Opinion

Urgent Need To Create Preaching Regulatory Agency

Published

3 years ago

July 11, 2021

By Alhassan A. Bala

One minor issue yet mighty one that continually causes crisis in most parts of Nigeria and most especially in the north is the religious difference partly because as the region is home to majority Muslim and minority Christians in some states and vice versa.

Nigerians in their culture respect and revere religious leaders than any other person in their lives.

Recently, some say Nigeria houses the highest number of religious worship centres both Christians and Muslims. Albeit that didn’t bring the needed peace Nigeria has been yearning for for several years.

The issue of Maitatsine In Kano back in 1980s and the Kaduna religious crisis were clear signs of bad approach to preaching by what one can call unprofessional or extremist scholars. This, indeed, remains the challenge in most of the northern states until today!

Boko Haram, which started when Muhammad Yusuf became an extremist and in spite of which he was allowed to preach openly without any resistance or regulation from the government just because of the fear of not trampling upon his freedom of speech and freedom to practice religion, has now leave the country in limbo.

That naivety has, therefore, led us to our knees where the Boko Haram insurgency has perfectly made the land a fertile ground for other prototype strife being battled from all corners.

It is instructive that so many scholars knowingly or unknowingly are used to uttering statements that are capable of causing war between the followers of the two major religions in Nigeria.

This can be traced back to the fact that they might not be that professional to preach since preaching in Nigeria is not regarded as a profession as many who have no deep knowledge about the teachings claim to be Imams or Pastors.

It is pertinent to note that as a graduate of Islamic Studies I got to realise that most if not majority of Islamic preachers have no qualities to even stand and say anything regarding the Qur’an or the Hadith, but the sad reality is they form the bulk of the ones preaching, delivering sermons in the nooks and crannies of the country.

And as a journalist and a graduate of Islamic Studies, for years, I have been looking forward to a law that can regulate preaching or to have agencies for both Islam and Christianity – akin to those of pilgrim commissions – that can be registering scholars/pastors.

To take home the point, one can easily draw similarly with other professions I.e Medicine, Law, Engineering etc, where one can’t practice without following a particular process leading to issuance of a licence.

Although, Islamic Studies is a graduate course, yet it is professional on its own with different branches that one can specialize in, and can have an authoritative voice there.

This is the reason that whenever marital issues came up the ruling or opinion of some scholars causes consternation in the society because very few people specialise on that and instead of saying they don’t know they almost always decide to give their opinion.

Nigerians normally forget that Islamic scholars or Christians Clergy men are more than Psychologists as they are dealing with moral, state of mind and spiritual minds of the people.

This have a major role in their day-to-day life. Hence the need for preaching to leaders and followers on the importance of becoming Godly than religious, just as some tag Nigerians as religious but not Godly.

The must recent issue exposing the consequences of not having such regulatory agencies was that of Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, a son of Qadiriyya Sect’s founding leader Kano.

His dangerous sermons had led the Kano State Government to hurriedly banned him from preaching.

His blasphemous statements recorded during his tafsir and other classes for his students convinced the state government to wade in.

It is indeed important to note that during the debate on Saturday, July 10, 2021 organised by the state government, which erudite Islamic scholars from Manhaj Salaf, Izala, Tijjaniyya and Qadiriyya all asked the so-called Islamic Cleric on his claims but couldn’t answer one question convincingly.

Not answering was not enough for him when asked to repent he refused insisting that he should be given more time, and there should there be another debate.

There is no better time to say there should be supervisors that will go round, as the measure taken by the Sardauna of Sokoto decades ago, and whoever refuses to abide by the rules and regulations, norms and ethics of Islamic preaching should be banned and punished according to the law.

Imams and the likes in all parts of the country must get clearance if they want to conduct any preaching. Only those who study Islamic studies should be allow to comment or teach regarding Islamic affairs.

Any person who wishes to engage in the interpretation of Qur’ān should undergo serious screening to ascertain that he has proper knowledge of Tafsȋ r; such as: the knowledge of Arabic grammar, rhetoric, morphology, science of Hadith, knowledge of history and Sirah (Biography of the Prophet (SAW), science of Qur’an such reasons behind revelation of verses, knowledge concerning variants readings, Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Usul-al-Fiqh, as well as other fields that can assist in conducting Tafsir successfully.

These will help in no small measure towards the country’s fight to curb extremism, which countries like Morocco has fully implemented and has been working for them.

Alhassan A. Bala is a certified Islamic Studies scholar, and Abuja-Based broadcast journalist.
Can be reached via balahassan2007@gmail.com

Opinion

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

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

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.

Opinion

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

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

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.

Opinion

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

Published

4 days ago

December 15, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

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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.