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Friday Sermon] Ramadan’s Muslims!

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Imam Murtadha Gusau

By Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May the salutations of Allah, His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet, his family, his companions and his true and sincere followers until the Last Day – then to proceed:

Dear brothers and sisters! Know that, Ramadan is a level playing field wherein people compete with each other in good deeds and benevolence. During this blessed month, souls are trained in virtue and accustomed to dignity, they learn to disdain vices, sins and acquire all good attributes.

Whoever witnesses this month without gaining any of its rewards is indeed useless and poor, and nothing cripples him other than negligence, laziness, procrastination, and false hopes.

Garo The Only Option : An Open Letter to Ganduje

However, what is appalling is to see some of those who were guided to do good deeds and take provisions from virtues during this month hastily destroying what they had built, and replacing good with evil. This is a gross mistake and shameful act in the true sense of the word and no remorse or apology will revoke it when you stand in front of your One Lord.

Bishr was asked about people who only become diligent during the month of Ramadan and he said:

“They are abominable people, because they only know Allah the Almighty during the month of Ramadan. The truly righteous people are those who worship Allah the Almighty diligently throughout the whole year.”

And Imam Ash-Shibli, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:

“Which is better: Sha‘aban or Rajab?” His answer was, “Be a worshipper of Allah the Almighty rather than a worshipper of Sha‘aban.”

Aisha (RA) was asked:

“Did the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) choose some special days (for fasting)?’ She replied, ‘No, but he used to be regular (constant) (in his service of worshipping).’ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also never performed more than eleven Raka‘ahs (units of prayer) whether in Ramadan or at any other time of the year.”

I sincerely invite such people out of fear for them to reconsider their lifestyle and to review themselves and think about their condition before it is too late. I advise them not to allow appearances, their strength, health and youth to deceive them. That is because all of this is nothing but a mirage that one may see as water, but once he reaches it, he finds nothing. Health will be followed by sickness, youth will be followed by old age, and strength will eventually turn into weakness. So, wake up and pay attention! Life is short even if it seems long, and happiness will end no matter how long it lasts.

Such people should know that perseverance and adherence to the right path as well as obedience to Allah the Almighty is one of the greatest signs of acceptance of one’s good deeds. Allah the Almighty says:

“And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).” [Qur’an, 15:99]

Consequently, the souls should remain adherent to the right and guided path just as they were during the month of Ramadan. Guidance is not confined to certain times and acts of worship, and obedience to Allah the Almighty is not limited to the month of Ramadan. Imam Hasan Al-Basri (Rahimahullah) said:

“Allah has not set an end for the believer’s work other than death.” Then he recited: “And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty ‎‎ (death).” [Qur’an, 15:99]

Respected brothers and sisters! Indeed, Ramadan has ended but you still have several renewed seasons for worship. The five daily prayers are among the highest and best good deeds and prayer is the first thing about which one would be asked on the Day of Judgment when he stands in front of Allah the Almighty.

If the fast of Ramadan has ended, then you have the voluntary fasts and occasions such as the six days of Shawwal (Sittu Shawwal), Mondays and Thursdays, the white days (Ayyamul-Bid), the tenth day of Muharram, the Day of Arafah, and so on.

If the night prayer of Ramadan has ended, you should know that the night prayer can be offered every night:

“They used to sleep but little of the night‎.” [Qur’an, 51:17]

If the time of Zakatul-Fitr has ended, then there is the obligatory Zakat in addition to the countless ways of giving voluntary charity.

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters! You should know that one of the attributes of the servants of Allah the Almighty is that they perform their good deeds constantly, as Allah the Almighty says:

“Those who are constant in their prayer.” [Qur’an, 70:23]

“And they who carefully maintain their prayers.” [Qur’an, 23:9]

If you aspire to know how to save yourself from this trap and how to perform good deeds regularly, you have to do the following:

1. You must be sincerely and strongly determined to do good deeds constantly under all circumstances and conditions. This requires keeping away from weakness and laziness. That is why the Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah the Almighty from inability and laziness, given their dire consequences. Hence, you should seek the help of Allah the Almighty and move ahead.

2. Moderation is very important, and you should never overburden yourself, as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Do such deeds as you can do easily, as Allah will not get tired (of giving rewards) until you get bored and tired (of performing religious deeds).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

You should remember that there are blessings in perseverance. For example, whoever reads a Juz’ (portion) of the Qur’an every day will read the whole Qur’an in one month, and whoever observes fast for three days every month will be rewarded as if he had observed fast throughout the whole year. Likewise, whoever observes twelve voluntary Raka‘ahs every day, Allah the Almighty will build a house for him in Paradise, and so on.

3. You should know that it is unacceptable for whoever observes a good deed to abandon it. It was narrated that Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-Aas (RA) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said to me: ‘O Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so; he used to get up at night (for voluntary prayer) but abandoned it later.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

4. Dear brothers and sisters! Remember what our righteous predecessors (Salaf as-Salih) used to do. Aisha (RA) said that:

“Whenever our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) missed the night prayer because of illness or sleep, he would pray twelve Raka’ahs the next day.” [Muslim]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also once missed I’itikaf (staying in seclusion in the Mosque) and he made up for it in Shawwal. Abu Hurairah (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said to Bilal (RA):

“‘O Bilal, tell me about the most hopeful act (i.e., one which you deem the most rewarding with Allah) you have done since you accepted Islam because I heard the sound of the steps of your shoes in front of me in Paradise.’ Bilal (RA) said, ‘I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I make ablution (or take a bath) in any hour of the night or day, I would immediately perform prayer for as long as was destined for me to pray.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

However, the most amazing thing is what Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA) used to do in response to the advice of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) when he once visited him and found him sleeping with his wife Fatimah (daughter of the Prophet). Ali (RA) said:

“The Prophet (Peace be upon him) placed his leg between me and Fatimah (RA) and taught us what to say when we go to bed, saying: ‘When you go to your bed recite Subhanallah thirty-three times (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah thirty-three times (All praise is for Allah), and Allahu Akbar thirty-four times (Allah is The Greatest).’ Ali added ‘By Allah, I never left this practice for the rest of my life.’ A man asked him, ‘Even on the night of the Battle of Siffin?’ He said, ‘Yes, I observed this even on the night of Siffin.’” [Al-Hakim]

If you contemplate over this narration, you will be amazed at the keenness and persistence on doing good deeds even at times of war and bloodshed. None of these distracted him from implementing the advice of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) regarding what he should say upon going to bed. Such stories and narrations should make you persist in doing good deeds and attempting to imitate the righteous predecessors and following their path.

Dear servants of Allah! Even though Ramadan has ended, we all have to make sure it stays with us. How, might you ask? Everybody knows that Ramadan lasts only for a month, 29 or 30 wonderful days.

This special month is a time to get closer to Allah Almighty, physically and mentally. And we have to take care not to lose this closeness with Allah Almighty.

We know that Ramadan is a very special time in our lives. In addition to the obvious, fasting from sunrise to sunset, we must also abstain from so many other things. One added bonus that comes with fasting is that we actually learn to be more kind to those around us.

Since we strive to strengthen our bodies with both the physical and mental power that we need to complete our fasts, let’s take that a step further and make it last throughout the year. It takes real devotion to Allah to fast for His sake only.

There is a Hadith narrated by Sufyan Ibn Abdallah (may Allah have his blessings on him) who said:

“O Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), tell me something about Islam, which I cannot ask anyone else besides you.” He (Peace be upon him) replied, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah’ and then be steadfast (upon that).” [Muslim]

This Hadith is proof that we are obligated, after having faith in Allah, to be steadfast in obeying Allah by performing the obligatory acts and avoiding the prohibited ones. This is achieved by following the Straight Path, which is Islam. If a Muslim lives through Ramadan and spent his days in fasting and his nights in prayer and he accustomed himself to doing acts of good, then he must continue to remain upon this obedience to Allah at all times.

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In fact, steadfastness after Ramadan is the greatest sign that one has gained benefit from the month of Ramadan. These are the real signs of a successful Ramadan. Furthermore, the deeds of a sincere Muslim do not come to an end with the end of Ramadan. Rather, they continue and extend throughout the year. Allah Almighty says:

“And worship your Lord until the certainty (death) comes to you.” [Qur’an, 15:99]

When the fasting of Ramadan comes to an end, then indeed the voluntary fast is prescribed throughout the entire year. When standing in prayer at night in Ramadan comes to an end, then indeed the entire year is a time for performing the night prayer. And if Zakatul-Fitr comes to an end then there is still the Zakat that is still obligatory as well as the voluntary charity that lasts the whole year. This goes the same for reciting the Qur’an and pondering over its meaning, as well as every other good deed that was sought, for these can be performed at all times. Therefore, the zeal that was felt throughout Ramadan must continue through the whole year.

It is unfortunate to find that some people perform worship by doing righteous deeds only during Ramadan. They guard strictly upon their five daily prayers, they recite Qur’an, and they give charity. But when Ramadan comes to an end, they grow lazy in their worship. Sometimes, they even abandon their obligation entirely.

Truly, there is much reward that Allah grants his servant in the fasting of Ramadan. Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:

“He wants that you must complete the same number of days and that you must magnify Allah (by saying Allahu-Akbar) for having guided you, so that you may be grateful to Him.” [Qur’an, 2:185]

Brothers and sisters in Islam! Ramadan is like an institution of spirituality, where we correct and change our habits that we have acquired over the year without the whispers of Shaitan (Satan). For now is the time in which Shaitan (Satan) is locked up and he does not have the chance to twist our thoughts and change our good actions. The first step is always hard to take, but Ramadan is the time to do it. So after Ramadan, we all can try to keep up with our good deeds — praying at the correct times, charity to the less fortunate, and genuinely being more patient and kind with one another.

It’s a month of transformation in which we change our actions, habits and manners, but what will happen after it is gone — do Muslim continue performing the good deeds?

We leave the blessed month of Ramadan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of the Qur’an, taqwa, patience, mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire.

Have we fulfilled the requirements of taqwa and came out of the month as a fine student of Islam fearing Allah and obeying all His commandments. Have we fought our souls and desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by our customs and blind imitations?

Have we performed our actions in a way that fulfills the conditions for receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the Fire?

Many questions and numerous thoughts come to the heart of the sincere Muslim, who asks and answers with truthfulness.

Allah Almighty says:

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah].” [Qur’an, 11:112]

And:

“So take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness.” [Qur’an, 41:6]

If you are from those who benefited from Ramadan, fulfilled the requirements of taqwa, truly fasted the month, prayed in it with truthfulness, and strove against your soul, then praise and thank Allah, and ask Him for steadfastness upon it until you meet your death. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Say ‘I believe in Allah,’ then be steadfast.” [Muslim]

My great people! We leave the blessed month of Ramadan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of the Qur’an, taqwa, patience, jihad, mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire…

Have we fulfilled the requirements of taqwa and graduated from the Ramadan school with the diploma of the Allah-fearing?

Have we fought our souls and desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by our customs and blind imitations (Taqlid)?

Have we performed our actions in a way that fulfills the conditions for receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the Fire?

Many questions and numerous thoughts come to the heart of the sincere Muslim, who asks and answers with truthfulness:

• What Have We Gained From Ramadan?

Ramadan is a school of Iman and a ‘stop to recharge one’s spiritual batteries’- to acquire one’s provision for the rest of the year..

For when will one take a lesson and change for better if not in the month of Ramadan?

The noble month is a true school of transformation in which we change our actions, habits and manners that are in variance with the Law of Allah Almighty:

“Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” [Qur’an, 13:11]

If you are from those who benefited from Ramadan, fulfilled the requirements of taqwa, truly fasted the month, prayed in it with truthfulness, and strove against your soul, then praise and thank Allah, and ask Him for steadfastness upon it until you meet your death.

Be not like one who has sewn a shirt and then destroyed it…

Have you seen one who sewed a shirt or thawb, so when she looked at it, she liked it. Then she destroyed it pulling a thread by thread for no reason. What would people say about such a person?!

Or have you seen one who earns a fortune trading throughout the day, then when the night comes, he throws away all that he earned, Naira by Naira, Dollar by Dollar and Riyal by Riyal. What would people say about such a person?!

This is the condition of one who returns to sinning and evildoing after Ramadan and leaves obedience and righteous actions. So after he was favoured with the blessing of obedience and enjoyment of communicating with Allah he returned to the blaze of sins and evil actions. How evil are the people who know Allah only in Ramadan, or who are only Muslims in Ramadan!

My Dear ones! Falling short in one’s commitment to Islam after Ramadan is manifested in many ways, including:

1. Men leaving the five prayers in congregation, after they filled the Mosques for Tarawih prayers, thus going to the Masjid for recommended prayers and leaving obligatory ones.

2. Return to musical entertainment, forbidden films, women displaying their adornment beyond that which ordinarily appears thereof, free mixing etc.

This is not thankfulness for blessings and favours, nor is it the sign of acceptance of one’s actions, rather this is opposition to favours and absence of thankfulness.

These are from signs of one’s deeds not being accepted – and Allah’s refuge is sought – for one who truly fasts rejoices on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, praises his Lord for helping him complete the fast, and remains fearful that Allah may not accept his fasting, just as the pious predecessors (Salaf as-Salih) would continue asking for acceptance of their actions in Ramadan for six months after it.

From signs that one’s deeds are accepted is that he or she has improved in his or her obedience to Allah Almighty.

“And remember when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]…” [Qur’an, 14:7]

Increase you in good, faith and righteous actions. So if the servant is truly thankful to his Lord, you will see him guided to more obedience and distanced from sinfulness. Thankfulness is leaving sins, as the early Muslims said:

“And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty [i.e. death].” [Qur’an, 15:99]

The Muslim must continuously be in the state of obedience of Allah, firm upon His Shari’ah, steadfast upon His Religion, so that he or she is not of those who worship Allah only during one month or only in one place. Rather, the believer knows that the Lord of Ramadan is also the Lord of other months, and that He is the Lord of all times and places, so he is steadfast upon the Shari’ah of Allah until he meets Him while He is pleased with him. Allah Almighty says:

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah].” [Qur’an, 11:112]

And:

“So take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness.” [Qur’an, 41:6]

And the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Say ‘I believe in Allah’, then be steadfast.” [Muslim]

Dear brothers and sisters! If the fasting in Ramadan has ended, then there remains voluntary fasting, such as fasting six days in Shawwal, on Mondays and Thursdays, the three days in the middle of the month, the days of Ashurah, Arafat and others.

If standing in prayer at night during Ramadan has ended, then there remains voluntary night prayer throughout the year:

“They used to sleep but little of the night.” [Qur’an, 51:17]

If the charity in Ramadan and Zakatul-Fitr have ended, then there is the obligatory Zakat, and also there are many other open doors to charity, voluntary actions and jihad.

Reading of the Qur’an and contemplating it is not only for Ramadan, rather it is for all times.

Righteous actions are for all times and all places, so strive – O my brothers and sisters – and beware of laziness. And remember that it is not allowed for us to leave the obligatory actions or delay them, such as the five daily prayers on time, in congregation etc.

And do not fall into forbidden actions, such as forbidden sayings, food and drinks, or by looking at or listening to what is forbidden.

Be steadfast and upright upon the Religion of Allah at all times, for you do not know when you’ll meet the Angel of Death (Malakul-Mawt). Beware of him taking you while you are in a state of sin.

“O Allah, Who turns the hearts, keep our hearts steadfast upon Your Religion.”

I ask Allah to accept from us and you our fasting, our prayers and other righteous actions, that our condition after Ramadan be a better one, that the state of our Ummah improves, that we are granted honour and that we truly turn to our Lord, ameen.

And all praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

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.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Shawwal 05, 1443 AH (March 06, 2022).

Features

Kano Women Battle for Bed Spaces at Major Hospitals, Leaving Many Stranded or Worse – Dead

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Baby Amina is yet to cry over a week after her birth, as no bed available at tertiary health facilities

Aisha Ahmad Ismail

It was a dark day for Malama Khadija, who despite heavy bleeding with no pads on has been on the road for almost 8 hours, seeking help for a baby that has not cried a day after birth even after visiting 9 hospitals in Kano.

The new mother was forced to ride in her husband’s tricycle, ignoring the dripping blood as they went to 9 hospitals, none accepted them for mainly reasons of bed space

Khadija birthed a girl on Monday, when health care workers at asibitin Bela noticed the child did not cry, and later referred them to Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital for better access to professionals.

Here, a security guard asked them to ‘not waste their time’ as they do not care for children who did not cry at birth.

Other hospitals, the new parents visited Murtala Muhammad specialist where the father said the child was first checked, and her legs pinched with ‘something’.
They were later asked to leave for lack of bed space, and referred to another hospital.

The worried mother held the little girl now named Aminatu as they headed to Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. There, the doctors refused to attend to the child because they were on strike.

Malam Bala, the new father and a tricycle rider told this reporter that a police officer threatened to shoot a doctor for delayed attendance to his daughter born with similar condition to his. Doctors asked them to leave.

The brave new parents jostled the new born to another pediatric hospital; Sheikh Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu Pediatrics Hospital along Zoo Road, and their hopes were raised when a doctor started checking on her. A few minutes later, she came up with the same answer as the specialist hospital – no bed space.

Again, they left for Aminu Kano Teaching hospital with the help of a philanthropist they met on their long, hope dashing journey, Hajiya Binta and like before, there was no available bed space.

The parents, exhausted but not giving up on their child, went to a private health facility, where a bed space costs N10,000 per night, something the father said he could not afford if not for the charitable efforts of Hajiya Binta.

With her help, they paid for file N5,000, tests to be run on little Aminatu N6,000, drugs cost N15,000 and an injection N4,000.

He said they were able to spend just one night, as the expenses were much and he had to owe the hospital N21, 000.
Little Aminatu did not cry 7 days after her birth at which was the time of filing this report, and her parents are at home hoping one day, she would cry or stay quiet forever.

Khadija’s case is amongst the many maternal health related complications in the state; in Sept. 2022, a lady, Zainab lost her child and her life at Murtala Muhammad Specialist hospital; in February 2023, a woman now late Hajiya Shema’u Sani Labaran bled to death due to lack of cash at hand for treatments.
In 2024, an investigation by Solace base led to a whole community of women at Mazan Gudu community, Gabasawa LGA who survive pregnancy and childbirth on luck.

These are not isolated cases; but few of the many increasing preventable deaths at childbirth. According to UNICEF in 2018, Nigeria contributes 14% of global maternal deaths. The global body says at least 262, 000 babies die at birth, as the infant mortality rate stands at 69% per 1,000 births.

According to the National Health Care Development Agency 145 women die daily at childbirth in the country, with the highest figures coming from Northern Nigeria.

The staggering figures of maternal mortality and morbidity must have alarmed the Kano state government, leading to finding ways to ease the burden, amongst which is the creation of the Kano State Health Trust Fund created in 2017.
Women Die at Birth Despite Government’s Claimed Enhanced Funding
“I just returned from the burial of a woman who died from childbirth complications, the child is alive and hearty.”

This is the response of the Ja’en ward head, located at Sharada, Gwale LG, Isma’il Sa’ad Usman to the question of maternal mortality and morbidity is his domain.

He said he is not entirely sure why, but despite government’s interventions and NGOs, maternal deaths are not uncommon in many areas in Kano, including his.

Our trip to the primary health care in the area was really short, as health officers were ‘afraid’ of the media.

The Ja'en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

The Ja’en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

However, one officer who spoke briefly said women at the local level are wising up to accessing health facilities like theirs, adding that the state has trained officers enabling them to quickly refer to complicated births to higher facilities.
Interviews at some primary health care facilities reveal reduced death rates at the facilities.

A tour of Gwagwarwa primary health care showed women showing up for antenatal as health personnel move around to cater for their needs.

A health personnel at the facility who spoke on anonymously said though there are deaths at childbirth or after due to complications, they mostly occur at secondary and tertiary institutions or at home.

 

Image 3 . Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

The health officer revealed that whenever a complication arises from birth, they are quick to refer to more qualified facilities, but lack of bed spaces of money for basic things make the patients return home, only to later die from preventable health complications.

According to the source, they have heard stories of deaths of either mother and child, or one of the two afterwards.

The village head of Gama, Malam Rabi’u Muhd Isyaku said people are poor, and have resorted to seeking help from Friday mosques or radio stations to treat maternal health problems.

He said there are reports of maternal mortality, but it hardly goes public as they are mostly recorded at home.

“I am always heart broken when I hear a plea for help to cater for a pregnant woman during or after birth,” he added.
Nurse Laments Maternal Mortality; Blames Shortage of Staff .

Nurse Maimuna works at one of the government hospitals in Kano, she said they have recorded deaths at different stages of childbirth.

She said they have recorded deaths due to obstructed labor and prolonged labor that comes late to the hospital.

The nurse added that some women labor (active labor) for 20-30 hours, contrary to the ‘normal’ hours, leading to eventual deaths of both mother and child, or just the child.

Nurse Maimuna lamented how they are overwhelmed with patients that they skip women who are in need in urgent help or C-section.

She has witnessed few women die due to work overload that distracts health personnel at tertiary some institutions.
KHETFUND: Improved Maternal Health Care Promises Fulfilled?

In 2017, the Kano government led by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje championed the State Trust Fund to help augment the state budget on health, including maternal and newborn health.
Speaking with this reporter, the former state health commissioner, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the law mandates 5% of the fund’s money to the health sector.

He said from the time of Governors Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, there has been a free birth and post birth policy which all governments sustained irrespective of political ideologies.

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

However, there are times when the budget funds are not released on time, or the government is starved of cash, thus the 5% of the fund to ensure the maternal and childbirth ‘always’ gets the necessary attention and funds.
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Also speaking with this reporter, the director operations, KHETFUND, Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu said the 5% for maternal and children is on standing order and has never been delayed, unlike funds meant for hospitals- from primary to tertiary, institutions and others.

According to him, the 5% is handed over to the Kano Hospitals Management Board monthly.

According to another official of KHETFUND, Hamisu Abubakar who is the director admin and services, there has been constant cash flow into the fund from the mandatory 5% monthly IGR and 1% from LGAs allocation since the inception of the current Abba Kabir Yusuf administration, signaling that the fund is not starved of funds.
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KHETFUND Budget Performance
The Kano State Health Care Fund mandates that 50% of the budget be allocated to hospital (Pri, Secondary and Tertiary), 25% to health education institutions 2% to running of the fund, 2% to the vulnerable groups, 5% to maternal health care.

Kano budget performance shows low performance of the KHETFUND; however, this does not affect the 5% maternal health care fund as confirmed by officials of KHETFUND.

The 1st quarter of 2024 budget shows 0% performance of the budget despite the allocation of N800,000,000 to the fund as shown on page 7.

With a budget of N1,200,000,000 in 2023, the fund recorded only 2.1% budget performance, also as seen on page 7 of the document.

With a budget of N1,400,000,000 in 2022, KHETFUND had a 5% budget performance as seen on page 6 of the budget performance document.

YEAR
AMOUNT
PERFORMANCE %

2024
N800m
0%

2023
N1.2bn
2.1%

2022
N1.4bn
5%

Source: Kano budget performance documents

The low performance, according to a KHETFUND official, is not unconnected to the fact that hospitals and institutions do not write to the fund requesting for their needs.

Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu, director operations of the fund said they disburse funds only when requested and after due process – with the exception of the maternal health 5% of course.
Despite 5% KHETFUND Maternal Allocation, Why Maternal Health Crisis?
A trip to the Kano Hospital Management Board as directed by the Kano State Health Ministry through the spokesperson, Ibrahim Abdullahi led me to the office of the officer in charge KHETFUND at the board.

He however refused to speak for ‘lack of authorization’ to speak with the media on the issue.

Another trip to the board revealed that the 5% fund from KHETFUND was received regularly. Speaking anonymously, an official said there are many factors for persistent problems with maternal health in Kano.

The first issue the official raised was that the fund was only meant to ‘augment’ needs in the sector, and this will be based on request.

The second problem the official noted was lack of enough doctors/health personnel to man any additional bed or space at the hospitals thus the fund was used to purchase drugs and all other valuables/instruments, including for CS to care for pregnant women and the babies.

NGOs Worry Over Shortage of Bedspaces, underutilization of PHCs
Sanusi Hashim, is the contact person for Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment, he said they are worried by widely reported maternal deaths despite increased funding and positive government policies.

According to him, many factors are responsible for the trend including
Under utilization of PHCs; According to the officer, they have come to understand that most pregant women would rather go to the ‘bigger’ hospitals that the Primary Health Cares within their locality. Though some PHCs are in terrible conditions, many have been improved to even carry out Cesarean Sections should the need arise. He said these could have eased pressure on the secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state, reduce mortality rate further and provide adequate health care to both mother and child – free of charge.

Lack of bed spaces: Due to the inflow of patients from all 44 LGAs in Kano, Mr. Hashim Sa’id there is congestion and lack of space. He revealed that a tour to one of the tertiary hospitals; Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital showed no bed space available to cater for more patients. This he said.

NGO Provides Additional Solutions to Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment said there is urgent need for government to equip, upgrade and provide adequate personnel at ‘all’ primary health care centers in the state.

The contact person, of the organization, Sanusi Hashim says this will take excellent health care to the doorstep of the masses in all LGA, thus reduce pressure on the secondary and tertiary institutions.

After that, he advocates for intensive campaign on the importance and need for pregnant women to patronize PHCs in their areas.

Sanusi also called on the Kano State Government to increase wards and bed spaces at all health facilities.
On their parts, traditional leaders at Sharada Ja’en and Gwagwarwa seek increased funding and special packages for the poor in the society.

 

 

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How Maryam Abacha Varsity Produced 5 Provosts of Nursing Colleges, 1,000 Lab Scientists, 100 Lawyers, Others in 12 Years

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Twelve years after its establishment, the Maryam Abacha American University of Niger (MAAUN), in Maradi, Niger Republic, has produced five Provosts of Nursing Colleges in Borno, Yobe, and Bauchi States.

Dr. Hadiza Sabo a graduate of Nursing from the University is the current Provost of Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, in Damaturu, Yobe state.

Varsity Appoints Gombe Emir As Chancellor

Equally, Dr. Hadiza Yahya is serving as Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Maiduguri, Borno state, while Dr. Rakiya Saleh is the Provost College of Nursing Sciences in Bauchi, Bauchi state. The trio of Rakiya and the two aforementioned Hadizas all bagged their first and postgraduate degrees from MAAUN.

In addition, Kiloh Nifor who is also the Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo, Taraba state, and Dr. Yusuf Bello, the Provost, Kaduna State College of Nursing Sciences, are also alumni of the university.

MAAUN, which was founded in 2013, is owned by Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, a philanthropist and French Linguistics scholar.

Politics Digest also reports that the Faculty of Law of the premier Ivory Tower, established only in 2015, has produced over 400 law graduates, with more than a hundred of them already called to the Nigerian Bar.

In addition, over 1,000 Medical Laboratory Scientists produced by MAAUN are presently working in Nigeria, while no fewer than 700 of them are practicing abroad.

It would be recalled that the institution was the first to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in Niger Republic, where thousands of nursing officers trooped for their university education from different countries.

“The Nursing Degree programme greatly increased the number of nursing graduates in Nigeria. The university started offering Nursing in 2012 and has so far graduated over 2,000 graduates who are rendering their services at different hospitals in Nigeria and abroad,” said the university’s President, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo.

Barrister Umar Isa Sulaiman, a law lecturer at MAAUN, while informing Politics Digest that their Faculty commenced academic activities in 2013, said: “Our graduates are working in different government agencies and parastatals. Some are Sharia Court Judges, Magistrates, and some are working in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Also, a high number of our graduates are in private practice. We do meet and appear before different courts. I can categorically tell you that they are doing wonderfully well as advocates.”

Furthermore, the Prof. Adamu Gwarzo-owned university has been positively impacting the lives of several Nigerians.

A MAAUN graduate of Nursing, Hamisu Iliyasu, who hailed from Sokoto State, told this newspaper how his alma mater produced many Directors and Heads of Nursing Colleges in Nigeria.

“You know universities in the North don’t offer Nursing; you either go to the South or you end up retiring at Level 14 as a civil servant. But our prestigious Maryam Abacha American University came to the rescue of so many of us, and we are grateful,” he said.

According to Dr. Kabiru Mahmud, a staff member of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Department of MAAUN, “Our great and pace-setting university has helped increase the number of Medical Laboratory Scientists, not only in Northern Nigeria but in the country at large. We have students from across the country.

“Some came from Lagos, Benin, and Ibadan. I can categorically tell you that Maryam Abacha American University of Niger has the highest number of young Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria.

“Before now, one could hardly find someone with a degree in this field, but only a Diploma. But MAAUN came and provided the opportunity to many undergraduates. Go to Federal Medical Centres across the country, and you will find it difficult counting the number of their staff who are our products.”

Checks by this newspaper further revealed that some MAAUN alumni are presently working at the National Hospital in Abuja and the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, in Kano state.

The university according to findings has the highest number of Nurses working in Canada, USA and other foreign countries from West Africa.

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Hotoro Residents Threaten to Vote Out Leaders in 2027 Over Dilapidated Road

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The untarred and dilapidated road

Residents of Hotoro in Kano State are voicing their growing frustration with local and state leaders over the deplorable condition of a key road in their community. In interviews with Nigerian Tracker, the residents expressed deep dissatisfaction and issued a warning that they may withhold their votes in the 2027 elections if their concerns continue to be ignored.

Shehu Usman, a long-time resident of Hotoro, articulated the sentiments of many in the area. “Our area is a vote bank, not just in Nassarawa Local Government but across the whole of Kano State,” Usman said. “Yet, the road is no longer passable in both the rainy and dry seasons, and those we elected—from the Governor to the Chairman and even the legislators—seem not to care about the deplorable state of this road.

The road in question, which remains untarred, stretches from the Ring Road around Nur Petroleum Junction, passes through Hotoro Primary and Secondary Schools, and ends at the Hotoro Police Division. The poor state of the road has been a long-standing issue, but despite repeated complaints, nothing has been done to address it.

Iliya Musa, another concerned resident, lamented that politicians only seem to care about the community during election season. “During election season, politicians flock to our area, making promises and shaking hands. But once they are in office, they turn a deaf ear to our problems,” Musa said. “This road could easily be constructed, but our leaders have ignored us, and now, it feels like the area is turning into a slum.”

As 2027 approaches, the residents of Hotoro are making it clear that their votes will not be taken for granted. If their elected leaders fail to address the worsening conditions in the community, they may face a harsh electoral backlash from a constituency that has had enough of broken promises.

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