somehow headed wide the rebound from point-blank range. Bournemouth managed to get through until half time just one behind and Howe decided to make a half-time change by bringing on Junior Stanislas for Marc Pugh. The visitors appeared to have settled down upon the resumption, but Arsenal carved them open shortly after the hour mark to double their advantage. This time Ozil was the scorer, exchanging passes with Olivier Giroud before calmly slotting past Boruc from close range. Arsenal players were keen for a third goal to kill off Eddie Howe’s side, with first Walcott flashing a shot wide before Giroud was denied from 20 yards by Boruc. Matt Ritchie warmed Petr Cech’s palms with a speculative effort at the other end, but it was Arsenal who always looked more likely to score the third goal. Giroud slid the ball just wide from Ozil’s cutback before being taken off, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the woodwork with a deflected shot in the final 10 minutes. Three points takes Arsenal to the top for 24 hours at least, with the two teams below them – Leicester and Manchester City – meeting on Tuesday night. Bournemouth drops a place to 20th and stays three points above the relegation zone. [myad]
As a Muslim who not only studied Quran at a tender age and attended Islamic institutions in my formative years, I pray to Almighty Allah to bless the great woman of our decade, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, for her righteousness in accepting the influx of immigrants, especially Muslims for protection in her country. There is this negative and erroneous image of Islam that was created due to the unwholesome activities of some leaders who promote intolerance and extremism for their personal survival selfish interest. This stereotype can easily be removed going by the noble teaching of Islam, which spreads love and tolerance among all people, whatever their race, ethnicity, religion, doctrine, language, tribe and social class system. The holy book of Islam, Quran, also teaches us that all humanity is but one great family. It states: “O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them countless men and women.” Quran 4 Verse 1. While Arab leaders in mostly Muslim countries exacerbate crises and rebellions that result in mass killing and displacements of millions of their citizens, Christian countries, like Germany have become sweet homes for Muslim refugees. Born on July 17, 1954, Merkel is a German politician who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and the Leader of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000. It is not surprising that this conservative Christian politician was recently named Time magazine’s coveted Person of the Year for her work in the Greek debt saga and largely for her unique intervention in Europe’s migrant crises. Merkel has voted against abortion rights and believes that marriage is “the sacred union of a man and a woman”. When immigrants from Arab and Muslims countries are threatened by senseless civil wars and terrorism, she generously opened up her country’s borders to a million refugees, providing safety and comfort. The Time editors clearly pointed out that Merkel understands the mind-set of many refugees fleeing dictatorship through her experience growing up in East Germany, behind the infamous Iron Curtain. While announcing the award, the Editor of Time Magazine observed that at a moment when much of the world is once more engaged in a furious debate about the balance between safety and freedom, the Chancellor is asking a great deal of the German people, and by their example, the rest of the world as well. Merkel is passionately appealing to her citizens “to be welcoming. To be unafraid. To believe that great civilizations build bridges, not walls, and that wars are won both on and off the battlefield. By viewing the refugees as victims to be rescued rather than invaders to be repelled, the woman raised behind the Iron Curtain gambled on freedom.” A daughter of a pastor and deeply religious woman rather than atheist, Merkel recently and proudly described her faith to a young theology student that: “I believe in God, and religion is also my constant companion, and actually has been my entire life… one knows there is something higher than just human beings, and that we are also called on to shape the world in responsibility for others. This is a framework for my life, which I consider very important.” The exodus of citizens from Arab and Muslim world are triggered by Arab leaders and collaborating Western counterparts who instigate global humanitarian crises through petty vendetta and deceits. In connivance with Arab leaders, the western power destroyed Iraq under false allegation that Saddam Hussein had stockpiled Weapons of Mass Destruction and they destroyed Libya on the false pretence for entrenchment of democracy. The powerful forces, are largely behind the sponsorship of rebels against legitimate governments in the Arab and Muslim worlds. A close examination of those engineered crises, clearly show that they are not religious but rather sectional, tribal and primordial conflicts under the guise of religion. A clear case is the destruction of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen by the same forces that would rather protect undemocratic monarchy system and fuelled conflicts in other seeming democracies. It was therefore not surprising when Sunni-Shiite debacle was introduced to justify the wanton destruction of lives and property in some countries. There is a fear that the same scenario could play out in Nigeria if the recent clash between Nigerian military and an Islamic group in Zaria is not contained and controlled. Until after the alleged Zaria massacre of members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, headed by Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zak-Zaky, on the day they were to celebrate Moulud (Birthday) of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), Nigerian Muslims don’t bother about dichotomy of creeds in Islam. It is therefore, unfortunate that while the country is yet to resolve the Boko Haram terrorism, the political elite seems to find ways of dividing the Muslim community along Sunni and Shiite doctrines when majority simply believe in the Quran and Hadith. It is worrisome that politicians have ways of playing politics with everything including innocent life and yet they cunningly seek for the endorsement of voters during campaigns for elections. Meanwhile, just like the good hearted Angela Merkel of Germany, top Nigerian Christians and their umbrella organisation, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have shown empathy, expressed sympathy and condoled families of Zaria victims who were killed like rats to be freely robbed by miscreants. Surprisingly, some Muslim leaders who should be more concerned, either keep mute or merely engage in blame-game on confused doctrines. There is a lot to be learned from leaders like Chancellor Merkel, who as a Christian is providing shelter, food, medication, education and even enabling environment for Muslims to practice their religion in her country. She has clearly demonstrated the Islamic injunction, which states: “O humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. The most honoured of you in the sight of God (Allah) is the most righteous of you.” Quran 49 Verse 13. Truly, righteousness is the sole standard value in humanity. . Shuaib writes from www.yashuaib.com and yashuaib@yahoo.com. [myad]
The factional Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Godwin Osiyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Ogori-Magongo, has recounted the six grounds on which 17 members of the House impeached Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal of the same PDP-Okene II, was impeached on December 10 this year.
He said that the six grounds arose from general feeling of discontentment among members.
Addressing newsmen in Lokoja today, Godwin Osiyi said that one of the reasons for the impeachment was the former speaker’s gross incompetence and lack of capacity and confidence to preside over the proceedings of the 6th Assembly.
Other reasons, he said, included the former speaker’s insensitivity to members’ interest and plight and misrepresentation between the Assembly and the Executive for his personal interests and aggrandizement. According to him mismanagement of the Assembly funds and other valuable resources and betrayal of trust members reposed on him as well as high-handedness in the administration of the Assembly “as he operates like a sole administrator” are other sins of the impeached speaker. however, the embattled former speaker said that though he was not opposed to the impeachment, but that it ought to have followed due process. He declared that the manner in which it was conducted contravened the House rules and procedures for impeachment. Lawal alleged that legislators plotting his removal forged the signature of Umar Ahmed Imam (APC), the member representing Lokoja 1 Constituency, as one of the 17 members that signed the impeachment notice. [myad]
The embattled senator representing Abia North Senatorial district, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has declared alleged that his opponent and PPA senatorial candidate, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu as being broke.
“Orji Uzor Kalu is not rich. Let me tell you, very soon Diamond bank he took loan from will come for him. He is broke. Let nobody deceive you into believing that he is rich.”
Ohuabunwa who was addressing to multitude of his supporters in Umuahia town insisted that Orji is never a successful and wealthy businessman, advising his supporters to disregard all forms of deceitful information that would intimidate them into losing confidence of winning the yet to be fixed reelection date.
According to him, it is a mere speculation that his opponent is a successful businessman, adding that such belief is built on lies and deceit.
Ohabunwa admitted that the former governor of Abia state and serving senator, Chief T.A Orji is far richer than Orji Uzor Kalu.
“As we talk, T.A Orji is one of the richest former governors in this country. I really don’t know where they got the fact that Orji Uzor Kalu is rich. He is not. Let me tell you, very soon Diamond bank he took loan from will come for him. He is broke. Let nobody deceive you into believing that he is rich.
“I wouldn’t mind to say that we are just two in this race. At least people can trace my wealth and that of the other man, David Onuoha Bourdex who is in APGA; though I will beat him. We have genuine wealth, and with a good family background. Where is Orji Uzor Kalu’s wife? You can’t see her, and yet he is planning to represent you people at the Senate. We say no way!”
He asked his supporters to verify how former governor Orji Uzor Kalu managed to realize the Christmas hampers and gift items he doled out, saying: “Go to his house, you will see protesting traders. These are innocent and well-doing traders that he bought their goods on credit, and after delivering, he drove them out and they are out there protesting.
“We need to stop him with our votes. I’m going back to Abuja with my own feel of experience. Since I left business I’ve been politicking. Abuja needs men like us who can do the business of politics. Let me tell you, as broke as Kalu is, he is looking for power that will bounce him back into renovating his house in Igbere, as well revive his businesses. His only business that is working is The Sun Newspaper, though struggling. And within the month, we got the news of how it was traced to Dasuki’s loot.
“Recently, I read where he boasted of his ships under Slok. The truth is very simple here, because he used to have seven ships, but now, there is one functioning while one is dry-dock. Still on the Sun Newspaper, you are all aware of the crisis they are facing. To realize money, you can see how they established the award platform which is known today as Sun Man of the Year. These are avenues designed to make money for sustenance.”
Hhe encouraged his supporters to lead the course of realizing quality and effective representation through his mandate under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). [myad]
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has asked teachers in the services of the state to sit up and be productive or face the consequence of being redeployed to farms.
Governor Umahi who spoke in his country home, Umunaga- Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area when the members of the State Universal Basic Education Board and the Secondary Education Board led by Chief Hyacinth Ikpor and Mr. Emmanuel Odoh respectively paid him Christmas homage, insisted that he would not take it kindly with anybody that would stand in the way of sound education in the state.
“I want you to sit down and look at how to improve education. The only way you are judged is by the improvement in education,” he said even as he ordered them to re-evaluate their teachers before the middle of January, 2016. He assured them however that no one would be sacked after the exercise, but that only those that were fit would remain in the classrooms, while others would be re-deployed to areas like Agriculture. “Our educational system is very much in problem. I think the immediate past administration did not really care about Education.’ Describing education as a very important sector in his administration, the governor said that the need to convene an interactive meeting of all stakeholders in the education system on how to tackle the problems. He maintained that the desire of his administration to make the state come first in the Senior Secondary School Examination and the National Examination Council evaluations could only be achieved within the first two years of his administration through the collective efforts of all the stakeholders. Earlier in their respective remarks, the Chairman of UBEB, Chief Ikpor and his SEB counterpart, Mr. Odoh, said they came to felicitate with the governor and to congratulate him on his election tribunal and court of appeal victories. They restated their determination to continue to work according to the goals of the present administration to ensure that the decay in the education sector was stemmed. [myad]
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has asked teachers in the state to measure up to modern standard of teaching, warning that he would not hesitate to redeploy any of them that has nothing to offer the students to other areas.
He made it clear however that his administration will not sack any teacher from the state civil service: “but we will not fail to reassign any teacher that does not have the requisite qualifications to be in the classroom.”
Governor Tambuwal who spoke today in Dogon-Daji, Tambuwal Local Government Area in his address at the annual national congress of the Old Boys Association of his Alma-mater, Government Secondary School, Dogon Daji announced: “beginning from the next budget, government will ensure continuous training and retraining of teachers to update their knowledge and make them conform to modern teaching techniques. “Huge sums of money have been budgeted for that purpose. “Let me announce it here that we do not plan to retrench any teacher working with the state government. In fact, we need qualified teachers to address shortfall in numbers. “What we will not condone in our schools are unqualified teachers who have nothing to offer our children. “If after giving you the necessary training, we discover that you do not have the capacity or enthusiasm to teach, we will reassign you to where your expertise if most needed.” The governor commended the executive of the association for its diligence in the face of mounting challenges, even as he solicited its support in government’s efforts to take Sokoto State to greater heights. [myad]
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President Muhammadu Buhari will hold his first Presidential Media Chat tomorrow, December 30.
May Allah Bless Chancellor Merkel Of Germany, By Yushau A. Shuaib
There is this negative and erroneous image of Islam that was created due to the unwholesome activities of some leaders who promote intolerance and extremism for their personal survival selfish interest. This stereotype can easily be removed going by the noble teaching of Islam, which spreads love and tolerance among all people, whatever their race, ethnicity, religion, doctrine, language, tribe and social class system.
The holy book of Islam, Quran, also teaches us that all humanity is but one great family. It states: “O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them countless men and women.” Quran 4 Verse 1.
While Arab leaders in mostly Muslim countries exacerbate crises and rebellions that result in mass killing and displacements of millions of their citizens, Christian countries, like Germany have become sweet homes for Muslim refugees.
Born on July 17, 1954, Merkel is a German politician who has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and the Leader of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000. It is not surprising that this conservative Christian politician was recently named Time magazine’s coveted Person of the Year for her work in the Greek debt saga and largely for her unique intervention in Europe’s migrant crises. Merkel has voted against abortion rights and believes that marriage is “the sacred union of a man and a woman”.
When immigrants from Arab and Muslims countries are threatened by senseless civil wars and terrorism, she generously opened up her country’s borders to a million refugees, providing safety and comfort.
The Time editors clearly pointed out that Merkel understands the mind-set of many refugees fleeing dictatorship through her experience growing up in East Germany, behind the infamous Iron Curtain.
While announcing the award, the Editor of Time Magazine observed that at a moment when much of the world is once more engaged in a furious debate about the balance between safety and freedom, the Chancellor is asking a great deal of the German people, and by their example, the rest of the world as well. Merkel is passionately appealing to her citizens “to be welcoming. To be unafraid. To believe that great civilizations build bridges, not walls, and that wars are won both on and off the battlefield. By viewing the refugees as victims to be rescued rather than invaders to be repelled, the woman raised behind the Iron Curtain gambled on freedom.”
A daughter of a pastor and deeply religious woman rather than atheist, Merkel recently and proudly described her faith to a young theology student that: “I believe in God, and religion is also my constant companion, and actually has been my entire life… one knows there is something higher than just human beings, and that we are also called on to shape the world in responsibility for others. This is a framework for my life, which I consider very important.”
The exodus of citizens from Arab and Muslim world are triggered by Arab leaders and collaborating Western counterparts who instigate global humanitarian crises through petty vendetta and deceits. In connivance with Arab leaders, the western power destroyed Iraq under false allegation that Saddam Hussein had stockpiled Weapons of Mass Destruction and they destroyed Libya on the false pretence for entrenchment of democracy. The powerful forces, are largely behind the sponsorship of rebels against legitimate governments in the Arab and Muslim worlds.
A close examination of those engineered crises, clearly show that they are not religious but rather sectional, tribal and primordial conflicts under the guise of religion. A clear case is the destruction of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen by the same forces that would rather protect undemocratic monarchy system and fuelled conflicts in other seeming democracies.
It was therefore not surprising when Sunni-Shiite debacle was introduced to justify the wanton destruction of lives and property in some countries. There is a fear that the same scenario could play out in Nigeria if the recent clash between Nigerian military and an Islamic group in Zaria is not contained and controlled.
Until after the alleged Zaria massacre of members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, headed by Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zak-Zaky, on the day they were to celebrate Moulud (Birthday) of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), Nigerian Muslims don’t bother about dichotomy of creeds in Islam. It is therefore, unfortunate that while the country is yet to resolve the Boko Haram terrorism, the political elite seems to find ways of dividing the Muslim community along Sunni and Shiite doctrines when majority simply believe in the Quran and Hadith. It is worrisome that politicians have ways of playing politics with everything including innocent life and yet they cunningly seek for the endorsement of voters during campaigns for elections.
Meanwhile, just like the good hearted Angela Merkel of Germany, top Nigerian Christians and their umbrella organisation, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have shown empathy, expressed sympathy and condoled families of Zaria victims who were killed like rats to be freely robbed by miscreants. Surprisingly, some Muslim leaders who should be more concerned, either keep mute or merely engage in blame-game on confused doctrines.
There is a lot to be learned from leaders like Chancellor Merkel, who as a Christian is providing shelter, food, medication, education and even enabling environment for Muslims to practice their religion in her country. She has clearly demonstrated the Islamic injunction, which states: “O humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. The most honoured of you in the sight of God (Allah) is the most righteous of you.” Quran 49 Verse 13.
Truly, righteousness is the sole standard value in humanity.
. Shuaib writes from www.yashuaib.com and yashuaib@yahoo.com. [myad]