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 would have said her death should not stop or even delay the marriage of her granddaughter. It is only that her children, having witnessed the deaths of loved ones over time, may ask themselves, “Why engage in vanity and vainglory? How would I feel if Mama looked down from the Lord’s bosom and saw me gathering the world to dance on her fresh grave?” Be that as it may, biki ya yi biki, as the Hausa are wont to say. Mr. President was there, and many side attractions showcased power, such as when an Emir’s guards broke through a door shut to latecomers, simply because an Emir never turns back from obstacles. Musicians regaled everyone, but the doyen, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, stole the show when he even made President Tinubu laugh in admiration with beautiful lyrics in Yoruba. Forget that at the height of the insurgency, when former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan went to Kano — not for any festivity like the one witnessed — and danced on stage, Rarara sang a song, Mai Malafa yaje Kano (Hat-wearing Man was in Kano), that trended against the man who grew up without shoes. Katsina, the state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been engulfed in recent times by a cloud of insecurity. Banditry and kidnapping have become daily occurrences, relegating previously serious crimes like robbery to the background. Just last week, residents of Tashar Kaɗanya in Ƙankara Local Government Area were thrown into despair after bandits imposed a ₦60 million levy on the community, threatening an attack on the people if they do not meet the demand. Faskari, Bakori, Malumfashi, Musawa, and Dan Musa Local Governments border Ƙankara. On its southern edge lies Zamfara State. Why wouldn’t they panic when over three hundred boys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, were kidnapped on 11 December 2020 and released some nine days later, after ransom was paid, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which interviewed some of them? Many communities in Katsina are isolated, having been cut off because linkage roads are now inaccessible, taken over by bandits who are interrelated with Boko Haram. In many areas, bandits appoint community heads and collect taxes. People pay them to be allowed to farm and, again, to be allowed to harvest. Just last Friday, a traditional ruler, Malam Sani Dandada, the Madawakin Fawa of Faskari, who was kidnapped on his way from Daura on 19 April, was found dead, despite full ransom payment. Katsina is now synonymous with banditry. It has become so pervasive that some unscrupulous civil servants, politicians, women of easy virtue, security agents, traditional rulers, and others from across all segments of society work with the bandits. During a media briefing on the International Day of Education (IDE) in January, the UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Rahama Mohammed-Farah, revealed that the North-West had the second-highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, after the North-East. About 10.2 million children at the primary level are out of school in Nigeria. Sixteen per cent of them are from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina States — with Katsina alone having 536,112 out-of-school children,” he said. Already, 38% of school-aged children in the state lack access to education. Katsina State, including its capital city, also faces significant challenges in providing potable water. This lack of consistent, safe water access leads to various health, social, and economic problems. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 61% of households in the state lack access to sanitary facilities, and 39% lack access to clean drinking water. The NBS data also shows that there are 2.8 million poor persons in Katsina out of a population of around 9.3 million. Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves about the correlation between extravagance by public office holders and the lack of employment, the production of unemployable citizens, poor health facilities, and other essential social amenities? Or the relationship between all these and the surge in all types of crimes? Yet our ruling elite and public commentators did not look at the Katsina extravaganza through this lens. Instead, they opened a debate on who the best Hausa musician is between the late Mamman Shata and Rarara — a needless discussion akin to comparing Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo, each defined by their time, circumstances, and environment.
As long as we don’t hold those to whom we entrust the key to our treasury accountable — as long as we get carried away by their excesses, clapping for them and floating on the crest of their diversionary indulgences — they will continue to consider us their lapdogs, tossing us bones to keep us at bay. It’s high time we demanded accountability and transparency from our leaders, for the sake of our children and the children of their children.
Hassan Gimba, anipr, is the CEO/Publisher of Neptune Prime.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has dished out the sum of two billion naira cash grant and other goodies to the people of his Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. The Senate President announced the cash grant and other goodies at the 2nd phase of his constituency empowerment of over three thousand beneficiaries and projects commissioning in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. The senator also gave out mini buses, cars, tricycles, fridges, sewing machines and Cargo tricycles to his people. In addition, the Senate President handed out scholarships not only to the people in his senatorial area but other from the other two Senatorial Districts of Akwa Ibom State. Akpabio expressed appreciation to the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno for the development he had made in the state. He described the governor as “a man of peace. He is a man of God both in attitude and actions. He has been able to bring us all together in Akwa Ibom and that is why we are enjoying peace in the state, because he acts his words.”
Reasons have emerged regarding the mass failure that was recorded in this year’s UTME examination conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper indicated that most of the failed candidates attributed it to the following issues: Difficult Questions — that the questions were unusually hard. Time Management Issues — that the time given for the completion of questions was not enough. System Errors — that there were technical glitches during the exam. System Failures — that there were incidences of computer freezing, crashing or lagging. Unfair Question Allocation — that some candidates had easier or harder sets of questions than others. Poor Center Coordination — that there were disorders and delays at some CBT centers. Unresponsive Invigilators or Supervisors —that help wasn’t readily available for them when they needed it. Power/Network Interruptions — that there were Interruption of exams due to electricity or internet issues. No Makeup or Consideration for Affected Candidates — that most of them that had issues felt left out or ignored. Meanwhile, candidates who have been scheduled for resist of the examination today, May 17, are currently on it in various centres.
A Chief Nursing Officer in the service of Kuje General Hospital, under the Hospital Management Board of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), H N. Shuaibu has appealed to the FCT Civil Service Commission chairman, Chief Emeka Ezeh to cause her April salary to be paid immediately. CNO Shuaibu, in a chat with our reporter, said that almost all the 230 civil servants that were declare “ghosts” on May 2, with their April salaries withheld, have been paid except her. The Nurse, who was on her way to work, said that despite that her name appeared as number 4 on the second list of those that were confirmed to be genuine workers, she still was not part of those that were paid yesterday, May 16. She said that there has been no information as to why she was excluded from the payment, adding that even in the first list, where 230 of them were declared ABSCONDMENT, she was number 83. CNO Shuaibu said that since she started work in the hospital under the Hospital Management Board of the FCTA, she had never received verbal query from her superior officers, “instead, I have been receiving commendations and praises. I have risen through the ranks over the years to be Chief Nursing Officer as a result of my dedication and strict adherence to work ethics. Even as you can see, I am on my way to work right now. So, how can I be ghost worker.” About 230 civil servants in the service of the FCTA, including doctors, nurses, and those in other departments woke up on Friday, May 2 to find on group Whatsapp platform their names on a list tagged: ABSCONDMENT, which was later interpreted to mean GHOST WORKERS. Members of the various associations went on strike on Tuesday, May 6, to protest against such fiat declaration, especially without the authority making any form of consultation, and for stopping their April salaries. Following the strike, the FCTA Civil Service Commission quickly reversed the tagg and began to pay the salaries, with an apology from the Commission’s chairman, Chief Emeka Ezeh. Addressing the aggrieved workers during which time he apologized, Chief Ezeh said that the Commission inadvertently declared them ghosts in its attempt to fish out ghost workers in the service. The chairman admitted that the action that led to the stoppage of the salaries was taken in error. He said that the action was part of efforts to identify and eliminate ghost workers, but inadvertently led to the exclusion of legitimate personnel. “We were trying to clean up the payroll and in the process, some genuine staff were mistakenly affected. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”
“Nigeria looks up to you, not only for leadership but for restoration. For a new vision rooted in justice, equity and inclusive progress.” The 46th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Abdulhakeem Owoade reminded President Bola Tinubu when he led his wife, Abiwumi, and a delegation of other traditional rulers from Oyo State on a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja today, May 16. Alaafin assured the President of the traditional council’s support in delivering his mandate to the people. “Today, I speak not just as the custodian of culture and tradition but as a voice for my people, who are deeply honoured by the audience you have granted us here at the heart of the national leadership. “Your gracious reception is more than protocol. It is a mark of your character, statesmanship and enduring regard for the traditional institutions. The people of Oyo remember your journey as a man who rose through the crucible of political struggle with unmatched courage and charity. You won many hearts as an activist, strategist, bridge builder and now as the nation’s foremost leader.”
The Oyo monarch commended the President for bold economic reforms, infrastructural development, instituting social welfare, youth empowerment and improvement in security and investments in agriculture. “We understand that national transformation is not by government alone. It is built when ancient wisdom meets modern governance. When institutions, old and new, work hand-in-hand.” This was even as President Tinubu acknowledged that traditional institutions remain integral to the country’s development. The President called for more support in implementing policies that directly impact people’s livelihoods. He congratulated the Alaafin for his ascendancy to the historic throne and assured the royal father of his prayers and support. “It is a great joy for me and a great honour. Your ascendancy to the throne of your fathers is historic. It is the will of God and the heart of the people. “I am following up on your foresight for development, your humility, and the fact that you uphold the traditions of your people. “The inherited tradition is the making of the Almighty God. Your ascendancy to the throne – like my becoming a president is the divine will of the Almighty God.” The President noted that the hurdles, processes, and anxiety along the way were part of the preparation for the position. He commended the traditional council for the ease in nominating and crowning the 46th Alaafin following Oba Lamidi Adeyemi’s passing on April 22, 2022. “I am happy that you have shown character and discipline and uplifted your people’s name, values and culture, even when you were in Canada. I am glad you have become a hope of sustaining the Yoruba race.” The President said that his government would continue to work with traditional institutions to implement policies to protect and prosper citizens. “The peace and stability of our nation requires inclusiveness. This job is not one you can do alone. We have to pull ourselves together to build a nation of prosperity. “Our priority is still education and Medicare. We want to uplift education and cultural values. Our door is open for participation.” Tinubu said that the sons of the Oyo kingdom serving in his office, including Ambassador Victor Adeleke, State Chief of Protocol and Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, the Aide-de-Camp, have done exceptionally well.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has embarked on a rigorous oversight system to ensure consistent quality in what the intending pilgrims eat everyday, comprising breakfast and dinner daily The commission’s Medina Feeding Committee, headed by Abdullahi Kabir, is believed to conduct regular inspections of the seven contracted catering facilities, maintaining vigilant supervision as the massive feeding operation unfolds in real time. “The continual monitoring of every aspect of the feeding program demonstrates an institutional commitment that extends beyond mere sustenance to encompass dignity and cultural respect,” said Alhaji Kabiru.
As part of their ongoing quality assurance efforts, committee members perform systematic evaluations of all seven contracted kitchens. They are Africana Home Restaurant, Amjad Alghraa, Al-Andalus, Mawasim Khairat, Na’a Azad, Zowar Muktara, and Kabala Catering. Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that each facility is being subjected to regular assessment against stringent criteria, encompassing sanitation protocols, equipment functionality and staff performance. It was learnt the inspections extend beyond basic health standards, focusing particularly on workforce composition requirements that mandate the employment of Nigerian cooks and support staff within each kitchen operation. This is to ensure culturally authentic meal preparation while creating employment opportunities for Nigerian nationals during the Hajj season.
Committee inspectors are said to meticulously examine the quality of all food ingredients, verifying that raw materials meet nutritional standards before entering the preparation process. “They scrutinize expiration dates on every packaged item, from spices to preserved goods, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for expired products. Additionally, inspectors verify strict adherence to NAHCON’s mandate for natural ingredients, prohibiting artificial flavor enhancers and preservatives that could compromise the nutritional value or authenticity of traditional Nigerian dishes.” It was learnt that the inspections ensure that kitchens maintain compliance with NAHCON’s exacting standards while serving thousands of meals twice daily. During a critical meeting with food service providers, Madinah Coordinator Alhaji Abdulkadir Oloyin addressed concerns regarding packaging standards with particular firmness. “The use of substandard containers is categorically unacceptable,” Oloyin declared, mandating uniform packaging requirements designed to preserve food safety while enhancing the dignity of the dining experience. The committee’s directives extended beyond technical specifications to embrace cultural authenticity, requiring strict adherence to NAHCON’s approved Nigerian menu. As the Hajj progresses into its more intensive phases, the Madinah Feeding Committee’s methodical approach stands as a case study in effective pilgrim welfare management.
The 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has extended a personal invitation to President Bola Tinubu to his inauguration on Sunday, May 18. In the Papal invitation, sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV, stressed the need for President Tinubu’s physical presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts. Pope Leo further stressed: “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.” President Tinubu who has accepted the invitation is scheduled to depart Abuja for Rome, the capital of Italy, on Saturday, May 17. He will be accompanied by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah. Others in President Tinubu’s entourage includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Archbishop of Owerri and President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, and Alfred Martins of Lagos. Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, will be formally installed at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. The Conclave of Cardinals elected him 27 days after his predecessor, Pope Francis, died on April 21. A statement from the presidency said that Tinubu will return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and upon all his family and companions. Dear brothers and sisters! Tribalism is the pernicious and deleterious ideology that afflicts all human societies in every time and period, originating in the worship of idols and reconstructing itself into many forms throughout the ages. In modern times, we know it as the specters of racism, xenophobia, supremacism, imperialism, nepotism, slavery, fascism, genocide and ethnic cleansing. In practice, it rears its ugly head in the shape of prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination. Allah has commanded us to uphold justice with all other human beings regardless of their race, tribe, region, religion, or identity. Allah the Most High said: “O you, who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. Follow not your desires, lest you not be just.” [Qur’an, 4:135] Respected brothers and sisters! Tribalists, by contrast, reject all universal standards of justice. They divide the world into the privileged in-group and the demonised out-groups, holding to the slogan “my people, right or wrong.” Their love of their own people and hatred of different people causes them to rationalise and justify the unjustifiable. Wathilah Ibn Al-Asqa reported: I said: “O Messenger of Allah is it part of tribalism that a man loves his people?” the Prophet said: “No, rather it is tribalism that he supports his people in wrongdoing.” [Sunan ibn Majah] Love for one’s people is normal and healthy if it leads to good deeds, but such love that comes at the expense of justice is not true love at all. Tribalism by this definition has been rejected by Islam in the harshest terms. Tribalism is a form of “blind following” whose adherents live in “ignorance,” an allusion to the pre-Islamic worship of idols. Jundub Ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever is killed under the banner of blind following, which calls to tribalism or supports tribalism, then he has died upon ignorance.” [Muslim] The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) disowned anyone who lives by the ideology of tribalism or supports it in any way. Sometimes, tribalists might be outwardly Muslims, but in reality Allah will not count them among the true and sincere believers. Jubair Ibn mut’im reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “He is not one of us who calls to tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism.” [Sunan Abu Dawud] The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) delivered an instructive parable to use about the likeness of one who adheres to tribalism: Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever supports his people in oppression is like a dead camel that falls into a well and is pulled out by its tail.” [Musnad of Imam Ahmad] In another narration, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “The parable of the one who supports his people upon other than the truth is that of a dead camel that falls into a well and is pulled out by its tail.” [Musnad of Imam Ahmad] The Tribalist who falls into this sin is destroyed, just like a camel that plunges to his death inside a well. The corpse of his sin will poison the well for an entire town, while the townspeople must endure the hideous sight and stench as they remove his carcass from their drinking water. Like the rotting camel, all throughout history we have seen the deadly and dangerous presence of tribalism justify ethnic cleansing, oppression, bloodshed, killing, murder, and genocide. Tribalism takes many different forms, but the mindset is always the same. When tribalists justify themselves in terms of race, this is classic biological racism. Sometimes tribalists justify themselves in terms of culture, claiming their culture must dominate others, in which case they are simply practicing cultural racism. Even religion itself can be used to construct and justify an ideology of tribalism. If religion is used to violate the human rights of others and rationalise injustice against out-groups, it has become nothing more than religious racism. Rather, the religion of Islam teaches us to uphold the rights of all human beings, to walk with humility, and to leave the divine judgment to Allah alone. We would do well to remember the fates of the humble sinner and the arrogant worshipper. Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Two men among the children of Israel were the opposite of each other. One of them was a sinner and the other would strive in worship. The worshiper would see the sinner and tell him to stop. One day he found him sinning so he said: Stop! The sinner said: leave me alone, by my Lord, have you been sent as a watchman over me? The worshiper said: by Allah, Allah will not forgive you or admit you into paradise. Later their souls were taken and they met in the presence of the Lord of the worlds. Allah said to the worshiper: Did you have knowledge of me or power over what is in my hand? Allah said to the sinner: Enter Paradise by my mercy. And Allah said to the worshiper: Take him to the Hellfire.” [Sunan Abu Dawud] In other words, it is never fair to compare the best of ourselves to the worst of others, lest we fall into the destructive sin of arrogance and braggadocio. No matter what scheme is used to justify tribalism, whether race, tribe, culture, region or religion, the outcome is always the same: racist practice. Whoever the tribalists designate as the out-group will suffer prejudice, bigotry, nepotism and discrimination meant to enhance the tribalists own privilege at the expense of those they deem inferior. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji’uun! The method of tribalism is to issue blanket indictments of an entire race, tribe, culture, region, religion, or group of people. They will condemn an entire group for the crimes of a few, or misrepresent an entire group by only examining its worst elements. Thus, the purveyors of Islamophobia claim all Muslims are terrorists, the purveyors of anti-Semitism claim all Jews are greedy, the purveyors of racism claim black people are natural criminals and parasites, and the purveyors of tribalism support their tribe against other’s tribe. In every case, the tribalists construct a false caricature of their victims to be the straw man of their vicious attacks. Islam teaches us to reject such blanket indictments and false generalisations. Some of the Prophet’s companions began to have bad thoughts about all of the Jews and Christians, but Qur’anic verses were revealed making clear distinctions the righteous and unrighteous. Allah the Most High said: “They are not all the same. Among the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) is a community standing in obedience, reciting the verses of Allah during the night and prostrating in prayer. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to do good deeds. Those are among the righteous. Whatever good deeds they do will never be denied, for Allah knows well the righteous.” [Qur’an, 3:113-115] It would be wrong to negatively characterise an entire religious group with all its unique individuals and diverse interpretations. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) firmly censured the poets of his time who had a habit of excoriating entire tribes. Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Verily, the greatest of people in falsehood is a man who insults another man by disparaging the entire tribe.” [Sunan Ibn Majah] In another narration, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Verily, the greatest criminal among people is a poet who disparages the entire tribe.” [al-Adab al-Mufrad] If we accept blanket indictments of an entire group, tribe, religion or region, then we are making a claim of collective guilt that will ultimately lead to collective punishment, and collective punishment is a crime of war. Islam rejects collective guilt and punishment, in word and deed, as innocent people may never be held accountable for the crimes of others. Allah the Most High said: “No soul earns anything except it is upon itself, and none shall bear the burdens of another.” [Qur’an, 6:164] Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “No man is to be punish for the crimes of his father or his brother.” [Sunan An-Nasa’i] Hence, tribalism is the ideological core of all militant terrorists, armed bandits and criminals, regardless of whether they support state terrorism or renegade terrorism. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) renounce anyone who fights for tribalistic reasons and who eschews the principle of non-combatant distinction in war. Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fights under the banner of one who is blind, raging for the sake of tribalism, or calling to tribalism, or supporting tribalism, and is killed in this state will have died upon ignorance (Jahiliyyah). Whoever rebels against my nation, striking the righteous and wicked alike and sparing not even the believers and he does not fulfill the pledge of security, then he has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him.” [Muslim] When the connection between tribalism and terrorism is understood, it will not be difficult for you to see that every violent extremist group, whether white supremacists or kharijite terrorists or armed bandits or others, all share the same basic tribalist ideology even thought they express it in different terms. In sum, Islam rejects all forms of tribalism, racism, and bigotry. We must not construct a false caricature of other groups in order to justify oppression, blanket indictments, and collective punishment against them. We must take the lead in upholding justice and the natural rights of not only Muslim, but of all human beings. Remember, whether you are Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Nupe, Ebira, Igala, Okun etc., first thing is we are all Nigerians and Allah the Almighty created us to live together and benefit from each other’s gift, wisdom and experience. Further, no group or tribe can claim ownership of the Nigerian state; being different in tribes isn’t a reason why others will be maligned, belittled, vilified, denigrated, bad-mouthed, aspersed, dress downed and demonised. Therefore we must all fear Allah and avoid any tribalistic behavious that will jeopardise our peaceful co-existence. Let’s join hands together to move the country forward, in order to have the blessing of sustainable peace, unity and progress. The Black, White, Yellow, Africans, Americans, Arabs, Europeans, Asians, northerners, southerners, westerners, easterners, etc. are all the same in the eyes of Allah. We should not be deceived by our colour, tribe, region, race or anything. Dear brothers and sisters! Religion and scripture have long been blamed for many of society’s ills. You’ve probably heard these rants before: “Religion causes bloodshed!” “Religion causes war!” It’s not religion, but the misinterpretation of religion that contributes to the social evils we see today. True religion can only serve as a source of peace. It doesn’t cause society’s problems, it cures them. Nevertheless, in certain pockets of the world racism still lives. It exists as a modern evil – a mental disease caused by a corrupted mindset. Its cure by the way is nothing new, in fact it’s fourteen hundred years old. Islamic tradition known as Hadith states that in his final sermon the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab. Neither is the white superior over the black, nor is the black superior over the white — except by piety.” Ya Allah! Make us among those who earn your forgiveness and acquire safety from the Hell fire, Ameen. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Prayers, peace and mercy are upon our beloved master, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah (Peace be upon him), his family and Companions. And success comes from Allah, and He, the Most High, knows best.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.
No fewer than 50 out of 230 civil servants in the services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) that were last week tagged “ghost workers” have reminded the chairman of the Civil Service Commission that they are yet to be paid their April salaries. The civil servants, who work in different departments, including medical department were technically disengaged with their April salaries stopped without any formal explanation other than they were suspected to be ghost workers. The following day after they discovered that their April salaries had been stopped, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and members of other associations affected by the strange “disengagement” embarked on warning strike action. With the strike going on, the April salaries of many of those affected were paid while about 50 others could not be paid because of what was said to be technical hitches in payroll. Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Chief Emeka Ezeh gave assurance last week that the salaries of the remaining civil servants would be paid before Friday last week. However, the affected civil servants have expressed concern that as at today, Wednesday, May 14, there has been no information about the payment of their withheld salaries. The civil servants, still made up of medical personnel, and others, appealed to the Civil Service Commission chairman to hasten the process of the payment to save them from financial inconveniences. The Commission’s chairman had last week formally apologized for withholding the April salaries of the affected 230 civil servants, including those in senior and managerial cadres. They were tagged ABSCONDMENT. According to Chief Ezeh, the salaries were withheld due to a human error encountered during an effort to sanitise the payroll system. He said that the measures were part of efforts to identify and eliminate ghost workers, but inadvertently led to the exclusion of legitimate personnel. “We were trying to clean up the payroll and in the process, some genuine staff were mistakenly affected. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. The affected salaries will be released between now and Friday.”
Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede has admitted that technical errors occured during the conduct of the 2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Addressing newsmen today, May 14, in Abuja, Professor Oloyede apologized for the errors even as he announced the rescheduling of fresh UTME for 379,997 candidates in the five States of the South-East and Lagos State. “What should have been a moment of joy has been marred by one or two errors.” He took responsibility for what he described as a “sabotage” of the 2025 UTME exercise, adding that those who were affected will start getting text messages from the Board starting from tomorrow, Thursday, May 15. “The affected candidates will start getting text messages for reschedule starting from tomorrow (Thursday). I apologise, I take full responsibility.” It would be recalled that 1.9 million candidates sat the 2025 UTME and that over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 marks out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the nation’s education sector. According to the Board, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, out of which only 4,756 candidates (0.24 per cent) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 per cent) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total for those who scored 300 and above to 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent). Also, 73,441 candidates (3.76 per cent) scored between 250 and 299 while 334,560 candidates (17.11 per cent) scored between 200 and 249. A total of 983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent) scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admissions in many tertiary institutions. In the same vein, 488,197 candidates (24.97 per cent) scored between 140 and 159, 57,419 candidates (2.94 per cent) scored between 120 and 139, 3,820 candidates (0.20 per cent) scored between 100 and 119, and 2,031 candidates (0.10 per cent) scored below 100. Over 75 per cent of all the candidates (1.5 million) scored below 200. This year’s UTME saw a significant drop in performance, sparking concerns among students, parents and educators. The UTME examination, which is a major requirement for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, assesses candidates in four subjects, with the compulsory use of English language.
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The Oyo monarch commended the President for bold economic reforms, infrastructural development, instituting social welfare, youth empowerment and improvement in security and investments in agriculture.
As part of their ongoing quality assurance efforts, committee members perform systematic evaluations of all seven contracted kitchens. They are Africana Home Restaurant, Amjad Alghraa, Al-Andalus, Mawasim Khairat, Na’a Azad, Zowar Muktara, and Kabala Catering.
Committee inspectors are said to meticulously examine the quality of all food ingredients, verifying that raw materials meet nutritional standards before entering the preparation process. “They scrutinize expiration dates on every packaged item, from spices to preserved goods, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for expired products. Additionally, inspectors verify strict adherence to NAHCON’s mandate for natural ingredients, prohibiting artificial flavor enhancers and preservatives that could compromise the nutritional value or authenticity of traditional Nigerian dishes.”
Katsina Extravaganza And The Shata–Rarara Debate, By Hassan Gimba
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 would have said her death should not stop or even delay the marriage of her granddaughter. It is only that her children, having witnessed the deaths of loved ones over time, may ask themselves, “Why engage in vanity and vainglory? How would I feel if Mama looked down from the Lord’s bosom and saw me gathering the world to dance on her fresh grave?”
Be that as it may, biki ya yi biki, as the Hausa are wont to say. Mr. President was there, and many side attractions showcased power, such as when an Emir’s guards broke through a door shut to latecomers, simply because an Emir never turns back from obstacles.
Musicians regaled everyone, but the doyen, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, stole the show when he even made President Tinubu laugh in admiration with beautiful lyrics in Yoruba.
Forget that at the height of the insurgency, when former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan went to Kano — not for any festivity like the one witnessed — and danced on stage, Rarara sang a song, Mai Malafa yaje Kano (Hat-wearing Man was in Kano), that trended against the man who grew up without shoes.
Katsina, the state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been engulfed in recent times by a cloud of insecurity. Banditry and kidnapping have become daily occurrences, relegating previously serious crimes like robbery to the background.
Just last week, residents of Tashar Kaɗanya in Ƙankara Local Government Area were thrown into despair after bandits imposed a ₦60 million levy on the community, threatening an attack on the people if they do not meet the demand. Faskari, Bakori, Malumfashi, Musawa, and Dan Musa Local Governments border Ƙankara. On its southern edge lies Zamfara State.
Why wouldn’t they panic when over three hundred boys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, were kidnapped on 11 December 2020 and released some nine days later, after ransom was paid, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which interviewed some of them?
Many communities in Katsina are isolated, having been cut off because linkage roads are now inaccessible, taken over by bandits who are interrelated with Boko Haram. In many areas, bandits appoint community heads and collect taxes. People pay them to be allowed to farm and, again, to be allowed to harvest.
Just last Friday, a traditional ruler, Malam Sani Dandada, the Madawakin Fawa of Faskari, who was kidnapped on his way from Daura on 19 April, was found dead, despite full ransom payment.
Katsina is now synonymous with banditry. It has become so pervasive that some unscrupulous civil servants, politicians, women of easy virtue, security agents, traditional rulers, and others from across all segments of society work with the bandits.
During a media briefing on the International Day of Education (IDE) in January, the UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Rahama Mohammed-Farah, revealed that the North-West had the second-highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, after the North-East.
About 10.2 million children at the primary level are out of school in Nigeria. Sixteen per cent of them are from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina States — with Katsina alone having 536,112 out-of-school children,” he said. Already, 38% of school-aged children in the state lack access to education.
Katsina State, including its capital city, also faces significant challenges in providing potable water. This lack of consistent, safe water access leads to various health, social, and economic problems. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 61% of households in the state lack access to sanitary facilities, and 39% lack access to clean drinking water. The NBS data also shows that there are 2.8 million poor persons in Katsina out of a population of around 9.3 million.
Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves about the correlation between extravagance by public office holders and the lack of employment, the production of unemployable citizens, poor health facilities, and other essential social amenities? Or the relationship between all these and the surge in all types of crimes?
Yet our ruling elite and public commentators did not look at the Katsina extravaganza through this lens. Instead, they opened a debate on who the best Hausa musician is between the late Mamman Shata and Rarara — a needless discussion akin to comparing Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo, each defined by their time, circumstances, and environment.
As long as we don’t hold those to whom we entrust the key to our treasury accountable — as long as we get carried away by their excesses, clapping for them and floating on the crest of their diversionary indulgences — they will continue to consider us their lapdogs, tossing us bones to keep us at bay.
It’s high time we demanded accountability and transparency from our leaders, for the sake of our children and the children of their children.
Hassan Gimba, anipr, is the CEO/Publisher of Neptune Prime.