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Opinion

Covid-19: The Bread, the Cake, and the Shroud – An Open Letter to Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

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Ganduje

Aliyu Barau

Introduction

Your Excellency, permit me to commiserate with you over the Covid-19 incident currently ravaging our dear Kano State.

The geometric rise in the number of cases is certainly worrying for every good citizen of our premier state.

At first, I was acutely hesitant to pick a pen to express my opinions over the current situation in Kano given the deluge of faulty assumptions, doubts, ignorance, expectations and high level politicization that create a metallic corona around the pandemic.

Nevertheless, I swiftly shifted gears and mustered courage to add what I believe is a knowledge-driven perspective in fulfilling my academic calling.

Perhaps, in this way, I may contribute towards silver lining the effects of the pandemic that silently and briskly peels off Kano’s envied fabric of elegance.

I fully understand that, the best way to fight this pandemic is through chorus in the voices and actions of the citizens, the government, the opposition, academics, traditional rulers, the civil society groups and les fonctionnaires – the public servants – as the French would say.
It is obvious that, the government and its hierarchical power and management structures cannot win the battle alone.

In order to effectively fight the Covid-19, a non-hierarchical, apolitical, innovative, interdisciplinary, and holistic approach is earnestly needed in urban Kano.

Read also: COVID-19: 15 more health workers test positive in Kano

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Jarman Kano professor Isa Hashim: A unique personality

Government in Kano and everywhere in Nigeria enjoy swimming in the waters of DAD – decide, announce, and defend model of decision-making.

In Nigeria, everything the Government does is correct and unchallengeable. Contrastingly, in fantastic democracies, governments win people and processes through ADD – announce, discuss and decide model of decision-making.

In my view, not in Kano or Nigeria alone, the Covid-19 has opened the Pandora Box on how governments make wrong decisions in the times of VUCA – vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The situation also exposes the nudity of our poorly planned and managed towns and cities.

Cities are now more social than physical and Covid-19 has proved that in many economies. At least, I have visited cities in all continents to understand this notion.
We need unity at this time more than ever before. But, who is the shepherd of the unity to lead us win the battle against the dreaded Covid-19? I remember a Ghanaian adage which says: An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. When Ibn Makhtoum, the father of modern Dubai met with some strategists, they told him this story: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. The lion knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.

Al-Makhtoum answered that he wanted to be both a lion and a gazelle.

We are gazelles, the coronavirus is the lion. Any procrastination from our side means the coronavirus will make us its meal. In this open letter, I aim at spotlighting the areas where the Kano State Government has remarkably done well; the areas where it does below expectation; and also to offer game-changing actions that may help us flatten the infection curve faster and faster.
Historically speaking, the last time governments in Kano and Nigeria were seriously proactive in the seasons of diseases outbreak was during the colonial period.

At that time, the British had to racialize and segregate urban spaces between Africans and whites for fear of epidemics.

In Kano, around 1930s the planning ordinances provided for creating a buffer zone of 440 yards between African settlements and the so-called GRAs. This form of crude social distancing is today being re-created digitally in South Korea and Singapore among others in tracking suspected Covid-19 patients.

Your Covid-19 Accolades

Your Excellency, I am personally impressed by some of the actions that the Kano State Government has taken a couple of weeks ago when you closed its borders.

The way you superintended the closure is highly commendable. Breaches by citizens is borne out of lack of patriotism and self-discipline.

Secondly, I raise my hat for you for initiating the evacuation of the abandoned children – the so called almajiris – to their states of origin.

Many compatriots frowned at this action saying it negates the freedom of movement of Nigerian citizens. What such individuals do not know is that, this is the case of abandoned underage children.

I hardly see anything wrong in this back to the sender approach. Without this action, only God knows the amount of infections these children will inflict on our streets and households.

If there is still many of them, I would say who (among the citizens) has reported to authorities.

The fact that you impose lockdown on Kano before the Federal Government is also commendable.

Importantly, without your red eyes, markets and masjids will devastatingly flaunt the orders at the detriment of all. Again, your request for Federal financial presence has been mocked by many on the social media.

But what is good for goose is also good gander, if the Federal Government has allocated funds from the national cake to other states then why discriminate against Kano? It is even encouraging to dare the Federal Government for abandoning Kano. Again, your threat to confiscate inflated consumables from business owners during this emergency is very encouraging.

A few days ago the Attorney General of Tennessee State in the United States did that to two brothers who hoarded 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizers which they forfeited to escape prosecution.

Criticisms, Observations, and Recommendations

Your Excellency, in spite of all of the above, I have misgivings on your decision for the partial loosening of the lockdown on Mondays and Thursdays. I say, “it is too soon” echoing the words of Donald Trump to one of the Republican Governors who eased the lockdown in his state. Lockdown people will complain, no lockdown people will complain.

Lockdown is an exceptional lifesaving venture and hence a bitter pill to swallow. As I will explain later, the decision is unripe and in many respects irrational and antithesis of the best practices in combating the pandemic.

In the course of this lockdown I was compelled to move out on grounds of health, I crisscrossed many parts of Gwale, Kano Municipal and Tarauni LGAs.

I witnessed some level of maturity and understanding being exhibited by the security agents on duty.

I also observed active presence of low level informal businesses: mai kayan miya, mai nama, mai shago, fruit sellers and importantly water vendors. Bigger businesses from filling stations and pharmacies are all exempted from the closure. Thus, there are many unblocked goods and services most needed by the urban poor.

The significance of the improved power supply cannot be discounted in this context. However, I am by no means ignoring the fact that some citizens are roundly poor and can only eke-out a living when they are out.

Truly, the worst affected is dan maula whose forefather the British spy Heinrich Bath spotted in Kano city in the late 1800s. So why the selective rage from the social media? This is not normal time. We all suffer from it in many ways.

We are losing many people that are trunks of our society, neighbourhoods, and households. Preliminary reports of the Federal Government team investigating the waves of mysterious deaths in Kano linked the deaths to the gory hands of the blood thirsty Covid-19.

This is Kano.

In every neighbourhoods there are good Samaritans who help the poorest and relations.

Lockdown is for sunna; sunna is for lockdown. Didn’t Prophet Muhammad (SAW) urge Muslims to be patient and isolate during pandemics? Do we compromise anybody’s suffering to increase shrouds for our people? Corona bubble burst is an inevitability in an unguided eased lockdown.

My next criticism on loosening the lockdown is its crudity and blindness to realities of abusing and violating basics of the principles of social distancing.

Before easing the lockdown, the State Government needs to experiment with many scenarios of success and failures of easing the lockdown within particular sections of the city.

For instance, the Saudi Government is currently conducting trials of social distancing models in Masjidil Haram.

The Sudais-led Presidency General of the Holy Mosques is probably experimenting on how best they can handle the crowd when the Masjid is eventually unlocked.

Fighting Covid-19 is successful only when innovation and knowledge-based decision-making is embraced by governments. Anything less is rebound to spikes in infection.
Your Excellency, the Kano State Government is playing Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution who is notorious for saying, “let them eat cake” to the protesting French peasants that lacked bread.

By asking talakawa to go to malls and supermarkets, KNSG is asking the poor to eat the cake at the time the bread is out of their reach. More so, the distribution of the population and the location of the supermarkets is disproportionate. This further brings to fore the failure of urban planning in Kano.
At the moment, the wisest thing to do is to borrow a model of European open street markets where for instance, trucks and mini trucks in their hundreds can be strategically located at major urban hubs and nodes where market people from Sabon Gari, Dawanau, Rimi, Yan Kaba and others can sell grains, vegetables, and other essentials from 6 am to 10 am under strict social distancing guidelines. Indeed, this can be a shared economy system where our transporters and traders can jointly benefit.

Your Excellency, on the eve of Ramadan when the lockdown was first eased, local radios reported that some babies passed away at one of the markets in the municipality out of heat stroke and massive crowding that betrayed social distancing.

I am not convinced that effective social distancing was observed on Monday, 4th of May that can sufficiently protect the most vulnerable citizens.

I expected that KNSG will ban nursing mothers, children and the aged from visiting any crowd pulling locations. In other words, the administration lacks any strategy on protecting the most vulnerable.

Spain, Turkey, and Sweden have made breakthroughs in targeting some population groups in combatting the pandemic.
Your Excellency, one of the major minuses in your administration’s fight against Covid-19 is its inability to democratise and disaggregate infection locations data through appropriate real time mapping.

It is imperative for the Government to disseminate and map locations of infections released by the NCCD not only for decision support but also for supporting the public to know where to avoid infections.

Geo-locational mapping is critical to fighting this pandemic in India for instance.
Your Excellency, but fact is that our healthcare personnel at the frontline are scared and highly vulnerable to the current situation. Therefore, I strongly recommend that your administration incentivizes them for their sacrifices.

This can be in the form of promoting to next level of promotion all our healthcare workers directly involved in this fight.

This is necessary and not unusual with responsible governments around the world. As I write this, over one hundred private jets owned by celebrities and tycoons have been released for conveying doctors and nurses in France.

The cabin crew give them first class treatment as a sign of appreciation of their sacrifice.

Similarly, I witnessed Friday sermons in Mecca and Medina holy shrines where the Imams pray profusely for rijaal-assihha (health personnel) and rijaal al-amn (security forces) helping the Saudis at this critical time.
Your Excellency, I would like to recommend that you sanction any business outlet in Kano and especially the financial institutions and other businesses that have barricaded and protected their staff but are indifferent at how their customers use their premises. Banks in particular have duty and resources to provide sanitizers and impose social distancing and use of masks at their premises.

Your Excellency, I implore that KNSG should vigorously embark on mass production and acquisition of face masks for free delivery to the public.

In particular, I find it very disturbing to observe that most of the security agents deployed on our roads lack face masks.

Your Excellency, I also urge you to deploy your land powers to open new graveyards and expand the existing ones in the metropolis to cope with increasing deaths.

Many graveyards have been encroached upon and at this time, KNSG can acquire more land to cope with the increasing burial of the shrouded bodies.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Your Excellency, my verdict is that Kano under your leadership is ill-prepared and less prepared in combatting this pandemic.

Youradministration prioritizes arm chair committees and excessive red-tapism against the best practices.

But there is hope amidst lockdown fatigue. Prayers, innovation, and knowledge based approaches are promising when embraced.

I believe for the recommendations that I have made you can implement most of them within 24 hours.

I am sure the State House of Assembly can help you pass any law within 12 hours of putting your request.

Aliyu Barau, PhD

[tps_title][/tps_title](Associate Professor/Chartered Town Planner)
05.05.2020/Ramadan, 12, 1441

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Opinion

Friday Sermon: Welcoming Ramadan; month of fasting, prayer, blessings, forgiveness, mercy

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

All thanks and praise are due to Allah, from Whom we seek help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides will never be misled and whoever strays from Him will never find a guide. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah. Likewise, I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the servant and the
Messenger of Allah.

Dear brothers and sisters! The month of Ramadan has arrived again, the month of fasting and prayer. It is the month that provides an opportunity for forgiveness from Allah and emancipation from our sins. It is the month for performing good deeds and giving in charity. It is the month when the gates of the heavens are opened and the rewards for our deeds are magnified many times over. It is the month wherein prayers are answered and the status of the worshipper is elevated. It is the month wherein sins are forgiven.

Allah bestows so many blessings upon his servants in the month of Ramadan. This is the month of fasting that is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) fasted during this month and directed his followers to do the same. He told us that whoever fasts this month with faith, seeking Allah’s reward, will have all of his past sins forgiven. He likewise informed us that whoever stands in prayer throughout this month will have all of his past sins forgiven.

The month of Ramadan contains within it a night that is superior to a thousand months. Whoever is denied the goodness of that night is indeed deprived.

We should welcome this month and embrace it with happiness and joy. We should have the truest resolve to observe the fasts and the prayers and to compete in doing righteous deeds. During this month, we should ardently repent for all of our sins and encourage each other to engage in virtuous deeds and call to what is right and forbid what is wrong. In this way, we will succeed in attaining the blessings and the great rewards of Ramadan.

The fast provides us with many benefits and is full of wisdom. It purifies and strengthens our hearts. It rids us of our baser tendencies like exuberance, arrogance, and stinginess. It reinforces our good traits like fortitude, clemency, and generosity. It supports us in our inner struggle to please Allah and attain nearness to Him.

Fasting teaches us about ourselves and our needs. It shows us how weak we are and how truly dependent we are upon our Lord. It shows us how much Allah has blessed us. We are reminded of our brethren those who are less fortunate and are inspired to treat them well. We are compelled to thank Allah and to use the blessings He has provided us in obedience to Him.

Allah the Almighty draws attention to these many benefits when he says:

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those who were before you that you may learn self-restraint.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 183]

In this Qur’anic verse, Allah makes it clear that he prescribed fasting in order to purify us. Fasting is a means for us to learn self-restraint and cultivate our piety. Piety is to observe the commandments and prohibitions of Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) sincerely out of our love and reverence for Allah, and to avoid His punishment and anger.

Fasting is a great act of piety in itself and a great means of increasing our piety in all aspects of our religious and worldly lives.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) pointed out one of the benefits of fasting when he said:

“O young people, whoever among you has the wherewithal to marry should do so, because it assists us in lowering our gazes and safeguarding our private parts. Whoever cannot do so should fast, because fasting diminishes sexual power.”

The reason that fasting has this effect is because Shaitan (Satan) flows like blood through our veins. Fasting constrains this flow while and acts as a reminder of Allah and His greatness, thereby reducing Satan’s influence over the fasting person while at the same time his faith strengthening. He naturally starts engaging in more acts of obedience and fewer acts of sin.

There are many other benefits of fasting that we can discover with a little thought and reflection. Fasting is good for bodily health. It gives the body a chance to purify itself of accumulated poisons, a fact which has been confirmed by numerous and famous medical doctors.

The sacred texts speak quite extensively about the virtues of fasting in the month of Ramadan and about it being a duty upon the believers. Allah the Almighty says:

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those who were before you that you may learn self-restraint. Fasting for a fixed number of days. The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion. So whoever witnesses the month should fast it. And whoever is sick or upon a journey should fast the same number of days (later on). Allah wishes ease for you and he does not wish hardship upon you. He wants that you should complete the period and that you should exalt Allah for that to which he has guided you that perhaps you may be thankful.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 183-185]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Islam is built upon five things (pillars): testifying that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakah, fasting the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to the House.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

When the angel Gabriel asked the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) about Islam, he replied:

“Islam is to bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to pay charity, to fast the month of Ramadan, and to perform pilgrimage to the House if you are able to make the journey.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]

Angel Jibril (Gabriel) then said:

“You have spoken the truth.” Then he said: “Tell me about faith.”

Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) replied:

“It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, both the good and bad of it.”

He said:

“You have spoken the truth. Tell me about excellence in faith.”

Allah’s Messenger replied:

“It is to worship Allah as though you see Him, and though you do not see Him, you know that He sees you.”

He said:

“You have spoken the truth.” [Muslim]

Respected brothers and sisters! This Hadîth is of considerable importance and deserves serious thought and consideration.

Once Mu’az Bin Jabal said to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):

“Tell me about some deed that will admit me into Paradise and distance me from the Hellfire.”

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) replied:

“You have asked about something great, yet it is very simple for one for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him in worship. Establish prayer, pay Zakah, fast the month of Ramadan, and undertake the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.”

Then the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him added:

“Should I not inform you about the gates of goodness? Fasting is a shield. Charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]

Dear servants of Allah! Fasting is a most virtuous act with a reward commensurate with its greatness. This is especially true in Ramadan, since Allah has made fasting therein an obligation upon the believers and a means of their attaining peace and salvation.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Every deed of the human being is for himself and its reward is multiplied for him from ten to seven hundred times. Allah says: ‘Except for fasting, for truly it is for Me and I alone will reward it, for verily he abandoned his desires, his food, and his drink for my sake.’ The one who fasts experiences two joys, one upon breaking his fast and one when he meets his Lord. Surely the breath of the fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“When Ramadan commences, the gates of Paradise (Jannah) are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are bound in chains.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are bound in chains, The gates of Paradise are opened until not a single gate remains closed. The gates of Hell are bound shut until not a single gate remains open. Then a caller calls out: ‘O desirer of good, go forth! O desirer of evil, restrain yourself! Allah is emancipating people from the Fire every night’.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]

On the eve of Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) gave a beautiful sermon and said:

“O people! A great and blessed month is coming upon you, a month containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made fasting in its days an obligation and observing prayer in its nights a voluntary act. Anyone who seeks nearness to Allah in this month through any virtuous act will be like one who carried out a religious obligation at another time, and anyone who performs an obligatory act of worship in this month will be like one who performed seventy such acts at another time. It is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is Paradise.” [Sahih Ibn Khuzaimah]

Dear brothers and sisters! We must seize the opportunity presented to us in this blessed month and appreciate the greatness of this time by engaging in all the worship that we can. We must hasten to perform good deeds. Allah has made this month a time for worship and for competing with one another in righteousness and goodness. We must increase our prayer and our spending in charity. We must busy ourselves with reading the Qur’an. We must hasten to help the poor, the needy, and the orphans. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the most generous of all people and he was even more generous in Ramadan. We must follow the good example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by redoubling our efforts in this blessed month.

We need to safeguard the blessings of our fasts from our sins and our shortcomings. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever does not leave off false speech and false conduct, Allah has no need of his leaving off food and drink.” [Bukhari]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“When any one of you is observing the fast for the day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice. If someone insults him or quarrels with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting’.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Respected brothers and sisters! Wallahi, we must beseech Allah for forgiveness in this great month and do all that we can to take advantage of this precious time. We must avoid committing any offence against the fast that will diminish its blessings and invoke Allah’s anger. Therefore, we must not be negligent of our prayers or stingy with our zakah, sadaqah and charity. We must not consume interest or the property of the orphans. We must not steal, oppress anyone, or disrespect our parents. We must not spurn our kinfolk. We must avoid backbiting, slander, lies, and falsehood. We must eschew false oaths and claims. We must not shave or trim our beards or leave our moustaches to grow. We must not listen to song and musical instruments. Women must not make a wanton display of themselves and men should not mix with them. These sins are forbidden throughout the year, but in Ramadan they are even more forbidden and more sinful.

We must fear Allah and avoid what Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) have prohibited us. We must be upright in our obedience in Ramadan and throughout the rest of the year. We should call one another to this and by doing so attain the success and salvation that this blessed and great month promises us.

Dear brothers and sisters! As usual, please, we are soliciting to you, to assit us, help us, give us your Zakah, your sadaqah, your charity and your donations during this 1446/2025 Ramadan.

Indeed, in our great country, Nigeria, in African countries and around the world, orphans and children are facing hunger, poverty, fear and the loss of healthcare and education due to the insecurity, conflict and the climate crisis. In our Islamic center, our teams are working tirelessly to provide the resources orphans and children need to overcome war, famine and other crises – helping them build brighter, more hopeful futures.

This Ramadan, as we come together to celebrate the blessed and great Month, it is important to reflect on those in need. During Ramadan, and all year long, by donating what you can afford, you can help give hope to our orphans, our boys and girls in our Islamic schools. Your Zakah, Sadaqah, charity and donations can make a difference in the lives of children and their families, especially in this Ramadan.

Please, donate to help our orphans, children and the needy. Donate to help our Islamic schools. Donate to help our Da’awah activities, FISABILILLAH!

Our this year’s (1446/2025) Ramadan target is:

Ten million naira (₦10,000,000) In Shaa Allah.

And all those who intend to donate food items, clothes etc, our doors are always open In Shaa Allah.

The following are our bank details:

Account number: 1779691620

Account name: Murtala Muhammed

Access Bank.

Or:

Account number: 0048647196

Account name: Murtala Muhammed

GTBank

For more information call the following contacts:

08038289761, 08056557477, 09158822160, 09019183949.

We’re looking forward to your Zakah, your Sadaqah, your charity and your donations In Shaa Allah.

Jazakumullah Khairan as you kindly assit for Allah’s sake.

Lastly, I ask Allah the Almighty to reform all our affairs, to provide us with strong will to change our situation for the better and to provide the entire Ummah with glory, strength and unity. I ask Him also to accept our deeds, prayers, and supplications.

I also pray, may the Almighty Allah remove all our tears, all our worries, all our sorrows and all our pains and replace them with complete happiness, complete smiles and complete good health, ameen Ya Mujib!

All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.

This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Sha’aban 15, 1446 AH (February 14, 2025).

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Opinion

A Family of Huffaz: The Remarkable Legacy of Professor Salisu Shehu

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Saleh Adamu Kwaru

 

Prof. Salisu Shehu’s academic career is marked by a series of significant achievements that reflect his commitment to scholarly excellence. He has held various academic positions, contributing to the development of curricula and educational programs that emphasize critical thinking and ethical reasoning. He is celebrated for his excellence, perseverance, and hard work. He not only enhances every responsibility he takes on but also transforms tasks to provide better service. When confronted with a seemingly impossible challenge, Prof. Salisu finds a way to make it achievable.

 

However, beyond his academic and professional accomplishments, there are hidden treasures in Prof. Salisu’s life, particularly within the confines of his home. Navigating through his home reveals the hard work and dedication to nurturing a family grounded in Islamic knowledge and values. Recently, he hosted a Walima to celebrate the remarkable achievement of his seven children, all of whom have memorized the entire Qur’an. Among them is Ummu Sulaim’s extraordinary achievement of memorizing 20,000 ahadith. Before these remarkable children, the older siblings had already achieved similar successes.

 

These accomplishments are not mere coincidences; they stem from scholarly guidance, strong parenting, and mentorship, as well as the supportive and enriching environment that Prof. Shehu has cultivated at home. This dedication and success attest to Allah’s statement: “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (29:69).

 

Prof. Salisu’s parenting philosophy is grounded in instilling a solid foundation of Islamic knowledge and values, which has clearly borne fruit in his children’s achievements. It is also on record that all the children have excelled in their academic pursuits, with some breaking graduation records. These children have ventured into various fields of knowledge, including law, medicine, science, and other critical areas of study. This remarkable feat highlights the importance of determination and dedication in the pursuit of knowledge. As stated in the Qur’an, “And say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge’” (Qur’an 20:114).

 

The influence of Prof. Shehu’s family extends beyond their academic and spiritual achievements. The family’s home environment is characterized by a culture of continuous learning, mutual respect, and a commitment to community service. Prof. Salisu’s wives have played instrumental roles in nurturing their children and instilling values of discipline, empathy, and resilience. The family’s unity and shared values have created a nurturing space where each member can thrive and contribute positively to society.

 

As a respected academic and leader, he has played a pivotal role in the development of educational institutions and has served as a mentor to numerous aspiring professionals. His legacy is characterized by a commitment to instilling values of hard work, firmness, and faith in future generations. As John C. Maxwell said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way”, Prof. Shehu’s mentorship and outreach programs have empowered many young scholars to pursue their academic and professional aspirations, creating a ripple effect of positive change within the community.

 

Truly, Prof. Salisu’s journey is not just about his own achievements; it also highlights the influence of his values and principles on those around him. The inspiring journey serves as a compelling case study in the intersection of personal success, decent, humble life devoted to serving humanity. His legacy is one of inspiring future generations to strive for excellence and to contribute positively to society. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (May Allah’s Peace and blessings be upon him) said ‘All of you are guardians and are responsible for your subjects. The ruler is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects; a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for his subjects; a woman is a guardian in her husband’s home and is responsible for her subjects’. This hadith underscores the importance of fulfilling one’s duties and being accountable for those we care for, whether in positions of authority or within our families.

 

Indeed, if there is a life worthy of emulation and practice, it is that of Prof Salisu Shehu, Walin Tabawa Balewa. His unwavering principles and ethical standards serve as a model for integrity, excellence and devotion. Embracing the values and lessons from his life can guide us towards making meaningful contributions in our own endeavors and striving to create a better world for future generations.

 

Allah Ya karawa Wali lafiya da jinkiri mai alkhari.

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Opinion

IGP tenure elongation may spell doom on national security, Human rights lawyer Dantani raises alarm

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A human rights lawyer, Hamza Nuhu Dantani Esq, has faulted the National Assembly passage of the Police Act which paved the way for the tenure elongation of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.

The human rights activist insisted the IGP’s tenure extension, the sequel to President Bola Tinubu’s bidding for Egbetokun to remain in office till the end of 2027, may have far-reaching consequences on national security.

In a petition issued on Friday, Barrister Dantani worried about the action of the National Assembly, which he said has disrupted the leadership system in the police force, undermined the constitution, and eroded public trust in governance.

That apart, Dantani lamented the action of the President to extend Egbetokun’s stay in office amounted to a glaring example of nepotism and disenchantment to morale and career progression in officers.

Citing the provisions of the laws guiding the appointment and tenure of the IGP in Nigeria, Barrister Dantani insisted the extension of Egbetokun’s service may temper with national unity.

In particular, the human rights activist referenced sections 7 and 18 (8) of the Police Act. 2020, which stipulated the age of retirement, reminded the Federal lawmakers to contravene the provisions of the act with IGP Egbetokun’s extension.

The controversial amendment of the Police Act by the National Assembly in favour of an individual violates the sanctity of the rule of law, particularly equality before the law, Barrister Dantani submitted.

“No officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier. Mr Egbetokun was born on September 4, 1964, and by arithmetic computation, clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60 in September 2024.

“He is also not covered by the provision of (iii) above, as he is neither a judicial officer nor an academician. The implication of the foregoing is that, by operation of law, IGP Egbetokun, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, should have retired from the Nigerian Police Force and consequently from his position as the IGP by effluxion of time”. Dantani worried.

He lamented how the national assembly reduced the power of the presidency despite the separation of power to amend the police Act for the sake of Egbetokun’s extension in office.

“Specifically, on July 23, 2024, the National Assembly led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas hastily passed the Bill to amend the Police Act 2020 in record time.

“Earlier that day, the House of Representatives had approved the Police Act Amendment Bill to allow the Office of the IGP occupant to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in his or her appointment letter.

“On the same day, the Senate also took the same action following an appeal by the presidency that Kayode Egbetokun, the IGP, be allowed to continue serving his four-year term in office even though he had attained the compulsory retirement age of 60 on September 4, 20204.

“The Executive Bill sought to amend Section 18 of the Police Act 2020 to allow an officer appointed as the IGP to serve beyond the current limit of 35 years in service or the age of 60. The Bill proposed to create a new section 18(8A) to enable the IGP to stay longer than 35 years in service and 60 years of age, whichever comes first”.

The human rights activist posited the decision to extend the IGP’s tenure has effectively blocked the advancement of other senior officers next in line for leadership roles while stagnating junior officers.

He called on the President to prioritize merit and competence over personal affiliations in appointments and promotions in the police force added that Institutions thrive when individuals are selected based on their qualifications and capabilities, not their connections.

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