Mid-term assessment of Yar 'adua administration
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
Being a opinion submitted for publishing in African Renaissance journal.
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on 29th May, 2007 to succeed Olusegun Obasanjo after an election widely regarded as flawed. The administration since its inception is therefore faced with strong challenge of credibility from the Nigerian citizens and the international community.
This challenge led the president to constitute a committee under Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais to suggest ways of reforming the electoral process. However, one of the key recommendations of the committee that seek to transfer the power of appointing electoral commission chairman to judicial service commission was jettisoned by the government; and the government insist on appointing the electoral commission chairman. There is also not much enthusiasm towards implementation of other recommendations of the committee. Re-run elections in several states like Ekiti were still marred by widespread rigging. Where results of election are cancelled by election tribunals and fresh elections conducted, the ruling party wins in majority of the states.
One of the cardinal programmes of the administration is the vision 20:2020 which aims to make Nigeria to be among the 20th most industrialized nations by the year 2020. However, apart from repeating the same mantra time and again by government officials, there is nothing on the ground to suggest implementation of programmes aimed at achieving that objective. The promise of generating 6000MW of electricity before the end of 2009 remains illusive. The administration has also not taken concrete step to repair the dilapidated transport system. Nigerians are daily losing their lives in road traffic accidents.
The administration has also promised to respect rule of law and fight corruption. But less than one year from its inception, the erstwhile chairman of Economic and Financial crimes Commission [EFCC], Mr Nuhu Ribadu was posted in a controversial circumstance for a course at National institute of policy and strategic Studies [NIPSS] and replaced by Mrs Farida Waziri. Mr Ribadu was later dismissed from the Nigeria Police on charges of insubordination. The removal of Mr Ribadu and subsequent dismissal from the Nigeria Police has made many people sceptical about the administration’s commitment to fighting corruption.
Industrial actions by several workers unions in demand for salary increment have become incessant since inception of the administration. Academic staffs of Nigerian universities have been on strike for 4 months now leading to suspension of academic activities in most universities. However, the President visited Saudi Arabia to grace the occasion of opening a university when the nation’s universities remain closed due to strike action by university lecturers.
Foreign relations has not been given much importance by the Yar’adua administration as the President was absent at this year’s United Nations summit, a summit he should have attended but decided to visit Saudi Arabia instead.
The nation is also facing serious security challenges like kidnappings in demand of ransom, armed robbery and religious crisis like the recent Boko haram crisis in Northern Nigeria.
With all the problems bedevilling the administration, I believe President Yar’adua has taken some steps to address the lingering militant actions in the Niger delta by declaring an amnesty to the militants. Thousands have accepted the amnesty and surrendered their arms.
The recent sanitization of the banking sector by the central bank governor is also a positive step in improving the nation’s economy. The EFCC was able to recover over N 100billion from the non performing loans granted by several banks.
I believe the administration has performed below expectation of most Nigerians because it has failed to address much of the problems bedevilling the nation; but we expect the administration to make an improvement before the next general election in 2011.
The administration should implement all the recommendations of the Uwais panel because that is the first step that will reform the electoral process and ensure that the nation conducts a free and fair election in 2011 and subsequent elections. Steps should also be taken to improve power generation and repair critical infrastructure like roads and railways. Government should also try and resolve the lingering industrial action by university lecturers and all other unions and prevent future occurrence of similar strike actions. The government should also improve security situation in the whole country. It should also give more emphasis to foreign relations and better collaboration with International community.
It is our expectation that the election of 2011 will give Nigerians the opportunity to elect the people that will lead them, not an election that will be marred by rigging and violence.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A new representation of the origins of inhabitants of Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria
A new representation of the origins of inhabitants of Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
A fictional response to Ibraheem Waziri’s essay “The break through”
Royal Journal of Humanities,London
01/08/2052
A team of professional forensic scientists, archaeologists, medical scientists, excavators and anthropologists led by Professor Abdullahi el Kanawiy, a Nobel prize winner, and professor of African history and Egyptology from Madabo Metropolitan University, Kano, working with other scientists from the International Institute of African history, London has presented a paper in Arewa House Kaduna titled “A new representation of the origins of the Inhabitants of the Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria” in which he reviewed past works especially that of Professor Umar El Zakzaky el Bahausiy. He analysed the same fossils excavated by Professor Elzakzaky and his team and also excavated new fossils from some sites in Kano and Zaria and concluded that the inhabitants of Hausa city of Kano descended from known saints, sharifai and reknown scholars. This finding has refuted the earlier claim of Professor El Zakzaky that the pharaoh of Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses originated from the ancient city of Kano and the traits of the Pharaoh is what is reminiscent in the genes of Kano people.
Professor of el Kanawiy and his team have used an ultramodern ultrasound to scan some of the fossils discovered close to renowned cemeteries in Kano; Turunku and Zaria city and subjected them also to DNA analysis. The result proved that the traits of most of the people of Kano are those of sharifai “descendants of the holy prophet”, those of known Wangarawa preachers and those of descendants of known Kano saints. The genes of Zaria people however resemble those of the Gwari and Igala tribes.
The above findings did not come as a surprise to most scientists since it is known that renowned descendant of the Prophet; Sheikh Al-Magili came to Kano during the reign of Sarkin Kano Rumfa. According to historians, Sheikh Al-Magili had a dream while in Medina in which he was instructed by the holy prophet to come westwards and spread Islam. Al-Magili took the sample of the soil in Medina and tied it in a handkerchief. He use to match it with the soil of any town he visited till he reached Kano and cross matched the Kano soil with that of Medina and found out that they are similar. He settled in Kano and had many descendents. The finding of traits of the Wangarawa was also not surprising since their delegation led by Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite in company of scholars like Modibbo Sheshe, Mandawari, Limamin Madatai and Limamin Jujin ‘yan labo came to Kano during the reign of Sarki Yaji. These Wangarawa scholars settled in Kano and have several descendents now. The researchers were also not surprised to find some of the traits to be compatible to those of known Saints because Kano had many saints; in fact most of them were buried in Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries.
Professor el kanawiy added “It is not surprising that Kano people are very intelligent since we know that they have inherited the genes of these great sharifai , saints and renowned Islamic scholars”
He also said “It is wrong to link the origin of the pharaoh to Kano since the mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll, the pharaoh of the exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in the King’s valley and was later transported to Cairo, and the genes from the mummy resemble those of Egyptians not Kano people”.
“Genetic link of Zaria with Gwari did not come to us as a surprise since it is known that their Hausa is not fluent and resemble that of Gwari” remarked Professor El kanawiy and went further to say “that their link with Igala is not a surprise since we know that Queen Amina went for expedition in Igalaland and was killed there and many of her soldiers may have marry from Igala tribe or have captured some concubines from Igalaland.
This research has affirm earlier works by Alhaji Abubakar Dokaji renowned author of “kano ta Dabo cigari” and other workers in Bayero university kano. The findings also did not come as a surprise to Kano people since they believe that the prayers from these known saints and scholars has contributed in making their city prosper in education, business and other endeavours.
Zaria Emirate is disturbed that the result will vindicate earlier claims by several academics that the research by Professor el Zakzaky el Bahaushiy is a fabrication and that the professor wrote in deference to the wishes of his Zaria kinsmen who want a valid reason to continue to be accepted for marriage by beautiful Kano girls. The Professor is presently facing an audit panel to ascertain how he plagiarized other people’s academic publications to be appointed a professor. Renowned Zaria people including their kinsmen in Abuja [renamed Suleja] have been summoned to assist Professor El Zakzaky to avoid being humiliated by the university community and the International academia. Daily Mail newspaper reliably confirmed that Professor El Zakazaky is under pressure from prominent Zaria indigenes to resign his position to avoid further embarrassment to Zaria people.
Prominent Kano indigenes have called on their people to continue their generosity of marrying off their daughters to any suitable Bazazzagi, not minding the outcome of the research; so that they can continue to get blessings from the traits of great Kano people.
Historical links of Kano to Medina has been acknowledged by Shata thus:
Tunjimin gari mai dala da gwauron dutse
Kanon Dabo birni,
Kano madinar shata
Facts:
1] Mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll the pharaoh of exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in King’s valley.
2]Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite and other Wangara scholars came to kano during the reign of king Yaji.
3]Sheikh Abdulkarim Al Maghili came to Kano during the reign of King Rumfa.
4]Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries contain the tombs of Known saints
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
A fictional response to Ibraheem Waziri’s essay “The break through”
Royal Journal of Humanities,London
01/08/2052
A team of professional forensic scientists, archaeologists, medical scientists, excavators and anthropologists led by Professor Abdullahi el Kanawiy, a Nobel prize winner, and professor of African history and Egyptology from Madabo Metropolitan University, Kano, working with other scientists from the International Institute of African history, London has presented a paper in Arewa House Kaduna titled “A new representation of the origins of the Inhabitants of the Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria” in which he reviewed past works especially that of Professor Umar El Zakzaky el Bahausiy. He analysed the same fossils excavated by Professor Elzakzaky and his team and also excavated new fossils from some sites in Kano and Zaria and concluded that the inhabitants of Hausa city of Kano descended from known saints, sharifai and reknown scholars. This finding has refuted the earlier claim of Professor El Zakzaky that the pharaoh of Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses originated from the ancient city of Kano and the traits of the Pharaoh is what is reminiscent in the genes of Kano people.
Professor of el Kanawiy and his team have used an ultramodern ultrasound to scan some of the fossils discovered close to renowned cemeteries in Kano; Turunku and Zaria city and subjected them also to DNA analysis. The result proved that the traits of most of the people of Kano are those of sharifai “descendants of the holy prophet”, those of known Wangarawa preachers and those of descendants of known Kano saints. The genes of Zaria people however resemble those of the Gwari and Igala tribes.
The above findings did not come as a surprise to most scientists since it is known that renowned descendant of the Prophet; Sheikh Al-Magili came to Kano during the reign of Sarkin Kano Rumfa. According to historians, Sheikh Al-Magili had a dream while in Medina in which he was instructed by the holy prophet to come westwards and spread Islam. Al-Magili took the sample of the soil in Medina and tied it in a handkerchief. He use to match it with the soil of any town he visited till he reached Kano and cross matched the Kano soil with that of Medina and found out that they are similar. He settled in Kano and had many descendents. The finding of traits of the Wangarawa was also not surprising since their delegation led by Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite in company of scholars like Modibbo Sheshe, Mandawari, Limamin Madatai and Limamin Jujin ‘yan labo came to Kano during the reign of Sarki Yaji. These Wangarawa scholars settled in Kano and have several descendents now. The researchers were also not surprised to find some of the traits to be compatible to those of known Saints because Kano had many saints; in fact most of them were buried in Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries.
Professor el kanawiy added “It is not surprising that Kano people are very intelligent since we know that they have inherited the genes of these great sharifai , saints and renowned Islamic scholars”
He also said “It is wrong to link the origin of the pharaoh to Kano since the mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll, the pharaoh of the exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in the King’s valley and was later transported to Cairo, and the genes from the mummy resemble those of Egyptians not Kano people”.
“Genetic link of Zaria with Gwari did not come to us as a surprise since it is known that their Hausa is not fluent and resemble that of Gwari” remarked Professor El kanawiy and went further to say “that their link with Igala is not a surprise since we know that Queen Amina went for expedition in Igalaland and was killed there and many of her soldiers may have marry from Igala tribe or have captured some concubines from Igalaland.
This research has affirm earlier works by Alhaji Abubakar Dokaji renowned author of “kano ta Dabo cigari” and other workers in Bayero university kano. The findings also did not come as a surprise to Kano people since they believe that the prayers from these known saints and scholars has contributed in making their city prosper in education, business and other endeavours.
Zaria Emirate is disturbed that the result will vindicate earlier claims by several academics that the research by Professor el Zakzaky el Bahaushiy is a fabrication and that the professor wrote in deference to the wishes of his Zaria kinsmen who want a valid reason to continue to be accepted for marriage by beautiful Kano girls. The Professor is presently facing an audit panel to ascertain how he plagiarized other people’s academic publications to be appointed a professor. Renowned Zaria people including their kinsmen in Abuja [renamed Suleja] have been summoned to assist Professor El Zakzaky to avoid being humiliated by the university community and the International academia. Daily Mail newspaper reliably confirmed that Professor El Zakazaky is under pressure from prominent Zaria indigenes to resign his position to avoid further embarrassment to Zaria people.
Prominent Kano indigenes have called on their people to continue their generosity of marrying off their daughters to any suitable Bazazzagi, not minding the outcome of the research; so that they can continue to get blessings from the traits of great Kano people.
Historical links of Kano to Medina has been acknowledged by Shata thus:
Tunjimin gari mai dala da gwauron dutse
Kanon Dabo birni,
Kano madinar shata
Facts:
1] Mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll the pharaoh of exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in King’s valley.
2]Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite and other Wangara scholars came to kano during the reign of king Yaji.
3]Sheikh Abdulkarim Al Maghili came to Kano during the reign of King Rumfa.
4]Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries contain the tombs of Known saints
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