Opinion

Careless Government on the Long Run

Published

4 years ago

December 3, 2020

By MA Iliasu

On the day of Arfat I noticed that a certain angle in my room had decided to confess its frustration of being the oldest chamber in the house by showing wall scars.

And stupidly enough, I decided to put it down without realizing no bricklayer would be willing to sell me his service while fasting on the day of Arfat, or on the Eid day that follows, or on the usually meat-cutting day that comes after it. Meaning, I’ll have to manage in my younger sibling’s or find a bricklayer that can fix the room within the week. So I went on a bricklayer hunt but to no avail.

Being an attractive settlement for scholars who wander towns and cities with their students, my neighborhood used to be quite rich with people very familiar with such line of trade.

Mostly the students who think they have studied the holy book enough to focus their attention elsewhere. And that reminded me of an old acquaintance of mine who came from Doguwa local government with his teacher a very longtime ago and stayed in the neighborhood for 11 years during which he mastered the art of bricklaying.

So I dropped him a call enquiring for his services during the Eid season with an assurance of handsome payment, which he agreed to. And within four hours he rode from Doguwa with his equipments.

Umaru is a very smart person. Quite usual for someone of his age.

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His bricklaying skills ensured that there’s hardly any prominent town or city in Nigeria that he hasn’t traveled to sell his service. And that built so much of his experience. On my part, I couldn’t find a hard laborer, so I had to employ my own service if I want the job done on time.

And the duo of him and myself proved a remarkable company considering how close we used to be when he was a student.

Among the talks during the service delivery, I brought up the menace of kidnapping. And so I asked whether as someone who constantly wanders through the North if he had any insight on the state of the menace here and elsewhere. And as if he was waiting for me to finish asking, he began talking about it like he was always looking for someone to speak with.

In his own words, his older brother was earlier kidnapped in a marketplace by people who showed him the ID of Secret Service and took him out of town, then confessed to him that they’re kidnappers and later called his relatives to ask for ransom.

They were together when it happened. And he was left behind only because they said there was no need for the Secret Service to have both of them. A little while after, two of his cousins got arrested by the police.

However, when they checked the nearby police stations, they realize the boys weren’t there, neither were the policemen who arrested them. Two days later a phone call went-in asking for ransom money. Meaning, it was kidnappers in police uniform.

His sister, who was married somewhere in the village had once been kidnapped when they got to her husband’s keep. He said that in the place where she lives, the people must pay certain money before they are allowed to cultivate their lands.

And being supreme in some areas how had visited, kidnappers and bandits demand a woman, regardless of married or not, to be taken to them for their satisfaction by her own husband or parents anytime they like, otherwise death will be the price.

His home local government, Doguwa, was, not so long ago, under the constant siege of bandits. Until the community leaders took an order by their hands and began killing them by employing the services of local hoodlums whose relatives were also affected by the catastrophe.

He confessed that they had to go as far as executing bandits before the issue cooled down in the area for a bit. In his words, even though he was never actually taken, being surrounded by the victims and having so many of his assets sold to pay for the ransom, he can’t help but feel like one. And I honestly agree.

The two versions of his testimony, which I narrated in two immediate separate paragraphs above, got me exercising two thoughts in mind:

The weakness of the Law and its enforcement agencies allows kidnappers to pursue people as fake, undercover agents. Who is providing them with the state ID? If it’s forged, who is providing them with the uniforms? If they’re forged too, what effort is the police putting to track down the sources of the pieces of equipment? If that’s very difficult, how easy it can be for a random household to handover his wife, who’ll later get returned, to be noticed and therefore be tracked down? Forgive me, but my doubts upon the Law and its enforcement agencies are growing by the day. Should we become more vigilant when we or one of us gets involved with a law enforcement agent? For now, we’re confused about who are the actual law enforcement agencies.

If disorder keeps thriving through kidnappers, and Jungle Justice keeps yielding the desired outcome on the part of the civilian, what’ll remain of the influence of the government who was supposed to be the neutral arbiter would be frightening. The kidnappers have tried and have succeeded. The people have started taking orders by their hands and it begins working; the cross outcome would be a battle between outlaws who never rate the gov’t and victims who no longer have any trust in the government. At the end of the day, our societies may become Mario Puzo’s Sicily where people hold no regard for the government and take it to themselves to resist the Mafia establishment that since proved stronger than the gov’t.

Hoodlums with the remaining fear of God will not venture into kidnapping and banditry. Instead, they’ll organize themselves to protect people in return for protection money. And from that point, our state will split between Tommy Shelby’s Birmingham that’s ruled by the Peaky Blinders and Turi Guiliano’s Montelepre that’s ruled by the resistance’s of friends of the friends.

In any way that’s far from the admiration of sanity. A government that’s only thinking of long term plans during a ravaging crisis is a government that’s bound to fail. Likewise, a government that chooses to venture into long term carelessness is a government that’s bound to fail. The crisis is handled with immediate measures. When solutions are long term, the executioners may not survive the time frame. Likewise, if it’s carelessness when short term it’ll tell the society that the law is awake. And that’s why John Maynard Keynes, who is doubtlessly one of the greatest crisis managers in history, says “in the long run we’re all dead “.

MA Ilias.

2/12/2020.

Related Topics:Carelessness Government Kano Nigeria

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Let President Tinubu Rename University of Lagos After Gowon, Not Abuja

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5 days ago

December 18, 2024

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Adnan Mukhtar Tudun Wada

I was not happy when Northwest University Kano was renamed to Yusuf Maitama Sule University, as student leaders of that University then, we followed the interest of the students who were also not happy with the renaming at that time for one reason; the renaming was politically motivated, to hurt the founder of the institution Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. I was busy mobilising students to protest, the next day I was invited to the DSS for questions where I spent hours and all the people we were mobilising the protest together ran and dissociated themselves from it. I have no option but to plead with the DSS to release me, assuring them that not a single student would protest the government’s action.

The renaming has affected many students who are seeking admission abroad; it’s Northwest University on my transcript and Yusuf Maitama Sule University on my certificate. This is kinda confusing and not good at all.

Politicians should immortalise individuals in their new projects not existing ones. The renaming of the University of Abuja to Yakubu Gowon University is not good for the university’s alumni.

The President should have found a new project or built a new University by naming it after the former Head of State.

I don’t support the idea of playing politics by renaming our universities and this happens mostly in Nigeria.

Imagine waking up renaming the University of Maiduguri to Mohammed Goni University, Yobe State University to Ibrahim Geidam University, the University of Ibadan to Abiola Ajimobi University, the University of Lagos to Lateef Jakande University.

It will be bad for the alumni of the aforementioned universities to come across this.

Why is this only happening in Africa? Look at Makerere University in Uganda, it was established in 1920 but despite Yoweri Mosevenni’s long reign; he didn’t for once attempt to change it to even his name for selfish reasons.

He didn’t think of renaming the Entebbe International Airport after him but in Nigeria, we have this culture of renaming everything after individuals.

If you want to be immortalised, leave a lasting legacy as Gowon did in establishing NYSC. That enough is Okay and better than naming an institution after him.

President Tinubu should have renamed the University of Lagos after Gowon, not Abuja. I’m sure his people will reject this not for any reason but because of the large number of people that will be affected by it.

The University of Abuja Alumni were all crying over this painful decision.

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Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya: Champion of Civil Society and Good Governance in Northern Nigeria

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Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, is an influential Civil Society figure in Kano State and Northern Nigeria. He is currently serving as the Executive Director, Citizens for Development and Education (CDE), he has dedicated many years of his civil society activism as advocate for the promotion of democracy, good governance, anti-corruption, peace building and women empowerment

Amb. Waiya, holds number of academic qualifications, including a Higher National Diploma in Public Administration from Kano State Polytechnic, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Master’s in Public International Law at Maryam Abacha, American University, Maradi, and he is currently pursuing a doctor of philosophy at Skyline University, Kano in International Relations

In the course of his career, he held several positions and managed a number of projects. He served as the Director, Alhilal Foundation, from 2003 to 2007, an organization which focused on women empowerment, through basic literacy and skills acquisition. He later coordinated the North West Zonal Office of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Foundation. Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, led and coordinated a number of Local Government Councils Elections Observation missions across 19 Northern states.

In 2011, Waiya managed the Campaign against Drug Abuse under the auspices of Northern Youth Assembly, a youth driven platform with leadership structures in the Nineteen Northern States. He served as Secretary, for both, Kano State Stakeholders Committee on Anti-Drug Abuse Campaign and Kano State Stakeholders Committee on Anti-Child Abuse, a project which was coordinated by the office of the Special Adviser, Child Welfare and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. His involvement in election observation coordination missions and various public engagements, highlights his commitment to civic engagement towards community development, democracy and good governance

Waiya’s extensive experience includes free consultancy support services to numerous Government Ministries and Agencies such as: Kano State Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, Kano State Ministry for Community and Rural Development, office of the Special Adviser to the Governor of Kano State on Child Welfare, Ministry for Special duties, office of the special adviser, joint security services. He has facilitated numerous training workshops and seminars, impacting his knowledge, skills, experience on the community, particularly for community based organizations

In recognition of his contributions, he was appointed to several key positions, such as the President, of the Kano Civil Society Forum, Chairman of the Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks, Convener, Nigeria for Peace Project, Managing partner, United Nigeria Project, Head of Secretariat, Kano Peace Committee, Secretary General, National Action for Women Agenda,(NAWA), chairman, Board of Trustees, Northern Youth Assembly, (Majalisar Matasan Arewa) Fellow, Institute of Security and Strategic Studies, Fellow, Institute of International Peace and Secure Society, Fellow, Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management, member, Commission of Inquiry on Missing persons, member, Implementation Committee, on the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission of inquiry on missing persons, member, Commission of Inquiry to investigate, various political violence and cases of missing persons, that occurred in the State from 2015 – 2023, member, Commission of inquiry to investigate protest, arson and destruction of public and private properties that occurred from 1st – 10th August, 2024 Amb. Waiya, served as Consultant on various government projects, such as: Kano State Security Trust Fund, Safe Corridor, Campaign against Drug Abuse, across the 44 Local Government Council Areas. Amb. Waiya”s active participation in peace building, policy advocacy and legislative reform has continued to impact positive change in Kano State, the North and Nigeria at large.

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“I Transition to PR and Digital Marketing to Transform Brands Globally” – Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah

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As 2024 comes to a close, Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah reflects on his journey from journalism to public relations (PR) and digital marketing. With over a decade of experience in media and communications, Ibrahim’s transition was fueled by a desire to empower businesses—starting with Northern Nigeria but extending globally—to build impactful narratives and achieve sustainable growth.

“Every brand, regardless of location, deserves access to the tools and expertise needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced world,” Ibrahim says. “My goal has always been to bridge the gap in strategic communication, ensuring that no business is left behind.”

From Journalism to Strategic Communication

Ibrahim’s illustrious journalism career spans over a decade, during which he served as a Senior Reporter at TVC News, covering critical developments, including the Kano State Government House for three successive administrations. His work involved breaking major news stories, producing multimedia content, and engaging audiences through digital platforms.

“I’ve always been passionate about communication, but I realized I wanted to do more than report stories—I wanted to help brands craft their own,” Ibrahim shares. “That’s what led me to pivot into PR and digital marketing.”

To equip himself for this new journey, Ibrahim pursued advanced studies, earning a Master’s in Communication Studies and a Master’s in Public Relations from Bayero University, Kano. He further honed his expertise with a Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing from the London School of Business Administration and a Master Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Skills Institute. These credentials underscore his commitment to mastering the art of strategic communication.

Empowering Brands Through Ayrah Media Concept

As the CEO of Ayrah Media Concept (AMC), Ibrahim leads a PR and creative agency that provides businesses with tailored solutions, including PR consulting, social media management, corporate campaigns, and digital marketing.

“My vision is to empower brands to connect with their audiences, tell compelling stories, and achieve global relevance,” Ibrahim explains. “Through AMC, we’re showing businesses—whether in Northern Nigeria or beyond—that they can reach new heights with the right strategies.”

In 2024, AMC worked on several impactful campaigns, including Ibrahim’s role as a Lead Consultant for the WOFAN-ICON2 project in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, where he developed and executed PR and communication strategies to amplify the project’s impact.

Changing Perceptions and Building Bridges

Transitioning into PR and digital marketing came with challenges, including shifting perceptions about its value.

“Many businesses see PR and digital marketing as optional rather than essential,” Ibrahim says. “But the results are transformative. Strategic communication is not just about visibility; it’s about building trust, credibility, and lasting connections with your audience.”

This philosophy drives Ibrahim’s approach, ensuring that businesses of all sizes—whether local startups or established corporations—can access high-quality PR and marketing services.

Looking Ahead

Ibrahim’s vision for the future extends far beyond regional boundaries. While his roots and passion lie in Northern Nigeria, his focus is on creating strategies that resonate globally.

“Brands in Kano, Lagos, Abuja, or even New York share a common goal: to connect with people and make an impact,” he says. “My mission is to ensure that every business, regardless of size or location, has the tools and strategies to achieve that.”

In 2025, Ibrahim plans to document his professional journey in a book that will explore his experiences as a journalist and PR expert, offering insights into the evolving landscape of communication and its role in business success.

A Message of Gratitude

As he reflects on the year, Ibrahim expresses his gratitude to those who have supported his journey. “I’m incredibly thankful to my mentors, collaborators, and clients who have believed in my vision. Together, we’ve shown that impactful communication has the power to transform lives and businesses.”

With a clear vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah is poised to lead the way in redefining PR and digital marketing, not just in Nigeria but across the globe.