News
ASUU Stance:Same Old Story Same Old Song
By Bala Ibrahim.
When a friend, who is also an academic, received my previous article on ASUU, captioned, Is ASUU Asking For The Anger of Allah?, his response was, “yayi mallam B. Muna jiran reactions”. The meaning is, it’s okay mallam B. We await reactions. Indeed I knew there would be reactions, some of which would be unpalatable, but I am ready to damn the consequences, because, like late Mallam Saad Zungur said, tell the truth and prepare to be damned.
One of the reactions, which broadly reflects the general overview of them all, is, “Bala Ibrahim should keep his mouth shut. He’s lost touch with the reality as far ASUU’s strike is concerned. For example, the man is still trying to compare IPPIS to UTAS, while the Federal Minister for Communications and Digital Economies has just last week told the world that IPPIS has been compromised, and that he has been mandated by Mr President to inaugurate a presidential committee towards ameliorating its deficiencies. This goes to show that either Bala Ibrahim has lost touch with facts on the ground or he’s a hired agent by the Federal Ministry of Education in their bid to set the students against their lecturers”
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I expected something like this and even more, because ego is at work. However, because I anticipated their coming, my instinct simply classified them as comments in conformity with the song of Randy Crawford- Same old story, same old song.
In Nigeria, once you go against the position of any union that is fighting the government, regardless of the reason, if the union is self-centred, or preoccupied with the gratification of it’s own desires, your name is, the paid agent of the government. It’s same old story same old song.
In her song, titled, Same old story, same old song, Randy Crawford said:
“It goes all right till it goes all wrong. Now you’re going, then you’re gone. Same old story, same old song. One hand will take, one hand will give. That’s all we know, that is how we live. One day hello, the next day goodbye. And everyone just stays high. Same old story, same old song.
One builds you up, one tears you down. To some you’re a saint, to others you’re a clown. What can you do but just see it through. And hold on to what is left of you? Same old story, same old song”.
I expected some of these critics from ASUU, particularly those of them in the English and Mass communications departments, to do a quick clinique on the article, and correct my grammatical blunder, where I said, By the same talking, instead of, By the same token. But because ego is at work, they were blinded by anger, because the truth was told. Hence the resort to singing the song of Randy Crawford- Same old story same old song.
The issue ASUU is refusing to look at is the moral position of the teacher, and the righteousness of the teaching profession. Some of us have taught before, and we know since then that, money and material possessions are the last in the curriculum of the teacher. Materialism, or the tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than social values are not suppose to be in the dictionary, or even constitution of the conscientious teacher.
Teaching is classified among the sacrificial services, which means, doing good works even when it’s costly, inconvenient or challenging. There is an African saying that: “Teachers’ reward is in heaven”, which simply means, the reward for teachers’ daily sacrifice, and hard work in shaping the minds and lives of the future leaders of the society, can never be adequately rewarded in monetary terms.
But ASUU, under the present leadership, is refusing to agree with that, rather, it is trying to change the narrative. And doing so by putting parents and students under unbearable pains.
Late Julius Nyerere, the former President of Tanzania, who preferred the title of Muallim, or the teacher, to the prefix, President, once said, “If I had known that the status of the President is less than the prestige of the teacher, I wouldn’t have left the classroom to become the President”.
Such was the stimulus in the motivation to teach, or be seen as a teacher- sacrificing your comfort today, for the progress and comfort of the students tomorrow.
If medical doctors for instance, whose course and period of training is adjudged as extremely tasking, were to ask for commensurate compensation for their sacrifices, and contemplate downing tools until such compensations are made good in monetary terms, public life would crash, or cease completely.
ASUU, under the leadership today, is hell-bent on crippling the future of education in Nigeria, and from all indications, the reasons are inseparable from the personal profit or pleasure of the leaders, whose agenda seems in concert with the agenda of an unpopular political party, that is working towards disuniting Nigeria. Why?
So long as ASUU keep our children away from the universities, we shall continue to voice out their insensitivity, without regards to whose ox is gored. And we know they would only react with the same old story and same old song.
News
Fombina Imprints Marks World Book Day with Symposium at KHAIRUN
To mark the 2025 World Book Day declared by UNESCO, Kano-based publishing outfit Fombina Imprints Limited is organizing an event themed “Crisis of Standards, Decline of Reading Culture, and the Challenges of Publishing in the Digital Era.”
The event, scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2025, will take place at Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu University (KHAIRUN) , Kano, and will begin at 10:00 a.m.
The celebration will include a symposium, two panel discussions, a book exhibition, and a book gifting session.
According to the organizers, the activities aim to encourage reading habits among youths, foster discussions around the role of books in education, and examine current issues in the publishing industry.
Speaking ahead of the event, Buhari Abba, the Public Relations Manager of Fombina Imprints, said the occasion is not just to celebrate books but also to raise awareness.
“This event is a wake-up call to confront the shrinking reading culture among young people, the threats to educational quality, and the survival of publishing in a digital world,” he stated.
The symposium will be chaired by Professor Lukman I. Diso of Bayero University’s Department of Library and Information Sciences. Scholars and experts expected to speak include Professor Asabe Sadiya Mohammed, Provost of Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, and Dr. Mohammed Aminu Aliyu from the Department of Economics at BUK.
Two panel sessions will offer space for further engagement. The first, chaired by Dr. Bilkisu Yusuf Ali of Al-Qalam University, will examine “The Challenges of Publishing in the 21st Century” with panelists such as Ado Ahmed Gidan Dabino, Kabiru Musa Jammaje, and Khalid Imam.
The second panel, chaired by Professor Murtala Muhammad of Northwest University, will address “The Challenges of Reading Culture Among Youths.”
Speakers will include journalist Ismail Auwal, poet and creative director Nasiba Babale, HumAngle reporter Aliyu Dahiru, and Sadiya Lawal Danyaro, a lecturer from the Federal University Dutsin-Ma.
Fombina Imprints will also donate books to selected schools, including Government Girls Secondary School, Shekara, and Usman International School, Gandu, Kano.
“Books are not just tools for learning; they are instruments of transformation. We believe in investing in young minds, and this book donation is part of our little way to support education in our community,” Buhari Abba added.
The 2025 World Book Day celebration by Fombina Imprints aims to bring together authors, publishers, scholars, students, and readers to reflect on the role of books in a rapidly changing world.
News
Hajiya A Hanga Elected Chairperson of CARAV, Pledges Renewed Fight Against Rape and Violence
.By Our Correspondent.
Hajiya Amina Hanga, the Executive Director of Isa Wali Empowerment Initiatives, has been elected as the new chairperson of the Coalition Against Rape and Violence (CARAV).
CARAV is a collaboration of key stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental organizations united in their fight against rape and violence through various strategic initiatives.
Other persons also elected to various positions include: Aisha Abubakar as vice chairperson, Abbas Ibrahim as Secretary, Mustapha Gambo Muhammad as Assistant Secretary, Mustapha Muhammad as Treasurer, and Dayyabu Abdulqadir Waziri as Financial Secretary.
These individuals will steer the activities of the Coalition for the next two years.
In her speech, the newly elected chairperson of CARAV emphasized the need for members’ cooperation and commitment to eradicating rape and violence.
She highlighted that the harmful practice requires collective efforts to combat the action
“We come together today not merely to remember why we began this journey, but to rekindle the fire that drives us. We are here to revive something that should never have gone quiet—a coalition united against rape, sexual violence, and all forms of abuse.
The convener also added,” We are here to re-energize our efforts, realign our strategies, and recommit to our shared mission of ending violence and creating safe spaces for survivors and communities. Rape and violence continue to cast dark shadows over too many communities, leaving survivors in pain and societies grappling with the consequences. In the face of these challenges, CARAV used to stand as a beacon of hope, resilience, and determination.”
She pointed out that the reactivition meeting marks a pivotal moment. “We are here to reignite our purpose, strengthen our unity, and chart a renewed path forward.
According to her, CARAV has the power to amplify the voices of survivors, to push for systemic change, and to cultivate a culture where dignity, respect, and safety are not privileges, but rights afforded to every individual.
In her remarks, Justice Maryam Ahmad Sabo, a founding member of the Coalition, highlighted the need for the prevention of such occurrences.
The Jurist, stressed the need for sensitization and strong collaboration among stakeholders as the way forward to combat the menace
Speaking as a founding father, Professor Muhammad Tabi’u, SAN, explained that the establishment of CARAV was a direct response to a 2011 rape case involving some law enforcement officers.
The legal luminary stated, “The case attracted a public outcry until the culprits were brought to book by the court of law.” This event, Professor Tabi’u emphasized, highlighted a serious concern about the rampant occurrence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
According to him, from its inception, the Coalition adopted tactical strategies, incorporating both CSOs, Government Agencies, and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Professor Tabi’u charged new leadership to be committed and review constitution of Coalition and refine strategies to address the prevalent of rape occurrance.
News
Petition:VP Summons NAHCON Chair, Board Members
Vice President Kashim Shettima has summoned the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman and board members of the commission for a meeting today at the Vice President’s Conference Room.
A letter of invitation sighted by Daily Trust, and signed by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, revealed that the meeting slated for today was to brief the Vice President on preparation for the 2055 Hajj and outstanding issues.
It could be recalled that the chairman and the non-executive board members of the commission have been having issues on lack of inclusion in some decisions made by the chairman for the preparation of the 2025 Hajj.
This culminated into a petition to the Vice President who warned the chairman to stop running the affairs of the commission as a sole administrator.
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Fombina Imprints Marks World Book Day with Symposium at KHAIRUN
Hajiya A Hanga Elected Chairperson of CARAV, Pledges Renewed Fight Against Rape and Violence
Petition:VP Summons NAHCON Chair, Board Members
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Fombina Imprints Marks World Book Day with Symposium at KHAIRUN
Hajiya A Hanga Elected Chairperson of CARAV, Pledges Renewed Fight Against Rape and Violence
Petition:VP Summons NAHCON Chair, Board Members
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